May Update

Three-Month Summary

It’s been a while since my last update, so without further adieu, here is the latest news of what’s going on in the world of Ryan Williams these days.

I’ve spent the last three months working tirelessly on New Hope Uganda’s (NHU) new “Musana Camps” project, whose vision is to build a multi-functional Christian camp site on the shores of Lake Victoria where God’s truth will be encountered and lives will be changed. New Hope’s big plan, in the Lord’s timing and will, is to build Men’s, Family, and Guest Camps on the land; which will also include a community clinic, Youth Camp, amphitheatre, administration center, runway, and various other buildings in the future. The site is breathtakingly beautiful and worth the long bumpy road to get there. One of the first things people immediately say when they arrive to the site is, “This is it! This was well worth the drive.” It’s one of the best spots along the big lake that I’ve been to.

During this time, I spent a whole month back in February producing a massive survey of the 750 acre site (not a one man job let me assure you). After the project teams’ 10 day trip back in early March I spent the next two months producing AutoCAD drawings, designing & defining water and wastewater systems, and organizing a master site plan for the new “Musana Camps”, which means “Light” in Lugandan. The slogan for the new camp is “Encountering Truth, Transforming Lives.” A very catchy and suitable phrase for what the Camps’ vision and focus is to be. I am excited for what NHU is planning to do with the site, and I know it will be prime spot to share God’s truth in the most impacting way.

All that hard unpaid work finally paid off last week, not in dollars, but in something of much greater worth to me: a knowing fulfillment of completing a large task given to me by God. Last week, on May 9th, we printed and bound 16 copies of the 77 page Final Report! This report encompasses three hard months worth of work and many long hours. If you added up all the hours spent by everyone involved who worked on this project, it would equate to about $90,000 worth of engineering & architectural services back home, but we do this work gladly for free. It will be given to the volunteer team and to New Hope Uganda, which includes renders of the buildings, a written report, drawings and everything else they will need to proceed with construction & fundraising for the new Musana Camps project. Construction is planned to start in late 2009. I hope to one day return to Uganda in the future and visit the site to see how all my hard work and effort has come to fruition…. How exciting will that be!! Such a unique experience, which I can call my own: “Yes, Musana Camps, I actually helped design that site!” I look forward to the day. All in all, it has been a pleasure for me to come alongside NHU and to help them realize their God-given vision. I pray that God would bless this NHU ministry as they go forward now and begin building the framework for what I no doubt believe will be the most amazing and Christ-centered camping experience in all of Uganda.

The Musana Camps Final Report

I’ve learned a lot about myself and my work abilities through this experience—first of all that I enjoy civil engineering, and that I’m good at it, but also where my limitations lie and the places where God has bestowed upon me certain talents. My mentor and project leader Brad Crawford has really helped me to see these things clearly. I know with all my heart that God called me specifically to work on this project, and to be here at the EMI-East Africa office at this time. God knew I was the one with the appropriate skills, knowledge, work ethic, and self-starting initiative to tackle this project from the get-go and get the job done on time-- not that God need anything from me, but like Jay Dangers, the director of New Hope, once said: "God doesn't need our help to complete the job, as if he was deficient-- but he wants it! He wants to be in relationship with us, and so we build that relationship by getting involved in what the Lord is doing. It isn't about the task, or my ministry, it is about HIM and our relationship with HIM."

The task I had to do here at eMi was the means through which God revealed Himself as Provider, Counselor, Wise King, and all-knowing Father. I've done what I've done not to beat my chest in pride, but to thank God for bringing me here to let me do what I love and to grow in relationship with my Father in Heaven while doing it. I think this understanding has been the biggest lesson I have learned in my experiences on this trip. I know my team members would concur wholeheartedly.

Not only that, but the team I worked with was fantastic; an exceptional and rare team that I will look back on years to come and remember warmly. This work was entirely a team effort, so I'd like to thank Pat & Kara Aylard, Mike Krop, Lewis McNeel, Ryan Gab, Grace Poon, Chris Leibrock, Lindsay Shelton, and Brad Crawford for the great times of laughter, sharing and fellowship we had on our project trip. A special thanks goes to Syd & Andrea Sparks for hosting our team and providing some amazing meals for our team to eat. Hands down, it was some of the best food I've eaten here in Uganda!


Things To Come

Now I look to the future and the next 2 months here in Uganda as I close out my time in Africa. By no means am I finished. I still have been asked to go on two more project trips. My next trip starts very soon, on May 17th, where I will be joining Brad Crawford again, this time on his Tanzania trip to Mwanza to help with the site survey of 30 acre site, which will host a school, orhpanage, and medical clinic for End-Time Glory Ministries. Getting there will be quite the adventure. Either we will take a ferry across Lake Victoria (which is sketchy and uncertain), a 20 hour bus ride (which is long, bumpy, painful, and downright unbearable), or a personal hire drive through Kenya and Tanzania (which is probably the best of the three options, but in no way anymore comfortable). Brad has still been trying to decide which route to take. We still don’t know what the transportation will look like, but no matter what Brad chooses, it is going to be quite an adventure! In Africa you learn to take things as they come, and I have a feeling this trip will give each of us a full dose of what it means to be flexible. Our team could use prayer support as we figure out the trip details and organize our efforts! Please pray for safe travels, for clear minds & energy to do our work efficiently when we arrive in Tanzania. Pray for protection and grace as we travel and work.

