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Realising potential

11/09/2008BMS lawyer Matthew Price introduces us to John, a Ugandan Christian law graduate, whose own faith and experiences are spurring him on to uphold the poor and needy.“Every time I visit the prison I am convinced I am doing the right thing!” That may be John’s view now, but it’s not always been that way.

When he was at high school, deciding which subject to study at University, he used to think that: “Lawyers are nothing but crooks and liars!” So, why would he even consider studying law? Especially as he was a born-again Christian! But, he says, “the Lord works in mysterious ways”.

I first met John when he was just beginning his final year of a law degree at Uganda Christian University.

Students discuss a Bible study at a recent UCLF student conference

He was leading the student Christian fellowship in the law faculty. But he would never have been there at all were it not for his uncle refusing to pay the fees for any other course.

Looking back, John tells me, “As I reached the University, it was as if the Lord opened my eyes. I had never even seen a Christian lawyer before.

“At university when I met Christians in the legal profession and talked with the staff of Uganda Christian Lawyers’ Fraternity (UCLF), I began to realise the possibilities of serving God through our work as lawyers.”

These Christian lawyers were different to any other lawyers he had met; they weren’t just concerned about how much money the profession could make for them.

Instead, they had time and concern for people and particularly for the poor and vulnerable. And this struck a chord with John. As he puts it, “When I was growing up, I was vulnerable. My father had left me and my mother; I grew up in bad conditions.”

BMS World Mission is a mission organisation that, by faith, believes that God will move churches and individuals to provide for our worldwide ministry. If you would like to give to BMS, click here.

So John has always had a desire to reach out to the poor and needy. And now he sees that God can use his skills as a lawyer to do just that!

John graduated from university at the end of May 2008 and ever since he has been volunteering in the office of UCLF, helping with our work amongst prisoners waiting for trials.

If you’d like to know more about joining Matthew and Anna in serving overseas with a BMS, click here.

At UCLF we praise God for John and others like him. Not just because of increasing numbers of volunteers in the office but also because of the encouragement they are to our student work.

It is our prayer that through our student work, led by BMS supported partner worker Susan Barungi, many more Christian law students will realise the potential for using their profession to serve the cause of the poor and needy.

Utilities

Matthew and Anna Price are a BMS mid-term couple working with the Ugandan Christian Lawyers’ Fraternity. Read their prayer letters by clicking here.

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