Mercy Uganda

Praise the Lord for New Sponsorships!

2012-02-18T07:52:00.000-06:00

PRAISE REPORT!!! 5 kids were sponsored for school this week! YIPPEE JESUS!

There are still many children in Mercy Uganda’s database that need sponsorship. Here is this week’s Child of the Week.

Meet John. He is 15 years old and attends Primary 7 at Lodoi Primary School. His father has passed away and John lives only with his mother. He pays his school fees by fetching water to sell to others. He hopes to be able to join Senior One next year but has difficulty earning enough money to pay his school fees.

It costs $500.00 per year to sponsor John. This includes all of the school requirements, 3 terms of school, boarding, food, and transportation. The school fees can be divided up into the 3 terms, January, May, and September, with the January term being higher to purchase requirements for the year. Term one: $200.00, terms two and three $150.00 each. Each student is required to bring a list of items for their first day of school. These items typically include a mattress, mosquito net, trunk to store items, school supplies, school uniform, socks, shoes, bars of soap, a carton of laundry detergent, among many other items.

With Your Sponsorship:

1. We send you pictures and updates as often as possible. The updates are done by our team in Uganda when they travel to the areas and the schools, and by our team members who travel to Uganda during the year. You may receive 1 to 3 updates a year depending on our ability to travel to some of the more remote areas.

2. We will let you know if the child has siblings in need of sponsorship in case you want to help a family, or know a friend who may want to partner with you.

3. We will be more than happy to deliver letters and small care packages to your child when we travel to Uganda. We try to let our sponsors know ahead of time so they can send us letters for us to take with us. You can also send small monetary gifts that we will deliver to your child which provides special items, and extra food. It also allows us to purchase things for them there in Uganda so your gift is maximized.

If you have more questions or would like more information about our child sponsorship program, please contact us. We would love to share with you. Remember, your sponsorship is tax-deductible!

If you would like to sponsor John please contact Becky at becky@mercyuganda.org.

Click here to see other children that are waiting for sponsors.

Meet Hellen....our Child of the Week

2012-02-12T15:47:00.000-06:00

Please allow me to introduce you to this sweet girl. Hellen is about 8-9 years old. She is part of a large family that is special to Mercy Uganda. The father is Charles Onyango. Laura (founder of Mercy Uganda) had the privilege of meeting Charles in 2008. He is such a precious young man of God who has had a life of loss and hardship. When he was a young teen, his parents were murdered by the Lord’s Resistance Army while living in Gulu. This left Charles to care for his younger siblings. A year later, one of his siblings died leaving Charles to care for their three children in addition to his own six. That’s 9 children all together. Charles struggles to meet their needs, always loving each child and never showing partiality. Charles works hard to keep the children in school. He with little education himself does whatever work he can to provide for the family. He is unable to pay all the school fees but does all he can to barter goods in exchange for their education.

The children are sick often with recurring bouts of malaria, malnourishment and dehydration. If the children were in school they would have food each day. They would have a mosquito net to cover their bed and help protect them from malaria.

It costs $500.00 per year to sponsor Hellen. This includes all of the school requirements, 3 terms of school, boarding, food, and transportation. The school fees can be divided up into the 3 terms, January, May, and September, with the January term being higher to purchase requirements for the year. Term one: $200.00, terms two and three $150.00 each. Each student is required to bring a list of items for their first day of school. These items typically include a mattress, mosquito net, trunk to store items, school supplies, school uniform, socks, shoes, bars of soap, a carton of laundry detergent, among many other items.

With Your Sponsorship:

2. We will let you know if the child has siblings in need of sponsorship in case you want to help a family, or know a friend who may want to partner with you.

If you have more questions or would like more information about our child sponsorship program, please contact us. We would love to share with you. Remember, your sponsorship is tax-deductible!

If you would like to sponsor Hellen please contact Becky at becky@mercyuganda.org.

Click here to see other children that are waiting for sponsors.

SEEKING AND LONGING

2012-02-03T09:06:00.000-06:00

I don't think there are too many things more difficult than being still....you know, the verse in scripture that says "Be still and know that I am God". When you've been given a taste of partnering with the Lord in ministry and then suddenly felt like you stepped in a bog, unable to move. When I went to Uganda my very first time, it was after a few years of "talking a good game", saying what I thought people wanted to hear but not being really serious. Then God talked. Not with audible words (though so many times I wish He would), but He spoke to my heart. He tugged really hard and got my attention. I found myself going to Uganda for the very first time in 2008. I was overwhelmed by the needs, physical, emotional, spiritual. So many who had nothing. I was especially drawn to the women and children. I saw eyes searching for something. I saw hunger, both physical and spiritual. I came home overwhelmed, but also with a sense that I was powerless to do anything. What can one middle aged Christian Social Worker do in a country like Uganda? It would be like adding a drop of water in Lake Victoria. No one would notice, and it certainly would not raise the tide level. Then God spoke to me again (again, not an audible voice), and spoke words of encouragement, and purpose into my heart. He weighed heavily on my very soul. He didn't let me rest spiritually or physically. I wrestled with it all. I asked God alot of questions. I read alot of scripture. The more I prayed and read, the more clear it became to me that this was indeed not about me. It was about God. It was about whether or not I would obey Him, listen to His voice, be an instrument in His hands as He worked in the very lives that pierced my soul in Uganda. From that encounter with God, Mercy Uganda was born. Alot has happened since that summer.....I left a secure job with benefits, and began working on all of the paperwork and requirements for this non-profit ministry, with support from my loving husband. I think we all get the sense that when we step out in faith and do these "big things" for God that He is going to give us a street lined with gold, and blue skies along the way.

Okay, so not necessarily. I think we get the idea that if we have given up stuff to be obedient that God will just send us rainbows to guide the way, and it will all make sense. Again, not necessarily. I think, that more often than not, when we step out in faith to do these things, we find the road harder to walk on, and the sky often cloudy and foggy, with the visibility very limited. Here is why I say that....if we walked a smooth road with a clear sky and rainbows guiding the way, we wouldn't hold so tight to the Hand of our Heavenly Father. We would not grow in our faith and dependence on Him. We wouldn't be reminded daily that this ministry work is His, not ours, and He is bringing us into His work as much to grow us and draw us to Himself as He is to use us.....in that whole process we become more usable. For me the journey is, I believe, going to be a long one. For those of you who have followed the Mercy Uganda ministry, you know that my husband and I are prayerfully working toward full time ministry work in Uganda with a prayerful plan to build a small orphanage and school. We call it our Faith 500, because it is all about faith in God, and we are trying to raise $500,000.00. We have seen God open the storehouses of heaven on many things we have done through this ministry, from wells, to pregnancy centers, to sponsorships and medical work. Then comes the Faith 500, what we have labeled as our Biggest Step of Faith Yet. God is testing us in that. Here is where we are.....since we began talking about this Faith 500, alot has happened.....happened to Mark and me. I tried for months to find work as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Doors closed everywhere. I prayed that God would guide and direct. If he wants me to continue work in Uganda, I have to have a job that will allow me flexibility. Most jobs do not. He closed those doors. He did open two doors doing contract counseling....offering flexibility. Okay, but now for Mark. He has been in the construction industry for about 25 years (doing stucco and stone). Over the past year the construction industry has just about died. This means that he has been scraping the barrel for work. Okay, combine contract counseling (no health benefits, and no set pay), with barren construction....it equals OUCH! Not only has it made it difficult to do the ministry work at the level we have, but we are literally hanging on to our own survival by a thread.
Grant it, God owns and holds the thread so I know He is holding us and continues to provide. But now, since we made the next big faith step in setting goals for going to Uganda, it seems the struggle just continues to overwhelm us. Remember, no significant income, no health benefits.....wait, is that a knot I feel on my right breast? It appeared suddenly last week and trust me, I keep a watch on those things).

Until now, I haven't told anyone but my husband, and the Lord (who already knows). So my question to God is this...."I've been praying for You to guide us, open and close doors for us as we seek Your will in this Faith 500. I've been praying for clarity about our future with regards to Uganda....Lord, is this another faith test, another hurdle to draw us closer? Or is it a door You are closing." See, about 8 years ago I had another knot......it was a cyst. It got taken care of in a simple way and life went on. I had insurance, we had stable income. Fast forward....this could be another cyst, I'm praying that. We don't have insurance, and we don't have stable income.....we just about don't have income. So......in my opinion this is an even bigger step of faith than I thought it would be when we stepped out in faith with the Faith 500. I think God is preparing us in bigger ways for a bigger faith than we thought. I believe Him when I cling to His words in Psalm 37:5 "Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass". It goes on to say in verse 7a which says "Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him". So, we've raised $4,000.00 of the $90,000.00 we need to buy the acreage in Uganda. We have a long way to go. Maybe, just maybe, God is doing some amazing prep work and faith growing in our lives before we reach our 500. Painful, yes.....worth it....absolutely! We are seeking God's will and guidance, His direction, grace and mercy in all of this. We are longing for the opportunity to serve Him together full time in Uganda......please pray with and for us. I believe God when He says "Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know". (Jeremiah 33:3). I'll keep you up to date on this ginormous faith walk....this new and unexpected chapter in our Faith 500.

Child Sponsorships

2012-02-03T07:49:00.001-06:00

This is Kodet. He is 9 years old and lives in the Lokarujak village, in the Kayapas parish, Lokopo Sube County, in Karamoja. He attends Lokarujak Primary School and is in P-2. Both parents are living but the family is extremely impoverished and has difficulty paying Kodet’s school fees. When a child like Kodet receives a sponsor for their education, it not only provides a stable education, but safe shelter and food for the child, something very difficult to obtain in Karamoja.

The cost to sponsor Kodet is $500.00 per year. This includes all of the school requirements, 3 terms of school, boarding, food, and transportation. The school fees can be divided up into the 3 terms, January, May, and September, with the January term being higher to purchase requirements for the year. Term one: $200.00, terms two and three $150.00 each. Each student is required to bring a list of items for their first day of school. These items typically include a mattress, mosquito net, trunk to store items, school supplies, school uniform, socks, shoes, bars of soap, a carton of laundry detergent, among many other items.

With Your Sponsorship:

2. We will let you know if the child has siblings in need of sponsorship in case you want to help a family, or know a friend who may want to partner with you.

If you have more questions or would like more information about our child sponsorship program, please contact us. We would love to share with you. Remember, your sponsorship is tax-deductible!

If you would like to sponsor Kodet please contact Becky at becky@mercyuganda.org.

Click here to see other children that are waiting for sponsors.

CHILD OF THE WEEK

2012-01-26T09:20:00.000-06:00

As many of you know, Mercy Uganda has a sponsorship program to help the most vulnerable children obtain sponsors so they can attend school. This not only provides them with a much needed education, it also places them in a setting where they have a safe place to live (board), a bed and food too. My dear friend Becky, with the Ezekiel 37 Medical Team that partners with Mercy Uganda, has graciously taken on the responsibility of overseeing this sponsorship program. In the short time she has been doing this (literally about 3-4 weeks), she has gotten sponsors for each child she has highlighted. She has put together the following information about our newest Child of the Week.....Esther.

From Becky:

I am so happy to report that we received a sponsor for Solomon last week. Thank you Dr. John and Ginnie!!

Esther # 1011-KAR-11

Please meet this sweet girl named Esther. Esther is 12 years old and an orphan. She stands NO chance at going to school if she doesn’t get a sponsor. She wrote a letter to Mercy Uganda in hopes of a sponsor.

Dear Mercy Uganda: I am called Esther, I was born on 20^th of April 1999 and I am coming from Lokopo Sub-county. I was studying at Longalom Primary School and was in primary three but I stopped schooling because of school fees since my parents died and left me here. My father was killed by people we didn’t know and my mom died because of some sickness which was unknown. I like to go back to school and study because I want to be somebody also in life, but I can’t go back to school because I don’t have school fees. I thank Mercy Uganda so much for treating us and giving us things plus mosquito nets. Thank you, Esther

The cost to sponsor Esther is $500.00 per year. This includes all of the school requirements, 3 terms of school, boarding, food, and transportation. The school fees can be divided up into the 3 terms, January, May, and September, with the January term being higher to purchase requirements for the year. Term one: $200.00, terms two and three $150.00 each. Each student is required to bring a list of items for their first day of school. These items typically include a mattress, mosquito net, trunk to store items, school supplies, school uniform, socks, shoes, bars of soap, a carton of laundry detergent, among many other items.

With Your Sponsorship:

2. We will let you know if the child has siblings in need of sponsorship in case you want to help a family, or know a friend who may want to partner with you.

If you have more questions or would like more information about our child sponsorship program, please contact us. We would love to share with you. Remember, your sponsorship is tax-deductible!

If you would like to sponsor Solomon please contact Laura at mlknetzer@comcast.net or Becky at ezekiel37medical@gmail.com.

Click here to see other children that are waiting for sponsors.

Habakkuk

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

We have been collecting seeds from just about every fruit and every vegetable we have eaten over the past several months, are drying them, and saving them to plant.....either here in the states, or in Uganda if the Lord opens those doors for us to move there. Things like bell pepper, tomato, apples, lemons, limes, squash, and more. Uganda has rich soil in a number of areas (Karamoja is far different....very dry and desert-like), and the temperature is mild and fairly consistent year round. The seeds would potentially do very well there.

They would be a great part of our agriculture and livestock program that we plan to develop once we are able to purchase the land. Funny thing, here at home we have planted some of the seeds and had scrawny looking plants produce some amazing vegetables! Through December and into January this little bell pepper plant keeps giving us amazing peppers! Our turnip greens just keep growing! With the economy today, and the cost of food, every little home grown thing we can pick off our plants is a blessing. Gardening, like most everything else we do, is alot like life. When we do something like this, work hard, tend life's garden, we get pretty pleased with ourselves. But then, we have those little plants, those things we work hard on, that never get past the scrawny stage.....they never develop......those are times when we are brought back to the fact that we can plant and water.....but God alone makes things grow. That's true with seeds, and that's true with plans, projects, and all areas of life....even seeds of ministry. Mercy Uganda is a seed that God placed in our hands, led us to plant and water it, be the best and most faithful gardeners we can be, and trust the growing seasons to Him. That is one hard lesson, and is one really hard part of gardening for a girl who is spending her life learning patience! This brought me to a verse in Habakkuk recently, one that I committed to memory because it summarizes where I our focus should be regardless of our circumstances.

The verse is Habakkuk 3:17-19 and it goes like this:

"Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord is my strength, He will make my feet like deer's feet. He will make me stand on my High Places."

This verse is comforting to me in that it reminds me that it is not about me.....it reminds me that God is my Provider, and that I can trust Him even in times of want or need....especially in times of want or need. I must say that, compared to my dear friends in Uganda, I can't fully grasp want and need, but God is teaching me about it, and molding me into a more compassionate, merciful, and loving instrument of mercy than I was before. Thank you Lord for even the times when the storehouses are bare.....for then my eyes see more of You. I think in many ways the Ugandans have a better grasp of that than I do......perhaps, just perhaps they are ministering to me.

