Milly and Vicky

Christmas 2010 through 2011

"The snow gently falls, and touches the heart, white as a dove, Merry Christmas with love."

Milly Nabwami to Vicky Mann

Reply from Milly Nabwami, Sounds of Hope Youth Group, Uganda

Dear Lovely Vicky,

When it comes to our grandma, I lack words to use to describe her. Each day she proves us that ladies can be hardworking and do better than men in some situations. Yours prayers to her are welcome. Fortunately, she has improved and going strong now. Thanks for your prayers. Have you finally got the maths lessons in order? It is always hard to understand maths when it is not fully arranged well for both teachers and learners. Receive my humble request to invite you to come to Uganda plus any other youths of CUTS who may have the need to come and meet us at Sounds of Hope.

We are doing well in our new classes this way.

Kind regards,

Milly

Reply from Vicky Mann, Christians Under the Stairs, Deer Park, New York, USA

April 2011

Dear Milly,

Oh, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting with this letter. I really do feel guilty.

Unfortunately, things have been rather busy over here. School is ending, and collage professors and high school teachers are cramming in the last assignments and lessons they can for their students. Chores at home and at my churches keep me on my toes as well. And most sadly, a good friend of mine just lost her father to pancreatic cancer, which has been hurting him for a long time now. We are glad to see him go to God, and that his suffering has ended, but being there for my friend has taken most of the free time I had.

I'm so embarrassed about this being late, I am sorry. I hope that you'll still stay with me and keep this correspondence up.

I hope everything is going much smoother and happier on your side of these interchanging letters. And I hope that you and I will meet someday. I'd like to be able to say hello to you in person, and not just on ink and paper.

Until then, may God light your path and keep you safe in all your adventures.

Your Friend,

Vicky

Correspondence March 2010 through December 2010

My name is Milly Nabwami. I am 14 years old and a member of the Sounds of Hope youth program in Uganda. I live at home with three brothers and two sisters. Their ages are between 2 and 16 and I share a room with some of them. My chores at home include: cooking, gardening, cleaning my home, washing clothes and utensils and fetching water.

Milly_Nabwami__to_Vicky_Man.gif

I am in the third year of secondary school and I have to walk one mile each way to school, five days a week. I love all types of music. I regularly go to church with my family and my goal is to be a midwife when I grow up.

Reply from Vicky Mann, Christians Under the Stairs, Deer Park, New York, USA

"My name is Vicky Mann. I am 16 years old and I will be 17 at the end of April. I hear that you have 5 siblings to share with. I hope you realize how lucky you are to have their company. I never had any siblings so I don't know what it's like though I would love to have a little sister or brother of my own. I see that you like music, so that is a trait we share; music is life to me.

What I like about youth group is a chance to hang out with my friends at youth group since it is the only time I get to see them. I attend a different church than the church in which our youth group is in. I go here because my mom went to this youth group about 30 years ago.

Anthony, Bill (seated); Daniel (back), Vicky (front)

I hear that you want to be a midwife when you grow up. I'm going to be a teacher so its cool we both get to work to help kids. I hope you and I will be able to write to each other soon. Until then, I wish you the best."

Reply from Milly Nabwami, Sounds of Hope Youth Group, Uganda

Hey Vicky Mann,

It was joyful moment when I read your letter. I appreciate you for making your choice of friendship. My dad is Paul and my mom is Edith. Both Parents are still living. My dad is a pump attendant on the Fuel Station and my mom is a shop keeper. Meeting with other youth at SOUNDS OF HOPE, helps me to get together and it helps to forget the bad events with me.

My best subjects are Mathematics, Christian Religious Education and Biology.

Your friend, Milly

Comment and Challenge from Lindsay Ullmann, United Kingdom

Hi ... my name is Lindsay Ullmann. I started to write poetry when I was your age and it helped me to learn more about myself as a person. I grew to understand that I had to search to just find myself . I am in my 20's and now am a professional songwriter and singer. So if we turn our thoughts around into something positive we can accomplish almost anything - through creativity and spirituality.

