00:23 I welcome you to the second part of the Shield of Faith program here on Rite TV. 00:30 I am Nuwamanya Godfrey and we are still with our guest, sister Rachael telling us about her life. 00:39 Before Rachael continues, one writer said that “once a sheep loses its way, it won’t be able to trace its owner but the owner is in position to trace the lost sheep.” 00:55 When we sin, we lose direction and we are taken up by worldly things like fornication, telling lies and many others. 01:07 And most of the time, even when we become born again, we do not want to take a step and talk about our sins. 01:18 In this second part, Rachael is going to tell us more about the life of salvation. 01:28 I believe she is going to do so in a way Revivalists do it, where one testifies with all honesty. 01:44 She became born again some time back in 2016. 01:51 And here she is, giving her testimony so that in case you are out there and still scared of testifying, you will get inspired by this born again married woman. 02:00 In 2016, you stood before a congregation and in the presence of God, you repented of all your sins. 02:14 I was not ready to attend that fellowship at all, so I had to cover up and tell a lie that I wasn’t feeling well. 02:38 They all went to attend the fellowship meeting and I was left alone in the hostel. 02:42 I then heard a voice asking me why I had to tell a lie. 02:47 I immediately got up, took a shower then joined my other colleagues for prayers. 03:00 I was their leader but I lied to them and asked them to stand in for me. 03:04 When I got to the room where the fellowship was going to take place, I found that everybody was waiting for me their leader who had nevertheless told a lie. 03:18 I was raised in a humble home and I developed a desire for worldly things, as I kept wondering why of all people it had to be me to have such a poverty ridden background. 03:31 I ended up sinning because I always thought I was worthless. 03:37 The Lord actually revealed to me that being discontented with what I had and coveting other people’s circumstances was a sin. 03:46 Being discontented yet I had both my parents was also a sin. 03:49 So I wondered whether I had to repent about that as well. 03:53 For the first two years at the university, I resisted all the advances from boys. But in my my third year, I succumbed and got a boyfriend. 04:02 Eventually I slept with that boy so all my effort of controlling myself went through the wind. That hurt me so much because I had wanted to maintain my virginity till I got married but then sadly I lost it to Satan. 04:21 confessing such a sin was scary and I didn’t want to lose face before the gathering but I don’t know how God did it but I found myself repenting to Him and before the people that were gathered there. Praise God. 04:31 I knew people would laugh at me because non-born-again Christians have a tendency of judging others wrongly. 04:45 The Lord gave me the courage and strength to stand before people and repent. 04:50 I vowed never to fornicate again, the Lord had mercy on me and I pronounced salvation. 05:03 I repented of not telling the boys who used to stalk me upfront that I would not have any affair with them. I would tell lies actually. So this time I witnessed to them and told them that I had met the Lord. 05:18 I had to wait on God for sometime until He brought around the right man for me who would actually be my husband. Praise God. Praise Him. 05:41 You know these days for most of us who live in Kampala and probably it could also be the same case for those in the rural areas; it is said that you can’t go through the university without lying around with boys. 06:07 It is actually possible, but unfortunately it is now a debate even among girls in Secondary or even Primary school. 06:25 I want to tell all my sisters watching that yes, it is possible because my sister and I vowed not to sleep around so that we could remain pure until we were wedded in church. 06:35 Christ protected me since I had repented of all my sins, became born again and followed the right path. So, it is possible. 06:42 For those who think that it can’t happen, are wrong it can and it is possible. 06:46 So are there still girls who get married when they are virgins? Yes indeed. 06:50 I want also to give hope to parents who worry about their daughters, that it is possible for God to keep their daughters pure. 06:54 It is not an easy road and in my case, Christ cut it short before I gave up. 07:09 So finally you got a husband. 07:11 Yes and I told you how he spotted me. 07:19 He told me how it took him quite some time to find a suitable woman for marriage until Christ blessed us with holy matrimony on 16th December 2017. 07:40 We are now 5 years into our marriage however, Christ has not yet blessed us with children. Is that so? 07:50 No, we haven’t yet been blessed with children in the 5 years that we have been married. 07:55 I was touched by your testimony and I never knew that a time would come and I meet you in person. 08:04 I was so moved by your testimony of which I learnt to always remain on the right path of salvation and to be patient. 08:13 Amidst all the challenges, I never imagined that I would ever face such a test yet I got married when I was already born again. 08:25 Six months passed, a year, 4 years; it is a test indeed. 08:35 I face a lot of outside pressure because in as much as my husband is not yet born again, he is a God-fearing man. 08:45 He hasn’t yet confessed salvation but he has a heart of gold and he keeps comforting me amidst all the pressure. 