"God Stories"

One of ACCTS' ministries is Chaplain Interaction. International military Christian leaders who are serving as chaplains, or who have been called to the chaplaincy come to the US for a two-week intensive course in the basic precepts of chaplaincy. The program is taught by retired US military chaplains, and includes extensive interaction with both serving military chaplains and other military Christian leaders.

In 2009, BG David Wakaalo and his wife Ruth came from Uganda to Chaplain Interaction at Carlisle Barracks. PA. Although the chaplaincy for the Ugandan People's Defense Force (UPDF) was disbanded by the government in 1986 due to disagreements between chaplains of different faith groups, the Wakaalo's were hopeful that the training would help them to convince their government that a military chaplaincy would enhance readiness by keeping UPDF troops spiritually and morally strong for the ongoing struggle against rebel forces.

Upon their return to Uganda, Ruth Wakaalo started a Military Wives Christian Fellowship (MWCF) for the wives of UPDF soldiers. Her husband was already active in the Ugandan Military Christian Fellowship, and was soon made the regional Vice-President for East Africa by the worldwide Association of Military Christian Fellowships. In collaboration with other UPDF military Christian leaders, BG Wakaalo met with various government officials to explain the importance of a chaplaincy to military readiness.  In 2010 David Wakaalo was assigned as the UPDF attaché in Moscow. Since his return in 2012, support for a UPDF chaplaincy has continued to grow, and other Christian leaders from the UPDF have attended Chaplain Interaction. AFRICOM chaplains have visited Uganda to lend their support to restoring the chaplaincy, numerous prayer meetings have been held, and US military ministries including ACCTS have provided encouragement and support.

Recently, the First Lady of Uganda, Janet Museveni, met with and commended Ruth Wakaalo and the MWCF for mobilizing UPDF wives to live righteous and purposeful lives, and praying for Uganda and the UPDF. The meeting was opened in prayer by the Chaplain of the Parliament of Uganda, the most senior government official who supports restorating the UPDF chaplaincy. As the meeting closed, the First Lady encouraged the MWCF to continue facilitating the establishment of "Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations" (SACCOS), income generating activities that help sustain families, and contributed funds that she described as "seeds to yield bigger harvests."