Internet TV Channel Show Notes

DVD: # 97106

Special Guest: Pastor Isaac Wagaba, Director of the Canaan Children's Home, from Uganda, Africa.

If you are looking for inspiration, Pastor Isaac Wagaba has an incredible story! Isaac lives in Uganda, Africa and was only in the USA for a couple of weeks through donations from his friends to bring him here.

Pastor Isaac Wagaba and Sharon Hinton Smith

This broadcast shows viewers how God spared his life from gunshot, how God's voice spoke to his heart, how God is providing for his family as they run an orphanage of 104 children, and how he serves the pastors of over 70 churches in Africa!

Friends and I have known Isaac and are extremely excited to share his story with you!

Why on the show?

Pastor Isaac has a most incredible testimony and faith inspiring story. Donations from friends brought him to the USA for only a couple of weeks and I wanted you to have chance to meet him and to hear his story and his remarkable journey with God.

Overview of Issac's Testimony

1971 – 1979

Idi Amin led a coup and became president of Uganda.

1975 – 1978

Amin, who became known as the "Butcher of Uganda", murdered and presecuted Christians in East Africa, pressuring them to convert to Islam. No one could buy or sell anything unless they were Muslim.

1976

Persecution was well underway, while Isaac was in school learning to preach.

For the first 18 years of his life, he was just going along with the traditions of religion. At 18, however, he became a true believer, deciding to live for God.

1977

Large scale killings began for churches, ethnic groups and those of Asian and European ancestry. It is estimated that Amin killed from 300,000 to 500,000 people during his eight years in power.

Christians were forced to hold secret church meetings such as getting on a bus and traveling to a wooded area and hold church on a bus.

1977

Soldiers showed up at Isaac's house to arrest him. He went outside so they would not rape his wife. They burned his home and the church. They told him they were going to kill him. They put him on a truck with other "rebel" pastors. For 3 days they were kept in a small bloody room and then the soldiers came back to ask if they were still Christian. The soldiers left and returned again several times, always asking the same question. Each time Isaac told them that "Yes he was a Christian." He knew they were going to kill him so he told them to "Do it quickly because that is the fastest way to see Jesus."

The soldiers lined group up against the wall, with Isaac being the last on the end. They began killing each man all the way to Isaac. As each man was shot, he would fall onto the next, all the way down the line to Isaac. He felt the weight of their bodies before he was even shot; consequently, the shot that was meant for his heart, hit his arm.

The soldiers loaded the bodies... including Isaac, into the truck and drove them to a pit. The soldiers had dug a 40 foot deep pit to dump the bodies of all Christians. When they brought Isaac's group of bodies, the pit was so full that Isaac's, the last to be thrown in, were pitched on top. The soldiers simply covered the pit with branches and debris from the woods and left.

In the pit, Isaac heard the voice of God tell him "Isaac, we are together in this. I have come to spare your life. You will be a father to the fatherless. Get up!"

He did and crawled for as long as he could. Some "cow boys" (cow watchers/herders) found him and took him to a hospital.

The soldiers heard of it and came looking for him at the hospital.

1979

Amin's government was overthrown.

God told Isaac to go back home. Isaac didn't know where his wife was or if she was even alive.

1982

He reunited with his wife Rebecca and their two children! She and the children had safely escaped.

1984

A lady with two small children traveled to find Isaac. She was dying and said that she was told to take her children to Isaac.

He didn't know her and he didn't have a home to keep children. He told her she couldn't leave her children with his family because they didn't have any room or way to provide for them. The lady said okay, but asked to stay the night.

By the next morning, she was gone, but had left her two children. After that, many others started to bring children to Isaac's home.

1984

They had two orphans.

2007

They have 104 orphans. They still have to turn away children because of lack of room and supplies.

Orphans range from 1 year to 18 years.

Why so many orphans?

Because of AIDS and the war, many are abandoned or abused.

What is Isaac's mission for the orphans?

To tell them about God's salvation through Jesus Christ and show them love through a safe home and food. Also, he believes it is very important to make them a productive part of society and to be good witnesses for God. Therefore, the children are taught various skills such as sewing and carpentry.

Recent Success

Through generous support from people like us, they were able to build a clinic to care for the needs of the sick children! Also, they now have workshops to teach children skills like sewing and carpentry. They have a truck in which they pack the children to travel to school daily. It is a 10 to 15 mile ride to school. They leave at 6am for school and return at 7:00pm.

Current Needs

School

Each day, Canaan Children's Home, or Canaan Children's Transit Center as it is known in Africa, packs the children on a small truck and transports them to school. It's always a risk to take the children away from the home, but they have to go to school. No matter what the weather, the children ride standing in the back of a truck meant to hold less than half of the amount of children it carries each day.

Isaac sees the incredible need for a school to be built on the site of the Children's Home. He has had the architectural plans drawn and they have passed all of the governmental agencies for approval. Once the school is build, it can not only be used to educate the children in the community, where they will be also taught about the Good News of Jesus Christ! Isaac has done all of the physical labor that he can. Now they need the funds to complete the project.

Sponsorship

There is a constant need for sponsors for the orphans.

Visit www.canaanchildrenshome.org to view photos and biographies of the children. You can choose a child and contribute a partial sponsorship for $25 or a full monthly sponsorship for $50. Actually, anything you can offer will help so much and go directly to help those in need.

What can you do?

1. Pray. Whether you have money to contribute or not, we can all pray for them and the desire to construct a school for the children.
2. Support a child
3. Contribute a special amount to their school building. Construction begins when they have all of the funds.

Great Questions About Giving

1. We have needs in America. Why should I give to a foreign country?
   
   God's children are not defined by national boundaries, neither is their need or their desperate circumstances. Follow the heart God gave you.
2. I don't like to give to places I don't know what they are doing with their money. How I'm talking about accountability.
   
   Me either! This is an excellent quality to have! It is important to know that who we support are worthy of our trust and monies. I personally know the leadership, the organization and their good works. They are doing God's work and are worthy of our trust and support.
   
   Also, they have an excellent website, which addresses this question. Check it out.
3. America is one of the most generous nations. We give to other governments and they never seem to give it to those in their country who really need the money.
   
   Yes, but that still doesn't mean we should turn our backs on the widows and orphans. God will bless the cheerful giver! Besides, this isn't a governmental initiative. This is God's work - people of faith helping others of faith!
4. I don't have money.
   
   I understand, but please don't underestimate how powerful one voice can be, no matter how small, when combined with a chorus. If every Christian gave only 5 cents, their combined gift would exceed 10 million dollars. Imagine the impact such a gift - or even a much smaller one - would be to a community where the average wage is only a dollar a day. However, if your circumstances won't allow a financial contribution, remember that God gave you the Power of Prayer. Whatever your circumstances, please give what you can.

Contact Information:

Website:
www.canaanchildrenshome.org

Address:
Christian Aid Mission
1201 Fifth Street Ext.
Charlottesville, VA 22902

Pastor Isaac's personal email:
canaan@utlonline.co.ug

This broadcast includes the 8 1/2 minute video "The Story of Canaan Children's Home", along with Isaac's testimony. DVD's of our 30 minute television shows are available in the green box above. Simply click on the "DVD" button.

The DVD "The Story of Canaan Children's Home," is also available through Christian Aid Mission.

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Notes from A Wonderful Life with Sharon Hinton Smith show. © 2005 - 2012

You are invited to print and keep these notes for personal encouragement. www.sharonhintonsmith.com