Hours after announcing his son had gone missing from home since Monday, Democratic Party president Norbert Mao issued a second statement that his son, Nicholas Hope Mao, 19 had been found at a cousin’s place.
‘‘He wanted sometime alone,’’ the DP leader wrote. ‘‘We found him asleep. His guitar leaning on the wall,’’ Mao said.
‘‘I let him sleep. No fuss. There will be time to talk. I wrote him a letter which he will read when he wakes up.’’
Nicholas Mao, 19, is a former student of Vienna College awaiting to join university.
The announcement that his son had gone missing and later found was shared hundreds of time online, most with words of encouragement, prayers and relief.
Mao’s statement as posted on his Facebook wall:
Hallelujah! The hours of frantic search (some of which were blind alleys) have paid off. We have found Nico! I give the highest form of praise one can give the Living God. Nico is well. The time was 55 minutes past midnight. We found him asleep. His guitar leaning on the wall. His host (a cousin) said he wanted some time alone to reflect. I let him sleep. No fuss. There will be time to talk. I wrote him a letter which he will read when he wakes up. His cousin said he had written a note he wanted dropped at home to let us know that he was fine. But alas the heavy downpour frustrated his plans.
How I wish I could embrace all those whose outpourings of prayer, love and encouragement kept me from imagining and believing the worst. Your calls and messages kept our spirits high. Concerned people from all walks of life in Uganda and abroad offered support. I especially thank our friends for keeping us from the abyss of despair. Indeed friends are relatives you choose. We may not be related by blood but we are related by love. May God bless you all abundantly.
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