Chapter 26 - Update #15 - September 5, 2023 - Wedding & Reception!

The long awaited day was finally here!  Saturday, August 12, 2023, Hilary and Florence were becoming man and wife!     It is hard to believe that I have known them both for close to 17 years.  Hilary just turned 28 years old and Florence is 26 years old!  That means when we first met they were 11 and 9! Wow!!! 

Hilary and the wedding committee were busy talking to friends and family every day the week of the wedding.  At the end of each day, they would come together and make adjustments to the budget depending on how much they had raised.  They were doing this all the way to the day of the wedding!  I thought waiting until the last minute to buy flowers was a challenge!  I have never seen anything like it!  They were still finalizing the food and the decorations all the way up to the morning of the ceremony!  

The other thing that has always been a part of the culture is when things actually start.  I mentioned this in Update #4.  Most of the time when they say an event will start at a specific time, hardly anyone is actually there.  Most of the time, things begin an hour or two after what is planned.  When I was waiting at the hotel to be picked up, I always added at least one hour.  I filled in that time with working on updates. But when it got to the third hour, I would begin to wonder!  

The same was true the day of the wedding.  I was picked up one hour after the scheduled start time!  Yet, when we got to the house, only about a third of the guests had arrived!  Even the bride and the groom were not there.  While we waited, the choir led in worship.  People started slowly filling in the seats. Ultimately,  we had over 200 people attend the wedding!   

I will never forget when Hilary first arrived.  It all became very real.  The bridal party got ready in separate places off campus.  When Hilary and the groomsmen arrived, they drove onto our compound to shouts of joy!  They got out on the side of the house where the awaiting guests could not see them.  But when I stood next to Hilary as he exited the car driven by Godfrey, all I could do was cry.  He looked so handsome and happy.  All the planning and the ups and downs of the past three weeks just melted away.  This moment is what mattered.  Hilary and Florence were getting married! 

The groomsmen, which included our handsome Henry, proceeded through the archway with a coordinated dance up the aisle.  Hilary’s best man was dressed in the same outfit as Hilary.  The best man stays with Hilary basically anywhere he goes. He helps him with anything he needs.  They all had a seat in the front rows as we waited for the arrival of the bride.  We had about 20 minutes of worship led by Sylvia and the choir.  One of Godfrey’s assistants in Raining Hope Ministries is also called Godfrey!  That Godfrey led as a master of ceremonies.  As he was sharing with the guests, the cars carrying Florence and the bridal party finally turned into our compound!!   

This time the cars drove right up to our venue.  Remember the bows we made in Update #4? They used the big, fancy bows to decorate the wedding cars!   I handed the bouquets to the bridal party as they were exiting the cars.  Wow!  Florence was so beautiful!  She had a beautiful traditional wedding gown.  You could see her huge smile right through the veil!  Because Florence no longer has her father, her uncle was the representative to walk her down the aisle.  

In Update #6, I mentioned the significant, cultural role the main aunt plays. The aunt prepares the bride for marriage in counseling and guidance.  She also speaks on behalf of the bride to her father and mother.  It is this aunt that faces the family to break the news about the relationship.  During the preparation for the Introduction, the aunt is the one who negotiates on behalf of the bride to the parents.  The aunt is the one responsible for helping the bride ensure she is marrying the right man.  This “senga” now functions as a “maid of honor”.  She is not dressed like the rest of the bridal party.  But she has the responsibility of standing with Florence throughout the whole day. 

As they came through the archway, Florence was just beaming with joy!  Our little Hope and Trust were the flowers girls.  They were just so adorable!  On Hilary’s side, the other Godfrey’s two young sons were like “ring bearers”.  Esther, Florence’s sister was just beautiful as one of the bridesmaids.  Florence and the bridesmaids were also seated in the front few rows.  

Pastor Robert, the officiating pastor was from another local church in Jinja.  He is actually the same pastor who married Godfrey & Irene around 14 years ago.  When Godfrey was in school he also was also his pastor.  

It was interesting because the vows are actually read twice.  First, the pastor approaches Hilary then Florence. They separately affirm the vows with, "I will".   They are not standing together.  As the custom, the aunt or “senga” was seated in-between Hilary and Florence.   It is only after these first vows that one of Florence’s brothers came forward to officially present Florence to Hilary.  

