Oh Uganda, may God Uphold Thee

(Warning, this is a "political post": but, we believe without a doubt that it is God who sets up and takes down kings, and ultimately they SERVE Him - God IS the KING over all kings and HE is on His Throne. Uganda needs PRAYER, above all. This is not a post against Museveni, but about democracy, and for the people!)

Samuel wrote a beautiful post about his country, and the need for peaceful change, that I wanted to share. It is in response to the recent unrest and protests over the proposed Constitutional change, allowing for President Yoweri Museveni to continue as President, even in his old age. He has already changed the Constitution, to allow himself to "serve" as President for more than two terms. He has been in power since he was sworn in, after (during) a war on Obote, as the new president. Museveni promised a return to democracy at his inauguration on January 29, 1986: "The people of Africa, the people of Uganda, are entitled to a democratic government. It is not a favour from any regime. The sovereign people must be the public, not the government." (Museveni sworn in as President", The Times, 30 January 1986)(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoweri_Museveni).

THIRTY-ONE LONG YEARS LATER, and he has clearly stated that he is not a servant of anybody (Am not a servant of anybody says museveni - YouTube).

Thirty-one years later, and the "democracy" that he promised, looks more like a dictatorship - even my 8 year old son, after watching "Student Votes" videos about government in Canada (Government and Democracy - YouTube), and knowing how long Museveni has been in power, questions whether he is a "president" or a "dictator".

Here is the post by my husband, whose home became a battleground, when Museveni came to power, and who was forced to live in war camps (for Internally Displaced People), until 1992 (some were in camps for longer):

My country has been "pregnant" with true democracy since 1986. Mother Uganda was promised true democracy and for 31 years she has been "pregnant" without a delivery date.

Everytime she is in labour, (in every election) the "expectant" beloved mother Uganda is beaten and harassed to submission NOT to birth true democracy.

Now mother Uganda can no longer take in the beating, the surpression and the manipulation.

I have learnt that now they are forcefully "stiching" (unnecessary Constitutional Amendment ) Mother Uganda such that she can not deliver the 31 year old baby called peaceful Change/true democracy. But the "stiches" (the system) can not hold back the baby -the change is coming.

The stiches (the rotten blood-thirsty NRM system) is breaking up and it cannot contain the pressure of Mother Uganda's Labour.

Mother Uganda is determined to deliver her long awaited baby (peaceful change/true democracy). Mother Uganda, your pain is but for amoment if you do not give up.

May the God of heaven who lifts up leaders and takes down leaders bring true Justice in our corrupt leadership - who surpress and kill innocent people for their own selfish reasons.

The blood of thousands of people who have lost their lives since 1986 in this blood-thirsty regime still cry-out in the ground to God for Justice.

How long shall you continue to kill, torture, and surpress that you may rule?

All we are asking is, for once, give Ugandans what they know is best for them. But even if you are determined to deny them their rights and kill them to submission. GOD who lifted you to that position is not blind.

Reader’s Favourites

Did God REALLY say He created everything in 6-morning-to-evening (literal) days? Is it essential to Christian Ministry & Education that He did?

The Father’s Heart Foundation’s beliefs and core values (link at bottom) , as well as our vision for Christian education and discipleship, are founded not just on a general “Christian” belief system and moral code, but are grounded in a biblical worldview -a complete, biblical world view that begins with Genesis. I will add footnotes * for a few points, but for others, you may use your own research to check - also, as a note, most of my knowledge on this subject is from personal research over several years - hence the lack of footnotes ;) . In creating a culture - with a goal of creating a biblical and godly culture- we need a blueprint and a foundation... As is needed in creating anything from a lego structure to an apartment building, we all need a blue print, and we need to start with a solid foundation. We need an understanding of God’s Word for a solid biblical foundation. So, then, as Christians, we need to know “what is foundational”? What is “fundamental”? And...

In an INSTANT world, am I willing to work & wait -even a lifetime- for anything?

I just came across this old post from September 2010, and was reminded again of the need to be patient and diligent; to not give up! I could never have imagined the waiting and trials and testing of our faith that we would still have to walk through over the next 7 years - to date. And, I know that there will still be waiting, and testing and trials to come! There have been times, when I DO want to give up, but we know that God has called us to execute this vision, and we refuse to give up! He is with us in the waiting, and has been sovereign over it all -looking back, we now know some of the reasons why we had to go through some of the trials, and the waiting. We HOPE, that in 2018, we will finally be able to move to the village, where we have been sharing the Gospel and discipling people, and that we will be more effective there. AND, that we will finally be able to do staff training, and bring in our first orphaned children. We will not give up! I just read this encourage...

Citizens of Heaven: reflections on how the lack of speaking and understanding a language make me a foreigner.

