June 2026 Uganda

  

The beauty of Karamoja *

 *On a Saturday morning, several team members headed on a hike up Mount Kadan.

Elevation 10,049' It's a volcanic mountain and is part of the Pian-epe Wildlife Reserve which we went to a couple of months ago.

 

*The hike is sometimes bushy and moderately difficult with some technical areas 

featuring steep slopes, rocks and squeaky bum time. 

Taking their farm goods to sell at the market

Ben Gifford and some of the local men

They even farm on the sides of the mountains. 

Many tribes live here including the Kadama, Sebei-Pokot, Karamojong, Gishu, and Tepeth. 

You are likely to meet many of them on the mountain, as the trails developed will pass by

(or in some cases through) their settlements. 

https://mountainslayersuganda.com

 

 The polygamy culture of the Karamajongs

 Jeff Davis & Chloe Verdick (Associate Missionary)

 There was a Marriage Conference at Nakaale Presbyterian Church. I recently                              interviewed, Chloe Verdick about the conference and the culture.  

"The church enjoys holding conferences where many people inside and out of our local church are invited. There are typically a few teaching sessions, tea and snacks as well as lunch are served. It often ends with a question and answer session."

"The recent marriage conference had about 100 attendees from our church as well as surrounding churches and villages. Pastor Julius taught the sessions. I was not present for all of them. Christopher and I popped in at different times to help with setting up and cooking." 

"Some of the teaching I heard was strongly against polygamy, defining it as extortion of women. This is a needed and powerful teaching in Karamoja as polygamy is not only condoned but honored by the culture. In Karamoja, the more cows, wives and children a man has the more respected he is. Views on marriage are different and generally more elastic. A couple isn’t considered completely married until the bridal price has been completely paid, but it is perfectly acceptable for the couple to begin living together and having children upon the families agreeing what the bridal price will be and beginning to pay. If the bridal price hasn’t been paid, the woman can leave (although her family would have to give back whatever has been paid), the man will have to pay something for every child born, and the woman is often treated better. Once the bridal price has been paid, she can’t leave and is loosely treated like the man’s property. You can imagine the sundry issues that can cause. But she also gains status by being fully paid for - there are even kinds of jewelry that only women who are fully paid can wear. Polygamy is also given as the solution to marital issues. If you’re having trouble with the first wife, get a second! Clearly that doesn’t solve anything. So when Pastor Julius taught about marriage being when you look out for the best interests of the other person, not just your own, with Christ as the example that’s revolutionary!"

Chloe's "Step of Faith" blog

This is an excellent article and describes the dependence on God in reaching out to Karamajong children. It is well worth reading!  https://verdickmoja.com/step-of-faith/

The Timothy Discipleship men are learning how to teach children, by the guidance of the mission team. They enjoyed coming up with ideas on how to present Daniel in the Lion's Den. The lesson plan also included some singing, reviewing the English language and playing games. 

The women led the singing.

A review of the English language.

They loved the games.

The women lead the singing with enthusiasm.

Joyce is a strong Christian mentor for many of the young women here.

She is very enthusiastic with children. She loves to share her faith.

John, "This isn't just a story, it's a real event that was recorded in the Bible."

When the kids watched the skit, you could see the interest and 

possibly the understanding of the content.

There were serious parts of the skit that held the kid's attention.  

Apparently there were some very funny parts because 

the kids laughter could not be contained.

Being led to King Darius

King Darius

"May your God, whom you serve so faithfully rescue you."

King Darius, "The God of Daniel is the living God, and he will endure forever."

Seeds were planted at the mission compound VBS. Pray that these seeds would take root and that the gospel would be shared.

  

Because we are in Uganda on a 3 month tourist visa, we had to leave the country for a week and then apply for another visa to get back into Uganda. We went to Mombassa, Kenya, which borders the Indian ocean. 

After the first hour of driving the 9-10 hour trip toward the airport, we came across baboons in the road, again.

This baboon came right up

to Jeff's window and

just starred at him.

Our trip toward the Entebbe airport had more surprises. Our driver's car broke down on the side of the road. After about an hour, some men pushed the car into the parking lot of the nearby police station.  

A hundred noisy and busy village weavers sharing one tree, kept my interest.

The village weavers make round nests. In this picture you can see 

the bird is resting on a bright green circle which is the beginning of a new nest.

While we were waiting a few hours for another car to be delivered, we walked a short distance                 to this cute little place to buy roasted chicken. Bright colored umbrellas shaded the picnic tables. We noticed that we weren't alone. 

The next day we flew from Entebbe, Uganda to Mombassa, Kenya. There were many                         happy people aboard celebrating something special! I was relieved that it was a short flight.                      If you're considering a vacation in Kenya, we recommend a driver to get around.  

                

                                                                   Sunrise in Mombassa

Nguuni Nature Sanctuary, Kisuani, Kenya (near Mombassa)

This is a popular place for special events. 

When this ostrich turned his head and saw a female ostrich, he was happy to see her. 

We visited Fort Jesus, Mombassa, Kenya
https://www.fortjesusmombasa.com/

In 1593, following a royal decree from King Philip II of Spain), the foundation of Fort Jesus was laid. Designed by the Italian architect Giovanni Battista Cairati, its primary purpose was to safeguard the port of Mombasa and secure the vital trade route connecting Lisbon to Goa.

Over the centuries, these walls have witnessed a relentless exchange of control. African, Arab, Turkish, Persian, and European powers fought to gain and maintain their grip on this strategic port, each era adding layers to the fort’s rich historical tapestry and subsequent transformations.

Please continue praying for rain. In many fields, they are tearing down the corn because the plant has died. They salvage corn that is about 4-5 inches.

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