From August 2006 to January, 2007, Manna Ministry fed 50 families in Nakulabye. Not only have these familes recieved physical food, but many have come to know the Bread of Life and have been baptized. They have started a church there and continue to worship together.

Babire Nalwanga

Nakalubye Manna Recipients

Babire Nalwanga is my name and am resident here in this zone.  I am now 38 years but I have never seen and know what I know now!!  It’s this that I want to testify about.

Life before Manna ministry came into this area was very tough because I did not have any hope to it.  Issues like school fees for my children, rent moneys, and daily meals were always an item for worries.  Not only [this, but] I fell sick for about 5 months and was hospitalized at Mulago hospital and during this time my rent accrued to an amount of money I could not even imagine to ever be able to pay.  My health condition got bad every time, and this made me lose a lot of hope.  I worried about what I was going to do about the rent moneys I owed the landlord.  I did not see his face at all.  Apart from that, the condition my children were living was very poor and I was hurting as a mother. 

But in the midst of all these I was discharged from the hospital.  Manna came in this very time to find me in my hopeless situation.  This was my very time of crisis.  “God must have sent you people to me,” I said to the team that visited me that day.  I remember the team first prayed for me even before they started to ask questions about my life.  I was straight away encouraged at this.  Peace which I could describe filled my heard and this confirmed that something new and good was about to happen.  Though I did not [know] what it was. 

Before I was not a loveable person….I could get to quarrel with anybody, anytime if they messed with me.  I was very bitter all the time and almost had no friends around.  I used to sell cassava chips, but I would even abuse the customers most times.  I was a very unloving person.  No wonder I have remained a single mum to my children.  With [this] kind of character, business was down.  Making losses was a daily bread for me.  I supposed the sickness I had turned me this way.  No!  It was my sinful nature as I later found out for the word of God!  Thus I needed to be saved for this.  Because it ruined my business, my family, and my life!!

So this God-sent team returned and I was told to come and receive something for me.  I found out it was food!  This was what I needed.  So it got me thinking a lot about what I did to deserve this favor.  Something good coming to me without appeasing even the spirits was only a miracle from God.  On that day, the preacher taught the word of God and I believed and gave my life to Jesus!  I discovered that my problem was a sin problem and I needed a savior to save me.  I really wanted a change in my life wholesomely.  I tried it all on my own but failed, but I was left with God to go to.  The miracle of food made me see how God could be trusted.  So I just did that.  I got to trust Him with my life.  And he gave me hope!  This was what I needed to live off of!!

So what happened to me after Manna came in was my life not only improved, but it got transformed!!  I got born again!  I now have eternal life and now I know God and serve Him.  Now my life is worth living.  I no longer quarrel.  I just now love people.  I really understand them and especially I got to understand myself better.  I am a sinner saved by grace!  This has made me want to extend grace to others as well!

My neighbors ask what brought about this change.  I just tell them Jesus did it all.  This I could not do for myself.  It took Him to do it!  I just received it.  I had to only accept Him and what He could do in my life to be truth.  Yes, He did it, and the change is for everyone near me to see it.  They believe the signs of change, because they see it is true.  I just want to thank God for Manna ministry because persons like me get to have an opportunity to hear the word of God and experience the freedom that the Gospel brings.  I am grateful that someone like me gets to have the chance to know the love of Jesus through people like you, the Manna team.  May God bless you for that!

What if you the Manna [team] never came at all?  I do not know where I would be.  Maybe I would have been dead in my sins.  But now that you came…I heard the word of God and got ministered to with the love of Jesus…you gave me food that’s good for my body and fed my spirit that needed the word of God.  Thanks so much—webale nyo!  I now believe in Jesus!  That is the opportunity you gave me.

Now as I talk I have started a little hotel just near where we do fellowship from.  I named it Twesimbe (thus in Luganda meaning “together let’s build our lives”).  I feel the need to build up others even in the faith in Jesus.  So I have committed myself to mobilizing for church so that others too get the chance to hear the word of God!  Oh, how I love the fellowship with other believers here!  I really enjoy worshiping God even in singing for Him.  God has been good to me and you have helped me to see it for myself and experience it too!  The hotel I started with 1,000 shillings now has grown bigger through God’s blessings.  We have cassava chips, porridge, half cakes, mandazi (donuts), and pineapple juice!  Wow!  Look what the Lord has done!  He has changed my life!  Though there are still needs like school fees, I know what to do.  I just will trust Jesus on this!  I have hope, and this one does not disappoint at all.

Webale nyo, webale dala!  You have shared with us the blessing God gave you and this has brought us hope in the things of God.  I praise God for you!  We even have church next to my work place.  It’s a blessing to me!  Every Friday I get to join the others in my area here.  It’s a blessing to see some of my neighbors coming to JESUS and for me to share in fellowship with them.  It’s fun to see my former friends in sin come to the light in Jesus’ name!  Some were really hard to reach, but here they are now, saved and on our way to heaven!

Thanks be to God for you…Manna ministry!