I have experienced life as a foreigner in varying degrees over the majority of my life, probably beginning on my first short term missions trip (to Uganda) 22 years ago (yes, 22 years…yikes!). I don’t recall feeling so much a foreigner on that trip, but I was changed, and became a distinct “foreigner” upon my return to Canada. I think it was then that I began to learn how to die to myself and began to desire to live out James 1:27 (in it’s entirety – I yearned to live out true religion by taking care of orphans and widows AND by remaining unpolluted by the secular world) *note: I am far from perfect, and simultaneously began a fight against sin, as once convicted of something, once one knows the good that they should do and they do not do it, they then sin… the struggle against the flesh is real, but with every victory, as sin is put to death and as I choose to live life in the Spirit, I am learning more and more how to live a life separate from the world. ...

Angels and Demons - waking to an African War Cry in the village

The New testament of the Bible retells several stories of Jesus casting out demons, and also of visitations by angels. The demonic is something that Christians in North America oft stay away from, and I have never written about my own experiences with seeing the power of God triumph over evil, although many have heard me tell at least one story of an encounter with the enemy, and seeing the power of God displayed with the Sword of the Spirit, which IS the Word of God… Now that we have recently returned from Uganda, and we were retelling one story, I have decided to post some of the story here. This is not a theological debate, nor even the complete story (with all of its details), but is my own personal experience with a recent spiritual battle, and some of the truths of God’s Word which I was impressed to read during this battle. It was late one evening, in our village home in Uganda. The children and I had gone to bed early compared to the rest of the family, who normally ...

Book Trailer. Living in the Shadow of Death: From a Child of War to an A...

It has been 15 months since our first book launch (November 2017)! After being able to share the story with Samuel’s family - reading it to them in the village, as we sat under the stars, outside of our mud hut with grass-thatched roof - we have decided to edit the title and a few small details, and to print it again. The book is on Amazon and Kindle - and coming to iBooks and bookstores soon! Click here to see our Amazon Author Page

“Palm Sunday”. Thinking about Worship, “social distancing” & examining ourselves and our Gospel message

Psalm 139:23, 24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.” 2 Corinthians 13:5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test? Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem by a crowd full of people singing and rejoicing over miracles. When Nicodemus came to Jesus and said that they (the Jewish leaders) knew that He must be from God because of the signs/miracles, Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) The Jewish people had been waiting for the Messiah, and the entire Old Testament is full of messianic prophesies - on the road to Emmeaus, after His resurrection, Jesus went through the entire scripture to teach that it was all about Himself. The mes...

Contending for the Faith, Discerning Doctrines, and a Scriptural Mandate for Judging Rightly

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. (from the book of Jude) I fellowship with, minister with, and would never publicly criticize believers of different denominations, worship styles, and cultures, who believe the biblical Gospel and believe in the biblical Christ; even if they differ on non-foundational doctrines - or are different denominations. We are called to love each other and to be unified as Christ’s body. The purpose of any facebook posts and of this blog was and is to encourage believers to test everything against the Word of God, and to beware of false teaching and false teachers - who do not...

If my Prayers Drew Blood

I have been looking through an old journal (2007) and have felt convicted to live out more of my past persuasion, and to not become complacent nor stagnant. Here is a note that I wrote about [imagination and] prayer, which I need to re-arrange my life to pursue more: "When one has an imagination like mine, it is often best not to to recall certain things, [like news] spoken second-hand. Yet, some thoughts and especially prayers must be suffered through. I wonder what thoughts, what painful knowledge was so burdened on Jesus that while praying, He was caused to bleed. AT TIMES I CHOOSE TO EVEN REFRAIN FROM PRAYING, ONLY TO SAVE MYSELF SOME REALLY INSIGNIFICANT PAIN, AND AT WHAT COST? If my prayers were so fervent that they actually drew blood then perhaps they would be more effective! "

Hope for those in the "depths of despair"

I should be packing for a missions trip right now, but instead I am sitting down with a storied glass of wine and opera music. I am not accustomed to listening to opera, although I think I have enjoyed it most of my life. It can soothe the emotional side of the soul, but can also dangerously feed into certain emotions - I think (dependent on lyrics maybe too). But alas, I am inclined to listen to a few songs right now, before switching to my usual playlist - as I reflect on recent news of those in my circle of friends who are mourning loss and questioning life, as someone they know has chosen to take their own life. The decision to take one’s own life has affected my family very personally, as have other choices which inevitably lead to the ending of life. It makes me reflect on my own life, on the subject of depression, and of my own personal experience with depression. I have so many thoughts on this subject and have read numerous books on the topic, my favo...

reflections on airports and travel (written in 2003)

Departures Written by Charity Pilkey, April 2003 To every photograph, there exits the negative from which the subject was derived. And here stand many subjects. Some would think themselves the photographer, or more defined as the photojournalist. Others, of course, are the born model. While some still, would rather not be depicted as either. But all are indeed, to me and my purpose, if not in reality the subject. The subjects in a photograph taken here, before each one’s destination, and yet also, after their arrival. Each one has a negative; a strip like that of a comic, but more properly described as a slide-show. And whether their departure is but for a little while or if it is expected to be for an eternity, there will exist forever in their mind’s eye, this place of departure and the happenings that brought them here. This place where everyone holds ready their passport, will be stamp now in each one’s life passport . A stamp which cannot be erased....

A Call to Discern, Contend for & be Sanctified by Truth

Search This Blog