Watermark in Africa

While hanging out at the quarry in Kampala, we spent time with some of the kids we sponsor.  Two girls caught my eye – Lydia and Ruth.  They are best friends, and they were so sweet.  As I was speaking with them, it became clear to me that with the new orphan care sponsorship Watermark and ALARM are collaborating to develop I can begin directly sponsoring these girls.  I could also write them notes and pray for them specifically.

I wanted to share a little bit about Ruth, so you have a better feel for what a child in the program looks like.  As I reviewed her file managed by ALARM, I learned the following.

She is Acholi, and she was born in Gulu in January 2000.  She later moved to Kampala, to the rock quarry.  She is in the 4^th grade and in good health.  Her father is deceased, and her mother, while alive, is disabled.  She spends some time living with her mother and some time living with her aunt.  She attends Creamland Nursery & Primary School where she is in the top 10 percent of her class.  Her strongest subjects are English and Science.

I had the privilege of hugging on these sweet girls and telling them about the love that Christ has for them and what Christ did for them.  I look forward to visiting them again the next time I am in Kampala, and I hope to send letters and pictures to them the next time a Watermark team is in Uganda.  I am also praying for their relationship with Christ, that they would acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior and follow Him all the days of their lives.  I pray for their mentors, for the pastor at their church, and their teachers.  I pray the Lord would continue to provide for me so my abundance now could meet their needs (2 Corinthians 8:13-14).

We hope to roll out the orphan sponsorship program to all of you in early 2010.

That is it for an overview of our trip in November.  Next week I will share some exciting news about launching a water well program in Burundi.

Picture of Ruth and me.

As you know, Kampala is in the south, while most of our ministry efforts are in the north, amongst the Acholi people.  During the fighting in the north, there was a large exodus of Acholi to the south, with many moving to Kampala.  Many settled at a rock quarry a few miles from Nelson’s home. 

So what is a rock quarry?  It is basically a rock mountain where laborers take big boulders and begin to beat on it with a small hammer until the pieces get smaller and smaller.  Eventually they are small pebbles like many of us have in some area of our landscaping.  The work is hard and dangerous.  (Note: below is a picture of the quarry)

So who does the work?  Orphans and widows.  They work from 6am to 7pm.  For each 20 liter can they fill, they get paid 100 Ugandan Shillings, or about a nickel in US dollar terms.  In a typical day, they earn enough to have one meal before bedtime.  (Note: below is a picture of workers in the quarry)

As we entered the community, we were met by about 50 widows singing and dancing and leading our car through the community to where we would meet everyone.  What would follow was three hours of singing, dancing, and testimony.  In addition to the 50 women, we spent time with the 90 children we sponsor in the neighborhood as well as their six mentors…along with just about everyone else within earshot.

By this point, there were several hundred folks hanging out with us, and testimonies began.

The Pastor of the community church spoke about the transformation he has seen in the community.  First he spoke of the economic transformation, as women moved from the rock quarry to jewelry manufacturing and the orphans moved from the rock quarry to school.   Then he spoke of the spiritual transformation as the gospel begins to create new life in the community.  He also spoke of the opportunity he has to spend with the six mentors to the children in our program.

Then the headmaster of one of the primary schools where our kids attend spoke.  He spoke of the hope and new life he is seeing in the children and the privilege it is for him to minister to them.

After this, one of the little boys in the program took the microphone and said, “I have nothing to give you to thank you for the support you have given me, but I can dance for you!”  Then he put down the microphone and began to dance for us.  As I saw this, I scribbled a note in my pad…these kids are the future of Uganda…thank you Lord for allowing us to serve them as Your means of grace.

Then a boy named Lawrence spoke.  Both of his parents were burned to death by the rebels.  He moved to Kampala and worked in the quarry.  He is now being sponsored by Watermark and ALARM, and as a 15 year old, he is in 6^th grade.  He thanked God for renewed life through ALARM.

Then a sweet girl named Irene spoke.  She is in 2^nd grade and lost both of her parents at a young age.  She kept her words brief.

Sandy, another 2^nd grader, spoke next.  She lost both of her parents before she was old enough to know them.  She said, “We give God all the glory, and wee thank you so much.”

