WHERE GOD GUIDES HE PROVIDES

The following is a testimony written by Lucy Eyamu (middle) from Masese, Uganda.  Lucy has been a part of Bold Faith Journey since 2018.

 

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My mother was forced to marry an old, polygamous husband and she was also the youngest and the last wife because back then in Africa people were illiterate.  My mother was sixteen years old and was married to a man of fifty years of age because of his wealth, such as many herds of cattle and so on.  Her parents forced her into such a marriage because my father had three wives already, thus making four wives, my mother inclusive.

 

I came to Jinja, Uganda in 1994 due to the constant wars which were going on in North Eastern Uganda.  My mother also wanted my uncle, who was already living in Jinja, to pay my school fees for high school.  But my uncle refused to pay for my school fees.  In fact, he said he couldn’t pay for a girl child’s school fees because girls can easily just get married.  When he said that, I cried and refused to eat any food for days because I really needed to go to school.  I didn’t want to pass through what my mum had already gone through because of illiteracy, so I left my uncle’s place and traveled to a slum called Masese where my step-mum was staying.  I started going with her to gather firewood to sell to other people to earn a living until we gained enough capital and began a local brewing business.

 

In 1996, I got married and eventually gave birth to four children.  In 2007, my husband died while my children were still young and none of them were already in school.  That is when I had to struggle on my own to feed, educate, dress, and pay rent for my family.  I struggled hard to take my children to school because I didn’t want them to face the same problems that had happened to me.  I continued to brew for fees, rent, and other basic needs.  In 2010, I decided to quit the brewery business and committed my life to Christ.  I began a paper-beads-making business instead.  I have no regrets in being a single mother because I believe my children have a real Father, Jesus Christ, who has never abandoned us since day one.

 

Still in 2010, my eldest daughter had a surgery for her appendix and I really spent a lot of money on her treatment.  It was a hard year for me and I asked the Lord to be by my side.  I had too much fear because I thought she would not survive, but I was strengthened by the words of David in Psalms 27:1 that say “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?”  I thank God she survived and she’s now at University earning a Diploma in Information Technology.  

 

I have three girls and one boy.  The first-born, who is my only son, is called Olinga Brian.  The second-born is Asio Oliver Eyamu, who is my daughter at college.  The third-born is Achom Winniefred and the last-born is Amulen Patience Eyamu.  I give thanks and praises to the Lord, our Provider, because He has provided all needs for me and my children and they are all now somewhere in their path of education. 

 

In 2020, during the pandemic time of Covid-19, everything was destroyed and my paper-beads-making business collapsed because there was no available market for my products.  Financial suffering occurred in my family.  There were many times we went with no food and our landlord would even abuse me, threatening to send us out of the house onto the streets.  We have been through a lot during this pandemic time.  Thankfully, schools are opened this year, in 2022, after being closed for two years but I still don’t know where I’m going to get money for my children’s school fees going forward.  May the Lord, our Provider, continue to provide our every need.

 

Thank you for reading my story.

Stay blessed.