After Tanzania, I do not get much downtime; it is on to the next thing. I will be traveling with Janet Strike on May 26th to work on another project in northern Ugandan in Pader district just northwest of Gulu to help UAPO design a community center for internally displaced people. I will be focusing my work efforts mostly on cost estimating and construction management during my time on this trip. (This means I'll be figuring out costs for things like solar panels, and understanding what the local construction methods are). Please pray for knowledge, wisdom, and discernment, as these disciplines are not my area of expertise, but I have always been willing to learn more.

Both trips should stretch my patience, skill, endurance, and whatever else I'm faced with to the limits. I am praying to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to “rely on God” through these next experiences. I want to be a means of God’s grace and compassion to the other team members in the face of our suffering and trials (like long bus rides), and also to the local people I meet along the way. Please pray with me to the Lord Jesus for this fulfillment, that to live is Christ.

Also, there are a lot of transitions happening around the EMI office in the next week, and it is going to get very busy for us here. The new summer interns are arriving on May 15th., and I have been asked to show the new guys around Kampala and get them settled. Then I leave for Tanzania on May 17th and get back sometime around May 25th. The next day I’m heading to northern Uganda on May 26th until June 7th. The next 2 months (June & July) will be devoted to working on both trips. I hope to finish as best I can before I leave Africa on July 10th. Time is flying by so fast!

I’ve thought a lot about what I will do when I return to Canada, but for right now my focus will be on the next two project trips on my plate. I came here clearly with a focus on doing as much work as possible and of being as much assistance to the eMi-EA office as I could, and so I desire to complete all the tasks which have been set before me-- and to do it whilst growing in relationship with my Lord and Saviour. Pray I have the strength and endurance to get through the next two months. I still have lots of work to do here yet, and I’m not quite ready to leave either.

That is all for now, but I wanted to leave you with an amazing picture of me standing with my sponsor child, Eric Wagagali, and my Ugandan friend Fred Mwanje. It was a long trip, but not to many people get to meet the children they sponsor, and so I was completely blessed to have met them and encourage them in person. I am always reminded when I look at this photo of the fact that these people who live in mud huts and in the unthought-of places of the earth matter to God and are loved dearly by Him. I've realized from being here that the sacrifice of spending my efforts to help and care for people like this, whether small or big, is worth every ounce of energy God gives me.

Three-Month Summary

It’s been a while since my last update, so without further adieu, here is the latest news of what’s going on in the world of Ryan Williams these days.

I’ve spent the last three months working tirelessly on New Hope Uganda’s (NHU) new “Musana Camps” project, whose vision is to build a multi-functional Christian camp site on the shores of Lake Victoria where God’s truth will be encountered and lives will be changed. New Hope’s big plan, in the Lord’s timing and will, is to build Men’s, Family, and Guest Camps on the land; which will also include a community clinic, Youth Camp, amphitheatre, administration center, runway, and various other buildings in the future. The site is breathtakingly beautiful and worth the long bumpy road to get there. One of the first things people immediately say when they arrive to the site is, “This is it! This was well worth the drive.” It’s one of the best spots along the big lake that I’ve been to.

During this time, I spent a whole month back in February producing a massive survey of the 750 acre site (not a one man job let me assure you). After the project teams’ 10 day trip back in early March I spent the next two months producing AutoCAD drawings, designing & defining water and wastewater systems, and organizing a master site plan for the new “Musana Camps”, which means “Light” in Lugandan. The slogan for the new camp is “Encountering Truth, Transforming Lives.” A very catchy and suitable phrase for what the Camps’ vision and focus is to be. I am excited for what NHU is planning to do with the site, and I know it will be prime spot to share God’s truth in the most impacting way.

All that hard unpaid work finally paid off last week, not in dollars, but in something of much greater worth to me: a knowing fulfillment of completing a large task given to me by God. Last week, on May 9th, we printed and bound 16 copies of the 77 page Final Report! This report encompasses three hard months worth of work and many long hours. If you added up all the hours spent by everyone involved who worked on this project, it would equate to about $90,000 worth of engineering & architectural services back home, but we do this work gladly for free. It will be given to the volunteer team and to New Hope Uganda, which includes renders of the buildings, a written report, drawings and everything else they will need to proceed with construction & fundraising for the new Musana Camps project. Construction is planned to start in late 2009. I hope to one day return to Uganda in the future and visit the site to see how all my hard work and effort has come to fruition…. How exciting will that be!! Such a unique experience, which I can call my own: “Yes, Musana Camps, I actually helped design that site!” I look forward to the day. All in all, it has been a pleasure for me to come alongside NHU and to help them realize their God-given vision. I pray that God would bless this NHU ministry as they go forward now and begin building the framework for what I no doubt believe will be the most amazing and Christ-centered camping experience in all of Uganda.

I’ve learned a lot about myself and my work abilities through this experience—first of all that I enjoy civil engineering, and that I’m good at it, but also where my limitations lie and the places where God has bestowed upon me certain talents. My mentor and project leader Brad Crawford has really helped me to see these things clearly. I know with all my heart that God called me specifically to work on this project, and to be here at the EMI-East Africa office at this time. God knew I was the one with the appropriate skills, knowledge, work ethic, and self-starting initiative to tackle this project from the get-go and get the job done on time-- not that God need anything from me, but like Jay Dangers, the director of New Hope, once said: "God doesn't need our help to complete the job, as if he was deficient-- but he wants it! He wants to be in relationship with us, and so we build that relationship by getting involved in what the Lord is doing. It isn't about the task, or my ministry, it is about HIM and our relationship with HIM."

