An Interview with Dennis Katabalwa, SOS Senior Staff & Manager of Development at SOS
by Danielle Hurley
From Jungle to Campus
If you bumped along the dirt road toward the SOS Ministries campus 7 years ago, you would have passed acres and acres of dense jungle. Shannon would have excitedly described where he envisioned future buildings, homes, and places of ministry, but you would most likely have only been able to envision...jungle (unless you are a rare visionary type). If you came to SOS this year and walked along the manicured roads, past multiple staff homes, Community Bible Church of Kubamitwe, Legacy Christian Academy, and several office buildings, you would marvel at how the jungle had been transformed into a campus bustling with diverse ministry. How did the transformation take place? Financially, it came from hundreds of donors who share SOS's vision to see Christ reigning in hearts in Uganda. In Uganda, it came through countless hours of dedicated service, led by our Manager of Development, Dennis Katabalwa.
Meet Dennis Katabalwa
We met Dennis in 2007 when we attended the same church in Mukono. At the time, Dennis taught high school geography and lived a short walk from our house. He was actually related to Emmitt's biological father and helped their family when he died. Dennis began working at SOS in Luwero in 2009.
Dennis smiles as he remembers his childhood. "Growing up in an Anglican family, we knew about God and were taught about Him at home and at church, but our knowledge of God wasn't an individual, personal relationship with God. I feared a supreme Being, but didn't have a relationship with Him." Dennis reminisces striving to obey God without the power of God to enable him. Sadly, his story is typical of children growing up in a religious system not based on biblical truth. They come up short in their efforts to conform, yet, are left without answers. Dennis was elated to finally hear the truth for which he had been searching when Shannon preached at his local church. For the first time, Dennis was able to hear, "what the Scripture was saying instead of just hearing someone share his own word. I learned more about the need to open up Scripture for myself. During his (Shannon's) teaching at my church, he conducted a seminar when he taught who a Christian is. I discovered I wasn't the Christian he taught about, but rather was a self-made Christian. That's how I came to know Christ personally." Shannon continued discipling Dennis and was happy to invite him to join the SOS family the next year.
Dennis Meets Lydia
In 2010, at an SOS Conference, Dennis met a young, radiant Ugandan woman who was more passionate about the Lord than anything else. Dennis' friendship with Lydia grew and they were married in 2012. They now enjoy a growing family.
Lydia has been a special part of SOS since she came to live in the Hurley home while she dated Dennis. Her passion for discipleship has spread among our villages where countless lives and families have been impacted by her investment. Lydia is a gifted Bible teacher and wants more than anything for her children to grow to love Jesus.
Dennis' Current Ministry Focus at SOS
Dennis serves as the Development Manager. He supervises all development, including buildings, land related issues, and any new infrastructure needing to be developed. Everyone at SOS appreciates the hardworking, energetic, creative, ingenious gifts he offers with a likeable smile. He has the opportunity to invest in over 40 contracted workers on a daily basis, not only professionally, but spiritually.
Dennis also enjoys teaching a weekly men's discipleship group with 12 men from our church. He finds pleasure in getting to know them on a deep, transparent level. "In our small group, they are able to disclose their struggles and how they are seeing life differently after being in our Bible study. They are struggling with sin, sharing it with us, and wanting to see how to deal with it."
Excitement in Ministry
Dennis: "I'm most excited about how SOS wants to reach out to the people and how it wants to minister to the people. Two days back, I had been thinking about how my job as development manager relates to reaching out with people. I've been spending my time with Shannon not doing my defined job, but reaching out to people in our community and dealing with people's lives and counseling. That excites me that we go beyond the day's job, and our biggest target is the PEOPLE that we serve. I see my job become practical when I touch a life."
Lydia: Is most excited: "about the Word of God being preached and shown to people. People can sincerely understand that it is God's Word!" She also enjoys transparent, effective interaction of Christians-"being real and offering real forgiveness." Lydia loves being a part of people who are encouraging one another, helping each other grow spiritually, and carrying one another's burdens (even physically).
