Publishing Hope

The following story was published in this week's edition of The Clatskanie Chief, my hometown weekly newspaper. I worked at The Chief for 11 years before I became a missionary.

The piece was printed in The Trident column - the space reserved for comments by the editor, Deborah Steele Hazen. (Her initials follow the "Editor's Note" at the beginning.) While I wrote hundreds of article during my tenure at the paper, this is only the second time to have my writing featured in The Trident column, and I consider it quite an honor.

God used my years at The Chief to grow me up in a lot of ways, and prepare me for the future He had in mind. : )

(Editor’s Note: Before departing Clatskanie to serve as a missionary on Lingira Island in Uganda, Ruth Howard served as a reporter/photographer for The Clatskanie Chief for 11 years. Currently back in Clatskanie visiting with family and friends, we asked Ruth to write a column about her mission. - DSH)
 

Ugandan Students Find Hope for Brighter Futures

by Ruth E. Howard

Guest Columnist

At times I am without words. 

Their stories, circumstances and backgrounds are foreign to me, even though I hear them often repeated. 

Rejection by family, hunger that forces unwanted decisions, crippling sickness, anxiety over the next meal or the next term’s school fees – the students face these fears daily. The burdens are greater than their young shoulders should have to bear.

  

When they come to me for counsel, I often feel I cannot find the right words. 

  

Poverty seen from a distance can make you feel helpless to help, but when you observe it daily, it can be very overwhelming.

  

More than 95 percent of the population of the small Ugandan island I live on struggles below the “poverty level.” It is no comparison to what westerners define as “below the poverty line.”

  

Yet when circumstances seem the bleakest, that is when hopes shines the brightest. Even a candle’s small flame can disperse a room’s cloaking darkness.

Ugandan students are finding hope and brighter horizons. Half a world away, in a place where education is often not valued or may be out of reach for various reasons, students are discovering new paths to broader futures.

A Second Home in Uganda 

 For most of my life I never dreamed of missions work in Africa, though now I can’t imagine my life apart from Uganda. A resident of Clatskanie for more than 22 years, I found a second home on a small island in this East African country. 

  

I am serving under Global Outreach International, based in Tupelo, Miss., and with Shepherd’s Heart International Ministry (SHIM). A multi-faceted ministry based on Lingira Island, Uganda, SHIM was co-founded by Karina (Thomas) Smith, a good friend of mine who is also formerly of Clatskanie. I feel privileged to have witnessed the birth of Shepherd’s Heart during my first visit to Uganda, from October 2006-March 2007.

  

Leaving the states in January 2010, I flew to Uganda to spend a year, which extended into nearly 16 months. I came back to Oregon May 1 for a three-month furlough and will return to Uganda in mid-August.

  

In my time in southern Uganda, I found my heart stirred and drawn to the students with whom I interact almost daily. These young men and women attend Lingira Living Hope Secondary School (LLHSS), a private, Christian-based institution - only a few-minutes walk from where I live and work at SHIM. I love the school and the bright hope it represents to the students and to the islands.

Lingira Living Hope and SHIM are found near Kyoya (pronounced “Choy ya”) village on Lingira Island - a small island in the northern region of Lake Victoria. Lingira is one of 52 islands in the Buvuma Island chain - the second largest chain on the lake. Lake Victoria, which empties into the Nile River near Jinja - the city nearest me, is the second largest freshwater lake in the world. More than 3000 islands are on the lake, which is shared by Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. It is safe to say several million people live on the lake.
 

 LINGIRA LIVING HOPE SECONDARY SCHOOL, pictured above, is making education a reality for students of remote islands in southern Uganda. A former Chief reporter, Ruth Howard, works with Lingira Living Hope and its students in Bible studies, computer classes and more. The school is located on Lingira Island where Ruth recently spent 16 months until coming back to Clatskanie in May. She will return to Lingira Island in August. 

A Turning Tide 

The island areas of Uganda are unique. Few call them “home,” fondly referring instead to the mainland villages of their birth. Consequently, change and development are difficult to implement and even slower to be embraced. The islanders consist of refugees who fled from conflicts and wars elsewhere, criminals, or those simply looking for work in the once-thriving fishing trade. 

