Prayer in a bad economy

Many people have been suffering these last couple of years, here in the US in an unusual way for our typically blessed and prosperous nation. People are out of work, under employed, margins are squeezed to the breaking point, fuel and food costs are up. All those are real things, and the anxiety and difficulties are starkly real.

What we don't realize, not really, is how OUR economic distress has rippled out into countries like Uganda. Giving is sharply down to all charities, and those in nations like Uganda who depend on those charities for survival are, quite literally, dying. Dying from rising food costs which make even their one meal a day almost impossible. Dying because medicines aren't being donated, or because the costs are rising. Dying because wells aren't being dug...

In the early and mid-90's we were broke. Seriously broke. We had started a business, had small kids, crappy cars, ate at the "senior discount" hours if we went out at all. Our dates were to the park or the lake. We always said, "If it cost 25 cents to go around the block we would have had to stay home." We'd get a little ahead and something would happen, like having all our vehicles flooded in Hurricane Fran. It was a challenging time... And honestly, the biggest lesson I learned was to NEVER stop tithing, and NEVER stop giving. I am 100% convinced that this one thing is why we have had the blessings we've had - we've never stopped either one, in the most difficult circumstances.

Trust your Father. He will NEVER let you down. "But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you?" Mt 6:30


Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers, and may all the riches of His Kingdom be yours!

Sponsor the children in the new school!

We are now ready to find sponsors for the first children in the primary school! The building is almost complete, so the students will meet in the nursery school building at the start of the next term, until the building is finished and desks and chairs have been purchased.  Can you help??

To sponsor a child's school fees, it is $20 a month. We are hoping to be able to get a photo and other information on your child, and have a way to communicate periodically with them.

To purchase a desk, chair or table for the classrooms, it is $35 each.

Tick tick tick...! And the first school building!

Wow, 2011 is flying by!  I've just returned from a week plus trip, and am now settling down for the six week countdown before my next visit to Uganda. We will be gone about 3 weeks, and I will be visiting Jinja for several days to go to Bukaleba and see the progress at the primary school, and out in the field with the hospice team. I am planning to take lots of video as well as photos this trip, so stay tuned!

Ryan is going for Spring Break, earlier in March, and will be interviewing all of our partners for her honors thesis on Ugandan NGOs, and hopefully will bring back great information and videos.

We are now in formal planning mode for the missions trip. It looks like there will be 6 definites, and we have 2 or 3 still pending. We will be starting our "group building" activity this month, as well as planning our fundraising activities. We have plenty of room if you are interested, so let me know!

We need $14,000 to finish the first school building, and I am working on raising that this week. If we can get it funded, they can start classes next term!  Please consider helping!

Thanks all! And blessings to you for your continued prayers and support.