Then Richard spoke.  Oh my.  Richard is a fifteen year old 5^th grader who had an awful infection and wounds on his leg.  His grandmother and friends left him for dead, assuming the wound was meant to address the evil spirits in his family.  He was isolated and alone, dying a slow death from the infection.  Then ALARM learned of his status and brought him to a hospital.  He is now healing, and he studies the Bible ALARM gave him.  He wants to be a pastor when he grows up.

The headmaster of another school then spoke for a few minutes.  Two things stood out to me.  First, he noted that the approach of ALARM and Watermark is distinct from other organizations that support kids.  Most simply provide funds.  While that is great and has an impact, he appreciated the time invested discipling the kids.  Second, he had a request for Watermark.  He said, “Now that you have seen our future doctors, lawyers, pastors and president, please don’t give up on us.” 

Please pray for the widows, orphans, and mentors in the rock quarry community.  Pray they would all know Christ and grow in their sphere of influence in Uganda.

Tomorrow – Introduction of one of the little girls I will be sponsoring!  That’s right, Watermark orphan sponsorship!

Quarry.

Widows working in the quarry.

Kids we sponsor collectively...and soon to be individually.

Kids we sponsor. They are singing for us here.

Yesterday I introduced you to Jessica, Nelson’s wife.  We had a chance to ask her a few questions, and I wanted to share her answers with you.  They were very encouraging and challenged my personal walk with Christ.

What is good leadership?  The foundation of good leadership is commitment, especially when times get hard.

Why is Jessica so committed?  When I looked around at all the devastation, I quit my job in order to spend more time addressing the situation.  I said “God, what can I do for this?  I cry, but that is not all I should do.”  We committed to opening our home to all that had needs.  We saw orphans who needed an education, so I personally found a way to sponsor fifteen kids.  That was the beginning of ALARM’s orphan program in Uganda.  I shared the story with my friends, and they sponsored 15 more.  With Watermark, we now have 300 kids.

When will you be done?  When is it enough?  I will be done when God takes me home.

You now have a 7 year old in your home.  Why did you do this when all of your kids were grown up?  I determined long ago that I will never have an empty nest.  God made me a mother, and I want to fully utilize and steward that gift.  These orphans need love but missed out on it.  I can give it.  (note: As an adoptive parent myself, this really encouraged me and stretched my thinking on how many children I hope to bring home to my family before the Lord takes me home.  I got to share Jessica’s great example with our friends in Watermark’s adoption ministry http://www.watermark.org/ministries/care-cont/tapestry-adoption-foster-care/.)

You have so much experience.  If I see a lot and am overwhelmed, where should I start?  Make a difference in the life of one child.  If 100 kids are out there, take one.

Editor’s note: Jessica and Nelson are amazing brothers and sisters in Christ.  They live in a small two BR home, and at one point they had 18 people living in the house, as they responded to needs around them.  Their house was full, and someone came looking for help.  They prayed that God would give them clarity on how to provide for the person in need.  They then praised God when He showed them that there was room beneath their kitchen table for one more sleeping mat.  That led to 19 people living in the house.  Spend some time reading Matthew 25:31-46 and stretch your own perspective on the needs around you.

Tomorrow – A visit to a Rock Quarry in Kampala

Jessica at the piggery

Jessica speaking to the community at the Kampala rock quarry.

Hey friends,

I have shared here about the Lord’s gracious kindness in letting us be a part of His story in Africa through providing clean water to those desperately in need.  This allows us to obediently meet a real need for water (Matthew 25)  and proclaim the gospel of the living water (John 4).  See video below and then go check out this new site at http://www.watermarkconspiracy.com/.  Share with your friends and start engaging in discussions about what you want your Christmas to look like this year.

We headed out the next morning driving south from Gulu.  As we crossed the Nile, we entered Masindi district and approached the town of Bweyale.  There we met up with Jessica, the wife of Nelson, ALARM’s Country Director in Uganda.  We met at a piggery (pig farm) that ALARM launched in March.

