Maggie comes from a large family. Yet at 12 years old she found herself alone and destitute. A few months ago, she was placed in an orphanage in Uganda. Her story is far from over, however. She has tasted redemption.
Maggie comes from a polygamous family where many children vie for limited resources. Unfortunately, her father has not put her at the top of the pecking order. This means that food, clothing and education are in short order.
Upon her arrival at the orphanage, she told the caretakers she was in primary school at grade level. They introduced her to schoolbooks and classes, and found out she could not read or write. She could not even write her name. Maggie lied because she was embarrassed and felt inferior to the other children.
They introduced her to David C Cook’s whole life discipleship curriculum for at-risk children, and a basic level of studies. Within a one-month period, Maggie had not only gained an interest in learning, she started praying. She learned that she was a princess in the eyes of God, even though her earthly father treated her otherwise.
Maggie began to believe in herself. She arrived at class earlier than all of the other students so she could lead devotions. Maggie now reads and writes, but most importantly, she is learning who she is in Jesus Christ.
A Breakthrough for Rachel
Rachel is a Sunday school teacher in Kampala. She is the eldest of three children. When her mother died suddenly, she was charged with care of her siblings.
As a young teen, the responsibility overwhelmed her to the point that she began to drink and take drugs—whatever it took to help numb the pain of life. She had developed a full-blown addiction by the time her family discovered her problem.
Her love for children drew her close to church and to teach Sunday school. Rachel tried to quiet drinking but intermittently relapsed. Occasionally the children caught her drunk and mocked her. They lost respect for her teaching. The other teens in Sunday school put her down as well. She lost moral authority. No one listened to her anymore.
One day another teacher introduced her to a teaching in the curriculum that dealt with drug abuse and alcoholism. After reading the lessons, Rachel said, “This is exactly how I feel!” The passages described her condition. The other teacher became a support for her and she climbed her way back to sobriety.
Her struggle also gave her something in real life to share with the children. She warned them about drugs and the cycle of addiction—and the mercy she experienced from God in the midst of it. Rachel experienced a major breakthrough that saved her life.
Maggie and Rachel were changed by the Holy Spirit through a comprehensive resource that met them at their point of need. Miracles like this happen all of the time. Indeed, the Children-at-Risk program now reaches 4.5 million children through the Church of Uganda. There are many more “Maggie’s” and “Rachel’s” throughout Uganda—and Kenya, where the program just began. Please lift up a prayer for them.
