Meeting Martin was a catchy, remarkable and exceptional day I will never forget. His love for God is very celestial, he is pious, strict in his religious beliefs and practices. He is humorous, generous, a good listener and above all a heartfelt and honest friend. He is a blessing to me and many others. Oh! and i forgot, haha, he is so intelligent.
1. What was it like growing up?
Well, this is a bit funny or tricky to answer because I am still growing in many areas of my life. Age is one angle, but there is more to this. But I guess you meant when I was young. Right? . I was a very playful boy. I liked so much to play with lizards, frogs, and toads . Injecting them and removing blood from them, and mixing it up and reinjecting it in other frogs or lizards to see what would happen. I guess coz I had watched the movie, Hulk . And also just for fun. Actually my mum thought I would be a doctor when I grow up. I I equally fancied the white gowns of Doctors so I thought I would be one.( You can imagine). But I guess I wouldn’t because I just dont like dirty things, touching rotting stuff, etc or even looking at time. It’s all horrible for me. But where need be, I get stuff done . However, at a certain point, j guess at around 10, I got so involved with bicycle spokes making small cars out of them. And my father imagined I would be an engineer . But guess what, a long the way, especially in my high school, I begun discovering what i would want to be. And since S.1, my love for law has made me reach where I am so far. And I am so happy for having been able to achieve my career dream. But I was very bright, loved so much by both my parents, basically, I can in a nutshell say, I grew up like any ordinary African Child. Of course being a prince by blood made us get the whole lot of too much unnecessary attention, but that slowly died off . And I am glad it did.
2. As Martin Juuko, where do you find inspiration?
Hannah, this is a nice question . I guess you already know the answer Psalm:105. And I mean. And the many other relevant books I read. On leadership, the law, and philosophy. Once in a while I get to social media, watch a few things, videos of some specific people. But all these are to a lesser extent . I greatly draw inspiration from. Psalm 119:105, because of 2 Timothy 3:16. I hope you know what I mean.
3. You are one of the few people that gives the best relationship advice, are you in a relationship and if no why not?
Wow. Thank you for the awesome comment. I am humbled. However, its as if you already know the answer to this one . I guess you do. No, I am not in a relationship. Unlike most people, I respect people’s feelings, their hearts. I find it very sad to play with people’s hearts whenever we want to, not paying attention that we are destroying people’s future husbands and wives . So why waste someone’s time, if I genuinely know I am not going to commit myself to that individual. Secondly, I would want to say to a lady that I love her when I mean it, and I want to grow with her, build dreams and goals with her. Not just to play funny “stupid” games with each other’s life . Thirdly, we all have dreams and goals to persue in life, we have life perspectives, etc. I have taken so long to be in a relationship because I have to see the nexus between my dreams and “hers”. This to me is important in relationships. Being in a relationship is like playing with eggs in your hands; in some cases, if not, most cases, dreams break. Make sure as you play, you are holding the eggs in the right way. Forthly, there is too much playing in relationships. But there is almost no time to spend in these “games”. That is why some of us, myself to be specific, are giving relationships a distance till we eventually see a person that deserves our trust. Lastly, among others, but most importantly, its because there is no need to rush, to go ahead of myself before God actually guides me to the right person. He actually does. Romans 8:28. I guarantee you, when He does, you know.
4. What is the best relationship advice you could give to a campus couple?
I really cannot advice much on this because I have equally not been in a relationship here at campus . Nonetheless, I will give principled advice. Trust is the most fundamental thing in any successful relationship of course, love is what makes a relationship. But it stands on trust. Two things will destroy your relationship. Cheating and lying. Avoid these too things so so much. In fact do not do them to one another. Secondly, be yourself. Do not dare to become what you are not or do what you cannot sustain. It will raise heights that you can not walk on. Build your relationship on trust, honesty, vulnerability, contentment and of course genuine love, that doing too much of calls, gifts, etc. These things are good, but they should be products of a relationship just doing them for formality does not sustain a relationship. However, where you go wrong with each other. Please, remember to forgive one another. You are all not angels, you are nothing but humans. And to error is human. But take each other’s forgiveness or kindness not for granted. DO NOT ABUSE IT. lastly remember to do your quite time every single day (get a quite time journal or diary) you both follow and discuss with each other. Put God at the centre of it all. He will be your anchor. As you date, do the best in each other’s life. Do not be selfish. Remember she is not your wife, neither are you her husband, so any act of sex or romance in this relationship is sexual immorality (1 Cor.6-18-20). Hold each other accountable to the Lord. You are stewards unto the Lord to keep each other until God’s will be declared onto both of you. In conclusion as you all the above, still have faith in the Lord, dedicate your relationship before the Lord because He knows the future that you do not know. It is equally possible that you may end up not in marriage but at least you will not be broken because God has the final say. Besides, you will be okay even though not happy, since your hands will be clean before the Lord, in the whole relationship. Just to remind us, God brings people in our lives for various reasons. We are never sure but He knows. We should therefore trust Him. And be good stewards of what he has trusted us with. Proverbs 3:5-6.
