Watermark in Africa

We received the below update from Nelson Okello, ALARM Uganda Country Director.

The following stages have been accomplished so far:

a)      Land: Land has been bought in phases (Jan 2008-April 2010) we now have land that measures about 250 by 200 meters, the community has been very positive in selling additional land willingly to the center after hearing what the center intends to offer.

b)      Completed structure: Two large lecture halls have been completed, fitted with metallic doors and windows, glasses.

c)      An initial group of students numbering thirty have been recruited and are attending lectures at the site. Beds and mattresses have been bought but technical equipments are yet to be bought when funds will be available. Three teachers have been recruited (building, carpentry, tailoring.)

d)     Construction of guest house (48 rooms self contained.) This is in progress and is at window level. When completed it is expected to cater for teams visiting the center as well as catering for income generation for taking care of the expenses at the center in future.

e)      Land: The part of land where there are still no buildings, have been planted with maize, sweet potato which will help in supporting child headed families when harvested in future.

f)       Basically three activities are going on at the site currently, teaching of thirty students, partitioning of the six large rooms of the two lecture halls to cater for classes, dormitories, offices, construction of the guest wing at window level.

g)      Water wells; Eight boreholes were drilled in 2008, commissioned and all of them are providing clean and safe water to the communities. (2 Masindi, 2 Kitgum, 4 Pader.) In 2009 six boreholes were drilled and commissioned. (2 in Masindi, 4 in Pader) This brings the total number of boreholes funded by Watermark to 14.

Here are some pictures:

One of the two lecture halls we have built.

One of the 14 water wells we have drilled in the area.  This is one of two on the campus we are developing with ALARM.

This is the guest house we are building on the campus for Watermark and other teams to go and work with the trade school students and others in the community.  It will start as a one story building and eventually expand to a two story building.

Photo from a conference we held at the trade school last week.  It was our first conference at the school, and 150 people participated.  There was demand from 500 people to be in the class.

I got the below e-mail from our friends at ALARM, so I wanted to pass it along to anyone who might be interested.  If you are interested, please e-mail me at bfournet@hbk.com.

Dear Beau,

ALARM is currently looking for 3-5 people who would be willing to volunteer in our office over the summer and, if available during the school year.  We have created a job description to describe the tasks that we can use help with.  We are interested in high school students, college students, or adults with daytime availability and an interest in serving the Lord with their skills. We think this could be a good learning opportunity for students with an interest in business and or missions.  Volunteers will interact with American and African staff in conducting a variety of tasks.

Would you be willing to forward this information to leaders in your church who might be aware of individuals who might be interested in this opportunity.

Thank you for your help!

Administrative Support Volunteer

Purpose:

The adminsitrative support volunteer supports the ALARM office staff with a variety of tasks including answering the phone, greeting visitors, and organizing, updating and maintaining trip information files and general office documents.

Rewards:

• The joy of contributing to a ministry that supports leaders and communities in eight African nations
• The joy of connecting with individuals who are passionate about helping others through service with ALARM

Qualifications:

The adminstrative volunteer should

• Be an active, growing Christian.
• Enjoy making phone calls and possess good phone presence.
• Enjoy working in an office environment and have basic experience using Microsoft Office to perform administrative tasks.
• Be organized, honest and able to respectfully maintain the confidentiality of sensitive information concerning ALARM team members and employees.
• Be able to volunteer in the office for a minimum of three hours per week throughout the summer with the opportunity to serve more as desired.

Responsibilities:

The administrative volunteer will do the following as needed in accord with their skills:

• Answer the phone in the ALARM office
• Greet visitors to the office
• Scan documents to maintain electronic files
• Update and maintain team member and trip information files
• Work on projects (currently long term photo project)
• Help with occassional mailings, bead sorting/packing/shipping, and data entry

Connection:

• Please call the ALARM office 972-671-8522 weekdays between 9a.m. and 4p.m.
• Ask for Elizabeth or Naomi
• Group training available June 28 or July 2 or July 6
• Please provide 2 references when you call

As you know, we have been caring for 300 children in Uganda with our partner ALARM.  We also shared with you our intention to grow the program to 600 kids in 2010 as well as launching a similar program in Burundi.  We received a status update from Uganda today, confirming that 310 kids have been added, bringing our total to about 600 kids in Uganda with our partners at ALARM.  Please read the linked report below to learn what has been happening with the kids, their mentors, and their families over the past six months.

http://watermarkblogs.org/africa/files/2010/03/activity_report_decjan10.pdf

Up early today and took a Missionary Aviation Fellowship plane to Padar.

