What is God doing?

Just when I think I have it figured out....Just when I think I really have a good grasp on what God is doing in Uganda....He blows me away.  Every. Single. Time.

I apologize for the delay in this blog post.  It's long overdue.  We returned from our trip 2 weeks ago and I'm still a little behind.

We had another amazing trip.  The first part of our trip was spent with Sole Hope.  Oh how I love this ministry.  They are making such an impact in so many lives by the simple and humbling act of footwashing....and the not so simple act of jigger removal.  Friends, here me when I say removing jiggers out of a child's foot was one of the hardest things I've ever done.  My heart broke as these children cried out in pain because of the pain I was inflicting.  It was so necessary, but truly heartbreaking.  All the children received new shoes (240 pair were distributed), they were educated about how to take care of their feet and left with smiles on their faces.

 

The next part of our trip was visiting our HOPE+ sisters.  If you don't know about this amazing ministry, you should.  It's through Project HOPEFUL and the changes in the lives of the women has been tremendous.  I think my moment I was  most impacted by was visiting Edith.  Edith used her funds to start her own hair salon.  She has done so well and we are so proud of her.  We discovered during her visit that she had not had her children tested for HIV yet.  As the tears streamed down her face, my heart was so burdened for her.  She was truly terrified of finding out that one of her children might be positive.  We encouraged her, prayed with her and pleaded with her to get her children tested.  Several days later, Mama Jesca received a text message and said "Mama Dawn, do you know enough Luganda to read this text?"  I looked at it and didn't even need to read the Luganda when I saw the word NEGATIVE in the text.  We simply rejoiced.  

Another thing we had the incredibly privilege of doing was visiting City of the Lord church.  City of the Lord church is the church that many of our HOPE+ sisters attend.  I've visited this church on many occasions but the last time we visited, well....it got a little crazy.  It's a very, very small and dark building.  When we got there we got stuck in a hail storm.  It was so bad and we were scared enough that one of the team members said "we need to pray".  Later, Mama Jesca shared with me that she feared the roof was going to collapse.  3 years ago, Pastor Dan created a budget to build a new church building.  When we were there in January, he shared with me that the budget they had would take 13 YEARS to finish their church.  13 years.  This is the old church.

In October 2013, a donor offered to fund their new church building.  We visited the church on January 23rd.  On February 2nd, they had their first church service.  Many villagers who had never attended church came and 4 PEOPLE ACCEPTED CHRIST AS THEIR LORD AND SAVIOR.

Again.  I'm just blown away.

We also visited Bibbo school and church.  In April 2013, a team visited Bibbo school.  Steve Sanchez was very moved by Agnes, a widow who is running the school and felt drawn to fundraise to finish both the school and church.  In just 4 months, the funds were raised and construction immediately started.  This was one of the original "classrooms".

This is their new classroom.

How awesome is our God?  Bibbo school isn't finished quite yet and we hope to raise funds soon to build the last buildings.

We also visited the beautiful new church.  This photograph of Cathy & Richard inside the church is one of my favorites.

We we asked to plant trees near each of the new buildings.  What an honor that was.

Now I want to tell you about Sam and Ronald.  They are brothers who attend Bibbo school.  Sam had one of the worst cases of jiggers.  After most of the children left we spoke to Agnes about these boys.  Their father is a single parent.  He sells charcoal and is gone all day long.  The boys are left to fend for themselves and Ronald does the cooking.  Since he is 8 years old, he only knows how to cook posho which is basically corn meal cooked like mashed potatoes.  The boys are lacking in nutrition and many other essentials.  We have committed to finding sponsors for these precious boys.  Sponsorship is $35 per month per child.  If you are interested in helping with these boys, please email Cathy Clark.

I did update the Project HOPEFUL blog while I was in Uganda, so if you are interested in reading about some of our other experiences, please be sure to visit it.  They start just after the Fundraising posts.

Looking forward to 2014 there are definitely some things that God is putting on our hearts such as more child sponsorships, Village of Grace (more info coming soon) and finishing Bibbo school.  A team of men will be traveling to Uganda the end of April and will be building a latrine for one of our HOPE+ sisters as well as visiting some of the newly constructed churches.  In June a team from Project HOPEFUL, including 2 board members will be traveling to Uganda as well.  We are so excited about this awesome opportunity. 

If you would like any additional information about the work happening in Uganda, please email me.  We are so excited about all that God is doing and look forward to sharing it more.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.  Ephesians 3:20-21

In Christ,
Dawn

Looking back at 2013.....

What an amazing, AMAZING year it has been for the ministries in Uganda.  When we sat down to look at all that God had done over the year we were awe struck.   We asked ourselves "How did all this happen?"  The complexly simple answer is God.  God made it all happen.  We didn't have to scramble or scream.  We didn't have to sweat or fret.  He made it all happen and we can't take one bit of credit.

