Uganda Archives - Life In Abundance International

Nov 19

The Power Of Thanksgiving

By hannah Church Partnership, Thanksgiving, Transformation Story

Jordan McGuire, our Director of Church & Missions Engagement, recently had the opportunity to visit some of the communities where Life In Abundance has been working. She shared a powerful experience from one of her visits. As Jordan sat among other visitors, listening to their stories of transformation, a group of local pastors said:

“We need to use God-given things within our surroundings to sustain our lives.”

For Jordan, it was a moment of amazement. She had visited many vulnerable communities impacted by LIA’s work, but this was the first time she witnessed a community where LIA had fully handed over the reins to local leaders. She had seen communities at various stages of our three-year process of wholistic transformational development, where there was still a need for further growth and capacity building. But this visit was different.

The pastors weren’t asking for anything. Instead, they had come to realize that they didn’t need to wait for outside help. Together, they were addressing the needs of their community.

This experience brought to Jordan’s mind a story from the Gospels—when Jesus fed the five thousand. She couldn’t help but notice the similarities to LIA’s approach. In the story, Jesus and His disciples sought a quiet place to rest, only to be met by a large crowd. Compassionate, Jesus began to teach. As the day turned to evening, the disciples realized it was time for dinner, and I can imagine them debating whether to send the crowd away.

Yet Jesus saw it as a teaching moment for His disciples. “You give them something to eat,” He told them. The disciples, perplexed by the sheer number of people, gathered what they could—just two fish and five loaves of bread. Jesus gave thanks, broke the bread, divided the fish, and then sent the disciples to feed the crowd. Not only did everyone eat until they were satisfied, but there were leftovers. A small amount became more than enough.

Jordan shared that this is how LIA’s conversations with churches often go when they enter a new community. Churches often don’t see what they’re capable of or the resources already at their disposal. LIA helps them recognize the potential God has placed around them to serve as the hands and feet of Jesus in their local context.

When churches come together, acknowledging what they have and giving thanks for God’s provision, God often does far more than they could have imagined.

She recalled the pastors in Northern Uganda, who had a deep desire to see God’s Kingdom transform their community. However, they were grappling with the same challenges that faced their neighbors.As LIA walked alongside them, helping them see what God could do with even their smallest resources, the transformation was profound. In their words: “Our minds have been opened.”

Through all of this, Jordan emphasized that it’s easy to overlook the most vital part of the process: thanksgiving.

It’s in giving thanks that our eyes are opened to God, the ultimate provider.

When Jesus gave thanks, He saw what the disciples couldn’t—the abundance amid apparent lack. Thanksgiving gives us the perspective of God, helping us see the way He sees. Once local churches begin to give thanks, recognizing God’s provision even in the most remote and challenging areas, they become unstoppable. With hearts and minds opened by gratitude, they can see all that God can accomplish in and through them, no matter where they go.

This story of transformation reflects the heart of our current campaign, Generational Harvest. By partnering with Life In Abundance, you can help empower local churches and leaders to recognize God’s provision and create lasting change in their communities. Visit our campaign page to learn how you can be part of this ongoing harvest and invest in an impact that will stand the test of time. Together, we can sow seeds of sustainability for generations to come!

May 01

Love0

One Family At A Time

By mikayla Economic Empowerment, Transformation Story

In 2017, Life In Abundance came to a church in a poor refugee settlement in Uganda. The need was overwhelming. Defeating poverty and restoring dignity felt like a daunting goal, but the team had decided to focus on one family at a time, knowing change can start small and multiply.

Meeting Pastor Saviour

Back then, the first person we met was Saviour who says his life took a positive turn through the trainings and support of LIA. He was even encouraged to go to theological school. Today, he and his family have a strong bond with the Lord and Saviour is a pastor. He is working to share hope with those in his church and community.

Passing on the abundance he has received, the pastor has impacted others’ lives the way he was once impacted. One family that has seen change recently through Saviour and his church is Grace’s family.

