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.Dear Friends,
The memories we still have and every recall of how each of you and many others were used of God to uphold us - those remain vivid and cherished by us.
Below is a better reminder, so that just as our memories of you remain alive in us, yours may also remain alive in regard to us.
Julius and Grace Twongyeirwe
Proclamation Task
P. O. Box 25904 Kampala, Uganda
Tel. 256-772-411073
www.proctask.org
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“The Twongyeirwe Clan”
FAMILY UPDATE - Ebenezer
Our God has been so faithful in keeping us well, and keeping us in his service. At the beginning of 2016, we recall the many uncertainties which were of frequent mention in our prayers, often anxiously. Our concerns included Isaac’s next step in education, our health situation (especially Julius and Grace), provision for the family (especially keeping our young ones in school), cares and responsibility within our African extended family. As a family, we contemplated on these and other issues, wondering how such situations would affect ministry beyond our home and into the weekly preaching ministry at Berea Church, our national ministry through PT and upcoming ideas that looked timely and worth our effort.
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Now as we look back to 2016, we cannot be thankful enough to our God, who resolved us at every turn. Moments came when we were at a loss in finding words that would pull us through the day (particularly the months of July – October). But we have literally seen the hand of God unfold to preserve us along his precious promises, surrounding us with his loving and generous saints, whose hands and hearts he applied to our otherwise dire situation.
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Our children have remained generally healthy, relatively joyful, diligently studying, carefully in walking with Christ and prospectively promising. In this way, they have remained our joy, bringing us gladness. At their different ages, parenting generally seems to be marked by greater worry, more fear for them as they make decision on their own, and a feeling of having lost considerable amount of being in charge of their lives.
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God has given us the grace “to allow them be themselves” with enough trembling to keep us on our knees that they would always find in Christ their greatest treasure. More than their education and other achievements which are not small, our heart beat has remained on their spiritual safety as a ground for everything else they become or do. And to this, we say with prophet Samuel, Ebenezer – thus far the Lord has been our help. Not only in raising our young can we say Ebenezer, in all our endeavours throughout 2016 we must say Ebenezer.
In 1 Samuel 7, during the end of the time of the judges, Israel experiences revival under the leadership of Samuel. The nation repents of their sin, destroys their idols, and begins to seek the Lord (1 Samuel 7:2–4). Samuel gathered the people at Mizpah where they confessed their sin, and Samuel offered a sacrifice on their behalf (verses 5–9).
It was during this time of repentance and renewal that the enemy attacked. Israel’s victory over the Philistines was decisive. To commemorate the divine victory, “Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the LORD has helped us’” (verse 12).
Ebenezer means “stone of help.” From then on, every time an Israelite saw the stone erected by Samuel, he would have a tangible reminder of the Lord’s power and protection. The “stone of help” marked the spot where the enemy had been routed and God’s promise to bless His repentant people had been honoured. The Lord had helped them, all the way to Ebenezer.
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He has surely grown – in stature, in knowledge, in personal responsibility and in his walk with God. Doing History, Economics and Divinity at Makerere College School, his performance shows a hardworking lad, in spite of remaining busy to ‘shepherd’ his fellow students as the school’s Head Boy.
Isaiah picked interest in the instrumentation of music, particularly percussions, spending time thinking and working to augment this skill. He plays drums in our church – a set of them donated to us by our friends in Oregon, the Tops.
He just turned 18 in September
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The ‘clan star’ is also growing very well. She has a unique capacity to make friends and remain likable, as to attend all their birthdays and some sleep-overs.
She is doing well at school, now in form four, albeit with a mental challenge to grasp the concepts of Mathematics.
She loves music, helping with worship at church and doing special music whenever called upon – at school, at home or other gatherings.
She too, has come up with good leadership skills, now serving on her school’s council as a prefect in charge of her class.
We were privileged to witness the swearing-in ceremony during which Abigail was handed the responsibility of leadership among her peers. She is respected by her friends and through some inevitable clashes with stubborn ones, she is learning patience, increasing her ability to maintain love, stretching in character to remain their servant. Abigail turned 9 in June.
