Student Testimonies
Five true stories of how your contributions help students:

Testimony from Student Lydia Wabuyi:

Hello, Saints. I am very grateful to share my testimony. 

Life was not fair to me before joining this church. My sister and I were raised by a single parent and it was my mum who struggled so hard to raise our tuition fee.  Life was hard because at times we missed classes, final exams and even the report card because we were unable to raise the school fee. There was a time I lost hope of ever going back to school again after doing my form four.  My sister Scovia and I were supposed to join form five and six to complete high school but we had to spend a year at home doing nothing.  Thanks to God, all the bad dreams ended when we became part of the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ Branch here in Uganda.  This is the time when we met Elder John Mundy.  Arrangements were made and through the church we were able to join form five in 2009.  I completed high school in 2010 and this year I have joined an institute and am getting a degree in journalism. While in this church I have really seen God’s blessing.

Thanks and be blessed,

Sister Lydia Wabuyi


Testimony from Student Patrick Akello to the church:

Good evening,

I would like to thank the almighty God for his care and direction and protection in my life as well as for this opportunity to offer my heartfelt appreciation to the church and the brethren who offered themselves to support the scholarship program that supports the needy by assisting financially members of the church in their schooling by providing tuition fees for them. Personally, I have been one of the beneficiaries of the church school scholarship fund. After graduating from my high school I had difficulties joining a college since I did not have money to pay for the admission fees let alone my tuition fees and didn't want to go through the difficulty that I experienced in high school due to lack of school fees. As a result I spent a lot of time out of school since I didn't have the required amount to join a college and was almost giving up on my dream of getting a college diploma or university degree.

It is then that I was advised by Elder Eric Odida to apply for assistance and my application was approved and I was able to finish my diploma in International Relations and Diplomacy.  I also earned an advanced certificate in Business Management thanks to the assistance from the church and from our brothers who heeded the voice of the spirit and gave of their substance to enable brothers like me to feel the embrace of God’s love. Indeed, like the hymn "When he calls me I will answer, I will be somewhere working for my lord," they answered His call of over thousands of miles and thus were vessels in the Lord’s hands and an answer our prayers. It is through this blessing that I was able to get my diploma and right now I have enrolled for a Degree in Commerce and I know by God’s grace I will be able to get my degree.  It is something that I could not have done if the brethren did not pay heed to The Lord’s spirit.
May the almighty Lord Bless you all.

Kind Regards,

Patrick C Akello

Testimony of Student Steve Odoro:

I was born in a polygamous family of four wives and twelve children.  I am the sixth born in the family.  Generally, my life has been full of difficulties. This is because my father, who works as a carpenter and sole breadwinner of the whole family, could not comfortably support the bigger family because of the low income he earns.  This negatively affected my education because I had difficulty acquiring school fees, stationeries [pencils, paper, etc.] and other basic things. The problem was intense in high school where I rarely attended classes because of the arrears I owed the school. But through God’s grace, friends and family came to my aid both emotionally and financially most of the time for  which am very  grateful. With their help and a personal determination, I successfully managed to complete my fourth form in the year 2008 and scored a mean grade of C+.

After fourth form I got engaged in odd jobs so that I could support myself and my family’s financial needs but it was very little. Deep inside I direly wanted to further my education so I would be able to get a well-paying job that would allow me to better support myself and the family and to help cover my siblings’ education. Judging from what I earned, these were but distant dreams but still I clung to God in prayer and worked hard, hoping that one day He would open the doors of opportunities for me.
Later on, after quite a number of failed scholarship applications I got sponsorship through the church’s scholarship fund and joined Kenya Aeronautical College where I took a diploma course in Flight operations and dispatch. Guided by well-established visions and a burning desire to fulfill them, I worked hard and smart thus emerging the top student in the DFD010S class. For sure God has worked wonders because at this level I never missed even a single class for any reason ranging from fees to personal problems.

After getting through with the class work, I later went on for industrial attachment in order to get experience in the practical aspects of the course and gain hands-on experience. I finished the field attachment recently with high recommendations thus making me highly qualified and ready for a job. I am now praying for God who has brought me this far to open the door to a job.  It is through all of these blessings that I am learning to trust and praise Him more.

Yours Sincerely,

Steven

Testimony of Student Justus Rotich:

We serve a living God who is faithful and true to His promises.  When we choose to walk in His ways, He not only forgives us our sins but also carries our burdens and His grace that is ever sufficient sustains us at all times. I've tasted the goodness of the Lord and I can testify of the richness of His glory.  He is slow to anger and abounding in love and the joy of serving Him is so overwhelming that it overshadows the trials and hardships of this world.

Three months ago, I got a job in the sales division of a security company here in Mombasa. God connected me divinely to this job.  I say this because prior to that, I had been selling medical insurance. We all know how the insurance industry operates. Your income is dependent on the number of sales you make.  For around 4 months I did not make any sales. Things were tough and I could barely sustain myself, but somehow I had this hope; I trusted in God so much that I had no room for despair.  I recited the twenty-third Psalm and thanked Him for who He is and what He is capable of doing.
Jeremiah chapter 17: 7 and 8 tells us that blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is in Him. He shall be like a tree planted by the waters, whose roots run down by the river.  It does not worry in times of drought and its leaves are always green.  It does not fear when heat comes and it will always bear fruit.

During that period of time, I knew deep inside me that God was working something in my life and my prayer was "God, open up my heart and give me a discerning Spirit that I may perceive Your will for my life."  It was during that time that I met my employer.  I had presented my product to this company with the hope of selling them a medical cover. They did not take the cover but the manager I was dealing with was impressed with my presentation and offered me a job. I officially started working on April 17th 2012 on a three month probation after which I'd be taken permanently. Two weeks before the expiration of the three month period I received a termination letter effective August first.  At first it came as a shocker because I strongly felt, "this is where God wants me!"  But after some time I realized God has a purpose in everything.  I prayed about it and the best part is, I didn’t stress myself over it. 

God gave me this inner peace that pulled me through. God proved Himself true to me on my last day in the office.  A colleague of mine who had heard of my termination called me to her desk and told me of a job opening.  So we called the company and they requested I go for an interview the same day.  Two days later they called me and I had the job!!  It offered a better salary and better working conditions.  I have never felt God manifest in my life like that before.  My faith in Him grew in double portions and I've learned to allow him to work in my life.

Testimony from Student Fred Okecha to Elder Doug Smith:

Hallo Elder Doug,

I hope you are doing okay and experiencing God's blessings in your life and the entire church in the USA.  I am doing okay too and in school thanks to the scholarshhip from the church.

I would like to testify how much the church has helped me in my personal and educational life. I thank God and the entire church for funding my schooling since 2011 and giving me hope for a better personal life.  I come from a humble family and at times my parents get sick and don’t have any finances. But I still manage to go to school because my fees have always been paid by the church. This helps me to keep a good focus towards my future goals and I am encouraged to work harder in college.  I would like to inform you that I have managed to get good passes [grades] in my examinations and can see that my dreams are realisable.

I would like to thank the church for this good course and continue to pray to God to help and bless the church to continue with this noble programme for the needy.  Thank you and may God bless you, your family and the entire church.

Be blessed,

Fred Okecha