July in Bundibugyo: Floods, Intrigue, and Plodding on

Three weeks ago we drove back into Bundibugyo after two very full months of graduations, THE wedding, reunions, meeting people, driving, family time. While we were in the USA a few good things happened: our Kenyan-licensed Land Rover sold to a sweet missionary family, taking that burden off our hands. And our Ugandan work permits (visas which allow us to stay here two years) were approved. So as soon as we landed, we went to immigration and became official.

Departing Dulles, escorted by my niece Emma and my mom

Immigration, waiting . . . .

While we were gone, some not-so-good things happened too.  The night before Luke and Abby's wedding weekend, a group of students at Christ School rioted, attacking four teacher's houses and destroying property. The latter half of June saw us spending hours on the phone, piecing stories together from a distance, writing letters, begging for calm, with the knowledge that this event had roots in deeper dysfunctions which we would have to face upon our return. While we grieved being so far away, and briefly considered an emergency (post-wedding) accelerated return, the time actually allowed investigation by a board-appointed committee and allowed us to observe how our decisions were being received and carried out (or not).  LONG STORY short, within a few days of return Scott as Chairman of the Board called a board meeting, and we spent 11 hours in deliberation of the evidence. The board unanimously voted to end the contract of the Head Teacher. It was an exhausting process.  It's hard to describe just how murky facts can be in a place that values loyalty and unity and cleverness and manipulation over truth. It's hard to describe the way Evil subtly infuses all of our best intentions and at times rises up naked and dangerous to destroy Good. At times like this, we have been thankful for:

• Incredible prayer support for the blessing of Bundibugyo, over many many years. You, and we, have to be tenacious.
• Our own scars, the painful ways we have been shaped to understand some of the undercurrents. Hopefully some of our years have leant wisdom, though we're still in the dark all too often.
• Scott is calm in crisis, and his presence alone just brings a measure of order. People know he rode an armored tank back into this district to assess for aid in a time of war, and stayed to care for Ebola patients in a time of plague. The various meetings have not lacked for drama, but by grace and prayer and perseverance we've seen the tide shift until people are on board.
• Guidance and support from the Board, the school's leadership team and staff, and our own right-hand-man John, the Old Boys and Old Girls (alumnae), even a very dignified group representing the District Elder's Association (traditional leaders' peacemaking NGO) who came to meet us in a polite and neutral way to remind us that Christ School belongs to the people of Bundibugyo, they love it and want it, and do not want to see disorder cause implosion.
  
• the elders who came to advise us

The Board meeting was followed by staff meeting, student meeting, and a few days later a parent meeting. Scott wrote letters, we put out a radio announcement, and we held our breath to see if the community would accept the decision well and continue to entrust us with their students. In spite of rumors and various plots for trouble, it seems we are beginning to emerge. Which means that Scott is up to his ears in normal school issues: repairs on the perimeter fence, scrutiny of the food budget, registering students for exams, going to Chapel, troubleshooting computer issues, contracting to fix a leaking roof, meeting the leaders to hire a new literature teacher. We have put off hiring a new Head Teacher for now, as our Deputy has become the Acting HT and is doing well with leadership team support.

CSB entrance (behind the blue gate) in Nyahuka town

Selfie on the way into Board meeting . . . what a day

Meeting staff and students

Students on the field as HT departed and Scott met with them

Pre Parents' Meeting, admiring the new scoreboard Ike made

Fielding questions from the parents

New metal beds in dorm

High grade posho, a CSB perk (cornmeal for porridge)

Classes back to normal

University student teachers join us in the summer months

The background to the drama is no less important. Bundibugyo is having unseasonably heavy rainfall. This district is a rainforest valley on the north-northwest side of the third highest peaks on the continent, defined by tapering ridges and gullies that can flash flood. Before the paved road, this weather might well have made the place inaccessible, but now as long as you stay to the single tarmac artery it's a breeze. Still, people's homes have been filled with mud and crops destroyed, and even some bridges have washed out. Mosquitoes love the damp, and malaria runs rampant. I am trying to round on the Paediatric ward three times a week; there are always 60-100 patients and half to two-thirds are malaria diagnoses. It is not unusual to see a child admitted with a hemoglobin of 3 or below (that's a quarter of normal).  This week, the main antimalarial medicine went out of stock.

This used to be a bridge . . . near Kisubba. 

Saturday bike ride

But even here, there are signs of hope. The hospital's medical superintendent is a man of integrity and determination. He's holding staff meetings and holding people to account; there is continuing education and I've had students rounding with me. We've made some life-saving diagnoses like TB or typhoid, puzzled over some syndromes, seen some malnourished kids gain weight. Earlier this month a facilitator from another district, arranged by Dr. Marc, taught Helping Babies Breath (neonatal resuscitation). Our persistent new team mate Ike got the long-awaited (more than a year!) transformer installed and we now have electricity much of the day. Jessie is not only carrying much of the nutrition program but also decided to re-open Books for Bundi (our library for kids) twice a week. Our interim team leaders the Justices are leading the preparation for new and returning team, including supervising house repairs and buying new appliances. So the Gospel is alive, in meals, in stories, in prayer and Bible study, in food and healing. We've enjoyed the small-team summer remnant and bonding with these young couples.  We've had about a dozen meetings-by-phone/facetime/etc. with team leaders around our region.

Staff CME on Friday

HBB training

precious people

Team Birthday meal for Ike

Internet access, time pressure, and just not being sure how to even process the complexity of life made it hard to return to the blog, but we hope to resume our normal verbosity now. Please keep Bundibugyo and all of Serge East/Central Africa in your prayers.

Hospital hand-washing station with bleach . . Ebola is running rampant about 100 Km west of us

The road up from Nyahuka towards the mission, on a rare day of sun

Why it is all worth it: this young lady became a believer at CSB in my cell group, now she's a university grad and a mom.

And this young man received a scholarship to CSB, which enabled him to pass at the top of the District in sciences and qualify for a government University Scholarship. He is student-teaching until classes start!

Not pictured: dense bugs. But it was a lovely picnic site. We do have fun too! Hot Springs trip with Ike and Jessie, and below.