Milly and Vicky, do you feel that you have had a wake up call in life like I had through poetry, when I was your age? If so, would you care to share? Would you agree that creativity and spirituality can help us and also those around us?

Reply from Vicky Mann, Christians Under the Stairs, Deer Park, New York, USA

Dear Milly,

Hello again!!! I'm glad you're happy with writing back and forth with me. I can honestly say that I'm finding this a lot of fun as well. I'm glad to hear that you still have both your parents, even over here, a lot of people don't have that luxury. Luckily, I still have my Mom and Dad too, but I almost lost Mom about a year ago to Cancer. If there is any disease I am frightened of, it's surely that one. Luckily she recovered, and is actually doing quite well. I hope you never have to worry about this sort of thing during your life. I also read that you enjoy going to your christian youth meetings because it helps you forget bad things, I know how you feel, I need my youth group during the school years just to feel like I belong somewhere in all the insanity around here. Oh, you're good at Math? Maybe you can help me with it then, I'm not good at all. My best subjects are Social Studies and English... Do you have classes like these, and if you do, how are they run by the teachers?

Our youth group takes some time off in the summer with only a mountain hike scheduled for August 7th. Then we start our weekly Sunday night meetings in September.

I hope we'll get to correspond again soon, and may God light your way through life until then.

Your Friend,

Vicky Mann

Dear Lindsay Ullmann,

Hi!! I suppose I had a wake up call when I was in church for the first time for Alter Guild. Alter Guild is where you "set the table" for the Lord's Supper the next day, and it is always done on Saturday. I was the youngest one there, it was my Mother who had signed us up, and I could tell that a couple of the older women were not pleased I was there. I was doing my best to help, fetching chalices, and carrying trays, and finally, someone asked me to put the communion trays out on the alter. No one else saw this, since they were all to busy with cleaning up. I put the trays out on the alter, and looked up, and saw what the Pastor sees every Sunday. His view of the church had me taken back for a second; all those pews, to be filled with all those people!! All expecting you to tell them what the Lord wants us to do with our lives. I felt this sense of calm, imagining this imaginary congregation, and I felt this strange feeling throughout my being, like pure elation had been poured into me. I held my hands out like the pastor always did for a few seconds, imagining I was leading the service in honor of Christ our Lord. It was a magical feeling.

Since then, I get more involved witht he church as I always feel more complete when I'm in it's sanctuary. I am now a Lay Reader, (Someone who reads the testements during service), a Communion Assistant, ( I give the Blood of Christ to people on the Sundays I am called), and I am studying to be an Assisting Minister now.(Someone who actually gets to help LEAD the service, and say the prayers and such. I'm so excited!!!!) So my spiritual wake up was something like that. I hope you and I will get to correspond some more Lindsay, you seem nice to talk to.

Until then, may God light your way.

Vicky

Reply from Lindsay Ullmann, United Kingdom

Hi Vicky

Thank you so much for your story. It sounds very much like you just had a calling in life and that now you are almost being lead by something so powerful you know you are on the right path? I think a lot of young people have such experiences but are scared to talk about them in fear of sounding silly. For example, your experience reminded me of when I had an experience with Jesus in my bedroom..

I was trying to give up smoking at the time, and for the life of me I just couldn't , it was obvious I needed some direction. I was actually asleep when this happened but I suddenly remember looking down on myself, as if I had come out of my body..there was just the general feeling that I could no longer go on anymore.. suddenly I saw a bright burst of pure white light in the corner of my bedroom. In frightened me so badly that I didn’t want to turn around and look at it, but something inside my mind just told me to face it.

So I did, when I faced the light I saw the face of what seemed like a beautiful carved angel surround by such an embracing light. I threw myself into the light and handed over all my worries. The angel (or Jesus) turned to me and said "everything is going to be ok". I said, "I can't give up smoking ; it’s really hard" and he said "just try , try not to".

