Please Meet...

...Sarah.

Sarah is among the most amazing young women I know. Her name means "princess" in Hebrew and truly God's work in her life has resulted in a "rags-to-riches" story for His glory.

I first met Sarah on Lingira Island back in 2006. At the time she taught at a preschool operated by the church. Before I left, in March 2007, Sarah had joined the newly-opened secondary (middle/high) school in the next village. She was in her mid-twenties by then. Ten years had passed since she had dropped out of school because of lack of money, in the midst of her 9th grade year (known as Senior 2 here).

But joining the school was a significant step in an already amazing journey that had begun sometime back. 

Sarah first came to the island in 1998 - about 8 years beforehand - looking for work after her mom told her she no longer had money to send Sarah to school.

Sarah didn't know Jesus then, in fact her "master" was Satan and she suffered from serious spiritual issues. A Ugandan pastor doing evangelism work on the island prayed an entire week before Sarah was finally delivered from her demanding and possessive masters, into the loving hands of a new loving "Master," Jesus Christ. Her life was dramatically changed.

Because of her love for children, Sarah began serving in children's ministry at the local church.

Though Sarah had not finished secondary school, God opened other doors - a two-year Bible school and later a six-month discipleship course. Combining her love for children and teaching, Sarah taught at the island preschool, staying at the nearby YWAM base, where I first met her and we began our friendship

When Lingira Living Hope opened in February 2007, returning to the classroom was daunting to Sarah. Not only had she dropped out about 10 years before, but as a younger and unsaved student, she had been "dull" and trailed at the bottom of her class - always. Also, the national curriculum had changed in the last decade and new subjects were added, especially the more difficult science topics.

Along with her spiritual freedom, Sarah discovered she personally knew the Source of all Wisdom - her Heavenly Father. In her classes, she found He "added knowledge" to her mind.

Rather than returning to the unfinished 9th grade, Sarah started in 10th (Senior 3). She finished the year as the top physics student in her class, though she had never previously studied the subject. No longer at the bottom of her class, Sarah was now a leader.

She continued on to schools in Jinja, including "A-level," equivalent to junior college. Once again, she succeeded, passed and graduated.

Her love for teaching again beckoned her, yet Sarah desired professional training that she did not yet possess.

Shortly after my return to Uganda in January 2010 (I was gone from March 2007 until 2010), Sarah approached SHIM about sponsoring her through a three-year university course. Relatively-speaking, university courses are expensive here and we didn't have guaranteed funds for the entire duration. But, we knew God still had greater things in store for Sarah.

Last week, I was privileged to be one of only two people allowed to be invited by Sarah to attend her graduation from Kyambogo University, from which she successfully earned a Bachelor's Degree in Education.

Sarah with her mom Bernadette

Sarah narrated her amazing testimony, included many of the above details, over breakfast the morning after her graduation. After leaving the ceremony grounds the day before, we traveled to her mother's home in Kayunga and found a small party, with awaiting family and friends. Congratulations were showered, speeches made, and special foods enjoyed.

One of about seven children in her predominantly-Catholic family, Sarah is the only one to have earned a university degree. Once disregarded, she is now honored and respected in her home, family, and community.

"Sarah, God has raised you up for a purpose," I tell her. That purpose is still unfolding as God continues to pen Sarah's story. I am quite excited for what God has in store for "Princess Sarah."

Back in January 2011, when I interviewed her for a sponsorship profile, Sarah gave the following reasons for her pursuit of education.

“As a professional teacher, I believe I will teach the youth how to walk morally upright...and pass on God’s love, which will be spread to the whole community and world.”

Sarah and I

What They Really Need

My friend Stella shares her testimony with the female students Saturday afternoon.

"We have a very generous God who wants to give you the greatest gift of all. Do you know what that is?"

"It is Himself," I tell the gathered girl students, nearly all dressed alike in red and white school shirts and assorted black skirts. They sit in wooden desks in the brick classroom on a hot and dry Saturday afternoon.

"God knows your heart, your desires - He knows the gift you need today."

After four years of living and working on the island, and putting almost all of my concentration and energy into the young people who populate Lingira Living Hope Secondary School, I sometimes still feel at a loss.

This evening, after the afternoon session by some visiting speakers with our secondary students, I cried out to God.

"God, what do they need?" I was once again frustrated by the lack of visible response from the students to the messages shared.

How do I know that what I am speaking is what they need to hear? How do I know it is making sense? That it is crossing the language and cultural barriers that exist? How do I know that they are not just inwardly shrugging me off because I am white, because I am female, because I am different than they are.

He knows my name,

He knows my every thought.

He sees each tear that falls, 

And He hears me when I call.

That simple worship chorus spoke volumes to me a couple of years ago when I struggled with similar doubts and questions. I realized then as I remember now, it is not whether I know the students as well as I should. It is not about whether I can speak their mother tongue, or I know their cultural or tribal backgrounds. It is not about if I have passed through similar experiences (which for the most part, I have not). It is not about me.

And honestly, they don't need me.

They need God, the One who knows them - intimately. And they need Him above all else.

