The day after Christmas we will be heading off to the Urbana Student Missions Conference in St. Louis. Out of the 15,000+ who will be attending, we hope to recruit several long term missionaries for our work in Uganda and in Ghana. Please pray with us that we will find just the right people.
Are you called to work with children? Would you consider Africa? Do you love Jesus and take His Word seriously? Then you should consider missionary service with Every Child Ministries. This is the message we will share.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Blessed time in Ghana
I just returned from a blessed time in Ghana. A good share of my time was spent at Haven of Hope, the children's home sponsored by Every Child Ministries. It was wonderful to see our precious children again. They were 49, but while I was there, the twins Victory and Victoria went home permanently. Their mother is now able to care for them. Halleluya!
We also were able to take eight of the older children to a beautiful Christian wedding. Our treasured staff member Abigail Quarcoo became Mrs. Elijah Mensah. It was a beautiful wedding, and we were hoping to plant a seed in their minds that marriage is desirable and that they might be happily married someday with a family of their own. Not one of them comes from a stable, loving home, and none to my knowledge come from a situation of marriage. Would you pray with us that they will be the beginning of something new--that they will be the first in a long chain of strong, loving Christian marriages and families.
We also were able to take eight of the older children to a beautiful Christian wedding. Our treasured staff member Abigail Quarcoo became Mrs. Elijah Mensah. It was a beautiful wedding, and we were hoping to plant a seed in their minds that marriage is desirable and that they might be happily married someday with a family of their own. Not one of them comes from a stable, loving home, and none to my knowledge come from a situation of marriage. Would you pray with us that they will be the beginning of something new--that they will be the first in a long chain of strong, loving Christian marriages and families.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
A Little Child Shall Lead Them--in the ABC's, too
I was incredibly encouraged by my visit to ECM's team of Americans and Ugandan nationals working in the Gulu District. I visited our sponsorship program in the Tegot village (formerly called an IDP camp, but the government now wants to call it a village in keeping with its policy of encouraging people to return to their home areas).
My job, besides seeing how the team was working together, was to visit with the guardians of the children in our sponsorship program. Only a very few have living parents. Most of the parents were killed in the war with the LRA or died of AIDS spread in the war. Many of the kids live with a very old grandmother.
I was supposed to encourage the parent figures in the kids' lives, but they did so much to encourage me! One of them was thrilled that her little grandchildren are coming home and showing her what they learned in school. She herself was never able to attend school at all because the war brought education to a standstill for two generations. Now her grandchildren come with their papers and say "Look, grandma. Today we learned the letter b. See, this is what it looks like. This is what it sounds like: bbbbb. This is how you write it. Look, Grandma."
My job, besides seeing how the team was working together, was to visit with the guardians of the children in our sponsorship program. Only a very few have living parents. Most of the parents were killed in the war with the LRA or died of AIDS spread in the war. Many of the kids live with a very old grandmother.
I was supposed to encourage the parent figures in the kids' lives, but they did so much to encourage me! One of them was thrilled that her little grandchildren are coming home and showing her what they learned in school. She herself was never able to attend school at all because the war brought education to a standstill for two generations. Now her grandchildren come with their papers and say "Look, grandma. Today we learned the letter b. See, this is what it looks like. This is what it sounds like: bbbbb. This is how you write it. Look, Grandma."
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Pray for the Karimojong
I am in Uganda training our staff on ways they can recognize and fight child trafficking and modern-day slavery. Today I was talking with ECM's new National Director, Charles Obwoon.
My conversation with Charles started in a very ordinary way. He wanted to know if I would consider other sponsorship projects in other places in Uganda, besides the three we have now in Kamwokya, Gayaza, and Gulu. It was the kind of question people ask me all the time. Eventually, yes. As soon as what we are already doing is strong and stable enough and as soon as there is adequate support. Not immediately, but yes, certainly in the future.
His next question stopped me in my tracks. Would I consider a sponsorship project among st the Karimojong? Immediately he had my attention. In the past few weeks before coming to Uganda, I'd spent a considerable amount of my "spare" time researching the Karimojong. No one knew that--certainly not Charles. I had examined the Karimoja territory in northeastern Uganda on Google earth. I had read the reports of the very, very few missionary efforts there. I had even written a page on the Karimojong for a prayer guide I am compiling called "Prayer for the Dark Places".
An interesting people, the Karimojong. One of their central cultural beliefs is that God gave all the cattle on earth to them. Since they believe they have a divine right to all cattle and neighboring tribes have cattle, I'm sure you can see how this makes for a difficult life--especially since some of those neighboring tribes have similar beliefs.
