Brenda

My name is Brenda and I live with my mother and four siblings in Mbarara, a city in the western region of Uganda. My father passed away when I was young. His alcoholism made our household very difficult to live in until one day I witnessed how the Lord could truly change one’s life. One day my mother told my father we were having guests over for a party. He was excited because he thought that meant he could drink. Unbeknownst to him, the guests were priests from our church. That was the day Jesus changed our lives. He opened my father’s eyes to how lost he was and changed his heart to be the kind of man our family needed. It was a gift to have that reconciliation within our family prior to his passing.

Although we came from meager beginnings, and living in poverty was difficult, I always found refuge and joy in serving and attending church. As a teenager, I was blessed to have been invited to Young Life. There, my passion for introducing others to Jesus was ignited. I now serve as a communications director for southern Uganda and as a volunteer leader in our Mbarara central ministry. Giving my life away so adolescents will know Jesus has been the best decision I've ever made.

As a Developing Global Leader, I attend Bishop Stuart University where I will be the first in my family to earn a college degree. I am studying public administration and management. I hope to get a job where I can address the societal problems my community encounters. I want to improve my family's life and share my hope in Jesus with all I meet.