Peace and Greetings to you, our family, friends, and mentors.

We are thrilled to have you join us on this most important event in our lives. On Saturday, Jan 04th, 2025, at St. Augustine Catholic Church Makerere University Kampala, Phiona and I will be united through the Holy Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. Through this sacrament, our longing is to build our marriage on Christ, the rock and solid foundation (Lk 6: 43-49). Phiona and I met through church, and we owe it to God to return with gratitude by making our solemn vows to Him.

After church, we will host our guests at a reception at Akamwesi Gardens in Kyebando along Gayaza Road.

We ask for your prayers to make this day memorable for us and our guests. Your prayers will also strengthen us in conforming to God’s will in our lives. We also ask you to support us financially – the inflation rate and the prices of everything are high everywhere. Your donation will go a long way in helping us to meet our budget.

Your journey with us starts by knowing the couple first; - who we are, how we met, and our relationship journey to date.

Ethnicity

For our non-Ugandan friends, Uganda is split into five major regions by location – North, South, East, West and Central. There are about 56 different tribes and nine indigenous communities speaking over 70 different languages. The total population of Uganda is about 47M, and English is the official language.

Phiona is Munyankole, born and raised in Western Uganda. She speaks Runyankole and English. The staple food for Banyankole is Millet and Bananas (you can call it the cooking type plantain). I am a Muganda, born and raised in Central Uganda. I speak Luganda and English. The Baganda people eat Bananas the most. Phiona knew a bit of Luganda before we started dating but she’s fluent now. I still have a long way to go – I can barely speak and hardly understand Runyankore. I am generally not good at languages if I must admit it. Despite these cultural differences, LOVE always wins, for it has no boundaries. That’s our motto, and we stand by it.

Further, you will later learn that we have a lot in common. Most importantly, we are both children of God! Different people, same God. For us, Faith comes first, love second, and others are secondary.

Spirituality and Religion

Yes, Faith first. Phiona and I were born and raised Catholics. Both our parents were wedded in church and are actively practicing. I am confident that the path we have chosen gives them Joy. Growing up, going to church was non-negotiable in both our families. Faith in God is the most precious GIFT we both received from our families. Alongside this GIFT are honorable Christian virtues: love of God, respect for elders, sharing with others, patience, humility, etc. We both dream of raising our family the same way. We must pass on the most good we received. Jesus! Based on our Christian backgrounds, we have a lot in common. You will notice that we both love church music. We like praying the Rosary and have a devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM). We like community work and helping those in need. So naturally beautiful. Our baptism for music is because, traditionally, our parents would sing first before each morning and every evening prayers. We are devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary because we pray the Rosary regularly at home. You will learn that our love story was miraculously born from this profound devotion.

Devotion to the BVM: We both love Mother Mary and pray the Rosary daily. This devotion amazingly intersected in our lives while in College. At Makerere University, we both attended Queen of Angels (QOA) - Legion of Mary (a worldwide religious movement dedicated to Mary's apostleship and evangelization) and served as leaders in this movement. I served as president in the 2014-15 academic year and graduated in 2016. Phiona served as a financial officer in 2017-19. Something looks odd here. Phionah joined the campus two years after I graduated. That's right. So, how did you guys meet without overlapping in College? It is not a mystery. That I will tell you. As a Christian, I believe, though, that first, miracles do happen and that God never ceases to surprise his people. Secondly, that good seed produces good fruit. Here is the crux of my love story.

In the summer of 2015, during my first job assignment in Kamuli district, rural eastern Uganda, I extended Legion of Mary to Namasagali High School, together with two student interns, Rachel and Geoffrey. This was in fulfillment of the promise I made to Mother Mary that I would start something in her honor. Working with the school garden project presented a tremendous opportunity. The religious movement was positively embraced by students- teaching them how to pray and be Christian disciples to each other in the school. Six months later, I left for Graduate School in Iowa in January 2016. Before my departure, I tasked Queen of Angels, my alma mater presidium, to adopt and shepherd the young Legion of Mary group; - to ensure that it takes root, for university students to serve as role models and spiritual mentors to high school students and that these students are encouraged to embrace the devotion to the BVM. Thankfully, Geoffrey joined the Legion of Mary-QOA in 2016 and championed this cause.