The piggery is a creative way to do microfinance.  Rather than loaning money, ALARM loans pigs.  Why pigs?  Pigs have a short gestational period (about 112 days), have two gestational cycles per year, produce about five baby pigs per gestational cycle, eat just about anything (no need for special, expensive diet), and rarely get sick (so lower early mortality rate).  So they started with 11 pigs in March, and they now have 31 pigs and growing.

Why Bweyale?  ALARM has trusted friends in the region, a foundational element of all their ministry.  In addition, many of the Acholi people (who love in Gulu and Pader where we do the bulk of our work) moved to the area during the decades of war.  In general, it was safer in Uganda south of the Nile because the LRA avoided going south of the Nile and the Uganda military had a larger presence south of the Nile.  As is typical coming out of the atrocities in the north, most of the families are widows caring for their orphaned children (generally large families).  They struggle to feed their families, relying on the World Food Program and generally only have grains.

So ALARM works with local churches to identify widows in great need.  They are launching the distribution of these pigs in late November.  They will provide the widow with a couple pigs.  Each time the pig reproduces, the widow gives one pig to ALARM (effectively payment for the loan), one pig to a widow she knows who is in need, and keeps the remaining pigs (usually 2-4) for herself.  ALARM wants to reach 2,000 widows over the next five years.

 As always, ALARM’s plans go beyond meeting the basic physical needs of the women.  ALARM is working with the female leaders in the local churches to provide Bible studies to the loan recipients and ultimately impact their children as well.  As Jessica told us, “In Uganda, if you train a woman, you train a nation.”  They also plan to introduce community through the program, especially to help the women through the therapy of sharing and addressing their pain.  They hope to reach Christian and non-Christian widows, proclaiming and providing the hope of the gospel.

The largest ongoing cost of the project is food for the pigs since they eat a lot.  So ALARM is beginning to plant maize to address this challenge.  They will provide the maize to the families they are ministering to, and they will use the refuse (stalk, leaves, etc) to feed the pigs.

We asked Jessica how Watermark can serve this ministry, and she shared three things.  First, she noted reaching 2,000 women is a dream she can’t accomplish by herself, so this needs to be a collective movement of the church.  Second, she asked us to pray.  Jessica said it is easy to give someone a pig, but the pig can die or the ministry can be ineffective.  Third, she asked us to consider providing financial resources as they attempt to expand the number of pig stalls from 12 to 24.

Please be praying for this ministry.  As they go out to begin distributing pigs in late November, pray they find the neediest of the needy.  Pray for the local church partners.  Pray for the gospel to be proclaimed and people to come to their Lord and Savior.

Monday – An interview with Jessica Okello.

Part of the structure for existing pig stalls. The manager of the piggery.

Some of our little pigs

Foundation for next set of pig stalls.

The last widow group we visited in Gulu was named Canlit (translation “poverty is painful”).  We met with 24 of the 36 women in the group.   We started by dancing and singing with them.  Great way to start a relationship with a new friend!

The group started in 2007 with a fund of 100,000 Ugandan Schillings (USD $50) from ALARM.  As they shared their detailed financial records with us, they shared about how they have invested the money.  They have been a buyer and seller of agricultural products as well as started some farming operations of their own.  The leader, Ms. Rexja, told us that they have grown the fund from 100,000 schillings to 3,605,000 shillings.  They are now attempting to build some more gardens, and ALARM is working with them to get the appropriate seeds.

Before we left, I spoke with one widow named Kristen who has taken in six children to care for.  She shared her gratitude to God for His provision in her life.  I loved her example of caring for orphans and giving all glory to our King.  This was a great example I got to share with our friends in Watermark’s adoption ministry (http://www.watermark.org/ministries/care-cont/tapestry-adoption-foster-care/). 

Pray for these women as they grow their operations and increase their ability to support themselves and their children.  Pray they would grow closer to Christ.

That was our last visit of the day in Gulu.  We then prepared to leave for Bweyale the next morning.

Tomorrow – A Piggery Farm

Kristen, who cares for six orphans.

Some of the ladies in the group.

The next group we visited was a group of 23 widows who make necklaces.  You have probably seen some of the women at our church wearing these necklaces.  This is one of two groups of widows in Uganda (the other is in Kampala) that ALARM works with.  We bring these beads back to America with us on each trip, and we raise funds for them in sharing these beads with our body.