A NEW WEEK

2012-01-16T09:24:00.000-06:00

This week is a week of promise.....this week is a new week of praying for the work of this ministry. This week holds in it's hands gifts from God.
Friends I have here in Florida, friends in other states, and friends in Uganda. I am looking forward to seeing what God will do with this week, whose lives He will touch, what gifts and blessings He will provide to us. He always does provide.....sometimes we're so busy looking for the gifts and blessings that we miss them. I think it is because we are looking too hard, looking in the wrong places, or have put God in a box, expecting that He somehow is limited to blessing us only in the ways our minds or hearts can comprehend......that is our mistake.
Am I rambling? I don't think so......you see, God's blessings often go unnoticed, unappreciated, or unseen.....life itself is a gift, a blessing, each breath we take, each morsel of food we put in our mouths. I have friends in Uganda who have so very little of what we in America would call blessings......but they don't think so. They have far more keen spiritual eyes than we do. They see the blessings that we often overlook. I pray that God will help me see those often overlooked blessings in my life, and that He will use me as a blessing to others.

These are pictures of some of my friends from Ezekiel 37 and me in Uganda.....we were blessed while there trying to be a blessing! I think that's how it really works anyway! When we set out to honor God and minister to others, we end up so very blessed ourselves!
So.....what rich blessings await us this week? I know there will be plenty!!

CHILD OF THE WEEK

2012-01-13T08:15:00.002-06:00

CHILD OF THE WEEK

This blog post is a little different than our usual. Our dear friend Becky, a member of the Ezekiel 37 Medical Team that has partnered with Mercy Uganda, has graciously taken on the role of coordinator for the Mercy Uganda child sponsorship program. We have many children in need of sponsors. For those who sponsor a child, you know the tremendous, positive, life changing gift this is for the child. Becky is creating a "child of the week" which will highlight a specific child in hopes to place his or her need on someone's heart. So, our first CHILD OF THE WEEK.....Florence. Her bio is below.

Student of the Week #15-KAR-11

This is Florence. She is 8 years old and lives in the Konkwa village in Karamoja. She has been unable to attend school due to the fact that her mother has died of AIDs and her father is expected to die at any time of the same disease. She is in critical condition. Florence and her sister Marisca are staying with relatives who cannot afford to care for them. Neither of the children has been tested for AIDs.

Seeing that Florence's mother has passed away and her father is terminally ill from AIDS it is imperative that she get in school soon. The school she will attend is a boarding school. She will have a roof over her head at night, a mattress to sleep on, at least one meal a day, and receive an education.

It costs $500.00 per year to sponsor Florence. This includes all of her school requirements, 3 terms of school, boarding, food, and transportation. The school fees can be divided up into the 3 terms, January, May, and September, with the January term being higher to purchase requirements for the year. Term one: $200.00, terms two and three $150.00 each. Each student is required to bring a list of items for their first day of school. These items typically include a mattress, school supplies, school uniform, socks, shoes, among many other items
Will you consider being Florence's sponsor? Or maybe you know someone? Will you share this blog with your friends and family? Please feel free to share on Facebook, Twitter, or email.

Contact Becky at ezekiel37medical@gmail.com

2012, NEW YEAR, NEW BEGINNINGS

2012-01-02T08:50:00.001-06:00

Here we are at 2012. The year that was 2011 was a busy one with two trips to Uganda, and many opportunities to see God work through His children. The seeds God planted in 2011 will, no doubt, be watered and growing in 2012. I think that is what gives my heart this joyful aching. Does that make sense? Joyful aching? What I mean by that is....you know how when you reflect on the wonders that God has done, and then you consider what He has in store, and you get this deep excitement in your heart, and a sense of anticipation that makes you wish you could just dive into the whole thing 100%? That's it.

We have such hope for 2012, so many things we pray that God will provide and open doors for. There are so many needs there in Uganda, and especially among the Karimojong people. It can almost be impossible to know where to start, a sense of being overwhelmed by the need, knowing you can't do it all. But God can and He has a plan, and His plans are perfect, well orchestrated, laid out for His children. We just don't know how they will work, when things will happen....we do know that He knows, and that's all that matters. Our biggest prayer for 2012 is the FAITH 500 Vision. It is so ambitious.....raising $500,000.00. This money will buy at least 30 acres of land, provide resources to build an orphanage, a school, and start a livestock and agriculture program. All of this, not to do FOR the people of Uganda, but to help those precious children who have no one, to help them, to provide hope and a future for them. It will provide a way for Ugandans to work, to come together in community, to learn skills, and most of all, create an environment where we come alongside them, showing and sharing God's love to them.

Not just evangelizing, but building relationships, discipling, loving. We are praying for the FAITH 500, not just for the funds to make it happen, but for God's guidance and direction, His will as we seek to make this vision a reality. The year 2012 is also the time for my husband Mark, and me to really put our faith feet into full gear. We are finishing up work on our house over the next few weeks to put it on the market to sell. Our home of 23 years, where we raised our children. This home was a gift to us from God.....so many things He did to make the purchase of this home possible. Now we consider that He gave it to us for such a time as this, when now we can take that gift and take it's increase to use for His kingdom's work in Uganda. The sell of our home will provide a way for us to financially be able to move to Uganda, to be ground zero, smack dab in the middle of the work of Mercy Uganda.
This has been our longing prayer for so long. It has been our joyful aching and our heart's prayer. So, will 2012 be our new beginning in the ministry? Will this be the year that God brings great growth to the work he started just over 2 years ago in Mercy Uganda? We are excited to consider the possibilities, but know that ultimately we want to be available and obedient. It is, after all, His work, His ministry. We are His children.....the people of Uganda are His children.......2012 New Year, New Beginnings.....new hope!

New Year, New Beginning

2011-12-26T14:40:00.000-06:00

We are ever so close to the end of 2011. Just days now from 2012. Much has happened in our world, both good, and not so good. I don't want to reflect on the not-so-good because I know that even the not-so-good are things that God is using for our good. I want to reflect on the oh so many blessings of 2011, sent straight from the loving hand of our Heavenly Father. I'm sure that in the abundance of His goodness, I will inevitably leave out some of the multitude of His grace, mercy, love, provision....so right now I want to say thank you to my Heavenly Father for ALL that He has done in 2011, even the things that I fail to pen in this blog entry today.

Looking back, I see water in a dry and thirsty land...wells in Karamoja, given in love by our Heavenly Father through the channels of generosity from His children whom He blessed with the means to provide.

I also see children receiving medical care, a young girl who was severely burned now able to lift her arms, not only to dress herself but to praise the very God who loves and cares for her. I look back on trips to Uganda where we were able to show and share the love of God to the lost and hurting, to the poor and needy, to the sick and the dying.

I look back at our humble desire to buy land, build and orphanage, and a school......2011 was the seed that was planted...I know that 2012 will be the year that God waters and makes that seed grow into the reality of what is now a prayer vision. So many gifts from the hands of our Father, so many reasons to be thankful, to trust, to wait in obedience.

There are more sponsored children now, about 50 who are going to school, being fed, have a bed to sleep in, and under a mosquito net. God is so good, so merciful, so able to do far more than we can ever think or imagine. I praise Him for that. I praise Him for what is yet to come, because, you see, He is always faithful, never changing, always ready to hear and answer prayer. Father, thank you for all of Your blessings of 2011, and for all of the blessings we know you will pour out on us in 2012. Make us useful, usable instruments of Your love and Your mercy. Lord, make 2012 a year of unimaginable glory to You, and a year of tremendous spiritual growth in Mercy Uganda, and the lives this ministry touches. We love You Lord, and thank You for loving us!

Go into all the world.....

2011-12-14T12:27:00.000-06:00

That's what Jesus told us to do. Go into all the world with the gospel of Christ and that's what Mercy Uganda is all about. It isn't enough to just go and tell people about Jesus....they need to see Jesus. They need to know He cares about their need for food, water, education....they need to see that His followers care and that they care enough to give their lives in order that they may know Him.

We have a banquet once a year and it's a fundraiser, but it's also a time to come together and celebrate what God is doing not only in Uganda, but here and across the United States, moving people to become part of His work. Giving of themselves so that others might know the love of God. God doesn't need us to to go Uganda or to do missions in our local towns, He commands us to.

Thank you to First Presbyterian Church for allowing Mercy Uganda the use of your social hall and kitchen for this event. A big thanks to all who came along side and helped make this a time of fellowship and a time when people could hear and see what is happening through their gifts and mostly through their prayers. A big thank you to Sheila.....below with Laura....I don't think we would have been able to put on the banquet without her help. She worked tirelessly all day and into the night.

We started with an empty hall......

And busy hands in the kitchen.....

Then decorating

Putting out sponsorship information for children in Uganda that need help going to school

Most of the items on this table are made by the Ugandan people

Ready at last

Thanks to Mr. Bill for running the sound system.

And thanks to all who came to support Mercy uganda

For the beautiful music provided by Eric

And to Mickey for being a spectacular emcee

The medical team spoke

This man had no intention of becoming involved with Mercy Uganda, but attended one year because his daughter was helping serve....as a result of hearing the testimonies of what is happening through Mercy Uganda, he and his family now sponsor some children to go to school, built a house and a piggery for a family. Showing the love of God through meeting people's needs and helping them to become independent.

This couple gave matching funds and helped build the very first well in a remote village. They lived in California at the time, but have now moved to our town and welcome!

Thanks for caring and giving to the Lord

This year we are working on our Faith 500 program and I urge you to go to the Mercy Uganda website
to find out how you can help.....you can also link this post to your blog which would be a big help.

Below is part of a song.....I recently heard it and saw it done in sign language and it made me cry. This is what happens when you give....you may never know until you get to heaven what it means to someone.

This is why we do what we do.

Thank you

http://lyricstranslate.com
Then another man stood before you and said, "Remember the time, A missionary came to your church

And his pictures made you cry.

You didn't have much money but you gave it anyway.Jesus took the gift you gave

And that's why I am here today."

Family Pack Picture

2011-11-16T16:20:00.001-06:00

New Project to help Families in Karamoja!!

2011-11-16T16:13:00.000-06:00

Mercy Uganda and Ezekiel 37 Medical team are excited to announce a new project to help the people of Karamoja.

On the last evening in Karamoja during the trip in September, Gabriel asked us to think and pray about helping the people of Karamoja with basic household needs. He went on to explain that it is not uncommon for a family of 6 or 8 to only have 2 plates and no cups. No wash basin to wash their clothes or bathe their children. It is so easy for us to not think about needing these types of items. We run to the closest department store to get whatever we need. They do not have that luxury in Karamoja.

Both villages that Mercy Uganda works in Karamoja (Kokorio and Kayapas) have received wells and now that they have clean water they need items to improve the overall hygiene. The majority of the illnesses that are treated on the medical trips can be prevented by cooking with clean water and cleaning their bodies. They need a wash basin, soap, and jerry cans to carry the clean water.

Gabriel also stated that it wasn’t uncommon for an old man or woman of 80 years to have never slept on a mattress…..let that set in a second. NEVER slept on a mattress. Think about the last time you haven’t slept on a mattress. Imagine sleeping on the ground night after night for 80 years.

Based on all the information Gabriel (Our Karamoja Field Manager) gave us we have created the following packs to change the lives of people in Karamoja.

FAMILY PACK: $25.00 INCLUDES: set of plates, set of cups, wash basin, soap, bathing sponges, and a Jerry Can.

BEDDING PACK: $65.00 INCLUDES: Mattress, Sheets, Blanket, Mosquito Net

COMBO PACK: $90.00 Includes all items from the Family and Bedding Packs

For those of you who already sponsor children with Mercy Uganda you can send your child’s family these packs. Even if your child lives in Kyamagemule, Bugiri, or Entebbe. We will make sure your family receives the items.

Christmas is right around the corner and perhaps you don’t know what to put on your Christmas Wish List or don’t know what to get for someone who “has everything”. We’d love for you to consider sponsoring a Family, Bedding, or Combo Pack and we’ll be happy to send a card to your gift recipient.

To become a sponsor please email Laura Knetzer at mlknetzer@comcast.net.

MY LIFE, A testimony from Gabriel Lobu

2011-09-01T08:47:00.000-05:00

Today, I want to share with you the precious testimony of Gabriel Lobu, our Karamoja Field Manager for Mercy Uganda. Gabriel is such a precious young man of God and a powerful witness to God's love, mercy, guidance, and provision in the lives of His children. We have heard Gabriel speak of his life and have often encouraged him to put it in writing. To think back about pain and suffering, loss and grief is difficult, but Gabriel was finally able to sit down and remember. His remembering is about the pain, but so much more too.....it is about the God who led him through that pain, and is using his past to touch lives today. I hope you will be moved by Gabriel's testimony. I know I was!

(The pictures are: top-Gabriel with Kefa Sempangi, founder of the orphanage Gabriel grew up in; Gabriel with his mother in Karamoja; Gabriel with Henry Mello giving out clothes in Karamoja; and the bottom picture is Gabriel pumping water from a new well in Kokorio)
MY LIFE: By Gabriel Lobu

My Life:

I am Lobu Gabriel Silva a Ugandan by Nationality, a Karamojong by tribe, born in 1982 in Bokora County Moroto District. I am a Christian loving God with all my heart because I know where he brought me from and strongly believe that he has good plans for me.

My father died when I was three years old and that was in 1985, after his death, life became completely difficult and very hard on our side. Our Mother had no job and no one could take care of us, when our uncle heard that our father had died, he came and shifted us from Karamoja to Mbale town and life some how changed, but unfortunately he also died after three Months and life became more harder than it was before because we were new in the area and mom was still jobless and had no money to pay for the house since we were renting. So mom started going around looking for the job to do and I could go with her dig in people’s gardens, banana plantations and they gave us some food and money which we used to pay for the house, but unfortunately we were forced to leave the house due to the failure to pay in time.

In the state of confusion, my lovely mom decided to go to the streets of Mbale town and started begging so that we could get something to eat and survive, so we eventually we made the street our new home. Mum took me to the streets because I was the only boy and she thought I could do much work than girls. As the situation worsened we could just go on picking food that people had thrown in their rubbish pits without minding about whether it was clean, poison free or not but as long as we could find something eatable in the pits and we call it a day. Tears flow from my eyes every time I remember those days of misery and I don’t know what to say but honestly speaking God has been so merciful to me, I don’t know what I would have done without him.

On the streets still life became harder even when the people who used to give us food and clothes became tired of us, neglected us and started sending us away yet we had no where else to go and nothing to do. Mum started to cry to people for help but no one could respond but instead threw food to us as if we were dogs but still we had nothing to do apart from picking it up since we needed it in order to survive. As the bible says that God always has good plans for our lives and he will never leave us neither forsake us, still though there were tough times but still my heart trusted in the Lord and he heard our cry. One day my brother (cousin) Philip came looking for us and he found us in the streets of Mbale town, Mum requested him to take us with him but he couldn’t because he was also staying in an orphanage home of which he couldn’t manage to take good care of us, mum kept on pleading to him and then he promised her that he will only take me to an orphanage home where he was staying by then. After some time, my brother (cousin) Philip came for me and took me in an orphanage home without even a shirt, this Orphanage was called Africa Foundation Children’s Home were I spent over 17 years.

After my Secondary level, I joined high institution of Learning and I did Brick laying (building) and then from there I went in a very big farm for training of about six months. After training I came back and started working for Mr. Rashid Luswa and Mr. Sam as a builder. Two years later I came up with a vision of helping young children who were

suffering, since I had no money I couldn’t do this alone because it was such a great decision to take. I prayed about it every single day that passed by and God is so great because he brought a very good friend of mine called Ronnie. Ronnie was one than willing to stand with me in terms of helping the children. At the moment Ronnie is like a brother to me because we have gone through a lot together and we have seen a lot. So I shared everything with him and since he is also an orphan he knew how painful it is and he was more than willing to help so we joined hands together.