  

While schools can be found on nearly every block in Uganda’s cities and larger towns, they are rare on the Buvuma Islands, especially those for secondary school students. So when Lingira Living Hope began in February 2006 it was like the dawning of a new hope for the islands. 

  

Distance and money have kept island students from attending mainland schools, and the idea of earning money today rather than investing in an ongoing education has diverted girls and boys from continuing past the primary level. Young men opt instead to become fishermen and the girls are often married off or enlisted to help at home.

But the tide is turning. The nearby Lingira Primary School saw an increase from eight students in its top class in 2006 to more than 100 in 2010. Many of those students then advance to the island secondary school. Education is now an achievable reality.

“I thought I was in heaven!” 

Even before I officially met Suzan, I was captivated by her beaming and ever-present smile. 

Her ready grin gave the appearance that she was always happy. As a newly-sponsored student through SHIM, I took time to get to know Suzan and learned it was gratitude that fueled her joy. 

From Namiti, an island three hours beyond Lingira, Suzan was the top performing girl among more than 100 area students. 

  

Though her grades would have made Suzan welcome in any school, it was money that kept her from studying. Despite her family’s best efforts, they could not afford to send Suzan to secondary school. 

“God, you can answer my prayers, please answer me,” Suzan fervently prayed one evening after being sent home from school once again for a lack of fees. When an aunt called the next morning to inform Suzan of a sponsorship to attend Lingira Living Hope, Suzan responded ecstatically, “I thought I was in heaven!” She describes the school as the “best thing I have seen since I was born.”

Once an Orphan, Soon a Teacher 

He was left a young orphan and then as a teenager was rejected for his Christian faith by his Muslim polygamous family. Yet a difficult past has not tempered Timothy’s desire to help others. 

  

After finishing at the island school in 2008 and taking two more years of school elsewhere, equivalent to a junior college level, Timothy was invited back to Lingira this year by the school’s headmaster. After teaching some science classes and assisting with “Scripture Union” - a weekly Christian worship service and Bible study - Timothy believes God is calling him to be a teacher. 

  

Having never before considered the profession, Timothy seems surprised himself that God would plant such a desire in his heart. Yet, his compassion for students much like himself is stirring Timothy to attend a teachers’ training college, and someday return to officially teach at the island school.  

Timothy has tasted freedom and hope in his relationship with Jesus Christ and in his continuing education, and wants to share them with students who need the same.

I am inspired by the stories of Suzan, Timothy and others. And I am challenged to continue to pray, teach, serve and give as I interact with students like them. It is a joy to mentor them in Bible studies, computer classes and in other settings.
 

INTERACTING WITH UGANDAN STUDENTS like Lovinsa, at left, brings much joy and satisfaction to Ruth Howard, at right, formerly of Clatskanie. Ruth is working as a missionary with Shepherd’s Heart International Ministry in Uganda.

Education Not the Ultimate Answer

While I love Lingira Living Hope and the change it is kindling on the islands, I know education is not the ultimate answer to the needs of this disadvantaged area. 

  

Nor do I believe that knowledge holds the key for Uganda, the rest of Africa or the entire world. It is only a vehicle to spread the “living hope” - God’s light and truth. 

I and the other Christians with whom I work, both American and Ugandan, understand that poverty extends beyond the lack of basic necessities. 

Ministry is not only about feeding starving stomachs, but even more importantly about feeding starving souls. More than anything, I want to see the island students find true hope and freedom in Jesus Christ - the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).

Once known as dark and “forgotten” places, the islands are being lit and changed by Christ’s transformational light. Their darkness is being dispersed by the increasing “candlelight” of ministries like SHIM. 

  

The various ministry branches of Shepherd’s Heart - water and sanitation, discipleship and evangelism, family ministry, women’s craft initiatives, economic development, child and educational development, and agriculture - touch all aspects of island life. (For more about SHIM and its growing work on the Buvuma Islands, visit www.shimuganda.com.)

