So You Want To Live In Uganda

Taylor visiting students at Divine Grace Primary School, in Rakai, Uganda.

It was late one Sunday night. My daughter, Taylor, was filling out college applications. She had been touring campuses all Fall and came home from each one unsatisfied. This particular night, she was putting the finishing touches on her college essay. The application deadlines were the next day. I asked her how the applications were going, and she said, “Horrible. I don’t want to go to college. I just want to go be a missionary in Uganda.” I patted her head. Gave her a hug. And said, “I think you need to go to bed.”

I’m not sure I slept that night. Thoughts were swirling in my head. See. Taylor had read a book as a little girl about a teenager who went to Africa and had always been mad that we wouldn’t move our family there. It truly was something she always wanted to do. When she woke up the next morning, she walked out into the kitchen, and I said, “Taylor, were you serious about the Uganda thing?” I was convinced she had just said this in a moment of frustration. But to my amazement, she replied, “Yes, mom. I really am.”

Those five words started this mama in motion. Immediately, I began reaching out to people who knew people. And Taylor started doing the same thing. We both kept coming up with this one ministry. Surely, this was a sign from God. Everything started falling into place and lining up. Further confirmation, right? Until it wasn’t. Which left us reeling. We were coming up to Spring Break, and Taylor still knew in her heart that this was what she wanted to do. I looked at her and said, "Taylor I think we need to pray and kind of have a deadline. If we don’t come up with an organization for you to go with by the end of Spring Break, then I think we need to proceed with college.” She agreed.

As I was talking to my husband, he remembered a colleague he had worked with who was from Africa. He immediately called him thinking he might know of a non profit. That phone call was an answer from God, because Dr. Ikejiani put us in touch with Dr. Rogers and Divine Care Ministries. After a couple of phone calls between Dr. Rogers and Mark, Dr. Rogers and Taylor, Joanna and Taylor, and finally a zoom call between all of them and Mama Phoebe, the Sozi family agreed to have Taylor come live with them for a year.

Peoples’ reactions have been all over the board. We had so many people who supported us immediately. But we also heard the same questions over and over. “Why doesn’t Taylor just do it for a month?” “Aren’t you worried about her safety?” “Are you really going to let her go?” “She just needs to do this after college.” The entire time there just was this peace that Mark and I had about the situation. Don’t get me wrong. I am a worrier at heart. So, of course, I would worry about things. But even still, I just kept talking to God and believing that He was her ultimate protector. And how could Mark and I keep Taylor from doing something that God had placed on her heart. How exactly would we answer to Him if we told her she couldn’t go?

The day arrived for us to take her. Mark was not able to go, so my son, Brett, came with me. I had been anxious the weeks preceding the trip. But when I tell you, within moments of meeting Phillip, Mama Phoebe, and Pastor Sozi, that anxiety simply went away. We spent 6 days with the family, learning first hand about their ministry, visiting Divine Hope Primary School and Divine Grace Primary School, worshipping in their churches, meeting the women at the Women’s Empowerment Center, having children pray over my family, and being embraced by women who told me they had been praying for our family and that they would love and take care of Taylor as if she were their own. It actually made me mad that I had wasted so much precious time and energy even doubting for a second that God had been orchestrating such an amazing plan all along. Yes. We cried as we left each other, but all I have to do is look at this picture of Taylor. This is the look of PURE JOY! God was in control all along, and the Divine Care Ministries family has her and is loving her probably better than even I could! Phillip Sozi kept telling me, “God is everywhere, but He lives in Uganda.” And you know what? I believe it.

-Stephanie D.

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