Prophecies, Prayers, and Provisions: The birth of Kitiibwa Ministries

"You want a better-paying job. God has plans for you that will include that soon."

"You have been missing days at school due to sickness but not anymore. You will leave here healed and able to attend school."

My skepticism is high at this point.

Of course a middle-aged man wants a better-paying job.

School children here miss classes every week due to some kind of sickness they are experiencing, so that’s not exactly profound.

The “official” church service has ended.

After four hours of meditation, worship, and preaching, we are free to go home.

In Uganda, however, there are hours of fellowship, meals, prayers, and prophecy that sometimes follow services and we have transitioned into the pastor prophesying.

I found myself praying, “God, I don’t necessarily think this man is faking, but the things he is speaking are very general. Give him words that prove to me that he is receiving all knowledge and revelation from you.”

Stephen, whom I went to the service with, was pointed at by the pastor. 

“Young man, come here.”

The words spoken over Stephen were very, very specific and very true.

“Ok, God. Thank you. There’s no way he could have known those things, apart from your revelation.”

But God is full of surprises; he had even more evidence to convince me.

Before he was allowed to return to his seat, the pastor looked at me. 

“You come up, too.”

This pastor was a man whom we had never met before. A man whose church we had never set foot in or even been in close proximity to.

He went on to tell me things that he had no worldly way of knowing.

He told me about my stomach issues and my recent illness. He told me it was a serious thing, but that it wouldn’t require the things the doctor told me would be a worst-case scenario.

(Long story that I’ll try to make shorter--

For those of you who are not on social media, on Friday, I was on day two of dehydration due to stomach issues. I was weak and very tired. I had also begun to feel intense pain around my abdomen and stomach. By midday, the pain was so bad, that I couldn’t move or breathe without honestly feeling like I was going to faint from pain. I know it sounds dramatic, but I was really scared. It came on so fast and was an intensity that I’ve never experienced before. When I could finally muster up the strength to walk down the road to the clinic, they did bloodwork and found that I had a very bad infection that had made its way to my bloodstream. It was now trying very hard to make its way to my organs and attempt to shut them down. The pain was my body fighting with everything it had to keep the infection away from my organs. I was given immediate anti-nauseas, pain medications, antibiotics, supplements, and a type of Pedialyte via an IV. I was given an oral regimen of those things to take for five days, as well, with the precaution that it might not work and, if I keep experiencing those symptoms and the infection stays the same or worsens, drastic measures will have to be taken. They mentioned blood transfusions and surgeries to repair ruptured organs. I decided not to mention that to my immediate family and friends until it was necessary, though, because- honestly- that really scared me. I just gave the facts and asked for prayer warriors. I’m feeling much better today. I finished my treatments last night and, while I’m not yet 100% and still get exhausted easily and a slight fever comes and goes, I feel the great Healer at work inside my body!)

The pastor also gave a quick recap of my journey to get to Uganda this time. He said that my journey this year was not easy; that the program and plan I had in place fell apart right before I came and that I was constantly walking in the unknown. He praised my faith and commitment to Jesus and said that things were finally starting to come together; that God is showing me pieces at a time and, very soon, big things are going to happen—that doors will be open and opportunities will be presented to me.

There were other things he said and a very long prayer that was prayed and I returned to my seat feeling very encouraged.

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The night before, I was praying for clarity about how my new home will be a ministry and a source of God’s love and will show his glory and be a testimony.

I was led to 1 Chronicles 16:8-12 as a verse to pray over the house and to be the verse of the house:

"Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name;

    make known his deeds among the peoples!

Sing to him, sing praises to him;

    tell of all his wondrous works!

Glory in his holy name;

    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice!

Seek the Lord and his strength;

    seek his presence continually!

Remember the wondrous works that he has done,

    his miracles and the judgments he uttered.”

The word “glory” jumped out at me.

Glory is one of those words I have always loved. It’s so powerful and has so much weight. 

Just go to an online bible resource (or even Google) and type in “glory” and read some of the verses that come up.

God’s glory is amazing and astounding. 

You cannot encounter God’s glory and leave that place unchanged. 

It’s powerful and life-changing.

I wanted this house to be a place where you encounter God’s love, yes. But I also want it to be a place where you encounter God’s glory and leave restored and changed.

After some quick research and consultation of local friends, I found the Lugandan word for glory: 

Kitiibwa. (Chee-tea-buwah)

I wrote it out a few times and knew that it was the name for this house.

Kitiibwa Home.

I knew the name and the vision, but I wasn’t sure how to move forward.

Was I crazy thinking of stepping out and starting a ministry from my home that will eventually have more branches of ministry within it? I told myself months ago that I didn’t want to start something of my own. There are thousands of organizations here in Uganda doing everything you can possibly think of, so why do I need to start something new?

Big and crazy ideas are how I know the ideas are not my own and are from God.

This is something I would have never imagined to do or even thought possible.

But God is opening huge doors.

Things are happening where there is no worldly way it should be happening.

Those words of encouragement and prophecy from that pastor were not a coincidence. They were God-given to assure me that what I was feeling and hearing was real and that Kitiibwa Home and Kitiibwa Ministries are in the beginning stages and they are bigger dreams that I could have dreamed for myself.

I am slowly, but surely, getting more clarity about the overall vision and ministries that will happen within Kitiibwa Home and those that will be outside, as a part of Kitiibwa Ministries.

A digital mock-up of what the front of the house will look like

Please join me in rejoicing at the birth of the vision of Kitiibwa and pray for continued guidance for the road ahead, as this dream becomes a tangible reality—as it becomes a place to experience God’s glory.