After that I never touched another cigarette and I actually started to find myself more after that. The only way I can explain the experience with the light, is 100% pure love, like nothing you could ever experience on earth. It was pretty amazing. I knew something so far beyond my knowledge and come into my life for a reason and it is something I will carry forever. So whenever I think that things are going wrong in life, I always remember that light.

All the best and warm wishes,

Lindsay

Reply from Vicky Mann, Christians Under the Stairs, Deer Park, New York, USA to Lindsay

Dear Lindsey (If I may call you that),

I am very sorry for the long delay there's been in me replying to you. Things got a bit hectic over here, and the internet was semi-forsaken for a little while there. So I'm sorry about that again.

I really wish I knew more people who have had religious callings though. The main example of the people I’ve met who seem to have had meetings with God is my best friend. I can't tell you her stories though; They’re not mine to tell. I wish she'd feel the same calling I do towards the church, but she doesn't seem to feel the same pull unfortunately.

I'm glad you felt secure enough to tell me your amazing story. I'm so happy for you that you were able to experience this amazing event, and that it changed your life so thoroughly and happily. I'm still wondering if I should try to become a pastor, as I feel at home with the church. I said it's only second to true love, and a very, VERY close second at that.

Also, Tim told me that you wanted to publish my story in a journal of some kind. I say go for it, if you haven't already. I'm pretty sure that Tim got back to you with my response and my Mom's approval before hand though.

Thank you again for just responding! It’s really a miracle in itself that now we can spread Jesus’ ministry through this medium of the internet.

May God walk with you,

Vicky

Reply from Milly Nabwami, Sounds of Hope Youth Group, Uganda

Dear Vicky,

A lot of fun and learning is coming out of this program. You cant tell how happy the youth from our group are. Those who have not yet got pals feel so bad because they are missing out on the reading of the encouraging mails from that side of the world. God is good in away of saving people’s lives and we need to thank him for his healing power and readiness to provide what we need to live on the earth. Cancer is very deadly and many people have lost their dear ones and lives to cancer and here in Uganda, once you are proved that you have cancer, you are declared dead because it is only those with money who can manage to be flown to well equipped countries to get the right treatment and not so many people can afford that. I can tell you that my grandma was tested and it is said that she was found with cancer but she refused to reveal to our dads and aunts not to upset them but doctors told her that she will never get cured. We just pray she lives longer because we greatly need and love her .She is such a great lady whose husband is blind and she is giving great care to her husband.

When I get a chance, I will help you with Maths. Maths being my favorite subject has won me friends among my fellow students and teachers. I just pray that I just improve on that like my elder brother. Our teachers really handle the maths lessons so well that we can understand it though not all of us can understand it at once.

Greetings to all of you.

Milly

Reply from Vicky Mann, Christians Under the Stairs, Deer Park, New York, USA

Dear Milly, We learn much from you all as well, and newest members are eager to get some new friends to write to. I believe our leader, Tim, is figuring that all out for us. I am so sorry about your Grandmother. She will be in my prayers, as well as the prayers of my church if I can get her into our prayer page. (I promise I will.) She seems like a beautiful and wise woman, and the world will be at a loss when she's gone home to Heaven. I pray she lives long enough for you to learn enough of life and love from her. I wish you could help me, I need all the help I can get for this subject. Unfortunately, no one, including the teachers, seems to know what order the classes go in any more. We used to have a certain system for doing math, but they changed it on us suddenly, and for no really good reason either. Now all the teachers, students, and probably a good portion of the administration, are running around trying to figure out what we’re supposed to be learning, instead of sitting down and actually learning it. Not to mention I wasn't good with math before the entire escapade. Ah well. May God smile down on your life, Vicky

Would you like to become another Bible Penpal with Milly or Vicky ? Send them a note and/or answer Lindsay's question by writing a note to our website e-mail : timferguson@christianyouthgroup.org. Your thoughts will be included on this webpage. Milly, Vicky and Lindsay will be notified that you have written.