Allan and Mikala (Bradbury) Bagambe.

By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — One of the conveniences of living in the United States is the ease of travel – the ability to meet up with friends and family on a moment’s notice.

But for Allan and Mikala Bagambe, “meeting up” is a forever journey.

Allan Bagambe, an Ugandan native, and Mikala Bradbury of Wellington were born more than 7,000 miles apart – in two vastly different countries and cultures in the late 1990s. But through their faith in God and love for one another, the two are now inseparable, even though they are quite separable.

Mikala is currently in the U.S. due to health reasons, suffering from a rare autoimmune disease. At the moment, she has been told to stay put until her Rheumatologist finds a cure. Mikala is hoping that it will be soon.

Meanwhile, her husband remains in his home country, Uganda, raising two children and hoping that someday he could visit the U.S. and stay awhile.

Some call it a situation. But for this young couple, it seems par for the course.

“It has resulted in a lot of video chats,” Mikala said about their current predicament. “But we have dedicated our lives to Jesus, and he will use this for the good.”

The Bagambes were married on Dec. 17, 2022. The two have known each other since 2021. And it could be argued that during that span, they’ve been apart as much as they have been together.

The beginning

Mikala was born in 1996 to Lou and Tammy Bradbury in Wellington. She grew up barely getting out of Kansas, other than going to various Midwest destinations as a Turning Pointe dancer.

“I always wanted to travel and go overseas even at a young age,” she said.

Eventually, she got her wish. Through a mission trip sponsored by the then First United Methodist Church in Wellington, she got to travel to Uganda, a country at the equator in east-central Africa.

“I loved it from the start,” Mikala said. “I loved the culture, the vibrant people. The people were so welcoming. I knew when I left there, I’d be back.”

Mikala would go to Kansas State, where she would major in agriculture before switching to social work. Her love for Uganda led her to an internship in 2017. She would return and would finish her degree at K-State, with plans to move to Uganda to spread the word of Jesus, only to get delayed by the COVID pandemic in 2020.

Eventually, Mikala would return for a third time and proceed with her missionary work helping Ugandan children and refugees, especially young women.

In Aug. 2021, her journey would take her to a local Ugandan church where she was staying with a U.S. friend. One of the church workers was a young man named “Allan.” His last name was Bagambe, which meant ‘go tell them’ — an apt name since he would eventually become a pastor.

Mikala showing off her ring.

He was one of eight children and came from poverty.  His Dad was a fisherman. Allan would do various jobs around the church, including janitorial duties. One of his jobs was to escort Mikala and her friend into the city, where it wasn’t safe, and protect them.

For three months, the friendship grew, and one day, Mikala straight up asked him if they would eventually marry.

“This was before we actually dated,” she said.

Allan said he had feelings for her and most certainly wanted to marry her.

But Mikala decided instead it was time to return to the U.S., leaving him brokenhearted. She said she and he prayed about it during their separation. Eventually, Mikala would return to Uganda. She told him “yes” and was married in December of 2022.

The marriage

It would be an understatement to say their first few years have been eventful. After their marriage, Allan’s good friend was stricken with brain cancer. He and Mikala would take the 22-year-old man to India. That meant the two newlyweds would spend a lot of time together alone while their sick friend was being treated.

Unfortunately, Allan’s friend would die. But Allan and Mikala knew they were destined to be together forever.

Then they decided to start a church program for preteens and teenagers in Allan’s hometown. The program focused on the modern-day issues that affect teenagers around the world. Initially, the school-like function was a success.

But there was a problem. Mikala was white.

“There were a lot of people in town who were shocked by this,” she said. “Some had never seen a white person before. I was even accused of being a terrorist.”

Eventually, the situation was so scandalous that it came to a head with the town’s leadership. Imagine the Wellington City Council dealing with a marriage situation. After deliberation, the Ugandan community’s council decided the school could stay open, but Allan and her would have to pay them money to do so. Yes, it was a bribe.

“We decided we weren’t going to play this game,” Mikala said. “So we decided to close the school program and move. It was really hard on Allan as that was his hometown.”

The two would eventually move to another village and start anew, founding a new church.

In the meantime, they picked up two children to take care of. Allan had two brothers, 15 and 6 years old. In Uganda, it is traditional that the wealthiest in the family would take care of other relatives’ children. That way, those kids could go to the best schools.

In the meantime, the couple made plans to go to the U.S. Allan has never met Lou, who has health issues of his own. He has met Tammy, who came to the country to visit in 2024.

So far, getting Allan to the U.S. has been an impossible endeavor. It has now become a two-year process with Allan applying for both a VISA and a green card. So far, they’ve seen little headway. The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service has a backlog.

Mikala, who has been stricken with bad infections related to Malaria, started getting sicker. She was forced to return to the U.S. without her husband.

So Mikala is stuck in the U.S., and Allan is stuck in Uganda.

“I haven’t really felt well over the past two years,” she said. “But being in poor health isn’t the reason I feel bad here. It’s being away from my husband.”

The culture

Mikala said she is ready to return, despite the vast cultural differences.

For one thing, Uganda has an incredibly different way of doing things.

“They don’t have this one big box Walmart where you can get things all at once,” Mikala said. “You have to go to four or five different places. Like you go to one store to buy fruits and vegetables, another to buy household items, or to go get hardware.”

The traffic in Uganda is terrible. But now that Allan has recently obtained a car and a license, the family of four doesn’t have to hang off a taxi motorcycle.

Mikala, despite living in Uganda off and on in the 2020s, can’t stop being an American. She misses things like tacos, cheese, or having a Dr. Pepper. The cuisine is basically beans, rice, and millets. So on occasion, she and Allan will head to the nearby tourist town and get a burger or pizza, which isn’t exactly like our burgers and pizza.

There are KFCs and Pizza Huts in the big city of Kampala, but they are expensive, Mikala said. They are like luxurious fine dining restaurants to Ugandans.

“Allan had pizza for the first time on his 21st birthday,” she said. “He has liked every bit of American food he has tasted and is looking forward to eating a lot when or if he gets here to the U.S.”

As far as life itself, Mikala said she learns something different about Uganda every day she lives there. Some things she likes. Some things she doesn’t.

Tammy Bradbury is encountered with all kinds of goodies at a bus stop in Uganda during her visit.

For instance, corporal punishment, where teachers can physically punish a child, is still prevalent and an accepted practice in Uganda. She has advocated the end of corporate punishment as a platform for some of her teachings.

Tammy, who visited Mikala last year in Uganda, said what she struggled to get used to was how free these children are just to roam the town without supervision. For instance, she saw a 3-year-old walking around the streets with a machete in his hands. Nobody seemed to care.

“Children can be gone from early in the morning and won’t get home until late at night,” Mikala said. “Children are taught early on to do household chores like laundry and cooking.”

Mikala said she tries not to judge. This is how they live. And she stays out of Ugandan politics as much as possible. She knows there is corruption, but does she wish to tackle it? Probably not.

She also understands that there are many aspects of Uganda that Americans can learn from. She said people are more open, hospitable, and respectful of one another. And they seem happier.

Eventually, her dream is to have Allan meet her family at home. And let him experience a few of the American customs.

When she did this interview, it was during the Kansas Wheat Festival. She said Allan finds it strange that people would show off their vegetables and animals for a contest like the 4-H Fair.

Another thing that may seem strange is having pets. In Uganda, people don’t usually have them. But that is changing a little as they are seeing people have dogs and cats on television. TVs are significant to Ugandans, Mikala said.

But the collision of cultures is just part of the process – the journey. For Mikala and Allan, the two main goals are to serve the Lord and to be together.

Now, if the world would just let them do that.