New Full Time Pastor at UBC Mbarara and Last Day in HIV/AIDS Clinic

This past week was an exciting as well as somber one. On the exciting side, we have now voted as a church family to extend a call to Mr. Enoch Kategaya to be our full time pastor. Enoch has been a member of our church for several years and works with the Words of Hope HIV/AIDS home visit program. He recently completed his bachelors of Social Work Social Sciences at Makerere University (Kampala). Enoch has a clear calling from God to the pastoral work of leading the UBC family. Having grown up in our church he has been a part of the youth programs, the university student program, and the Runyankore congregation as well. I look forward to walking alongside Enoch over the remaining month as he takes over as pastor. Please join us in prayer for Enoch.

Wednesday was my last day at the ISS Clinic (ISS stands for Immune Suppression Syndrome) at our hospital. As I finished seeing the last patient I sat alone in the room and reflected on what God has done since 1997 and spent some time in praise and prayer. It was early ’97 that I came to realize that unless someone did something for people with HIV/AIDS then many, many would continue to die. At that time the hospital unofficial policy was to let them die as we had limited resources and needed to spend it on those that would live. By God’s guidance and power I began to treat inpatients with respect and compassion and in late ’98 began an outpatient clinic.

We began one afternoon per week with a volunteer counselor. It soon grew to two days a week, and then three. By then we had arranged to have a 20 ft shipping container donated (see picture) to use as clinic. We then were able to get funding through the US Ambassador’s fund and our mission to add on to the container. Then in 2006 we were able to get funding through JCRC (Joint Clinical Research Center Kampala) to build a larger structure to accommodate the large number of families we were treating. Over the years we have enrolled 15,000 clients and now care for 8,000+ with 3,500+ receiving free anti-HIV drugs. It has been a great working partnership with several groups that has helped us provide compassionate care to families (Ministry of Health, JCRC, UCSF, Mulago Mbarara Joint Aids Program, Family Treatment Fund, Canadian African Prevention Trials Network).

As I think back about the early days it was one of death and dying. I saw many of my patients who had become friends die as there was not affordable treatment. Gradually over time the cheaper drugs came available and the clinic became one of emotional highs and lows as I saw some patients recover and get better through treatment and others still die. I survived spiritual and emotional challenges by daily depending on God’s grace so I could provide hope for those living and hope to those facing death. It was during that time that God gave me a vision to begin a home visit program in order to have more time for spiritual care. That program (Words of Hope) now serves thousands of clients and their families in the Mbarara District. We have great team of 5 Ugandan counselors and two missionaries that go out Monday-Friday to encourage, train, and love people with the love of Jesus. Many have come to faith in Jesus, groups have been discipled in following the teachings of Jesus, and even three new churches started. Glory to God!