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We also refer to her as “Madam Counsel”, owing to her Law studies that may see her as a legal practitioner. She has performed uniquely well, and her input into ‘moot’ competitions between Universities in Ugandan and Africa has accredited her another name – “Mama Moot”. She and her team have won awards for their school, demonstrating that the School of Law at their Uganda Christian University is among the best in Africa.
She is currently working on competing in her final moot – the Jessup, which may see them in Washington D.C to compete world-wide USA if they win. She has appeared in newspapers and Institutional Journals as one among the best performing Law students. This has also kept her very busy and mainly away from home.
Isabel is our worship leader at church, very good at the key board, guitar and singing as well as expounding Scripture to help us meet the God of the Bible.
Isabel is left with only one semester to complete her four-year Law Course. She turned 22 in August. She is mainly remaining at school for research, but school will officially open by mid-January 2017.
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Isaac
A lot has happened and shaken this young lad into better shape since his graduation seven months ago. He says that being away from home has stretched him hard to think better on how take good care of himself.
I will now let him take it from here, so that you hear directly from him:
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Adjustment
I'm in college now! Woohoo! :) I have been so amazed by God's continual display of His Love for me. He has been, and will always be faithful. Just finished my first semester in Daystar University. The transition wasn’t as smooth as expected due to the mere fact that I didn’t think there would be much of a change involved. I would still be in Africa- still in East Africa for that matter. So I thought it would just be a change of locale. So, the only thing I thought I would be adjusting to is the weather which wasn’t the case, much to my surprise.
Community and involvement
I have felt so welcome in Daystar Community. The orientation week left me feeling at home. Getting to talk more with some of the staff who knew my dad was part of the awesome experience- matching faces with names and all.
Doulos
I was plugged in to Doulos in no less than two weeks. Doulos is a group of people whose aim is to influence the world for Christ servant- leadership. Doulos does summer camps at a place not far from campus called Freedom Base. Every Monday night we meet for Bible Study and planning for the week ahead. The new-bee's would have training every two Saturday's and would learn how to use specific equipment.
LEAP
Every Monday and Thursday morning I am with seven more students in the house of Dr. Donald Smith going through a leadership training. It is such a great learning opportunity with very practical ways of applying what you've learned. This leadership training course views leadership from a biblical vis á vis secular perspective and we dissect servant leadership and its efficiency in the world today and in our communities in specific.
Worship team
I am also involved in the Daystar University worship team. I play the bass guitar in this team. We are responsible for the worship on Tuesday University Chapel and we have been managing a concert called Worship Experience that happens every semester.
Education
With all that's being said, one would wonder, 'Isaac, do you study?' I am pursing a bachelor of arts in International Relations and Security Studies. This course basically deals with state to state relations and measures of 'protection' a state takes for itself. I only took 15 credit hours so my week wasn't as jammed. I had two 3-hour classes on Monday and one class every other day except Friday. Friday was my study, laundry, slowed down day of rest. Everything that I needed to do had to be done by/on Friday.
Friendships
I have been very intentional about choosing the people I hang around. I started a Bible Study that meets every Tuesday night. We are currently doing Proverbs and it has been awesome. The Study just started with three people but we have grown to about nine. Glory be to God.
Church
For the most part, I am on Campus 24-7. So, I attend the Sunday service as well. It is not what I'm used to.
I return to school in two weeks.
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A Visit that So Encouraged Us – Ken and Joanie Wilmot
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The year 2016 was also marked by the visit of our long-time friends, committed to us as a family and sharing the ministry burden with us in wonderful ways.
Dr. Ken and Mrs. Joanie Wilmot finally made it to Uganda, and they were was such an encouragement to us, especially during those days.
We shared life and meals, jokes and humour, the vision and what it costs as well as many other things we talked about in our own context. The Wilmots visited the PT Center – a project in which they have greatly invested, in order to realize unhindered training of Gospel workers in Africa.
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Grace continues to teach the Bible through BSF. She also organizes prayer meetings for ladies, some of them at the PT Center. She cooks good food and helps us to host many people who draw encouragement from such fellowship.
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