Additionally, each generation of QOA leaders since 2016 were obligated to support this evangelization mission. Among the tasks were to visit the group regularly (~80 miles from Kampala 1X a semester), “keep in touch with the founder,” and provide periodic updates, which Phiona excelled at doing while serving as the financial officer of the Legion. Through these periodic updates, I learned that Phiona was also singing in the St. Augustine Choir at Makerere University, where I was a member for four years. Our conversations broadened – swinging between Legion of Mary and the Choir, naturally leading to our friendship. It didn’t stop at that – our hearts sought each other out, and we fell in love. In the fall of 2019, we started online dating.

The pandemic hit and we couldn’t meet physically three years later. Phiona and I first met one-on-one on February 2nd, 2022, and got engaged a month after on March 2nd, 2022. Altogether, our love is a fruit and gift of God to the Legion of Mary. My strong connection to the Legion of Mary and the Catholic Community at St. Augustine Makerere University meant that although I physically left campus, my Spirit and Legacy remained in a profound way.

Phionah's Love Story

In 2018, bro Ssekyanzi Godfrey, sr. Magret, bro. Gyavila (In the Legion of Mary, girls, and boys are referred to as Sisters and brothers, respectively) and I went to Namasagali to do pastoral work and check on the presidium brother Emmanuel had started to make sure that the Legion continues even in his absence. Little did I know it was my way to meet my future soul mate. Brother Godfrey asked me to share with bro. Emmanuel (my husband) photos of what transpired during the visit and share the report he helped put together. He sent it to me with his phone number and told me to share it. Deep inside my heart, I was like, "But he has his number; why couldn't he share directly?" After contacting bro Emmanuel, he requested me to share the report on his email, which I did, but I also saved his number. I remember he put our photo (below) on his WhatsApp profile picture, and Florence (the biological sister to Emmanuel, who was going to Makerere at that time) came and asked me how I knew him. I told her that brother Emmanuel sponsored our pastoral work in Namasagali, so he put us on his profile. Florence said she was his sister, and that's how I got to know one of his family members. Emmanuel used to text and ask about the Legion, and I would tell him everything. In July 2019, during my internship, Emmanuel started watching my WhatsApp statuses and sometimes commenting. I often post memes with my friend Adera, and because I was single, I wasn't minding about my posts. I remember posting some memes on relationships once, and Emmanuel commented, "You will get one day, trust God." I wasn't serious then because I wasn't ready to fall in love yet!

When we reported for the third year's first semester, he increased the rate of texting, and occasionally, he would call directly. I didn't know someone would call you directly from abroad since no one had ever called me, but still, I had no feeling that he was interested in me. It was on a Saturday morning, October 21st, 2019, when he asked, "If I give you a chance to ask me anything, what would you ask?"

At first, I wrote, what do you like doing, and deleted it. I again wrote what do you like eating, but my heart was like this is a serious question; you may not answer him well, reverse it back to him; that's what I did. He immediately expressed his interest in me. I remember his last statement was, "I know you might be in other relationships (yet I was single), and this could be distracting, but I don't want to lose you. Just give me a chance to crush on you. I immediately developed some fear. I didn't know whether he was single, or whether he was married and what he was studying in the USA. He also followed me on Twitter, the current X space. One Friday he texted, and I didn't answer that very day. On Saturday, I went to church to sing a wedding and knelt before Mother Mary and asked her if he was the one, and the voice said, he is the one. When I returned, we didn't talk on Twitter, but we kept our conversations on WhatsApp. The fact that he kept calm showed me how patient he was. On Sunday morning, I went to mass and prayed about it. Everything was still very positive. I reached home and texted on Twitter, saying, "Crushing is fine." The reasons I accepted him to crush on me were: first, he was far away, so he couldn't call me to visit him over the weekend; I hated weekend 'wifing' (cooking and cleaning for the man while studying at university) yet had promised not to do it for any person until it's the right time; secondly he was a strong catholic and a devotee to Mother Mary.