The Karimojong are one of the groups I was planning to discuss in the staff training on child trafficking. You see, ECM has learned that Karimojong children are sold regularly in cattle markets along the border between Kenya and Uganda. We have learned that every Friday, certain cattle stalls are reserved for selling children!
Some Karimojong parents are selling their children, apparently out of desperation because of their extreme poverty. It is not yet clear whether they sell them to brokers who perhaps make false promises that the children will have a better life elsewhere and even be able to send money home (such false inducements are very common). Whatever the parents think, the children are sold at the markets and bought by slave masters. One common destination is Kampala. The masters beat the children to make them cry, then set them out on the streets to beg. Watching from a distance, the master's helpers quickly swoop up any aid given to the child. Little children commonly sit in the sun without food or even water to drink for long hours. At the end of the day they receive a skimpy meal just designed to barely keep them alive. The masters don't want them to look healthy, because they bring more money in looking sickly.
Yes, I was very much interested in the Karimojong project, and I considered his interest a confirmation of the burdent God had been growing in my heart. If ECM can successfully plant sponsorship programs in the home area of the Karimojong, it could dramatically decrease the number of parents who would try to sell their children, as well as those who would be vulnerable to the deceptive promises of the child traffickers. In addition, very little Gospel work has been done amongst the Karimojong, so such a project could help build the church of Jesus Christ there.
Here are a few ways people can pray with us: 1. The selection of a place. The Karimojong are a semi-nomadic cattle herding people. Sponsorship is nearly impossible where people don't stay in one place. But some of them do! Pray we'll find the right spot. 2. Connections with other Bible-believing Christians and preferably churches in the area. We want what we do to help build the church of Jesus Christ. 3. The selection of children and families. The Karimojong traditionally value knowledge related to their world of cattle herding. School type knowledge is little appreciated, yet this is causing their group to be scorned and left behind in the modern world. Pray we'll find some families who desiere their children to go to school. 4. The timing. Every Child Ministries is making significant strides at recovery following some difficult attacks in Uganda. We don't want to stretch ourselves too thin. Pray that we'll know when it's time to move forward with this project.
My conversation with Charles started in a very ordinary way. He wanted to know if I would consider other sponsorship projects in other places in Uganda, besides the three we have now in Kamwokya, Gayaza, and Gulu. It was the kind of question people ask me all the time. Eventually, yes. As soon as what we are already doing is strong and stable enough and as soon as there is adequate support. Not immediately, but yes, certainly in the future.
His next question stopped me in my tracks. Would I consider a sponsorship project among st the Karimojong? Immediately he had my attention. In the past few weeks before coming to Uganda, I'd spent a considerable amount of my "spare" time researching the Karimojong. No one knew that--certainly not Charles. I had examined the Karimoja territory in northeastern Uganda on Google earth. I had read the reports of the very, very few missionary efforts there. I had even written a page on the Karimojong for a prayer guide I am compiling called "Prayer for the Dark Places".
An interesting people, the Karimojong. One of their central cultural beliefs is that God gave all the cattle on earth to them. Since they believe they have a divine right to all cattle and neighboring tribes have cattle, I'm sure you can see how this makes for a difficult life--especially since some of those neighboring tribes have similar beliefs.
The Karimojong are one of the groups I was planning to discuss in the staff training on child trafficking. You see, ECM has learned that Karimojong children are sold regularly in cattle markets along the border between Kenya and Uganda. We have learned that every Friday, certain cattle stalls are reserved for selling children!
Some Karimojong parents are selling their children, apparently out of desperation because of their extreme poverty. It is not yet clear whether they sell them to brokers who perhaps make false promises that the children will have a better life elsewhere and even be able to send money home (such false inducements are very common). Whatever the parents think, the children are sold at the markets and bought by slave masters. One common destination is Kampala. The masters beat the children to make them cry, then set them out on the streets to beg. Watching from a distance, the master's helpers quickly swoop up any aid given to the child. Little children commonly sit in the sun without food or even water to drink for long hours. At the end of the day they receive a skimpy meal just designed to barely keep them alive. The masters don't want them to look healthy, because they bring more money in looking sickly.
Yes, I was very much interested in the Karimojong project, and I considered his interest a confirmation of the burdent God had been growing in my heart. If ECM can successfully plant sponsorship programs in the home area of the Karimojong, it could dramatically decrease the number of parents who would try to sell their children, as well as those who would be vulnerable to the deceptive promises of the child traffickers. In addition, very little Gospel work has been done amongst the Karimojong, so such a project could help build the church of Jesus Christ there.