The task I had to do here at eMi was the means through which God revealed Himself as Provider, Counselor, Wise King, and all-knowing Father. I've done what I've done not to beat my chest in pride, but to thank God for bringing me here to let me do what I love and to grow in relationship with my Father in Heaven while doing it. I think this understanding has been the biggest lesson I have learned in my experiences on this trip. I know my team members would concur wholeheartedly.

Not only that, but the team I worked with was fantastic; an exceptional and rare team that I will look back on years to come and remember warmly. This work was entirely a team effort, so I'd like to thank Pat & Kara Aylard, Mike Krop, Lewis McNeel, Ryan Gab, Grace Poon, Chris Leibrock, Lindsay Shelton, and Brad Crawford for the great times of laughter, sharing and fellowship we had on our project trip. A special thanks goes to Syd & Andrea Sparks for hosting our team and providing some amazing meals for our team to eat. Hands down, it was some of the best food I've eaten here in Uganda!


Things To Come

Now I look to the future and the next 2 months here in Uganda as I close out my time in Africa. By no means am I finished. I still have been asked to go on two more project trips. My next trip starts very soon, on May 17th, where I will be joining Brad Crawford again, this time on his Tanzania trip to Mwanza to help with the site survey of 30 acre site, which will host a school, orhpanage, and medical clinic for End-Time Glory Ministries. Getting there will be quite the adventure. Either we will take a ferry across Lake Victoria (which is sketchy and uncertain), a 20 hour bus ride (which is long, bumpy, painful, and downright unbearable), or a personal hire drive through Kenya and Tanzania (which is probably the best of the three options, but in no way anymore comfortable). Brad has still been trying to decide which route to take. We still don’t know what the transportation will look like, but no matter what Brad chooses, it is going to be quite an adventure! In Africa you learn to take things as they come, and I have a feeling this trip will give each of us a full dose of what it means to be flexible. Our team could use prayer support as we figure out the trip details and organize our efforts! Please pray for safe travels, for clear minds & energy to do our work efficiently when we arrive in Tanzania. Pray for protection and grace as we travel and work.

After Tanzania, I do not get much downtime; it is on to the next thing. I will be traveling with Janet Strike on May 26th to work on another project in northern Ugandan in Pader district just northwest of Gulu to help UAPO design a community center for internally displaced people. I will be focusing my work efforts mostly on cost estimating and construction management during my time on this trip. (This means I'll be figuring out costs for things like solar panels, and understanding what the local construction methods are). Please pray for knowledge, wisdom, and discernment, as these disciplines are not my area of expertise, but I have always been willing to learn more.

Both trips should stretch my patience, skill, endurance, and whatever else I'm faced with to the limits. I am praying to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to “rely on God” through these next experiences. I want to be a means of God’s grace and compassion to the other team members in the face of our suffering and trials (like long bus rides), and also to the local people I meet along the way. Please pray with me to the Lord Jesus for this fulfillment, that to live is Christ.

Also, there are a lot of transitions happening around the EMI office in the next week, and it is going to get very busy for us here. The new summer interns are arriving on May 15th., and I have been asked to show the new guys around Kampala and get them settled. Then I leave for Tanzania on May 17th and get back sometime around May 25th. The next day I’m heading to northern Uganda on May 26th until June 7th. The next 2 months (June & July) will be devoted to working on both trips. I hope to finish as best I can before I leave Africa on July 10th. Time is flying by so fast!

I’ve thought a lot about what I will do when I return to Canada, but for right now my focus will be on the next two project trips on my plate. I came here clearly with a focus on doing as much work as possible and of being as much assistance to the eMi-EA office as I could, and so I desire to complete all the tasks which have been set before me-- and to do it whilst growing in relationship with my Lord and Saviour. Pray I have the strength and endurance to get through the next two months. I still have lots of work to do here yet, and I’m not quite ready to leave either.

That is all for now, but I wanted to leave you with an amazing picture of me standing with my sponsor child, Eric Wagagali, and my Ugandan friend Fred Mwanje (see attached). It was a long trip, but not to many people get to meet the children they sponsor, and so I was completely blessed to have met them and encourage them in person. I am always reminded when I look at this photo of the fact that these people who live in mud huts and in the unthought-of places of the earth matter to God and are loved dearly by Him. I've realized from being here that the sacrifice of spending my efforts to help and care for people like this, whether small or big, is worth every ounce of energy God gives me.

Standing with my sponsor child Eric Wagagali and my friend Fred Mwanje.

Giving a mattress for the children to sleep on. They previously slept on the ground. We also gave them food and a soccer ball! They were very happy to see us.

Prayer Requests:

• For the upcoming Tanzania trip on May 16th to serve with End-Time Glory Ministries to design an orphanage, medical clinic, & school. Pray for safe travels on the long journey, our health, and for unity on the team. Pray for wisdom as we discern how best to utilize the land owned by the ministry.

• For the upcoming northern Ugandan trip on May 27th to serve with Ugandan American Partnership Organization (UAPO) as we help design a community center for internally displaced peoples. Pray for safe travel up north, our health, and for good communication between our team and the people from UAPO, as we get a clear sense of what they are looking to do on the site plan. Construction is planned to start next year.

