In Uganda, a Mother Chooses Life for her son December 5, 2019

Twenty-four years ago, in the small city of Kakinga, Uganda, a baby boy was born. His parents named him Obed, but sadly, Obed was not well.

“As I was still a baby, a disease attacked me,” recalled Obed Orishaba. “For three years, my mom carried me to hospital every day, ten miles per walk. My dad reached the extent of being very poor and told Mom to leave me home and die. But Mom refused the advice and kept walking.”

By God’s grace, Obed did not die and instead was healed. His parents decided to send him to a Christian preschool, where the Holy Spirit strengthened Obed’s faith.

“As a child, my best [favorite] play was all about communing my fellow kids,” he laughed. “I used to cut banana fibers and tie them on myself as a robe and stole – I was a kids’ pastor!”

As the years passed, Obed’s play as a pastor started to become a reality. He met a Lutheran missionary who involved him in helping to lead the liturgy. “I loved the Lutheran way of worshiping,” Obed said. He also appreciated the Lutheran, Biblical approach to the sacraments. “In Uganda, there are many churches that sell the Holy Sacraments; you must pay to be baptized and to be confirmed for Holy Communion.”

Once Obed completed his public schooling, he decided he wanted to start working again for the church.

“I started evangelizing slowly, wanting to plant a Lutheran church in Bunyoro, in western Uganda. That is when God called me officially through the congregation to the seminary, up to now,” he said.

Sharing the Gospel with youth

As part of his vicarage, Obed is very involved with youth ministries. He helps lead a football (soccer) outreach, where he shares Bible stories with the kids after practice (pictured at right).

Additionally, “I have ministry to refugees from Congo and South Sudan; I have altogether 300 people, 100 Sudanese and 200 Rwandese,” he explained. “We are lacking materials in their local languages, both Kinyarwanda and Acholi. I kindly request LHF to help in providing those materials like Bibles, catechisms and service books.”

Thanks to the faithful support of LHF donors, these materials are now on their way to Obed!

To help provide books like these to Obed and other Christians around the world, click below.