KARAMOJA: My Bitter Sweet Experience, Lillian NALUBIRI

  19 years old Lillian NALUBIRI is in her Senior 6 vacations preparing to join Kyambogo University soon. She has a passion for less privileged people. At Calvary Chapel, she is involved in Frontline Ministry that creates an environment that allows a Godly change in the lives of children at risk, through activities such as Bible Study, Sports and Income Generating activities. Karamoja: Sour & Sweet Experience! Lillian’s team mainly stayed in ABIM for a week, mostly populated by the Luos (Luo tribe). For her, the whole experience was at the same time bitter and sweet. Bitter, because the environment is very challenging, the heat is too much & you live under harsh conditions. I had to trust God for everything, says Lillian. Wherever we went, the cry of their heart was: “Pray for us, we need rain.” Sweet, because she discovered new people, who were warm, she got involved in their lives and contributed to their decision making. In ABIM where I was, all the perceptions and what I have heard about Karamoja were knocked down. What I knew before leaving Kampala is that the place is very dangerous and people there are hostile. It was a significant impact to find out that actually these people are very nice, they listened to us and did not chase us. Besides, they are very hospitable. One would tell you: “You cannot just leave my house without taking anything, I have tea but no sugar”. Another one:” I have few seeds remaining, let me roast them for you”. There is even one lady who rushed to a shop and bought 3 sodas for us! It was a major sacrifice and a touching gesture from her because those people are really poor. We had to insist incessantly to give her back the money for the 3 sodas; it was a lot that she gave up just to welcome us! The poverty & the hardship in that region made me to appreciate what God has blessed me with, instead of always telling Him I need this, I need that… Leading people to Jesus/ Coming to Jesus in the middle of problems? Not easy   Praying together People of ABIM were willing to listen to us, we would tell them about Jesus but their answer would be:” But we have problems”. We tried to put in the picture of the fact that problems are all over the world and they differ. Even us, we have our own problems; what makes the difference is that we have a loving God who helps us through, we can always turn to Him and He is always there for us. A particular lady, 40 years old, told me how messy her life was: She has 10 children with a 11th pregnancy, her husband is a drunkard and never helps her. He says those kids are hers; she is the one who has to look after them and feed them. She has no solution, no rain, no food for her kids, no means to send them to school. After listening to her, I decided to share the details of my past experience, how I came to Jesus, how God helped me through hard conditions. My new faith in God totally changed my life. I am glad where I am, with Jesus, and I do not want to go back where I was, I am sure I want to move forward, in Jesus’ footsteps”, said Lillian. She listened to me carefully, but she wanted to know exactly how God will sort her out and meet practically her emotional and physical needs. I told her that it’s only by faith and then God will use His own ways to respond to her wishes. We prayed for her, and every day I would go and visit her. After 2 days she accepted Jesus in her life and said: “Instead of being here helpless, I choose God, I need Him, I have nowhere else to go except to trust Him.” She told us that before she was a church follower, but not really trusting God. Most of the people we met, were asking if we were introducing a new religion and made it clear that they have already their churches. We reassured them that we were not in ABIM to convince people to change their religion, but to encourage them to build a strong personal relationship with Jesus. Not easy ! Climbing high rocks: My spiritual journey I am from Luwero where the land is flat. ABIM has many high rocks. We climbed them, under heavy heat, the grass cutting your skin, profusely sweating & thirsty…it was a big challenge that I related to my spiritual journey. At some point, I was totally worn out, and considered to go back. But I was already far, not close to the top, but still far from the bottom of the rock, seriously it was so hard. I told myself:” too late, it is tough, but I cannot go back, I have to reach the top.”   Lillian with fellows When we had reached the peak, it was incredible. The view on the hills and the huts was just spectacular! There were other higher rocks, but surprisingly being on the pinnacle of one, it gave me more energy and from that point, I knew that I could climb even a higher one, no matter how hard it would be, I was confident that at the end I will reach the top. Even now, when I am in a difficult situation, I pray, knowing that it is better for me to continue and move forward instead of stopping or going back. The Major Lesson   Calvary Chapel team in Abim   During this trip in Karamoja, I learnt that it is a lot that we can earn in life, financially, emotionally; from what we do and get from life, we can make a living. But I realized that we can only make a life by giving to others: not necessarily money, but company, sharing the Gospel, sharing what we have and being there for them. These people need to know that we really care about them.