FHLM FEBRUARY 2024 NEWSLETTER

GREETINGS:

Greetings from Masaka! I hope this update finds you all safe, sound, and looking forward to Spring and the Easter Holiday. Zechariah 10:1 Ask the Lord for rain in the springtime; it is the Lord who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone. (NIV)

DIRECTORS UPDATE:

Public Holiday: 16^th Feb was Archbishop Janani Luwum Remembrance Day. This day commemorates the life and influence of this church of Uganda archbishop. We remember each year his contribution in standing up for Christianity during the dark regime of Idi Amin’s presidency. It is believed that he was murdered, or many say martyred, for speaking out and protesting against Amin’s policies of arbitrary killings and unexplained disappearances of people.      

AGM: On 24^th Feb we had our Annual General Meeting at the FHLM Youth Centre. We had a good response with our Board Members and a few invited guests in attendance. I and our Assistant Director, Brian Mukisa, read the 2023 Annual Reports. Many of the attendees had reactions to the reports and were grateful for all that went on with the ministry throughout last year. We give all the honor, glory and thanks back to God! We were also blessed with the testimony of our Guest Speak, our very own Milly Nassuuna. She shared how over the last 4 years FHLM has helped her to grow spiritually, emotionally and helped her realize her passion for athletics, volleyball, and Scouts. All in all it was a nice day!           

Potential New SOAR Youth: Every year when Primary 7 and Secondary 4 national exam results come out we get quite a few applications for school tuition sponsorships. After Shakiriah receives the applications and does the initial interview and data collection, she and I then weed through the applications. Of course we look deep into the information received and then ask more questions. This year we received six new applications and had one pending from last year. Out of the seven applications we choose four to do extensive home visit interviews. After the home visits we have chosen one young man and have another one, Ronald Lubega, that is pending sponsorship.

That said, we are excited to inform you that we have accepted Elvin Mark Kiggundu into the SOAR Sponsorship Program. Elvin is 15 years old and will be joining secondary 2 at Masaka Secondary School. He has no mother or father, but he is being taken care of by a family friend. He also visits his grandmother in the village during holidays. His was the only child of his father and mother’s union and has no other siblings. We hope that FHLM can become his family!         

YOUTH UPDATE:

New Year: On 5^th Feb the new school year commenced! Our secondary youth, apart from William and Milly, started their first term of the new year. We were blessed to have them all advance to the next grade level; Immy is in secondary 6, Pius, Charity and Ruth are in secondary 4, and Pamela is in secondary 3. 

Secondary 4 Youth: Milly and William received their Secondary 4 National Exam Results on 15^th Feb. William received 33 aggregates or a 2^nd Grade—1 point shy of a 1^st Grade. Milly received 36 aggregates or a 2^nd Grade. We praise God for getting them through Ordinary Levels and for their academic achievements thus far! On the 20^th they were both admitted to Advanced Level at Masaka Secondary School. On 11^th March they will start school; William is taking Biology, Chemistry, Math/ ITC and Milly is taking History, Entrepreneurship and Divinity/ ITC. We pray that the Lord keeps them well throughout the next 2 years of studies and that they excel in their academic pursuits!         

Birthday: On the 27^th we celebrated Pamela’s 18^th Birthday. Yes, it was a day early but it was when we were all together. We surprised her with a cake, card and balloons! It was a fun celebration!  

YOUTH PROGRAMS:

Since the youth are back in school for 1^st Term we only have them at the Youth Centre on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Off-Site: I was out of Masaka on the 10th, but most of the youth and the aunties attended a teaching and study on the books of Jonah and Amos by Dr. Roy Brown at Willow Resource Centre. Below is Shakirah’s summary of the day’s program:

As we went through the book of Jonah we learnt how to show others the truth, about interceding, and the obedience to God’s call on our lives.  God told Jonah to go Nineveh but because of many of his selfish reasons, he decided to go to Tarshish, he just didn’t want God to rescue the city of Nineveh. The same way some Christians are, they don’t have any pity for others. We saw in this book that despite all that Jonah did, God didn’t leave His people to be destroyed and He heard their prayer via fasting.

