Testimony–Nkalubo Billy Brian

 

There are amazing people and testimonies of hope that we hear when we spend time in Uganda, but only a few of them get shared.  One that I would like to share this year is that of a young man named Nkalubo Billy Brian (“Billy Brian”) who we met this year.  He is a gifted musician and sang at the conclusion of the Canby Cup to the glory of God and the delight of the thousands gathered there.  I’m not going to share my words, but have asked Billy Brian to share his testimony in his own words – see below.

I’m blessed to count Billy Brian among my friends and pray for his influence among the children in Uganda.

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It is pleasure for me to share with you my testimony, praise the name of the Lord. My name is Nkalubo Billy Brian. I am a 22 year Ugandan who lives in the Mubende district in central western Uganda.

Both my parents went to stay with the Lord: first it was my dad then my mother. Mummy died when I was only 5 years but I am not quit certain of when my dad died.

My mother’s name was Nanyonjo Teopista. Though I spent little time with her, I can never forget how loving, caring and what a good lady she was. I remember one time when I was attacked by yellow fever disease - in the midst of the night she carried me on her back to the hospital so as to rescue my life. She was my everything but unfortunately she passed away at a time I needed her the most.

Before she passed on, she happened to tell me about my dad. She told me that my name Billy was named after him. He was a soldier and that’s all I know about him. I don’t know what it feels like to have a father because I had no chance of seeing and interacting with him, so the story between me and dad is short.

After mummy’s death I had to stay with my Jajja (grandmother). Life became so hard at grandma’s place because her health was on and off and she used to suffer from swollen painful legs and back pain as you know elderly people.

Jajja did her best to take me to school. I started my education at Kaweeri primary school in Mubende district, and unfortunately I only studied from primary one to primary three then dropped out of school because grandma could not afford my school fees.

I always felt bad whenever I could watch others go to school. I remember there was a day I fell sick and I was at a point of death so I could always cry that “why me always”, and also wondered if God was in existence.

My story started changing when I met a Good Samaritan - Pastor Wilson Sentongo. It happened as I was on my way when Jajja had sent me to buy her tea leaves and sugar. He knew my mother and inquired why I was not at school. I narrated everything to him and he was so touched by my story that he opted to adopt me as his son. My new father took me back to school and I managed to complete my primary level and after which I joined high school. I was pursuing a certificate in journalism at college but I studied for only one semester and due to lack of tuition fees I dropped out but I am looking forward to continue with my studies. I thank God for the new family I got joined to. Though I have met a lot of challenges in life, God has always seen me through every hurdle.

During my time with Pastor, I made the greatest decision of my life and that’s accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior. This is when I discovered that I had a talent of singing in me. I lead praise and worship in the church. God has blessed me and I have managed to compose 5 songs so far, of these my favorite is “Mukama wali” which literally means that God is with you irrespective of the situations you go through and he is always there to wipe away all your tears. I composed this song basing on the things I have experienced in my life and of how God has been good to me. It motivates a lot and it has helped in restoring hope in many people and increased their dependence in the Lord, so I thank God for that.  (DAVE’S NOTE:  Click HERE to see Billy Brian’s video of Mukama Wali on Youtube)

Sometimes I cry when I think about my history, but I am grateful to God for this very big born-again family beside me. I had lost hope and never thought of having a future after losing my mum, but I tell you that God can help you out even when you are in a critical moment.

Right now I have a dream of building a home, helping other sweethearts out there who are experiencing challenges like the ones I faced, care for the unprivileged and orphans in providing basic needs like access to food, education, medical care, shelter share the Gospel with them, inspire and usher them into becoming successful people in society.

I also plan to make a plantation of coffee to raise funds for catering for orphans. Concerning my music career, I dream of making my own music studio, make charity gospel concerts to raise funds for the helpless and homeless. I have faith and believe that God will make all these dreams come to reality.

Ooh - I had forgotten to tell you about my little sister Nabwami Dora, who also got a copy of all the challenges I encountered. She used to strengthen me whenever my moods were low. Her story makes me sad because she had no one to talk to her. She disappeared from me when she was 14yrs old and she got married. I looked for her everywhere and when I got to see her, she was nursing her third baby. She has two boys and one girl. I can’t imagine at her tender age that she is going through this.