Lydia is also enthusiastic about the small, weekly Bible studies. "We can reach so many groups in the community! We are reaching out to different groups and showing love." And then she remembers premarital counseling! "They are mentored and given great preparation for marriage that they wouldn't be able to receive from anywhere else." In addition to her thankfulness for Legacy Christian Academy for her own children, she adds, "I can't stop praising God for how SOS is growing and developing so fast!"
Pray for the Katabalwa Family!
Dennis:-Pray that I am a faithful supervisor of the group I head, that I serve them, showing them the gospel of Christ. Pray that these relationships are built based on the truth, and that we reach these guys with the truth of Christ.-Pray that the responsibility I have I am able to manage it in a balanced way as the dad and husband I need to be, plus being a faithful worker at my job.
Lydia:-Pray that I will be a faithful mother and faithful wife, to be a good helper for my husband. And to parent my kids in a godly way (which is a challenge to me). And that God will open my kids' eyes to truly know Him.-Pray that I will get more quiet time with my Lord, more faithfulness in God's Word.-Pray for the ladies in my Bible studies: to have good marriages and to come to the true knowledge of what marriage is and who Christ is. They are struggling in different issues and lack transformed hearts. I pray that God will open their eyes to His truth and then God will take care of their problems slowly.
Pastoral Training Center Update
by Dr. Shannon Hurley
Now that the dust has settled, (literally), we can see the vision of our Pastoral Training Center in dirt form. And to me, it is the prettiest dirt I have ever seen. In 2006, when Danielle and I with our then three children arrived in Uganda, it was for the goal of training pastors. Almost ten years later, our original goal is now being realized, and God's timing could not be more perfect. This past month we have graded all the roads, raised all the building pads, and laid all the drainage. We are now set to construct the buildings. The plan right now is to begin all the buildings in January. We believe that building the ten dorm homes and four administration buildings with take all of 2016 and 2017. This will allow us to begin our school in January 2018. This may sound like a long time away, but it is really right around the corner. We will use this short amount of time to prepare effective and dynamic curriculum, prepare our teachers, and prayerfully mobilize the necessary resources to finance the institution.
SOS's Pastoral Training Center is about more than just training pastors; it is about strengthening God's whole Church in Uganda. It is about creating a voice of truth in this country. It is about creating a new model for which pastors are to aim. It is about impacting Uganda. This may sound flighty or dreamy, but wasn't it William Carey who said, "Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God." Well, that is what we want to do. We want to do great things for God's Kingdom. The plan is in place. The Union is on board. The school is now being built. The rest is yet to be seen. Please pray that God will help us as we build out the details for the center.
For the Glory of our King!
Shannon
The Heart of the Ministry
this is one in a series of articles intended to provide an inside look into the daily lives of the Hurley & Cupp missionary families serving SOS...
Compassion in Action - Community Kitchen Project
Build a kitchen? Why? For we Americans who instinctively turn on running water in our kitchens which are fully equipped with electric appliances, we can't fathom why kids would raise money to build someone a kitchen. But these kids (the Hurley kids and their cousins, Seth and Noah Gist) understand the hardships of many of our neighbors. Living in small mud huts, most of our neighbors have kitchens consisting of a separate shed-type building (especially smart considering thatched roofs!).
These kitchens are built with wooden walls and iron roofs, but if the homeowner can't afford these materials, she (in most cases a single mom) will be limited to cooking her fire-cooked meals in the open, unless, of course it rains. Then her family will have to go hungry till the rain subsides. When my nephews heard about these cooking struggles, they decided to earn and raise money to build kitchens ($70 each) for the families in need.
So last week, when my sister, Tina and her two boys came to visit, they spent most of their time building kitchens for three of our neighbors! This isn't most 10 and 12 year-old boys' idea of an African adventure, but the Gist boys understood that it is TRUE that it is more blessed to give than to receive! They also learned some building techniques from Elisa. Who would have thought that building kitchens could be a blast with all the cousins!