Since we both had no enough money, Ronnie came up with an idea of going to different churches asking for spare clothes from people. As I was building, I used to get very small money but we could always join and go help the children who were orphans in Karamoja where I came from because this place is full of orphans who have no one to take care of them yet they also need care, love, support and they also want to grow up normally like any other child.

We continued looking for support from different people and praying so that God opens doors for sponsorship and connect us to the right people who will be able to stand with us. Surely God is so faithful he connected me to the godly family which is so kind, merciful and his name is Mark and his wife Laura. They have always been on our side trying to get us sponsors for the kids and indeed God is so wonderful because so far now a number of children have sponsors and are able to go to school.

I have witnessed people sleeping empty stomachs, dying of simple diseases, massive poverty which unable parents to pay for their children’s school fees and fail to provide to provide basic needs in the family. Tears always flow in my eyes every time I remember them in my prayers and always pray for them and when I saw them suffering I felt so sorry for them and felt down. I thank God every single day that passes by for the great love that he has for his people may be if it was not for his Grace and Mercy, may be we wouldn’t have been who we are today. (Ephesians 2:8-9).

My prayer is that the Lord opens up doors so that we can be able to reach out to the Nation and in different parts of Uganda and so that we can be able to get more volunteers.

May the Lord bless you a lot.

Lobu Gabriel Silva

Henry

2011-08-25T07:30:00.000-05:00

This is Nancy guest blogging for Laura.

Henry Mello, our Uganda Director for Mercy Uganda recently made his first trip to America. I first met Henry at Laura's home during a Mercy Uganda Board Meeting where we shared a meal, a really good meal at that! However....Henry was always afraid to eat too much...afraid he would gain weight that he could not maintain when he returned home....hmmmm.

All of us enjoyed visiting with Henry and getting to know him better and learning more about what he does in Uganda, which is ALOT!

Henry had a long, difficult process getting a visa to enter America and returned with Laura after her last trip to Uganda. We have Congressman Steve Southerland to thank for helping him get here!

Henry does so much for the ministry work in Uganda. He is such a blessing and obedient instrument of the Lord. Below are pictures and information giving you a taste of Uganda, and a hint of some of what we have going on.....Henry is the wheels that keep it all turning!

The Dorcas Program.......women who were provided sewing machines and have set up a business and are learning they can provide food for their families.
The women in Bugiri made patterns out of concrete sacks.

A skirt pattern

A blouse pattern

These women are excited to be self sufficient, something Mercy Uganda strives to achieve.We were able to obtain a few of the patterns the ladies had creatively designed, and use them in our displays and speaking opportunities.

The first question I asked Henry when I met him was did you have culture shock.

In his answer, Henry asked me if we had any needy people in America and of course I said yes!
That day he worked with Laura's husband Mark who needed to go to the county landfill after work. Henry was amazed. Notice the shoes below? Henry picked them out of the debris and cleaned them up to take home to Uganda.....he said we need shoes! I walked out to look at them and felt so ashamed. We really are a throw away society.

Below are some school supplies the Ugandan children use.

Notice the book below.....if the majority of children in a school are Christians, they teach the Christian curriculum....if most are Muslim, they use the Islam curriculum.

Henry with Mark and Laura

This is the paper Henry is holding above. Boda boda's are the main transportation and riding on one is an adventure.

As a matter of fact, we all got together on the 4th of July and someone had a motorcycle...Henry took off and had a little ride. We were just a little concerned that he might be arrested, but whew! that turned out o.k. other than scaring some of the ladies!!

Below, he had just come from his ride. He was excited and for more than one reason. That day he got word that his wife had a baby girl! They named her Laura.

While Henry was here, we had a cookout fundraiser and shared the Faith 500 project. Please visit our website to learn all about Faith 500 and pray with us that God will provide.

These are some things made by Ugandans we had for sale or just for information at the cookout.

The table centerpieces were made from the handmade Uganda items. On the table below, the centerpiece is made from napkin rings.

Below is the first draft of what Faith 500 will accomplish with God's help. A school, an orphanage, land for teaching agriculture and raising livestock......learning to use the resources they have to provide and to reach out to their fellow Ugandans in the love of Christ.

Wall carvings

Food at the cookout!

Henry talking during a slide show about what Mercy Uganda has done to improve the lives of the people and to work in their lives to bring them to know and love Christ. Something that really makes us think is Henry's comment "Poor in America is different than poor in Uganda...American's really don't know what poor is." How sadly true!

Henry met many people while in America and learned so much that will help him in his work at home. It is our prayer to bring him back next year. His visits here help him learn things that he takes home with him to help improve lives in Uganda....our visits there help us learn things that enable us to better work with them there. What a blessing Henry is. We love him and thank God for him!

You Just Never Know

2011-08-16T08:17:00.000-05:00

You just never know how your life impacts others. You never know the effects of one act, whether an act of kindness or otherwise. You never know whose life will be changed because of something you do, regardless of how large, or how insignificant that something is. I have had the awesome privilege of seeing large and small things done by many people. I have had the awesome privilege of seeing how those things have changed lives. I have seen children go from desperation and hopelessness, to a sense of hope, and a heart of gladness. I have seen a tired and thirsty people refreshed and full of life. I have seen those on the brink of death, now looking forward to life again. These things have all happened as God has worked through people all over the United States, people who have heard about some project, or some need that Mercy Uganda has addressed. Seeing God bring people together to provide for His children inspired us to start our newest work....the FAITH 500 Vision. This "project" is a giant leap of faith. It is a huge undertaking, too big for us, and more than we can ever accomplish, but it is not too big for God. This FAITH 500 will allow us to buy land and build an orphanage. Yes, there are orphanages in Uganda, but more are needed, good Christian, loving, homelike orphanages are needed....not institutions that house orphans, but a home where they are loved and nurtured, and taught the love of Jesus. The FAITH 500 Vision will also allow us to build a school. Yes, there are schools in Uganda, but good, Christ-centered, high quality schools are needed, a school that will have at its very root, Jesus Christ. This school will also provide opportunities for Fine Arts, and life skills, things that most schools in Uganda do not provide, yet children need to help them learn problem solving skills.

The FAITH 500 Vision will also allow us to develop and maintain an agriculture and livestock program which will teach the children valuable skills for the future, will provide food for the home and school, and a level of self-sustainability for them as well. You just never know how your role in this will multiply for God's Kingdom's work. You just never know how many lives will be saved....how many souls will be saved through what God is and will be doing through this project. You just never know.

Remind Me Of This

2011-07-14T07:45:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite Christian recording artists is Sara Groves. One of my most favorite songs of hers is called "Generations." This song has such a powerful message, and I think that when we listen to it, we normally think of how our bad decisions and poor choices affect other people for generations. However, the other day when I was listening to the song for probably the thousandth time I thought about how our good choices and decisions can be equally as powerful. Before I tell you specifically who and what I was thinking about, I want to share a key part of the song with you. The words go like this, "Remind me of this, with every decision, generations will reap what I sow. I can pass on a curse or a blessing to those I will never know...." There is a beautiful and precious lady named Marion whom I have never met, who lives in a different state than I do. She is an elderly lady whose health has not been good of late. Through means that only God can orchestrate, she and her daughter became involved with Mercy Uganda. What a blessing they have been. Together, these ladies have been sponsoring children, providing sewing machines, and now.......providing water. Here are the words of her daughter: "I so much want to help drill the well in Lokop.....I think my mom and I were meant to help answer that prayer. She has talked about wanting to drill a well for such a long time but never did anything but talk about it. I always planned to use some of my inheritance to drill a well in her memory and ask that it be called Marion's Well (which we have named it!). When I walked to the post office yesterday I thought about you and Lydia (one of her sponsored children) and Mercy Uganda and wells and water the whole way. I decided to talk to Mama when I got home and suggest that we split the cost of a well. Now I have tears in my eyes thinking that we will be helping to drill a well in a village where I already know people (at least one of her sponsored children is from that area). That's almost unbelievable. I am so thankful that Mama and I can help do this through you and Mercy Uganda. I'm glad that the process can be started now and she will know that what she has wanted to do for such a long time will be done....."
Her "sowing" seeds of love and generosity, of selflessness and kindness are already ""reaping" hope, and joy, life, and thankful hearts. Her "sowing" will be "reaping" new life for generations. Marion and her daughter are are passing on a blessing to those they will never know. I thank God for Marion and her daughter. I thank God for how He brings people together, how He binds the hearts of His children together to accomplish His awesome purposes in each of our lives. I pray that God will remind me of this every day of my life, so that I will make decisions, choices, that pass on a blessing too....

In Christ Alone

2011-07-11T19:18:00.000-05:00

This is such a beautiful arrangement of a beautiful song.....
the group is Owl City. The words are so fitting when thinking about the people....the children of Uganda.
I hope you enjoy the song and are touched by the message
(Just click on the link below and it will take you to the song)

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DLRHv9QPBdXQ&h=OAQB5VOOg

Children

2011-07-06T08:29:00.000-05:00

After our recent trip to Uganda it seemed only natural to write about the children. There are so many things we can write about, but every one of them comes back to the children. Water, food, education, health.....children are affected by the provision of, or lack of all of those. What we have seen with our eyes, and heard with our ears, felt with our hands, and been touched by in our hearts is the children. It is a fact in Uganda that if you touch the life of a child, it impacts the whole village. We believe that is why God has placed such a burden on our hearts for these precious little ones. It is a fact, too, that water, food, education, and health are all linked, inseparable in their roles and their impact on the children. A child who lacks clean water is sick alot. A child who is hungry can't learn well, and is sick alot. A child who lacks an education is stuck in a cycle of poverty that continues the cycle of hunger and illness. We have seen so many children hungry, so many sick, so many lacking the opportunity for school.....it is overwhelming. But we serve a big God, a God who knows and understands, a God who hears and answers us when we call on Him. God is changing lives in Uganda. God is allowing Mercy Uganda to be a part of what He is doing. We have been able to put three wells in three different villages. We have children receiving sponsors and go to school. We have children getting medical care through our medical team, and through financial gifts for specific medical needs. Last year, when I went to Karamoja for my very first time, I was overwhelmed by the extreme poverty. There had been a drought of 5 years, cattle had been raided, a serious lack of water and food. The village smelled like a barn due to the people in the village not being able to bathe. They seemed a people without hope. Then God did amazing things as He always does.....He provided rain, then a well, then sponsors for many of the children in the village. We went back in May, just over a year after the first visit and saw a green landscape. We saw a well (or borehole as they call it there), with a lady doing laundry, children drinking water, and gardens of food growing in every direction from the well. The people in the village were clean, with big smiles on their faces. Life had returned. Hope had returned. God was present there. God is still present there and doing amazing things....physically, emotionally, but most of all, spiritually. We still have much to do but know that God is our Father, our Provider, our Healer, and He has Karamoja, He has Uganda in the palm of His hand.....they are His children and He loves them. God is opening doors for us to begin work on raising funds for land in Uganda to help the children of Karamoja and others in Uganda by building an orphanage and small school. This, along with a plan for an agriculture and livestock program will provide safe shelter, love....God's love....our love too.....to the children. It will provide an education, and training for the future.....it will provide so much. It will change the lives of the children, and therefore of the village, of the country. Please pray for us, and with us as we seek God's will, direction, guidance, wisdom, and provision for this work. Please pray for these precious children, that they would know their Heavenly Father intimately, that they will see His hand upon their lives, that they would grow in Him. Pray that what He is doing in their lives will bring hundreds, thousands of others to Him too.

An Interview by Bradley Hickey M.D. M.P.H. M.B.A.

2011-05-06T06:27:00.000-05:00

CEO Interview: Laura Knetzer

Mercy Uganda

Bradley Hickey M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A.

LCDR Medical Corps U.S. Navy

Preventive Medicine Resident Physician

Johns Hopkins School of Public Health

May 1, 2011

***The following Strategic Planning Assessment of Mercy Uganda was performed by Bradley Hickey as a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Health Policy and Management, Strategic Planning Course Project***

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and do not represent the views of the Department of the Navy or the Department of Defense.

I had the opportunity to meet and become friends with Laura Knetzer while working for the Navy in Panama City, Florida from January 2007 to January 2009. My wife, Amanda, is a licensed professional counselor and she worked for Laura at a local maternity home, The House of Grace. Amanda and Laura became very close during this time and I had the opportunity to witness Laura’s devotion to Christ and the young women living at the maternity home. Additionally, during this period of time my wife and I began the adoption process for our daughter and concurrently adopted our son. Laura offered a great deal of support and encouragement to us and we will forever be grateful.

Since that time, God has done amazing things through Laura. She had the opportunity to travel to Uganda and witnessed the tremendous need of the people in areas most Americans take for granted. Education, safe drinking water, farming and agriculture education, proper nutrition, medical and pregnancy care, and HIV/AIDS prevention were notable for being areas where targeted interventions would significantly improve the lives of the local people. After several mission trips and a calling from God, Laura founded, became executive director, and presides as Board Chair of Mercy Uganda in order to serve God and the people of Uganda.

“Mercy Uganda is a Christian, humanitarian ministry dedicated to working with women and children in Uganda to address spiritual, physical, educational, and economic needs, thereby helping alleviate the causes of poverty and injustice, and providing hope and a future” (Knetzer, 2011). Further, Mercy Uganda is a 501 (c) 3, Christian, non-profit ministry, and International Non Governmental Organization. The successes of Mercy Uganda include the provision of vital medical equipment to pregnancy centers, remote wells for safe water access, animal and plant agriculture assistance, coordination of the provision of free medical care delivered by U.S. medical missionaries, and the initiation of a child sponsorship program that provides education for local children. Future and progressing projects include additional well building, land purchase and the initiation of an agricultural training center for orphans, expansion of the child sponsorship program, building schools for local children, increasing the number of U.S. medical missionary teams in Uganda, and building alliances with other Christian ministries and Non Governmental Agencies to better serve the people of Uganda (Mercy Uganda, 2011).

A few of the obstacles that Laura has faced included setting up a 501 (c) 3 organization, obtaining recognition as an international Non Governmental Agency, liaising with U.S., Florida, and Uganda government agencies and bureaucracies, obtaining donor financial support, and leading a team of diverse and gifted employees and volunteers. While juggling these many responsibilities, Laura recognizes the importance of short-term and long-term strategic planning for Mercy Uganda. Most importantly, she feels that prayer and reflection are vital to staying within God’s will and she adds that God has provided all the organization’s needs thus far.

Formally, Mercy Uganda has a board of directors that meet at least twice per year to discuss the 3 month, 6 month, 1 year, 3 year, and 5 year goals and objectives. The board consists of Laura Knetzer, a business administrator, and field managers from both the U.S. and Uganda. These meetings include both face to face and email discussions that allow for the prioritization of plans according to the mission statement of the organization and the available funding. Further, Laura highlights that the organization weighs the urgency of each case of need. For example, at any given time there may be a need for educational needs, nutritional needs, safe water needs, agricultural, and medical care needs. In this situation, the board attempts to rank the urgency of each case as stated above while considering the long-term impact on the individuals and community. Additionally, a situation such as this also calls for fund raising efforts and Laura states that God has always provided.

