Bible College Update

I wanted to come to Uganda for several years and had a vision for working in the Bible college here in Kampala.  But the Bible college closed before I could come.  So I came anyway in March 2011 and helped CC Kampala with its church operations.  About two years later, I was asked to reopen Calvary Chapel Bible College Uganda.

Putting the school back together wasn’t easy, but I felt that I should “go in the strength that you have” from Judges 6:14.  With help from church staff and former students, we re-opened the school in August 2014.

This is now the fourth semester, and the student body has grown and grown.  Our main classroom is nearly at capacity.  The growth is from God; nobody else can be given the credit.

Francis teaching Christian business principles & ethics

Innocent Bob, student in the Guitar & Worship class

This June is the first graduating class.  This August we expect a student from the Murrieta Bible College to come take classes with us.  We are excited for what God is doing here in Kampala!

John Eastham

Calvary Chapel Bible College Uganda

Election Day

Yesterday was Uganda’s Presidential Elections.

The day started at 6:15am when I let our night guard leave early.  I wanted him to be in line to vote because polling stations open at 7am.  Unfortunately, his polling station opened very late at 3pm.

I insisted that our day guard vote before he arrived for duty.  He arrived at 1pm because his polling station opened at noon.  So much for polls opening at 7am.

A friend of ours was unable to vote at all.  Somehow she was registered to vote back in her home village several hours away.

Another missionary told us that some voting stations didn’t open at all.  Those should be opened today instead.  So much for voting on February 18^th.

Just before 4pm, we receiving this Embassy alert (emphasis added):  “The U.S. Embassy advises U.S. citizens to refrain from driving or being on the streets in Kampala for the remainder of the day.  Since midday [noon], the Embassy has received some reports of disturbances at or near polling stations in Kampala, including the blocking of streets with large rocks, the throwing of rocks, and the setting of small fires.”  We planned to stay at home anyhow.

Campaign logo for a peaceful election.

At least some (perhaps all) social media was blocked on election day.  BBC reported that President Museveni ordered What’s App be blocked.  We are unable to access Twitter, a source for election updates on #UgandaDecides.

Opposition candidate Kizza Besigye was detained by police.  Was he really investigating vote rigging or was it a political stunt?  I don’t know.

Today we travel to the quiet western town of Fort Portal.  We will visit friends and tour a Christian medical clinic.  We drive home after Sunday church at Calvary Chapel Fort Portal.  Hopefully we will be back in our Kampala home before the election results are announced.  That’s when things can get dicey.

From Uganda,

John Eastham

Presidential Elections & Prayer for Peace

The first day of Uganda’s elections is on February 18th.  They vote for president.  There are other voting days for mayors, parliament, etc.

We are following the U.S. Embassy’s safety recommendations.  The church is in downtown Kampala and close to a potential riot flashpoint.  So I call ahead to make sure it’s safe before going in.

President Museveni is 71 years-old and has been in power since 1986.  He’s running for office again.

The frontrunner against him is Kizza Besigye.  Since some Ugandans think President Museveni stole the previous election from Besigye, there is potential for demonstrations and riots.

Yesterday Besigye, running again for president, was arrested by police.  A small riot erupted, and police shot tear gas.  We missionaries sent Facebook and text messages to each other warning of the unrest

But Besigye’s police detention was brief, and he soon went off to another political rally.  Friends tell me Besigye actually got himself arrested so he could “play the victim” and garner more votes.

Not much is certain during this presidential election, and it can become even more turbulent.  Please join us in praying for peaceful Ugandan elections.

John Eastham

Kampala, Uganda