“I Do” In A Refugee Camp: What Does A Christian Wedding Look Like?
I am so glad you asked! Probably like nothing you have ever witnessed.
Here is the recipe:
Combine the circumstances of being a refugee with some South Sudanese culture. Add a little Ugandan culture. Then take some basic Christian wedding traditions and mix everything together. The result is a very special celebration!
Typically, couples are married at a young age through a traditional agreement made after their two families have agreed on the dowry. The groom’s family pays the dowry to the bride’s family. There is usually no celebratory ceremony at the time of the marriage.
Later, a couple may desire to have a Christian wedding ceremony to celebrate their marriage. When that happens, the community often comes together to help provide the resources needed to honor the couple and celebrate their union.
Pastor Modi and Sagule, the couple featured in the video, have been married for 23 years and have six children. He pastors a church in Belameling Refugee Camp, and she is a leader in the women’s ministry.
It is obvious that they are deeply loved and respected by the community they serve. Their Christian wedding was held at Living Water Primary School and was a beautiful celebration of their marriage, their faith, and the love of their church family.
And, of course, every wedding needs something beautiful to wear! The stunning bridal garments worn by Sagule were generously provided by a church in the United States.
What a beautiful picture of love, faith, family, and community—all coming together to celebrate a couple who have faithfully served God and His people for 23 years.
The Bible Club Family Is Growing!
Our newest Bible Club, located in Umijo Refugee Camp, has been meeting under a large shade tree for several weeks—and we outgrew that shady spot after the very first meeting!
By God’s provision, we held our first weekly gathering in our new pavilion-style building on August 23. We were thrilled to welcome 1,250 precious little souls!
And guess what? We’ve already outgrown the building!
Thankfully, we have that beautiful, big shade tree for overflow. So, once again, the children can gather under its branches to hear God’s Word, sing, learn, and grow together.
What a great problem to have!
We are so grateful to God for providing a place where more and more children can come together to learn about His love. The Bible Club family is growing—and we are praying that these young hearts will grow deep in their faith as well.
These children are really hungry when they arrive, as food is no longer provided to the refugees. Living Water CT distributes nutrition bars each week to all the attendees. These bars are baked by our vocational training students. Now that the attendance for the three clubs can exceed 2500 each week, we are having to reduce the quantity per child. If you would like to help with this need, it would be a blessing to many little souls.
Special Guests, Lasting Impact
We were honored to welcome some very special guests to Timothy Logos Training Institute (TLTI), our new Bible College in Moyo, Uganda. Dr. Anthony Shelton, President of Uganda Baptist Seminary, Dr. Misti Shelton, and Professor Roy Kasika traveled from Jinja, Uganda, arriving on September 4th and leaving on September 7th.
During their visit, they taught classes at TLTI on Friday and preached in local churches on Sunday. On Saturday, they spent time visiting Living Water’s Primary School, touring our farming projects, and joining us for a Children’s Bible Club.
Their visit was much more than a special teaching opportunity. It was a tremendous encouragement to our Living Water refugee leaders, faculty, and students. Their presence, teaching, and fellowship reminded us that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves as we work together to equip leaders and prepare workers for the harvest.