Hello family and friends!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from Uganda!
May 2021 bring many blessings and much joy to you.
I left Grand Junction on December 18th and arrived at the Father to the Fatherless property on December 20th. We are near the quaint village of Namuganga - about 52 kilometers from Mubende. It is beautiful and lush; the people are kind and very welcoming. I am doing well and settling into my sweet new home! It is warm here as it is the dry season south of the Equator and we have been busy doing many different projects.
Here are some updates and sneak peaks about what is happening here in Namuganga, Uganda!
There is a wonderful community here on the F2F Uganda compound in which many contribute to care well for one another.
We have:
A pastor and a church where many in the community come to fellowship.
Aunties and Uncles who care for the children who live in our children's home.
Many teachers who work for Paradise Hill Primary School and live in the teacher’s housing provided.
Farmers who care for our agriculture and livestock.
Women who cook to provide breakfast and lunch to the children and teachers while school is in session.
A Uganda board of directors, along with Uncle Akram (Uganda Director), who facilitate and guide the people and the projects happening on the ground in Uganda.
A United States board of directors, along with Mathias Mulumba (U.S. Founder and Director), who maintain and guide the organization.
The community here is a beautiful example of the phrase it takes a village!
I am living in the guest house here on the property while Mathias is here and as I am adjusting. Eventually I will be transitioning into the children’s home where nine sweet kids call home! I will help care for them alongside two prominent F2F women, Aunt Liz and Mama Gloria.
We will continue to receive more children into the children’s home as time goes on. Each month, there are around ten children who are orphaned or abandoned in the districts that Father to the Fatherless serves. Within those districts, we are the only children's home to care for the children in need. The need is great, and we are constantly growing and preparing. We continually pray and seek the Lord’s guidance in receiving and caring well for the children who come to us. We are in partnership with the local government and community officials as the primary resource for care. We would love your continued prayers as we streamline the process of receiving children into our children’s home and, when possible and safe, reconciling children to their families and relatives.
We are looking for a reliable vehicle for the organization here in Uganda to provide transportation for the children who live here along with guests who come to visit. We had spent multiple days in Kampala searching, but were unable to find an appropriate vehicle at a reasonable price. We would love prayer as we continue searching for a vehicle to provide safety and security to all those we transport!
We celebrated Christmas with three of our goats and a feast for the community! On Christmas Eve we went to a rural village in central Uganda where Mathias was born and raised for his early years and delivered Christmas bags filled with rice, sugar, salt, and bread to single mothers and widows in the community. We were also given handmade dresses from a women’s group in Tennessee that we gave to young girls in the area along with reusable women's hygiene pads. These are luxuries in Uganda, so the women and young girls were overjoyed!
The school year will begin on the first of February so long as all goes well and the government allows schools to reopen. I recently met with Paradise Hill Nursery and Primary School Board of Directors, and we are all excited and anticipating a wonderful school year soon to come! I will not have my own classroom, but rather float from class to class to support the teachers and give specialized instruction to children as they are learning English. We have over 250 students who attend Paradise Hill Primary school and are fed breakfast and lunch each day. Which brings me to my next update!
We have just begun preparing the foundation for a new building – a dining hall with seating for the students for breakfast and lunch, along with a kitchen for meal prep, a play area for recess and relaxing, and bathrooms! It is a two-story building and will offer a much-needed space for the children and teachers during the school day. For each project that take place at the Father to the Fatherless compound the work is hired out to men and young boys in the community in need of a job. The men are hard at work and making great progress. I imagine if all goes well the building will be finished before the school year begins! This project is funded by a local organization out of Grand Junction, Colorado called Bee Generous. Jace, a young boy, started the organization and raised the money needed to provide for the children here to have a seat at the table! Thank you Jace!
Mathias has been very active in taking photos and videos on Facebook of all that we have been up to these past few weeks. Please friend him on Facebook and check it out!
I have just added a new blog post to Loving the Little Children of the World - check out what God is doing here in Uganda, in the village of Namuganga, and in the heart's of many people!
Lastly, but surely not least, I want to give out my warmest regards and gratitude to each of you who has donated and contributed so I am able to serve here in Uganda. Your donations allow me to come live, serve, encourage and empower the people here while also contributing to the ever growing and developing community created here.
Donations go directly to:
My personal needs and expenses in living here
Contribute to the salaries of all those who live and work here
Sponsoring children to attend Paradise Hill Primary School
The development of the property and maintenance
Caring for the community of Namuganga and supporting those in need in whatever capacity is required
On the first day arrived here I was told:
Sister Nicole, we are so happy you are here. We didn't realize that anyone was thinking of us let alone cared enough to come and live with us.
Your donations are making a difference in the lives of many here in the heart of Uganda. Thank you.
With love & gratitude,
コメント