The first missionary I ever met wasn’t, properly speaking, a missionary, but a young lady from Uganda called Milly Nakato. In 2018 Milly came to Wilmington, Delaware to work for Urban Promise. I’m sure she wouldn’t have called herself a missionary, but that is what she was. She served among the poor and needy while bearing witness to the love of God in Jesus Christ.

I was able to reconnect with Milly recently, following an Urban Promise banquet. A dinner companion happened to be a friend of Milly’s and the following week I spoke with Milly by Zoom. She was able to tell me more about her personal story and update me on the school she founded.

Raised in the slums of Kampala, as a child she lived in a single room with nine others - five siblings and four cousins. Her early education was less than ideal. In Uganda, the public schools have a ratio of 100 pupils to every teacher. Not surprisingly, many children leave school unable to read or write. 

Milly’s mother, although not a believer, took the children to church; she thought it would be to their benefit. Little could she have imagined how much that would prove to be. A turning point in Milly’s life came when she was in fourth grade: she gave herself to the church. She prayed, “God, help me to get an education. Help me to get to college. If you help me, I will go back and look after the children like me.” 

The common language in Uganda for schooling and commerce is English. Milly entered high school with a poor grasp of English, but she was coached by school friends and her English improved. In seventh grade she reaffirmed her covenant with God. Later she attended Ugandan Christian University, but fell into debt and feared that she would be unable to complete the final exam. At this time her mother helped her to stay strong. Milly visited her pastor from church and the two of them prayed together. On the day of the final exam, a person from church called and gave her an envelope containing the exact money she would need to graduate. The donor said, “God wants me to bless you.”

After graduation in 2018 Milly came to the United States. She worked for Urban Promise, helping children experiencing poverty and hardship. At the same time, she was raising money to fund a school back home. She was determined to fulfill her promise to God. 

Around this time Milly attended a Bible study class at Christ Church Christiana Hundred. When I asked how she had the courage to do what she did, she replied that, however difficult or challenging things are, everything can be done when the Lord is with us. In our own strength there is a limit to what we can achieve, but with the Lord, anything is possible.

On her return to Uganda, Milly established, in partnership with Urban Promise International, Joyful Hearts Children’s Ministries, a school where underprivileged children are able to receive an education. In 2019 there were 25 pupils - today there are 300, with 20 teachers and four volunteers. There are plans to build a dormitory adjacent to the school building, as a safe place where pupils, especially young girls, can stay. Our financial support for this project will go a long way. Please consider supporting the school and Milly’s work by sending a donation through the website: https://joyfulheartschildrenministries.com

Today, Milly lives in Kampala with her husband Sulait and their three children. Her story is an inspiring one. Sometimes the future of our lives and of all that we can achieve depend not on our own confidence, nor even of our own faith, but on God’s confidence and faith in us. God is always seeking those who will do his will. With the help of the Holy Spirit, a heart turned to God is a power of good for the world. 

Father David