Learning English

Praise God brothers and sisters in Christ!

I am very happy to share my testimony of how I learnt how to write, read and speak English by God’s grace. Now I am a bit good on speaking and writing English, and if I do not tell you myself that I am not well educated, you can’t understand that am not well educated. So am thanking God for he has educated me and taught me how to speak and write English and I believe he will teach me more many things.

I am the 6th born in my mother’s children and the fifth(last) in the boys, and bad enough we are all not educated, but I thank God that at least he taught me how to speak English. I only finished my primary school in the village school called Kyamarebe Primary school by the help of the late head master Boaz Musiima, who was my uncle.  After my primary, I wasn’t able to go to any secondary school due to lack of money. My father was staying far from home and wasn’t able to pay my school fees in the secondary school. But inside me, I liked English and I felt that I have to learn English in all ways.

I want to let you know that the village where I finished my primary school is a not well at all in education, because even the “o” level leaver (secondary school leaver) can not speak English or address people in English. So I finished primary when I could not speak English, but I liked it. So when I stopped schooling, God touched on me and I got saved and when I got saved, I tried my level best to learn English. I didn’t know why I had that fire of learning it, but God knew why he wanted me to learn it. I couldn’t manage to back to primary school for English only, but I prayed to God that he may help me in that.

So when I got saved, God helped me and got me two bibles, one of my local language (Runyankore) and another of English. So I could open the chapter in the English bible and could open another of Runyankre. Read in this of English and go to the one of Runyankore for meaning. So I continued slowly by slowly and God was merciful to me in doing so. I could even spend a day at home with out doing anything but only reading bibles and trying to interpret from English to Runyankore.

As I was still doing so, then I met a pastor who was a teacher and he knew English very well, but could not get time to teach me English because he was staying far from me. So we became friends, and he asked me to start interpreting him. I asked my self how I will do that yet I have never done it before and even not knowing English. But I felt encouraged to do so according to some words that I had learnt from the two bibles. We started on the first time. It was worse and I wasn’t determined. I couldn’t try any more, because on that first day I was completely out and when he could speak any word hard for me to interpret, I could turn and look at his face and ask him “what it means”. By God’s grace we continued like that and I started to pick him well and also I continued with my system of interpreting verses by the help of two bibles of my local language and of English.

By God’s grace, I started to speak English basing on all I learnt from the bible, plus the little experience from interpreting my friend pastor, called Namara Clever. I started by speaking the broken English, but could continue without fearing those laughing at me, because I knew what I wanted. I speaking my little broken English, many peoples, mostly youths of my age were laughing a lot at me. But those who were laughing at me are now admiring me and my English.

And in that time, I was given a chance to be one of the preachers in the church, so I started preaching in our church too, and I got one member who was well educated and asked him to start interpreting me. I started preaching in English and he could interpret me and many people wondered how I came to learn English.

Then the time came and I left our village for some reason and came to Mbarara for some few months and after I went to Kampala too. When I reached to Kampala , I wasn’t given the freedom of our worship, and I discovered that my dream was dying so I decided to come back to Mbarara, because I felt God sending me back, and that I will have peace in Mbarara.

When I reached in Mbarara, God directed me to the church where their level was almost like of mine. None of the church active members was well on speaking English and only two women were a bit well educated, but they were not well on speaking English. When I reached there, I asked myself of how I will keep growing my dream of speaking English, and I could not come and ask them about that because I was still new in the church. I never asked them any thing till I became familiar to the church.

After like some time, I started entering the ministry slowly by slowly and I started by joining the choir. There after I came near the programmer and asked him, ”why can’t we start using English and Runyankore in your programming, so that we can lift our English speaking and encourage those who can come not knowing Runyankore?” He said that we will see, but he kept quite for some time. I came to him and asked him another time,” you said that we will see but why can’t we start it now?” He said that I want to ask pastor first. For them they didn’t know what I was up to with my God.
I decided to reach the pastor myself and ask him to allow us have two languages in the programming. The pastor encouraged and supported me on that and asked the programmer to start that. The programmer was also a bit more educated than me, but he too could couldn’t speak English well, so he could speak Runyankore and interpret to English and some time English I interpret to Runyankore.

Many people liked to learn English too, and I encouraged them to do the same I did of having two bibles and use them in interpreting and also to try on interpreting. But they were fearing to be shamed of speaking broken English and they failed to try as I did. And at the moment they are asking me how I learnt English. Remember in interpreting, I could even speak the broken English and people laugh, but I kept on moving forward and I could even interpret in the time of testimony. After some time, the programmer felt maybe ashamed of speaking the broken English and then he decided to stop it and be back to language. I felt pain in my heart because I liked English. I kept on my system of bibles, but kept praying that may God plan for me how we can have two languages in our church, because many churches do.

In that time, God helped me and I was chosen to be one of the preachers in this church here in the town. I thanked God so much for that chance, and there had come a student who had joined A level and knew English well. So I started using/preaching in English and him interpreting to Ruganda/Runyankore. All people in the church were amazed of how I came to know English well, yet I came not knowing it well. And in that same time, the other programmer became busy and was not able to attend the services as at first, and the church found that he can’t go on being the church programmer, yet he is on and off. I became his vice and I started programming in his absence. After a short time, he left the church and went to start a new church with some one. So there I became a fulltime programmer and I thanked God for that chance too.

I started to program in English and people started to yearn for learning English. I could give them a chance to interpret me, because I was able to speak English well by that time.

I continued like that and I became more wonderful in my ministry though in hardships, but I kept trusting and serving God. He too, continued to lift me in my ministry to the level of starting preaching in other churches, seminars and crusades. Everywhere I go now, I speak/preach in English and get an interpreter, unless there is no one to interpret me. And even I have some of my photos in the crusades, seminars and churches preaching with the interpreter. And if you can be hear on 17th -20th March, you would hear me and see me preaching in English like an English man Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhha. Pray for this crusade.

And when I saw that I can speak and write English, I decided to compose some songs in English too, because I had composed many in our local languages. Now I have some of my songs in English, but not yet recorded. Pray for provision on that. And I believe that one day you will be able to hear on my songs in English.

After some time I saw that many people do like to learn English, but are having no chance to try and I decided to try for them. I started a program of adult learning and some were willing. But as I failed to get support financially, I stopped that program. So I pray, if it is His will, he bring some one to help in that because many people would love to learn English.

That’s all about how I learnt English and I thank God to see that now I can write, speak, sing and chat in English and even on the phone. I pray he may help even my brothers and sisters that have the same yearn, in Jesus name.
I can do all by Him who strengthens me, because many people are more educated than me, but can’t speak English very well.  Yet me who is not well educated can speak it well. I give honor and glory to our loving Father God in heaven.

Be blessed as you read on my testimony and keep praying for me. If you would like to contact me for more testimony about this or other testimony about my life and how am ministering, contact me on my email address henows@yahoo.com or postal address TUSINGUZI EVARD KABAALI P.0.BOX 136, MBARARA UGANDA, EAST AFRICA. Or phone +256 782 770 551 and +256 702 770 552.

Be blessed Your brother and friend Ev.Evard.