Here are a few ways people can pray with us: 1. The selection of a place. The Karimojong are a semi-nomadic cattle herding people. Sponsorship is nearly impossible where people don't stay in one place. But some of them do! Pray we'll find the right spot. 2. Connections with other Bible-believing Christians and preferably churches in the area. We want what we do to help build the church of Jesus Christ. 3. The selection of children and families. The Karimojong traditionally value knowledge related to their world of cattle herding. School type knowledge is little appreciated, yet this is causing their group to be scorned and left behind in the modern world. Pray we'll find some families who desiere their children to go to school. 4. The timing. Every Child Ministries is making significant strides at recovery following some difficult attacks in Uganda. We don't want to stretch ourselves too thin. Pray that we'll know when it's time to move forward with this project.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
New Appreciation for Great Fathers
I've had new appreciation recently for some of the great fathers God has placed in my life. In August I had the opportunity to attend two weeks of amazing training in how to recognize and document human trafficking and modern-day slavery. While I was there, I realized how prevalent the dangers are. I saw that I could very easily have fallen into the recruiters' traps at certain vulnerable stages of my life. And I couldn't but help but think of our "adopted" African granddaughter. Beautiful, photogenic, outgoing, mature-looking, and innocent. Vulnerable. But I also learned that kids from good families and with good father relationships are not so vulnerable. And I thought of Whitney, leaning up on my husband's arm. She's always had a very close relationship with him, in a very wonderful kind of way. I always appreciated it, but never as much as now.
Then today I visited my oldest daughter Carrie's church. Her husband Bill is being sent to Afghanistan for a year right after Thanksgiving, leaving Carrie with the sole care of their seven children, all still at home. Bill shared with the church what he'd be doing on the Agri-business team with the Indiana National Guard and the elders of the church prayed for him. But before that, their church has a protracted time of singing and worship. There is an area to the side where people can dance to the Lord. There are also flags people can take and wave in praise to God in time to the music. My granddaughters are big fans of this, so as soon as they arrived, they began dancing and waving their flags. At one point I looked over. Bill was standing in the middle, his hands raised to the Lord. The girls were skipping and dancing around him in a circle, waving their flags as if he were a Maypole. It was very touching.
Later I looked over again. Bill was standing there swaying to the music, and his daughter Serena and him were just hugging one another--a long, extended hug that went through at least three songs I think. I was so touched that tears just started streaming down my cheeks. I felt like I could hardly breathe I had so many emotions washing over me. Concern--yes. That hug was a definite, "Goodbye, Daddy. I want all the hugging I can get while you are here." Sorrow--yes. Why do they send men who have seven children? Joy--most definitely. That hug was the kind that said, "Everything is right between me and my Daddy."
And I was so thankful again for both the son-in-laws God has placed in my life. Bill and Steve, our second daughter's husband, are both wonderful, involved, committed fathers who love God and love their children. I don't know why I should be so blessed to have such wonderful men in my life. I know some men have caused their women great pain, but I have to say, I have new appreciation of the great fathers in my life. It's one of the most precious gifts God could have given our granddaughters, and they will be less vulnerable to those who would want to recruit them for evil purposes because they have such fathers in their lives. Thank God.
Would you pray for Bill's safety and for Carrie and her family in the year ahead? I would deeply appreciate that.
Then today I visited my oldest daughter Carrie's church. Her husband Bill is being sent to Afghanistan for a year right after Thanksgiving, leaving Carrie with the sole care of their seven children, all still at home. Bill shared with the church what he'd be doing on the Agri-business team with the Indiana National Guard and the elders of the church prayed for him. But before that, their church has a protracted time of singing and worship. There is an area to the side where people can dance to the Lord. There are also flags people can take and wave in praise to God in time to the music. My granddaughters are big fans of this, so as soon as they arrived, they began dancing and waving their flags. At one point I looked over. Bill was standing in the middle, his hands raised to the Lord. The girls were skipping and dancing around him in a circle, waving their flags as if he were a Maypole. It was very touching.
Later I looked over again. Bill was standing there swaying to the music, and his daughter Serena and him were just hugging one another--a long, extended hug that went through at least three songs I think. I was so touched that tears just started streaming down my cheeks. I felt like I could hardly breathe I had so many emotions washing over me. Concern--yes. That hug was a definite, "Goodbye, Daddy. I want all the hugging I can get while you are here." Sorrow--yes. Why do they send men who have seven children? Joy--most definitely. That hug was the kind that said, "Everything is right between me and my Daddy."
