Whenever I hear the word “martyr,” I automatically think of the stories I learned – in religion classes at the Catholic school I attended – of the holy men and women who gave up their lives for Christ. They were ordered to renounce their faith, but refused to do so, and were killed because of it – often painfully and publicly. Stoned, beheaded, or fed to the lions. The mental images I have of martyrs are of people in togas and sandals or monks’ robes [...]
I got a phone call last week from my friend Tabitha, who’s still in Uganda. She had been in the hospital visiting Grace, who was having surgery the following day. Grace is the young mother I wrote about in my column two weeks ago. She’s from Gulu, in Northern Uganda, and I met her when I was there to speak with a group of women who have formed a farming co-op and are now rebuilding their lives after years spent living in refugee camps. Grace [...]
One of the girls is named Betty. She could pass for a teenager, but she’s actually 28 years old and has five children. One of the girls is named Ramula. We call her Lumla, and she is so shy that if you look at her and smile, she just giggles and turns away. Shamira is beautiful, truly beautiful. But she is timid, insecure, and self-conscious, because throughout her life, the people closest to her kept telling her how ugly she was. Sadly, but understandably, she [...]
“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one.” Die-hard Star Trek fans will remember that line from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. It’s what Spock tells Kirk after exposing himself to deadly radiation while repairing the damaged Starship Enterprise in order to save the ship and the rest of the crew. The flip side comes in the next Star Trek movie, when Kirk and crew violate orders so they can find and rescue Spock. When Spock asks [...]
Some of the things I learned during this trip to Uganda: How to say “How are you?” “I’m fine,” and “Thank you” in Luo, the language of the Acholi tribe in Northern Uganda; What crocodile meat tastes like (better than boiled goat, in my opinion, but not as good as an ostrich burger); That wading in the Nile River is both humbling and refreshing; That a puppet waving from a bus window can make even stoic police and armed guards smile. Some of the things [...]
Note: While I'm in Uganda, the Chanhassen Villager is publishing excerpts from my upcoming book about my first trip to Uganda, in October, 2011. Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 8:10 a.m. I really am getting used to Uganda time. By that I don’t mean that my body has finally recovered from jet lag and gotten used to the 8-hour time difference – although it has. Instead I mean that my mind is getting used to the Ugandan way of life. None of our programs have been [...]
Note: While I am in Uganda, the Chanhassen Villager is publishing excerpts from my upcoming book about my first trip to Uganda, in October, 2011. Sunday, October 16, 2011 5:45 p.m. I wish I could capture the sound of the music and the feel of this moment. There’s a light, cool breeze. It’s early evening, and we’re in a lovely outdoor arena, seated at colorfully-covered tables nestled up into the hills like seats in a theatre. Which is exactly what this is. Tribal drums are [...]
Editor’s Note: Betty Liedtke is in Uganda. While she is gone, we are publishing excerpts from her upcoming book about her first trip to Uganda, in October, 2011. Tuesday Evening, October 11, 2011 I am in Africa! It doesn’t quite feel like it yet, because I haven’t actually gotten off the plane. Our Amsterdam to Entebbe flight included another stop – in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. That’s where we are now. It’s just a short stop, under an hour, and those of us going [...]
Note: For ten weeks, I am using the Dream Coaching® program to work on my dream of finishing and publishing a book about my trip to Uganda, and I am reporting on my progress in my weekly column. As always, my column is posted on my blog every Friday. To read the series from the beginning, start with the introductory post, dated May 3, 2013. It’s hard for me to believe that it’s already Week 10 of the Dream Coaching program. Or that I’ve gotten [...]
Note: For ten weeks, I am using the Dream Coaching® program to work on my dream of finishing and publishing a book about my trip to Uganda, and I am reporting on my progress in my weekly column. As always, my column is posted on my blog every Friday. To read the series from the beginning, start with the introductory post, dated May 3, 2013. I realize that my roots are showing as well as my age, but I have to admit that when I [...]