After lunch after we went in the book of Amos. In this book we saw that Amos was one of the minor prophets of God. Besides prophesying he was against the injustices done to people during those days, the rich people oppressing the poor. We saw chapter 2:10, that despite God’s goodness, we can choose to reject him as Israel did. And in chapter 5 and 6, we saw that our relationship with God is a matter of life and death. It is not just a theological choice or matter of convenience. (Prepared By Shakirah- FHLM Social Worker)

Bible Study: During our End of Holiday Group Talk we decided to change our weekly Bible Studies from Wednesday to Tuesday evenings. In February we have finished the book of Revelation, ending a 6 year period of reading through the Bible by Chapter & Verse.  

On 13^th Feb we started over in Genesis reading chapter 1:1-31. This was a special study. I started by explaining that our God is the God of order, He does things in sequences. In the beginning God was with Jesus and the Spirit–the God head three in One. Throughout the chapter God said, Ït is good”. This is His seal of approval on all He had made. God made creation of the same kind even though there are different races, and different fish, animals, and birds we made of God. We have the image of God, that’s why man was given power to rule over all the creation because we are unique as humans, special and given dominion over His creation.Here are a few of the youth’s commentary on this chapter:

• Ruth: Genesis 1:1. Ruth explained that as the people God created, we are to always put God first, be it daily life or school. Let us pray to Him in all our lives because He is able to do everything. As the world was empty, He went on creating so, let us put our hope and faith in him. In Genesis, you see beauty, like the order he used to create the earth. You can’t tell God what you want Him to do because His order is different from ours.
• Charity: The chapter encourages her that God can say anything and it can happen. Also thatHe grouped His creation accordingly and He has reasons why He made things certain ways and for certain reasons.
• Pamela: This chapter shows God’s beauty and that He is a God of order. Following His way in life shows we need Him first and foremost. His will is perfect with nothing out of order. Also verses 26 to 31 shows that our God, Holy Spirit, and Son Jesus put their input into creating us. They made something very perfect when they created mankind and our God is not a God of errors! He sees everything as good and He has such a great love for us.    

Movie Day: On the recommendation of Pius, we watched the movie, Miracle in Cell 7, on 17^th Feb. This movie tells the story of the relationship between a young girl, Ova, and her dad Memo, who has a cognitive disorder. The pair live happily until Memo is wrongly accused of killing a high-ranking military official’s daughter.

Memo ends up being sent to prison for the crime he didn’t commit. Despite being without her Dad, Ova vows to prove his innocence. She enlists the help of her great grandmother and school teachers to find the witness Memo claimed he saw when the high-ranking military official’s daughter suffered an accident and died. I won’t spoil the end, but I’ll say that I haven’t cried so much while watching a movie in a long time! Here are some of the youth’s insights and comments about this touching movie:

• Immy: God was with this man Memo, because even in prison his friends saved him. We also have to respect people for God created them and God created us all differently.
• Pius:  Memo was badly beaten, but he remained social that’s why he was liked by each and everyone. His daughter, Ova, remembered about the “one eyed giant”, so that shows this girl had faith in what her dad had said. Also, the warden believed in the girl which shows us that God knew his people and He will never forget them.
• Pamela: In spiritual realm number seven shows us completion. That’s why the girl, Ova, asked the men in prison their sickness. This reminds us that God has a reason for everything. God puts brings up people who will be there for you. You can’t see God physically, but He is always there for us and with us.
• Charity: We do not have to fear. If you look at Memo was not a fearful person.
• Juliet: Strong love; Even though Memo had a problem with his health (person with special need), grand ma loved him so much and the man loved his daughter so much as well as the daughter. We know that we are created in God’s image, some of these people were doing things according to the command. They were doing some bad things unwillingly because it was seen on their faces. That shows that there is a spirit of God in their inner being.
• Milly: If you know the truth, you have to stand on it, even this girl knew that her dad was a good man. So, we do not have to discriminate people of what they are. We have to know that all the situations we go through, takes us to another level.
• Ruth:  You can’t force any one to understand you. Memo explained to the people but no one understood him. Only God can save you. We should never judge people without the evidence.
• Aunt Rita: We see that this girl was courageous, the way she was asking question to the people in prison. Although this man Memo had special needs, there was something unique in him that God was using, and that was how he loved everyone, even those who treated him badly in prison.

BELA BULUNGI (GOOD-BYE):

Well by the grace of God it has been a good month! We are so thankful to Him for His love, care, protection and abundant provision to the ministry. Without God using you all none of this would be able to take place, so with all my heart I thank you!!! May He bless you richly in return. We are all praying for you. Have a blessed day and week in Christ!   

In His Grip,

Rita Bulegeya

Director -Faith Hope Love Missions

reetsindiego@yahoo.com