• Pray for my friend Fred Mwanje in Jinja as he decides what next steps & initiatives to take with his ministry. Pray for foreign people and churches to come alongside him and support him in his work with orphans and widows in Mayuge district. He is an honest and uncorrupted man of God who stewards his money wisely. But he is plagued by being associated in the same group as “corrupt church leaders” who use the money they receive foolishly. People from the west find it hard to give to those in Africa who don’t have some sort of “mzungu” spokesmen to speak on their behalf; people are leery and often just assume they are corrupt. I’ve seen it happen to good Christian men here. You certainly have to watch for corruption, but it is a shame that it is the good people of God who are really trying to make a difference in their country are the ones who become handicapped because of the wolves and false shepherds in the church. Pray for God to tug at the hearts of believers to recognize such men by the Holy Spirits’ discernment, and support these men when they find them.

• Pray for my next step as I decide what to do and where to go when I return to Canada in July.

For God's Glory,
Ryan Williams

Contemplations of Christ's Church: "Unity of the faith of the Church throughout the whole world"

This is so well written, I had to share it.

–written by Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies, I.X. in Ante-Nicene Fathers: The Apostolic Fathers with Justin Martyr and Irenaeus, Vol. 1, Ed. A. Cleveland Coxe (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2001), 186AD.

1. The Church, though dispersed through our the whole world, even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith: [She believes] in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them; and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Spirit, who proclaimed through the prophets the dispensations of God, and the advents, and the birth from a virgin, and the passion, and the resurrection from the dead, and the ascension into heaven in the flesh of the beloved Christ Jesus, our Lord, and His [future] manifestation from heaven in the glory of the Father “to gather all things in one,” and to raise up anew all flesh of the whole human race, in order that to Christ Jesus, our Lord, and God, and Saviour, and King, according to the will of the invisible Father, “every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess” to Him, and that He should execute just judgment towards all; that He may send “spiritual wickednesses,” and the angels who transgressed and became apostates, together with the ungodly, and unrighteous, and wicked, and profane among men, into everlasting fire; but may, in the exercise of His grace, confer immortality on the righteous, and holy, and those who have kept His commandments, and have persevered in His love, some from the beginning [of their Christian course], and others from [the date of] their repentance, and may surround them with everlasting glory.

2. As I have already observed, the Church, having received this preaching and this faith, although scattered throughout the whole world, yet, as if occupying but one house, carefully preserves it. She also believes these points [of doctrine] just as if she had but one soul, and one and the same heart, and she proclaims them, and teaches them, and hands them down, with perfect harmony, as if she possessed only one mouth. For, although the languages of the world are dissimilar, yet the import of the tradition is one and the same. For the Churches which have been planted in Germany do not believe or hand down anything different, nor do those in Spain, nor those in Gaul, nor those in the East, nor those in Egypt, nor those in Libya, nor those which have been established in the central regions of the world. But as the sun, that creature of God, is one and the same throughout the whole world, so also the preaching of the truth shineth everywhere, and enlightens all men that are willing to come to a knowledge of the truth. Nor will any one of the rulers in the Churches, however highly gifted he may be in point of eloquence, teach doctrines different from these (for no one is greater than the Master); nor, on the other hand, will he who is deficient in power of expression inflict injury on the tradition. For the faith being ever one and the same, neither does one who is able at great length to discourse regarding it, make any addition to it, nor does one, who can say but little diminish it.

3. It does not follow because men are endowed with greater and less degrees of intelligence, that they should therefore change the subject-matter [of the faith] itself, and should conceive of some other God besides Him who is the Framer, Maker, and Preserver of this universe, (as if He were not sufficient for them), or of another Christ, or another Only-begotten. But the fact referred to simply implies this: that one may [more accurately than another] bring out the meaning of those things which have been spoken in parables, and accommodate them to the general scheme of the faith; and explain [with special clearness] the operation and dispensation of God connected with human salvation; and show that God manifested long-suffering in regard to the apostasy of the angels who transgressed, as also with respect to the disobedience of men; and set forth why it is that one and the same God has made some things temporal and some eternal, some heavenly and others earthly; and understand for what reason God, though invisible, manifested Himself to the prophets not under one form, but differently to different individuals; and show why it was that more covenants than one were given to mankind; and teach what was the special character of each of these covenants; and search out for what reason “God hath concluded every man in unbelief, that He may have mercy upon all;” and gratefully describe on what account the Word of God became flesh and suffered; and relate why the advent of the Son of God took place in these last times, that is, in the end, rather than in the beginning [of the world]; and unfold what is contained in the Scriptures concerning the end [itself], and things to come; and not be silent as to how it is that God has made the Gentiles, whose salvation was despaired of, fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers with the saints; and discourse how it is that “this mortal body shall put on immortality, and this corruptible shall put on incorruption;” and proclaim in what sense [God] says, “That is a people who was not a people; and she is beloved who was not beloved;” and in what sense He says that “more are the children of her that was desolate, than of her who possessed a husband.”

For in reference to these points, and others of a like nature, the apostle exclaims:
“Oh! the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God; how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!”'

Couldn't had said it better myself.

Summing up my project trip: Easy as one, two, three!

