Founder's Testimony
My name is Emmanuel Maganda. I’m Ugandan, born and raised in a Catholic and Muslim family in a small, remote village on the shores of Lake Victoria.
I’m a husband to one wife and a father of 10 children—5 biological and 5 adopted. I’m a follower of Jesus with an apostolic calling, set apart to preach the gospel of the Kingdom to the lost, wherever God leads.
A life without direction
After high school in 2007, I had no way to go to university. My parents were too poor, and as the eldest of 6 children, I felt the weight of family expectations on me.
Through a connection, I got the chance to travel with a businessman to South Sudan. I tried to start a small business there, but it failed. In that season of discouragement, I fell into the wrong company. My new friends were heavy drinkers, and soon I was too.
Alcohol became my life. I drank until I had no money, and then my friends bought for me. Some nights I slept in the bar. I enjoyed it, and I thought, This is the way to go. I lost all sense of purpose. I even forgot where I came from. It felt like I was going to die in South Sudan, forgotten and empty.
The knock on the door
One evening, on my way to the bar, I met a stranger. He greeted me, introduced himself as a missionary, and started to talk to me about Jesus.
I didn’t want to hear it. The spirit of drunkenness in me wanted him to leave. I gave him my address quickly, hoping that would be the end of it. But he didn’t give up.
The next morning, very early, he was at my door. I didn’t want to open it. But he kept knocking. Finally, irritated and half-asleep, I opened. He came in with a Bible, sat beside me, looked me in the eyes, and told me, “God loves you. You are special to Him.”
It sounded strange, but he opened to John and Romans and read. For the first time in a long time, I felt shame and guilt—but also hope. I asked him about salvation and being born again. His answers satisfied me.
By the end of our conversation, I surrendered my life to Christ as my Lord and Savior. I confessed my sins, believed in my heart that Jesus is Lord, and instantly felt a heavy burden lift off my shoulders. Peace flooded me. Joy filled my heart. It was like I had been unconscious, and now I was awake again.
From the bar to the mission field
That missionary became my mentor. Because I spoke Arabic from my time in South Sudan, he invited me to translate for him. We began going from place to place, and I was discipled as we went.
We went back to the bars where my old friends were. We preached the gospel, and they believed. One by one, they got saved and joined us. Soon we were moving together, preaching in villages and bars. God was moving.
In six months, we planted home cells, started Bible studies, and opened our first church. People walked miles on foot just to hear the Word. South Sudan was on fire for Jesus.
In 2011, political unrest forced us to leave. But the Lord had more. The same missionary connected me to a missionary training school in Uganda. I studied there from 2015 to 2016.
Called to the hardest places
After graduation, the Holy Spirit put a fresh burden on my heart for the lost. God led me to a Muslim community in Eastern Uganda, where I’ve lived and ministered since December 2016.
By God’s grace, I met a man of peace—a Muslim. I shared the gospel with him, and slowly his whole family believed. Through them, more doors opened.
Today, by God’s grace, we have our main church and missions base in the heart of that Muslim community. We’ve planted 15 more churches in remote, hard-to-reach villages. That makes 16 local churches in total.
My wife and I, along with faithful indigenous brothers and sisters with different gifts and callings, oversee these works and lead monthly mission trips. We are a church-planting mission movement committed to taking the gospel to the lost, especially in places others won’t go.
Why I share this,
God picked me from the depths of lostness and hopelessness and made me His vessel, a fisher of lost souls. Thank You, Jesus.
We live to proclaim His saving grace, freely available to all who believe. Our passion is to see lives transformed, families empowered, disciples multiplied, and nations prepared for eternity.
But we can’t do this alone. We love to partner with others who share this burden. Join us so that every person hears of God’s saving love at least once.
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10.
I’m a husband to one wife and a father of 10 children—5 biological and 5 adopted. I’m a follower of Jesus with an apostolic calling, set apart to preach the gospel of the Kingdom to the lost, wherever God leads.
A life without direction
After high school in 2007, I had no way to go to university. My parents were too poor, and as the eldest of 6 children, I felt the weight of family expectations on me.
Through a connection, I got the chance to travel with a businessman to South Sudan. I tried to start a small business there, but it failed. In that season of discouragement, I fell into the wrong company. My new friends were heavy drinkers, and soon I was too.
Alcohol became my life. I drank until I had no money, and then my friends bought for me. Some nights I slept in the bar. I enjoyed it, and I thought, This is the way to go. I lost all sense of purpose. I even forgot where I came from. It felt like I was going to die in South Sudan, forgotten and empty.
The knock on the door
One evening, on my way to the bar, I met a stranger. He greeted me, introduced himself as a missionary, and started to talk to me about Jesus.
I didn’t want to hear it. The spirit of drunkenness in me wanted him to leave. I gave him my address quickly, hoping that would be the end of it. But he didn’t give up.
The next morning, very early, he was at my door. I didn’t want to open it. But he kept knocking. Finally, irritated and half-asleep, I opened. He came in with a Bible, sat beside me, looked me in the eyes, and told me, “God loves you. You are special to Him.”
It sounded strange, but he opened to John and Romans and read. For the first time in a long time, I felt shame and guilt—but also hope. I asked him about salvation and being born again. His answers satisfied me.
By the end of our conversation, I surrendered my life to Christ as my Lord and Savior. I confessed my sins, believed in my heart that Jesus is Lord, and instantly felt a heavy burden lift off my shoulders. Peace flooded me. Joy filled my heart. It was like I had been unconscious, and now I was awake again.
From the bar to the mission field
That missionary became my mentor. Because I spoke Arabic from my time in South Sudan, he invited me to translate for him. We began going from place to place, and I was discipled as we went.
We went back to the bars where my old friends were. We preached the gospel, and they believed. One by one, they got saved and joined us. Soon we were moving together, preaching in villages and bars. God was moving.
In six months, we planted home cells, started Bible studies, and opened our first church. People walked miles on foot just to hear the Word. South Sudan was on fire for Jesus.
In 2011, political unrest forced us to leave. But the Lord had more. The same missionary connected me to a missionary training school in Uganda. I studied there from 2015 to 2016.
Called to the hardest places
After graduation, the Holy Spirit put a fresh burden on my heart for the lost. God led me to a Muslim community in Eastern Uganda, where I’ve lived and ministered since December 2016.
By God’s grace, I met a man of peace—a Muslim. I shared the gospel with him, and slowly his whole family believed. Through them, more doors opened.
Today, by God’s grace, we have our main church and missions base in the heart of that Muslim community. We’ve planted 15 more churches in remote, hard-to-reach villages. That makes 16 local churches in total.
My wife and I, along with faithful indigenous brothers and sisters with different gifts and callings, oversee these works and lead monthly mission trips. We are a church-planting mission movement committed to taking the gospel to the lost, especially in places others won’t go.
Why I share this,
God picked me from the depths of lostness and hopelessness and made me His vessel, a fisher of lost souls. Thank You, Jesus.
We live to proclaim His saving grace, freely available to all who believe. Our passion is to see lives transformed, families empowered, disciples multiplied, and nations prepared for eternity.
But we can’t do this alone. We love to partner with others who share this burden. Join us so that every person hears of God’s saving love at least once.
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10.
Emmanuel Maganda
DIRECTOR
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