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In November 2024, I traveled to Uganda and met with all six of our national trainers. My goals for our time together were to fellowship and build relationships; celebrate their 5 years of service, which has resulted in training more than 20,000 people in Uganda and surrounding countries; and hear testimonies about the impact those trainings have had.
For 11 days, we shared in fellowship over meals, during long car rides on bumpy terrain, in their homes, and while visiting schools, businesses, and churches to hear about the impact of the Hope61 training on lives and communities. The testimonies had our team praising God repeatedly. We learned about pastors who started programs to equip local youth with skills to earn a living; one even opened a sewing business on his front porch, allowing them to sell their wares. These opportunities prevent youth from falling for fake job offers that could lead to trafficking. We also heard about churches starting schools to teach both biblical and academic subjects, as well as provide a safe place for children in areas where they are often unsupervised and neglected.
I celebrated with our trainers by sharing encouraging words, gifts, and certificates. But nothing could have prepared me for our final celebration. On Sunday morning, we traveled to Nekuko Joy Church to worship and celebrate. This church hosted one of the first Hope61 trainings in Uganda, and one of our national trainers is the pastor there. As we approached, a parade-like procession headed toward the church, so we joined in. We quickly realized this was just the start of celebrating our national trainers and Hope61’ s impact on the area. We enjoyed a beautiful worship service that included communion and testimonies about how the Hope61 teachings had impacted the church and community.
Nekuko Joy Church is in far eastern Uganda, near the Kenyan border. Many people in the area are lured into trafficking by promises of good jobs in Kenya. Most of those promises are tricks used by traffickers. That Sunday, we learned that because of the trainings held at their church, many women had refused these fake job offers. Instead, they began working together to sell handmade items at the market, enabling them to care for their families while remaining in the safe community of their village and church.
Watching those 15-plus women stand— to show they didn’ t go— brought tears to my eyes and joyful praise from my mouth; watching them created a memory I’ ll carry for the rest of my life.
Those women, along with countless others like them, didn’ t go. They weren’ t victimized. They didn’ t need to be rescued. They didn’ t need to be restored. Because of the Hope61 training, they simply knew not to go. Praise God!
photos, pages 6-7: The celebration church service in eastern Uganda.
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