Missionary Report

Robert Okello. Photo by Ronald Atwiine. Mr Robert Okello (In the pic above) is 29 years old and is employed as a soldier in the Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) at the rank of a Private. He joined the army in 2006 in Lira district and is now serving the nation at the 2nd Division barracks in Mbarara town, Mbarara district in Western Uganda. He loves the Lord and he is more touched when he listens to Christian music. “From long ago I loved Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) music since I joined senior one at Amosa SDA secondary school in Lira in 2002” Okello says. “I was later transferred to Mbarara to work from there, so one day as I was walking in Mbarara town in October 2013, I heard nice gospel music being played in one shop, I asked the shop attendant to give me the best gospel music in town” Okello says. He adds, “The shop attendant gave me good music which included among others Songa Mbele, Nitaenda and Abaana B’Israeli I came to learn later at home that this was SDA music by Akayo Singers of Mbarara SDA church as the church sign post is displayed in some of their songs”. He adds, “The songs in the video are so nice and the singers are very smart and since am a soldier, some of the Swahili songs with matching and with the message that we are matching to heaven appealed to me most and illustrated better the gospel than the word of the Bible does especially the song Nitaenda” He adds, “I decided to come to church and worship the living God because in the videos there was a church sign post and even during the army night patrols I had also located the church” Okello later came to worship for his first time in the SDA church on November 9, 2013 and had spent more than 6 years without worshiping in any Christian church. “Today (November 16, 2013) is my second Sabbath to worship at Mbarara SDA church and I will not turn back, I wish to be baptized” he said, adding, “Am very happy today that for the first time I have seen Akayo Singers live on stage singing in church”. On November 16, 2013 was Akayo Singers day to minister in Mbarara SDA church as per the church preaching program. Okello is asking everyone to pray for him so that he can do his work well and at the same time always get time to worship the Lord on his Sabbath day (Saturday). “I want to ask my commanders to always allow me to worship on Saturdays and to rest on that day” this is Okello’s humble appeal and prayer. APPEAL Pray for Robert Okello so that God can bless his wish and work and he gets more time for worship and study his word. Support all choirs in your local churches whenever they appeal to you, or even when they don’t appeal for support because gospel music permeates all spheres of society and especially to the “un entered areas” by other gospel preachers, evangelists, Literature evangelists and the Pastors. Matthew 24:14 King James Version (KJV) “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” Compiled by Felix Basiime, Public Relations Manager, Akayo Singers and also the Communication Secretary at Mbarara SDA church 2011-2014