Informally, the Mercy Uganda team work closely together and support projects that each of the members feel passionate about. In rare cases a project may not be realized due to funding or other obstacles; however, in most circumstances the team adopts the project leader’s vision and work cohesively to implement the plan and meet milestones.

Both the strategic planning process and the final list of objectives and goals provide important and actionable information for Mercy Uganda. Typically, plans are segmented and team members are assigned responsibility for overseeing the implementation and completion of the plan. However, Laura adds that as the CEO she is ultimately responsible for the execution of the strategic plan and overall oversight. Laura also states that the strategic planning and implementation process has not caused friction among the team members. In fact, she feels that it is a source bonding for the group and also allows each member to hold others and themselves accountable. A few projects that Laura highlights as examples of God’s leadership and Mercy Uganda’s success include the building of a home for 5 orphans, obtaining sponsorship for 50 children to attend school, and the building of two wells which required a fund raising effort of approximately $20,000. She obviously takes pride in these accomplishments but is quick to add that more wells need to be built; more children need sponsorship, and more work remains to be done.

After concluding my interview with Laura, I had time to reflect on the conversation and the amazing work that is being done by Mercy Uganda. As a fellow Christian I am inspired by the mission of Mercy Uganda and it is a pleasure to see Laura’s spiritual gifts being utilized. I very much appreciated the opportunity to learn more about a Non Governmental Organization’s strategic planning process and implementation process. Further, I see Laura and Mercy Uganda as models that I someday hope to emulate as a social entrepreneur.

References

1. Knetzer, K. and Hickey, B. 2011. Email correspondence on April 15, 2011.

2. Mercy Uganda Website. Accessed on May 1, 2011 at http://www.mercyuganda.org/.

Going Back

2011-04-26T06:39:00.000-05:00

First of all, I want to say how sorry I am that it has been so long since we have had a posting on the blog.....life has a way of "getting in the way" for things like this, and between work, things at church, and other things, I just have not been able to sit down and put thoughts and feelings into written words. I could sit down daily or weekly and just tell you the marvelous things that God has done, and is doing in and through Mercy Uganda. I'll have even more to tell soon! We leave in three weeks to go back to Uganda. My husband Mark, and I will be traveling together, just the two of us. This will be the first trip that only the two of us make to Uganda together. We are usually with a team, and usually one or the other of us is going. So we are very excited about this trip! We have much to do while there and are looking forward to getting involved in what the Lord has planned for us.
We will travel to Karamoja and visit the 2 villages we are working with, and will visit 2 new ones, one where a missionary family lives. Karamoja is a beautiful, desolate place, with some of the most precious people you will ever meet. The struggles, poverty, uncertainty about everything in life is evident there. As in the bible, many worship "an unknown god". It is our prayer to make the one and only true God known to them. We will also be looking at land for our agriculture and livestock program, and for us to build a small home to live in. Yes, that's right.....we are, in faith, moving forward with a move to Uganda. We want to be obedient to the Lord, so we know that if He doesn't want us there He will guide us. This land will be used to train the orphans in our sponsorship program how to plant and harvest, buy, and sell. It will teach them care and work with livestock. It will provide them a safe, Christian home environment. It will cost us about $75,000.00 for the land, so we are working on fundraising for this project. Please pray for us. Pray for us for our upcoming trip. Pray for us for the land, and please pray for us as we seek God in our plans for a move to Uganda.....we want to be obedient to His plans for us. We'll keep you updated as we prepare and go. We'll keep you updated on our fundraising for land, and we'll keep you updated on all the Lord is doing in Mercy Uganda.

God's blessings continue

2011-02-27T08:02:00.000-06:00

It never ceases to amaze me how God provides for us! How He does it always reminds me that He does not need me to make things happen.....He allows me to be a part of His work, as much to help me grow as a Christian, and to increase my faith as anything else. Recently several things have happened. You already know about the two wells, the house, and the piggery. Well, now it seems the Lord has more in store for us and the precious people of Uganda, and He is greatly working in the region of Karamoja. When people google specific things like, looking for organizations that are involved in well ministries, or Karamoja, or whatever.....those organizations names pop up....Mercy Uganda's information popped up and we have been doubly blessed. First, we have met a beautiful missionary family in Karamoja, and then we have met Pat a gentleman who works with Bicycles for Humanity. I mention both, because it seems the two will now be intertwined. Our Director, Henry Mello was able to meet with Pat and his team in Karamoja to assess the possibility of bicycles for the people there....this would truly be a blessing to them as they walk miles, often just to get water. It turns out the missionary family has been praying for bicycles.....Isn't God great?

Another great way that God reveals His work is this......a gentleman in our church had a specific dream about wells and Mercy Uganda, and is convinced that he is supposed to help work on a project to provide more wells for Uganda. Just so happens that this missionary family works with an orphanage that needs a well. I suppose you can guess where the focus of our next well project will be. I love how God does things. How He brings people into each others lives, and how He provides for our needs, very often allowing His children to be part of it. I ask that you pray for Mercy Uganda, for our new and dear friends the Fulk family, for Bicycles for Humanity, and for our friend Wayne who has this vision for water......Yes....God IS SO GREAT!!

Generous Givers

2011-01-23T14:53:00.000-06:00

We at Mercy Uganda never cease to be amazed at the generosity of others who come alongside us and do incredibly generous things for the women and children in Uganda. We recently had the awesome privilege of becoming involved with a family who "happened" to come to the Mercy Uganda banquet this past October. From that "chance meeting" this family felt God leading them to do something out of the ordinary, something that took not just one person's obedience, but a whole family's obedience and tested it. The Donnelly family has been mightily used by God in providing an education for 5 children, a home for them and their grandmother, and a piggery to help her become self sustaining in such a way that she now will be able to provide for this precious family. Below are a series of correspondences that show the impact their obedience had, and the way God touched many lives through that simple act.
The message below is from our Director in Uganda, Henry Mello, thanking the family for their gift to this precious Ugandan family....

Dear Joseph,
Am so grateful to the Lord for the wonderful work you have done.
You have tremendously changed lives in this family. Though it has been a bit challenging, we thank God that the job is done. We have finished the house. We have put up the piggery shelter and I have already bought them 3 piglets which will be brought in two weeks time.
Am so pleased and thankful for this lifetime gift you have given this family. How I wish one day you come and see this by your own eyes but for now adhered are some of the photos.
God bless the Donnellys! Amen.
Henry.(You can see Henry working on the window of this new home in this picture)

This part is the Donnelly's response to our request to share their testimony...
Thank you for your message. Feel free to use our testimony. Anything that motivates others to do the same is heading in the right direction. The way God intended us to lead our lives.

I am very, very impressed at the quality of construction.  Grandmother looked very proud in her photo standing in front of her new home.

This was a great experience in so many aspects. What other organization can you see such a direct benefit materialize in a very short period of time? Our children were able to see that yes, you truly can make a difference.  We have yet to imagine how this experience may benefit their futures along with those of the five children in Uganda. In any case it has touched both sides of the globe!

We really would like to stay in touch with Henry on how we can remain a part of this family's future.  While we can not yet commit to something on the scale of this recent project we certainly wish to continue in any way we can.

Regards,
Jeannie Donnelly

The e-mail below is from the Donnelly's......

Dear Henry:

You have done beautiful, quality work! Your message and photos made our day! Thank you so much for overseeing this project and devoting your time to make sure it gets done.

There are not many organizations that provide such feedback.

While we can not control where we are born, we can however, control what we chose to do with the gifts God gives us. Your dedication is most admirable!

I do hope that one day we can travel to Uganda to meet this family.

While I did not recognize it at the time, I was involved in a project last year which enabled me to provide additional income for our family. This involved many hours away from my family, working two jobs, etc. During this ordeal I was wondering if it was all worth it, feeling discouraged, taken for granted, doubting God's path.

In October, we attended the benefit dinner at Covenant, saw the work being done by the Mercy Uganda organization, watched your group via satellite and the sacrifices you and others have made. At the time, we started to get a glimmer of what life must be like for Ugandans. A simple convenience we have of having water inside our homes, let alone, having a warm shower every day, while these people must walk sometimes for miles for a bucket of water.

This whole idea started from water and what others have to do just to get it. During the dinner in October, we signed up to provide educational assistance for two children on the spot. Later, Laura contacted us regarding the rare opportunity to provide for these five children. We were so moved by this and made a family decision to do everything we could to help this family. We were saving for a pool (water again). Our children wholeheartedly agreed to postpone the pool project in order to make this happen. Joe sold some stock we had and we emptied the savings account. It is truly amazing how God works!

We greatly appreciate your efforts in "stretching the budget" to complete the project.

Please let us know if there are other needs such as bedding, household items, etc. We would also like to get bicycles for the children to use for school.

Also is it possible for us to send "care packages" for the children? If so, how is this done?

God bless you for your heart and efforts!

With Regards,
Jeannie, Joe, Kevin and Kimberly Donnelly

--------------------------(This is a picture of the piggery)

This gift of love, this step of obedience, this generosity of heart.....it has had an impact in ways that will be seen for generations, and will be rewarded in Heaven. This is one of many stories of generous givers following the voice of the Lord. Mercy Uganda thanks them....I thank them.

God is glorified!

The Earth Is The Lord's

2011-01-15T13:59:00.000-06:00

The prayerful goal of Mercy Uganda for 2011 is to raise the funds needed to buy about 10 acres of land in Uganda, and a vehicle. We have been praying about this for quite some time, and now that we have our NGO status it will save us considerably by giving us a tax break on these purchases. Our desire is to use the land to provide shelter, food, and training to the orphans in our sponsorship program. While not in school, they will live in dormitories that we will build there, and will receive training in agriculture and livestock. This will serve many wonderful purposes related to the mission of Mercy Uganda, and will provide for so many in need. Needs such as nutrition, health, safety, preparation for the future. The orphans will receive love, our love, but more importantly God's love. To buy 10 acres in an area that would provide the rich soil, and be in a safe and fairly accessible part of Uganda, will cost us anywhere from $7,000.00 to $10,000.00 per acre. But, we know that our God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and that the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. We know that if this project is His will, and His plan, He will provide the resources needed to obtain the land and begin this next phase of ministry work.

Also included in this prayerful plan is a vehicle. Transportation is probably one of the biggest hurdles in Uganda. Public transportation can be difficult, to downright dangerous! For our team to travel the distances we must travel to get from one village to another often takes several hours. For safety and flexibility in travel with the ministry, we have rented vehicles (usually a car or van owned by someone there), and then pay a driver. This adds up quickly as team members from the U.S. are there several times a year doing a multitude of things in several villages, some remote. A good van that will carry 12 passengers is about $14,000.00. It is 4 wheel drive to accommodate the terrains. A van that size also allows us to carry needed food and supplies to the orphans, women, children, and villages to whom we minister. (The vehicle in the picture used to be a taxi in Uganda, the owner rented it to us. In this scene, our medical team is also working a small clinic out of it in Karamoja)
We ask that you pray for us as we move forward with these two major projects during 2011. God has done far bigger things, and we know He will do far more than we ever dream or believe possible. We would love for you to share this information with others too. We have pay pal on our website now, so that will make it easier to accept contributions.....which are tax deductible by the way!! Our website is:
www.mercyuganda.org
It is SO exciting to take steps with God, to see where He will lead, and what He will do. We will see what great things He has for 2011.

2011

2011-01-02T08:07:00.000-06:00

Here it is, January 2, 2011......a new year has begun with new hopes, new plans, new goals......but God is teaching me lessons about all of those things. I always have a tendency to dream big and plan bigger....sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn't. God is teaching me to seek Him first, to ask what His plans for us are....and then to obey Him, to follow Him. Sometimes I feel a little like Abraham....when God told Him to move to a land he did not know. How hard would that be? What a step of faith that would take!

To know that you hear God telling you to do something that absolutely makes no sense at all......that's when we want to sit down and write out our agendas, our plans, etc. When we want to see if it will work or not, to see if it actually makes sense and is realistic. But then, that doesn't take alot of faith. Faith is definitely something that God has been working on in my life. As you can tell from previous blog entries, I struggle with it.....boy, do I struggle with it! I have found it is easier to have faith when you are praying and seeking something for someone else than for yourself, probably because that doesn't really take so much faith on your part, and you don't really have alot at risk or alot to lose there. But when it comes to you personally.....it is all on the line.....either you trust God or you don't. I further complicate that by pondering this....I get passionate and excited about doing things and then wonder...am I excited about this because God is doing this, or am I trying to convince myself that it is God's will because I want it so badly? I've actually been on that side of it before, and it is not a good place to be. So, now I'm REALLY desirous that I seek God, and ask Him to take a passion and desire away if it is not in line with His will. That brings me back to Uganda. My husband Mark and I have been prayerfully seeking God's will and direction for us as we look into moving to Uganda to immerse ourselves full time into the ministry work of Mercy Uganda. Yes, this is a big step.....we leave behind a lifetime. We leave behind 3 adult children, and 4 grandchildren, 2 of them not yet born. But one thing that God has been teaching us over the past few years, is that our children don't belong to us anyway....they belong to Him. Whether we are in the U.S. or in Uganda, God still has our children in the palm of His hand....He still directs their steps, and ordains their lives. So, what we are doing for 2011 is praying, reading scripture, praying some more, and moving forward with plans to move to Uganda, asking God to guide each step, and close doors along the way so we don't try to guide ourselves. It is a huge step for us but one we want to take if that is what God wants. This plan involves a 24 month schedule of downsizing, support raising, planning, praying, and sharing. We hope that you will pray for us too. We pray that God will be ahead of us each step of the way, and that His will be done, not ours. Two thousand and eleven will be a year of preparation. But then, every year should be that. God tells us always to be prepared, in season and out of season, to share the gospel. Please pray for us. We want to do things God's way. Our prayer is found in Psalm 90:17 "Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands."

New Well....New Hope

2010-12-27T17:04:00.000-06:00

I know that most of you have never been to Karamoja. It's not a place I ever expected to go either. I have to admit I was a little afraid when the idea was presented back this time last year. God wanted me to go though. He kept opening all the doors, and presenting the opportunities so that I could do no less than obey. When I went, it was all I had expected.....barren wasteland, hot, poor. But it was also much more. It was a place where God had placed some of His children. A place where hope was needed. A place where they were all but forgotten by most, except God. They had been in a several year drought and little was able to grow there. Skinny cows, skinny people, no baths.....you could smell it.......but no available water makes for those things. I was convicted by God for the needs of these people. But what could I do? The needs were so great, and all of them were things that only God can provide. I am not a rich person....I'm barely middle class here in the U.S. I don't have alot of influential friends, and am not connected to those with great financial means. If you really think about it, I'm not even on the rich side of faith either. I remember feeling totally overwhelmed by the needs, trying to figure out just what to do....how to help. I remember words coming out of my mouth...."We'll pray for rain for Karamoja". I don't know where that came from, but it had been said. My faith wasn't strong enough to believe that God would hear my prayer for rain for Karamoja, especially after about 5 years of drought. But, He did. Within 3 months of that visit, they got rain.....not because of my weak faithed prayer, but because God is faithful...because He knew their need. He just allowed me to witness it, to experience it, to see Him answer prayer.....He knew my weak faith.....but I think He also knew my desire to obey Him.....so He let me in on His grace and mercy to Karamoja. After that glorious rain, the once barren wasteland was beautiful and green. Cows got fat, and food began to grow. We were able to return in September and do a medical clinic with dear friends in the medical field. They, like me, were very reluctant to go initially. But when they made that decision, God also worked in their lives......they have now committed to a long term relationship with the people of Karamoja. We were able to drill a well in one of the villages recently. It was just completed last week. This too, was a miracle! The company that drilled the well, had been doing so in several other locations in Karamoja, only to come up dry. This well.....it was a gift from God, through the hands of His children....this well, it not only hit water, but such an abundance of it that it will provide clean drinking water, hygiene, irrigation, and cattle watering......God's water. When God sends people somewhere, it is never a wasted visit. When my friends were introduced to Karamoja, God touched their hearts......they responded with love and generosity. One thing I know......God does not half do anything, and He never wastes opportunities. Everything that God does brings honor and glory to Him, and it always blesses those affected by it. It all sums up in Isaiah 41: 17-20 "The poor and needy seek water, but there is none. Their tongues fail for thirst. I, the Lord, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open rivers in desolate heights. And fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, the myrtle and the oil tree and the pine and the box tree together, that they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, and the holy One of Israel has created it."