And I was so thankful again for both the son-in-laws God has placed in my life. Bill and Steve, our second daughter's husband, are both wonderful, involved, committed fathers who love God and love their children. I don't know why I should be so blessed to have such wonderful men in my life. I know some men have caused their women great pain, but I have to say, I have new appreciation of the great fathers in my life. It's one of the most precious gifts God could have given our granddaughters, and they will be less vulnerable to those who would want to recruit them for evil purposes because they have such fathers in their lives. Thank God.
Would you pray for Bill's safety and for Carrie and her family in the year ahead? I would deeply appreciate that.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
African Albino children need love, acceptance
Following the nationwide television special on the tragedies being faced by albino children in Tanzania, our organization, Every Child Ministries, has received many inquiries about our work with albino children in Africa. Praise God, we have also gained child sponsorships to enable several albino children to go to school!
As I think about the experience of Every Child Ministries in serving albino children, I realize that the first things albino children need are love and acceptance. They need to know that although they may look different than other children around them, they are valuable human beings like everyone else. It is easier for them to understand that God loves them when they know that others love them, too. Our gifts of sunglasses and sunscreen to protec their sensitive eyes and skin are just tokens to show them our love and acceptance by offering them something truly helpful to them.
The first two steps of our program for albino children are well underway. We have developed teaching for the children, their parents, their friends, and their schools, and begun distributing it by email. We've begun making contacts with albino children and their families and distributing the sunglasses and sunscreen. Our next step will be to place some media pieces to help move the public perception of albino children in a more positive direction. We realize that people's perceptions change slowly, so please pray for this effort!
As I think about the experience of Every Child Ministries in serving albino children, I realize that the first things albino children need are love and acceptance. They need to know that although they may look different than other children around them, they are valuable human beings like everyone else. It is easier for them to understand that God loves them when they know that others love them, too. Our gifts of sunglasses and sunscreen to protec their sensitive eyes and skin are just tokens to show them our love and acceptance by offering them something truly helpful to them.
The first two steps of our program for albino children are well underway. We have developed teaching for the children, their parents, their friends, and their schools, and begun distributing it by email. We've begun making contacts with albino children and their families and distributing the sunglasses and sunscreen. Our next step will be to place some media pieces to help move the public perception of albino children in a more positive direction. We realize that people's perceptions change slowly, so please pray for this effort!
The most outstanding thing about her trip was...
Last night we enjoyed a wonderful time with friends and partners at our annual IN Banquet in Crown Point, IN. I was especially struck with the reports of Katie Suitor, last summer's mission team leader to Uganda. She said that the thing that struck her most about her time in Uganda was ECM's sponsorship program. She said she noticed the HUGE difference between children who were sponsored in our program and those who were not. She could even tell from looking at pictures, even if she didn't know who the kids were. The sponsored kids looked healthier, were happier, cleaner, better dressed, and somehow more hopeful. The sponsorship program is labor-intensive for Every Child Ministries, so I was really encouraged to hear what a difference it is making in kids' lives. Thanks for that encouragement, Katie.
We gained five new sponsors during the evening, and we are very thankful for that. Many more are waiting to be sponsored.
By the way, I want to send a heartfelt thank you once again to everyone who worked so hard to make last evening a success. We only came halfway to our offering goal for Uganda, but that is a good start and we are thankful for the progress made. Many, many volunteers worked hard to provide this big event. We really appreciate all of you.
We gained five new sponsors during the evening, and we are very thankful for that. Many more are waiting to be sponsored.
By the way, I want to send a heartfelt thank you once again to everyone who worked so hard to make last evening a success. We only came halfway to our offering goal for Uganda, but that is a good start and we are thankful for the progress made. Many, many volunteers worked hard to provide this big event. We really appreciate all of you.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Child Sacrifice in Uganda
The other day I was in a police office in Uganda seeing an official. While I was there, someone called, apparently asking about the current state of various problems in Uganda. The officer replied that violent crime was on the decrease, several other problems were on the decrease, but then he said something that really caught my ear. "There now remains only the problem of ritual sacrifice." Then today I picked up several Ugandan newspapers. On the second page of the first newspaper, the same topic again. An article on child sacrifice. Several hundred Ugandan children had written a letter and signed their names begging the president to do something about the problem of child sacrifice. The children said the current state of affairs made them afraid to go to school.
Lord, we have such a very long way to go. Please show us the way. Show us how Every Child Ministries should be involved. Teach us to value our children--not just our own children, but all of our children, the next generation. In Jesus' name I offer this prayer for the children of Africa.
Lord, we have such a very long way to go. Please show us the way. Show us how Every Child Ministries should be involved. Teach us to value our children--not just our own children, but all of our children, the next generation. In Jesus' name I offer this prayer for the children of Africa.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
One Step Forward--How Many Back?
