Pius & Damali Ssenyonja 2010

NelsonNews

August 2013

Dying to Live

Upon returning to Uganda the first week in August, I learned of Pius's tragic and untimely death. He was on his motorcycle with his wife, on his way to perform a funeral. As with most Ugandans, he did not wear a helmet and he was speeding, in spite of his wife’s pleas to slow down. When he pulled out to pass someone, he was hit head on by an opposing vehicle. He died on the spot and his wife suffered a broken leg.

Pastor David Kasule knew Pius in the years before he was saved. He was a raging alcoholic and had AIDS. He would come to David and ask for prayer, but repeatedly, he was drunk again the following day. But one day, Pius got serious with God. He accepted Jesus into his heart and life, and said to David, “Now I can die in peace.” David simply responded, “No, you don’t get saved to die, you get saved to live!” Next thing we knew, Pius was having negative HIV tests. When he later married Damali, they both proudly had negative HIV tests. Truly Pius got saved to live!

Pius’s mother was murdered when he was only 2 years old – by his father. She owned a piece of titled land that he wanted. Knowing what kind of a man her husband was, she had already transferred the title into tiny Pius’s name. During Pius’s lifetime, his father had tried in many and varied ways to kill him too: witchcraft, having him beaten, bribing the police to falsely arrest him, encroaching on the piece of land. Pastor David was often involved in assisting Pius to survive these things.

Pius’s father was totally broken at his son’s funeral, but everyone thought he must be faking it. However, at a meeting 3 days later, where the future of Pius’s small estate and church were being discussed, the man again became broken. But this time he accepted Jesus as his Savior, and his mourning literally turned into dancing!

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