The Miracle of Peace

Sharon & Peace circa 2010.

This story goes back at least twelve years.

At Divine Grace Primary School, there were two young girls who boarded there and were best friends. They both came from hard family and life circumstances but had each other to confide in, laugh with, dream with, hope with, and love.

One of these small girls was our sponsor daughter, Kyarisiima Sharon. The other, Kasande Peace. 2010 was our family’s first time visiting the ministry, and it was on that trip that we met Sharon, whom we had begun sponsoring the previous year. When Patrick, my husband, Maggie, our oldest daughter, and I met Sharon on that visit, we all felt a strong bond with her and love for her immediately. Making a long story very short, we ended up adopting Sharon as our daughter. In 2011, we brought her home on Thanksgiving Day. But, she left behind Peace, her best friend. It was heartbreaking for both of them. Nine-year-old girls need their best friends.

It was a hard transition for Sharon into a new place, new home, new family, and new culture with no best friend. But one year later in 2012, we were able to bring Sharon back to Uganda to visit Divine Grace and her friend Peace. It was a beautiful reunion for the two friends, but it was the last time we saw Peace.

That year, Peace left the ministry to take care of her mentally ill mother and younger sibling. After that, no one knew where she was and had no way to find her. Each year we would bring Sharon back, and each year she would bring letters and gifts for Peace, leaving them with Mama Phoebe in case she were to ever be found or to come back. For ten years, there was no word of Peace.

Until... In February of this year (2022), Dr. Rick Rogers and Joanna Vazquez with the ministry stateside traveled to Uganda for ministry business. It “just so happened” that one day while they were at the Sozi’s home, Kasande Peace showed up there. She had been “lost” from the ministry but was now found. Peace had eventually been taken in by a Korean ministry in Kampala, where she had been living for the last three years. She had asked the people there to help her find Pastor Peter and Mama Phoebe Sozi, which they did. As He does, God worked a miracle that day. She showed up at precisely the right time, while Rick and Joanna were there. Peace told them her story and said her best friend had been Sharon and wanted to find out about her. Rick knows our family well and knew all about how and where Sharon was. I could not have been more shocked when Joanna later told me the story, showed me pictures and played a video of Peace sending her love and greetings to Sharon. I cried grateful tears and Sharon cried deep, deep sobs of gratitude when I told her about Peace.

Providentially, our family had a trip planned for a month later in March, though Sharon is in college and was unable to make it. On our first day in Uganda, we found Peace at St. Jude Vocational School, where Phoebe had arranged for her to attend to learn cosmetology. Our reunion was so glorious. Only God could have worked it out so perfectly. Peace is a beautiful young woman of twenty years who loves the Lord deeply and wants to become an evangelist. We were able to share pictures of Sharon, give her gifts, and spend time getting to know each other again. We praised God for his mighty works of goodness.

In the few days we have been home, we have received several texts and voice messages from Peace, and Sharon has reconnected with her dear friend. We thank the Lord for technology and the way he works in the details, even when we cannot see them. May we forever be connected with Peace by love and His great mercy.

-Margaret S. (Longtime Sponsor & Friend of DCM)