At this moment, the pastor shares a story from Genesis 29 in the Bible.  Jacob agreed to work for Laban for seven years so he could marry Rachel whom he loved.  Yet, Laban tricked him into marrying the older sister, Leah first.   So the pastor said, “Hilary, how sure are you that this is Florence you are marrying?”  That is when Hilary lifts the veil off of Florence and the pastor says, “Is she the one?”  Hilary says, “Yes” and the response is “Hallelujah!”   It was a very sweet but funny moment! 

This time the vows are repeated to each other.  Throughout the vows, the response of the guests were so precious.  There were a lot of "ooh's and aah's” in agreement!  Everyone was so happy it was like a symphony of happiness!    As soon as they each finished their vows there was cheering and clapping!   It was the sweetest moment!   Then they exchanged the rings  .  He said, “See these rings.  They look very precious and wonderful.   They are round and have no cracks.  But they mean nothing if something has not happened inside.  They symbolize that your love is complete.  It is not broken.  Everyday when you look at them you remember the vows you have made.”  The pastor prayed the rings would be blessed and sanctified.   As they placed the rings on each other’s hands they expressed their love to one another to the absolute cheers of the guests!    

When the pastor pronounced them man and wife, they hugged one another instead of the traditional kiss in the American culture. In Uganda, culturally, public displays of affection are not common, even in a wedding ceremony!   Then the congregation begins to sing, “Jesus Loves Me, Jesus Loves Me!”  

Hilary, Florence, the aunt and the best man all knelt in prayer.  The parents and the main family members join them as one representative of either side prayed a blessing over them.  We laid hands on the couple as the pastor concluded in prayer over them. 

They are now officially married!!!!  What an amazing experience!  Hilary and Florence go to the stage to formally sign the wedding document.  Then the pastor formally introduces them as Mr. & Mrs!   

There is a moment they take a love offering for the couple.  There was an abundance of dancing, cheering and celebrating!   This was followed by a lot of formal family and wedding party photos.  When all of that was finished the wedding party officially danced down the aisle to the awaiting cars!    Henry told me that the boys had just met most of the girls in the bridal party the day before.  All of the coordinated dancing throughout the wedding day looked like they had been practicing for months! 

While the wedding area was reset for the reception, the bridal party went to take more photos.  We went off site to a local hotel that had a beautiful garden area.  Godfrey had Joan come with us to stay with me.   I had mentioned in Update #3 how they will always escort me places.   There is an act of honor and respect in this gesture.  Someone is always there to help me with whatever I need.  When I get out of the car, they always come to greet me but also to carry whatever bags I may have in the car. They have such a spirit of hospitality and service.  

Even when we went to the hotel for pictures, I noticed all the boys carried the girls bouquets!  They love to care for one another and they love to serve.  After we took photos at the hotel, they first took the bridal party back to the home.   The day of the wedding we found out we were short one car which added to the delays. Joan stayed with me and we waited for them to come back to get us.  While we waited we actually met a deaf man!  He was trying to raise money to go to a deaf conference in Kampala.  He was shocked when I began signing to him!  We actually had a great conversation and perfectly understood one another!   What a blessing that encounter was!  

The reception at the home was an event in itself!  We had to hire more chairs and set them up on the side.  More people showed up after the actual ceremony.  By time the reception was in full swing we must have had close to 250 people!  

The stage had been reset.  We had a beautiful white couch that was center stage for the bride and the groom. The entire bridal party sat around the tables set on the stage.  They began the festivities with what was almost a “first dance”.  Our choir and band provided a time of worship.  This all led into a time of blessing the food. 

Hilary and the committee were able to raise enough funds to provide a feast for their guests.  To me it was cutting it a little too close!  But I am proud of Hilary for all he did that week with the wedding committee to pull it off!  There was more than enough for everyone! 

After the meal, the reception program began.  While we were having an opening time of worship, the wedding party was busy changing clothes!  I didn’t realize that they had a second set of clothing for the reception.  What was fun was the way they re-entered the reception!   They had coordinated another dance starting with the children.  Even the aunt and the best man led the adults in with the rest of the bridal party following.  When Hilary and Florence danced up the aisle you could just feel the joy overflowing from their hearts!  What a celebration of love! 

We then had the cutting of the cake.  They scaled down the size of the original cake to adjust to the final budget. There were a couple of larger cakes that were cut for those in attendance.  Cake is not cut into large pieces like you would find at one of our wedding receptions.  Instead they cut the cake into bite size pieces.  

