“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit”

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit”
SOMA Mission to Northwest Ankole Diocese, Uganda

By The Rev. John Ssebalugga Kalimi

I am thankful to have served on several prior SOMA mission teams. On this mission to Northwest Ankole Diocese, once again I saw the hand of God in our ministry, especially during the transformation from the resistance manifested among attendees on Monday and Tuesday, to the spirit-filled openness manifested on Wednesday after Bishop Amos’ exhortation to his clergy.

Despite the difficulty in the first two days of our mission, the workings of the Holy Spirit were evident by the end. Every so often, the Lord needs to remind us that it is He who works within us—“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6a). 

I will forever give thanks to God for Bishop Amos Magezi’s humility, patience, openness, sincerity, and spiritual leadership. As we neared the mission's close, we shared a collective sigh of relief and a sense of "mission accomplished," with numerous clergy offering positive feedback to the team on the last day.

I am truly thankful to God who chose the team He sent to Northwest Ankole, and I cannot wait to serve again with them on yet another challenging mission. The solidarity among team members, guided by the Holy Spirit, was a critical factor in the mission’s success. Jesus prayed for unity as He was about to leave his team of disciples “so that they will be united just as we are“ (John 17:11c). This kind of unity and God's power enabled our team to impact the mission participants in Northwest Ankole Diocese. 

We will continue to pray for the work of the Holy Spirit, that the seeds sown during our stay may blossom to fruition for the greater glory of the living God.