God has brought me safe after a long period of wondering in the desert of this world.
Before I continue, let me introduce myself. I am called Loyep Mario Santos, I come from the Eastern part of Uganda-Karamoja.
They are cattlekeepers dwelling in this area. I am a born-again christian.My life before getting saved, I was really in a terrible condition, but because of God's mercy, He knew me before I was conceived in my mother's womb. I see God's hand, at last. I have realised why God let me this way.Brethren, let me tell you my background. As I told that I am Karamojong by tribe, I was brought up in a bad state of life. That's when I lost both of my parents, I was six years old, life became hard because I had no one to stand by me, not even my relatives. Because by the time my parents died, I hadn't yet got acquainted with my relatives, who probably could help me, and also my brothers. As I was the eldest, I didn't know what to do or where to go. So my life went on dragging around in the absence of my parents.I began loitering aroud the villages looking for something to eat, at the age of six years, eating at the garbage together with my brothers.And this was the only way we could survive, loitering around we no futur to look forward too.We were hated around the villages because we were destitutes. As a little kid, I was even indoctinated by wrong people in order to get something to survive. In the sane process, I also lost a younger brother.After being left alone, I already knew that I was a gone case. I was just a little kid, and life went on like that until I even reached an extent of being used by people like a slave, to earn a way of pushing on with life, digging their fields.
But in that state, somebody who had known my father was living in Eastern part of Uganda. He brought me all the way from Moroto district of Karamoja, to work for him like a slave, not just like somebody he knew or his close relative. On reaching Mbale(Eastern District of Uganda), I saw as if I were in Paradise because that town was uncomparable to the bushes of Karamoja where I had lived before. I just remained with this man as my master for a certain period of time as a general domestic worker. This was hard for my life, bieng just like a slave, washing clothes, digging, raising cows-he took the advantage of the karamojongs' being good cattle keepers. As I stayed here, I began picking some senses, I could get around two hours to snick out in order to associate with some people, especially youngster from around. They changed my way of living.I had to run away from that man's place, and I began sleeping on the streets of the town, still feeding in the garbage, and even smoking Marijuana, cigarettes, sniffing spirits- at the age of nine years! I went on with that life until one day, as we were wondering in town towards the market to get something in the garbage, I saw a trailer loaded with so many children. I saw a big crowd of people, and I and the other street boys went to have a look perhaps we could snatch something from somebody.
I didn't know what was going on. I saw kids with white people, and it was my first time to see a white man! I had some fear inside of me on seeing a white man for the first time, wondering who he was. But on looking, I saw kids like me chatting with these men,hugging them.They were given clothes.So my friends told me also to go and play like these kids in order to get some clothes. But I went with fear, thinking these men would eat me.On reaching and playing with them, I saw a whit man coming towards me.I was putting on a heavy jumper which was too big for me with torn shorts, stinching, but the white man came and hugged me! There were tears in his eyes; I said to myself, what's wrong with him? Why does he cry? I was worried and thinking that its because I was lookig so funny.Then somebody who knew English came and interpreted what the white man was trying to say to me.He said," I love you so much, I want to take you to America, will you accept?" I didn't know at all what 'America' meant. All I knew of was Karamoja and Mbale town. This man said that he wanted to go and stay with me and the other chilren whom I saw in the trailer, telling us that they were going to take us to school to study, and that after school, they would take us to America when we have grown.But these white men were under a certain Ugandan man called Reverend Kefa Sempangi. So brethren, I accepted the offer since my life near the grave. I loved the hospitality we were given by these people and which also they showed us when they brought us to their hands- that was the early 80's.
Now I saw my life changing and as a little kid I started feeling at home as though I was with my parents. We started schooling , sleeping and feeding well, visiting places in Kampala City- that was our knew Paradise. I finished my primary schooling with these white people sponsoring us under the reverend Kefa Sempangi of the Africa Foundation, an organisation helping people. I started realising after a long life of suffering that the death of my parents was as a result of famine and cattlerastling. I never regreted, but I remained with a resentment of losing my people.Because if my people were there, I would pick my brothers and parents to help them, but I didn't know that it was God's to help my life. So I continued with my studies under the sponsorship of reverend Sempangi until I reached my secondary level( high school) and these white people went back to America. After a certrain time, we heard that our sponsorship had been closed because of the war in Uganda that time. By the time I reached the higher class of junior high school( senoir four), I was still staying with the reverend Sempangi. He was Helping helping me till I completed senior six( high school).
But before all this, when these people stopped sponsoring us, we had no contact of theirs.Some of our fellow boys who were mature went to America for Bible College and for us the young and shabby, and with no contact we were left staying with the reverend Sempangi.While staying with him, we took him as our guardian.One day, I remember a certain incident happened to us at our residence in Mukono District near Kampala. We were still young.Former president Obote's soldiers came and besieged our residence in big numbers. They were claiming that reverend Sempangi was training rebels and hiding them . They entered and searched our rooms, and started kicking the young kids. One soldier butted me with the back of his gun.They kicked all the children out of their rooms. It was about 5:00 am and it was raining heavily, so they made us lie down in the mud outside in the rain. some of the children are now in America.One of them was the late Nsubuga Richard, brother Okello, and sister Susan, the wife of the late brother Nsubuga, and many others. Some big boys were suspected and taken to the barracks in Jinja for interrogation.One of them, called Katongole was shot while getting out of the room. Well it's a long story, but I've just briefed it. I'm telling you all this that you may know where I came from.
After studies, I never went for further, for I had no sponsorship. Reverend Sempangi continued helping me till I got manual labour to do while waiting for sponsorship. When I left Reverend Sempangi, I was taken by somebody to assist him with church ministry.Now I am a minister in a church called Mount Gilead Church. I got involved in this ministry in 2006.I had got saved in 1986.In Mount Gilead Church, I am an intercessor, together with my wife Esther. Iam also the Church administrator. I have interest of going to Bible College and I know I am called by God. I would like to do the Course of Conflict Resolution because I come from a place of conlict, and therefore I desire to minister to thosmy people. I know with better biblical training in Conflict Resolution, I will be a vessel of honor in God's Kingdom. Many people who are suffering in Karamoja as a result of wars are in great need of such assistance. I have the call of serving the Lord all over the world, considering what I have passed through. So I request anybody from any church to stand with me such that my dreams of serving God become a reality. People go on suffering because the don't know the word of God.
I leave you with some scriptures Psalm 41:1, Psalm 133:1 and Romans 12:1.
I greet you all in Jesus' name, and may the Almighty God bless you abundantly, and prosperity is on your way. God Bless You mightly.