Well, I was planning to do a long write-up of my project trip with New Hope Uganda (done on March 10th), but it seems that my project leader, Brad Crawford, has already done a superb job of writing "for me", as it were, breaking down our trip into a daily journal of sorts loaded with tons of detail (more than I ever could remember!). So, in the spirit of saving time and not reinventing the wheel, I will simply redirect you to his daily journal of our project trip, so that you may get a small sense of what I'm doing here in Uganda. Enjoy!

PART I (of III) - Project trip: Men's Training Camp

PART II (of III) – Snakes and Crocodiles

PART III (of III) – Church in the village

I've also uploaded some photos on Facebook for everyone to enjoy. Here are the links:

Album #1

Fishing for Crocodile on Volcano Island

Some of you may be wondering what activities I have been up to these last few weeks to warrant the lack of recent updates from me. I can assure you that this is not due to some disinterest in keeping my supporters informed of my going-ons. Truth be told, there are many moments when time, in its usual fashion, does not allow me to find the time to do a good post justice, and then in other occasions, when I simply lack the inspiration to write. I think the later happens more often to me than I would like. But do not mistaken this inspirational-void as inactivity or complacency-- I have been very active in many regards, but the effort to recapitulate my adventures, thoughts, and activities into sufficient enough words has largely evaded me until now. More likely than not, I think this working to be God's timing.

As deceiving as the title of this post must seem, I have not gone anywhere to fish, neither for crocodiles or otherwise, nor have I gone by harm's way to visit any active volcanoes, like some adventure seeker does to pursue a thrill. No. The "adventure", in which I will try to express here, is not of that quality or temperament. It is of more wittier and unheralded stock. The weight of its meaning and implications came upon me later like the person who, all at once, suddenly notices that it is about to rain or snow.

But the title, at least, is purposefully written to capture the essence of what many adventures all have in common, whether large or small: the assumption of things to come, and the realization of things not expected. Or on the opposite end: expecting nothing and having something in return. This is a story, primarily, of just such an occurrence. Indeed, the setting and the players are unique to my own adventure, but no less does this occurrence happen to me than to someone in their kitchen during breakfast. I speak as one playing both poet and player.

This is to our betterment and benefit as humans I believe, not the other way round. Like a sort of "slap in the face", these occurrences wake us up to the true realities of life, and set us in our place. The real "thing" always set to right the "thing" which was imagined. A past memory of someone is only a crude estimation of the real person, tainted by our own imposed wills and thoughts, and lost to time and distraction. For certain, we do not know our friends as we think we do, and we may be surprised or even shocked when what we thought to be "true" does not hold water. It is clearly advisable from here that we should take care in how much stock we put in making wishful expectations, both of people and places and the like, lest they deceive us of the real truth. Like flame to metal, the imagination needs to be tempered and set to straight by the presence of reality, or else the fantasies have no basis for truth or existence, except as pollution to the mind. The quality of a rope (in this case our ideas) is never found more truer than when it is used to dangle over a gaping precipice.

In this world we have our limitations. We do not know what is around the next bend. We cannot understand what we do not yet know. And still, with surprising consistency, we strain and cram our necks around the corner to catch just a glimpse of what may be lying there in waiting. To think that if we just knew what was ahead-- of all possible dangers and enjoyments to come, of all things true in people both unseen and seen, that we would be the better for it. How utterly foolish!! I do not despise God for giving me the eyes I have, with its constraints to see only what is in front of me, both in time and space. It is the bowl in which we live, and for me, I find soul rest in accepting what can never be fully grasped; truly, to put a surrendering trust in the Creator that knows better than I. What a fool I would be to assume otherwise!! It would be better for me to rest in God's Almighty power than to try and grasp His abilities (take your pick) for my own selfish gain. Further still, I would no sooner doubt it was the prideful choice and desire of the creature (man) to grasp such omniscience and independence thus possessed by its Creator-- the very thought of becoming like God, that led to the Fall of Man. By what I can determine through knowable history, this mark of selfishness has not changed in intensity or capacity over time. We are still fallen, myself being included.

But back to the point, lest I bore my readers with subjects to heavy for prolonged consumption. I wanted primarily to talk about the adventure I found myself in, and to glean from it applicable lifelong lessons (as most stories imply), so that in turn I may teach you the life lessons I have learned.

It began with a choice, as most stories do, of doing something I was not entirely comfortable in doing. It was a question, posed to me by some other members of my party, to visit, what we had already dubbed, "Volcano Island." -- a term rightly given to it due to its natural shape and form to what a "volcano island" might look like if it were one. This idea, of course, was brought about by our inherent desire to explore new places. But it required of me (of us) a boat ride, one I was not totally sure would go over smoothly, and it demanded of me a tolerance for unkempt things. I was willing to take the risk, but I did not know what awaited me (or likewise us) at our destination.

Like most typical things in Africa, the choice to go was not followed by immediate fulfillment. Things take a very long time to develop in Africa, (an understanding I will here mention that has come to be known by experience), and so I was not surprised at all when our boat did not leave the shore until mid afternoon that same day. The boat had to be arranged, the motor (if you can call it that) found, the fuel bought, the people chosen, the conversations spoken, the pleasantries given, before any visit to Volcano Island could ever be initiated. The passage of time, seemingly, was pressed upon my mind of its venial existence, so much so that I felt capable to feed it food or tuck it in for bed if I really tried hard enough.

But the time later came for us to embark, and embark we did, for mysterious (or I'd like to think at least) Volcano Island.