I cling to this unshakable and undeniable truth. I can trust the All-Seeing, All-Knowing, Ever-Faithful, Never-Changing God and Heavenly Father to know the hearts and minds of each young woman and each young man here. They think no one really knows them, understands about them, cares about their hearts and their futures.

They have been hurt, disappointed, abused, neglected, abandoned, and despised by others. They have been called stupid, worthless, and worse. After awhile, you wonder if anyone really cares, who will not just later hurt and disappoint you.

What do they need above else? Jesus Himself. The One who has sought them doggedly, pursued them relentlessly, loved unconditionally, forgiven sacrificially, who sees them as beautiful and worth pursuing because they are created in the sacred image of the Father.

He is the Shepherd seeking for His lost sheep.

And He will not give up.

It's not about me, about have the "right" message or the best method. It is about being an arrow pointing back to Him. It is about being a conduit of His love and grace.

The students don't need me. They need Jesus.

The world does not need us. The world needs Jesus. 

Please Meet...

...Danze.

A few month ago I introduced you to a dear friend of mine, a remarkable young woman named Fauza. You can read about Fauza in a post here.

I have another young person I'd like you to get to know - Danze (pronounced Dan-zee) Fred.

Danze

Honestly, I have met few young people like him - either in Uganda or in the U.S. - someone who is sold out to Jesus, incredibly passionate about sharing the Gospel, focused on his goals, and a very hard worker.

Danze is a relatively young Christian, yet you wouldn't know that by the great strides he has made in his faith and witness.

One of 12 children born to poor parents, Danze saw it as a "God-made" opportunity for him and his brother to be taken in by an uncle who lives on the islands. Danze was in primary (elementary) school at the time and the uncle began paying for the boys' school tuition. The opportunity later disappeared, though, as the uncle went bankrupt.

Danze's yearning for studies motivated him and impressed his teachers. When sent home for lack of money for tuition, Danze would make charcoal, having to miss two to three weeks of classes at a time. At other times the teachers took pity on him, and allowed him to stay. Because of his hard work and dedication, Danze was selected in 2011 for sponsorship by SHIM.

Though not yet a born-again believer when he enrolled in our island secondary school in 2009, Danze's thirst for the Word of God propelled him to attend anything he could to learn more, including Bible studies, Sunday and mid-week services, and prayer times. He couldn't seem to get enough of God's truth.

Yet, there was an intense battle for his soul and eternal destiny.

One evening after classes in his second year, as he returned to his small rented house in the village, Danze suffered a demonic attack. His body became paralyzed, extreme cold overtook him, and he was unable to see or speak.

"They (the demons) were claiming my life," Danze recounts. “Today we are killing you,” the spirits told him. However, another "Voice" instructed him to call on Christ. Though unable to speak, Danze cried out for Jesus in his spirit.

As he cried out for Christ, he began to recover. A bright light then appeared in the house and the Voice asked, “What do you see?” When he said he couldn't see, the Voice replied, “Open your eyes and see…You are seeing darkness, but light has come into this house.”

Danze was told to open his Bible to John 11:25 - “Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone one who believes in me will live, even after dying.’” The same chapter tells of Lazarus’ resurrection and indeed Danze felt as if he was like Lazarus, - once dead, but raised to new life. 

That very evening, Danze trusted in Christ for salvation and and eternal life. As instructed by the Voice, he shared John 11:25 with his fellow students in a service the following evening. A short time later, Danze was among a group of local believers, including a number of students, to be baptized in Lake Victoria.

Danze, second from left, is baptized March 13, 2011. Also pictured are David, former school guard, Pastor Andy Smith, and Peter, a former elder in the local church.

Danze has been an impassioned minister ever since - faithfully sharing with his peers, the local believers and islanders, and more recently in the largest school in Jinja, on the streets there, in the hospitals, and wherever God calls him. The year after his conversion, Danze began chairing the island school's Scripture Union, a student-led mid-week service, as well as faithfully counseling and encouraging his fellow students.

Graduating at the top of his class in 2012, Danze left the island to attend junior college and continue his pursuit of medicine.

This week Danze begins his second year of junior college. While dedicating much of his time and energy to his books, Danze still puts God's work as a high priority in his life. Once the chairman of the Scripture Union for our small school, he now chairs a similar group at his current school - the largest school in the Jinja area, and is a coordinator for the same organization, overseeing 33 Jinja area schools.

It is obvious to me that God has a very special plan for Danze. He stands out from others, like Daniel did, because of his remarkable character, leadership, drive, service, and passion for Christ.

He is the only one of his immediate family to have reached this level of education, and yet he desires to in turn raise his family and others from their "miserable" burden of poverty.

Danze is striving to help his world both physically - aspiring to someday be a doctor, and spiritually - "I cannot leave the Word of God and preaching."

Would you join me in praying for this young man - that God would continue to be with Him and guide him in His ways?

Assumptions and Impossibilities - Not in God's Vocabulary!

Rembrandt's "The Return of the Prodigal Son"

Don't take it for granted that what you see or hear is really reality. Be careful not to make a judgment without knowing all of the facts. Never assume.

