I am called Phiona. I am born again and a minister of the gospel all-round. I would like to thank the Lord Almighty for saving my life and holding my hand since day one.
I came to know him while I was in primary grade six when the gospel was brought to my school by a team of evangelists from a nearby church, I accepted him as my personal Lord and Saviour and have never regretted and looked back. Life was really not easy for me, growing up with a single mum who had not enough income to take me through school with all the seven siblings. But I would like to thank the Lord that after accepting him as Lord and Saviour, he held my hand., I was able to go to school and complete my studies which remains a dream even up to now of how I succeeded. After completing primary grade seven, my mum and I were wondering how I could get to my next level as we saw no source of funding. We would pray over it and believe God that he would make a way for me. I was a deeply committed to my faith, and I would not miss any single church service. One day, I visited my big sister who was staying in the nearby town of Fort Portal in Western Uganda. The Lord gave me a friend who realized I needed help. She introduced me to her friend, who after seeing my good performance in grade seven, agreed to pay my school fees from Senior One to Senior Four! When my Senior Four results returned, I had passed with top grades, but unfortunately the questions of what next came in again. I worked for my friend during my Senior Four vacation and gathered a little money in that short time. My mother struggled to add more funds, and I was able to join a primary teachers college where I completed a two-and-a-half year training and received a certificate in primary teaching! Attaining a certificate was the foundation of my incremental progress. I was able to find some work to do. It didn't pay much, but it was a start. My dream was to attain at least a university degree in my field. With that passion in me, I did not settle for the certificate. Instead, I joined Uganda Pentecostal University in Fort Portal for a diploma in primary education which I also attained with wonderful results! In regards to my studies, the Lord has been amazing, fulfilling my heart's desires. Later on in 2015, I enrolled for a bachelor's degree of arts in social sciences, majoring in social administration and minoring in gender. I graduated in February 2018 with still first class degree! I can't thank the Lord enough for he has been faithful to me! I am currently working as a deputy head teacher. All through school, I was involved in the ministerial work serving both in the Christian unions and the church, Christian Fellowship Cathedral in Fort Portal, as a youth leader and a worship leader. I've now seen God elevate me step by step to a preacher of the gospel by his grace. I also do a radio gospel ministry every day from 5 to 6am before going for my daily school work routine, and the Lord has been amazingly beautiful both to me and the listeners. Being actively involved in the church ministry increased my passion for evangelism, desiring to win many souls to Christ Jesus, which I have been doing for years now! This passion caused me to have a wider perspective--evangelism that would not stop at my own district but rather extend even in other districts and nations. This passion has led me to commit myself to Daystar Evangelical Ministries because the leader's passion is exactly mine.
It's amazing that I met Pastor Irene Ganiriza way back when she was at the medical school in Fort Portal. We became friends through ministering in the same church. Her passion for ministry was so inspiring and this caused us to become even more close friends. I remember when she started Hope to Girl Child Foundation. We worked together so well from its start to the time it was put on hold. I was so moved that I was also challenged to help some orphans as an individual from my own personal small income. So far, my two girls have finished Senior Four and the boy I am helping is now in Senior Two.
Since Irene's passion for ministry and leadership had remained high in my thoughts, years later when she shared with me about the vision of starting Daystar Evangelical Ministries, I was not hesitant but chose to serve with her to fulfill the vision and the call upon her life and my life too. I hope to see Daystar continue reaching out to many souls, that we will see both the orphans and widows transform their lives holistically, and that I myself will be the best steward as the Lord entrusts this work to me.