The first clear misinterpretation came to me as we approached the looming island: it wasn't as big as I thought it would be. A kind of false hope was momentously shattered. Like the deflating of a large balloon, I encountered reality in its rawest form: I beheld the island for what it really was. My first misconception had been unearthed, and not to my liking of course.

We landed, and met another thing I did not expect: people, in fact a whole village of 300 people, living on that island. They had cows, to my amazement, and cell phones! I even saw to my bewilderment an, honest to God, satellite dish, which to me seemed like the presence of snow in hell. Here in the far bush reaches of Uganda, my typical picture of poverty and isolation had taken a new twist which I did not expect. I'm still trying to come to grips with this reality.

The island was covered, from head to toe, in shrubbery. From afar it definitely seemed to be just grass. When we found ourselves walking amongst it, the shrubs were well above our heads. Worst of all, and to my horror, every shrub was covered in spiders of every kind and creepiness, big and small. We were covered in them (I'm sure I even swallowed a few) as we trekked towards the top of this "Volcano Island", which was really no volcano at all, and had seemingly sprouted creepy crawlies along its reach as if to spite us of our false idea of its supposed nature. It was hot, sweaty climbing, and the webs and spiders were thus sticking to our clothes. I for one was not enjoying myself; indeed, "this was not what I signed up for" might have sufficed. Yet again, what I thought to be truth was no truth at all until it was stared at in the face, experienced in its rawest form, and met with unabashed nearness. This was no Volcano Island, it was Spider Island!!

I did not expect there to be much on the island except maybe some birds (which there were plenty of) and some people, but once again life decided to throw a curve ball and keep us swinging. Once we finished at the top, we walked through the spiders again to the far side of the island and found a cliff outcropping of measurable size. To our unforeseen enjoyment we found ourselves (not me but our boat guides) "fishing for crocodiles" amongst the bushes on the shore, trying to weed them out by playing a dangerous game of "peekaboo" and "catch me if you can". One guy even went so far as to hack with his panga (a sword-like blade used for cutting) at the bushes suspected at hiding the damgerous croc. It was an encounter where you felt that "someone could get hurt", but thankfully no one did. Once again, we encountered something unexpected. We expected nothing and returned having something; an experience with crocodiles.

Our exploration time on the island had come to an end, and we made our way through the village back to our boat. Little did we know, the villagers, primarily the chief of the island, was accusing us of a number of grievances, and he would not let us leave until the matter was settled. On one hand I could see the validity of their requests:

1) One, that we did not introduce ourselves to the village council upon our arrival, which can be fully appreciated even in our western societies, but to them it was a grave rudeness and insult.

2) We had brought a panga with us to help cut through the bush, but this was taken as an offence as soon as we landed. The blade was not tied with rope (apparently a gesture of peace), which meant to them that had come to "cut-up" their people. Some threatened to do the same to us, but it never went farther than that. A sorry misunderstanding and one that we were very apologetic about, which they eventually excepted. Once again, raw experience in its purest form had abruptly taught us "how things work around here," much to our chagrin.

3) The next grievances that follow are less valid on their part, mostly because they border on the realm of the rediculous and sublime. They wanted money, naturally, because we had come to visit "their" island and to see "their" crocodiles. Of course, they forgot the simple fact that they did not own any part of the island, in all senses of the word, because they were squatting on land that was not "theirs"-- a point which was firmly explained and argued to the village council. How could we pay for visiting crocodiles they did not care for or even know their exact number? This was God's creation, not theirs. The true nature of their request had been thus exposed: they wanted money for free. When they realized they could no longer "handle us" in conversation, and that their requests were futile (we were not going to pay), they let us go on our apology. I have no doubt in my mind that God was working in the mouths of our translators to get us out of that jam with no scars or harm done. I am very thankful for that. I am more the wiser for it.

I do not doubt our appearance of disparate flesh (being white and all) had unearthed in them the natural attraction most people in Africa have when they see a mzungu: "white person = money, therefore I can get money from this person". I am also coming to grips with the fact that "they", being the natives of Uganda, have in themselves a fasle reality of "us", just as we (being westerners) have of "them". Both must be corrected. I am working to correct in myself the later, much work is still needed to debunk the first. I do not fully understand the picture of poverty (which includes mental misinterpretations of the truth) or how to interpret it, but the existence of such a chasm has nevertheless become very real to me; it is a step in the right direction. I am not so naive as I once was.


I could speak of similar examples throughout the rest of this story, but I believe the main points have justifiably been made, and the arena created for understanding its lesson clear. I just pray and hope that you, like me, will not take for granted or assume the things (in the broadest sense) which we think true when we have not yet encountered them completely, as they really are. Or, in a much more deceiving evil, assume that we know everything once we do. For in meeting them, ideas and all, we learn, to a degree, their true essence. And we can walk with confidence, unless pride deceives us once more, that we know to some accurate estimation the "real matter of it all". Therefore, let us imitate the pure attitude of our greatest example, Jesus Christ, who:

"being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! "




For Him.

Ryan Williams

Marching Orders - To Lugazi I Go

Tomorrow I am heading out to a remote place on the shores of Lake Victoria, which is about 30kms south of Lugazi, and 80kms away from Kampala. I will be doing survey work with the help of another volunteer Chris Adam, who is flying into Uganda tomorrow. Once at the site, we will begin our survey of the whopping 500 acres of land (approx. 2 square kilometers) for a ministry called New Hope Uganda (NHU)-- which is a christian non-denomination organization focused on bringing the fatherhood of God to the fatherless orphans of Uganda. The vision is taken directly from Psalm 68:5-6. (www.newhopeuganda.org).