Flew north from Kampala over the Nile  and to an airstrip with no other buildings, but Nelson was there waiting on us. We visited the construction site of the trade school and the first 2 buildings that should be completed in a few months. We were greeted by a large group of women & children, lining both sides of the road while they waved & yell that unique African yell. (“yi-yi-yi”- ask Mandy, she has picked it up-they were impressed!) As we got out of the van & marched along with them, Matt & David showed off some of their dance moves! Nelson showed us master plan blueprints and shared his 10 year vision of the school.

Looking forward to hearing the first stories as well as the long term impact of the school, especially for the childhood soldiers many of whom have aged out of the school system and possess no education or skills and have little hope. We then visited a small villiage next to a waterwell that Watermark sponsered. Several of the guys carried water about 1/4 mile for some women and it became clear why P90x and bootcamps haven’t really taken off in this part of the world. The people showed us their village, their homes, their food, and strapped Pam got to strap one of their babies on her back. Because of the water, people are moving out of the IDP camps and to the area – it was encouraging to see the newly thatched roofs of homes of newly arriving families. Some elders from near by areas came and made their pleas for wells in their commmunities – If you aren’t casting big vision or making bold asks you aren’t really trying as a leader! There is so much still to be done in the area but we left encouraged by the resourcefulness and joy of these people and a better understanding of 1 thes 4:11. We then flew into Soroti to the conference that was beginging with introductions. We made some introductions and then fanned out and went row by row greeting the people by handshakes or hugs – very proud of team. Teaching starts in earnest tomorrow – there is a great blend of excitement and dependance as well as boldness and humility.

From John McGee.

Great day. Went to Lugogo Baptist church which is the Alarm country directors’ (Nelson and Jessica) church. We were challenged by the teaching of scripture and the high call to discipleship. We had a great lunch at Nelson and Jessica’s home and then spent 3 hours at the quarry where Watermark is sponsoring children through Alarm and where Alarm has a ministry to widows-many of whom are making beads and scarfs and earning enough to feed their children and build small homes – which was impossible to do previously at the quarry. All of us who have sponsored children in Kampala were able to meet them-which was a very sweet time.

There was a great time of singing and dancing by the widows and orphans and we jumped in whenever possible. i danced next to a woman who was wearing flip flops and I stepped on her foot with my hiking boots – I hope she can walk tomorrow. Very proud of our church which is practicing “true religion” as we partner with alarm in the care of widows and orphans – who by the way are incredibly grateful for the generosity of “The Watermark church.” Also encouraged by the leadership of alarm as well as the volunteer mentors. Jennifer and I both addressed the group and I thought she did an especially good job encouraging everyone and making sure they they gave glory to God (taking the focus off us).

Saddest part of the day was watching the children who were not sponsored looking into the time. Our team did a great job engaging all the children – but it is was sad and convicting that at this time many did not have the same opportunities as those who were sponsered… At dinner many ate their first goat and were hoping it was not the same one we saw chained to the hotel gate this moring. We load up at 6 tomorrow for Pader. Greatful to for your prayers.

Attached is the rig we purchased for Burundi.  Living Water has it located in Rwanda, and they will move it into Burundi as soon as the permitting is completed.  Living Water has its first employee in Burundi, and he is working out of ALARM’s Burundi office.

On Friday, a team of 6 women and 5 men depart Dallas headed for Soroti, Uganda.  Soroti is located in the eastern/central part of the country.  The women are: Mandy Bagdanov, Miriam Sperring, Julie Anders, Melissa Nunley, Pam McGee and Jennifer Lewis.  The guys team includes: John McGee, Kyle Graham, David Dzina, Matt McCuen, JJ Barto.  For most of the team members, this is a first trip to Africa and they are very hopeful, excited, and confident in what the Lord has in store.

