Our First Sunday in Uganda

The road to church……before leaving the city……The road that winds to Ssenge Village….

What a wonderful Sunday!! I know Dw filled you in, but I had the delightful opportunity this morning to speak at the Ssenge Church in Ssenge Village. I had no idea what to expect, other than what Dw had told me from when he was here in Africa this past summer. The church is in a rather remote village outside Kampala. It was quite the drive to get there passing markets of every imaginable thing and winding eventually through jungle like areas –

what a rush!!

Bouncing along the dirt roads on the way, I began to feel that the Lord wanted me to speak on something different from what I had prepared. *ohhhh boy* I am flexible, but this gal has never “switched up” just before speaking – let alone in a foreign country thousands of miles away from my comfort zone.

I prayed like crazy! When I got there the pastor and church warmly welcomed me….they couldn’t wait to meet me as they loved Dw when he preached there this past July.

“Our son” Abbie (LaToya) was my interpretor. I did not speak about prayer but changed as I felt prompted by the Lord to share bits of my testimony: including the physical abuse, the molestation and then about my healing from Multiple Sclerosis The point I stressed was that although I could appear to “have it all” I have come from a place of pain and YET God has always been faithful and how He is faithful to them….all because He delights in us!

The church at Ssenge Village….

It was really fun having Abbie interpret for me. I have such a love for my three African sons: Abbie, Tony and Junior. They are treasures who are serving Christ with all they have. What a blessing to call them our sons!

Anyway, at the end as I was closing in prayer I felt strongly that I should ask if anyone wanted to receive Christ. I had my eyes shut praying and suddenly realized that since I had asked them to raise their hands if they wanted to receive Christ *oopsie* I better open my eyes to see if anyone had responded. Imagine my giggle when I opened my eyes and there were hands up everywhere!! Emma said she counted and there were about 16 hands up!! I was humbled and giddy!! How good of God!!

Then I had a time of ministry at the altar. A long line formed and I ended up praying for maybe 20 people who came forward with very real needs. One woman has full-blown AIDS, as does her son.

One man said that he had had a headache and neckache for years. I felt the Lord impress on me that he had something he needed to get rid of. To make a long story short, his wife came too, asking for healing from her headache and neckache. Hmmmm. I put two and two together and questioned further. Sure enough they had idols that he did not want to get rid of. I told them that until they got rid of the idols and anointed their home and their property with oil and prayed over it, the headache and neckache would not go away.

Another man wanted prayer because his wife did not know Christ, nor did his children. He appeared to be a bit older than me, and truthfully, I am rather intimidated by men older than me. But I felt such boldness in Christ as I questioned how he treated his wife?? He looked surprised. I told him he needed to start treating her gently and not harshly. To treat her as Christ loves the church!! I told him that both his wife and children would come to Christ if they saw him change and treat her as she deserved to be treated. *gulp* I was thrilled that he didn’t punch me or speeet (spit) on me! He actually seemed to receive it well.

One young boy, aged 10, came to me when most had cleared out of the church. He spoke English very well and said, “I want to go with you.” I said, “Where do you want to go?” “I want to go to America with you.” Oh my! He had heard me saying how much I love kids and how all I ever wanted was lots and lots. I told him I would pray about it, but if he couldn’t come to America, I could be his mom from far away and that I would always pray for him. He told me that his mom died when he was a little boy, so little he doesn’t remember her. He lives with his grandma. He has six siblings. He was precious and looked so rejected when I did not just whisk him away. My tears were welling….there are kids all over the world like this little guy. Precious in the sight of God, just begging for a mom and dad who will love them and longing for a forever family. His name is Vincent…pictured with me here.

After it was all over we walked to the younger boys home of African Hearts. These are street boys taken from Kampala into the home to be loved and cared for as a family. There are about 10 of the boys in this home that Dw and Emma did work on this summer getting it ready for boys to live here. It was wonderful to meet them and love on them and they now all call me “mom”. We ate lunch with them too….beans and rice – and it was yummmm!

On the way back to Kampala we took a “short cut”….which there are no words to describe how this short cut was, but I kept chuckling to myself…what a hoot!

After riding in the car for almost an hour and having ministered pretty intensely, I just couldn’t stay awake any longer. I fell sound asleep in the front seat next to the driver. When we pulled into the Baby Orphanage it didn’t even wake me up. THEN Graham shook me and I still didn’t wake up. Then Emma yelled, “MOM!” while Graham contined to shake me and I finally roused (barely)…and stumbled out of the car. My kids thought it was hysterical.

We ran to hug my sweet babies, who grinned from ear to ear when they saw me. I loved on them for a bit and went back into Kampala to exchange some money and we found a wonderful coffee shop. Jessica, who works with African Hearts was our guide this time. The coffee was so delightful.

We are now up at the computer place, which had been closed when we got here. But I asked if they would please, please, please open it for us and they kindly obliged. Yippee Jesus!!
Next I am going to try to post some pictures of the kids at the Baby Orphanage……so I pray the internet connection continues….

Much love from Uganda to my sweet blogging posse!! (I really like that term Dw used!!)….

12 thoughts on “Our First Sunday in Uganda

  1. Linny,
    Wow, you blow me away and make me cry. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. I cannot even begin to tell you how much you are pushing me in my walk with God. I am sending you an email.

  2. Come on with the pictures already – I can’t stand it! I’m bawling my eyes out as I get myself updated since Friday’s good news! Kelly and I are anxiously waiting……

  3. God is really incredible through you, Linny!
    This trip is something amazing. Such a privilage to be able to share it through the computer – thank you!
    ~ Fi

  4. Yep, it’s me…one of your other internet stalkers. My heart is racing. Pictures. It’s what I’ve been praying about. Maybe they’re here, maybe they’re not. Bottom line…these kiddos are sure going to get prayed over by many!

    SO glad your preaching did some reaching. SO glad you have another son across the miles. Your love (HIS LOVE) is felt to the far corners of the earth!

    Can I get a HOO RAH for God?!?! HOOOOO RRRRAAHH!

  5. linn, i had an amazing uganda connection last night at a Christmas dinner party! this woman has been there 3 times this year and would love to live there. we both knew that God had her husband come talk to mine as they both do significant foundation work through their company. and then i saw you had mentioned phoebe by name. my heart was so happy. i can’t wait to see if sarah’s prediction that her next sister would be ‘abigail of africa’. she has been praying this for about six months or so….. soooo, sooo happy that this adventure is exactly as He planned so many years ago. amazing. simply amazing. xoxoxo, jan

  6. How absolutely incredible! I wept seeing the photo of the little boy, so desperate for a mommy and a daddy. Oh my heart breaks.
    Thank you so much for sharing your day with us. The photos are priceless, I can’t wait to see more 🙂
    Take care and enjoy your precious new babies.
    Love and blessings
    Adeye

  7. Dear Linn,

    Uganda will never be the same…many hearts will be opened and many precious children will find their forever families because of your love. Thank you for sharing these blessings.

    With Much Love and BIG Prayers, Amy

  8. Okay… I have started to draw a crowd her because I am crying so much.

    Wow.. How God was at work through you. I am so proud of you for your boldness Linn. I am just so stinkin proud. And I am in awe of his work through you.

    Oh how I wish I were there with you… experiencing it first hand. Perhaps some day. For now, i will live vicariously, cry like a big baby tears of joy, rejoice with you thousands of miles away and pray pray pray!

    Sending so much love!

    🙂
    Amie

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