Day Two – Strategic Planning Ugandan Style

Our day started with a thunder storm of epic proportions.  Torrential rain, with lightning and thunder woke us up around 6:00 am.  Both Dave and I got a pretty good night’s rest.  Around 7:30, Pastor Peter’s two children, Isaac and Joy, showed up in raincoats to tell us breakfast was ready.  Breakfast was a hard-boiled egg,  fresh pineapple and bread, along with some Ugandan tea.  Our driver today was a young Caucasian women named Lena.  She had come on a short-term mission in 2006, and then came back for good in 2009.  She was driving a nice little Toyota SUV.  (Just about everyone in Uganda who drives, has a Toyota.  They are models I have never seen in America…)  She is developing curriculum for ARM and also acting as their marketing and communications manager.  She has an infectious smile and an accent i can’t quite identify – a cross between Ugandan English and Canadian.  But Dave says she’s from California – go figure. 

We arrived at ARM headquarters around 9:45.  The meeting is scheduled to start at 10, but several key players are missing.  It is a public holiday in Uganda, Women’s Day,  but the managers were coming in for an all day strategic session with us.  By 10:15, most have arrived and we start the conversation by having each manager explain their roles and responsibilities.  We then move into the needs of the organization.  They need a LOT!  They need a system to manage their sponsored children that interfaces with ARM – US.  They need improvements to their financial reporting and the ability to track their students through and beyond graduation.  They want reports to measure the effectiveness of their programs.  They want their remote Children’s Development Programs to update  their own web pages.  They talked about making field visit reports using smart phones.  They need to update their network wiring and install new servers, and much more…  They also are extremely committed to raising up a new generation of Christian leaders for their beloved Uganda.  And they have a long-range vision for accomplishing that goal.  

We ended the day with a tour of the computer network.  Their only IT employee, Abbe (pronounced Abbey), is quite brilliant but doesn’t have a lot of resources to work with.  But he is connecting about five local buildings and needs to shoot a wireless connection across about five miles of Lake Victoria.

By the time of our drive home, the morning rain had produced a steamy hot afternoon.  Our driver took us home in his four-door pickup.  What I thought about today was that the planning session was not that different that many I have sat through or facilitated in the U.S.  I was impressed by the insights, vision and brainpower of the ARM management team.  Inside the ARM HQ building, things feel pretty normal.  Kids are playing soccer outside in a field next to the building.  The view from the outside stairwell is spectacular.  But when you leave the ARM grounds, you travel a couple of miles of dirt road through some pretty dreary scenery.  Kids playing in the muddy streets.  Goats wandering around, eating garbage from piles.  Lots of tiny “store fronts”, selling anything from pineapples to cell phones to some unsavory looking hanging meat, dripping blood down the front of the counter.  Definitely not normal for this Westerner.  I can’t imaging the lives of many of Ugandans, scrambling to survive.  And we haven’t even been to the poorest regions yet.  Pray for Uganda.  Pray for ARM.   They are truly on a mission from God.

Preparation

I am sitting in my home office, less than two hours before leaving for the Portland airport. First stop is Denver, to be picked up by my traveling companion, brother in The Lord and co-author of this blog. (To be fair, it's Dave's blog and I'm just freeloading! )

Preparation for this adventure has many levels. Dave has borne the major task of coordinating our visit with multiple hosts. The transportation and lodging pieces seem like something from "The Amazing Race"! Where do we stay each time, how to get from Ministry A to Ministry B. The Ugandans have been very gracious, but there are many parts and with a 13-hour time difference, email communication can be challenging. Dave has done a great job with that.

Beyond the travel arrangements, we are trying to understand what they need from a technology viewpoint. Our mission is one of discovery, but we want to be as prepared as possible. So we ask questions and get some answers. I think our hosts may not understand that Dave and I have been managers for many years, because they are asking for technical assistance! We will do our best. I am carrying three laptops to leave there, plus 100 feet of VGA (computer video) cable. We are also expected to lead some business analysis meetings to help them formulate strategic and organizational goals. So what templates do I need to take along? What sample policies and procedures might be helpful? What presentations do I have that i could use or modify? I have loaded up a memory stick with as much as I can find.

How do I prepare personally for a three week visit to Africa? I've gotten yellow fever shots and a hepatitis booster. I've taken polio pills and have a bottle of malaria pills. I've bought anti-bug clothing and sprayed all my other clothes with a powerful bug-repellant. I have anti-diarrhea pills. Anti-histamines, Pepto, vitamins, protein bars, and two rolls of toilet paper (someone said- they have a different "standard" over there...). I don't know what the laundry situation will be. And last of all, Uganda is a cash-only economic system. Wow, a lot to consider. And stress over!

There is a strong spiritual component to this trip. We are speaking to Christian leaders, college students, and school children. What can I share from God's Word? What lessons do I have already prepared ( or do I need to prepare)? How can I offer applications of Scripture to the lives of people who live in a different continent, in a different economy, in a different culture?

Which brings me to the most important preparation, getting my heart ready. I will confess I have not spent enough waking hours just seeking God's voice. I have been blessed by the prayers of my Sunday morning Kids' Church kids. They surrounded me and laid hands, and arms and shoulders on me. I was deeply touched. There was evening prayer at my church. My morning Bible study group will be praying for me. All this is so vital. And I need to stay in His Word. I truly covet your prayers for Dave and I in this important area.

So that's my preparation. I know I over-think things. I am praying for God's peace and his guidance over the next 25 days or so. I need Him desperately. Thank you again for your prayers and love. Lloyd