Geelong to Uganda

Geelong to Uganda
Google image of trip from Geelong (my home) in Australia to Karamoja, Uganda!

Wednesday 14 November 2012

Our trip to Kaabong in Northern Karamoja


12-11-12

A land of potential, beauty and wonder. Vast plains of scrub and bush with mountains and rocks scattered all around. Kaabong should have been called the 'place of many rocks' in Ngakaramojong, like Gumly Gumly in Aboriginal, that small Australian town next to Wagga Wagga. Surely there are more rocks here than there.

Kaabong was actually named after an important man named Aabong, I feel sorry the man was born with such an unfortunate name. 

I do love the meaning of the town names in Karamoja though, they are so very descriptive. Lolachat for example, near where we live in Nabilatuk, means the "place where the river is so strong that it will rip your clothes off". Although if you're only wearing a blanket, as the men here do, then it doesn't have to be a very strong current I suppose.

It has been interesting to discuss with the people here the cultural differences between our tribal group in Nabilatuk (the Piyan) and these people here in Kaabong, the Dodoth. When the current president, Museveni, came into office there was a mass disarmament and North Karamoja was the first to have their guns taken away, by force. Since then they have been a source of attack from other Karamajong tribes, primarily the Jie (pronounced gee-ey) tribe that are next door. Vulnerable, their cows were stolen, along with their pride and sense of autonomy. Without cattle here, a person loses wealth and status & standing in the community, and, culturally - God's blessing. That is a universally acknowledged truth for the Karamajong people.

 The Dodoth also have some very slight differences in language to the Piyan tribe.

 The only downfall for this place is that the mountains and the wind make it so cold! Ok, so probably only 15 to 20 degrees but that's cold to me. Summer laughs at me as I pull on my thermals to leave the house, but hello, I have only been three places in my life; Australia, Asia and Africa. Do you see a pattern?? At least I know my mission field can be no colder than Africa ;) and to think I was originally going to spend the year in Mongolia!!

 
 Lotim near Kaabong is the place where it had been planned that the team I came to join would move their ministry of Vet and Bible storying/church planting to part way through this year. As we drive out there on Monday morning, I think to myself how incredible and amazing nature is. If God created this, how much more awesome must the Creator be? All around me it is just so perfectly designed, and stunningly beautiful. I see a mountain of rocks reaching up to the sky with one smooth round boulder perched precariously atop it all. Of course it only looks precarious, but no storm has moved it yet. It has been perfectly undisturbed.
 
 
There are 11 of us in the Land Cruiser as we bump and rattle down the dirt road to Lotim, about 45 minutes from Kaabong. There are 5 Taliaferros; Susan and Jeremy and 3 children- Victory (4 yrs), Memphis (2yrs) and Ember (1yr), plus Summer and I, and 4 K'jong guys helping us with translation and any land issues that need to be sorted.
Along the road there are sunflower fields on either side, their yellow faces looking our direction, with mountain ranges stretching out into the distance. We drive closer and closer to them and finally get to our destination. The road was rough, noticed particularly when you are holding on your lap a two year old with a tornado in his pants, but the view was outstanding. As I do a 360, I count 7 mountain ranges, not including the one we stop at. We got to Lotim and even the men said, wow, as they looked around.

The plan for the day is to set the ground work for missionary training to be done late January for 3 months, on K'jong culture, language & lifestyle, plus Bible storying & church planting appropriate to this oral learning, semi-nomadic people group. The 'business', that was expected to take two days, took only a few hours and went so smoothly. We met with the elders when we first arrived and by the grace of God were welcomed unconditionally, with open hearts, by the people there.

After the pleasantries, introductions and the like, we climbed up the hill to where the site is. There are 4 huts already in place, just waiting to be mudded, but the place is currently overgrown, thorny and a snake haven. A lot of work needs to be done but Jeremy is ready & excited for the task. From there we can see at least 6 manyatas (Karamajong villages) that look like the alien landings off that movie Signs. As yet there is no church in this whole region.

 The training is going to be awesome; cultural immersion, pushing the boundaries of those attending. As Jeremy says, balancing the fine line of being culturally appropriate and 'going native', breaking down the barriers people make in their minds for fear of stepping out in faith and just going for it, and learning how to live and survive in such a different place from our background. Feeling some of the pain of how the people here live, e.g. lugging 20L jerry cans full of water up a mountain, every day. How to be stretched, yet still find yourself drawing closer to God through it all.

There will be 4 families plus, including some Karamajong leaders too, who want to learn how to plant local churches who worship in Spirit and in truth, to see their land be a nation of men and women who seek and love God with all they have.

Not for the first time, I find myself wishing I could be here for next year too. At the same time though, I'm pulled back home with my desire to finish what I started at Uni. Like I said, this month is going to be an emotional rollercoaster.  

We go to Kampala on Wednesday and try to find new parts for out truck that is broken and sad at the moment. Hope to return to Karamoja soon!

Love Mel

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