  

When the students’ stories and needs overwhelm me and I am left without words, I am reminded of God’s incredible and unchanging love for them and the others of the Ugandan islands. God sees and cares for individuals throughout the world. I rest in this unchanging truth.

  

To learn more about my time in Uganda and to continue following my work there, visit my blog: www.journeyoffaith11.blogspot.com.

The Suubi Project Looks to “Build” Hope on Island

by Ruth E. Howard 

 After housing staff and students in “temporary” and inadequate mud buildings for several years, Lingira Living Hope is in the process of constructing permanent concrete buildings. 

More dorms and pit latrines are needed at the school.

The price for building on the island is more expensive than in other parts of Uganda, because of the cost to transport supplies over the lake. 

To help fund this expensive endeavor, I have launched what I am calling “The Suubi Project.” I have made notecard sets using photographs I took in Uganda, and am offering them for sale with all proceeds benefitting the building project. The photos feature animals, flowers, sunsets and other scenes of Uganda.

“Suubi” means “hope” in Luganda - one of Uganda’s primary languages. 

I believe that with more adequate facilities, more students can find hope of an education at Lingira Living Hope. 

To see samples of the notecards, visit the “The Suubi Project” page on my blog www.journeyoffaith11.blogspot.com, find “The Suubi ‘Hope’ Project” page on Facebook, or send an e-mail to reporterruthie@yahoo.com.

Captured by Heart

The following is what I wrote for this week's Trident (editorial column) in this week's edition of The Clatskanie Chief. I have only written the Trident twice in my almost 11 years at The Chief, so this was quite an honor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Home.

It is such a small word, but one that can hold great depth of meaning and feeling.

There is an oft-repeated saying that “Home is where your heart is.”

 Almost 21 years ago, my family and I moved our hearts to Clatskanie. And since that time, this little community has been a treasured home for us and our love has only deepened over the years. Strangers have become friends and as dear as family. I wouldn’t trade anything for the privilege of growing up in this small community.

I have bragged about our one-stoplight city and the fact that you can rarely go downtown without meeting at least one person you know. There is comfort in the fact that you can walk right up and talk to our dedicated community leaders and know they will listen to your questions or concerns. It is a reassuring realization that in times of disaster or tragedy, this community knows how to pull together, like in the February 1996 flood or the Woodson slide of December 2007.

Rather than let a fellow citizen give up or be defeated by storms, floods or even bureaucrats, Clatskanites know how to form ranks and stand tall. This town may be small, but it has a huge heart.

We are also blessed to live in such a beautiful pocket of the world, tucked in a valley and surrounded by incredible beauty. Oh, Clatskanie, you are a gem.

A little more than 11 years ago my writing heart found a home at The Clatskanie Chief. Having never received a formal education in journalism, I came very green. However, I had the privilege of learning from one of the most talented and capable small town journalists, who is driven not by wealth or fame (and if she was, she’s in the wrong place), but by a fiercely loyal heart to her hometown and her fellow citizens. I have learned from her that there is more satisfaction in writing a well-crafted story or a piece that spotlights the good deeds of one of our hometown heroes, than the paycheck at the end of the week.

To tell you the truth, I have gained far more at The Chief than any college course or internship at a larger newspaper could have offered me. And, I have been enriched personally and professionally far beyond measure and what I could ever repay. Thank you, Debbie.

It is a dedicated team that puts this newspaper out each week as a labor of love. Hours upon hours are invested by a small, but skilled group who I am so grateful to call my co-workers and friends. They have also taught me much by their patience, attention to detail, work ethic and sacrificial efforts. Thank you so much to the ladies of The Chief (and to Phil).

It’s hard to imagine that any other place or any other people would capture one’s heart quite like Clatskanie and its dear folks.

However, call me a traitor, but ever since a journey three years ago, my heart has been divided between two places.

