The Story Tellers

(Billy, Cosmas, Nicholas, Mugisha, James, Gideon, John Onek, Jonathan, Benson, and Andrew)

"You really must love us!" Andrew's big smile was lit up across his broad face. We were sitting in his room at a conference center in Lira, Uganda. This last week many of you were praying for me as I traveled with nine of our pastors to a conference on story telling. We had felt it would be significant for some of our key pastoral leaders to get properly trained in storying. Three came from Kampala, three from Nebbi, and two from Sudan.

For the guys from Nebbi, it was a cultural experience.

When I asked Andrew why I loved him, his fellow pastor Cosmas burst into laughter. If you can imagine, Andrew's smile grew even bigger. I was not following the laughter or smiles and tried to ask again, "Why do I love you?" The reply was quick, "Because you brought us to this high living."

We had already been a little anxious about taking folks from a village mindset to a "conference." So I quickly tried to explain that I had nothing to do with picking out the 15,000 shiling (8$) a night "luxury" room where we were staying, but before I could finish Cosmas proclaimed, "It's the one step latrine. Andrew likes the one step latrine." I looked to Andrew and found him again smiling. He pointed from the bed to the bathroom and declared, "I can go from the bed to the toilet in one step and then from the toilet back to the bed in one step!" Now I was smiling, realizing these men had never stayed in a room with indoor plumbing!

Andrew piped up again, "And there is hot water! They have hot water here for bathing!" The excitement was uncontainable and none of us could keep from laughing. Cosmas promptly announced that Andrew had not known how to work the hot water tap but he had explained how to regulate the two to get the right temperature. After waiting for Cosmas to teach Andrew the ways of "high living" our conversation dissolved into more laughter, discussing what stories we would have to tell the people back home and numerous more references to the "one-step latrine."

The conference was a success in numerous ways. There was a mixture of teaching and small group times and we heard a lot of stories. We practiced learning a Bible story (not memorizing), then telling the story, and finally leading the audience through questions to draw out the truths God would have us apply to our lives. The best part of such a conference is all your "break" conversations are about the Scriptures. Because we are basically doing oral Bible study, every session is potentially quite convicting. Our leaders eagerly dove in and began participating, many of them playing active roles in the various practice sessions.

You may have heard us make mention of this method of communicating called Storying. In the last twenty plus years , numerous efforts have been made both in academic as well as missiological circles to understand how to better communicate with oral learners. An oral learner is a person who cannot read or write at all but it also includes people who can read and write but prefer to learn through oral methods.
Narratives... Stories are the traditional method of learning for oral cultures but it has taken a little while for me to realize how much they are a part of even my own "American-sophisticated" culture. Maybe you don't think of yourself as a story lover but let me ask - what do you do watch every night on television... daily stories, made up stories, people telling their stories. Whether you start your day with a physical newspaper or you go online, what are you reading...but the latest "stories." Real entertainment over the weekend is popcorn and "a story." We grab coffee with friends and listen to what... their story. The mediums are totally different here in Uganda but the love for stories is just as great if not greater.

Joanna and I have had the privilege to be asked to investigate and research these oral methods and specifically, pursue whether Bible storying could be a viable method for sharing the Gospel both in Uganda but then also throughout WGM East Africa.

Thus, not only was the conference valuable for “training” in story telling, but the networking and strategy conversations were invaluable. It was great for me to be able to sit around and drink coffee with people who are wrestling with similar challenges of discovering the best way to implement storying into practical training and discipleship for all men, women, youth and children. The amazing thing is stories transcend age, gender and even ethnicity.

Joanna and I have one avid story fan. Although I have been describing "oral methods," Elsie Jayne is not afraid to tackle the literate challenge. Please pray for her, that she will learn God's Story and for us, that we might be faithful at telling His Story to every one He brings into our lives.