Trip To Consecration Camp In Uganda

Hello family here are some fun photos and videos from our trip in Uganda.

We were first welcomed by a wonderful group during the marriage fellowship, and we got to celebrate Pastor Chama’s birthday with him for the first time. He grew up as an orphan and had never celebrated it before. We thank the Lord for our Heartdwellers family in Uganda who made it possible and special for him.

We then got a chance to visit Lifeway Christian Church for Sunday service and realized how much Pastor James loves the children. It was such a blessing.

We also visited our Ugandan Heartdwellers family church. Would you know, it’s St. Francis Chapel, which was not coincidence, by any means. Thank you, St Francis, for praying for us.

We then got the great privilege to visit the Uganda Martyrs Catholic Shrine Basilica, Namugongo.

The Uganda Martyrs Shrine is one of the largest Christian pilgrimage destinations in Africa, dedicated to the 22 Martyrs and saints of Uganda who were martyred between 1885 and 1887 by the king of Buganda.

Since 2016, 350,000 have come. Thousands walk for miles from all over the world, especially in East Africa, to attend 3rd of June, which is a feast day. I would like to provide a little background story on the martyrs as you watch the video.

The first to be martyred on 15th November 1885, was the King’s major and Christian leader, Joseph Mukasa. He was killed because he had pleaded with the king not to kill Bishop James Hannington, an Anglican Missionary, who had made an attempt to enter Buganda from the East, then considered to be the backdoor of the kingdom. Joseph was beheaded and burnt at the swamp, at the Kampala City center.

The main persecution that led to the Holocaust broke out on 25th May 1886, then a royal enclosure near Lake Victoria, when King Mwanga condemned Christians to death, with the Spearing and condemning to death two of the Martyrs in the same day.

On the 26th of May 1886, as a ceremonial opening of the death-march, one martyr was speared, and his corpse was hacked in pieces and scattered to all directions.

In the morning of 27th of May 1886, one of the martyrs who was thirsty for martyrdom, volunteered to be executed at a spot at the foot of Mengo Hill where Joseph Mukasa, his leader, had been martyred earlier.

While at Old Kampala, one of the martyrs, on his way to the execution sight, refused to walk further in demand for execution. His hands were cut off first, flesh removed from his back, and roasted. Then his legs cut off, blood vessels and veins tied, and traditional herbs applied to wounds to stop him from over bleeding. He died three days later from thirst.

The remaining were all tied up on their necks and feet, one to another, by the cords and slave-yokes, or by the stocks. The Uganda martyrs had to walk for over ten miles to reach Namugongo. But about a mile from their destination, another Marty could not keep up with the pace, collapsed. He was speared at about midday on 27th May 1886.

The remaining Ugandan martyrs were confined for about a week before execution. In that time, the executioners went about with preparatory activities like collection of enough firewood and cutting of reeds to be used in the event. This took until 2nd of June.

On the 3rd of June 1886, on the feast of the ascension, Charles Lwanga became the first victim of holocaust. He was singled out and burned apart from the others.

Charles Lwanga was taken to a spot about fifty yards from the road. He (Charles) was allowed to arrange his own death-bed of firewood. Then wrapped in reeds laid on the pyre and was burnt slowly from the foot to the head at about midday, 3rd June 1886.

The rest of the twelve Catholics that were burnt in the great holocaust together with thirteen Anglicans and six other prisoners that were on death sentences for offences than religion.

For more info about the Uganda Martyrs go to the website ugandamartyshrine.org.ug

Thank you, family. Hope you enjoyed the video.

Please remember us and donate to support the Phase 2 City of God building project. We get to clear the land this week.

Also please register for the next Consecration Camp with Pastor James, from July 25th-August 4th. The link will be in the description.

God bless you, family, until the next message.