What followed crushing was showering me with love that I had never experienced in my life, calling me those sweet names. Indeed, I accept that I got excited about a man for the first time. My heart opened for him, closed him inside, and gave keys to Mother Mary so that it's only him that I think about when it comes to love. To date, he is the only one in my heart. My soul accepted him to the extent that even when he is far away, I feel he is too close to me; my imagination is always with him. I decided once and forever I am all his. I reached my destiny.

Devotion to St. Jude

During the three-year online dating, I learned more about Phiona’s other spiritual devotions besides the Legion. Her devotion to St. Jude, among others, stood out to me. I was intrigued by the fact that she often invited me to join and pray with her the St. Jude Novena leading to his Feast day, October 28th. Praying together on a WhatsApp call was one of my best online moments. It is so fascinating that when we first met, both of our phone screen savers had a photo of St. Jude. When my cousin Joseph saw it, he exclaimed, “You guys are meant for each other.” What a Great sign this is! St. Jude is an essential figure in our lives and a patron saint of our relationships. I haven’t changed my phone screen saver since then!

Love of Music

Music is another spiritual practice that binds us together. We both love singing church music. While at Makerere University, we were both active choristers and members of the St. Augustine Choir. Phiona is still part of this choir group to this day. Outside campus, Phiona is an active member of AMDA, a unity Choir from the Archdiocese of Mbarara for the Kampala residents. She also composed a Marian song for Boniconsilii, her Alma mater high school. Since coming to the United States, I have been a member of the music ministry in all the places I have lived. I was a chorister and drummer at St. Thomas Aquinas Church and Catholic Student Centre at Iowa State University from 2017-2021. Since coming to California in the fall of 2021, I have been a chorister and cantor at St. Raymond Catholic Church in Menlo Park. In my free time, I play the Piano.

Hobbies

Sports: Soccer is our favorite sport. Although Phiona doesn't know how to play, she is a big fan and enjoys watching it. Her team is Manchester United in the UK, and Christiano Ronaldo is her favorite player. I support Arsenal, one of Manchester United's biggest rivals in English football. So, in the football world, we are technically 'big adversaries.' However, we haven't given room for soccer emotions to infiltrate our relationship – it is only secondary to it. I like playing soccer, and it will be fascinating to see Phiona watch her husband take on guys in real life. My friends call me Mbappe, and others African Messi. I hope it is stimulating enough for her to see me play for the first time in real life. Although Phiona is a Manchester United fan, she loves supporting teams in her area of origin, i.e., she is always restless when her former school, Boniconsilii Girls, is playing. When they win, it's her happiness. She likes it most when Uganda wins a game, which makes UK soccer secondary.

Besides soccer, I like running. I run at least twice a week for 3 miles. Altogether, the experience of growing up in different cultures and social settings, the tendency to lean towards different teams, and pursuing different career trajectories have taught us important life lessons – tolerance, patience, empathy, and coexistence amongst the most difficult circumstances. There is Strength in Diversity!

Traveling: I am a very adventurous person. I like exploring new places. Visiting nature is medicine to me. It calms my anxieties and brings me positive energy. Gazing at the beauty of creation also increases my faith in God. While in Iowa, my friend Chiteri and I visited all the Story County, Iowa parks. It was our weekend hobby. My love for nature peaked during the pandemic. Every day, I wandered in the nearby forest for at least 30 min.

Since coming to California in the summer of 2021, I have been in awe of how many adventurous sites exist on the Pacific West Coast. My favorite place so far has been Yosemite National Park. Still, I have also visited other iconic sites such as the Golden Gate Bridge (a couple of times), Muir Woods, as well as Sequoia, and King Canyons National Park, among others. Every summer, I aim to visit a new place and check on a longtime friend. My next park will be Yellow Stone National Park in Wyoming.

