The nation of Uganda is one of remarkable beauty. Winston Churchill famously called it “The Pearl of Africa” for its breathtaking landscapes and cultural diversity. Home to nearly 53 million people and at least 56 ethnic groups, Uganda is also a nation with strong Christian roots.
Yet alongside the growth of the church, the country continues to grapple with raging poverty, increasingly popular prosperity preachers, and traditional animistic religious practices.
For many Ugandan Christians, the spiritual world is not merely an abstract concept, it is a lived reality. The apostle Paul reminds us that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12). Cosmas Oweknimungu knows that struggle firsthand.
A Season of Brokenness
Cosmas faced immense challenges from a very young age. He was orphaned as a child and unable to complete primary school. Instead, he learned how to scrape out an existence by taking on any manual labor he could find. Through sheer determination, he eventually built a hawking business that began to thrive in the small town of Paidha.
For Cosmas, however, success did not ultimately bring peace. He was drawn into a reckless lifestyle that left him feeling empty and aimless. Then, after the COVID-19 lockdown, everything he worked so hard for seemed to crash down all at once. His business failed. His motorcycle was stolen. He became sick. Depression and suicidal thoughts soon followed.
Even at his lowest point, however, God was still pursuing Cosmas. A friend introduced him to the gospel. After surrendering to Christ and starting to pray, Cosmas’s circumstances started to shift. His health improved, his business bounced back, and he was finally able to pay off all his loans.
The Pull of Darkness
Instead of remaining faithful, however, Cosmas slowly began drifting away. Following Christ meant giving up the reckless lifestyle he was fond of, so Cosmas fell back into old habits.
Before long, this detour in his faith took a sharp left turn. Cosmas turned to witchcraft in hopes of using rituals to increase his success. While his wealth rapidly increased, so did the spiritual darkness he was trapped in. Vivid nightmares tormented him almost every night.
It came as a surprise, therefore, when God chose to speak to him through a dream. As he slept, Cosmas heard a voice asking why he had given up his freedom and enslaved himself to darkness. Shaken, Cosmas began to reevaluate his life decisions.
Although Cosmas had drifted away from God, God was never far from him.
A Voice on the Radio
Soon after, Cosmas was listening to a Words of Hope program on the radio. Toward the end of the broadcast, the preacher offered an invitation for any listeners to surrender their lives to Christ. As he prayed, Cosmas experienced something unexplainable.
He felt the overwhelming presence of God pass over him like a wing, and he immediately lost consciousness. When he awoke, he felt a peace he’d never known before. This time, the change in his life was permanent.
Over time, Cosmas slowly rebuilt the broken pieces of his life. Today, he is a leader in his church, and he owns a flourishing business. More valuable than financial success, however, is the freedom that Cosmas has found in Jesus.
Darkness to Light
In 1 Peter 2:9, God declares, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
Nowhere is this more true than in Cosmas’s story. He did not remain faithful, but God was unwavering in drawing Cosmas to himself. Even in his darkest season, Cosmas was never abandoned by God.
All across Uganda, stories are being reshaped and lives are being reclaimed by Christ. This is, in large part, due to your prayers and generosity. Without this support, the Words of Hope radio broadcasts wouldn’t be able to go into remote places all over Uganda.
Please join us in praying for Uganda. May God truly bring people out of darkness and into light across the country.
