The People of Uganda All Have a Name

Now the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.” 1Samuel 3:6

This name was important to God. He had a special purpose for Samuel. It is also true that the people of Uganda have a special place in God’s heart and they all have a name. The team and I have met many people in our ten days in Uganda. The first person I met at Ssenge House for Boys was George. He greeted me at the end of the driveway with yellow beads (VW logo attached). He is about 12 years old and is the leader among the boys. He worked the hardest and played the hardest and somehow was in the center of almost every photograph taken. Ronald was the youngest, probably about six. He was playing drums. keeping perfect rhythm, during our brick line that moved 800 bricks from where they were dumped to the building. JR was one of the young men at the house; they call him Uncle. He is a young man in his twenties who along with some ladies called aunties look after the kids. They call all of us Uncle now. JR is university trained and will be a CPA soon but his heart is helping the boys. Samuel is another of the uncles from the boys house in Kampala. He did a great job of leading worship on guitar at the house. All of the songs he played we do in our church back home. Lala, one of the other boys, wants to learn to play as well. At Redeemer House I met Nicholas who is a very good reader. I placed him with the task of reading the book, “The Three Trees” and gave him the matching tie to wear. He was very excited and was doing very well with the book. I also met Noah at Redeemer House. He is a gold mine of laughter and excitement. Twenty-four years old going on ten. He is on the staff at the house and is a children’s pastor at a local church. He is very tall and extremely skinny. He also has a million different comical facial expressions that go along with his strange tricks that he does for the kids. He has a high pitched voice that makes you laugh as he pats your head and tells you he loves you. A real fun guy to have around and the children love him too. I have met many orphans and their names are written on my heart. The impact of starvation, AIDS, political corruption and tyranny have taken its toll on the lives of the children of this beautiful country. I met a women whose name is burned into my heart at the slum outreach. I am not going to share her name to guard her privacy. However she is a widow, has six kids and has HIV. That is far to common here. Early in the day she asked if she could receive Jesus Christ as her Savior. The team prayed with her and she became a Christian. Praise God!!! About six hours later she came back to us and was seeking God’s forgiveness for drinking alcohol. Many of the team shared with her their struggles with alcohol and she was helped and encouraged in prayer. The people of Uganda need hope: those who are orphaned, widowed, sick with AIDS and dying from starvation. The people of this place need to know that God has not forgotten them. To know that God still loves them and will forgive them. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9. My hope is that Christians can know Ugandans by their names. To meet them and to help them in their time of need. I also hope they can know us by name. I am having a t-shirt made here in Jinja that says’ “My name is not Muzungo”, because every time people see us on the street they shout,“Muzungo! Muzungo !”, which in Uganda means white man. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16. I hope we can help the people of this special place and in result they can know that our Father in heaven who loves them. “Save me O God, by your name, and vindicate me by your strength”. Psalm 54:1.




Tom 5-12-10