May 27

Ministry Partners,

It's another beautiful morning in Masaka.
After our breakfast we went to do a service at Pastor Aaron's church,where most of those who came were not believers so again we were privileged to watch the Holy Spirit speak into their lives. After the service one man asked me if I would please teach a seminar so they could invite more people from the area. His focus was in  all the "forgiveness" teaching, he said families there needed to hear it. Pastor Aaron did a great job in sharing his testimony about forgiving his father last year (I have his permission to share this). We handed out bible/booklet sets and then it was time to head for Kampala.

I have tried to learn some about the area here. I am told that from here to the Tanzania boarder is where HIV broke out in Uganda and so many lives were lost. This area is also still steeped in witchcraft with signs the say "doctor".

When the Colonial Masters came and villagers began to become Christians and turn from tribal religions the King had them killed and they became martyrs. Today there is a Namugongo shrine  in Kampala and once a year, Catholics, take a pilgrimage to the shrine from not only all over Uganda but all of Africa. Some of the 1 to two million Catholics start their pilgrimage the first part of May but everyone must arrive in Kampala by June 3rd.. They carry large or small crosses and rosaries, carrying everything they will need while walking and sleeping alongside the road. They are identifying themselves with the the suffering of what those murdered went through.

They walk in the VERY hot sun1

On a pilgrimage to the Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine in Kampala City

 We have seen a number of groups, large and small since we have been driving from and returning to Kampala and when we drove to the boarder of Tanzania. 

Interesting history -
The Uganda Martyrs are a group of 23 Anglican and 22 Catholic converts to Christianity in the historical kingdom of Buganda now part of Uganda, who were executed between 31 January 1885 and 27 January 1887.
They were killed on orders of Mwanga II, the Kabaka (King) of Buganda. The deaths took place at a time when there was a three-way religious struggle for political influence at the Buganda royal court. The episode also occurred against the backdrop of the "Scramble for Africa" - the invasion, occupation, division, colonization and annexation of African territory by European powers. A few years after, the English Church Missionary Society used the deaths to enlist wider public support for the British acquisition of Uganda for the Empire. The Catholic Church beatified the martyrs of its faith in 1920 and canonized them in 1964.

In 2014, Uganda celebrated 50 years since the Uganda Martyrs were canonized and elevated to sainthood by Pope Paul VI on 18 October 1964. The Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine is a thanksgiving monument for their canonization.

Alfred says, if we have time, he will take me there this trip. The second largest Bahia Temple in the world is also located in Kampala, I have seen it on a hill in the distance.

We arrived back in Kampala before dark and I was ever so thankful for that. Tomorrow, Sunday, is another busy day as I will be speaking in two different churches.

Bed will feel very good tonight!

Thanks for your continuing prayers for the teams strength and for safety on the roads.

That none would be lost,

Arlene