EMI is partnering with this ministry to help design the site for a future youth camp and training center. My "official" project trip to this site is not until March, but because the site is so huge, our survey work needs to be done in advance so that we have something to work with once the project trip in March takes place. The survey work should take about 2 full weeks to complete. Needless to say, I am looking forward to the exciting days ahead of putting my unique skills to good use... and of course, having the chance to live in a tent on the shores of Lake Victoria. :)

The survey work will be both physically taxing and tedious, especially outside in the African heat and quick-forming Ugandan storms. So please pray for my health and safety as I go into the bush for the next 2 weeks to serve the NHU ministry. Pray that Chris and I will both gain wisdom, discernment, and unity as we do our survey work together in the field.

Below is a picture of the site I am going to; a very beautiful and lush place on the shores of Lake Victoria.

So until next time,
Weeraba mukwano (Goodye friends).

-Ryan

Scavenger Hunt

Pictures

(below) Typical nice neighbourhood in the Kampala area. There's no real structure to the roads or buildings or land. People just build or go where there is room. What amazes me is that it works!

(below) Outside view of EMI office looking toward Lake Victoria. There's two boda-bodas (motorcycle taxis) sitting outside.

So for those of you who have been asking, I am staying in a pretty nice apartment about only 15 minutes (walking distance) from the office. All the buildings in our neighborhood (Kansanga district) are built with tall walls and barbwire/broken glass ontop for security. These measures were built during Idi Amin's reign and apparently it has stuck. It feels like you're walking down backalleys all the time, but you get used to it.

(below) Looking outside on the balcony of our 2nd-storey apartment. We have really good phone reception because there is a telephone receiver right outside our place, hehe. :)

Observations

Day 6 in Uganda: Today we went on a scavenger hunt through downtown Kampala. Kampala itself is a only city of about 1,600,000 people (approx.), and is the capital ciy and hub of Uganda. Most of the imported goods come from Nairobi (the capital city of Kenya), which happens to be the hub of East Africa. Despite it's moderate size, the city is vibrant and bustling with people. Today happened to be a holiday (NRM day), to celebrate the current political party in power. Because of that the streets were a bit "lighter" than usual, but I couldn't tell the difference. The streets were packed!

One thing you learn really quickly about traffic: There are no rules! There are no such things as "passing lanes", no apparent signs to inform you of where you are, and no white lines on the road to help distinguish where traffic should go. Matatu drivers simply go where there is room. Cars and bodas drive and weave within inches of each other. Merging is as simple as cutting cars off. Traffic lights are very rare, and are only found on very busy intersections downtown. The extent of traffic control (if at all) lies on a few traffic policeman who have whistles and wear florescent vests. I wouldn't want their job. And crossing the street is just as dangerous as driving on them.

When you live in such a chaotic place, you really just have to grit your teeth and bear with it. There's no way you can escape the chaos, so you just learn to live with it. It certainly asks for patience. One thing that surprises me about this place is that the system works. It is completely insane and chaotic, but it works. One thing I've been contemplating lately: I certainly believe God is the master of order and chaos and can work in a place like this. I've been seeing the complete opposite of the simple and orderly life of Edmonton, and I kinda like it.


Scavenger Hunt

In order to get to downtown Kampala it required us to take public transit, which in this case involved us taking a matatu taxi for 700 shillings (about 30 cents). We drove to the taxi park downtown and had the momentous task of trying to find Owino market, the main post office, a number of churches, and the Nando restaurant. We resorted to simply asking people for directions. We had to be aware of simply not walking up to people and abruptly asking for directions. That is considered rude; not saying hello and asking how they are doing first. You have to initiate some sort of friendly greeting before you ask a question. I caught myself doing that a couple times, oops!

Our visit to the market was quite an eye-opener. The market was very large, and you could buy pretty much anything you wanted, from clothes, food, electronics, watches, pens, toys, shoes, and much more. But this market was not like going to walmart, not even close. Each seller would only have about a square-meter plot where their wares would be displayed. Everyone would be yelling in their local tongue trying to get people to buy their goods. We each had the task of buying one thing on the list for supper that night. I had the task of purchasing rice. I basically walked until I found good price (1800 for 1kg), not even $1.

Being a mzungu (white person) in these situations makes it rather interesting and difficult when you want to purchase something you want. First off, when people here look at you, the first thing they naturally think is "he has money". They know we have cash, and therefore their prices to us are normally higher. So, I have been learning the art of bargaining and haggling for goods. The biggest thing is making them realize I am not a tourist. The simplest way to do that, I've found, is by talking in Lugandan or their local tongue. That seems to break the ice when they know you know their language. It's completely normal to haggle down prices here, and it's something I've never had to do before. It's amazing what skills you can learn here. :)

I've certainly noticed this: You get a real sense of living in a foreign place when you are forced to live like everyone else, and not have access to the luxuries a normal "tourist" might have, like private vehicles and malls. I feel like I've "integrated" into Ugandan life, and I know that this integration will just deepen as time goes on. There are a million things I could share here, but hopefully these stories will help shed some light on some of the things I am facing here, and the challenges I have of just living.

Keep praying for me!

For Him,

Ryan

Arrived!

