My life was transformed during a student's retreat

It all began with a long cruise along Entebbe express highway. The students were filled with anticipation on what was going to happen at the retreat that was ahead of us. We sat in the bus in suspense, wondering what was awaiting us. Every facial expression communicated something special.

Yet we all had one thing in common; we were going to spend four days of the Easter holiday far away from home, in a new place we had never been before. I was surrounded by new faces from both within and out of campus. I was curious to know who they were since we apparently fell in the same age bracket.

Finally, we arrived at our destination after a dusty drive on Kawuku road in Entebbe. A ray of hope brightened up our faces at the sight of the architectural Scripture Union Camp site. I felt a lot of joy with the satisfaction of safe arrival. I was too excited and so were the other students who could not wait to jump out of the bus and adventure the new environment.

There laid the lake view which was breath-taking. The blue waters reflected the amazing cloud in the sky. The compound was surrounded by green grass and tall trees which proved that nature was gracefully giving them a divine touch. We jumped off the bus excited to feel the fresh breath arising from the fresh breeze of the waters. The birds were truly enjoying every single moment within the atmosphere. It was at that very moment that we realized that the retreat had officially began. And we could not wait for the special packages stored in hand for us.

The bright sunlight of a new day arose which filled my heart with enthusiasm for I knew at the back of my mind that a new day had come with new friends surrounding me. The welcoming faces which kept muttering the "good morning" greeting left me amazed because it was a true reflection of family that withdrew every student from their comfort zone of constantly tapping their smartphones. It was a moment whereby everyone was willing and trying to bond with the other. It just reminded me of the several times I enter the classroom at Campus and no one bothers to say "hello". Seemingly, the world has suddenly turned into a lonely, anti-social environment. However, things operated differently here. People were lovely, and humble, for no one seemed greater than the other. Even the trainers themselves were down to earth.

 The day kicked off with a time of Devotion. It began with a sessional touch of praise and worship which was fully led by the students and everyone was singing with utmost joy. Immediately after the praise and worship session, a young lady whom I got to know as our trainer welcomed a special guest who was going to lead us in the Devotion. He was introduced as the National Director of LIFE Ministry Uganda, Mr. David Wataba. There came our guest! From his movements, I could tell that he was brilliant and humble for he walked with peace and grace. Being my first time to attending a morning devotion, I honestly could not tell his purpose of coming before us for he was not dressed like an ordained church leader and it was not a Sunday. He led us in prayer and began to preach the Word of God.

I have always looked at the Bible as a Holy book but I never took it seriously. But for the first time in my life, I could feel the heavy weight of God's Word upon me. I stared at the Bible pages as if it was my first time to flip them. Mr. Wataba went on to share with us God's Word from 2 Timothy. I have always heard several preachers teach and I practically got used to the Sunday routine of sitting in church, hearing the sermon and then I walk away. But this time round, I could feel how strong the words were. I could feel them cut through my heart. I truly felt that the Gospel that had for so long fallen on hard and rocky grounds was finally landing on the fertile soil of my life for the first time. I then realized that God loves me so much that He even gave me an opportunity to listen to His Word. It was obvious that everything I have was also by His grace.

We were taught new things that pushed us to reflect upon our lives each moment of the retreat. We were taught how to be sure we are Christians, how to experience God's love and forgiveness, how to be filled with and Walk in the Spirit and how to help fulfil the Great Commission. These were new messages that changed my perception about life. The training sessions which began at 8:00am and ended at 5:00pm proved to be very transformative and life changing. The sports time always began after 5:00pm. Both students and trainers participated. It was a time for us to not only refresh after very engaging sessions but also to learn valuable life lessons and skills, for example the importance of team work and integrity.

I look back at the trainers and appreciate them. Those men and women were exceptionally equipped with humility and patience. A unique resilience was imparted in them. I felt their endurance when they would ask us random questions to test our minds and when we would fail, they taught us the same thing over and over again until the last student understood.

All in all, it was a journey worth taking for it made me appreciate the fact that God has a purpose for me and it was high time that I went down on my knees and acknowledged that I belonged to Him. I made a decision to obey and follow Jesus and trust Him with every detail of my life. I was greatly inspired and transformed by the beautiful time I spent with my newly found Christian family. The peaceful, gentle blue waters of Lake Victoria proved God's greatness and it made me trust in His sovereignty and believe that God has great plans for my life.

At the time of writing this article, Ketrah Nalujja is a student at Kyambogo University.