When the bride and groom served one another cake, Florence knelt on the ground out of respect for her husband.  When Hilary served Florence, she actually sat on his lap! Again, many sweet “oohs” followed after they served one another.   Hilary and Florence then went to their families to offer them a piece of wedding cake.   Our girls helped to serve the rest of the guests.  

They also had smaller “groom cakes” around 4”-6” round that they immediately wrapped up. Those were gifts they presented to their families and to the ministries represented.  They presented one to Raining Hope and also one to me as mum.  

We had a time of sharing where a representative from Hilary & Florence’s family each gave a word of encouragement to the couple.  The ministry Florence works for, as well as Raining Hope and Cornerstone were well represented.    They asked me to share a word to the couple as a mum as well as a prayer to bless their marriage. 

The reception was filled with cultural traditions that are much different than ours.  But the reception was more like a worship service filled with absolute praise and joy!  It was very important to Hilary and Florence that their special day would bring glory and honor to the Lord.  

I signed a song as part of the time of blessing called, “The Road That Never Ends” by Keali’i Reichel.   The words sum up the beauty of this day:

“Here we are in this holy place together.  Bearing witness as the two of you become man & wife

On this day, as you join in heart and spirit, You begin another chapter in the book of life

Love...Is the circle that surrounds you.  You can find it on the faces of your family & friends

Love...Let it wrap its arms around you.  And guide you on your journey down the road that never ends.”

At the end of the night, as people began to leave, Florence’s mother who speaks no English came over to me and just hugged me and simply said, “Thank you”.   Her uncle as well who stood in the place of her dad greeted me with gratefulness.  Hilary’s father also came to share a word of thankfulness.  As “parents” it was a very special moment. 

Two wonderful families came together on this day.  Hilary and Florence are a testimony to God’s grace, love and goodness.  God was the center of the festivities.  The Lord was honored and glorified in ways that can only be explained by the miraculous.  

I wish you all could have been there.  I hope this longer update gave you a glimpse into their special day.  One more update and then photos will follow on the blog and Facebook.  

Chapter 26 in my story, includes this new chapter beginning in Hilary & Florence's story.  What a privilege to be a part of what God is doing in their lives.  Thank YOU for being a part of this journey

Kale, 

Mama Kisakye 

Chapter 26 - Update #14 - August 30, 2023 - Wedding Flowers!

Many of you know that I love to do flowers for weddings.  The florist who taught me years ago how to make bows (update #4), also taught me the basics in floral arranging. That developed into a side hobby of making bouquets, corsages and arrangements.  So, I offered to help with the flowers for Florence & Hilary’s wedding.  Normally when I do flowers, the bride and groom only pay for the flowers.  My labor is part of the wedding gift.  

I had been in communication with Godfrey about where we were going to purchase the flowers. I had no idea what kind of flowers would be available.  There were discussions as to whether they would be “natural” flowers or artificial.  I discovered when I was there that if we used artificial that means we “rent” or “hire” the flowers.  He said that he was sure they would want to use natural flowers. 

We had to wait until after the Introduction to start the process of finding flowers.  Godfrey assured me that he knew where to go and we could get them even up to the day before.  Yes, that was as crazy as it sounds!  

In Update #13, I mentioned Godfrey & I had gone to Kampala.  I need to make a slight correction.  It was actually the week in-between the Introduction and the Wedding, not the previous week.   

So we didn’t start looking for flowers until Tuesday, August 8th.  Godfrey took me to town where he said we should probably order them ahead of time.   Ha!  I told him I normally order flowers a month in advance.  Not even knowing what flowers were available for me to work with five days before the wedding was definitely a huge challenge! 

When we went to town, flowers are not sold at a typical “florist” shop like we are use to.  We walked up to a small shop where the owner mainly had some supplies for weddings. When we asked about natural flowers, she walked us back to the side of the shop where she had some buckets holding miniature roses and chrysanthemums.  That was all she had.  But because it was Tuesday, the flowers wouldn’t work for Saturday.  She wasn’t sure if they would get more flowers by the weekend even if we ordered.    

On Wednesday, Godfrey took me to another shop, but the owner was not there.  Another vendor pointed to a phone number that was written by a sharpie onto a part of a door frame!  Godfrey called that number and she said she was out of town until Monday!  He took me to one more place but they also were not able to help.  So it was four days before the wedding and I still had no idea where the flowers were going to come from!

