This weekend's Theological Education by Extension (TEE) class focused on Holy Communion. Since I took over the meat of the presentation last weekend, fellow missionary Reverend Gillard was going to take the majority this weekend. We had carefully orchestrated this since Krista's good friend Beth was going to be visiting this week and Rev. Gillard's parents and sister were going to be visiting during our next TEE - when I would do the majority of the teaching. Unfortunately, Rev. Gillard had a little last-minute business to take care of at the central police station that ended up taking him away from class on Friday AND most of Saturday! All I had prepared was an introduction to Holy Communion - as far as Luther's small catechism goes and no farther! I suddenly was all on my own, starting class, doing the "housekeeping," introducing a grading system for attendance, administering the test on baptism, giving my little prepared presentation, answering questions, and getting the guys into some translation work. It wasn't the best weekend to go solo - I would have been able to swing it on my own last weekend when I'd done all the prep work for baptism. But I managed. And when Rev. Gillard was able to join us finally late Saturday morning, he tried to cram as much of his prepared lecture into the time we had left. We already knew we would cut class short by one hour so we could get on the road to Ibanda for the dedication of a new church building on Sunday. Some of the communion material will have to be presented at our next TEE.
The good news is that we had our final 3 students show up! So now we have a full roster - 24 men from across Uganda who come to Kampala (some by overnight bus) the first and third weekends of every month for intensive training on Friday from 9am to 5pm and Saturday from 8am to 3pm. Most of these men then immediately board busses back home to serve in their congregations on Sunday morning. Our roster is full, our classes are underway, and the future looks bright! Praise the Lord for His lay leaders here in Uganda! And please keep them and their travels in your prayers the first and third weekends of each month. -Shauen
Shauen & Krista