08:52 A lot has been said; words that make sense and some that do not make any sense but I remain strong in faith. 09:11 It is only Christ who knows our lives and He performs miracles. So that is why I can never resort to witchcraft in search for a child. 09:30 The Lord who saw me through my education life, blessed me with a good husband and a home, can never forsake me because I accepted Him in my life and He welcomed me. 09:43 In our culture, every married woman is expected to bear children, if she doesn’t, she becomes an outcast. 10:02 But amidst all that, I hear the Lord’s voice telling me to remain strong in faith because He is the one who makes a way where there seems to be no way. So, I should be patient and put my trust in Him. That gives me the courage to carry on. 10:17 I am also very grateful to God because I work with brethren from the church who keep encouraging me to remain positive in life. 10:25 Even in these 5 years of marriage, I haven’t stopped praying about it so that Christ can bless me with children as He did for others. 10:36 I am sharing my experience of childlessness so that someone out there perhaps in a worse situation, should not go anywhere else but to Jesus who has kept me strong in the 5 years that I have been married. I am also a leader with Mothers’ Union. Is that so? 11:10 Yes, when I was a young girl, my dream was to become a leader with Mothers’ Union because my mother was also one. 11:20 While with my colleagues, I used to try on the traditional “Busuuti” worn by women of Mothers’ Union and I would practice giving remarks at functions. 11:33 And when I turned 28 years, Christ blessed me and I was chosen to become a leader not because I was better than other women, but God was fulfilling my heart’s desire. You are a leader at what level? 11:44 At the County level. 11:48 It is not a bad beginning for a girl of my age so I am the leader of Mothers’ Union of the county of Rushozi church of Uganda, Kashari sub-county in Rukinga parish. 12:05 I would like to go back a bit on the issue of being married and failing to have children. 12:08 I wouldn’t want to call it “failing to have children” because God is going to bless you with children. And that is my prayer. 12:13 The bible says in Isaiah that the Lord’s arm is not too short to save us. The Lord is always with us and He never changes because the Lord who saved us yesterday, is the same Lord that will save us today. 12:32 I normally tell people that many of the challenges that we face in life, are not here to kill us or wipe us out but the Lord puts us to a test so that He can make it clear to us that He will always be with us like He promised. 12:55 The Lord promised that He would always be with us and I want to assure you that even now He is with you. 13:04 It is just coming to 5 years for you while it took us 7 years. 13:17 You and your husband should remain firm in faith and for as long as your husband’s love for you is strong. I believe he is watching us so he should never let the devil lie to him. 13:40 In such situations, many of us men let our guard down and seek alternatives. 13:47 All that is God’s plan and you will come back here one day to testify to the Lord. 13:54 I am so thankful to God because I didn’t know that I could endure being childless for all these years that I have been married but He has always given me the courage and hope. 14:17 When God blesses you with a companion, He knows that you are ready and deserve one. 14:24 So I am very grateful because He blessed me with a good husband who always comforts me because we both want a child and we are faithfully praying since God’s timing is always perfect. 14:40 Thanks be to God for keeping you strong because during the marriage life, many tend not to trust in the word of God but when you read in Ecclesiastes, it says that “when two people are married, they should always be by each other’s side.” 15:11 We not only help each other physically but also spiritually. 15:13 You should be thankful to God because you are married to a man who gives you hope amidst such a challenge. 15:30 So how have you been coping up with such a challenge and how have you approached it since you said that the happiness of any married woman is to be able to bear children. 15:45 First and foremost, I was blessed to have found my husband with children of one of my in-laws who passed on. 15:59 We are taking care of 4 children whom we treat as our own. 16:06 That alone takes away my sorrow because I never knew that I would even meet them in my life. 16:25 I love them so much because like any other parent, I also take them to school and even go through all the stress of preparing them for school and that gives me a peace of mind. If Christ can do that for me, what more can I ask of Him?! 16:46 Those kids are a very big blessing and I love them so much. 16:53 We should praise the Lord for that. “We praise you Jesus son of the lamb, your blood washed away our sins, we thank you saviour.” 17:16 I would like to say this again to those watching us on this program that Rachael and her husband are about to clock 5 years in marriage but they haven’t yet been blessed with children of their own. However, they have been blessed with children that they are taking care of like she said earlier. 17:35 The Lord has taken away the sadness of her not having her own children because she said that like any other parent, you find her running up and down preparing her in-law’s kids for school whom the Lord has blessed her with. 17:56 That is why we praise the Lord’s name. Praise the Lord. Praise Him. 18:00 So, if you are out there and are facing the same challenge, do not wait for God to bless you with your own biological children. 