All I want for Christmas....

2010-12-22T19:38:00.000-06:00

How quickly this year is passing. As I have heard Laura say about leaving the U.S. for a trip to Uganda, Christmas will be here in three sleeps and a wake up.

Have you made your list, done all your shopping, gotten a headache trying to think of just the right gift for that certain someone on your list? Here's an idea. It's the gift that keeps on giving; prayerfully giving forever. One of our sweet and generous sponsors recently asked for this gift for Christmas.

What does Linda want for Christmas? That's what her 98 year old mother in law asked Linda recently. Although she normally tells her mother in law that she doesn't need or want anything, this year she asked for something.......she told her husband, Don to tell his mother that she would like for her to sponsor a child through Mercy Uganda.

Linda sent Laura an email saying this.....pick two children and just let me know the price....depending on the village and the school and whether a child boards or not the cost can be between $150. and $325. as a general rule. When I get the pictures and information from Mercy Uganda, I'll visit my mother in law and tell her she is sending this child to school for me as my Christmas gift. I'll do the same in January with the other child and tell her she is sending this child to school as a birthday gift to me. She'll be pleased. I'd like for at least one of these children to be a girl.

Here's the rest of the story about Linda and her love for these children of Uganda. Linda sponsored her first child as a gift for someone in her office. She is carrying this on as a tradition.

So what's on your list this year? Makes you think doesn't it? I know it made me think about my own lists.

Merry Christmas

Be looking for a recap of the year 2010 soon!

Good way to help!

2010-12-01T13:45:00.000-06:00

Wow, time is flying and we hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We now look forward to celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We have much to be thankful for here at Mercy Uganda. After our banquet, we now have another well being drilled in yet another remote village. Clean water! What a blessing and how hard for me to imagine life without water just flowing from a faucet. But such a bigger blessing to see those who are so grateful to pump water, clean water. The new well will be like the one below that was recently completed.

Mercy Uganda now has a medical team that goes with the group to conduct clinics and provide much needed medical care in remote villages.

Mercy Uganda is so thankful for any and all contributions to help the women and children of Uganda. We now have another, very simple way for you to give.

We GoodSearch and GoodShop for Mercy Uganda.
Raise money for Mercy Uganda just by searching
the Internet with GoodSearch.com , or shopping
online with GoodShop.com.

Really, that's all you have to do. Search just like you would with any other search engine. When you sign up for GoodSearch or GoodShop, you will be able to put in the charity you want to give to and then every time you search or shop, Mercy Uganda will receive a donation.

What an easy way to help the women and children of Uganda! Thank you for all you do to help and encourage these people and most importantly for your prayers.

Second Annual Mercy Uganda Fundraising Banquet

2010-10-22T13:32:00.001-05:00

This year's banquet came right on the heels of a trip to Uganda. Such perfect timing our God has!

Several different ladies decorated tables with their china, crystal and silverware. So every table was different and every table was beautiful. This year students from our Christian school were involved with helping in several areas, from music to serving tables. They were great! Thanks to them all for their commitment to Mercy Uganda.

Our menu was salad, pork, green beans and baked potatoes, bread and dessert. So many people helped with the food and cooking, setting up the tables and generally helping get ready for a great night.

Special thanks to Olive Garden and Chilis for providing salads.

Laura set up a table with pictures of things happening in Uganda......the sponsored children and projects, both completed and ongoing. Look closely on the table and you'll see a wooden "stool" by the baskets. This stool was made by a little boy who needed a sponsor in order to go to school. He told Laura he made it for his future sponsor. He got a sponsor at the banquet! In fact, eight children got sponsors at the banquet! There are over 500 children in the Mercy Uganda data base. If you are interested in helping one of these children, check our website for more information.

In the year between last year's banquet and this year's banquet, much has been accomplished. A well is now in place in a remote village. You can see the new well in the header of this blog. As a result of the report about this well, another well will be started in another village this year.

Medical teams have gone twice with Mercy Uganda to conduct clinics for people who don't have access to doctors.

Many people have joined in Mercy Uganda's work.....people we didn't know a year ago.

Children unable to go to school are now attending with the support of American sponsors.

So many more things are happening and it will be exciting to see all the Lord does through Mercy Uganda in the coming year.

Now for pictures of the banquet!

The tables

Singing

Serving

Preparing

Opening the dinner with prayer, Pastor Bob Hayes

The orthopedic surgeon who went to Uganda with the team and conducted medical clinics talking about his experience, with his daughter's help!

Talking about his love for Uganda and it's people

A live talk with our field director in Uganda, Henry Mello, on Skype. He was giving us challenges....the first to pray for the people of Uganda. It was 3 a.m. in Uganda.....so Henry, Gabriel and Lauren (from here living in Uganda and working with Mercy Uganda) got up from sleep to talk to us at the banquet. That was a great surprise and very touching.

The banquet was a great way to wrap up Mercy Uganda's year and to start another year of service to the women and children of Uganda to the Lord's glory!

Thanks to all who helped and attended. To get involved with us just visit our website.

Water....clean water!!

2010-10-12T18:20:00.000-05:00

The Lord has provided clean, safe, and accessible drinking water to the remote village of Kyamagemule. One year after we prayerfully began our fundraising efforts, God has given us a well. Through many prayers and the generosity of many people, God brought health, safety, and so much more to them. During a clinic we were a part of in Kyamagemule, I, and several ladies met with the women of the village to share testimonies. One of the ladies stood up and began to speak in her native language. Through the help of a translator we learned that she was expressing her gratitude for this gift of hope to them. She said "now no more children have to die drowning trying to get water". We didn't know that a child had, not so many months ago, drowned in that muddy watering hole that used to be their only source for water. To see the villagers all gathered around to see the first flowing clean, clear water come out was amazing! To watch children fill little water bottles and to be able to see through it because the water was so clear was a gift from God. I am thankful that God gave us water. I'm glad he gave us Henry Mello, our director for Mercy Uganda in Uganda. He would not let the drilling company stop drilling after 60 meters, 70 meters, 80, and 90.....finally at 101 meters, about 300 feet, water gushed forth and the blessing of health and hope began. We knew we would find water because God had already provided everything else, the money, the drilling company, everything.....He never stops short of what He is accomplishing. I am thankful for that!! We are now starting a new well project for another remote village....Kokoro, a village in Karamoja. This will provide a way to irrigate crops in a very drought stricken land. I know God will guide this effort too. Please pray with us and for us as we move forward on this next well project.

There and back!

2010-09-26T22:45:00.000-05:00

Time has flown......a team that went to Uganda a couple of weeks ago is headed back and should be in town tomorrow, probably dragging due to the time difference!

This team has been serving in Uganda for the past two weeks. Barb and Laura are on the far left....Barb is a volunteer and member of the board and Laura is director of Mercy Uganda. To the far right is Dr. Dietrich and some of his staff, who went to conduct medical clinics.

Stay tuned for many exciting stories of how God worked in through this team!

How can they go unless they are sent?

2010-08-26T09:54:00.019-05:00

Update.....

Aisha had surgery earlier this week to separate her arm from her chest! She has a long way to go, a lot of surgery to endure, even more pain, but when it's all done she will be able to have a more normal life. This is happening because of Christ's love in those who sacrificed to enable her to have surgery.

Our prayer is that through this act of love, she will come to know and love her Savior!

***********************

We all cringe to see pictures of children in circumstances like this....or know of things like this. We all want the villages we work with to be this.

Children need surgeries, they need schools and supplies and the people need to be self sufficient. In order to be self sufficient, they need goats and cows, they need seeds to plant and water to make the seeds grow. Mercy Uganda works hard to make these things happen, but all these things take money.

Romans 10:14-15
But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!

Besides the things above, they need mosquito nets, mattresses to sleep on, desks in schools, food and clothing. These things not only make a difference in their lives, some of them are lifesaving.

The most important thing they need and the main thing Mercy Uganda wants to do is to share the love of Jesus and to tell the people there the good news.

Here at Mercy Uganda, we want to be good stewards of all the resources God has provided. And we want to do the best we can to raise funds needed.

SO......in preparation for the upcoming September trip and to finish raising the funds for the much needed well, we had a yard sale! Lots of hard work by lots of people made this happen. Many people donated items to be sold and some did the back breaking work of helping people load the things they bought into their cars.

Here is the check out table where people paid for their goodies. When they paid, they were also given a pamphlet about Mercy Uganda and what we are doing in Uganda.

Laura had ~~ripped a hole in her pants~~ worked so hard that she needed an apron!

Laura truly does put all her heart into this ministry. God called and Laura answered yes Lord! Laura's husband, Mark works with her and the entire Mercy Uganda team.

People came by all during the day. Some people came back two or three times to pick up some item they saw earlier.

At the end of the day, there were some tired workers! These children were having a ball going through the clothes.....they found lots of stuff for their mama to buy.

In the upcoming months, Mercy Uganda will be having a banquet. Please check out out website to learn how you can be a part of Mercy Uganda and a part of spreading the gospel of Christ throughout the world.

Scars

2010-07-29T08:38:00.001-05:00

When I was in Uganda in June we visited a new hospital in the Entebbe area. As we sat there I was observing the multitude of issues the children had, from deformities in their legs to cleft palate, to burns. There were a couple of little boys that came in with their upper bodies healing, somewhat, from burns. A friend who was with me said that a large percentage of the burns seen in Uganda have been intentionally done by stepmothers or other relatives. I don't think that was the case with these two boys but we are helping a young lady who most definitely was set on fire on purpose. It is horrible to suffer from burns, it is even worse when those burns were caused intentionally by someone else.....it is even worse when you are not taken for treatment for those burns and then, four years later you have no visible breasts and your arm is melded to your side making it unusable. To further add to the pain, this young lady suffers chronic infections and bleeding from some of the areas that never completely healed. As a social worker I wonder where the justice for this girl is. I wonder where the punishment is for those who inflicted this pain, and those who ignored the suffering. As a Christian I am appalled by the evil that lashed out at her in this way, and I am compelled to do all I can to help her, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Her wounds go deep in every way. This was done by an older sister who was angry because she didn't want to do her chores. This was ignored by a family who didn't want to get the older sister in trouble. This was ignored by extended family who knew this had happened, the pain she continued to suffer, and yet, they did nothing to help. Only recently, when they wanted to appeal to the heartstrings of the generosity of others through sponsorship for school, was she ever brought to us. That, in itself is a blog story for another day. This young girl's pain goes back before the burn, and continues beyond the burn today. Her father abandoned the family when she was little. Her mother died a few years ago and she lives with extended family. Her older sister continues to be violent toward her and the family does not intervene. We hope to get this young lady to safety and are working on medical care for her even now. Please pray for her, for her safety and her healing. Please pray that God will provide a safe haven for her from the years of pain and abuse. Please pray for her older sister and her family, that God will change their hearts. Please pray for us as we partner with doctors and individuals to help this precious girl.....God is our Great Healer!

Suffer the Little Children

2010-07-08T10:33:00.000-05:00

(Picture of multi-purpose room at Eseza's school)

People often ask how I can go to Uganda and see the things I see, and not break down. Well, I do, at times, break down. But the things I see, the things I experience while working with women and children in Uganda, are things that God uses in my life to break my heart for the things that break His heart. He uses these experiences to grow my faith, to humble me, to keep my heart tender. The new picture you see as our header is of a precious little family of children. The oldest girl, Eseza, or Esther, is only 6 years old. Those are her three little siblings with her, Tracy, Viola, and Senfuka. Their mother and father both worked in the stone quarries making about fifty cents a day. The two parents together making less than one dollar a day to feed this little family!
Eseza's mother died this past year. She was at work in the stone quarry when some of it collapsed on her. The father, being left with 4 small children, and having to continue to work, pulled Eseza out of school to care for her younger siblings while he went to work. He works all day, every day, 6 days a week. This little 6 year old girl roams the neighborhood with little little siblings, and no food. Daddy comes home in the evenings and then tries to find what he can to feed them on the little money he makes. I know that I would have trouble feeding my family on that amount of money. You see, Eseza had been in one of the schools with whom we work on our sponsorship program. I visited that school recently, on my June trip to Uganda. I was able to talk to the headmistress who graciously took me to this child and her home. These beautiful little children are who Jesus talks about when he says "suffer the little children to come to me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven". Children have a very special place in the heart of our Saviour.......we should give them a special place too. Mercy Uganda is working closely with this school to provide a way for this little girl to return to school, and for her and her siblings to receive food and care. The father agreed to let the children live at the school with the headmistress as caregiver, and Eseza able to learn again. This arrangement is not perfect. The school really does not have a boarding section yet, rather, all the children who are orphans there sleep in a multi-purpose room, used as a classroom by day, and lodging by night. Some do not have mattresses or mosquito nets as they can't afford them. They sleep on the floor with no protection from the mosquitoes that carry malaria. Food is in short supply. However, the headmistress, precious lady that she is, and her dear husband, have a small garden where they grow food to help feed the children. Mercy Uganda is working with them for ways to expand their ability to provide food through more agriculture, and through livestock that we hope to be able to provide over the next several months. We are also working closely with them to help tie into the water system to provide more, and better water for the children, and are looking to the future for how we may help them expand through building an orphanage. Yes, some of these are far into the future, but some are now, things that we can do to make a difference even in small ways as we seek God's guidance and provision in caring for His little ones. We are prayerfully working with the father of Eseza and her siblings, so that he will be encouraged to be an active part of their lives and their care, and that he will come to know the Lord who loves him, and loves his children. Please pray for Eseza and her family, for the headmistress and the school. Please pray for Mercy Uganda as we seek to honor God in our work with them. Please pray, too, about how you might be a part of this ministry work with this little family, and many like them.

