When the Badge met the Sabbath

Acts 10:1-2[1]There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment,[2]a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.

Everyone has their own conversion story and Mr Lyadda’s is an interesting one. Oftentimes, I wonder how ragged the path to Christ may be,because I was born of Adventist parents. Any conversion story interests me.

Mr Lyadda serves as a Crime Intelligence Offer in the Uganda Police Force at the Central Police Station in Namisindwa District. However, we met in Sironko,another District under the Mount Elgon Field in Uganda. At that time,he was serving as the at Sironko Central Police Station and I was working at a printery in the same town. After his transfer, we lost touch.

After over a year,we ironically were reunited by a WhatsApp Wedding Group of a mutual friend,Moses. Not long,our friendship was relit when Mr Lyadda texted me. I still felt his calm demeanour exuding in his messages; he had never changed,but unbeknownst to me,something had changed about my friend. He had met Christ – He had a story to tell.

Mr Lyadda met Christ through his neighbour in Budaka District. ” I had my neighbor who used to teach me about the holy Sabbath of God which I knew too, as Saturday. He is of well behaviors and of good characters. Now, he used to talk to me. but, I would ignore him.” He narrated to me. Whenever we[Derrick and I] had a light-hearted debate with him,everyone stayed in their lane. He knew what we believed, but he was reluctant to accept. His zeal was enviable,though.

After several encounters with his neighbour, Mr Lyadda’s heart thawed.At last he caved in to the Spirit’s bidding. “Time came when he asked me to go to sda church on Sabbath with him I accepted and that day when I went with him, I never stepped back up to this day. My wife and all the children joined me. I was baptized and now by God’s grace a’m an Adventist However God has trained me to love him and he is still teaching me much according to his will also by his grace he will enable me wed my wife.” Mr Lyadda said.

Officer Lyadda’s conversion story is one of the several about the impact of consistent, yet simple envagelistic approaches. It resonates with Phillip’s, John 1:39[39]He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw …remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).

A stanza in one of the most beautiful hymns written about evangelism goes,”…If you can not speak like angels, if you can not preach like Paul,you can tell the love of Jesus,you can say he died for all.”