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Immaculate’s future father-in-law played matchmaker
The Muganzis were so ready for marriage that by the time Phillip proposed, on their first date, she said yes. PHOTO/JOY AHEEBWA
What you need to know:
Philip Muganzi and Immaculate Kyarisiima crossed paths at the scene of an accident and due to a very simple act of kindness by Immaculate, the couple is enjoying a flourishing marriage two years later, writes Joyce Aheebwa.
It literally took Philip Muganzi a near - death experience to meet a wife that he had been praying for and for whom he had, by faith, sown a seed years before..
“When my father mentioned the church at which the Good Samaritan lady from the accident worshipped, I knew this was the answer to my prayer,” Philip says.
For Immaculate Kyarisiima, having developed a strong friendship with Philip’s father since the accident, played the biggest role towards saying yes to Philip within the short two weeks they got to know each other.
“Around the time all this was happening, I had already been very ready for marriage. I would stand and scream, ‘I take the anointing of marriage’, during services as my pastor preached. I looked so ridiculous before people, yet I did not mind. I am a lady of crazy faith,” Immaculate narrates.
And so when Philip declared his intention, she did not hesitate; after all knowing the family is the strongest foundation needed for a lasting good marriage, according to Immaculate.
The accident
On January 10, 2019 as Philip, his father and elder sister were travelling from their farm in Kyegegwa to Mbarara, the vehicle they were using veered off the road, overturning seven times before coming to a halt in someone’s compound at the foot of the hills of Mparo, Kyegegwa. It was purely a miracle that anyone survived with minor injuries seeing how the car was wrecked.
“Soon enough a crowd had gathered and among them my now beautiful wife,” Philip says.
“We were returning from the field with the sales team of Fres-Uganda that particular Friday, when we met many people crowded at an accident scene,” Immaculate says.
“There was a woman preaching passionately. Turns out she was one of the survivors declaring how it could only have been God that saved them.”
That woman is Phillip’s sister.
Being the born-again Christian that she is, Immaculate immediately connected with the woman and felt she had to do something in aid. What was needed at that moment was means of transport from the accident scene.
“I requested my colleague to take the old man home as my teammates helped transport the other two survivors and their wrecked vehicle,” says Immaculate.
Building the connection
Immaculate and Dr Eldad Karamura, the old man from the accident, bonded as they travelled together in the car, and exchanged contacts upon reaching his home.
“I only bought him a bottle of water and kept him company, little did I know I was actually watering my own dream future,” Immaculate says
Over the months, their friendship grew as they spoke a lot on the phone.
Dr Karamura, a retired professor asked everything about her, including her academic background, her home and her faith.
“Immaculate’s industrious hospitality did not go unnoticed by my dad since the accident. Playing match maker as their friendship grew, my dad would relay all the information about her back to me even though I had not yet conceived the possibility of having her for myself as a wife. I did not even have her contact at the time and could barely remember her face,” Philip recalls
Perhaps that he was the only one of his siblings that was not married yet played a big role in his father’s interest to connect Immaculate and Philip. What was clear though Dr Karamura had found a potential wife for his son.
Breaking the deal
It did not take Dr Karamura long to discover that Immaculate was and still is a member of Holy Spirit Fire Church where his son once worshipped and as he always did, managed to tell Philip about this fact.
“I immediately asked for my father’s blessings to go and look for this lady. I knew there and then she was the one,” Philip says.
What the father did not know is that around the year 2013 when Philip was still worshipping at this church, inspired by a message of faith the Pastor preached, Philip made a prayer that he wanted to marry a woman from that very ministry and sowed a seed of gratitude for the answered prayer by faith.
For years it felt like nothing would become of this prayer. In 2016, he relocated from Holy Spirit Fire Church to another church in Mbarara hoping to find his future wife.
After about three years and a few failed relationships along the way, Philip’s father broke the best news about Immaculate’s place of worship. This suddenly aroused his curiosity.
“I saw a very handsome well-dressed gentleman approach me after service and introduce himself as ‘the guy from the accident’. He thanked me for helping his father. We exchanged contacts and that night, the time simply stopped in our little world as we spoke on phone. The conversation flowed so effortlessly, one would think we had known each other all our lives,” Immaculate says
After a few weeks of a steady friendship and consistent communication via the phone, Philip proposed to Immaculate on their very first date and she said yes.
Wedding
Kyarisiima introduced Muganzi to her family in a very colourful ceremony at her parents’ home in Nyeihanga, Rwampara District on August 9, 2019. The couple wedded on August 10, 2019 at St. James Cathedral Ruharo, Mbarara City and had their reception at lgongo Cultural Centre.
Challenges
The Covid-19 pandemic induced lockdowns came with a financial strain that has halted many of their plans for business and ministry.
“We are using this time to regroup, plan and prepare even better for when the opportune time presents itself,” says Philip.
Given the little time the couple gave the courtship phase, they got no challenges but importantly the Muganzis were both ready for marriage which plays a big role towards their blissful relationship even as a married couple. Above all else God is at the very centre of everything in both their lives and as a family.
Wives should submit to their husbands
Philip and Immaculate Muganzi have been blessed with baby Deborah Muganzi.
They are both are passionate about ministering to young adults and youths and have held a number of seminars and conferences to train, equip and empower the singles to maximise that phase of their lives for a more fulfilling and enjoyable future.
The Muganzis advise newly marrieds to base their marriage on a strong foundation of complete trust so that working together can be possible and easy. Above, all to honour God as the author of marriage hence do as the Bible teaches: wives to fully submit to their husbands and husband to love their wives.
