Hope for a Cattle Keeper
Penelope professes to be a Christian, but she also worships the ancestors. Can God free her of her fear of the spirits?
I live near Mbarara City, but I hail from Kiruhuura in the ancient kingdom of Ankole, now a part of southern Uganda. There my family live as Bahima cattle keepers.
Along with the rest of our community, my grandparents worshipped the ancestors, offering them frequent sacrifices. This they did in hopes that the spirits would protect and multiply their cattle, the lifeblood of the Bahima economy.
When Anglican missionaries came to our land, the king of Ankole welcomed them. In deference to the king, my grandparents received the Christian message. Still, for fear of financial loss, they continued in their traditional religion as well, creating a blended creed known as syncretism.
It was in this syncretic religious environment that I was reared, and I continued it into adulthood. I practiced elements of Christianity, but I also worshipped the ancestors, believing that they were the ones who blessed my cows and gave me financial prosperity. When I found Adventist World Radio programming on Messenger FM, I began to tune in frequently. Soothing music, educational programs and above all, the clearly presented Bible studies captured my attention. For a whole year, I listened to Bible messages broadcast on the radio waves, but I hesitated to change anything about my life.
Then one day, I heard Pastor Mark Finley preaching on a radio program called “Hope for Africa.” As he clearly articulated the signs of Jesus’ coming, I realized that the world is soon to end—and with it, my probationary time! Pastor Finley’s message helped me to understand that in worshipping as an Anglican, I was following a wrong religious system. It also showed me that syncretism would take me the wrong direction. I must turn my life over to Jesus!
But could I really abandon the worship of my ancestors? Fear seized me as I thought of the risk. If I did not bring my offerings and sacrifices, I could lose all my cows! Then how would my children and I survive?
All these thoughts swirled inside me as Pastor Finley made his closing appeal. “There is hope beyond the horizon!” I heard him say. Hope! The word came like a life buoy to my drowning soul. Clinging to that hope, I surrendered to Jesus, trusting Him to provide. I abandoned my ancestor worship and gave my life completely to Christ in baptism.
Many of my relatives still live in fear of the spirits, and they have warned me that I am likely to cause a curse to their livestock and endanger the financial welfare of our whole family by my refusal to appease the ancestors. But I have boldly told them, “There is a God in Heaven. He is above everything, and He has power over everything. Above all, He has planned to save us from mortality to immortality and eternity. That is the biggest treasure I am looking for.”
Pray for the rest of my family, that the Holy Spirit will help them break the chains of fear. Pray for me as well, that God will show His power through me and my herd of cattle. That my people may see that they need not fear to follow the Lord, I am asking Him to multiply my cows and provide my children and me with everything we need.
Messenger FM is doing a great work in winning souls to Christ. I am only one of 20 people who were baptized as a result of Pastor Finley’s “Hope for Africa” campaign—and I thank God for the hope that changed our lives!
Location
Uganda
Author
Narrated by Penelope Akatwijuka to Abraham Turyatunga, one of the Bible workers at Messenger FM.
How You Can Help
Pray for Penelope as she witnesses to her friends and family, and pray that God will multiply her cattle for His glory!
Pray for Abraham as he works for the Lord in this district.
Give to the work in Uganda. Needs include church buildings, Bible worker training and support for church planters. Send your gifts marked “Uganda Evangelism” or “Uganda Churches” to:
Mission Projects International
PO Box 151
Inchelium, WA 99138
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www.missionspro.org/donate
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Thank you so much for your support of these workers!