My life.."God Lifts the poor from dust"

let me begin by thanking God for sending his dear Son Jesus save me who was a sinner, for it is very rare for a righteous man to die for unrighteous man but Jesus did it for me. By name am Kaliba Benon Rogers, a Youth Pastor, an interpreter of English language and a discipleship teacher at our Church. Once upon a time, in the year 1999 at the age of 15years old, I got saved and I was the first in my family to receive Jesus as my personal savior. I was born in a family of six Children; we were born two Brothers and four sisters in a Country called the Pearl of Africa -Uganda. This was a Protestant family. My father is a crippled man and unfortunately, my dear Mother died of heart disease in 2005. So I now live with my sisters and my crippled father. My Elder brother lives independently in a rented small room. I grew up in a very poor family where by my Mother never went to School and my Father never went far not even to a diploma level. So my father just does casual work especially digging the roads by use of a hoe, digging people's small gardens and these are less paying jobs. Imagine the whole month is paid 16dollars and sometimes some people he works for don't pay him. So life is really hard for us as a family.

During my youngest stage, at home my parents used to do some work so as to earn a living. We had a small garden where we could go and dig the soil to grow crops after we would sell some and get some little money which we used for buying our home needs but money was not enough to meet all our needs. We would only buy things like cloths, paraffin for lighting since at home we had no electricity and addition to the above in the House we lived we were just renting it.The feeding was not all that good and most meal we used to eat was posho (Cob) and G.Nuts lunch and supper. Not because we liked it so much but it was less expensive. Thus nothing was like a balance diet. It is believed even in my home place that our family was and is still one of the poorest families in the Area.

But one thing I thank God is that he protected us from many diseases and from evil deeds like stealing so that to satisfy our heart desires.Generally the situation at home was so miserable and embarrassing. At my time of starting school, I went to the poorest school which was meant for the poor people and I used to pay 10Dollars per Term. That was 30Dollars per year because 3Terms made up a year before you were promoted to another class. That was Primary level or junior level of education.When my time reached to go to another level of education that is Secondary level (Senior) I lacked money for my fees. So I said what am I going to do, I liked schooling very much because I knew that it is education that will deliver me from such a miserable life together with my family. Not only that but in my Country education is considered very vital and without education no Jobs for you.

Therefore when these thoughts continued to ring in my mind I began to think so hard of how I can reach to my goals. In that year of joining Secondary, I decided to start fetching water to the Town people especially those with small restaurants selling to them water at100UGS shs per Jeri can. A full day starting at 7:00Am -7:00Pm I would have fetched 30Jericans .Remember the distance from the well was very long like 2kms to these small Restaurants. As events rolled in, I was determined never to give up till I join Secondary.I want to tell you once you have faith in God and believing in your self without doubt in you, you can do anything you have never thought of. Just in that small casual tiresome work I managed to save some small amount of money which at the end enabled me to join Secondary level of education. That was in the year 1999 when I was 15 years old. After 1year my casual work was blocked by the Company of Water and Sewage Cooperation, In that they extended tap water nearer to almost every home including these Restaurants I used to serve water in favor of my education.

I again started worrying about what casual work I can do to pay my fees. My Mother advised me to go to the Village where my Mother was born to look for a very less expensive Secondary School compared to the one in the Town. So I had to go because I very much respected my Mother. When I reached in the Village I met there my Uncles, Grandmother and my step mother. I told them what had brought me in the Village; they also welcomed me because I was a grandson. Remember by this time I was saved and I had spent just 2years in Salvation. I started asking my self "where is my God who delivered the Israelites from the Wildness and the one who have helped many people to prosper" This question was ringing loudly in my mind to the extent of planning to leave salvation.

However, praise be to God! I gained courage and said "No I got saved for once and for all" Every thing has a beginning and an end,. I won't fear trials and challenges because they are always part of our life. In the Village I started digging for the Village people in their gardens by growing crops for them, slatching or clearing bushes before growing crops, so that I can get some money to continue with my studies One time I was given a very thick bush to clear it, and I felt like running a way from it because my eyes feared it since it was really very bushy and the land was wide in length to clear it using a slather and a hoe. But because I wanted money I had nothing to do but to persevere and finish the work. One very bad thing was that after doing all this, the owner didn't pay me my money immediately. I demanded for almost 2weeks and when he felt a shamed he paid me and it was after informing him that this money is for my school fees and it is needed at School. God enabled me to study through that severe situation till I completed my Senior Four part of Secondary level.

Then I had my Vacation after this Class. Actually it wasn't a Vacation to me but it was a time for me to work even harder to see that I again join Advanced level of education that takes 2years for the whole completion of Secondary level before you go to College to study for any Course, whether Diploma or Degree.During my Vacation I tried to look for the Jobs day and day but all in vain. So I reached to the climax of my search for the Job and as a last resort I decided to go to the island to start fishing since no qualification was required for one to fish but his only energy and determination. This involved going through the local Boat made of timbers deep in the River and throw the nets at the Night then pull them early morning. But before I started to try fishing I started by learning how to sun drying nets by use of hands since it was the method that was used by fisher men in our end.Time came when I got excited and I wanted also to learn how to fish so that I can get some more money compared to the work of sun drying Nets.

