My Story
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Pastor Richard Muyaka, in his thirties, is married to Rebecca, and together they have three children. His childhood was marked by hardship—at just nine years old, his parents divorced and abandoned their home, leaving him to care for his younger siblings. Struggling to survive, he turned to robbery to make ends meet.
Even after coming to faith in 2004, Richard continued breaking into homes and stealing in trading centers. On multiple occasions, he narrowly escaped angry mobs intent on taking his life. Yet, God had a different plan for him. Through years of discipleship, Richard's heart began to change, and he embraced hard work as a means of provision.
In 2018, he became the pastor of Seed of Faith Church in Kakunu village, where he now leads a congregation of 70 people. With a deep hunger to grow spiritually and lead effectively, Pastor Richard eagerly joined the Rural Pastors Institute to receive ministry training. He says, "I began serving in ministry in August 2018, believing I was pastoring well.
Someone encouraged me to enroll in the Rural Pastors Institute, and at first, I resisted. But when I arrived and experienced the teaching, I was deeply impacted. I realized much of what I was doing wasn’t biblical. As I listened, I felt renewed, hopeful, and joyful, knowing the Lord was drawing me closer and had forgiven my past. Through RPI, I learned how to teach the Bible, care for my family, and lead my church. These lessons changed my life and ministry. I hold RPI close to my heart."
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The Impact of Sponsorship
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Pastor Richard’s journey has been profoundly shaped by the generosity of his sponsors. He currently has two sponsors—one at the $120 level (4 Shares) and another at the $30 level (1 Share). Through their support, he has been able to receive biblical training, leadership development, and encouragement to strengthen his church and ministry. Beyond financial support, his sponsors have developed a personal connection with him, exchanging letters and prayer requests.
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Recently, one of his sponsors wrote to him:
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"We hope this letter finds you and your wife well. We pray that God has been working in your lives and in the lives of your church leaders and your community as well. We trust that God is providing the materials and provisions for your church to be renovated and land for expansion in the future. We pray for God to richly bless you both as you pour your soul into the people around you, that He may fill you up with joy and strength!"
Pastor Richard responded with gratitude:
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"We are deeply grateful to God for your continuous prayers. And guess what? We are praying for you too! We declare blessings upon you and your family.
Right now, we are working on our church building—the poles are already up! Please pray with us that we will be able to complete it soon.
On a more personal note, my wife and I have been earnestly praying for children. She has struggled to conceive for a long time, and we are trusting God for a breakthrough. Please stand with us in prayer."
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Sponsorship is more than just financial aid—it is a partnership in ministry, a connection between believers across the world, and a source of encouragement for pastors like Richard who are dedicated to transforming their communities.
My Story
Pastor Ngobi Sosan, a pastor since 1998, has faced numerous death threats because of his faith. When he planted the current church in Kabalira village—a place once controlled by witches and witch doctors—it was the women of the community who first came to the Lord. In response, with the consent of local leaders, the men of the village made a pact to kill him.
One night, three men were assigned to carry out this mission. They found Pastor Sosan praying inside the mud-bricked church at 3:00 in the morning. As they approached, they were overcome by the power of the Holy Spirit and abandoned their machetes at the entrance, leaving him unharmed.
Facing threats of death for his faith became a common occurrence in Pastor Sosan’s life. Yet, God has transformed many of his former enemies into close friends. While not all have accepted Christ, many now approve of their wives and children actively participating in church. Today, Kabalira village is a changed community, and Pastor Sosan is a well-respected leader consulted on many community matters.
Through all these trials, Pastor Sosan’s faith has remained unwavering. But his story is not just one of survival—it’s a testament to the power of God's work in his life and ministry. Hear directly from Pastor Sosan as he shares about his journey and why the training he’s received from RPI is different than previous training experiences.
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Hear from Pastor Sosan:
“Praise the Lord, I thank God for this beautiful day. I am grateful for this opportunity to speak to you who are listening to me. My name is Ngobi Sosan, the pastor of Kabalira Love Church. We started our church in 1998, and I pastor it with a team of other leaders. In our village, we were affected by wrong teachings and false teachers for a long time. I want to thank the Rural Pastors Institute for its training; they have greatly edified and blessed us. The Rural Pastors Institute has trained us and equipped us with Bible-based knowledge. They have given us an opportunity to ask questions and to be answered from the Bible.
In the past, we had preachers come to our village to minister to us with wrong teachings based on selfish desires. These preachers only exploited and got money from us. They asked us to pay them so they could bless us. They then asked if any of us had lost relatives in the past, so they could pray over our dead relatives' graves to reverse the curse from the dead. We had to pay for each grave so they could break the curse on it for our deliverance. In the night, the majority of the attending pastors were taken by these 'preachers' to pray in the graveyards. That night, we paid money for everything they did. By the end of that training, they had taken a lot of money from us—700,000 Shillings ($190 USD), which was a huge amount for our people, who work tirelessly for even the little they have. Some of them even sold their belongings to be prayed for.
We are really grateful for the work of the Rural Pastors Institute. They have helped us see the deception of such schemes. Please continue this work among us. We know you are now building onto the training center for us, and this will be a great blessing. Thank you for your work among the rural pastors, and please continue.”
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The Impact of Sponsorship
Being a pastor in Uganda can be difficult. Pastors are often misled by false teachers because they make very little financially, making them vulnerable to exploitation by wolves in sheep's clothing. As we see from Pastor Sosan, his ministry is not without great personal sacrifice. On an annual income of just $1,800, he has raised many children. He has 11 children of his own and has also adopted many others. Yet despite these challenges, Pastor Sosan’s influence extends far beyond his own family and congregation. He oversees five churches and has mentored many other leaders to spread the Gospel. Initially a student at the Rural Pastors Institute, he now serves as the Ugandan Coordinator and Mentor to the pastors in the program. He also plays a vital role in vetting and selecting new pastors for the institute.Because of sponsorship, Pastor Sosan has received ministry training free of charge. But its impact goes far beyond him—equipping him to train other pastors, plant churches, and transform entire communities. Sponsorship truly goes both ways. It not only changes the lives of pastors like Pastor Sosan but also impacts those who partner with him.
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Let’s hear from one of his sponsors to learn how this partnership has affected them personally:
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“I have been fortunate to travel to Uganda and meet the pastor and his wife that I am currently sponsoring. I have slept in their home and eaten with them at their table. I have seen firsthand the impact that my donations have made over the years and I have seen how God has worked in the lives of Pastor Sosan and his wife Monika. I've also seen how the Rural Pastors Institute is actively working to change pastors, their families, their churches, and their communities as well. They are changed by the truths of the Word of God that they have learned and they are changed by the vocational skills that they have attained through the training available to them. Sponsoring a pastor in the RPI program has been such a wonderful opportunity for me and for the rural Ugandan people and I hope that many more people will see the value in it and join in.”
Sponsorship is more than financial aid—it is a ministry partnership, a bridge between believers across the world, and a source of strength for pastors like Sosan who are committed to transforming their communities.
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