Reflections from Danielle
Earlier this month, here on the SOS campus, we hosted a wonderful pastors' conference with 400 pastors from northern Uganda. They came to learn about their high calling as shepherds of God's church. They were a lively bunch, singing in small groups before the sun rose and laughing and talking late into the night. These men have had much harder lives than those in our area, due to a history of war, a dry climate, and generally poorer economy. So we were happy to spoil them here for a few days of respite! Yesterday, they returned to their villages filled with the Word of God, motivated to raise the standards of their individual preaching and shepherding.
I was first confronted by the response of the Israelites who had just recently been punished for rebellion against their leadership a few chapters back. They so quickly forgot (as do I!) and it says they, "assembled themselves against Moses and Aaron." Then they have the audacity to complain against their current situation as though they didn't deserve to be banished to the wilderness for their previous grumbling against the Lord (20:5). (Reminds me of my complaining as though I pridefully think I deserve better than I am receiving). Moses and Aaron respond by rushing to the tent of meeting and falling on their faces before the Lord. God gives them directions to provide water (as if their faithful, trustworthy God were not going to provide for them!), and Moses heads out to follow God's instructions. BUT the words he speaks as he stands next to the rock indicate that his heart isn't right. Moses calls his beloved flock, "You rebels." He clearly is controlled by sinful anger, not the Spirit of God. He would do well to take heed to God's warning in Genesis 4 to Cain to master the sin which is crouching at the door for him.
Moses' initial, angry words should be a warning siren, blaring in his ears to: BE CAREFUL! RELY ON GOD'S STRENGTH! But, Moses does what I do (everyday!), and he gives in to his sinful emotions, rather than submitting to the Spirit. Why? Numbers 20:12 tells us in God's response to Moses, "because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy." First, Moses lacked faith. And that is what I do EVERY time I sin. I don't believe that God is better than what I hope to achieve with my sin. Moses lacked the faith to treat God as HOLY. God is worthy to be set apart, holy. The least He deserves is obedience! But when I choose to disobey, I treat God as unholy. I lose perspective of his holiness, and put a higher value on what I want. Then I justify following my sinful emotions and... SIN! Now, this progression happens in about .5 seconds, but if I can break it down, I can get a better handle on my sinful patterns to watch out next time! It's not that I will just try harder next time (of course I'm powerless!), but I can listen to the warning siren in my mind and cry out to the Lord for HELP! And I'm confident that He will enable me to yield to His Spirit to obey.
So as I go through my day without running water and you go through yours without the things you think you deserve, remember that God is holy! He is worth your faith and obedience. And don't worry: your Heavenly Father will give what HE deems is good to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:11)
SOS Prayer Requests
* Community Bible Church of Kubamitwe
* Pastoral Training Center construction
* Legacy Christian Academy Uganda
* Faithful prayers & financial support for our missionaries, Pastoral Training Center and Legacy school
Got Skills ?
SOS is looking for volunteers that would like to explore "Digital Missionary" service to the Lord through SOS. Please prayerfully consider an eternal investment of your time, and contact us if you are interested....
Anthony & Mary Basaba
Please pray for the Basaba family as they raise support to return to SOS Uganda mid next year. Anthony Basaba is a Ugandan desiring to return to Uganda to serve SOS with his wife Mary and family. Anthony will focus on Community Outreach as well as support the biblical training conferences and other key areas.
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Francis & Caroline Bisagni
Please pray for the Bisagni family as they raise support to serve SOS in Uganda, planning for a mid 2016 start. The Bisagni family is very dear to SOS, and will be joining the SOS Senior Management Team to facilitate the Pastoral Training Center and other critical support areas.
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ABOUT SOS - Sufficiency of Scripture (SOS) Ministries is a unique 501(c)(3) faith-based organization, dramatically impacting the precious people of Uganda through sound Biblical teaching and training in God's Word, and through sacrificially demonstrating Christ's love.
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