Ataro Elizabeth

Elizabeth is a mother to three beautiful children, Ruth, Marion, and Shadrach. Her husband is a builder and before IChooseYou Elizabeth had no way of contributing financially to her family. Now, Elizabeth is helping out by making paper beads for jewelry

Elizabeth has lived in Namatala for the past six years and before that, lived in Soroti about two hours north of Namatala. Elizabeth always dreamed of becoming a nurse and was fortunate enough to study until Senior Three (freshman in high school).

Elizabeth attended church but never placed her faith in Jesus Christ. So Taylor was able to lead Elizabeth in the sinners prayer on June twenty-fourth of this year.

Elizabeth is thankful for IChooseYou for putting her daughter Ruth through school. Pray for her husband, Paul, as he is a drunkard and abusive. Pray that Paul would come to know our Lord as his Savior.

Nangiro Betty

Betty is twenty-seven years old and has four children ages thirteen, seven, six, and two. Her and her husband both used to be street beggars hoping to collect even the littlest amount to support their family. Two months ago, Betty's house burned down. They are now renting a place in Namatala and praying to eventually buy a home in the future. 

Betty and her family have lived in Namatala for the past two years. Before moving to Namatala, they lived in a village called Moroto which is in the North. She migrated down south due to the famine and wars going on there. 

As a little girl, Betty dreamed of becoming a police woman to protect her country. She does not know how to sew but is in the process of learning how to make beads and door mats. 

Betty is incredibly grateful that her daughter is in school because of IChooseYou. She is also thankful that she is no longer an alcoholic and in bondage to the sin of drinking. Betty feels very blessed that she is bale to afford food for her family to eat.

Please pray with Betty that God will bless her with a home and that she will be a woman who can make a difference in other women's lives.

Nagawa Hilda

Hilda is a mother to four children and is taking care of two more. She is a housewife and her husband is a pastor at Budaka PC. She has lived in a place just outside of Namatala for the past three years and before that lived in a village called Namakwekwe.

Hilda is now making mats, beads, and she sews. She was able to study up to Senior 4 (sophomore in high school) and always dreamed of becoming a social worker. 

Hilda has been a believer for twenty-four years. She is thankful for the way God has kept her, for God's grace, and IChooseYou. Pray for her to have opportunities to serve, as well as job opportunities and a home of her own.

Gimbo Medina

Medina has lived in Namatala her whole life. At the age of thirteen, Medina had her first child who is now twenty years old. She is a mother to five children, her youngest being one. The father of her first three children died over ten years ago. She is now married to another man who made and sold chapati and mandazis, but can no longer work because of an accident that occurred.

Medina grew up as an orphan so her hopes of becoming anything were pretty much non-existent. Medina has become excellent at sewing and as well helps with beads and door mats. Her dream now is to become a hairstylist in order to provide for her family.

Please pray that God will provide a house of her own for her, as well as healing for her husband. She also asks that you would pray for salvation for her husband, Wilson, and her two oldest sons, Kasim and Twairu. Pray also for her third born who is in P7 (seventh grade), that she would pass her exams and move on to Secondary School and that school fees would be provided for her.

Medina is grateful to God for his faithfulness in the way he has kept her. She had lost hope for her children, but because of IChooseYou, that hope is restored, and she is grateful for the opportunity that IChooseYou has given her daughter Beatrice to go to school.

Medina told us that she now feels as though she is somebody. She is no longer an orphan but adopted into the family of Christ. Praise God for his love and grace for Medina and helping her to feel like a somebody, and a very important somebody at that!

Arinoutwe Margaret

 

Margaret holds a very special place in my heart. She is a thirty-three year old single mother to four amazing children, Paul, Mike, Florence (aka Flower), and Esther. Her youngest, Esther, has been sponsored by IChooseYou since December 2010, while her oldest three just got sponsored in June of this year.

Margaret's husband left her in April of 2006 for another woman. He used to be an elder at Mbale Presbytery Church but because he was having an affair with another woman, he was asked to step down from that position. Shortly after, he moved to the village with his new girlfriend.

Because Margaret grew up in a Catholic home, her parents hoped she would become a nun, but she dreamed of becoming a preacher. Currently, Margaret is employed at Lulwanda Children's Home as a tailor, and as well, works with IChooseYou making beads, door mats and helps with sewing.

Margaret became a Christian in 1993, and you can tell by the smile on her face and the joy in her heart, that God has completely changed her life. Margaret is a member of the Dove Choir at Mbale Presbytery Church. She is so grateful for the way God has kept her family and considers IChooseYou to be a miracle. Please pray with Margaret for a heart of love, faith and grace. Pray that her children will continue to love and serve God for the rest of their lives. Pray that her story would be a testimony to all and many would come to know Christ because of it. Also pray that she would be able to get the funds to buy a house of her own.

Namutosi Fazila

Fazila is around the age of twenty-five or twenty-six with ten children of her own, ages newborn to ten. Since her and her husband are both unemployed, it's a daily struggle to support and feed her children. Now that Fazila has been taught a new trade of bead making by IChooseYou, she is able to help provide for her family.

Fazila accepted Christ last year and is thankful to God for his faithfulness. She prays that her thought process would be changed positively because right now all she can think about is her life of misery and poverty. Pray with Fazila to be able to feed her children and eventually own a house of her own and not rent.