5. What are those values that you are strongly committed to?
Trust, Honesty, fulfilling Promises, cleanliness & smartness, leadership of service not of being serviced. Not giving up. Love that prevails over all. Forgiveness of wrong. And the Love God that nothing can never taken me from. However, I hate being lied to. And being taken for granted.
6. Do you have a mentor? How have they influenced you?
Yes. I actually have several mentors. I have academic mentors, spiritual mentors, leadership mentors, family mentors(the family mentors model me into what the best father and husband would means). Amd I guarantee you . They have influenced me in many ways. I also understand they are human beings. Hence not expecting them to be perfect. But they are wow . They have excellently mentored me in all the areas I have mentionedabove. And they are still mentoring me, as I mentor other people as well. They have mentored me by being exemplary, exposing to me their vulnerability, weakness and strength, which most people don’t. Actually my father and mother are part of these mentors. So I have learnt a lot and gladly appreciate. I am still learning.
7. What do you do to constantly challenge your underlying beliefs and assumptions?
Reading and reading more each day. I do not take everything I hear as gospel truth I love to learn more and more. And I equally enjoy meeting people with differing opinions on what I believe. I I engage them. And everyday I I equally learn and unlearn. However, there are fundamentals that cannot change. I call them, none negotiables.
8. How has studying the law changed your thinking as Martin?
Surprisingly the law has not so much changed my thinking. I look at it as a service unto the Lord, just like any other profession or field of study. It’s a principle that God is the author of the Law that has developed till today to even want to contradict the eternal law maker by introducing things that seem lawful but yet against many natural and common sense principles and values and also holy scriptures. But my observation has always been that just because something is legal, it does not make it right. And not everything right has been legalised. These is just a net try to cover a wide scope of order in society sense compromising on many things in creating a balance in all people to be able to accommodate all. You have a right to have a standard, not determined only a law that is creating a balance but by the word of God that is already a higher standard. I hope you see the difference. But the law is reasonably good. And I guarantee you, I am so passionate about the law and so passionate about the gospel. I know God has given me the grace to hold the two in both hands. And to establish Justice effective , the two move hand in hand.
9. How do you handle seasons of disappointments in life?
One thing we forget is that humans error, blunder, forget, etc. Of course we have to face consequences of our mistakes. But the magic to this answer is that I dont always raise my expectations too high. In as much as I will trust you. I also equally know that human beings are capable of doing anything. Usually disappointments hurt me, but I easily move on because I equally anticipate them. There is nothing new under the sun. My encouragement is usually from Romans 8:28
10. What strategies do you use to maintain an active godly and prayerful life?
I do my quiet time everyday. And I pray as I am doing it. I cannot deviate from that . It’s a fundamental and a non negotiable. It’s a discipline I cultivated over time . Why? Because His Word shapes my perspective of life every day. Psalm 119:105. Secondly, I have known that this life without a daily culture of God, is vanity of vanities. As in where else is your confidence other than in Chirst, the solid rock? All other ground is sinking sand. He knows the future I do not know. Thirdly, I I equally sit under the teaching of God’s word in fellowship with other believers of course in specific churches. Fourthly, I get ministry opportunities to preach the word of God, I equallypreach to myself. And conclusively, I have spiritual mentors, and I read more from other Christian authors. But I cannot rule out the fact that I also went to a Bible School before enrolling for Law, which has greatly contributed towards the foundation and perspective of life I have today. Its name is Word of Life Bible Institute.
Ramblings of a Ugandan Daughter 