I glorify God because I preached the gospel to her with the husband and they got saved. Sometimes I condemn myself for not taking care of Dora, but at least I promise to take care of her children. Join me in praying for her and family because they live up on a hill named ’’NAKAYIMA’’ which consists of a tree that traditionalists, sorcerers, magicians and all those who believe in witchcraft worship since they claim that it holds some ancestral supernatural powers.

Surely I have lived on the mercies of God and it hasn’t been by power or by mighty but by the spirit of God. I bless him for that and I believe God for great things in my life.

May the almighty God bless you.

NKALUBO BILLY BRIAN

(DAVE’S NOTE:  If you would like to read a little more about Pastor Wilson, click HERE and scroll down to page 4 - The Surrendered Life of Pastor Wilson Sentongo.  Also Nakayima Hill that Billy Brian mentions is the hill that Town View Hotel is on – the hotel we stayed in the last few trips.  Below is the tree Nakayima that is worshipped there.)

Do I Believe . . .

When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?' "  And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.   Luke 7:20-22

In the video series “The Truth Project”, a question is posed to the class by Dr. Del Tackett:  “Do you believe that what you believe is really real?”  The quick and easy answer to this is “Yes, I do”.  The honest answer, however, only comes when faced with a situation that so challenges your faith that you find no easy answer. 

In each of the trips I’ve taken to Uganda, I have faced situations that were so challenging, that I was forced to confront the depth and strength of my faith.  Do I really believe that what I believe is really real?

In 2012, one such moment came as we were handing out mosquito nets in the village.  I found myself standing in front of a mud hut in the middle of a banana field talking & praying with some of the wonderful people living there.  As we were preparing to leave their home, one of the women stopped me, unwrapped a small baby that was strapped to her back and held her up in front of me.  Through my interpreter, Onesimus, this mother asked me to pray for her baby because she was very sick.  I remember standing in that place with my hands on the baby’s face looking at the completely foreign surroundings, wondering if my prayers would make any difference.  I had never truly felt that the only hope for healing was in God – I have always turned to doctors & hospitals first in such situations.  Praying humbly, I asked God not to let my little faith stand in the way of His healing this precious baby. 

Over the past month, I have been reading the Gospel accounts of the life of Jesus as well as the book of Acts where many stories of miraculous healing are described.  In each case, it is clear that ONLY God could have performed the healing miracles.  God received glory, people’s hearts were changed and the Kingdom of God was advanced. I remembered how God formed Adam from dust and Eve from the rib of Adam.  God also took a valley of bones, re-assembled them and added sinew, flesh and skin to regenerate men from dry bones – and breathed the breath of life into them.

But do I really believe that God can re-form flesh?  This is just one question I faced during this trip, but one that has caused me to look more deeply (and honestly) at my faith. 

One thing I have learned in my time in Uganda is to expect the unexpected and allow God to manage the situations I can not – which is most of them.  Here are just a couple of examples . . .

At the medical clinic held at the church, I was part of one of three teams praying for people coming who wanted prayer.  A rather stoic woman in a yellow and black striped blouse sat down in front of me and had her hand wrapped in a white cloth.  After she settled into the plastic chair, she unwrapped her hand to reveal a horribly damaged thumb.  The skin and flesh on the back of her thumb were completely gone and the rest of the thumb and nearby flesh was obviously infected & discolored.

She proceeded to tell us that a witch doctor had poisoned her teeth and bitten her thumb.  The witch doctor did this as a means to control not only her, but others in the village in which she lived – a kind of spiritual terrorism.  We prayed that her thumb would be healed and we also prayed against the evil that the witch doctor was inflicting on those in her village.  Once again, I found myself in a situation that was so far out of my comfort zone that I could only turn to God.

The doctors told her that they could not treat her here, and that the only medical treatment possible was to travel to the Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala and have the thumb amputated.  Faith told me that while the surgery would be free, it would cost the woman about $40 to travel to Kampala and stay for a week to receive the surgery.  We tried to find her to ask if she had the resources to get there, but she had already left the area and nobody was quite sure where she had come from.

I continue to pray that God will restore the bone, reconstruct the flesh and heal her thumb completely.  Do I really believe that God can do this?  Yes, I do.  Would I have been surprised if He would have chosen that moment when we prayed in Kacungwa to heal her thumb and display His great power to the people there?  Maybe. 

