Uganda Trip #15 | Post 5
“It is done” from Revelation 21:6 declared trainee Beba Stephen (his picture accompanies this post). This is the very last presentation I would hear from this cohort that started three years ago. Each person in my learning group was to give a ten-minute presentation from a text in Revelation, and this gifted musician and pastor was the last, and it is done. I finished the third cohort of training, my 20 th trip to Uganda and I anticipate it being the last one to the Pearl of Africa.
It has been a joy to watch some of the transformation that has taken place in this third journey. Beba is one example of a pastor who has grown in both their understanding and communicating of the Scripture. One of the joys of the approach we took is that “my” learning group of 10 (I started with 13 three years ago) became friends over this process and I have been able to observe their development. We also grew in respect and the ability to tease each other a bit.
There is a sense in which this trip was not necessary. Our vision was to see the establishment of
An abiding network
Of Gospel centered
Bible saturated
African lead churches
I believe this has/is taking place. While Mike, Stu and I were leading one cohort of 31 pastors, Benson, Sunday, and Aggrey (all local leaders) lead another, larger cohort. African leadership is excellent (I was going to write “sound”, but it is much more than that) and already functioning. We have apprentices who shared the teaching load with us and could have carried to the load without us. We came because we were committed, and we wanted to be here for the graduation that takes place in four days.
When the next cohort starts (plans are already in place), there will be more African leaders that will assume the roles we had, and things will continue and grow without us. Two cohorts will continue to operate, allowing a good number of trainees to continually be equipped and allow small class size to maximize skill development. This process has been most rewarding and fulfilling.
My apprentice Vincent is more than ready. He and I split the teaching duties 50-50. After every session he taught, I gave him brief feedback. 90% of what I told him was positive, from teaching techniques to the way he served the trainees. In my final feedback session, I told him he was more than ready, that future trainees would be better served by him than if I kept coming back and my only concern about his teaching—occasionally he speaks too softly.
My honest evaluation of my 10 guys is that six guys did quite well, two did ok, and two either didn’t get it, or could communicate it effectively back to me in English (which may be their third, fourth or fifth language!).
Beba said it correctly “it is done!” He was talking about the revelation that one day all believers will one day see the completed work of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world in a new heavens and a new earth. But his presentation also that my work in Uganda is over.
I’m not done blogging on this trip, however. I will tell you more of what is going on here between now and my arrival (God willing) at MSP and Hudson on September 16 th .