We had to stop the hunt for flowers to meet with Sylvia who was joining us at the market to buy some supplies.  While we were there, we ran into Irene, Hope, Trust, Maria and Florence!!   I told Florence we were having issues with finding natural flowers.  I asked her if it mattered if we used artificial flowers if we were not successful with finding natural flowers.  She said, “Whatever you do I know it will be beautiful!”  Ha!  Pressure was on!  

Irene has a beauty salon and was an instrumental part of the Introduction and Wedding for both the girls and boys.  So I asked her if she had any ideas about where to find flowers.  She said the only other option from the places Godfrey and I went to was to drive to Kampala where they have more variety. We didn’t have another full day to make that drive.

We were running out of options and were seriously considering renting artificial flowers.  But I happen to mention the dilemma we were in to someone else at the home.  They said, “You should ask Sylvia because she was in charge of the Send-Off decorations.  I think she has a contact.”  So on Thursday I asked Godfrey to check with Sylvia.   She said, “Sure.  Let me contact the person we used and see what they have.”  

Sylvia went on her own to meet with the person who sells flowers.  She began texting me photos of what he had and they were beautiful !  Sylvia said we should buy what we needed now because he wasn’t going to get another order before Friday.   

Godfrey wasn’t available to pick me up to bring me to town.  So Sylvia came to the hotel on a boda boda (motorbike used for transportation) to bring me to town.   I like to ride a boda boda at least once each trip as long as it is just to town.  I normally ride side-saddle because of wearing a dress.  When you ride on a boda boda the regular way, they called that riding like a man.  But try doing that wearing a long dress!   Even though I was totally comfortable riding side saddle, Sylvia was very nervous!  She has not been with me before when I have used a boda.  So she told my driver to drive carefully and her driver to stay close to us in case I fall off.  She was going to jump off and rescue me!  Ha ha !   

But we made it safely to town after a very enjoyable ride!  When we got to the man selling the flowers, some of what she showed me by text were already gone. Everything was in a big pile on burlap on the ground.  No telling how long they were out of water!  But I was able to buy roses and chrysanthemums as well as a few other filler flowers.  He wrapped up our order while we went to find a place to buy buckets to put them in.  

What I was missing was any type of greenery.  So Friday morning, just one day before the wedding, I had flowers but no greenery.  Sylvia came to the rescue again!  She went back into town and found another contact who said he had an order coming from Kampala.  If we ordered the greenery at that moment, he could catch his driver and it would be there by the afternoon.  Praise the Lord!   So I was able to order two types of greenery that worked perfectly!  

By Friday afternoon, less than 24 hours before the wedding,  I finally had flowers and greenery!  Talk about cutting it close!  I gathered all the flowers and supplies and prayed that God would take it all and make beautiful “bloom” from the little I had.  

One time on one of my first trips,  we actually did have a very simple Christian wedding for a young couple they knew well.   I offered to do the bouquet.  That one was definitely a challenge because I didn’t have any of my correct supplies.  That was over 16 years ago where was even less availability of flowers in town!   I remember searching for anything I could use to make a bouquet.   The night before the wedding, I laid out all I had on the bed and prayed that God would multiple it like the fish and bread in the story of the feeding of the 5000!  It was a miracle that I formed a bouquet out of the little I had!   The bigger surprise was when I went to deliver the bouquet, the bride had a dress she rented for me and I suddenly was her matron of honor!   

I prayed a similar prayer over the flowers for this wedding.  God truly did the miraculous with only hours to spare!  I was able to put together four bridesmaids bouquets and one bridal bouquet.   The other shock was the total cost for all five bouquets was only about $50 USD!  Here at home you wouldn’t be able to get even one bouquet for that price.  

Something you get used to when you are here is being flexible.  Things can change without notice.  Before I came I asked Godfrey what colors the bride was using as a theme so I knew what color ribbon to bring.  It took awhile to get the final answer but I finally was told, “royal blue & silver”.  So I chose the colors of the flowers to match the royal blue ribbon.  Good thing I used silver with just a thin royal blue accent.  When the bridesmaids came out of the cars, to my surprise their dresses were maroon!  

Plus, I gave Florence her bouquet which she did hold momentarily.  But for the main ceremony she had been given an artificial bouquet that came with the rental of the wedding dress!  It was perfect and beautiful!  So instead of one she had two bouquets! 

