The Holy Spirit by divine providence brought,35 years ago, WORLD OUTREACH MINISTRY FOUNDATION (WOMF) AND UGANDA CHRISTIAN OUTREACH MINISTRIES (UCOM) together, i.e. The Holy Spirit through this unity has advanced God’s Kingdom in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. This ministry was born out of Intercessory prayers held every day by Steven Damulira Mayanja, George William Yiga (the late) and Mom Iren Yiga that went on for over five years from 1981 to 1985 every day at Elder Yiga’s home at Seguku. This gave birth to the Children’s Church (1st Yesu Akwagala Church) at Steven Mayanja’s house in January 1985. These children came out of curiosity to see Steven’s new motorized bicycle that was a great excitement to them by the way it operated. And Steve would only but seize the opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ to the children and thus as the motorized bicycle brought the children to Steve at his house, Steven brought the children to Jesus and there by starting a Children’s Fellowship every Sunday night that gave birth to Yesu Akwagala Church at Seguku Village.
1985 God spoke to Stephen Kawesa to move on from Kabowa village and on to Seguku village, promising to bless him there. Obeying God’s voice, Kawesa moved his whole family to Seguku village, rented a small house there and then his wife joined hands with Steve Mayanja to teach and minister to the children every Sunday afternoon. By the grace of God, that same year 13th October 1985, I got opportunity to go attend Seattle Bible College in Washington State USA and it was here that ministry changed forever. The Lord instructed me to go back to my village, Seguku and open a church and gave me the ministry name Uganda Christian Outreach Ministries (Yesu Akwagala Mission). I sent the name to Kawesa and he registered the ministry in February 1987. That same year 1987, I met our co-workers, Pastors Ron and Shirley Devore, who not only turned out to be associates but parents also in ministry. This unity brought WOMF and UCOM together to form a force that has advanced God’s Kingdom in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. We travelled together in a team of four: Steven Damulira Mayanja, Tom Bales, a fellow student at Seattle Bible College by then, and Ron and Shirley Devore, sent and sponsored by Pastor John Holaday, Board of Elders, and all the Saints of Family Worship Center Church in Federal Way Washington State USA. We arrived in Uganda in June 1987 and opened our 1st church, Seguku Worship Center (Yesu Akwagala) on Sunday, June 21st 1987. God by the Holy Spirit made us into a great team with Pastor Steven Kawesa, Elder George William Yiga (the late), Mr. Beatrice Bazzekuketta and others, who the Holy Spirit has since used to see WOMF and UCOM(Yesu Akwagala) grow to tremendous heights these last 25 years. God has done so much for and through us, like that long-time-ago song says, “What the Lord Has Done for Me, I Cannot Tell It All”. We shall endeavor to mention but a few, within this magazine, in humility and praise to the living Sovereign God who continues to use all those that avail themselves as conduits of His Great Mercy and Love. As the Bible says in ISAIAH 26:12: LORD, You established peace for us; all that we have accomplished You have done for us.
