Good morning from Uganda! Springtime rolled into summer and here we are welcoming July. I hope you all have lavished in your favorite warm weather pastimes – the playful water activities, the fresh meals from the garden, the added daylight for evening sports, the frozen sweet treats, the fireworks for the celebration of independence, and a little bit extra family time. The dry season in Uganda is in full swing and as the days are steadily warm, I am often reminded of my favorite summertime homes: the western colorado desert, the rocky mountains, the san juan forest, the nebraska flatlands, the adirondack peaks, and the hidden gems of lakes scattered throughout. With every passing month and with every changing season, I reminisce on distant familiarities and am comforted by gentle reminders - the way sage brush tingles your nose in the desert breeze and the way sunlight holds tightly to your skin in the dry heat of a summer day, not wanting to release your attention. There is a language of summertime all throughout the world. Sweet, sweet summertime.
Summertime is sweet, but this is even sweeter. . .
It is with the purest joy I get to share with you all that on a Thursday afternoon in June in Jinja, at the convergence of Lake Victoria and the Nile River, Acram Katongole and I took our vows, surrounded by dear friends and immediate family, to become husband and wife.
Acram and I met through Father to the Fatherless when I initially arrived in December of 2020 and as we worked alongside one another in ministry, we became fast friends: our hearts oriented towards the Lord and our lives oriented towards serving and loving on God’s people. Joy and gratitude radiate as we reflect on the many months I have been in Uganda and how God has weaved, with His golden threads of grace, our lives together. We continue with awe and wonder; with gratitude and fullness as begin this journey of our lives together as one.
My mama and papa arrived in the early weeks of May and my brother, Daniel, joined us all at the end of the month. We lavished in each other’s company as almost a year had passed since we had all been together as a family. We enjoyed many adventures throughout the country and soaked up every minute together. And when the time came for them to return stateside, our hearts were full as a new family of five.
The Saturday following our wedding ceremony in Jinja, we celebrated with our church, Father to the Fatherless community, and surrounding villages. Mathias Mulumba, F2F founder and director, performed our wedding ceremony and graciously facilitated the entire celebration at Father to the Fatherless. It was a blessing to gather with the community we hold so dearly and celebrate alongside them all.
And as we gathered to celebrate on Saturday, we continued our celebration into Sunday with the arrival of a new member of our Father to the Fatherless family: sweet baby Deborah, the daughter to Micheal Kosa (F2F pastor and engineer) and his wife Elizabeth Kyasmire Kosa (Maama at home and school accountant), arrived early in the morning on Sunday, June 5th.
On the second week of June, eleven visitors arrived at Father to the Fatherless – all of them with a wide range of talents and hearts willing to serve and teach. Their expertise ranged from medical training to spiritual formation and discipleship, cosmetology, water mechanics, jewelry making and handcrafts to car repairs, building, and welding. With them they graciously brought a variety of necessary and useful equipment to donate to our projects and used that opportunity to teach about grace, stewardship, and accountability. It is a great blessing to have people so willing to come to Uganda to serve, to learn, to give, and to teach. Some additional highlights of June are: The two-day crusade in the village of Namabaale, where Paradise Vocational Training Center is located. The event was filled with joy and the dancing and singing was contagious; the Good News was preached, and many people accepted Jesus into their hearts. On Sunday, June 26th we all gathered to witness and celebrate the baptism of those from the crusade, those from the women’s crafting group, and those from church that desired the physical representation of the inward change of their hearts to accept grace and follow Jesus. Our prayer over their lives continues as we hope the Lord transforms and guides them – that they would all learn to walk in nearness with their Creator. .
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Through the hustle and bustle, the months have tasted so sweet. My heart is filled with gratitude as I reminisce on all the memories created and the lives that have been bonded; my heart is full as I see the way God continues to work and transform the lives of His children. He calls and He beckons; His mighty grace and His tender mercies guide our days. As many of you know, my two-year mark here in Uganda with Father to the Fatherless is quickly approaching come December and my 12-month Missionary & Volunteer NGO Work Permit is expiring come November. At the beginning of the year, filled with anticipation and expectation, Acram and I began praying for what the future would hold for us. It is with peace in our hearts that we share with you all that come the end of this year, we will be transitioning from Father to the Fatherless Uganda. We are so grateful for the Father to the Fatherless organization, the support of Mathias and Jolene Mulumba, the board of directors, the staff, the church, the community, and all the dear friendships we have created over the years. I also want to recognize each of you who have graciously walked alongside me in this journey to serve the people of Namuganga with the Father to the Fatherless organization – thank you. Your dedication to prayer, your selflessness in action, your support in giving and encouragement, and your desire to love and see others loved well is a sure-footing for me as I enter each new day. Thank you for choosing to walk alongside me as I walk alongside others. I would ask that you continue to pray for us and the people we are ministering to – for the coming months here at Father to the Fatherless and for what is to come after. We know these coming months will continue to lay a groundwork for what is to come and will be a time to remain faithful to the places we have been called and raise up people to teach and empower to fill our positions and take over our responsibilities within the organization. For now, we had hoped to simply share with you the news of our transition and with time and continued thought, prayer, and guidance, we hope and look forward to sharing with you what is next for us and hope you will continue to walk alongside us in this journey of serving and loving on God's people. Click below to check out my blog Loving the Little Children of the World and read a little more about our story and our hopes for the future. And a little note on pictures - please stay patient! There are so many photos I hope to share with you all, but for now I am just continuing my battle with the Ugandan internet. With love & gratitude, Nicole & Acram Katongole
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