Waiting until the last minute was definitely a challenge.  But the bigger lesson was in trusting God through it all.  I had no idea what the bouquets were going to look like because I didn’t know what was available. But putting its in God’s hands first, He gave me all I needed to do my part with my hands. 

But the flowers paled in comparison to how beautiful Florence was and how handsome Hilary looked.  Together they were a picture of God’s grace and goodness!   The most important part of the day was they were becoming man and wife! 

The next update will be about the long awaited wedding!    After that just one more update as I got ready to head home! 

Kale, 

Mama Kisakye 

 

Chapter 26 - Update #13 - August 25, 2023 - Friends and Reconciliation

Hotel

In Update #3 I talked about the hotel.  I have stayed here since I first began coming to Uganda.  They truly are family.  The owners are Mr. & Mrs. Otile.  They are an older couple who manage not only our hotel but the sister hotel next door.  When I arrived I found out Mr. Otile had been sick the past three weeks. They were not sure what the main problem was.  I didn’t see him until the last week of my trip.  But when I finally did see him he was looking great and feeling stronger.  

I normally see Mrs. Otile multiple times during the week.  But we kept missing each other.  I thought it was because she was going home to take care of Mr. Otile.  When we finally had time to just sit and talk, I found out why she was spending less time at the hotel.  They have taken two very young children into their household.  At this stage of life they should be enjoying grandchildren.  But now they are back to raising two toddlers who are both under 2 years old.  They were originally helping the mother of the two children.  But Mrs. Otile said, “the mother was going to throw them away,” meaning she was abandoning them. They decided to take the two young children in. They are keeping them very busy!  Her desire is to give these two young children a hope for a brighter future.  They are investing in their lives so that they grow to have a deep faith in Christ and make a difference in the world.  It is inspiring to see the commitment they have made to help two who now don’t have a family become a part of theirs.   Please keep them in your prayers. 

Their son, Robert is the General Manager of the hotel.  He and his wife, Sylvia are precious friends.  Andrew is our dear friend who is like the Assistant Manager.  His wife, Rachel works at the sister Hotel next door.  They are all dear friends of the Raining Hope family.  Most mornings I would see one of them when I went down for breakfast.  Selevus, our friend who I mentioned in another update is the food and beverage manager.  They all attend and minister at Glory Be to God Church.  I will be writing about that in another update.  I didn’t see our friend, Esther until the last week I was there.  She works in the financial department.  

The only one who had left the hotel since COVID was our friend, Apophia.  She used to manage the little business center.  I always would pop my head in to say hello. It was sad to not have her there.  

Even though the hotel was not opened during COVID, they were able to continue operating because of the catering side of their business.  They catered food to the businesses that did remain open.  They also were able to do home food delivery service like our “doordash” or “grubhub”.  They said it was very eerie having no one at the hotel.  Things were so quiet.  But they found themselves going down to where I ate breakfast each morning and just enjoying the peace.  One of them told me they take for granted the beauty of the Nile.  COVID caused them to slow down and stop and be thankful for what the Lord blesses them with on a daily basis. 

KAMPALA

One of the days in-between the Send Off Celebration and the Introduction, Godfrey and I were able to squeeze in a day to drive to Kampala.  It is tricky because of traffic jams.  You have to time everything just right.  Not only is there traffic in Kampala, but now it gets bad through the town of Mukono.  Thankfully because Godfrey use to live in Mukono and Kampala, he is an expert in working his way around the jams.  Most of the time that means rough dirt roads!  But it works!  

I have friends, Troy & Leanne that are serving in another town about 5-6 hours away (depending on traffic) with another ministry.  They moved there about a year and a half ago.  Carol & Diane actually met them on vacation a few years ago.  They have been supportive of Raining Hope over the years.  I spoke to them by Zoom before they moved giving them as many tips as I could about the Ugandan life. 

We met in Kampala at a restaurant near where they were having a meeting.  It was good to be with them in person!  I had brought some of their favorite “Kind” granola bars as a reminder of home.  I am glad that we were able to find the time to meet them.  It was a just a good time of fellowship and encouragement! 

We had a wedding meeting that night back at the house so we had to get right back on the road by 3:00 pm.  Thankfully, because of Godfrey’s local knowledge of how to get around the jams, we made it back right at 6:30 pm!    

Sylvia, one of our graduates actually lives in Kampala because she got a job in the city.  But she comes back to Jinja every weekend to lead worship for our ministry.  She told me she is trying to move back closer to our home.   Sylvia said where she lives the congestion is so bad, you continually breathe in the exhaust from all the automobiles. Pray for her that she will be able to find another job and move closer to home! 

