The Lord Directs His Steps

From Northern Uganda, across the road from Otino Waa, we bring greetings from Ilira Community Church!  We were repeatedly asked to convey their love, and gratitude to the church in America.  I was struck by their awareness that we did not come independently, but brought YOU with us and that we ARE a fellowship of believers across the world. They wanted us to bring their heartfelt appreciation back to you.

One of our projects was to lead children’s church one Sunday. I am impressed with the children’s understanding of who their God is, who their enemy is  and that worship and their faith should be vibrant.  I was so glad to see that the church, the school, and the house moms all reiterate the same message of salvation and living by the Word of God and prayer and the lordship of Christ in their lives.

This morning when I woke up, at 1:30am, and started putting pen to paper, I was led to the verse, “In his mind a man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps.” (Prov. 16:9)   When we faced strange foods, heat, sickness, intestinal bugs, (some of us got it ALL), we were able to remember that none of that caught God by surprise, nor was it out of His control.  When equipment that had TESTED perfectly here, didn’t work there, we needed the encouragement from that verse and that we were supposed to be at that place, at that time, with all the challenges.

We saw the sovereignty of God changing and rearranging the details daily, and it was perfect.   We could not have done that on our own without frustration or disappointment.  Nothing that we did ended there. This was so much bigger than us.  We were impressed that it will all go on and multiply in many ways. Every member of our team spent every ounce of physical and emotional energy, and God made that possible.   

I went up to my husband’s study this morning to ask him, “What is the reference for that verse that says ‘The mind of a man plans his way but the LORD directs his steps.’?”  And he said “That’s the verse I’m sharing this morning, and it’s the one a team member used the very first morning in the men’s Bible study.”  I knew none of that.  It was the bedrock of this trip.  What God gave and did in us we are still beginning to grasp.

T.M.

Prayer Requests

KNEES FOR UGANDA – Prayer Requests

         Small effort - A world of difference

TRANSITIONS IN UGANDA

Please remember to pray for Bob & Carol, our exiting directors in Uganda and for Rory and Pam as they take on the new positions there.  This will take place from mid June through August.  We anticipate a great transition with God’s blessings and assistance, but the learning curve could be challenging.   Measures of energy, wisdom, patience, grace and humor would be welcomed by all.

ARE YOU THE AMBASSADOR?

It all starts with YOU: Your passion for orphaned children of Otino Waa Children’s Village can spread to others.  “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  (Matthew 6:21)   Is there more you could do? 

Be an ambassador in your church, your company, to your friends and family. You never know who may want to get involved until you talk about it.  Share your passion with those you know.

Sponsorship            Need sponsorship brochures?              Share what Otino Waa is      

DETAILS ABOUT THE KIDS

Specific  prayer requests for the kids of Otino Waa are:

Success in school:  Poverty has forced some to miss grade levels.  Now they are trying hard to catch up.

Overcoming the past:  Sometimes shyness or silence covers struggles and tragedies.

Leadership:  Otino Waa is the perfect place to raise the next leaders of Uganda!

A White Bread Faith

A White Bread Faith
(originally by Ryan Duncan, Croswalk.com) 

People conceived and brought into life by God don’t make a practice of sin. How could they? God’s seed is deep within them, making them who they are. 1 John 3:9

When I was still in high school my mother became a vegetarian. Now, I have nothing but respect for vegetarians, but as a guy who likes his steaks extra-rare, this created a few problems in our household. Suddenly our family was exploring what people called “organic” dishes. Tofu, quiche, we dined on whole-grain pastas sprinkled with nuts, strange cheeses, and enough broccoli to kill an entire fourth grade class. It wasn’t all that bad actually; my mother was very gracious and still cooked meat for the carnivores in the house, but I suspect a soy based meat substitute found its way into our meals on more than one occasion.              

The worst part though, was the bread. My family went from using your typical sleeve of wheat bread to buying those thick, iron cast loaves so brown they were almost black. I can remember sitting in the cafeteria during lunch, watching my classmates as they flagrantly devoured their delicious, white-bread PB&J’s, while I chewed the same bite of sandwich over and over for almost an hour because chunks of grain were still floating around in it. Back then, I would have given anything for a sandwich made from white, Wonder Bread. 
The thing is though, ask any nutritionist and they’ll tell you white bread barely counts as grain at all. It tastes good, but that’s because it’s been almost entirely drained of nutrients. All the beneficial vitamins and minerals have been lost, and in the end we are left with a food that really isn’t as healthy as we’d like to think it is.            

How many of us Christians are looking for a “White Bread” relationship with God? We show up at Church on Sunday and pray before each meal, then tell ourselves that should be enough to help us grow in our faith. It’s a sweet deal with all of the benefits and none of the drawbacks. Don’t fool yourself; God wants to be so much more in our lives than our Sunday morning service. He is looking to make us lights of the world, to bring peace where there is strife, hope where there is despair, and grace where there is hate. You won’t be very prepared for that if you just stick to the Sunday Sermons.
 Don’t deny yourself a good, healthy, relationship with God. Read the Bible, get involved, and above all, be sure to make him a part of your daily life. 

Winnie

Dear Otino Waa friends,

My name is Amanda and I have the privilege of working on this blog each week and sharing stories about children whose lives are changing. I've also had the opportunity to visit the children at Otino Waa twice over the past two years. As a photographer I loved capturing their giggles, their games and also handing the camera over to them and switching places. During my first trip I was placed in Mama Janet's house with her eight girls and young son. One of the girls I got to meet was Winnie. I remember the first time we said hello, her huge smile lit up her shy face. She is sweet, funny and vibrant. Just seeing her photo you'd never guess all that she's been through. I hope her story helps you see a glimpse into how God's redemptive work is alive at Otino Waa.

Winnie Aceng

Amanda with Winnie and her family.

Winnie Aceng was born on 1/4/1996, has two siblings and speaks Luo and some English.

 When she was seven she lost her dad to AIDS.  She remembers the date because it was Christmas Day of that year.  She remembers watching her mom take her dad out to be buried on that very day. 

After a long struggle with AIDS her mom also died the following year.  This time the children were the ones to carry her out to be buried next to their dad.  They lived in a very rural area and were on their own for a short time before a family came.  

This was a difficult time for the kids as they now had to be divided up and sent to various family members who would accept them.  Winnie’s brother, who unfortunately is mentally retarded, found a home with his grandmother who struggled to survive in another rural village.  The other sister found a home with an aunt who lived many miles away.  Winnie has not seen her siblings since the breakup.  Winnie went to live with an elderly grandfather. 

Life at this point did not become easier.  Hunger, ragged clothes and lack of education were always present.  Winnie had multiple bouts with malaria and no medical help.  

The grandfather learned of Otino Waa and made arrangements for an interview in 2006 and in late 2007 Winnie was admitted.  She now enjoys a new family, home, health and school.  She will be catching up in grade levels for some time, but wishes to be a doctor.  She is grateful to you, as her sponsor for your prayers and help in her life.  She would like to meet you.

Graduation...Then What?

As our children are getting older and more and more students are graduating, we've created a scholarship program to help the students whose test scores are high enough to qualify them for further education.  In the developing world, education is the most effective, long-term way of achieving a sustainable way of life.

Donate Now to give to the scholarship fund and help break the cycle of poverty.