Our plan is to visit the trade school that Watermark is building, meet children and families sponsored by the orphan care program, and our primary privilege and responsibility is to teach Biblical principles.  Partnered with ALARM, we are hosting 2 conferences simultaneously – one for the men and one for the women.  We expect 100 or so in each conference – though, as things go in Africa, this number is likely to change significantly with little or no advanced knowledge – Africans have much to teach this American (Jennifer Lewis) about flexibility!

We will be teaching the Biblically-based, hope-filled, grace-motivated messages of roles of men and women in marriage, conflict resolution, leadership, health and hygiene, and the principles of grieving heartache and hurts (so common and horrific there) and receiving and extending the forgiveness that is only available in our Savior.  We covet your prayers as we depart … for the participants to know our Savior and love His Word, for the truths taught to be a source of transformation and not just information (for the Americans as well as the Ugandans!), for safety with flights and physical health, for unity and sweet fellowship of the team.  May the Lord be glorified!

by Jennifer Lewis

[The following pre-trip email was posted with the permission of Rick Howard]

Hello friends and family,

As many of you know I have been blessed over the past two plus years with the opportunity to travel to Central Africa with teams of lawyers from Watermark Community Church here in Dallas.  The three trips I’ve made have included time in Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern Congo.  Each one has involved me and other lawyers from WatermarkJustice (our Watermark lawyers group) leading conferences for lawyers, judges, prosecutors, pastors, and government officials.  We’ve covered topics ranging from servant leadership to confronting bribery and corruption as Christians lawyers and judges to biblical conflict resolution.  Each trip has been a unique experience and each one has increased my passion for the people of Central Africa more and more.

After returning from my last trip this past October I was asked to lead a very different trip to Goma, Congo in early 2010.  Different because for the first time for me the audience will not be men and women in positions of authority or influence in the government, church, or military and because I will not have the responsibility to teach and lead extensively at the main conference.  Instead, I and one other guy get the privilege of assisting as (6) incredibly gifted women from Watermark lead a conference for victims of sexual abuse (rape) and the counselors who help them through the healing process physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Eastern Congo is the epicenter of a civil war in Central Africa that has claimed over (5) million lives over the past (15) years.  The genesis of the current conflict began with the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. The perpetrators of the massacre of (800,000) Rwandans over a (6) week period in 1994 fled to the mountains of Eastern Congo once the international community responded to the crises.  There in the sanctuary of a jungle the size of Texas those same groups have killed countless innocent local Congolese men, women, and children and caused millions to die from starvation and disease while forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes for sanctuary in refugee (IDP) camps. However, in many respects the worst actions taken by these men is the brutal rape of women, young and old, as an act of war, and act of vengeance, or in some instances an act intended to procreate the next generation of “soldiers” for their militias.

It is against this historical backdrop that these women from my church, Watermark Community Church, whose lives have all been touched in some way directly or indirectly  by sexual abuse along with our partner on the ground, ALARM, will be leading a sexual abuse conference focused on healing, recovery, and forgiveness..  They will be using a curriculum developed at WCC and other churches called “Shelter from the Storm.”   These materials which are designed to help take a women through the process of healing from sexual abuse have been modified after much prayer and effort to be appropriate for an audience of victims and counselors in Goma,Congo.

They will spend (3) days leading and teaching a conference for counselors who have for years been serving and caring for rape victims to better show those victims the path to true and complete healing through Jesus Christ.  In attendance will also be victims of rape in Congo.  Women who have been sexually assaulted, typically in the jungles of eastern Congo, and then rescued from the homes or villages by the staff of Heal Africa or other organizations dedicated to this effort.  Approximately (100) women have been invited to this conference hosted by the ladies from Watermark.  My guess is (1000) could have easily been identified and invited, but space and resources are always at a premium in places like Goma.

It is our hope that this “Shelter” trip is another door God is opening for Watermark to minister to a truly forgotten people in Eastern Congo.  Just as we’ve done with the lawyer in Goma we will spend time seeking out other effective and trustworthy partners on the ground to aid in this effort.  We already have a great partner in ALARM and are building relationship with Heal Africa as well. The hope is that this is the first trip of many to help folks on the ground there  better recover from the devastation of rape and abuse in their lives.

