​DedicatedOne teacher has to write every lesson by hand and does all of this work and more for just one lesson by hand for 35 students!

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​My friend Ava sent us these photos!!!:) She is a missionary in Uganda!!!! She wrote this about the some of the photos that I have here, " have included pictures of Bwerenga Village, the fishing village where some of our students live, the cows on the road on the way to the school!,...." She then later said, "classroom shots, P7 graduating students singing, school kitchen, Frank Kajura - school board president -, Pastor Majenge School Headmaster   The school bus doesn't belong to the school, but I think it gives a powerful message!"

Another update from Ava,
"I attended the chapel service for the graduating P7 class. The first class to graduate from Gateway Nursery and Primary School. I wish you could have been there to hear the teachers, Maama Catherine, Pastor Ernest, the head teacher, the president of the PTA and the president of the School Board encourage the students. It was so uplifting and I think the P7 students left knowing how much they are loved and how much they are prayed for. There was a special time of prayer where each one was prayed over. They took their final exams - government exams - today. They will find out in February if they passed.
Below are some pictures from this special day!"

​Church!!!! This was from a while back in October but I wanted you all to see the recent from my friend, Ava. She is on the ground working with Sixty Feet, the organization that rescues the children out of prison!!!!
Ava says, "The school children led the worship service last Sunday and they sang, recited verses and danced for two hours!!  What a fragrant offering to the Lord!"
Ava said, "Teacher Amos said that if it weren't for you, the school would have to close their doors."
Thank you each for your continued support and one time gifts as well!

​Look forward to hearing details about the fundraiser December 8th!:)

​Uganda UPDATE!




The schooI have the ministry, HIS Love and SONshine, for  has new leadership.  The leaders are Pastor Ernest and Mama Catherine. You may remember me speaking of them.  They are the ones who have taken in 39 children!!!!!!! THEY ARE IN THEIR 70s!  "Ernest was imprisoned by Idi Amin, the ruthless Ugandan dictator in the 1970s. Idi Amin imprisoned Pastor (and many others) for being an outspoken Christian." 
Over 44 years Pastor and his wife have been taking care of over 200 children and they have currently 39!!!!!!

Okay, the school has a new name NOT MY MINISTRY NAME but instead of Hope International School it is "Gateway Community Church and School." None of these changes impact what you all do and what I'm doing for the ministry.:) I will be in touch about the new headmaster soon with a blog update!

There will be a fundraiser in Dec. 8th AND we have a lot of goodies to shop for!

I will have a slideshow.   

Meet Joseph.  He was spotlighted in my last newsletter as I shared about how the school helps him with his special needs. Debbie Houchens is one of the current heads of Sixty Feet/CJI, an organization that rescues kids from prison. Debbie fell in love with Joseph and wrote about his story with details that we just found out on my most recent visit to the school! Debbie is like a mom to him.  The HIS school partners with Debbie and CJI Ministry along with His Love & Sonshine as the school takes in children rescued from prison.  The school not only educates the children but provides a home and hope.  See details about Joseph's story in the text shared by Debbie below.

Would you consider becoming a monthly donor or making a one time donation to help children like Joseph? Please click the donate button on our site today.  Thank you and God bless you!

A Success Story -  by Debbie Houchens 
I  met a man, working in a book store as a clerk. He was a Ugandan. Like so many they know we are here but are wondering why. I told him about the mission of Sixty Feet and its purpose.  His question was a contemplative one. “Are there many success stories?” I answered, “so many I don’t have time to share. But, I do have a favorite that I will share.” I began, “his name is Joseph, he was about 12 years old when I met him in the National Rehabilitation Center. Joseph is special needs but is high functioning in most things. Joseph ran to the streets after being mistreated by his step mother. While on the streets he was “swept up” by the local authorities and taken to the rehab prison. I knew he had been mistreated not only at home but probably by society in general, for he would not look at anyone in the eye. He spoke only the local Lugandan language. Joseph wore the same grey and red striped shirt that was too large every day, no shoes and the same trousers that were girded with a piece of string.
The staff at Sixty Feet after many attempts to trace for his parents, realized that Joseph was not going to tell where he was from for he did not want to go back. So what do you do with a 12 year old special needs child that cannot read or write? What possible future does this child have?
Two days a week we worked with Joseph on writing his name and speaking English. He could only get as far as the J and the O in his name.  But because of the love from the staff, he started looking at people in the eye and opened up to other boys his age. They understood that he was special, even though they laughed at him they accepted him into their group. He even learned how to hug.
It took about 6 months for us to find placement for this child. He was allowed to be released (since he had no crime except living on the street) and he was placed in a foster home with a house mother who already had 5 other children. So Joseph had a mother and an instant family.
There were trials, many of them, but Ruth, the “mother” and the community all worked together to help Joseph.
Joseph now attends school (he is 13 and is in Kindergarten but he is proud to be in school with a uniform and shoes!
This Christmas I invited Ruth and her “family” to my house for dinner. Joseph said to me, “Jaja, (grandmother) look what I can do! I can write my name and a circle and a triangle.” All of a sudden he started saying, “chicken, dog, cat” in English. He was so proud to show how much he has learned. Ruth and the school in the village have done a great job with Joseph, he has a community, school, church and a family.” Success stories? I’d say! If you want to know more stories we would love to share them with you. We couldn’t have helped Joseph if it was’t for people coming alongside us at Sixty Feet. God asked us to help the widows and orphans and for the most part, Joseph WAS one of those.