Besides nature/wilderness, I love road trips. While in Iowa, I drove 7+ hours individually on several occasions to visit my friends in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Oklahoma. Also, visiting iconic places is another opportunity for a road trip that I always look forward to! Occasionally, I go on a pilgrimage – visiting the shrine of Mother Mary. My favorite pilgrimage place in northern California is Our Lady of Peace in Santa Clara. Phiona doesn’t like traveling very much. I hope my presence in her life will help her fill that gap. Nature is full of life; by giving it our time, we receive life and thrive. Lastly, I like attending sporting events - watching Baseball, American Football, and Soccer with my friends.

Playing with children: Phiona loves children, and her love for babies is extraordinary. She likes playing with them, singing for them as they dance, hugging them, preparing their food, and eating with them. When stressed, she looks for children to surround her, and her mind is settled at the end of the day. She likes locking herself in a quiet place to recite the Rosary, which she does almost daily. She loves listening to gospel music, which comforts her soul.

Gardening: Gardening is not a hobby for us. It is a lived experience. We both grew up on agriculture farms and our parents still farm for a living. I fell in love with the subject and pursued it further in college, earning a bachelor’s degree of science in Agriculture. Despite my career prospects taking a significant turn to biomedical research, gardening followed me. While in grad school, I adopted a pet plant, the lemon tree ‘Saka,’ which became famous among my peers. Every summer, I grow my vegetables. Eating fresh, organic, and out of your effort is genuinely fulfilling. In 2022, Phiona and I bought land. Since buying food in the city is expensive, we decided to turn our land into a banana garden. This decision came quickly because banana is a staple food in our cultures. Growing our food has saved us money, kept the family busy, and still lived the farm experience. In the summer, when we have abundance, we share some with our friends and family.

Careers

Emmanuel: I am a biological scientist specializing in Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development. My study interests are mechanisms of genome inheritance encompassing sexual reproduction and cancer. I earned a doctorate in Genetics and Genomics from Iowa State University in 2021. Currently, I am a Life Sciences Research Fellow at Stanford University School of Medicine studying these topics.

Phiona: I am a social scientist specializing in gender. I will graduate with a Master of Arts in Gender Studies on January 17th, 2025, from Makerere University. My areas of expertise are sexual and reproductive health, Gender-based violence, and sexual harassment prevention. I am also a specialist in mentoring young women, gender equality, and zero tolerance for any kind of violence, among others. In general, I care deeply about human rights, especially rights for vulnerable groups.

Values, Dreams, and Aspirations

To evaluate our relationship on the eve of our 5th dating anniversary, we surveyed each other at the beginning of 2024. This survey was meant for us to know each other better, having spent over ¾ of the last five years dating long distance. The results from the selected questions of the survey are here. Please take a look. I hope you can appreciate that our values are remarkably similar!

Our love journey so far:

Anne Prisca Nakanwagi: Prisca came into our lives on Halloween, October 31st, 2022, and has turned two years old. She is the first grandchild named in memory of our late grandmother Prisca, who passed away in 2023. Prisca likes playing and has been a significant source of support, morale boost, and company to Phiona. Her presence in our lives also significantly narrowed our long-distance relationship.

Anne has a lot of personality; she is a happy and jolly girl, loves playing and dancing, loves to associate with young children, loves eating good food, and loves to be given her own space.

What has helped us to keep together in a long-distance relationship?

Communication: Talking to each other daily has helped us keep strong and build trust. We are very open about it. When traveling or having an overnight experiment, I always inform Phiona about it in advance. Phiona is also good at communicating. I video chat with them almost daily, which has helped me bond with my daughter.

Friends and family: Our love journey also meant we would have acquaintances in common – through the Legion of Mary and Choir. Phiona knew my sister through the choir, who later introduced her to other family members.

Acknowledgments:

Thank you so much in advance for your prayers and support in making this precious event memorable for us and our guests. Phiona and I are excited to welcome you to Uganda on Jan 04th. May God bless you, your families, and the works of thy hands.

In a special way, I would like to acknowledge:

Br. Ssekyanzi Geoffrey, with whom we started the Legion of Mary in Namasagali.

Eng. Joseph Wasswa, my cousin, endeavored to check on Phiona regularly to ensure she was doing okay.

Both of our parents for the seed of faith.

Our mentors at every stage in our life.

The story is compiled by Emmanuel (the groom-to-be and here referred to as the first person I).