Soroti, Uganda | A Legacy Takes Root
“I will give you the right people,” God told them. “Invest in who I give you, and I’ll do everything else.”
Nearly 30 years ago, God called Paul and Julie Ford to invest in the next generation of leaders. They said yes.
“I will give you the right people,” God told them. “Invest in who I give you, and I’ll do everything else.”
And he did. Over the years, Paul and Julie built long-term mentoring relationships with believers around the world, equipping emerging leaders to recognize their gifts, clarify their purpose, and step into what God was calling them to do.
In Uganda, God connected them with Sam and Agnes Abuku. Sam was an apostolic leader who impacted thousands of people, and Paul quickly bonded with him over their shared commitment to the next generation. Paul and Julie invested deeply in Sam, his ministry, and several of his children.
Five years ago, after a lengthy battle with cancer, Julie passed away.
When Sam and Agnes heard the news, they invited Paul to become part of their family—to join their tribe. When Paul returned to Uganda for the first time without Julie in late 2021, they welcomed him into the family by joining in his grief.
“It was overwhelming to be loved and received by them,” Paul shared. “In fact, we ‘grieved the village way.’”
But this trip to grieve Julie would also become a turning point for a new generation of leaders.
During his visit, God highlighted three of Sam’s grown children to Paul—Solomon, Jane, and his son-in-law Emmanuel (Emma). As Paul spent time with each of them, their conversations became a catalyst for callings God was bringing into focus in their lives.
Emma and Solomon launched Shepherding the Pearl, a business initiative that has grown to five businesses and now trains and disciples young couples in business, servant leadership, and healthy marriages—including teaching husbands to love and honor their wives in a culture where women have often been treated as commodities.
Jane’s burden for teen moms rejected by their families became Hands of Grace, a vocational tailoring program for vulnerable women that began at Barnack School, a private school serving underprivileged students. Since its launch, more than 50 young women have graduated, and most have been welcomed back into their families and villages.
These ministries were reflections of things Julie had carried in her heart—and they all took root during Paul’s visit to Uganda, just six months after her death.
As the vocational programs expanded, the Barnack School needed a new building to keep up with the growth. And when the cornerstone was laid, they put Julie’s name on it.
What began as a trip to grieve a beloved wife became much more: a glimpse of the legacy Julie had helped build. She had spent years encouraging people, caring for women, and helping leaders discover who God had created them to be. Now, through the people she and Paul invested in, that legacy continues to grow.
