Gulu leadership

Francisco Onencan - Financial Officer

I was raised in a polygamous home where my mother was not the principle wife. When I was a teenager my father died leaving me with no protector. When his most powerful widow decided that she didn’t like me because I was getting better grades in school than her son, she forced me to leave the home and live on the streets. It was a miserable existence, constantly looking for food and a place to sleep that was safe. I have been shot at on several occasions and one time robbers beat me and held a gun to my head. As they pulled the trigger I shouted, “Jesus!” and the gun did not fire. That’s when I knew that I must trust Jesus as my own Savior and give Him my life.

There is no free schooling in Uganda at any level so, in order to continue going to school after I had been expelled from my home, I had to work. Thus I worked at any odd jobs I could find in order to have the money needed to continue my education. Whenever the rebels came to our school with the intention of abducting some new “recruits”, my friends and I would climb up into the ceiling and hide. Some of my friends who were abducted and forced to become rebel soldiers came to try to talk me into joining the rebellion. But they came in vain because I was committed to living for Christ and had seen His mighty hand of protection over me.

The Scripture reads: “For with God nothing shall be impossible!” (Luke 1:37) When I feel like the world is collapsing all around me, I put my faith in the LORD and His Word. I pray to Him fervently and He always opens a door to bring my deliverance.

After finishing university, I prayed and fasted for regular employment so that I could care for the children of my late brother. And the LORD brought two opportunities my way! One position was with World Vision and one with Favor of God Ministries. After much prayer, I chose Favor of God because I believed that working here would better enable me to fulfill the vision God has put in my heart: to preach and teach the Word of God and to work with children, helping to raise up a generation that fears the LORD.