By a good friend’s invitation and God’s leading and provision, I spent almost five months, from October 2006 to March 2007, in southern Uganda on a mission trip. For most of that time I lived on Lingira Island on Lake Victoria, located about 15 miles from the nearest mainland city of Jinja. My original plan was to stay for three months because I was positive I would be homesick by then and ready to return to the good ol’ U.S.A. However, something happened in my heart. The island became a “home away from home.” I fell in love with the place, with the food, with the slower pace of life, with the sights and sounds, but I especially fell in love with the people. I found them to be warm, hospitable and generous and I quickly made lifetime friendships. Uganda captured my heart.

It was with mixed feelings that I returned to Oregon in March 2007. I was excited to see the friends and family whom I had missed during those five months, but now my heart was divided, longing to also return to Uganda, at least for a visit. For the past two and half years, I have waited, wondering if God would again make a way for me to go back to east Africa.

While I waited, I returned to work at The Chief, learning new skills as I began covering Rainier happenings and meetings, following the retirement of longtime reporter Betty Mayfield.

As time passed, I began having my doubts that I would return. But earlier this year, God brought to my attention a niche I might be able to fill there and not just during a short-term visit, but for an extended stay. This realization was confirmed and I am making preparations to leave Jan. 9 for a one-year term in Uganda.

I was happy to be accepted by the mission agency Global Outreach International and I am very excited to be traveling with my good friends Andrew and Karina (Thomas) Smith and their young son, David. I will be working in their ministry, Shepherd’s Heart International Ministry, and living on the island, my home away from home. I am anxious to be involved in the ministry’s child development program, a type of child sponsorship, and assist with communications and any other area of which I can be a part. Also, I can’t wait to see those who I left behind nearly three years ago and renew those dear relationships, as well as meet new friends.

I believe that is nothing is wasted in God’s economy. He uses every experience, relationship and opportunity in our lives, weaving them together into a plan that is far better than we could imagine. I believe my coming to Clatskanie 21 years ago was all part of His plan of taking me to Uganda in 2010 and He has orchestrated every detail in between. I heartily agree with the message of Proverbs 16:9, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”

When I board the plane Jan. 9 in Portland, I will be taking Clatskanie with me. This will always be my hometown. There is no way to separate what I have gained from this place and its people from the person I am.

Home is the place that captures your heart.

The property of Shepherd's Heart International Ministry (SHIM) on Lingira Island. This photo was taken in March 2007, just after the land was purchased and before it was developed. It now boasts buildings and gardens. I will be living here.

Closing a Chapter

 I paused outside the door for a few seconds. Tucking a few things under cover so they wouldn't get wet in the rain, I thought that after hundreds of times like this, this may be my last. I walked to my car amid the drops and the dark stillness. Most of Clatskanie was in bed, as they usually are when I leave work on late Tuesday nights or early Wednesday mornings.

  Today was my last day at The Clatskanie Chief, the local weekly newspaper where I have worked for almost 11 years, helping put together close to 560 editions. It seemed fitting that today (Tuesday), our deadline day, I worked on the last issue of 2009 and my final one for this chapter of my life.
 
 I remember back to the day in late July 1998 when I was interviewed for the job. I recall how nervous I was, what I was wearing and where I sat. Looking back, I admire my boss for hiring a pretty shy and very green young lady who was just beginning to emerge from her shell of shyness. Because of her patience and wonderful way of instruction, I have learned far more than a college journalism course or an internship at a larger newspaper could ever teach me.

 But, more importantly, God has used my job to stretch and grow me in ways I could not imagine. What I have gained personally, socially, emotionally and spiritually far outweighs the skills I have acquired professionally. God has used times of stress and seemingly insurmountable challenges, boring meetings, complicated school board budgets and tough stories to cause me to rely heavily on Him and in the process, strengthen my faith and character. It hasn't been all hard, though. There have also been times of joy, satisfaction, exhilaration and fun as I have worked with fun co-workers, interviewed interesting people, completed an engaging or informative piece and become acquainted with many in the communities The Chief covers.

 I am grateful for the skills and lessons I have learned at the newspaper and I believe they will prove useful in Uganda and wherever else God takes me in the future.

  Now that this week's paper has been put to bed, I believe I will head there, too. Good night, Chief, and thanks for the memories.

Preparing to "take flight" into a new adventure.