Kayinza Joyce

Joyce, commonly known as Jaja Faizo (grandmother to Faizo), has been living in Namatala for the past thirty years. She is currently taking care of six grandchildren ages five to thirteen. She has thirteen kids of her own, but only three are still alive today.

Jaja Faizo helps make door mats with the IChooseYou ladies, and has a business of her own selling cassava chips. As a child, she grew up wanting to become a nurse, but because her education ended at P3 (third grade), she was unable to achieve that dream.

She has been a child of God since 1990 and worships at the Mbale Presbytery Church. Please pray for God's provision in her business, as well as, the funds for a new house, because her current house is slowly collapsing. She is grateful for God's provision so far in her life and is happy to be alive.

Nambafu Margaret

Margaret is a 63 year old mother to seven children, one of them being Sarah, the first IChooseYou university graduate. Margaret has been living in Namatala since 1972, and has been making a living by selling charcoal in Namatala. Two years ago Margaret's husband died, and Sarah has been taking care of her mother ever since.

When Margaret was younger, she wanted to become a doctor, and was fortunate enough to go to nursing school. She is now the treasurer for the IChooseYou sewing ladies and also contributes to making door mats.

Margaret has been a believer since 1992. She is so grateful for the life God has given her and she prays for many more years in this world. She feels extremely blessed for her children and what God has done in her daughter Sarah's life. Continue to pray for wisdom for her and her children.

Nabidi Sarah

Sarah has been married to her husband Musa for the past nine years. Before moving to Namatala, three years ago, she lived near the Nile where her husband was a fisherman and she would help sell the fish he caught.

Because of the low value placed on woman in the villages, she grew up believing her life would amount to nothing. She was not educated and therefore pushed any dreams of wanting to become a nurse, teacher, or hair stylist away. Now, Sarah is a mother of three children and is taking care of another child. She has not yet learned how to sew but is very good at making the paper beads and doormats.

Sarah is grateful for the wisdom God has blessed her with. Please pray with Sarah for continued wisdom, as well as, protection over her children and husband.

Phone Call From Papa Loru 8/31/11

I tried my best to write out what he said. There are two parts that I really can't understand no matter how many times I listen to them. Here's what he said....

Yes hello, hello Rebecca. God bless you. I am Papa Loru. I am calling from Uganda. Loru is ok now. Loru has been operated and is now ok. He’s now ok. He can now pass through his anus. He is ok. Loru is ok. I want to greet you Becca, but I thank God and I want him to bless you. I am very happy Becca. We are very happy. Loru is now ok. He is doing well. I think you will come next year and you will see him…..Yea, I thank you for your help which you have done to David. Eh bye……We are happy for all that you did to us. God will bless all of you people. In the name of Jesus, God bless you Becca and your family. Thank you very much.

Insert Becky Ball where ever my name is because I honestly did nothing but cry when I met this little one.

Such a huge blessing to be able to hear his voice and get an update from him.

Becky, I don't think I could thank you enough for the way you provided for this family. I'm still blown away by your service to the Lord and your heart for his people. When this little boy was brought to me, my heart sank and I truly had no idea what to do. I felt hopeless and helpless, but our God provides and he uses people like you to be his hands and feet. You truly are making an impact in this family and the many other lives in Namatala. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Praise the Lord for his provision over Baby Loru before, during and after his surgery. Thank you all for your prayers, love and concern.

Akware Rose

Rose is a thirty-three year old mother to five children ages 11, 8, 6, 2, and 2 months. She moved to Namatala, from the village of Naroto, with her children four years ago, after thieves broke into her house and stole everything. She felt that Naroto was no longer a safe place because not only were there thieves but many killings were happening in the area.

Rose's husband remained in the village to look after his crops. He is currently unemployed and Rose has been finding different jobs on a daily basis to support and care for her children. When Rose was younger, she wanted to become a nurse. Now, she is making door mats and helps with the measuring for sewing.

Rose was raised Catholic and has recently accepted Christ as her Savior. She now goes to church at Mbale Presbyterian and feels blessed for the faithfulness God has shown to her and her family. Rose is also very grateful for IChooseYou sponsoring her oldest child Goret. Pray that Rose would be able to save up enough money to buy a plot for a house for her family.

Nalwanga Robina

Jaja (Grandma) Robina has been living in Namatala for the past twenty years after separating from her husband in the late 80's. She has nine children of her own and is taking care of her son's four children.

Jaja Robina grew up wanting to be a teacher, but because of lack of schooling she was not able to achieve that dream. Robina has earned money working in the fields growing crops. Because of her poor eyesight, she is not able to sew, but has learned to make the paper beads and door mats.

She is thankful that God has given her continued strength to take care of thirteen children. Please pray for healing over Robina's aching back, as well as, renewed strength in her Christian life.

Nsereko Rebecca

Rebecca is a mother and caretaker of five kids, one of them being Jonah, her brother's son, who is sponsored by IChooseYou. She had her first kid at the age of eighteen and has been providing for her family by working at her husbands shop. Rebecca has learned to sew, make paper beads, and door mats in order to continue to provide for her family.

Thirty two years ago, Rebecca became a child of God and is so very grateful for his faithfulness to her. She feels very blessed by IChooseYou for sponsoring Jonah to allow him to go to school. Please pray for her husband to return to the Lord and for him to start coming back to church and being the spiritual leader in the family. Pray as well for support and provision for the rest of her children.