RECONCILIATION

The wedding of Hilary & Florence had more purpose than we could ever imagine. 

As a background for those who are new to Raining Hope, whenever we have any disciplinary issues, Godfrey works diligently at resolving them.  Multiple conversations happen for as long as it takes and most of the time are resolved.   

Unfortunately, through the years there are some issues that despite many opportunities towards restoration, we were not able to resolve. Godfrey still keeps in contact with those individuals to try to encourage them and mentor them.  We never give up hope.

I had written in a previous newsletter that Florence was one we had let go years ago.  But even before their engagement, the reconciliation process had already begun.  We had beautiful and private moments of forgiveness and restoration while I was there.  I spent time with both of them separately and together .  Those moments are some of the most significant of the whole trip. To see how God has worked in their hearts is inspiring.  It is why I wholeheartedly gave my blessing to them as a mum on their union.  

The night of the wedding, Robert, the hotel manager blessed them with a room to stay in at the hotel.  They won’t go on a traditional honeymoon.  So this was extremely kind of Robert to provide them such a sweet wedding gift.  They loved being able to be newlywed guests!  They decided they wanted us to have one more time together before I left for home.  So they asked to have breakfast together with me before I left for church.  What a precious time I had with the newly married Mr. & Mrs!   They are adorable as a married couple!  But we had very deep conversations about their lives, where they believe God is leading them, and how very happy they both are.   

ESTHER - This is Florence’s sister who also had to leave us at the same time as Florence.  She was one of the bridesmaids for her sister.  The reunion that I had with her was also significant.  We first saw each other at the Introduction.  When we hugged each other it was like the Lord was holding us together.  Throughout the two events, we were able to have a shorter but significant moment of reconciliation.  I found out from Florence that Esther was able to finish school and now is a school teacher for the primary age group!  She is happy and is doing well.  

RONALD - He as well was released from our care a couple of years ago.  To my surprise he showed up just before the wedding!  He was also in attendance the day of the wedding to support Hilary.  That moment of reunion was a beautiful, special time.  He is attending a church where he is working with the sound system.  

RITA & SARAH - These two were a part of our organization from the early days.  About 10 years ago one of the other managers let them go.  We discovered later it was not for truthful reasons.  But Godfrey has kept in touch with them.  In the case of Rita, she had gotten married but it was a bad situation.  When she had to leave, she needed a safe place to land.  

Godfrey told me that Raining Hope is also like a “shock absorber”in a car.  When I asked what that meant, he said, “I have always told these ones that they can use Raining Hope as a safe place to come if they need it.  He said that we can help “absorb some of the shock” of their situation.  She just needed a place to get her feet back on the ground.  Once in a while she travels back to us (lives in another town) just to be with the family and have much needed emotional support.  

Both Rita and Sarah were there for the wedding. Rita was actually with us all weekend to help.  The reunion we had was significant.  God truly had more going on than just the union of Hilary and Florence.  The RE-UNION of some of those that we had let go was inspiring.  

I witnessed repentant and humble hearts.  One expressed they now see how we have been committed to building a foundation that would last their whole lives.  They didn't always see it when they were younger, but they see it now.  They came back thanking us for standing for truth and not compromising our faith.  

This is who we are as the Raining Hope family.  We stand for truth raising a group of born again believers who will make a difference in the world for Jesus. 

Hilary told me that he wants to become a teacher of the gospel.  He wants to teach TRUTH from the WORD alone.  Because of all we have instilled in these students the past 17 years, he wants to do the same.  He wants to influence others with the truth.  He desires one day to go back to school to receive the next level of education which is a formal bachelor’s degree.  In the meantime, he and Florence are a powerful team for the Lord, proclaiming His Word and reaching those around them for Christ.  They are tremendous and a testimony to God’s glory and grace. 

Deep before wide.  Hilary's example is confirmation of that goal being fulfilled.  We are proud of all of them. 

After all the updates, I will post formal thank you’s from the graduating students. They are forever thankful to each one of you for your prayers, support and encouragement throughout the years.  

We are getting close!  Just a few more updates!  I pray that I will be able to send the rest of them before the end of next week. Thank you for reading, praying and sending words of encouragement!   God is SO GOOD!  

Kale, 

Mama Kisakye