It was very early in the morning and one of my Uncles told me to go with him in his Friends boat to fish. To me I thought that fishing was very easy. But my dear, there is nothing easy in this World. It is always the grace of God that helps us to do certain things. When we reached very deep in the River we started throwing the Nets and after doing such, we had a short time of sleep for only 3hours. Imagine sleeping on water not even minding of drawing in the River, the Boat was checking side by side because of water waves so you could not sleep comfortably like on your bed.Unfortunately all this night was meaning less to us in that, the time, power we used didn't bring out any positive result. We only and only caught one Fish that night. It was unbelievable. I returned back with my Uncle quietly without one speaking to another. So from that time I had to leave the Island and go back to my original Parent's home where I left them when I was going to the Village.

Good enough we got hold of our property and resided into another small Town called Lugazi where Iam now. I found my same previous casual Job I used to do in the place we first lived. The one of Fetching water for the Town people who cannot reach to the Well especially the Business people. In this place this work was booming because there were no Taps (Tap water) nearer to people and people used to buy from us who got water from the well that was a bit far also in this place. I used to fetch water by using my old Father's Bicycle and I could carry Four Jeri cans.I thank God that I got some money and went back to School to complete my Secondary level of education. I was only able to pay for my self 2Terms and the rest terms I could not sponsor myself since this Town had also developed to the extent that every one would afford a tap at his or her Home this led to the downfall of my School paying Business of supplying water to the citizens in the Town.

So far, I completed my Secondary level of education in 2004 and I want now to join University (College) for my Course of Information Technology so that I become an IT professional plus doing other Businesses connected to my career. I haven't gone to start my studies at College because am lacking Tuition fee for College. And my Government doesn't provide grants to students. I want go to College and attain a Diploma and a Degree that I can gain skills and experience for self reliance.

My being saved, transformed in character and in following God's ways changed my life completely to the extent that my mother was touched to receive Jesus as her personal savior before her death. My four sisters also got saved after seeing what God had done in my life. It is only my elder brother and my lame father who are not born again but I believe when God continues to do more great things in my life they will also get saved.I began ministering after God has anointed me with his spirit in the year 2002 during my Secondary School education at the age of 18 Years old. I had just joined secondary at this School called Lugazi High School in Uganda -Africa. It was a mixed, day and Boarding Secondary School. I started joining fellowships of Born again Christians which were conducted by the Director of Studies at this School since she was also a born again Christian. This was a Club known as the Scripture Union Club made up of born again students and Teachers.

I was new to this Club and to Teachers, at one time during fellowship amidst deep prayer and worship. The spirit of God came upon my Director of Studies who was also among the heads of the Scripture Union instructing her to grant me the opportunity to preach to the congregation at that very moment. She says "LET ROGERS BE THE ONE TO PREACH I FEEL THE SPIRIT OF GOD IS INSTRUCTING ME"Therefore, the person who was supposed to preach on that day was stopped and the chance was given to me. I believe this was God himself speaking through this woman of God because she did not know much about me and she had never seen me preaching and I myself I had never preached in my life time since.

When I was told to go infront and share the word of God, I asked my self what Iam going to preach? This was because I did not come knowing that am the one who was supposed to preach and I did not prepare a Summon to preach about. But when I felt in my heart the spirit of God speaking to me that don't mind of what you will speak, I will be the one speaking to my people through you, I therefore obeyed and agreed to be used by God.I also remembered Jeremiah the Prophet who was once called by God to be used by him and he had some excuses "Then I said, Alas, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, because am a youth". However, the Lord said to me, "Do not say, 'Iam a Youth' because every where I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak" this also gave me the courage and determination to do God's will.

I thank God that at that very moment he began to speak to his people through me in a very powerful way with his presence amidst the congregation. I was also feeling God's spirit upon me. After the fellowship, many Students and teachers came to me and thanked me with praising God. They had this to say, "God is using you in an amazing way, you are really a powerful man of God and God is going to use you mightly and some said that I did not know that Rogers you can even teach the word of God as you have taught "I had realized that it was not me but God working in me and I gave the glory and praises to God. When a need rose for electing the leader of the Scripture Union Club among Students, I was elected and I became the Chairman of the Born again students at the School.

I started teaching God's word, directing my fellow students to God's ways, organizing visits to different other Schools who had also such fellowships, I also welcomed many visitors out side the School who were spiritually women and men of God to share with the School the word of God and to do counseling ministry to the students. I now became a Youth pastor after God had spoken to my pastor Hudson to make me the Youth pastor of his Church. This pastor was among the guests I used to welcome at my Secondary School to minister, he could also come with other people from different Countries like USA, UK and others. Therefore, from such, we became good friends and one day he welcomed me to his Church to visit them. That is when he saw me a seed of a good servant of the Lord. He chose me and afterwards I studied the Discipleship training in a Bible College of which I attained a Certificate.

Currently, Iam a Youth pastor in my Church called Lugazi Miracle Center serving God with my Pastor Hudson in God's house of miracles Ministries.I became a Youth pastor in 2003, I also teach God's word to the rest of the congregation and I do interpretation of English language in Church. I have often organized youth seminars and thanks to God that many youths have got saved and transformed through such Seminars. One Important thing I know with our God is that "He has good plans for us, not plans of harm But Plans of prosperity and hope in Future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me then I will listen to you."Jem29:11-12. Am believing God for great things to happen in my life because he promises me in Jem33:3 that "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know".

My goals are, Primarily to further the kingdom of God by teaching God's word to believers, to help Vulnerable Children by taking them to Vocational training schools, causing my fellow youths to have an intimate relationship with Christ,setting up developmental projects to help myself and family to get rid out of poverty and to become an outstanding and a loving father. I always encouraged myself with this scripture in 2Corithians1:3 which says "Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort of we our selves have received from God"