An Invitation for Grace

Grace is 45 years old and lives in Robidire village with her husband, Charles, their 5 children, and 2 others in their care. The couple are farmers with rudimentary cultivation tools. Grace says that life has been hard. “Sometimes we would even eat once in a day, sleep hungry, and my children were often sent home from school due to lack of school fees. I didn’t know what to do about this situation.”

Then Saviour invited Grace and her neighbor to join a savings group that was introduced by LIA-Uganda. At first, Grace says she was skeptical. “Many organizations before came and stole the little money that our family had.” But this was different.

Continued Impact

“LIA encouraged us and taught us financial literacy.” Through Saviour’s invitation, Grace’s family now has money for school fees and has planted groundnuts that they pray will yield a good harvest.

Grace says, “I am now an active member of a savings group called Divine Mercy. I save with a purpose to enhance my financial liberation from extreme poverty that had haunted me for years. I trust God I will never be poor again.”

Saviour continues to invite people in his community to experience this kind of change. He says, “I pray that LIA grows to greater heights so that we can impact even more lives.”

Jan 14

Love0

BeFriend Adjumani

By AmyNickerson@lifeinabundance.org Church Partnership, Transformation Story

We know that God works in powerful ways when the Global North and Global South partner together to bring hope and change to the poor and vulnerable among us.

Three years ago, we started a new kind of partnership with Lifeline Christian Mission and Southeast Christian Church in order to intentionally befriend the community of Adjumani, Uganda for three years. The goal of the project was to provide care and integrated support to 200 children and families through empowering 20 local churches in refugee settlements in Northern Uganda. We had 253 people from the US become BeFrienders and impacted over 1,200 in Uganda.

As we are now phasing out of the community and BeFriend Adjumani has come to a close, here are some stories of how this project transformed lives.

Saving with a Purpose

Grace, her husband, and their five children have lived a difficult life as farmers. She says, “Sometimes we would eat once in a day, sleep hungry, and always lacked money.” Her children were often sent home from school due to unpaid fees, and Grace didn’t know what to do to fix the situation. BeFriend gave her the opportunity to be a part of a savings group and taught her financial literacy. She has received seeds of groundnuts that have been planted and already produced a good harvest. The family was also given a pig that gave birth to seven piglets they could sell. Grace says, “I now save with a purpose to enhance my financial liberation from extreme poverty that has haunted me for years.”

Not Alone

BeFriend sought to specifically address social injustice in Uganda by equipping community leaders to promote justice and restoration, caring for the orphans and widows in their distress. One leader told a group, “Don’t be desperate like you don’t have a Father. We can’t be desperate. We are not alone.” One person who has learned this is Martina, who was struggling to raise her three grandchildren in a mud and straw hut, far from any market. When she was chosen for the BeFriend program, the packets of food distributed helped her family survive. Her big dream of raising and selling goats came true when BeFriend gifted her a little black and white, pregnant goat.

BeFriend Trip

Paul Ress never imagined going on a mission trip. He thought it would be too hard to leave his wife and baby, and impossible to take time from work. Everything about it was way outside his comfort zone. But he signed up when his pastor urged him to go to Uganda. In country, Ress had little control over the schedule, the people he met, or the things he did. Looking back, he wouldn’t trade those days for anything. “I got so much out of it,” Ress said. “At one point, I felt totally out of control when I went on a prayer walk with two nationals in one of the camps. I had no idea where we were going or who we’d meet, but it was amazing —something I’ll never forget…. Going there changes lives here.”

A Pastor’s Words

One of the local pastors we worked with was Reverend Gama Joseph, who serves among the South Sudanese refugees and Ugandan communities. He says, “My partnership with BeFriend means a lot to me personally and the church as a whole. It has brought a sense of unity, love, brotherhood, and good relationships with others. Through the teachings offered, God has taught me to walk with the poor by empowering them to overcome barriers to their economic freedom.”

Through BeFriend, we were able to successfully implement a wholistically transforming project in Adjumani, Uganda. We’re thankful for all who stepped into this partnership with us and look forward to befriending other communities in the future. If you would like your church to sign up to BeFriend a community, please send Jordan McGuire an email of interest at jordan@lifeinabundance.org.

Uganda