We thought you would enjoy seeing everything that took place in 2013 so here you go:

1.  St. John Medical Clinic was finished
2.  Medical equipment was donated by Welch Allyn
3.  An gynecological bed was donated
4.  First baby was born at St. John Medical clinic
5.  An ultrasound machine was donated
6.  3 HIV negative babies were born to HIV+ mamas
7.  51 women entered the HOPE+ sisterhood program
8.  Funds were received to build a primary school in Bibbo
9.  Funds were received to finish building the church in Bibbo
10.  Funds were received to build a new church in Nakibole for the HOPE+ sisters
11.  Solar panels for the medical clinic were donated which means we can now get vaccines from the government
12.  10 children are being sponsored for primary, secondary or advanced education
13.  Funds were donated to pay off a widows home loan
14.  Funds were received to finish building True Vine church in Mukono
15.  Through Project HOPEFUL's Christmas with purpose program, the following was donated:

15 malaria treatments

Food to feed a family for 24 months or 24 families for 1 month

10 baby goats

18 baby pigs

12 live chickens

7 mosquito nets

7 mattresses

Nurse salary for 1 month

Doctor salary for 2 months

16.  300 pairs of shoes were donated for the children in Bibbo 

17.  9 months of staff salaries for the clinic were donated

18.  Last, but certainly not least....in fact MOST IMPORTANT, at least 3 muslim women who entered the HOPE+ program have given their lives to Christ.  Ultimately....this is what it's all about.

We praise God for all that He has made happen for these beautiful, amazing people that we love so dearly.

A team of 5 women will be leaving on Sunday, January 12th.  We will be distributing the shoes as well as working with Sole Hope which we are very excited about.  We also will have a film crew join us as we meet with several of HOPE+ sisters.  Project HOPEFUL believes so strongly in the work that is being done in Uganda and wants to be able to effectively share it with more people.  

Please pray for us and the families we will leave behind.  Our hope is that we are always Spirit led and that God's will is done.  Please also pray for safety and health for those of us traveling and for the Daddy's who are caring for the kiddos at home.

We will be continuing to raise funds for a security fence and staff salaries in early 2014.  We are also going to begin sponsoring more children.  If you feel led to do either, please send us an email.  Thank you for your love, prayers and continued support.

In Christ,

Dawn

Christmas with purpose!

I am so excited to share with ya'll what's happening with Project HOPEFUL this Christmas.  Much like World Vision or Compassion, we are offering a "Gifts with purpose" program.  Uganda, Ethiopia, Guatemala & Ukraine are all focused.  There are opportunities from malaria tablets to a doctors salary for a month.

I love this idea and I am so excited about giving gifts that will change lives this Christmas.

In Christ,
Dawn

Fighting back the tears.....

As much as I love Uganda and truly do long to be there....life in Uganda is hard.  Very hard.  Days are long and the work is never done.  Most families don't eat dinner until 8:30 - 9:00 at night and rest.....I don't know that there is a word for rest in Uganda.

One of our beautiful HOPE+ sisters has cancer.  I met Sarah for the first time in January 2013.  She is a precious woman with 4 beautiful children.  She lost her husband to AIDS in 2005.

We got to see Sarah again in September when we visited her.  She was very weak and we were told she had cancer. 

But she still had the sweetest spirit about her.

Sarah had a hysterectomy 2 weeks ago.  This was done at Mulago hospital in Kampala.  I have never heard anything good about this hospital.  Apparently, her brother and sister sold whatever possessions they could to come up with the funds to have the surgery.  They didn't ask for help or funds.....they didn't even share that Sarah was having the surgery.  I don't know why but I suspect it was because they didn't think there was anyone to help.

Today, my dear brother Richard spent the day at the hospital fighting to get Sarah the blood transfusion she has needed for 2 days.  We have a good friend who is a nurse who just happens to be in Uganda and she went to meet Richard at the hospital to help assess the situation.  Here is her message: 

OK. Just left hospital. She does not have uterine cancer, she had cervical cancer. Typically surgery fixes cervical cancer depending on how severe it is. She had surgery 2 weeks ago, has severe anemia, and is just now getting transfusion. She is severely dehydrated. Doctor recommending she goes for radiation after transfusion, I think she cannot survive it.
I have never in my life seen such hell as where she is....and I have seen a lot.
BTW, doc also told them she has tb of bones...omg. Grrr.
My suggestion is to get her out of there. I have no idea what it will cost...several thousand dollars??
She will die here. No doubt about it. I think we need to consider quality of life at this point. Getting her out of mulago is first step.

Reality.  Sometimes it's like a punch in the gut.

I believe, with everything I have that God is in control.  I believe that Sarah will be healed...if not on earth....certainly in Heaven.  And I also believe God's word and I know He has called me to love these women.

Lord willing, we will be moving Sarah to the International hospital in Kampala.  This is the same hospital Gorret will be having her Goiter surgery at.  It's a hospital with round the clock care.

I want for Sarah what I would want for any person I love....for her to be cared for, loved on and for her needs to be met until the day she meets our Lord Jesus.