Here I am in Uganda on this, The Day of the African Child. I am so happy again to reconnect with the branch of my BIG African family that lives and works here. But I am so tired, trying to recover funds embezzled by our former National Director here, David Lubaale. It's taking so much of my time and energy, running back and forth to the police, trying to dig up confirmation for every transaction. It's so disheartening. A man we all loved and trusted, a man for whom we had such high hopes, a man of so much potential. Instead of doing this I want to be working with the staff here to see how we can improve our programs, develop new ones, help more children. Lord, give me strength to persevere so that we can get beyond this. As I work with the staff to try to develop systems that will ensure this never happens again, guide us all. Help us to rebuild trust. Help us to settle this issue so that we can get back to helping African children. Help us to regain the funds so that we can use them to offer hope to children who need it so desperately. In Jesus' name I ask these favors. Amen!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Tell our president--and the media--what you think
Are you happy that our president has chosen to spend your tax dollars to promote worldwide abortion? Does it please you that he made this "choice" for you via executive order, thus bypassing the will of the people and their elected representatives? How much of that 400 Million Dollars are you willing to take out of your own pocket to promote killing the unborn in other countries?
I invite you to let the president know what you think of his high-handed tactics. You can email him at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ . I know, he can't read all those emails himself, but I am also sure that he has aides keeping track of the sense and the mood of emails that come in. Let's not let him make a tragic mistake like this one and not even hear about it. Please write!
You can also get in touch with many local and national media by email. Go to http://capwiz.com/fof/home/ . It's easy and effective. This is a critical issue that affects lives of women and children all over the world. Of course, it also affects your pocketbook. Please, it only takes a few moments. Let your voice be heard on behalf of the children.
I invite you to let the president know what you think of his high-handed tactics. You can email him at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ . I know, he can't read all those emails himself, but I am also sure that he has aides keeping track of the sense and the mood of emails that come in. Let's not let him make a tragic mistake like this one and not even hear about it. Please write!
You can also get in touch with many local and national media by email. Go to http://capwiz.com/fof/home/ . It's easy and effective. This is a critical issue that affects lives of women and children all over the world. Of course, it also affects your pocketbook. Please, it only takes a few moments. Let your voice be heard on behalf of the children.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Shooting Street Kids or Killing the Unborn--What's the Difference?
I can't even begin to express my shock, disappointment and utter disgust at our new president's restoration of funding for worldwide abortion. So much of that taxpaper money will end up in Africa, yet the very last thing Africa needs is free funding for abortion!
How many our president possibly think this is positive change? This is not the kind of change we wanted! In many countries the government simply sends out the police or the military to "clean up" the city by shooting street kids on sight. In other places they load them into huge trucks and then haul them out a distance from the city and dump them someplace where it is impossible for them to survive. How does our president's new order differ from that? Very little! Both deal with children who are unwanted--by someone. Get them out of sight, out of mind. Less strain on social services. A more attractive city for tourists. Mr. President, the human cost of your policy is astronomical.
I am not unfamiliar with the needs and problems of the poor. I have lived with the poor, laughed with them, cried with them, shared their concerns. How does it help them to pay for the killing of their children?
More black children will be eliminated than any other kind. Precious, beautiful black children whose only crime was their mother did not want them, or thought she didn't, in a moment of discouragement. No! No! A thousand times, No! Let the children of Africa live. Amongst them may be another Martin Luther King, Jr.
Please, Mr. President, you have begun your administration on an extremely destructive course, but course corrections are always permitted. No, you need a U turn. They are permitted, too.
How many our president possibly think this is positive change? This is not the kind of change we wanted! In many countries the government simply sends out the police or the military to "clean up" the city by shooting street kids on sight. In other places they load them into huge trucks and then haul them out a distance from the city and dump them someplace where it is impossible for them to survive. How does our president's new order differ from that? Very little! Both deal with children who are unwanted--by someone. Get them out of sight, out of mind. Less strain on social services. A more attractive city for tourists. Mr. President, the human cost of your policy is astronomical.
I am not unfamiliar with the needs and problems of the poor. I have lived with the poor, laughed with them, cried with them, shared their concerns. How does it help them to pay for the killing of their children?
More black children will be eliminated than any other kind. Precious, beautiful black children whose only crime was their mother did not want them, or thought she didn't, in a moment of discouragement. No! No! A thousand times, No! Let the children of Africa live. Amongst them may be another Martin Luther King, Jr.
Please, Mr. President, you have begun your administration on an extremely destructive course, but course corrections are always permitted. No, you need a U turn. They are permitted, too.
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