Letter from Lillian Nabulime To Jan and the entire congregation at Grace Lutheran Church

The letter that follows is from Lillian Nabulime. She is one of our students we support at Wide smiles. She is attending to Muteesa I Royal University at Kampala Campus, she is on a degree program in Mass communication. She wanted to share her experience with the members at Grace Lutheran Church in USA a church which has supported her since. Her letter was so touching that we posted it here you. It was written in May 2012.

To Jan and the entire congregation at Grace Lutheran Church,
I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hope everything is going on well with your families. Back home, in Uganda we are experiencing a rainy season, Crops are germinating very well and the entire environment is green again after a long drought. We are receiving hailstones and strong winds have been a disadvantage to our gardens.
Jan, I really want to say God bless the work of your hands for everything you have done for me. Since form one, I have been to this sponsorship program on a group of students sponsored by Grace Lutheran Church through Mr. Kenneth’s  education sponsorship scheme.  I swear to God it was my turning point in life.

Before, it was like I was on the hell’s door way. I was desperate, hopeless and puzzled after the death of my parents which was at an early age. My father died in 1997 and my mother died when I was in primary six at the age of 12 in 2003, (It is a long story). I did not have any hope of future studies because my siblings and I were left young and desperate, but as the Bible says “God never sleeps nor slumbers and He creates a way were seems to be no way”.

As young ones, we were given out to our relatives to begin looking after us. Together with my young brother, we went to our sister who was by then a primary teacher earning as much as Uganda shillings 87,000 around USD 36.1 a full month. She has suggested the two of us to alternate our studies because her income was not enough to sustain our education. I was chosen to stay at home for 2 years as I wait for my young brother to complete his primary seven (Primary leaving Examinations) so that I could also get a chance to join senior one.

Through my brother in-law who was working at Central Buganda Diocese contacted Mr. Kenneth Kasule and shared with him my troubles. As still the Bible says there 7000 people who have not yet bowed for bowl Mr. Kenneth is one of the 7000 people because he has gone on with God’s commandments of loving one another as you love yourself.  He loved me as a sister from one womb, we prayed together for a miracle. He one day read me a verse from the book Job 14:7, he told me there is still hope though parents are gone. He told me God is never late. He comes in the time he knows it’s necessary because he has the best plan for mankind.

One day Mr. Kenneth invited me In a meeting at Central Buganda University in Gomba-Kasaka, he gave me a letter from Sharon and Mark Dembro and Pastor Howard, I was very happy and proud to have overseas friends. He paid my school fees; he gave me all the scholastic materials and gave me other personal utilities like sanitary tissues, a mosquito net, a Bible, some money among others. He became a friend I could chart with, share sorrow and happiness.
When we met another time he gave me a letter from Jan Schroeder, I replied to her and it was like as if I had the whole world in my hands.

Jan, through your letters, you have nurtured me, comforted me, counseled me and guided my life; I really appreciate God who brought you into my life.
I am very happy to be selected from among the many children suffering out here in my country and the rest of other countries who would need your assistance. I truly needed this chance and I must express my appreciation again of the magnificent work you do endlessly which is the inspiration of all who try to lead a Christian life. Thank you for your kindness you have towards us you have honored us so much and we are proud of the education we are receiving because of you.

I know pride is a very dangerous thing but, I must tell you frankly from the bottom of my heart that I have never gotten over my pride in belonging to grace Lutheran Church sponsorship group and I do not think any one of us in the group have.
We whole community is rightly proud of the glorious achievements we have attained since most of us joined the sponsorship.
Our faces are filled with tears not of sorrow but of happiness.

When we see some of the group members achieving their education dream through the program. It is indeed hard to estimate how much good you have caused and how much evil you have prevented. You never know without your support many of our ends would have been different perhaps negative. May be street dwellers. As by the saying “the future is purchased by the present” said Dr. Johnson. Our future has light to a sure you.

Thank you again. At one of the meetings at Kasaka I found Ester, Moureen, Angella, Annet, Gorret, Sylivia, Jane and many more other students like me and since then we became a family we are so proud of. I have always been happy because I see every one each time we meet in the meeting happy. I thank God for Mr. Kenneth and Grace Lutheran Church congregation for supporting me with my education and giving me a hope for a new life. I know you will all support me when I pay a tribute to the great work of our most energetic Director and coordinator Mr. Kenneth Kasule, he has given so freely of his time and dedication to make our dreams come true.

Whenever we meet him and express our gratitude, he tells oh no! Great gratitude goes to my sponsors at Grace Lutheran Church in United States of America. Long live Grace Lutheran Church.
Finally, we do not have the words to say or actions to express our gratitude, but we always pray to the almighty so that He rewards the best gifts He offers righteous, a savior and Sheppard who tiressly never gives up for his lamb.

God Bless you
Lillian Nabulime

With USD 1000 you can change the life of a deserving student in Uganda through attaining University Education. Most degree programs in Uganda take duration of 3 years (6 semesters). And with USD 600 you can support a child to attain secondary education each year including the basic scholastics. Just like Lillian there are many out here calling for our help. We can help to partner you with a matching student. Thank for thinking about it.