18:15 I have a similar testimony because before I got married, I used to take care of a neighbour’s child who was even a Muslim. Oh dear. 18:32 I treated that child as my own and I had no idea that I would even face that challenge of delaying to have children when I got married. 18:45 That delay could be that God wants you to first give an those children an opportunity to have education before He can bless you with your own. 19:05 I really thank you so much for not regretting or being sad as you wait for your own while you take care of your in-law’s children. Praise God. 19:22 As we are about to wind up, I would like to ask you a question because of course it may not all be that well in such situations, do you have any song, verse or fellowship group that gives you the strength to keep strong in faith? 20:10 Whenever I face any kind of challenge in life, I go on my knees and seek God’s intervention. 20:28 Trust me there is no situation too big for the Lord to handle. 20:32 Before I join brethren for prayers, I always first seek God’s guidance, comfort, love, happiness and strength because all my trust is in Him. 20:56 Secondly, God has given me prayer partners whom I trust and feel comfortable with because some people turn other people’s challenges into a laughing matter. Are there still people who can be trusted? Yes, and we do repent of our sins with all honesty and we lead pure lives in Christ. 21:56 Together with my colleagues of Shield of Faith fellowship group and members of Rushozi Mothers’ Union group, we wake up every day at 3:00am in the morning and pray via our phones. 22:12 I really thank God because many of my colleagues do pray for me which gives me the strength to remain strong in faith. 22:25 By the time I got married to my husband, he had lost both of his biological parents and he had no siblings although he had guardians. 22:43 I asked God why? My husband had no biological family and here we are with no biological children of his own, but I trusted in Christ so that I could become my husband’s given biological relative. 23:05 I thank the Lord because we have been blessed with so many relatives who love us so much and guide us because of God’s grace and love. 23:20 What has kept me strong in my salvation journey and marriage life is prayer and fellowshipping together with brethren. 23:26 The rest is history. Sometimes I ask God how I am going to make it when I am faced with a certain challenge only to realize that a new day has come. Praise God. We thank you so much for your testimony. What could be your final words as we wind up? 23:56 I would like you to look into the camera and strongly advise anyone out there who is facing a similar challenge. 24:28 I am able to overcome all this because of the strength that Christ gives me. Without Him, I wouldn’t make it. 24:39 The strength to persevere, the strength to repent of all your sins, the strength to be trustworthy on your job and the strength to build a happy marriage is all by the Grace of God because you can’t manage on your own. 25:00 For those young ladies in marriage who are facing a number of challenges like a husband who is a drunkard, one who is unfaithful or one who is poor should put all their trust in Christ Jesus to give them the strength to carry on. 25:24 All you need to do is to be patient, be God fearing, become born again and leave the rest to Christ. 25:33 So whether you are young or old, there is nothing you can do on your own without Christ. 25:43 That is all I can say. Praise God. 25:45 Our dear viewers, that was our guest for today, Rachael on our program Shield of Faith here on Rite TV. 26:00 I would have loved to have some more minutes with her but unfortunately, time is not on our side. 26:08 Allow me to wind up the program but, Rachael is unique and special because she is the first person hosted on this show who has been free to tell her actual age and the first girl that I know of who decided to get a hoe and engage in cultivation in order to earn some income while at the university. Rachael did it. 26:53 She avoided sleeping around with boys for money. 27:00 One other thing that I would like you to emulate as far as Rachael is concerned most especially those of you who are facing a number of challenges is that for the 5 years she has been married to her husband, they have not yet been blessed with their own biological children but she found orphans of her late in law whom her husband and herself are taking care of like they were their own. 27:45 Like she said, if it is not by God’s grace, you can never overcome it. We thank the Lord for you. I also thank God for the good work you are doing and I am so blessed for having hosted me for the good of God’s work. 28:15 May God bless Rite TV Praise God. You have done us so well and by God’s Grace we hope to host you again. By the way, please call me when you conceive so that I can host you again because I know God is going to bless you with children of your own. And even when you give birth, we shall host you again. We shall invite you for the thanksgiving. Follow us on all our social media platforms i.e Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, website. Simply type ritetvuganda and you will be able to watch many other testimonies and all our other programs. Rite TV has come with a new chapter of reviving and transforming the church. Just follow us and God will bless you indeed. God bless you.