As horrific and devastating as earthquakes in Haiti and Chile have been for the people of those countries there is a difference from Congo.  Most of those people can remember a day when there was peace in their land; when the government provided some reasonable security for them, when food was easy to find.  They can also look forward to a day when things will look “normal” again as plane loads of people and assistance arrive each day to help.  On the other side of the world, however, there are no such memories for the generation raised in and around Goma.  They have grown up knowing nothing but war and violence, hunger and disease.  It is our hope that by helping train the leaders of eastern Congo, the women who counsel victims, and the lawyers who will one day take on positions of authority in the principles we find in God’s word that cycle will one day end.

Attached is a prayer calendar for this trip.  I would ask you to print it out so that you might be prompted each day to remember this effort to be the “hands and feet of Christ” to the least of His people.  Please also pray for me and the other lawyer who is joining me on this trip, Russ Brown, as we spend part of the trip discipling a small group of lawyers we’ve developed relationships with since 2007.  Below I’ve also attached a link to a well timed Op/Ed piece done by Nicholas Kristof of the NY Times on Congo and the response to the crises in Africa from a number of different groups.  Specifically, he uses quotes from Richard Stearns’ book The Hole in Our Gospel.  Stearns is the president of World Vision. I recommend you read the article and the book.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/opinion/28kristof.html

Thanks for all of your prayers and support for me and for Michele over the past two and half years as we have followed this path to Central Africa.  Your prayers for my team and our efforts will be appreciated once again.  One final note, I am being forced to embrace a higher level of technology than I am comfortable with at this time.  Unless I mess it up or the internet crashes in Congo (both are likely propositions btw), you should be able to read updates from our trip by going to http://watermarkblogs.org/justice.

God Bless,

Rick Howard

Hey guys,

Below is an excerpt from an e-mail I sent today to previous participants on our Burundi trips with ALARM.  Thought you would enjoy.

So what is up in Burundi?  Well if you go to our Africa site (http://watermarkworldwide.com/) or our blog (http://watermarkblogs.org/africa/), then you see all that we are doing in Uganda.  In short, we are ready to do the same in Burundi!  Our Africa Leadership Team (Rick Howard, Matt Levy, Kyle Thompson, Jeff Ward, and me) have been working with ALARM for the past three months to flesh out a vision for our long term work in Burundi, culminating in Kyle meeting with Deo (ALARM Burundi Country Director) in Burundi two weeks ago.  We are now ready to begin moving forward with plans to drill water wells, care for orphans, develop micro-economic development, and expand our equipping (including attorneys, shelter from the storm, etc).  Here is a brief overview.

Location – We will focus most of our efforts in Bubanza Province, the province just north of the capital of Bujumbura.

Water – Living Water has hired their first person in Burundi, a friend of ALARM and Watermark whom we recommended.  ALARM and Living Water are working jointly on the permitting process.  The rig has been acquired.  Our partners are beginning to survey the area.   There are currently no drilling rigs in Burundi (beyond the new Living Water rig), and Living Water has yet to find a location where a true bore hole (deep enough to be in clean water) is currently providing clean water to the people of Burundi.  Please be praying the permitting goes well and allows for drilling to begin in the next few months.

Orphan Care – We will slowly develop a plan similar to what we are doing in Uganda, outlined at http://watermarkworldwide.com/.  We will not rush this, but over time it could grow in size to be similar to Uganda (300-600 kids).  We will only grow in proportion to our ability to do so with excellence.  Deo will be traveling to Uganda soon to spend time with Nelson learning from our efforts there.  We are committed to doing everything in and through the local church.  There is a chance we will need to build an orphanage or transitional home, out of which our heart is to raise up local Burundian families to adopt them.

Microfinance – Two primary targets for this are pastors (very few of whom work full time for church due to insufficient funds) and families adopting the kids.  We hope to lean on David & Missy Williams (http://www.seedeffect.org/), Cary Tucker, and other Watermark members investing in microfinance to develop a plan. We also will look at leveraging folks with “business development” skills to help folks build microenterprises.

Staff Support – ALARM will be hiring some folks to help execute on these plans.  In addition, we are continuing to invest in Deo’s studies, including a trip to the US in May and June for further equipping.  During this visit, he will spend two days with our Africa Leadership Team and a small group of others to continue fleshing out the above.