(Eseza, Tracy, Viola, and Senfuka in front of their home)

A Gift Toward Self-Sufficiency

2010-06-29T13:35:00.000-05:00

We just returned from a 2 week trip to Uganda and, as always, were blessed and ministered to by the very people for whom we seek to minister. We were blessed to partner with some ladies in the U.S. who provided the resources we needed to purchase sewing machines in Uganda. We were able to purchase 7 of them and they were distributed to 4 geographical locations, 3 in Kyamagemule, 2 in Karamoja, one in Kawuku, and one in Kajjansi. Because electricity is often an issue, the sewing machines are equipped with foot pedals that allow the ladies to sew without electricity. In each of the areas where ladies received the sewing machines, there was great excitement and hope, as the ladies each realized the potential this gives them for generating an income for them and their families. In Kyamagemule (which is also where we will be drilling the well), the ladies begin training this week on their sewing machines. We will also be working with them in developing a technical program which will build upon this new project, and eventually will add more areas of study. In Karamoja the ladies in a small church will be the core group to begin this program of sewing. We are also excited to tell you that one of the young ladies that received a sewing machine had just graduated from a sewing program in Uganda and was given a small space to start a business. She grew an orphan in a local orphanage and from there finished school and got a diploma. She was knitting sweaters for our sponsored children in Karamoja, and now has added making uniforms to that list. Not only has the sewing machine allowed her far more opportunities for self-sufficiency, but it has now involved her in ministry work with Mercy Uganda. What a blessing! Through God's grace and mercy, and the gifts of others, we were able to provide Mary with resources to help her build a small business, and involve her in helping others too.

The Team is in the field........and the fields are ripe for the harvest!

2010-06-18T22:11:00.002-05:00

Laura traveled to Uganda on June 8 and is busy! She had lots of plans.....updating sponsorship information, meeting with the Minister of Ethics to talk about child sacrifice and many other things. Whatever God places in her path she's ready to do!

Playing with Lawrence......he's come so far in the last year!

Some of the work being done....As unbelievable it is, these are desks in a classroom.

New desks being built......

This is Kato....as you can see he needs some orthopedic work. Laura will go with Kato to have x rays and see that the orthopedic surgeon gets them. The last trip included an orthopedic surgeon and two ladies from his office. He saw Kato and wanted x rays.

One day in the not so far future, Kato will get his much needed surgery.

There are several teams that go to Uganda from our church and other churches. Below, Roth is in Uganda with his wife and daugher each using their talents in different areas. Roth takes a break from building desks and buildings to hold a little girl while Lauren, shows her her picture on the digital camera screen. Lauren is living in Uganda right now and working in many areas.

There is much work to be done and many hands and hearts are needed.

The plans for the well in Kyamagemule are coming together and being finalized.

Children are being seen for medical concerns.

Children are getting sponsored so they can attend school. Many of the sponsors sent gifts and letters to their children.

Ugandan people are learning to build and to take care of themselves.

God is working in wonderful ways through Mercy Uganda. Thank you for your support!

Stay tuned for many great stories of changed lives and lots of pictures when Laura returns.

Blessings

2010-06-03T10:33:00.000-05:00

I will be making another trip to Uganda in just a very few days. Because of the generosity of so many people, Mercy Uganda has been able to provide many things. Children are in school, who, otherwise would not be able to attend. Cows are being purchased to help remote villages start over after a series of things left them devastated, roofs are being repaired even this very moment, sewing machines will be purchased during this trip, and some much needed medical care will be given to a number of women and children. Something I continue to learn in life is this.....we tend to view our struggles as things to run from, things to pray that God will rescue us from. What I am learning, though, is this....those very hardships mold us into more compassionate people, give us cause to lean more on our Heavenly Father, and strengthen our faith. I see the needs in Uganda and how overwhelming they are. I also see the faith of so many in Uganda, even in the very midst of the hardship. Then God gives me glimpses of His tender mercy, His blessings in their lives, and ours. I see how He uses the lives, the experiences, the struggles of you and me, and then works through them to minister to our sisters and brothers in Uganda. I was looking at the pictures of the damage from recent storms in Karamoja and could not help but think back to January when I was there. They had not had rain in 5 years, and were in the midst of a long and difficult drought. All of the cattle from the 2 remote villages I visited had been stolen by raiders....around 100 head of cattle. They were hungry, lacked resources to start over......and then......the rain. Yes, the rain has damaged some roofs.....but God is providing for that too. What is so significant is that the rain has turned a dry and barren place into a beautiful green and fertile land once again.....God's blessing! God led precious sponsors to this ministry who have helped get 10 of the 31 children who need sponsors, into school. Blessings....they are all around us....sometimes we forget how to see them, sometimes we don't try.....we get wrapped up in the pain of the moment and miss the tapestry God is weaving on the other side. I'm learning,by God's grace...I'm learning!

Amazing Privilege

2010-05-22T16:33:00.001-05:00

Over the past several weeks I have been "forced" to slow down a bit as my daughter and our precious 8 month old grandson have spent nearly 6 weeks with us while her husband, a navy diver, is off on a submarine. I tried to balance grandmotherhood, substitute teaching, and the work needed to carry on the ministry needs of Mercy Uganda, and have felt, at times, overwhelmed, tired, and definitely inadequate. This blessing of a daughter and grandson in our home as led me to pray more and stress less. It has drawn me back to where my focus needs to be....on God. I would tell myself often that God's work goes on with or without me, and He certainly does not need me in order for Mercy Uganda to continue. As I have slowed down my pace a bit, prayed more, savored the short term blessing of "company", God has, in His grace and mercy, been teaching me, yet again, that it is about Him, and Him alone!! Then, this morning as I was doing my quiet time, I read a devotional by Charles Stanley. I want to share a small part of it with you because it spoke volumes to me. Here is an excerpt from that devotional "One of the most amazing privileges that the Lord gives His children is the opportunity to participate in what He is doing. The One who needs no help and has the power to do whatever He wants calls us to labor alongside Him to accomplish His purposes on earth. Because He knows we need a higher goal in life than building our own personal kingdoms, He offers us the chance to take part in building His." I knew that, and have pondered over just that very thing so many times as I have prayed for and sought God's will in Mercy Uganda.....this was just what I needed to read. It put all of those inner thoughts and struggles, those ponderings into a perspective that gave me a peace and comfort about my roles, and the fact that God does not need me.....rather I need Him....and it is an amazing privilege to be a part of Mercy Uganda......it is also an amazing privilege to be a grandmother spending time with her little ones.

I may struggle to do all I feel I need to do, but what I really need to do is focus on the Lord, seek His face, hold His hand, and trust Him......I am way too weak and inadequate....God is all sufficient, and all powerful. I really do love the fact that I am too weak......it helps me see Him so much better, cling to Him that much tighter, experience His power and glory, and His amazing work so much more too! My desire is to be close to Him, serve Him, grow in Him.....and be a vessel of His love to others. He has allowed me to be part of Mercy Uganda as much to grow me in Him, as to minister to others....amazing privilege indeed! Thank you Lord for allowing me to labor alongside You in the work You are doing in Uganda. (The pictures you see...in order...are: grandson Hudson, visiting Jajja; Papa and Jajja with our other grandson Brayden; cousins; our daugher and grandson; Sam Kisembo, a Ugandan friend who was visiting the U.S. recently; and lastly, two precious children, like many of whom have no parents or grandparents)

Building Hope--Sheltering Ugandan's

2010-05-12T17:12:00.000-05:00

God seems to continue to open doors of opportunity for Mercy Uganda to minister to the precious people in Uganda. We have recently been faced with two situations involving shelter.....and roofs. One in the Fort Portal area and one far from there in Karamoja. Both involve storms, damage, and a very real need for help with safe and secure housing.

Mercy Uganda has been a friend to Pastor John Kalenzi and his family for about 2 years now. Pastor John is a wonderful, humble, and gentle man with a very dear wife and children. He pastors a small church in Rwengoma, a village in the Fort Portal area of Eastern Uganda. When we were there in 2009, Pastor John invited our team over for lunch after church one Sunday morning. His home....very humble and poorly constructed had holes in the tin roof, and bricks that were beginning to wash out from the rain. Now, two years later, we learn that a serious storm damaged crops and properties in that area, and claimed hundreds of lives. Pastor Kalenzi's home was one that was destroyed.

We are now partnering with pastors and churches in the U.S. to raise the $3,500.00 needed to build a new home for John.....a home with a good roof, good walls, a concrete floor.....a seemingly large project for such a small amount of money. We are currently working with Pastor John in getting a plan drawn for his home, and will have a team go in September to build the home, which will take about 2-3 weeks. We have an individual here in the U.S. who has agreed to go and lead the ranks on the building of this home, and we are thankful.

Recently, severe storms hit the Karamoja region, where we visited in January. Some of the homes that were heavily damaged were those of the pastor, Phillip, and some were the homes of some of the children in our sponsorship program. We found out that it would only cost $2,500.00 to repair all 7 roofs...5 are thatch, and 2 are tin.....and this price also provides a way to replace bedding, and cooking supplies that were destroyed.
We have already received $1,500.00 of the $2,500.00 needed for that project and our ministry liaison, Gabriel will go and oversee the construction work on the roofs himself.

I am so thankful that God has placed these needs before us, and that He has already begun placing individuals before us who are helping us meet those needs. Please pray for Mercy Uganda and for those God has placed before us.

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(the pictures are:top to bottom: Pastor Kalenzi and his family; the Kalenzi home; one of the homes with thatch roof; Pastor Phillip with Gabriel)

GIFTS

2010-04-26T14:24:00.000-05:00

Sewing machines......we hope to purchase 4 this summer

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(A young lady showing off her newly learned knitting skills...tools and yarn were provided, along with teaching)

I have often heard the saying, "give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime". How true that is. Mercy Uganda has been involved in so many aspects of life in Uganda that sometimes we have to take a deep breath and evaluate it all. Everything we have and do, all that we are, comes from God. He allows us to be stewards of all He provides. This includes our involvement in the lives of others, in using those resources to expand the kingdom work. It is so easy to just give someone something, knowing that they need it, knowing it will help them. Some things are meant as a gift, straight up. The emergency medical care for Julius and Alex are examples of that. The ongoing therapy and help for Lawrence is important in that it provides a way for him to learn and become independent. The child sponsorships are that way as well. An education is one of the most important things one person could offer another. It provides hope and a future, a way to learn and to "eat for a lifetime". The well project is such a gift. This simple act will provide generations with better health, and therefore, hope and a future. There are some things, though, that we can do to help in the teaching, by providing one thing, and then teaching the use of the one thing. Sewing machines. Did you know that in Uganda the sewing machines are non-electric and controlled by pedaling? This makes sense because electricity is a luxury most cannot afford. We can purchase a sewing machine for $100.00 and teach a lady in a poor village how to sew. She can then use that skill to provide for her family. We hope to purchase 4 sewing machines this summer for ladies in particular villages to help them, and to help begin a vocational program for others. We also hope to raise the support needed to send a young lady to nursing school. She wants to start a clinic in a poor area. She is a Christian,a and an orphan girl who grew up in one of the poorest parts of Africa... Karamoja.We are also working on support for a dear Christian young woman to go to law school in Kampala. Uganda needs Christian women, advocates for the lives of women and children in that country.

(Lydia, seen in this picture with our liaison Gabriel, left, and friend of Mercy Uganda, Ronnie, prepared for nursing school)

(This is Irene, and her husband Alex, with Nathasha, newly adopted to save her life....Irene hopes to begin law school in August)

So you see, sewing machines, education, these teach a "woman to 'fish' so she can feed her family for a lifetime". Investing in God's children, that is a wonderful means of stewardship, and service to God.
Please pray for Mercy Uganda, for the women and children God has placed before us, and for the whole villages that are positively impacted through what God is doing in and through our efforts, and the love and support of those who walk alongside us in the ministry work.

Grateful Hearts!

2010-04-16T12:14:00.003-05:00

I am just constantly amazed at the way God provides!

Debby over at Just Breathe had a give a way recently. To win you just had to leave a comment and she used a random thingy to choose the winners. One of the things you could do was to pick a $50.00 gift card or make a contribution to your favorite charity.

I was over reading and to my surprise and great joy.......one of the winners, Carrie at Cottage Cozy won and asked that her prize be donated to Mercy Uganda! A check is on the way and let me tell you, Carrie, what a precious and wonderful thing you have done and how much it means to us.

In Uganda, $50.00 can do so much more than it does here in the United States. It can go a long way towards medical bills, badly needed medications and supplies. $50.00 will buy two mosquito nets with $10.00 left over! Mosquito nets prevent malaria!

From these sweeties and many more, a big thanks to both Debby and Carrie! Like the loaves and fishes, God will multiply that $50.00 for His glory!

A Simple Act of Generosity

2010-04-12T07:51:00.000-05:00

(The pictures are: top left: my husband mark and a child of Uganda; next is Julius, wired money helped with his emergency medical care in Mulago hospital; then you see Gabriel with sponsored children of Karamoja, the wired money allowed them to start school right away; and next is Lawrence, we regularly wire money for his ongoing therapies and appointments with eye specialists.

It is amazing what a small gesture can do....how a small act of kindness can start something much bigger. For years, my husband and our son have collected aluminum. I would complain about the bags of crushed cans beside our garage. And then, last week my husband Mark, laid $17.50 on the counter and said "this is for Mercy Uganda". I asked him where this came from and he told me "from the cans I cashed in". We have been struggling with the funds necessary to wire much needed money to Uganda. As a young and not-so-rich ministry, it really affects us to pay $45.00 every time we wire money. We never ask our recipients on the other end to help absorb this cost because they are already in need of the funds we send. The needs are so great there, that every little amount of money makes a tremendous difference. Then it occurred to me......this aluminum collecting could be our ongoing project to fund the wiring fees. We just started getting the word out, and are already getting businesses and individuals willing to begin collecting for Mercy Uganda. We may even have an old aluminum boat donated! This simple act of generosity.....this $17.50 given to show support for the work God is doing in and through Mercy, has opened a door of opportunity for us as we continue to send much needed funds for medical care, emergency care, sponsorships, and more. I just love how God takes the faithfulness of others and fertilizes and waters it, and makes it grow for His Kingdom's work. Please tell your friends about this project.......we pray that it will continue to grow and continue to provide a way for us as we seek to serve the Lord in ministry.

The Testimony of a Miracle....

2010-04-08T11:24:00.002-05:00

This is George Yawhe, a tremendous help to Mercy Uganda! Here he is holding one of our sponsored little girls, Rovisha. If you would like to see the children that still need sponsors go to our website.
There are still many that need sponsors.

I want to tell you a little bit about George today. He is now a walking miracle! He was at one time a dead child walking! This is a story of how our Sovereign God works in ways we cannot imagine!

George grew up in the village of Kalangaalo. His family, like most there, were very poor and George did not have access to an education.

When George was 12 years old, a couple came to the village and offered to take him and provide shelter, food and an education. His parents wanted more for George than they could provide so they agreed.

They were witch doctors! Over the course of 2 - 3 years they severely abused, beat, bound and burned George, leaving him for dead after a final burning of his legs over a fire.

George was picked up and put in a hospital for several months. No one, not even his family knew where he was. He was not a Christian at the time, but missionaries came to the hospital and shared Christ with him. George came to know Christ as savior and Lord, and his first prayer was that his family would find him.

This happened around Christmas time and soon his mother showed up at the hospital! Can you imagine the joy that filled that mother and child? George asked her how she found him and she said that someone in the village (Kalangaalo) had found a letter addressed to her on the ground, brought it to her and read it.......it told her where to find George!

George asked to see the letter, but no one had been able to find it since it was read to his mother. George told his mother that God had written that letter and dropped it from heaven into Kalangaalo. That was the very first miracle God gave to George!

