Special Posts: Through
your prayers and support, our family has had the distinct privilege of
investing in the lives of amazing people here in Uganda. This post is about our good friend Dawama
James. Thank you for standing with us so
that we can stand with people like this.
We hope you enjoy!
Friends of ours who were serving as missionaries in Arua,
Uganda met a young man named James. A
friendship started that, unbeknownst to us, would impact the life of my family
in deep ways. James did not have much
going on in life that would cause any normal person to celebrate. His father died when he was very young and
his mother has been living in South Sudan just trying to survive. James came to Uganda in hopes of getting an
education but had nothing to his name to make that a reality. That is where God stepped in. Through his relationship with these friends
of ours, and others, James was able to get his primary and secondary
education. James was also able to start
university here in Kampala. And that is
when Jesus allowed my family to be blessed by this young man.
When my family returned to Uganda in 2014 we learned that
James had to drop out of university due to a lack of finances. He was living in the Democratic Republic of
Congo just trying to survive and make a little money. Something deep inside me told me that this
was not “OK”. After prayer and discussions
with those same friends of ours, we decided that it was very important for
James to get his university education.
So James came back to Kampala. I
remember that day he stepped into my house after the long arduous journey back
to Uganda. James was rather sick and it showed despite his constant smile. We sat together and
discussed a plan to get his university education back on track. It was also at this point that I introduced
James to good coffee. He now knows there
will always be a good cup of coffee waiting for him whenever he comes to my
house.
Through the provision of Jesus, James restarted his university education. Praise God that he was able What a joy to stand with him that day as his
name was called and he walked onto that platform to receive his diploma. As I looked around and saw Fathers and
Mothers and Uncles and Aunts hugging their children, I wondered why God would
allow me the privilege of celebrating this accomplishment of this amazing young
man. By this time, I viewed James as my
brother and he would say the same to me.
We would meet regularly together for Bible study and prayer. What little I offered to James was
immediately returned double fold through listening to him share his faith with
me and utmost trust in his heavenly Father.
And so that day of his graduation, I felt incredibly proud of my
brother. He fought so hard for this
moment and deserved it! I was blessed to
be there.
to finish.
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to finish.
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Our family returned to Uganda in July 2017 and James was
still in Congo. He made a few visits to
Kampala and we discussed the possibility of a wedding and prayed together for
Gods provision. It is very difficult for
me to explain all that was missing to make this event happen. James still had no job. Culturally, James should take a group of men
with him to visit Anna’s father and seek his blessing. James should also be prepared to pay a dowry
for Anna. How could these important
cultural steps take place? There was no
money. Anna’s father was deep in Congo
where it was almost impossible to travel there.
But James loved Anna and had to find a way. So, James went to Anna’s father…alone…with
nothing in his hands. This is cultural
suicide right here. There is no possible
way that Anna’s Father would agree to anything.
But God! God showed up and James
spoke on his own behalf and walked away with the blessing he longed for. Now there needed to be a wedding!
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