In another case, a young girl was brought in to the clinic by some friends.  She was having serious abdominal pain.  A quick look by the doctor revealed severe scarring on her stomach that was the result of a botched surgery many years before.  In addition to the scars, there was an opening in her flesh where internal organs were pressing outward.

 

All of the prayer teams went into the office where she was laid on the floor and we all prayed for this young girl.  She was in horrible pain and could barely stand as they tried to get her to the van – she couldn’t even walk to the door before collapsing.  We were able to get her loaded in the van (no ambulances here) and the driver took her to Wentz Clinic in Ggaba where she was treated for the pain, stabilized and later transferred to a hospital.  Doctors were unsure of what they would be able to do for her due to the extent of the damage already done.

While I do believe God has the power and there are countless examples of Him doing such miraculous healings, I still struggle with trying to understand why He doesn’t in times like these.  It is hard to come to grips with the suffering that takes place in the world, particularly when praying for God to heal a woman and a young girl, each in such dire circumstances with little hope other than God. 

From the time of Adam & Eve, the enemy has been dedicated to destroying the image-bearer’s of God.  He wants to destroy hope, faith and steer us away from the Truth.  In the midst of all of the suffering the gospel was preached and many gave their lives to Jesus Christ – hundreds more heard the gospel and seeds were planted.  Healing of the spirit and reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ is, after all, why Jesus came, died and rose from the grave.

God is an awesome God and I admit that the more of Him I begin to understand, the less I realize I truly know about Him.  I love the journey of increasing faith, even though it takes me to some very challenging places.  I believe, Lord help my unbelief…

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”.   Hebrews 11:1

There and Back Again

In J.R.R Tolkien’s epic tale “The Hobbit”, the main character, a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, wrote the story of his great adventure and gave it the title “There and Back Again”.  It was a story filled with travels, creatures and people that were beyond his imagination before leaving the Shire.  Bilbo also performed actions that he did not believe he was capable of doing on his own.

Living in quiet little Canby, Oregon, life is much the same day-to-day and life is familiar and comfortable much as in Bilbo’s beloved Shire.  Then an opportunity arose to travel to the far side of the world and we were faced with the choice to leave our little Shire and go to a place very foreign to us.

The journey itself was long.  Our team arose at 3am Pacific time and was driven to PDX to board our winged steed named United.

Aboard the plane, we flew 5 hours to Newark New Jersey and saw the NYC skyline and Statue of Liberty as we approached landing.  8 1/2 hours later, we were watching the sunrise in Brussels, Belgium.  Languages were foreign now but there was still a generally Western appearance.  There was some concern, muted somewhat by sleeplessness, about the growing threat of terrorism in Brussels, but we were confident that we were in God’s will and protection.  We then boarded the last flight that would take us another 9 hours as we first stopped in Kigali, Rwanda (capital city that only a handful of years ago was the site of one of the most brutal acts of attempted genocide history has known) before we landed at Entebbe Airport (yes THE Entebbe Airport).  (NOTE:  I had to borrow a picture from the internet as it’s unlawful to photograph the airport – plus we landed near midnight Uganda time.)

Immediately on deplaning, we could smell the unique aroma of Uganda, feel the humidity of the warm equatorial country’s climate and seeing the armed security guards outside the infamous structure of the airport let us know that we were indeed not in the Shire any more.  We were greeted by our Ugandan friends, boarded a bus and drove into the midnight world of Kampala Uganda.  As we rode in this foreign land, we were soon drenched by a warm African rain – our hosts told it that it was very unusual to have this rain during the dry season and the Ugandans would be so happy because it brings temporary relief from the scorching heat, knocks down the dust and is considered a blessing from God!

After two nights of trying to sleep, a tour of the Africa Renewal Ministry headquarters and a visit to the Loving Hearts Baby Home.  Though most of the babies were still asleep at the baby’s home, some of the stories of how these sweet young children of God were abandoned, had no parents or family that could be found or worse – we were reminded of the cruelty of the world and the blessing of people who loved and cared for these little ones.  Pray God gives them loving homes…

 

After the tour, we loaded on the bus and took the 4 hour drive to Mubende.  This was the site of the riot we experienced in 2012, complete with the full tear gas experience, but that was not on the agenda for this journey.  Instead, we rode out to the village of Kacungwa for our first visit.  Riding down the ever narrowing roads to the remote village, we were constantly greeted by Ugandan children running, waving and shouting “Muzungu” (white person) – excited when we would wave back to them.