Well, I arrived safely in Uganda this morning with the rest of the EMI interns. It is currently 3:45pm on Wednesday afternoon as I write this letter, and I'm VERY tired. There is right now a large thunderstorm outside the EMI office, very intense (I'm glad I brought my rain gear!). And the internet connection is very sloowww, something I will have to get used to no doubt! To put it into perspective, downloading at 10kps is considered excellent.

We had a 12 hour layover in London, so we took the opportunity to do some quick sight-seeing. Andrew, one of the other interns from Texas, had a friend who lived in Portsmith, so he took a day off to be our tourguide for the day. We saw many things like Big Ben, Millenium wheel, crossed the river Thames, and saw Westminister Abbey where many famous people are buried. We visited Tower bridge, London tower, saw the docked Belfast battleship, and gawked at the Girkin and many other famous architectural buildings in London. We passed by Buckingham palace where the Queen lives and stopped by Scotland Yard where we pretended to be terrorists (just joking). We saw the Bank of England and experienced rush hour on the tube, yikes! Overall, London was awesome, but after experiencing 4 days worth of sight-seeing in 7 hours, we wee ready to get going again. If the internet holds up, I'll be putting up some pictures of my travels later on.

I'm very tired right now, so my plan right now is to get some good rest in the next few days and to readjust my mind and body to my new surroundings. One thing is certain: It's exciting to finally be here!

Ryan

Me-ganda U-ganda!!

Financial Update

Well folks, another chapter of my journey is about to begin!

First of all, I wanted to thank everyone who has given financially on such short notice during my time of need. One word: Wow!! My monetary need was a large bill to meet this time around, as I needed to raise ~$8,000 in just one short month-- but because of people like YOU chipping in what you could, that goal has almost been reached entirely. But the truth is: I still need more.

I require about $1000 more, but I still have 6 months yet to raise that small amount. The good news is, I will have enough funds to carry me through 5 of the 6 months I will be living in Uganda, which is not until May-June! To me, this is answered prayer; God has provided enough for me to thrive & survive. I think this amount is certainly reachable (especially after what I've seen this past month). Please keep praying that the rest of the funds would come... I know it will, because I know my Lord. :)

Know that YOU have come through for me when I needed it most, and for that I am sincerely grateful. Asking for help has never been an easy thing for me to do (dare I say most of us?), but it's times like this which makes me realize that it's OK to ask for help; it really is.

I needed help. You helped me. Thank you!


Reflections

As I reflect on this, I think our society is too bent upon being self-sufficient and independant, which makes this experience dish out a good healthy dose of what it means to "be in need"-- and further still, to know that it's OK. In fact, God wants us there... Here I have been driven to ask for help not because of greed or glory, but out of necessity. I need this to survive. Most of all, this trial has taught me to depend upon God and His promises, and to realize his loving-kindness, for which I am eternally thankful. It's more than just words... I've experienced His kindness through people and the fulfillment of my financial need (Colossians 3:12). Now that's results!!

I hope this verse speaks to those who have given towards my need:

"He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,
but whoever is kind to the needy honors God. " Proverbs 14:30-32


"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."
Matthew 25:35-36


You have done more than just give, you have honored God with your gift-in-kind. I can safely say that that He is pleased and honored with the deed you have done.


It's Time to Go!

So, with that, it's time for me to bid farewell to family, friends, cold weather, hockey, and everything else that is near, dear and familiar to me. I step into a world of unknowns, but I know that my God and Saviour will lead me on. And I know you're with me, too. And that means much to me. :)


Prayer Requests

I shall write again when I get to the other side, but here are a few specific prayer requests as I depart:

-Pray for my good health and well-being. I will be susceptible to disease and sickness while living in Uganda. Pray for divine protection and safety as I live, move and breathe amongst the people of Uganda.

-Pray for divine appointments as I meet people, missionaries, nationals, and expatriates working in the local mission field. Pray that God would bring unity and harmony into my relationships, both at work and in public, and that the harvest for Christ would be ready and rich.

-Pray people would see Jesus Christ, not Ryan Williams.

-Pray for my pastor friend Fred Mwanje and my support child Eric Wagagali, whom I've supported financially for the past 3 years. I will actually have the opportunity to visit them both in the city of Jinja ( not far from Kampala), and I am not sure what to expect when we actually meet in person. Pray for wisdom, love, and joy as we meet together for the very first time!!

-Pray that my relationship with Abba Father will deepen and grow maturity.

EMI Gains News Exposure

Well, I made the news on the University of Alberta Faculty of Engineering website. I was interviewed by Richard Cairney from the engineering faculty a few days ago. i could hardly believe it, but they were incredibly interested in my project trip I did to Kenya, and they want to hear more when I return from Uganda.

This opportunity causes great exposure for EMI, and also creates the possibility for more UofA students to hear about EMI and become future interns. Praise God!

You can check out the new release here:

http://www.engineering.ualberta.ca/news.cfm?story=86991

For HIM!!

Ryan

Support Letter - Uganda 2009

Well, plans are now in motion for my departure to Uganda in Jan 2009. I am beyond excited! My time in Colorado Springs has taught me many things; I have met many amazing people (whom I will miss dearly!), and yet I cannot imagine what kinds of things I'll learn while living in Uganda! Please pray for me as I organize my travel itinerary and sort out the details.

In leiu of my upcoming trip to Uganda next year, I've written up my Dec. 2008 update for you to enjoy. Special thanks to Chris at eMi for inspiration on the page setup. :)