Had the opportunity today to hang out with Deo.
I first meet Deo in the summer of 2004. He was one of our translators and is the only person I have meet who could pray perfect King James English! Deo had just married Irene and was talking to us about having twins. The twins never came, but the Lord did bless him and Irene with two beautiful children, one girl and one boy. Deo is the classic African preacher. He has a fire in his belly and he preaches with great passion. He loves to move from door to door sharing the gospel and is quite adept at doing so. Deo has worked for IMFC since its formation four years ago.
Douglas and Joseph dropped me off at Katango on their way to Kasangati Prison. Deo was there and waiting for me. It was 9:30 AM. It had rained during the night and early morning hours so the ground was very muddy and slippery. We walked down the steep slopping dirt road that leads into the heart of Katanga. Katanga is home to over 3,000 people who come from all parts of Uganda. It lies in a valley between two hills. As you look down upon Katanga, it is a sea of rusty brown roofs. Once you leave the main dirt road or trail, the walkway between the homes are very narrow. Sometimes you have to turn sideways to fit through the passage way.
For three hours we visited women who were enrolled in the Manna Food Program. The stories we heard were tales of hardship and hopelessness. Women without husbands. Women with multiple children. Women who are HIV positive. We prayed with them for jobs, school fees, good health. I recorded many of these stories so I would not forget.
But there were bright spots. All of these women had come to faith in Jesus Christ and were worshipping in the little house church that meets near their homes.
Many of them were trying to save money to start small businesses to provide for their needs once the Food Program stopped. Some had already managed to save a little money by laying back the money they would have used to buy food to start small enterprises. I even bought a table cloth and curtain from one lady.
These people are not wanting a hand out. They are wanting to make it on their own. They were independent and proud. I was very humbled by their faith and their willingness to do what they could to get out those miserable living conditions.
I have learned that Katanga, and all the slums in Kampala are scheduled for destruction. A rich land developer has bought the property. The plans are to bulldoze the houses and build new development. The people will be located outside the city. Out of sight. Out of mind. Neglected.
We left Katanga about 1:00 PM, ate at the food court in the mall and discussed ministry. We noticed the irony of our situation. We had worked for over three hours in a slum less than a mile and a half from the mall. We left people who had nothing and no hope of really getting anything in life to a setting with people who had everything. And neither group knew the other. The people in the slums very seldom leave the slums and if they do it is never to go to the mall. The people in the food court of the mall never see the slum, even though they drive by it probably every day or week.
We wrapped up our day in Kawempe. To get there we had to take boda’s (motorbikes). Not safe. But sometimes they are the only way around the city. If you have never ridden a boda in Kampala there is no way to explain it to you. The Boda driver makes his own lanes to drive in and rules. If you ever get on one, be sure to keep hands, arms and knees close to you. They could be hit by the cars you are passing. It is that tight. And the cars and trucks are going in opposite directions.
We arrived safely in Kawempe and meet with the house church. There were only 15 ladies present on this day, but they were serious with their worship. We sang and praise the Lord, studied Matthew 19, the story of the rich, young ruler, then departed.
As we departed, we prayed for the women, but also prayed that the Lord would open the hearts of some the men in Kawempe. There are men here and Deo is currently training five or six for leadership. We devised a plan to specifically target men. Join me in praying that the Lord of the Harvest will reap a harvest of men in this area. Pray for Deo as he intentionally seeks to bring men into the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It was a blessed day.