This was a lesson I learned repeatedly as a newspaper reporter. Never assume someone's name is spelled the way you think it is. Never assume so-and-so meant this when he said that. When you are going for the facts, don't rely on opinion or speculation. "Assume" means to "take for granted or without proof." So where am I going with all of this?

This "never assume" lesson was brought home again this week with two students whom I have interacted with through Shepherd's Heart's sponsorship program.

Earlier this year we cut off G's sponsorship. An island orphan, G* had been helped with his school fees by Karina and then SHIM since 2004. But in recent years we saw his life taking a downward course. We wanted to help, and we tried, but it seemed G only grew harder, increasingly argumentative, and more and more negative. It was as if there was an aura of death and self-destruction around him. His choices made it unethical for us to continue supporting him.

When we released G from the program, we helped for the last time with part of his school fees, as he enrolled in a school in Kampala. We didn't know where his path would lead, but we felt it would likely not be a good outcome. It was like releasing the prodigal.

When I saw him on the island this week for the first time in a number of months, I expected the same old G. And I found myself inwardly bracing for a debate or a slew of negative comments. 

It was with surprise and initial doubt that I learned it was definitely not the same old G who had paid us a visit. While at school, God had used people and circumstances to bring him to the point of acknowledging his need for a Savior. And the supernatural work of transformation has begun. In his own words, G has left alcohol and vulgar language. He is no longer seeking recognition or approval from man, but is waiting on God for His words of guidance and divine truth.

We had given up on G. We assumed he would only continue barreling down his self-destructive path. But God did not forget G. And He didn't assume the prodigal would not return home.

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

It was a question I asked to make small talk with David. We were trying to fill time as we waited to conduct some business in the SHIM office yesterday afternoon. I like David. He is a good student and a well-behaved and polite young man. He is quiet, so though he is one of our sponsored students, I admit I don't know him as well as some of the others.

"David, when did you become born again?"  

His answer to my question took me aback.

"This year."

In surprise I said I had assumed he was born again because he showed such good behavior.

David said that although his parents are Christians and his dad a pastor, he had not received salvation before January 2nd of this year. My surprise turned to joy as I realized what this shy boy was sharing with me - He was a true follower, and no longer a pretender. 

He shared that the fear that had once gripped his heart when called upon to drum in church, or when given opportunity to testify, was gone. With salvation came a freedom from such fear. David now drums and testifies in church without fearing. God is doing a transformational work in the life of this shy young man.

  

The lesson learned:

I assumed G's hard heart was impenetrable, and his death-bent course nearly unalterable. 

I assumed sweet, compliant David had been living as a Christian for years.

God did not assume. He didn't have to as He knew the truth about these young men's hearts and their paths. The Heavenly Father recognized each son was a prodigal at the core. And it was with great joy and love that He welcomed them home.   

A second lesson learned this week is never assume that what you are investing in another individual is for naught. If God asks you to pray for, give to, encourage, challenge or admonish someone, but there seems to be little effect or fruit, don't assume it is in vain. Seeds take time to grow. Be obedient and let God bring the fruit in His time.

As Christians we should never assume when we serve an all-powerful, awesome, loving, and sovereign God, whose ways are far above our own.

"For nothing is impossible with God." - Luke 1:37

*Name abbreviated to protect the privacy of the individual.

Lovin' Lingira Living Hope

This afternoon as I walked through the grounds of our island secondary school, I felt as if in a ghost town. The classrooms and dorms were virtually empty, the noise of chattering voices had ceased, and the familiar sight of students dressed in blue and white uniforms had vanished.

Just a short time before I had waved goodbye to the last boatload of students, who were headed home for the holiday - to an island about four hours further into the lake.

Lingira Living Hope's recently-completed classroom block

Friday marked the end of the first term of 2011 for Lingira Living Hope Secondary School. And, I miss the students already. I said and heard "I will miss you" many times during the last few days. And, it is with bittersweet sadness that I think about leaving the island in little more than a week.

The two and half months of this term have been some of the busiest and most challenging during my 15 months in Uganda, but those weeks have also been among the most fulfilling for me. God has grown and deepened my love for the school and the students during this time. I have so enjoyed these young people as I have taught computer classes, led Bible studies with the girls, smiled proudly as I watched them perform in the choir and lead in praise and worship, chatted after classes and had meaningful one-on-one conversations with different ones.

A few of the Lingira Living Hope girls, from left, Christine, Marion, Rose, Anna and Esther

God has given me a passion for young people and I feel so blessed and privileged to be working with the school and the students here.

The school is improving as new buildings are going up and the enrollment increases. But, it is the students who really bring life to Lingira Living Hope. They contribute so much to the school, to Shepherd's Heart, to the church, to the community and to this island. And, that is so obvious when they go on holiday (breaks between terms) and the campus is quiet and empty.

I wholeheartedly believe that these young men and women are the future of this island and the communities throughout Uganda from which they come. I also believe God will use them in a mighty way to fulfill the school's mission of "Hope for Transformation," through Christ, our "Living Hope."

I will miss the students very much, but I look forward to when we meet again.

Morning Star ladies after our last gathering of the term