Years later George was asked to share his story on the radio in Uganda. The witch doctor couple was listening (coincidence? I think not!) and called in to the radio station. They wanted to contact George, not to continue the pain they had caused years before, but to let him know that they, too, had become Christians! Another great miracle!

Never, never think that a person's heart is too hard for God to change! Never think that your life has been so bad that God cannot change it and use it.

George's testimony shows God's power in so many ways. This experience led him back to his home village of Kalangaalo to help others. Today he shares his miracles with many and shows them how God can change their lives.

He works hard with us at Mercy Uganda! Thanks George!

Alex and Irene, and the story of Job

2010-04-06T15:38:00.000-05:00

I have read the story of Job many times. It is a story that makes me pray that God will not see fit to test my faith in such a way. For many years, and even until recently, I would read that story, and the part that always stood out was that of how Job lost all of his children, and in the end God gives him more. In my mind I would always say, "but that doesn't replace the ones he lost". Then it occurred to me, that God always has a far better thing than what I can wrap my heart and my head around. He wasn't replacing those children, He was increasing Job's number of children.....his first children who died still live....they are in heaven. Now Job will have a double portion of his precious children for all eternity in heaven with him. Yes, I know it is so hard from an earthly perspective to think that way. We miss those children. We want to be with them, to hold them, to love them, to talk to them. But what is time on earth compared to eternity? This made me think of Alex and Irene and all that has happened to them in recent months. They got married just a few short years ago. He got a job going to Iraq. A dangerous job, not a well paying job, but a job and in Uganda those are very difficult to come by. His job led him to Iraq for a year. He left and Irene was pregnant. She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl whom they named Omega. Omega had a heart condition and Irene and Alex desperately sought help for her. There was none. Omega died at 3 months of age, before Alex could make it home to see his baby girl for the first and only time. As they mourned the loss of Omega, Alex was due to leave again, this time to Afghanistan. Issue and issue came up that prevented him from leaving. One of those issues was severe kidney stones that led to him being hospitalized. We think to ourselves....how many problems can one young couple endure? We pray to God for Alex and Irene. We are all trying to make sense of the endless struggles of this precious young couple who desire above all things to honor and serve God, even in the midst of pain and suffering, of struggle and uncertainty.
Then, amazingly......God doesn't replace Omega, He has her with Him waiting for the day she will be reunited with her parents.....and increases Alex and Irene's family by giving them a baby girl who had been born around the time of the death of Omega. A little girl whose mother died shortly after her birth, whose father loves her but cannot care for her. A little girl with some health problems due to malnutrition, but a beautiful little girl. Job came to mind again.....all he lost, God gave back......Alex and Irene.....God is doing much the same thing. I praise God for His awesome and unfathomable ways....I am thankful that He has a plan and a purpose for his children....plans not to harm them, but to help them....plans to give hope and a future.
Please pray for Alex and Irene as they minister to the needs of this beautiful new daughter of theirs...Natasha. (Please pray for Alex and Irene......they so covet your prayers as they seek God's will in their new family, in Alex's work, and as Irene seeks to return to law school. Mercy Uganda is seeking sponsors for her education.....Uganda needs Christian attorneys....Irene is someone God has great plans for and will use mightily. Alex is a mighty prayer warrior who puts his trust in God....they are true friends of Mercy Uganda, partners in prayer.....they are always here for us, we want to be here for them as well)
To see a video of Alex and Irene with baby Natasha, go to www.youtube.com and type in A New Baby Girl

God, the Great Healer

2010-03-29T17:26:00.000-05:00

(The pictures above...a beautiful, disabled girl in Karamoja; Grace, a 4 year old orphan with AIDs and open sores; and Kato, a 13 year old orphan with a severe leg deformity....we are working on providing surgery for him).
The pictures in this blog are only a handful of the many with whom we are involved.....
A person could easily become overwhelmed by the needs of the precious women and children in Uganda. Hunger, clothing, shelter, clean water.......and medical needs. Those alone can be an emotional weight around your heart. We see so many children with AIDS, children with serious malnutrition, deformities, malaria......and the list goes on. The same is true of the women, and often they are left to raise their children on their own, while struggling with medical issues......many have lost their husbands to diseases, many of the medically needy children are orphans.
This is one of the things that drives us to keep on keeping on when we feel emotionally spent, when we feel physically drained......when we wonder where the next dollar will come from when we are providing medicine, or emergency medical care, or needed surgery, or even ongoing help to those whom God has placed before us. One thing I know.....these are God's children. He loves them. He cares for them and will provide what they need......that means He will also provide what we need as we minister to them. It is such a privilege to know these children, these women. It is such an honor to be involved in their lives as we seek to be instruments of God's love in their lives. Please pray for these beautiful children of God....please pray for us as we seek to minister to their many needs, their sometimes overwhelming needs......there are no needs too big for God!

The hands of Rose....a beautiful lady around 50 years old who has a quickly progressing, degenerative form of arthritis....she has gone from fully active, to nearly bed ridden in 3 years.

Beautiful Rose

Join Uganda in praying for Mercy Uganda

2010-03-20T07:55:00.000-05:00

This is Alex and Irene, and their little boy Alpha....dear friends to Mercy Uganda

People wonder what draws me so deeply to Uganda......there are many things, but I must say that one of the most profound things is the faith of the Christians there. A few weeks ago, before my January trip to Uganda, I felt discouraged and even shared with others that I felt I only had a half of a grain of mustard seed of faith......I too easily forget just Who is in charge. I too easily forget that God owns the "cattle on a thousand hills". I too easily forget that "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world and those who dwell in it". Our dear Ugandan friends, who have so little and experience so much pain, suffering, and loss, seem to remember those important things so much better. They see God's work in Mercy Uganda in ways that I cannot grasp. They see what God is, and will be doing through this ministry......sometimes I can't see past the little bank account we have. Mercy Uganda is honored to have such dear friends who are committed to praying for us. Please read our ministry liaison's information below. I pray that it will encourage you to join them in praying for us. We need your prayers!

A beautiful group of children from the church that Alex and Irene attend.....our prayer warriors!

the information below is from Lauren, our ministry liaison for Mercy Uganda, who is currently living in Uganda...

Our dear Ugandan friends, Alex and Irene, along with members of their church have committed to praying for Mercy Uganda.....we need those prayers, and covet yours as well.....we want to honor and serve God through Mercy Uganda.....

Tonight Alex and Irene brought some people from their church over to my apartment to have a prayer meeting for Mercy Uganda.These really are some prayer warriors--there's so much faith behind their prayers. Some of the specific things we have been praying about are the following:

* That God will show our ministry the needs He wants us to meet
* Wisdom in who we as an organization trust and associate with (there is a lot of corruption here)
* That God will provide land for Mercy Uganda to start a guest house and other projects
(the guest house is a project we are seeking God's will in....it will provide an income for the Mercy Uganda which will be used to minister to those whom we serve there. Mark and Laura are prayerfully considering if this will be how and where God wants them to be...to live)
We're going to be meeting at my apartment every Friday afternoon to pray for Mercy Uganda. You can join us if you like. It starts at 5pm Uganda time, 9 am Central time ;-).

Please pray for us........

Child Sacrifice and a Sovereign God

2010-03-17T08:57:00.000-05:00

You may have seen the news in the past few weeks about increasing child sacrifice in Uganda. It's hard for us in America to imagine a place where witch doctors sacrifice small children, but they do and we need to bring them to light.

Our sponsored child, Frank, was abducted by witch doctors....here he is...

You can read all about him here.

Frank was taken by witch doctors while walking to his grandfather's house. Many times I have tried to imagine the terror of one of my children not showing up at their destination and having no idea where they were or what had happened. I can't imagine what must have been going on in Frank's mind and the terror he must have felt knowing what these vile people had in store for him.

Now witch doctors choose children because they are pure and perfect. Upon examining Frank, they discovered a scar on his stomach from surgery he had as a young child. He was rejected and probably ran all the way home to a very relieved father!

What the witch doctors considered an imperfection was in fact our sovereign God's way of saving his life. It was no coincidence that Frank had that scar! God has a plan and purpose for Frank's life and witch doctors can't stand in the way of God's plan!

Please pray for the children of Uganda. Pray for their parents as they keep closer watch on their precious children and live in fear of them being abducted and killed.

And please, pray for the witch doctors, that they may come to know the One who made the only perfect sacrifice.

Don't Give Up On Children

2010-03-11T16:41:00.001-06:00

Sometimes it is easy to turn our heads when we see a child in need.....when we see a child who needs more help than we, perhaps want to offer. When I first saw Lawrence, he was a little boy with a crossed eye, naked, and very dirty. I rode past him every day, not thinking about what is really going on in his little life. Then one day, as I rode comfortably passed Lawrence, the Lord spoke to me. It wasn't an audible voice, but I knew He was getting my attention. I was suddenly drawn deeper into this little boy. I really saw him for the first time that day. I became burdened to know more, not because I am such a caring person, but because God cares, because God loves Lawrence He wanted me to love him too.
Most of you know that over the past year we have been working with doctors to find out about Lawrence, to learn what his needs are, physically, emotionally, mentally. Test after test was done on little Lawrence and they all came back saying that there was nothing neurologically wrong with him that would prevent him from eventually, with the help of therapists, to learn to eat and talk.
We also found out that his eye could be corrected with surgery. What good news! What a blessing!
The day in February of this year that I left Uganda to come back to the U.S., our ministry liaison in medical and health, my dear friend Henry Mello travelled 6 hours to Mbarara with Lawrence and his grandmother for Lawrence to have eye surgery. We were thrilled that this was going to become a reality for Lawrence. He was taking a step forward in his journey for health.

The other day I found out from Henry that the eye doctor did not do the surgery because Lawrence
is "mentally retarded". Now, this doctor had never met Lawrence before, and did not know any of Lawrence's history. How easy it was to label him as mentally retarded and then not provide the needed surgery. This made me sad and angry. First of all, who said that Lawrence is mentally retarded? He is a 5 year old boy who had a fever from malaria at age 1 that left him unable to eat or talk, and then had a grandmother who lacks the knowledge or resources to find help for him from the start. He had 4 years of no therapy, no teaching, no medical assistance, no one to help him or his grandmother get help. That does not make a child mentally retarded. And even if he were mentally retarded, does that make him less deserving of something in his life that will improve it? God did not place Lawrence before us for him to be labeled, given up on, and then forgotten. God loves Lawrence and has a wonderful plan for his life. He is already responding to therapy, our ministry liaison is working on providing nutritious foods for Lawrence as well.

Lawrence is a beautiful, precious child of God. I will never give up on him. I am convinced that God brought him before us to help him. That is what we will do. I serve a God of miracles, a God who loves His children. Who knows.....Lawrence could one day become a great preacher!!
I want to be there to hear him preach.....

When God Opens Doors

2010-03-03T15:32:00.000-06:00

A little girl in Uganda, going to get water.

I never cease to be amazed at how God provides for His children. I am always in awe of how He opens doors for His work. As you know, last September when I went to Uganda, I visited a small remote village called Kalangaalo/Kyamagemule. They have no running water, and no electricity. The poverty and extreme need in this village led me to prayerfully seek what God wants for the people there. Water......a basic need, something they so desperately need..this seemed to overwhelm my thoughts. That was it! This sweet village needs clean, accessible water.

When I got back to the U.S. I began to research and make contacts for a well to be drilled there. I spoke to a number of individuals in Uganda and the U.S. Water Mission Uganda even did some survey work. Their systems were found to be too large and expensive for this area. We also learned that, due to the rocky terrain and the need to protect the aquifer, a well would need to be mechanically drilled. We began getting quotes, with help from friends at Water Mission, and missionaries in Uganda. For $10,000.00 we could have well drilled.

L toR..Nancy Jinks and Laura Knetzer receiving a check from Doug Merkle at the Kiwanis Club of Panama City.
Thus the challenge began....to raise $10,000.00. We had the privilege of being invited to speak about the well project to the Kiwanis Club of Panama City, Florida this past December. They were were very interested, supportive, and encouraging. Upon my return from a trip to Uganda in January and part of February, I was contacted by the Kiwanis Club with news that they were donating $500.00 toward the project. What makes this story so compelling is this: the day in December that I spoke, there was a young man who had just joined the Kiwanis, his name is Colin. He brought his fiance' that day. Her mother happened to be visiting her from California. When this young lady got home, she told her mother about Mercy Uganda. Her mother went to our website, e-mailed us, and is now one of our dear child sponsors. She then went back to California and told her husband about Mercy Uganda. He and his company have now offered us a $5,000.00 matching funds gift for the well project. So, for every dollar we receive, they match it, up to $5,000.00. What a blessing! How awesome that God caused His blessings to flow in such a way!

During this same period of time we are invited to attend a missions conference at First Presbyterian Church in Demopolis, Alabama, February 26th-28th. It, too, was such a blessing. During that conference, a kind gentleman, and member of that church donated $500.00 toward the well project. The Lord continues to provide what is needed for Mercy Uganda as we seek to be used by Him to provide a well for Kalangaalo/Kyamagemule. Every day I see God opening door after door. Every day I have to say thank you Lord for Your love, Your provision, Your care for Your children in Uganda. Isn't God amazing?

On being feminine

2010-02-24T17:10:00.002-06:00

WARNING......THIS POST IS ABOUT FEMININE HYGIENE....PROCEED WITH CAUTION!

These women are joyfully receiving gifts! What you ask could make them so happy and cause those beaming smiles? Well, what would make you that happy? Gift certificates for manicures? Pedicures? New dress, shoes?

Always Feminine pads. Oh, yes, you read that right. These ladies have been patiently waiting for Laura to get back with the pads that many of us have been collecting for months. So simple, so simple....and yet, so important when you have nothing!

Many of the girls in this village would have to stay home from school because they didn't have adequate feminine products for the days they needed them.

Laura has been teaching these girls and women about hygiene, i.e. how to use them and how to properly dispose of them.

In this village, their bathroom facilities consist of a pit latrine. What is that? I asked the same question. Basically, a hole in the ground surrounded by three "walls" and some sort of fabric that serves as a door. A woman has to stand or squat over that hole in the ground. Thankful yet?

Each girl and woman has been given 25 pads. Laura will try to take more back in June when she goes again. If the pads haven't been disposed of properly, she will not give them more. She has explained very carefully how to do that.

If you read this, and want to participate in this part of the Mercy Uganda ministry, just pick up pads when you are in the store and then go over to our website to see where to send them. If that isn't practical, you can make a donation that will go directly to buying these pads to be distributed to women in remote villages.

Prayerfully consider if God would have you participate in this cause.

Stop to think how excited you would be to open a gift of feminine pads. Would your face light up like theirs?

As a side note, this village is the one in the picture on the header of this blog. The village where they must go to this muddy little body of water to get any and all water they will use during each day. Mercy Uganda is also working on funding a well for this village!

Karamoja

2010-02-22T09:53:00.000-06:00

Two children in Karamoja....you see many like this there. A young boy in Karamoja....what a precious smile he has!

