Welcome 2025, and Happy New Year to all of you who are catching your breath after a full December! We’ve enjoyed Christmas celebrations and some relaxation time with our family, but we are headed back soon to our second home in Kiburara, Uganda. We’ve had a couple weeks to reflect on how faithfully God’s directed our steps there and what He has done through two rookie retirees, that by most accounts have lived NORMAL American lives.
In various situations over the years, we may have fancied ourselves as unique, even ‘special’, however, after reading the definition for NORMAL “conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected” we continue to fit the ‘NORMAL definition well.
We remember a tee shirt from our college days that declared in bold letters, NORMAL is BORING! Over the last year and a half, we’ve shared ways God has used our ordinary lives in Uganda in extraordinary way. As the New Year begins, we would like to share how God has worked through our partner Moses in many out-of-the-ordinary and beyond NORMAL ways. We’d like to share the following stories. They are but a sampling of what living an ABNORMAL life…one of all-in trusting God…can look like.
Story One: Rose’s Prayer
Moses’ narrative begins with Rose, an older woman who lives in a poor suburb of Kampala, Uganda, called Buloba. Rose has been a Jesus follower for many years and yearned to be part of a good Bible teaching church. She struggled to find one near her home. There were lots of churches around, but few made the Bible central to what they preached. Because of her very limited resources and age-related challenges, there was the additional difficulty of transport. But Rose was undeterred and prayed that God would bring a good church to her!
Meanwhile Moses, who’d never met Rose, had begun to sense it was time to start an official church from a college-age fellowship in another area of Kampala. He, and others in the fellowship began to earnestly pray for direction at about the same time as Rose. As they prayed, obstacles seemed to mount. The first two challenges were finding an affordable rental location and secondly, finding the finances to pay for it. The fellowship eventually did find a location but were evicted a short time later. At this point, neither Moses, the students he led, nor Rose had any reason for hope.
Rose was an old woman without resources. The new college fellowship was young and likewise without resources. But ALL of them continued to pray. They put their requests in God’s hands and trusted He would do what they could not. These believers dared to believe in a God that works in the realm of the extraordinary and acts in unexpected and usually not NORMAL ways as He cares for His people.
Within one month of being booted out of their rental space, the Lord miraculously arranged all the details, so that they were able to PURCHASE a plot of land (not rent) AND have enough funds to build a temporary church building! Unbeknownst to any of them, this new plot was also within walking distance from Rose’s home.
This young, now growing church fellowship, was born from prayer. It was made possible in response to prayer AND planted at the precise spot and time it needed to be, because people dared to believe God. Because the God who could and would work outside of the realm of ‘NORMAL’. Buloba Covenant Global Ministries is a church of people who have seen firsthand their God’s wonder-working power!
Story Two: Arthur
In early January we received this story from Pastor Moses:
“Not long ago, I met a man named Arthur who was in a battle with alcoholism and suicidal thoughts. His life was shrouded in darkness and despair, and it broke my heart to see someone so lost. Feeling led by the Spirit, I decided to take him in and disciple him. I began sharing the love and hope that only Jesus can provide. Through prayer, practical support and the grace of God, Arthur began to change.
He found a new strength in his faith in Christ. He began learning the craft, making woven chairs, a skill that not only gave him purpose, but also helped him rebuild his life. I’ve been able to watch as he’s grown and flourished in this newfound direction, and it’s been nothing short of miraculous.
As amazed as I’ve been with Arthur’s transformation, the wonders didn’t stop with just him. Arthur has a brother who’d been unable to walk and was confined to the family home. He had been sick and paralyzed for ten years. Arthur’s parents, who’d observed up close the changes in their son Arthur, decided to trust the God who had so radically changed him could do the same for their other son.
His parents began to pursue prayer and counsel. God began to work in this boy’s body and in his life and he was able to walk on his own, unsupported by anyone. In a moment that can only be described as divine, he stood up on his own legs, filled with newfound strength!
The joy of seeing him walk again after so many years was just overwhelming for all of us! To add to this amazing moment, Arthur’s brother, like his brother and parents before him also chose to trust Christ. As a matter of fact, ALL seven members of the family chose to accept Jesus as their Savior and were baptized together.” Moses continued, “ It was a beautiful sight….an amazing testament to how God can change lives and restore hope in the most profound ways!”.
We are continually amazed by the incredible things the Lord can do when we step out in faith and love. This experience has reinforced Our belief that no one is beyond the reach of God’s Grace. What a joy to be part of this journey and to witness the power of salvation in action.
Story Three: New Year’s Eve
Our final story is an account that also came on New Year’s Eve from Moses:
“On the night of December 31st, 2024, we gathered at Kiburara to usher in the New Year with a powerful worship service. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation and faith as we prayed and sought God’s presence. As the clock struck midnight, we celebrated the arrival of the New Year, and I am thrilled to report that we concluded our service at 12:30 AM with an overwhelming sense of joy and purpose.
In a beautiful display of God’s grace, 27 souls came forward to accept Christ as their Savior that night! It was a moment of profound joy, witnessing lives transformed and hearts renewed. We rejoiced together, knowing that Heaven was celebrating with us.
Immediately following this incredible event, we set out for Kampala, arriving at Buloba Church in the morning. There, we continued our celebration of faith with a service that felt like a family reunion. The love and unity among us were palpable as we worshiped together, shared the Word, and enjoyed a meal as one family in Christ.
This experience has reaffirmed our belief in the power of prayer and the faithfulness of our God. We are truly grateful for the lives touched and the fellowship shared.”. Moses Concluded, “We thank God for His abundant blessings and for allowing us to witness His mighty works in two ladies: one a Muslim and one a Catholic, who got saved at Buloba Covenant Global Church”.
We have been blessed by each of these stories. We hope you’ve been encouraged as well. God is working in powerful ways and we, like Moses, are in awe of our Lord who is, unlike ANYONE able to save, care for and bless those who love Him.
Our God is ANYTHING but NORMAL! We are Excited for what He will do in 2025…..
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