WASHINGTON — A Christian father, who along with his wife and three children, moved to Africa in 2013 after the U.S. government refused to let them bring home their newly adopted daughter from Uganda, spoke Friday what it means to act on God’s convictions despite not knowing exactly what The Lord is calling for.
Jonathan “Smooth” Via, a pastor and missionary affiliated with the humanitarian organization Arise Africa, gave his family’s testimony while speaking at the 2018 Evangelicals for Life conference at the J.W. Marriott, hosted by the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission ahead of the March for Life in the nation’s capital.
Via, who proposed to his wife, Kelly, on the banks of the Nile River in 2001, has for many years had a passion for the people of Uganda and has served on many Arise Africa short-term missions there.
Although the Vias had made several mission trips to the developing country in the past, Via explained that it wasn’t until they went there again for a short-term mission in 2010 that their lives would change forever.
It was that year when Arise Africa had just opened what Via referred to as a “babies home” in response to requests from local pastors who were looking for ways to help orphaned and at-risk children. Naturally, the Vias decided to visit the home.
“It was while we were [at the babies’ home] that something changed in me. I don’t have the…
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