Please pray for our brother Richard.  He has given of himself so sacrificially.  His actions breathe Romans 12:1 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Please pray for Sarah's children.  They will be alone and this will be a tremendous tragedy in their young lives.

If you feel the Lord leading to help with Sarah's care, please use the donate button below.  All donations are tax deductible through Project HOPEFUL. 




We have been so blessed to stand back and witness God's miracles and provision for Uganda.  Although my heart breaks for her, I know HE loves her so much more than I could ever imagine and I look forward to the miracle He has already done in her life.  He has saved her and she is the daughter of the King.

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  Ecclesiastes 3:11

Let the children come to me......

My expectations were low, I mean after all....it was a group of 6th to 8th graders.  Once again, here I was with "little faith".  You'd think I would have learned by now.

Sunday I was up with the Rise group of Grace Covenant church.  I'd shared the previous week about the work of Sole Hope and we were collecting funds for shoes.  I expected 20-30 kids to purchase shoes.  To say my mind was blown  when 54 pairs of shoes were purchased is an understatement.

Imagine how I felt when a precious 13 year old hand me $100.  I asked her "how many pairs are you purchasing" and she responded "10".  I asked her "Sweetie....is this money that you saved" and she said "yes".  God bless that sweet child.  Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. - Mark 10:14

To date, 86 pairs of shoes have been purchased!  We are so excited about the response.  We still have 214 pair of shoes that  need to be purchased and I am NOT going to take the "little faith" road.....I'm going to choose the "great, big, huge faith road".

Please consider joining us and donating a pair of shoes.  You can use the button below to donate.  $9 is all it takes.  Please add "shoes for Bibbo" in notes.

We have a number system in place and we are giving these prayer cards to those who donate. It is our hope to collect letters from the children who receive your shoes so that we can return them to you.

Oh...and one other little....no GREAT BIG HUGE PRAISE.  The school these children attend?  Bibbo school....the one funds were raised for in August?  Ya, that one.  Well....IT IS FINISHED!!!  We will be sharing pictures SOON!!!

Please join me in thanking the Lord for the way He has provided for His children in Uganda.

In Christ,
Dawn

Bibbo shoe drive

We have officially launched our shoe drive for the children of Bibbo school.  Today I had the privilege of sharing with the youth at our church about the plight of jiggers.  Our youth pastor, feeling his own conviction on just how blessed he was, brought in all his shoes.  This is just one side of the stage where his shoes were lined up.

              .I was able to share with the kids about jiggers, the work Sole Hope is doing in Uganda to help with jiggers and encourage them to get involved.  They asked a lot of questions and you could see the concern on several of their faces.  There were approximately 40 kids there today and if every child commits to a pair of shoes, 40 children in Bibbo will have shoes.  But there are 300 children in Bibbo who need shoes so we need your help to get the word out there.  Share this blog with folks you know.  Tell them about what we are doing.  We have some fun things we will be doing so you can give these as "These shoes were purchased in your honor for a child in Uganda" Christmas gifts. In the grand scheme of things, this is not a lot of money.  But it will take a village here in Austin to provide shoes for all the children in Bibbo village.

If you are interested in purchasing shoes, please use this link and be sure to specify "shoes for Bibbo".  The shoes cost $9 a pair.  Remember, you aren't just purchasing shoes....you are preventing jiggers, providing education, employing Ugandans and most importantly....helping to share the love of Christ with those in need.

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
    And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
    and to walk humblywith your God.
Micah 6:8

Shoes for the children of Bibbo

One of our days in Uganda was spent measuring the feet of children from Bibbo school in Uganda.  Most of these children did not have shoes to protect their feet.  Jiggers (sand fleas...NOT to be confused with chiggers) is a huge problem in Uganda.  Sand fleas embed themselves in the feet of children, lay eggs and cause a long list of problems.  Just days after we returned home from Uganda, this article was in a Ugandan newspaper:

This is such a tragedy since jiggers are completely preventable.

Over the years, I have been blessed to get to know the Collie family who founded Sole Hope.  Their ministry not only does outreach missions to remove the jiggers from the feet of children, they provide training on how to prevent jiggers and provide them with shoes.

After seeing how many children were without shoes in Bibbo, we have decided to partner with Sole Hope and put shoes on the feet of 300 children.

What does it cost?  $9 per child.  That $9 doesn't just provide shoes for a child....it provides employment to local Ugandans.  Sole Hope currently provides employment to 25 Ugandans.

Recently, our friends at Sole Hope came upon the worst jiggers they'd ever seen.  You can read about it here.  We had the pleasure of meeting these children and were so happy to see that their feet were healing beautifully!  This would not have been the case had Sole Hope not been there to help.

So...how do you help?  Simple.  By using the button below to make a $9 donation to Sole Hope.  When we travel to Uganda in January, we will be removing the jiggers from the feet of these children and delivering them their new shoes.

Thank you for being the hands....AND FEET....of Jesus.