We spent the afternoon meeting our old and new friends in Kacungwa and were blessed to be part of an amazing time of worship with our Ugandan church brothers & sisters in Christ.

That night, in the dark parking lot of the Town View Hotel in Mubende, we spent several hours by flashlight and minimal tools assembling the portable basketball hoop that would be the first ever seen in Kacungwa and would introduce the game to the village where soccer (futbol) is the main sport.  Arriving the next morning, the assembly was completed, the basketball hoop erected in all its splendor and the initial introduction was started.

Pastor Sylver taking the first basketball shots ever in Kacungwa

As much time as we spent with the children and filled our hearts with the smiles, hugs and laughter of these children, it would soon be extended even further by the excitement of the first ever Canby Cup Soccer Tournament championship game.  It was a tournament sponsored by Kacungwa in honor of Canby Christian Church and the friendship we have developed over the years.  An amazing soccer match was decided in penalty kicks, friendly warriors on the field played to a draw in regulation time with a miraculous last second goal to the excitement to the thousands of fans who watched.  Tomorrow’s medical clinic was announced to all and the gospel preached.  I have never been part of a greater sporting event I think . . .

The following two days were an intense medical clinic with 658 people being seen by the doctors, 405 lab tests conducted for malaria, HIV/AIDS and other diseases, but most important 19 people gave their lives to Jesus Christ during prayer and counseling with the patients.  What a truly hard, glorious, sad and wonderful time.  We saw so many people seriously ill with malaria treated with medicines, prayed with women and babies sick and abandoned by their husbands, a woman with a deteriorating thumb bitten by a witch doctor, a young girl whose intestines pushed through her stomach following a botched surgery – so many things we never imagined in the Shire.  We thank God for the people who donated money to make this a reality and save countless lives, the doctors and medics from Uganda who served tirelessly, but most of all God – because we know that people treat, but God alone heals.  We love, but God supplies the love we give.

We saw the extreme need for regular, quality medical care in this distant land.  On an afternoon under the bright, hot Uganda sun, we gathered with many people from the village to pray God’s blessing on the land where the medical clinic will be built.  Local church members currently meeting on the property, community leaders, neighbors, Kacungwa Community Church leaders and the team from Canby held hands in a large circle to thank God for what He is doing, ask for protection for the facility and people who will work here, and for His Holy Spirit to do great things here that will bring glory to God.

After more amazing adventures that are too numerous to count, we at last came time to part with our friends in Kacungwa.  Any great journey carries with it a full range of emotions – and this journey was no different.  Goodbyes were full of tears, joy, happiness, sadness at leaving those we have come to love so much and praise to our God who has knit our hearts together. 

On the journey, we saw creatures that we could not possibly imagine in the Shire other than what had been seen in zoos or told in hushed stories over ancient fires (aka TV).

There are more tales from this journey “There and Back Again” that cannot possibly be told in a short time and in limited space.  Some details have already been written and others will soon be told by those along on the journey in their own words.  In just two weeks our lives were changed, our perspective on the world changed forever and our hearts were altered in ways that will take time to fully comprehend.

One thing we did learn was that truly Mukama Mulungi – God is good.  After witnessing disease, poverty, hope, generosity, love, grace and the power of faith, we prepared for the return journey.  We enjoyed a final meal in Uganda at Kentucky Fried Chicken and proceeded to return home on the route we arrived.  Arriving at the Entebbe Airport, we waited 4 hours for our flight to depart and endured the 8 1/2 hour flight to Brussels.  Even tighter security measures consumed much of the 4 hour wait at Brussels.  The 8 1/2 hour flight across the Atlantic to Newark New Jersey was timed by God to just miss the snow storms that had shut down air travel in that part of the country the previous few days.  A 5 1/2 hour wait in Newark offered a taste of home with our first real hamburger and chocolate shake in weeks.  The final leg of the journey was a 6 hour flight and 40 minute drive that finally returned the exhausted travelers to their comfortable homes in the shire.

We each have to now sort through what we have experienced on this great adventure and try to readjust to the world we have lived in that will never be quite the same.

In Tolkien’s book, the end of the story of Bilbo Baggins was really just the beginning of an even greater adventure.  I for one, am so anxious to begin the next great adventure with my Lord Jesus Christ!

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.    John 15:5-8 (NKJV)