In Country

Congratulations! The good news is you are suddenly wealthy! The bad news: many will likely want to share your wealth! The truth is you are wealthy by comparision. Ask God for great wisdom and grace to handle this typical missionary/host country disparity.

Your passport will be examined at Entebbe airport and given an entry stamp. You may be asked for our Uganda address and the dates of our stay. You may use the address of Rashid Luswa, First Presbyterian Church (off Rubaga Road), Kampala (POB 31270), tel.: 273-128 or 259-647.

Pick up your bags (marked with bright ribbon), gather, and go through customs together, which can help speed the process. Any items that are for the Ugandans are ministry gifts, and the rest are personal items. In case you are challenged, having a bill of sale with you will settle the issue on new items. “If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue…” (Rom. 13:7, NIV). Honest differences of opinion exist on how to proceed through customs, sometimes based upon perceived unfair treatment by customs agents. We should do what is right. You and your support team back home can be praying for fairness and favor in the sight of the customs agents. If you expect or encounter any trouble, insist on seeing Rashid Luswa or his assistant, who can be of great help and who will be awaiting you in the lobby, before customs determines your bill. Be prepared for a wait at Entebbe at customs. Once through, DO NOT let anyone take your bags from the airport for you, unless they identify themselves credibly as ACTI workers. You must be firm. Remember, you are now a person of wealth in the eyes of most Ugandans.

Eight ACTI missioners evaluated the difficulty of cultural entry into Uganda, and the difficulty of re-entry into the U.S. On a scale from 1-10 (10=most difficult) the average entry level was 4.6 and the average re-entry level was 3.6, although two found re-entry more difficult. Talk about your feelings with team members, and try to meet as a team soon after your return to the U.S.

You will generally be taken to the Kampala area and allowed to rest from traveling (over 18 hours in the air) and jet lag. Try to adopt to the Uganda clock as soon as possible. East Africa Time is 7 hours in advance of Eastern Daylight Time, and 8 hours in advance of Eastern Standard Time. Time adjustment is largely an individual matter, but expect some tiredness, particularly since sleep on a plane may be interrupted.

Food and beverages: some bring snack foods, such as granola bars, nuts, crackers, to supplement the diet. Some snacks are available in Uganda. Our ACTI team is very careful to instruct your hosts about the need for purified water. As for fruits there, unless you can peel it, it is better left alone. This goes for salads too. Beware of ordering ice, unless you’re sure it is from pure water. Generally, try to eat the food offered, just as you would want a guest to respond to you. However, if you are sick or know the food to be contaminated (as for instance, smelling rancid), you may politely decline. Use pure water to brush your teeth. Bottled soft drinks are fine, but you may wish to wipe off the bottle mouth with an alcohol pad. Again, carry good water (available in Uganda) with you.

You may be tempted to feel like Superman or a super-hero for Africa—beware. You may even be encouraged by others to feel this way!

So that you do not suffer burn-out, take a day a week to re-connect with the Lord, certainly if you will be staying more than two weeks. Otherwise you may be become spiritually ineffective, and exhausted. Namirimbe Cathedral in Kampala is a good, quiet location.

Rashid's Statement on Ugandan Culture

Time:
“Most Ugandans will not keep time. Quite a few may have the watches on their hands, but they tend to look at the sun instead. A 1:00 PM appointment may mean general lunchtime between 12:00 noon to 2:00 PM! One therefore needs to be very emphatic when making especially critical appointments, to avoid disappointments! Most people will come one hour or so late. It is partly cultural, but also greatly depends upon events or any other limitations (e.g. in the event of a rainfall, people may be delayed for as long as it lasts, because they won’t walk in the rain!”
Breast feeding:
“Breast feeding is naturally accepted in public, nobody cares!”
Males:
“Uganda (Africa in general) is a male-dominated culture. Women will, for example, kneel down when greeting men! This is not expected of Muzungu [white] ladies when they come on mission work!”
Greetings:
“Greeting usually takes time. Rushing through it may be regarded as being disrespectful! Be prepared for a triple kind of handshake.”
Food:
“The food tends to be of the unprocessed kind, so one may not really find much tinned stuff! The people are generally VERY poor. I have no basis to compare the poverty here.”
Ugandans:
“Ugandans are in general very friendly to strangers. Many people may approach a Muzungu (white) mainly because they want to be of help in any way possible. However, care must be taken, as many if not all people here associate Muzungu with money or any other economic benefits!”
African Americans:
People here may not really see a difference between themselves and the African Americans, until they speak. African Americans intending to come for missions in Africa should know that the people, though they look alike physically, are very different culturally. Ugandans do not face the same problems, and if ones assumes that the problems [that the Ugandans face] are the same, it will result in a lack of understanding and confusion among Ugandans.
Religion:
“Uganda is often times refered to as a Christian country, with 85% of the population being Roman Catholic, protestants and/or other non-mainline Christians. Muslims comprise about 7%. The rest are either animists or pagans. Out of the 85%, there are VERY few committed Christians, say 15%. One therefore has to be very careful when using the word “Christian”. The right wording should be “born again Christians”. There is freedom of worship here. This has a disadvantage in the sense that a lot of junk religions are coming in. It has advantages too, as the Gospel is preached without hindrance! The Gospel here can be preached in the schools, hospitals, prisons, cities and villages without any hindrance!”

Little public romantic expression is acceptable in Ugandan culture, even between husband and wife.

Tribes in various parts of Uganda—Rashid says there are 52-- have different characteristics. For instance, the Buganda tribe in Kampala is very industrious, while a distant tribe may have a reputation for laziness.

When you are being translated, pause at the end of a phrase, and try to get into a rhythm with your interpreter. Slow down, usually.

Make friends. Don’t worry or be too concerned about what you are going to teach. You know more than you think, certainly more than those you will be teaching, who have never seen a commentary or Sunday School material. Tell stories. Ugandans are very intelligent, even philosophical. Refrain from being condescending. Ugandans are very well organized, though it may not look like it to you. Accept their way of doing things. Trust the Lord, trust your leader. PRAY.

Form a group of prayer warriors who will commit to pray for you every day you are away.

Sickness: please ask your prayer warriors to pray that you and the team will remain healthy. Those who do become sick report this as the lowpoint of their trip, naturally, and feel lonely. Should you become sick, you can use that time for prayer and reading and correspondance, if well enough. Other team members should try to be extra sensitive to the need for encouragement and fellowship.

Gifts for those back home: you will be given an opportunity to buy souvenirs in Uganda. Since prices for whites are often 25-50% higher, it is good to have a Ugandan friend with you, or to bargain yourself. Consider getting small gifts for your donors, such as wooden letter openers and other handicrafts. Beware of getting ritual masks or items which appear to be art, but may be associated with the demonic. You will probably be able to visit the “African Mall”, behind the National Theatre, which has a great handicraft selection. Compare prices, since they vary even within this Mall. Excellent woven mats are to be found near Bishop Tucker College, outside of Kampala, in case you travel that way, and many items are to be found more cheaply outside of Kampala. While exchange rates vary, the exchange rate has been in excess of 1000 Ugandan shillings for 1 US dollar.

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