One woman’s journey to the unreached

By Allison Sherwin 

Alice grew up near Kampala, Uganda with a Christian family.  She knew about God all her life but was not too concerned with following Him.  In 2011, God spoke to her while some of her friends were praying. He said, “Accept me, accept me, accept me.” Alice said yes to God’s call and decided to follow Him.  She went back to her high school as a different person.  She had been a disobedient and bad student and had bullied others, but now she went to her teachers and fellow students and repented before them.  She said she was sorry and asked for their forgiveness.  They were amazed and unsure if these changes would last.  Alice prayed that God would help her prove to them that she was different, and that God had made her a new creation.  

Knowledge of the Scriptures
She felt called to start a scripture union at her high school.  She met another student named Herbert and she wanted to learn from his spiritual maturity and knowledge of the Bible. She asked him to help her.  At first, he refused.  She told God that she wanted Herbert’s help and if he said no again, she would give up.  Then she went to him and told him that she was like Moses, sent to liberate people with knowledge of the scriptures, but she needed an Aaron to help speak for her and help her.  Herbert then agreed to help.  After he left the school,  Alice continued leading the scripture union until she finished high school. 

Joining All Nations
After high school, Alice started a business and continued going to church.  She would often receive prophetic words from people saying that God was calling her to serve Him.  She thought she was already serving Him by going to church and tithing, but eventually she decided to ask God what He meant and in which way she should serve Him.  Soon after that, Herbert reconnected with her.  He visited her and told her about All Nations and the vision that Jesus be worshipped by all the nations.  She visited the hub and did the CPx Training in Uganda.  She felt at home with this community and knew they were obeying the Lord by preaching the gospel and starting groups in the ghettos of Kampala. She started moving with Nixson and others in the movement there.

Trying to go abroad
Alice decided that she needed money and that she would go work abroad.  She thought when she had money then she could really serve the Lord and give to others and life would not be so hectic.  Everything was ready for her to go, and she gave her money to a guy to help her with all her paperwork for moving abroad.  The guy took the money and disappeared.  She was so upset and was crying out to God, when God told her “I wasn’t involved in that.  I told you to do something different.”  He gave her the story of Jonah, and she grieved the way she had disobeyed. 

Going to the unreached
Then she went to All Nation’s church planting training, CPx, in Cape Town with a new eagerness to know where God wanted her to go.  She started to feel that she should go to a different place and culture.  When she asked God about it, the first thing she heard was “Kalamoja.”  Her first thought was, “No way!” She had heard a bit about their lifestyle and culture.  Where she was from, they had a saying, “you can’t wait for Kalamoja’s to put on” (which means they are always slow).  

The vision
God have her a vision of a place with small white and yellow huts made of soil surrounded by short trees. The climate was dry and savannah-like and there were mountains in the distance. She was going by herself to this place. A man wearing a white robe sat on a small stool in the middle. She introduced herself to him, and then concentrated on the children.  She was reminded of the scripture in Revelation 4:9, “After this, I looked, and there was an enormous crowd – no one could count all the people! They were from every race, tribe, nation and language, and they stood in front of the throne and of the lamb.” 

Ready to go
After this vision, she felt confirmed that God was calling her to Kalamoja.  She felt God speaking “love, love, love” over and over as she thought about these people.  She repented and cried for the ways she had viewed them negatively and not seen that they belonged to God.  She told God she was ready to go where He wanted her to go.  All Nations Kampala hub leader Wilson Namuwoza told her they had also been praying for God to call someone to that region and specifically to an unreached people group there. She felt confirmed and ready to go.  Even if she had to go alone, even if the people were hostile, she was ready.  

Vision trip
God provided funds for a vision trip and she traveled to a small town on the border.  On the way there she met a man on the bus.  She remembered what she had learned in CPx about being welcoming and taking the opportunities God puts in front of you.  He looked sick so she shared some medicine with him.  He asked many questions.  He was amazed to see a young, African missionary since he thought all missionaries were white.  He helped her find a guest house when they arrived.  

Welcomed by the chief
Alice looked out of place in this remote village, but people were open with her and willing to help. They helped her figure out how to get to this people group across the border.  When she arrived, she felt she had been there before because it looked just like the picture God had given her. She had never been anywhere so isolated and remote.  There were no shops, businesses, hotels.  The people did not use money but instead grew their own food and hunted.  The chief spoke with her openly and asked many questions.  He told her he would decide if she would be welcome to come share with the village.  When she went back, he gathered five other chiefs who asked many questions and agreed to welcome her.  They wrote her a letter to take to the border toget a permit to come again.  She is currently back in Kampala and waiting to return to these people.

How can we pray for Alice and this people group?

• Her biggest dream is to see God change these people’s mindsets and perspectives.  She often sees a picture of light shining down, but something like a rock is hindering it from reaching these people.  She wants to see the light reach them, that their hearts would become open and free to the Lord.  

 • Pray for her budget to be met so she can go visit them again.  She is currently praying for them from where she is, but her desire is to be with them and to join hands and pray with them and see God answer their prayers.  

 • Pray for the community to accept her.  Pray for God to prepare the ground for a harvest.  Pray for the leaders in the community who God is preparing.  She thinks she will not stay there many years, because God will raise up local leaders who can make the movement and expand it to nearby communities.