I was on the road, delivering posters for an upcoming Pathfinder Camporee, my mind focused on the future event. But when I reached the Nalugugu Town Church, my mission paused. Standing there, the memory of how this congregation came to be flooded back, fresh and vivid as if it were yesterday. It’s a story I have to tell.
In the bustling trading center of Nalugugu, a story unfolded in 2023 that reminds us that God’s plans are often more wonderful than anything we could imagine.
It began with a two-week evangelistic effort, a spiritual camp led by the Women’s Ministry from the surrounding church districts. For fourteen days, the air in Nalugugu was filled with more than just the sounds of commerce; it was charged with prayer and the powerful, Spirit-filled messages delivered by God’s servant, Pastor Ramura Harun.
I was there. I witnessed it firsthand. Night after night, I saw God work through this devout woman in a special way. And by the end of those two weeks, the fruit was undeniable: seven precious souls were won for God’s kingdom.
But with this beautiful harvest came a practical question. A new church had been born, but where would it live? Where would this fledgling community meet to worship and grow?
While the members were still scratching their heads, wondering where to turn, God had already prepared a solution in the most unexpected of places.
He moved the heart of a local bar owner, a Catholic woman who had hosted the meetings for the entire two weeks. Witnessing the power of what had taken place, she made an incredible offer. She would temporarily close her bar every Sabbath. The very space that served one purpose during the week would be transformed into a sanctuary on God’s holy day.
Think about that.
Every Sabbath morning, chairs are pushed aside, and the room that echoed with a different kind of noise is filled with hymns and prayers. God’s children gather there to worship, and when the sun sets, the bar reopens. It’s a weekly testimony of grace, a temporary transformation made possible by one woman’s incomprehensible love.
This continues to show, without a doubt, that there is a God in heaven who works through anyone with a willing heart.
Let this story urge you to pray. Please, pray with the members of Nalugugu Town Church for this generous bar owner. Pray that the seeds of truth and love she has helped to water will take deep root in her own life.
What an honor it will be what a glorious picture of God’s kingdom to see both the bar owner and the church members of Nalugugu, side-by-side, waiting together for the soon return of our Saviour and Lord.
Machese Dan
Young Adults Leader
Sironko Church District