Karamoja......what an experience it was to visit that very remote, impoverished area. We were actually in the Nakapiripirit area, which, we have found out, is very unsafe. Four days after I returned to the U.S. two vehicles were attacked by gunfire and people were killed. Yes, it is scary to think about it, but I prayed that God would lead us where He wanted us to go. The door to Karamoja was opened, we went, He protected us. I can't help but think that perhaps those same Karamajong warriors could have been ready to shoot at us but that God had His angels surrounding us. I am convinced that God wanted us there. He had something He wanted us to see, to learn, to experience. I am still praying that He shows me what He wants me to do with all of that. Perhaps it is getting the orphans out of there to a safe place where they can have safety, food to eat, an education, and most importantly, learn about God. Maybe God has something else....I am praying for His wisdom, guidance, and direction. As unsafe as that area in Karamoja is, I was able to get into a vehicle and leave. I had a bed, water, food, and a safe place to return to. The precious people in the villages we met have none of that. They have had a drought for 5 years. They have little or no food, little or no water. The cattle of the two villages we visited have been stolen by raiders. They fear for their lives and the lives of their children. They are desperate. My prayer is that God will work in my life in such a way that where He led me will lead me to follow Him, to obey Him, to listen to what He is telling me. Would I go back to Karamoja? If God opens the door for me to do so, then yes.
It's easy to go into all the world when its a safe place, but difficult when it isn't. The least of these....that's what the Karamajong are.....and God calls us to reach the least of these, to help the least of these......I would say that's a pretty clear message. Please pray for us as we pursue God and what He wants us to do. Please pray for the precious people of Karamoja.

Update on Julius

2010-02-17T16:54:00.000-06:00

I heard from my friend George Yawe today and he gave me a brief update on Julius with a couple of pictures.Julius has been transferred to what they call a Food Feed Ward at Mulago Hospital and is improving!He will be in the hospital for 2 or 3 months and we are working on raising funds to help pay for his medical needs during this extended hospital stay. Please continue to pray for Julius and his grandmother. Please pray that the Lord will provide the funds needed in order for Julius to continue to receive the necessary treatment.(You can see the improvement in Julius in just 2 weeks time, comparing these pictures to the ones on my recent blog...praise the Lord!)

Pictures of Julius

2010-02-10T19:37:00.000-06:00

Here are pictures of Julius, the little boy I spoke of in my blog earlier today. Please pray for him, he is a precious child of God.

Back Home

2010-02-10T13:14:00.000-06:00

Well, we did it.....we had three intense and wonderful weeks in Uganda and then made it back home safely this past Monday evening. I am still uploading the nearly 700 pictures I took during our trip so will be sharing some of those with you over the next weeks. I must say that the Lord is good! It is amazing how He places the people in front of you that He wants you to meet or help......we had instances of that on this trip, including a little baby boy named Julius whom we found "by accident" while looking for one of the sponsored children. He was extremely malnourished, had worms, and had malaria for which he had not received treatment....he was 1 1/2 years old but looked 6 months old.....he would have died in a matter of days but is now, thanks to the good Lord for leading us through a woodsy path in a remote village to a little hut where we found Julius, he is in a hospital where he is slowly recovering. He will be in the hospital for the next 2-3 months. God wanted us to find that baby....He wanted that child helped and He allowed us to be a part of that plan....how awesome! We are now working on getting more money over there for Julius' continued medical needs. Please pray for him. I will send you pictures very soon...they will break your heart and cause you to praise God for His intervention all at the same time. This is one of several stories I'll be sharing over the next several weeks and months.....thank you for your prayers and for your support. I'm glad to be home but miss Uganda too.
Laura

Quick update on the team

2010-02-07T22:50:00.001-06:00

This is an update from Laura after a few days in Uganda! It's hard to believe, but they are headed home now.

Please pray for Lauren who stayed behind and will be living in Uganda for the next 18 months.

When Laura and the team are back, we will be posting pictures and many heart rending and Lord praising stories.

I Just wanted to give you an update on our trip.....We have been busy visiting some of our Ugandan friends, churches and had dinner with the Minister of Ethics, and the former Minister of Finance for Uganda.....pretty cool!

Saturday I was a "guest of honor" along with the Ugandan Minister of Education and some other dignitaries (I was definitely out of place)...we were at a football(soccer) tournament for youth which was held by Saved To Serve Ministries.....

Sunday Lauren and I attended a young and very poor church called Mustard Seed Presbyterian church which was located in the middle of a muslim slum area, many of the church members are converted from Islam. My friend Henry Mello was invited to preach.

Tomorrow Lauren and I head to Karamoja which is a very primitive area close to the Kenyan border and about 8 hours from home base. We are going with our 2 Ugandan friends and guides, Henry Mello and Gabriel Lubo to learn from the village and see what the specific needs are, particularly the orphans.

On Thursday we will be picked up by my friend Veronica who was at Covenant in October. We will visit her pregnancy center, and she will take us to visit Rahab house, where girls as young as 10 live who have been rescued from prostitution.

On Friday we hope to go with Bob and our medical team to visit hospitals and I have a couple of children I want the doctor to see. Saturday will be time to go Joy's maternity home, Return to Bethel, and do a little shopping before the medical team returns home.

Next Sunday, Lauren and I will go to Kalangaalo.

Next week we will be visiting schools and holding a ballet camp, as well as the finishing up of Lauren's living arrangements which are going well.

Our last Sunday we hope to go to the Bethel House Orphanage for church service and then we will be flying home that evening....leaving Lauren here for 18 months.

You probably won't hear from us again at least for a while as we will be away from the computer.

Thank you for your prayers for us and I look forward to telling you all about it when I return.

The team is in Uganda!

2010-01-24T18:21:00.002-06:00

This is Nancy updating the blog for Laura who is actually in Uganda doing the work!

This is part of the team that left last Tuesday for Uganda. I would have gotten a better picture but my husband wouldn't let me stand up and take a picture during the prayer! Imagine! So they are actually walking away from the front of the church after being prayed for and being commissioned to do this work God has for them.

We got an update from Bob letting us know that every one arrived, safe and sound with their bags!

This trip is the first official trip for Mercy Uganda! How exciting for Laura to get back to visit the people she has come to love so much and to give them the sponsorships for school children and progress on the projects that are ongoing.

This is Lauren Walker. She will be living in Uganda for 18 months teaching all sorts of stuff to the young women and children there. She and Laura are in the process of getting Lauren settled in.......as in finding just the right place for her to live!

Some words from Lauren.....

We flew into Entebbe airport unscathed by the hyped-up airport security. Rashid was there to greet the four of us (David, Beccky, Brandy, and me) and drive us back to Dr. K's. Today David, Becky, Brandy, and Roth are working on getting the medicine sorted for their trip to Kalangaalo tomorrow. They are going to have a clinic there for a few days.The common area is a little pharmacy right now. Laura and I are just hanging out until we go to a girl's soccer meet this afternoon. Laura is the guest of honor...I really can't tell you much about it now, but I have a feeling I'll have a long story to tell when I get home tonight. The internet situation is precarious at the moment, so I don't know when I'll right again.

As for the mouse, I have not seen him, but Laura has. I would have felt less anxiety had she told me that she saw a python in our room. I suppose this is just the beginning of my having to toughen up. And kill mice. I think the skinny house cat that lives here will be my new best friend.

I'm guessing there are mice at Dr. K's house! Please pray for Lauren to find the right place to live while she gives her life to the Ugandan people for the next year and a half!

One of the men on our team, Roth, works on building projects that are needed so desperately there in Uganda. He is working on plans with Pastor Sam Kisembo for projects that will be done in June when he will be back in Uganda.

We have an orthopedic surgeon and two of his nurses on the team this year. They will head out to the west for four days of ministry and medical clinics today.

I know Laura is excited to be back with these women, working with them and educating them in so many areas!

Laura will also be checking on Lawrence and the progress he is making on his medical journey.

In the coming days, I hope to report on the exciting things going on in Uganda with our team, and to have pictures!

In all their efforts, may God receive the glory!

Tomorrow

2010-01-18T10:42:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow I, and several team members will be flying to Uganda. I am looking forward to following up on things we began during our last trip, and am looking forward to seeing dear friends there in Uganda. It will take about 24 hours to get there, and Uganda is about 8 or 9 hours ahead of us so we'll get there Wednesday night, (Uganda time). Please pray for us as we seek God's guidance, wisdom, and direction on this trip. Pray that we will be obedient to the work He wants us to do.
We have alot planned but know that God's plan are the ones that succeed (thank goodness for that!). We hope to be back in Kalangaalo, where we are working to get a well dug, and are planning a trip to Karamoja, which is about 6 hours away in the Northeastern part of Uganda. I hope to visit my dear friend Veronica at her pregnancy center, and visit Rahab House, a home for precious girls as young as 10 who have been rescued from prostitution. We will do child sponsorship updates while in Uganda, hold a ballet camp, visit several schools, work with Lawrence in his medical issues, and visit others with medical needs as well. We would appreciate your prayers on our behalf, and we look forward to keeping you updated as we are able while in Uganda. It is exciting to see God place people and needs before us and then see Him meet those needs.....how awesome! He doesn't need us, but through His kindness, grace, mercy, and love, He allows us to be a part of His work. This has, and continues to be a faith journey for me, not always easy, and at times extremely stressful, but so very worth it! I praise Him for helping me grow as a person, as a Christian, and in my faith through this work with the beautiful, precious people in Uganda.

(The picture is of a little girl and an elderly man in a small village beyond Kalangaalo. I love it because it shows generations.)

Getting Ready to Leave

2010-01-12T11:18:00.000-06:00

Hi this is Lauren--my first post here. I'll be leaving for Uganda with Dr. David and two nurses Becky and Brandy on Thursday January 21. Laura, Bob, Roth, and a pastor (who's name escapes me) will leave on Tuesday, Jan. 19. There's so much to do before I go. Laura and I have different speaking engagements this week; tomorrow I'll speak to the adult Wednesday night class at First Presbyterian Church about what Mercy Uganda is doing with child sponsorships. And yesterday we spent hours putting all the children from Covenant Junior School who still need sponsors on our myspace page. It's on the slide show towards the bottom of the page if you want to take a look at www.myspace.com/mercyuganda. As for what I have to do personally to get ready, I've been getting as much ballet practice time in as possible. I'm going to the dentist today (hopefully no cavities!). Tomorrow I'm getting my big Afro cut off--I'll use a lot less water without so much hair. And then there's packing. That is a conundrum. There is so much to pack (mostly books) and so little space (two 50lb bags). Most of our team will be in Uganda for two weeks. I'll be there for eighteen months, and there are still some things about the trip that are unsettled. We're unsure about where I'll be living, and I still haven't met my financial support goals. But then Jackie Hayes said something to me in church on Sunday that put things in perspective. She said that God already has everything worked out, and he lets us know the details on a needs-to-know basis. I feel like I need to know right now where my home will be and where the money will come from, but apparently, I don't need to know. That's something this trip should help me with: making the distinction between needs and really strong wants.

Karamoja

2010-01-10T14:54:00.000-06:00

A dear young man in Uganda, a young man named Gabriel, became a friend of my husband Mark during our trips to Uganda. Gabriel was a boy in Karamoja, a remote area about 6 hours North East of where we usually stay in Uganda. As a boy he became orphaned and was, by God's grace, taken to the Bethel House Orphanage that we speak of often. We actually have children in our child sponsorship program who live in Bethel House. As an adult, Gabriel's heart longs to see his people helped. As you can see from his report below, they need many things, things even for basic survival, things for hope and a future. It is our prayer that, during this trip to Uganda next week, we will be able to spend a couple of days in Karamoja to meet the people, to learn from them, and to see how God might use us to minister to them both physically and spiritually. Please pray for the people of Karamoja, and for us as we make this trip, that God would help us to see with His eyes, hear with His ears, and to show us what He wants us to do.
(The picture shown here is from a photo album by swiss.dog on his blog. He has many other pictures of Karamoja and Africa in general as well. I don't know him, but love his pictures)

HELP ACHILD IN KARAMOJA –MINISTRY(H.A.I.K)

BRIEF REPORT CONCERNING KARAMOJA

Security

Karamoja is one of the many places in Uganda with a lot of peace since it does not involve in wars and this is all due to the strong and strict security in the place/ area. Karamoja on the other hand it is a kind of region that values foreigners and protects them strongly since they believe that foreigners always bring development to places like that and yet they are also longing for the development in their region.

In simple terms Karamoja is a simple and peaceful region where by if a person is interested in starting up any project in Karamoja he is well assured of proper security in advance and without doubt and good well facilitated hotels in place also.

Education

The education system in Karamoja is completely down since there are no schools in the area and a few of the schools are often being joined by such children whose parents have got some money yet this leads to discrimination of the poor people who do not have money and again there are no modernized facilities such as good buildings and this forces students to study from outside in the shades (under trees) and they do not have any where to write or to sit on. When you compare all these things you get to realize that for sure the education system in Karamoja is very poor.

We pray and it will always be our prayer as Karamajongs that God can provide a kind person so that atleast a good school can be constructed in our region because our children are very illiterate because very many Karamajongs grow up without even knowing any word in English and yet if they are educated they can be brave and strong and they can also tech others and Karamoja can be turned into a place of miracles.

Hospitals

A lot of tears always flow in my eyes whenever I see my brothers and sisters dying every day due to lack of hospitals in our region, a lot of Karamajongs when they get sick they tend to loose hope and think that they are going to die just because there is no hospitals and yet if good hospitals and dispensaries were in place it would have saved on the number of Karamajongs who die every day. It really hurts me to loose our beloved one yet if there were any possibility of the hospital he or she could be alive and this makes us think that may be God does not know he and us does not love us. If God could answer our prayers and run for our rescue and provide hospitals for us atleast even if its one but well equipped with all the necessities and also the good doctors yet experienced /experts in that field and that’s our cry as we Karamajongs.

Orphans

Many parents in Karamoja die of AIDS and others die of other diseases such as malaria to mention but a few and they leave very young children behind without any body to take care about them so they grow up without experiencing parental love, care, and guidance. To be realistic there are lots of orphans in Karamoja who grow up in a terrible and miserable life because some go to sleep with empty stomach and others have no where to sleep so what happens these children start eating from dust bins for survival yet these bins are unhygienic. And if orphanage homes were built in Karamoja it would save the cries of the orphans and its my prayer that one day one time an orphanage home will be built in Karamoja region to save the future generation of Uganda and as a world because these kids the moment they lack what to eat, drink and where to sleep they tend to move out on streets and become beggars hence the increase number of street kids yet they are also human beings and would like to live in a happy homes like anybody’s children.

Church

There are no churches in Karamoja apart from a few of the catholic religion and if there would be any vision of establishing churches and also evangelizing out reaches and crusades could be held so as to preach the good news to the people of Karamoja this would be such a great blessing to the people of Karamoja and we could also impart or let the youth develop a passion and introduce social and life skills programmes so that they can develop their potential in order to design a family which is God fearing and its our prayer that people or some trustees can help us in the building of the temple of the Lord.

Tourism

Karamoja is a land full of amazing features and the moment you reach there they tend to put once a smile on your face and leaves a lot of desires on your heart of knowing or longing to know more. There are lots of mountains which are very tall and huge still there are also Karamojong warriors and a lot of beautiful animals and birds which sing sweet songs but the truth is that there are a lot of things to see in case you visit this place and I wish one day you could realize the beauty of Karamoja.

Special Thanks

Our special thanks goes to Brother Mark and his wife Madam Laura for their being pioneer in helping us in different areas of this project and still being part of our survival. We pray that God will continue to use you to do His work and surely we are blessed to have such people like you by our side. We do treasure you so much. May God bless you abundantly more than He blessed King David and Solomon.

Lobu Gabriel Silver

Chairperson