April 2021 Newsletter
Greetings from Uganda! This month we are happy to introduce you to someone very special to us, Joan. We first met Joan on our mission trip in December of 2017. Joan is one of the people that we met, that really stood out to me, especially her maturity in her faith in Christ. She used to live at Ibonde Children’s Home when she was younger and was helping to serve (she still does) the kids there in her free time.
On our last day, as we were saying our goodbyes, Joan asked us if we would pray that, Lord willing, God would let her be able to continue her education past high school. What stood out to me is that she could have easily asked for the funds from us but rather asked for our prayer instead. I have never forgotten this and have looked to mimic her Christ like example. She really taught me a lesson that day about how important simply seeking prayer from others is versus asking them for what you are praying for.
You could just tell that she actually believed “that in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Romans 8:28). God touched one of those who was on that trip, and that person has been sending money for her education to this day. She is almost done with her higher education, pursuing a degree in computer science. She continues to serve the kids at Ibonde Children’s Home in her free time, leading bible classes and helping with the general care of the kids. I have always thought it would be neat to see Joan use her new skills to help Gordon keep up with various things for Nyayo. We shall see :) Below is a recent picture of Joan with a note and necklace from that person who has helped put her through school.
We are very thankful that our monthly goals for the Basic Needs Fund have once more been met. For a full financial breakdown you can view our April 2021 Monthly Financial Report. If you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask us!
You’ll notice that we added cost details for what is bought specifically with the $600 we allocate to Jinja Children’s Home to this month’s report. It is similar to what is allocated for Ibonde Children’s Home with the exception that we allocate money for meat. We allocate money for meat as it adds better nutrition for their immune comprised state. Various fruits are also added to their diet that the caregivers make into fruit juices for more nutrients. This isn’t shown in the expense breakdown as they are more easily available and can be obtained by the home itself. Fruits include watermelon, oranges, mangoes, pineapples, and passion fruit.
Here are some more pictures of the kids at Ibonde Children’s Home! The top 2 pictures are of our kids in their classrooms across the street from the home. This is actually the building that has begun construction and will be apart of the vocational school. These classrooms are specifically on the bottom floor as you look at the pictures on Our Work. The bottom right picture shows our kids helping the cook prepare a meal by shucking beans for a upcoming meal. The bottom left picture is what the kitchen looks like. As you can imagine the cooking pots are huge!
Our founders continue to connect with each other each Monday via virtual bible studies to continue to learn about God and Jesus who ultimately have inspired our mission. We are always happy to have new faces join us! Just reach out via our email under our Contact Us page or you can call/txt me at 540-454-0237 if you’d like to join.
We pray blessings on each of our donors at the beginning of each month and ask to be kept in your prayers as well. We keep having new interactions with people who are helping us in small ways and are continuing to see the vision unfold as we walk. So your prayers are much appreciated!
Michael, Gordon, and Hunter
Founders of Nyayo