We were welcomed to the group by Helen, their leader.  She told us of how the women “gained strength” when ALARM began working with them.  ALARM helped them establish their business and got all of their children in school.  We then heard from one of the women in the group, Jessica.  Jessica started by thanking God that He allowed us to visit with the ladies.  Jessica is 36 years old and the mother of six children.  She told us that she used the first money she earned in the program to buy three chickens (funny side note – she named the chickens ALARM, Molly, and Okello…Molly and Okello [Nelson’s last name] work for ALARM).  She told us that before she entered the program she had one dress to wear and fed her family one meal per day.  She now owns more than one outfit and feeds her kids more frequently, including meat.  She closed by sharing with us about how she has grown in her relationship with Christ and then sang a song for us about her love for God.

As we spoke about their necklace making operation (note: the beads are made of paper which is then painted and dipped in lacquer), they spoke of the slow process of cutting the paper into strips.  We will try to bring some paper cutters with our next team to visit Uganda in March.

Pray for God’s continued provision for these women and our ability to continue bringing their necklaces back to America to help support them.

Tomorrow – Another widow group.

Some of the necklaces the ladies make.

One of the ladies at work making necklaces.

More of the necklaces they make.

After visiting orphans in the morning, we spent the afternoon with three widow groups we support through ALARM.  The first group we visited was the Cac Pe Yweka (translation “pride in working”) widow group.  We got there two hours late because we spent so much time with the children.  As we reached the turn-off a mile from where the widows lived, we found many of them were waiting at the road!  They had been waiting over two hours to greet us about a mile from their houses, so they could sing and lead us to their homes.

The first songs the 26 women sang were about literacy and the opportunities that literacy provides.  The illiteracy of widows is a massive problem in the area.  Many of the widows own land, and since they have no money, they decide to sell some of the land to financially support themselves (and sometimes children).  For example, if they have five acres, they decide to sell one acre.  When they sign the agreement, the buyer slyly sets the contract to buy all five acres at the agreed upon price for just one acre.

So ALARM’s focus with this group of women is teaching literacy, farming seeds, goats, and a revolving loan account.   We witnessed them go through some of their literacy training exercises.  Now that they know how to read, they are also reading their Bibles.  One lady stood up and read Proverbs 9:1-3 for us, a passage about the priceless nature of wisdom.

ALARM also worked with them to begin farming to provide for their orphaned children.  And these sweet women, wanting to show their appreciation to us, gave us a large bag of millet they had farmed.  Very humbling, reminding me of the story of the Widow’s Mite in Mark 12. 

Pray for these women.  Pray that they would continue to learn how to read, which allows them to find life in reading God’s Word.  Pray for their farming and goat efforts, that God would provide abundance for them.

Tomorrow – Another widow group.

The widow groups often have a sign with their group name.

One of the ladies working through the litereacy exercises they practice daily.

One of the ladies reading her Bible for us. She shared Proverbs 9:1-3.

Two of the widows with some of the goats provided by ALARM and Watermark.

After visiting Richard’s family, we went to visit a family ALARM has been supporting.  Miriam, age 15, is the head of household to two younger brothers – Jacob (10) and Immanuel (6).  Their parents had AIDS.  Their father died before Immanuel was born, and their mother died right after Immanuel’s birth.  So Miriam, then age 9, was left to care for her four year old and newborn brothers. 

She managed to care for them, generally picking tea leaves and boiling them in water.  Miriam also managed to get day jobs picking vegetables for families and similar tasks.  This nullified Miriam’s ability to go to school.  In addition, this was at the height of the LRA attacks in Gulu, so she would bring her brothers to a public building in the center of the city to sleep each night, reducing the likelihood of being abducted by the LRA.

ALARM learned of this family three years ago and began to support them.  Miriam shared with us that life is much easier now that ALARM is helping her lead her family.  As she shared with us that she was a believer, she told us that she has joy.  It was a great picture for me of Philippians 4 and the source of our joy no matter our circumstances.

Miriam told us she wants to be a doctor.  Jacob wants to be a driver.  Immanuel wants to be a pastor.

Before we left, we asked how we could pray for them.  Miriam asked us to pray that God would continue to provide to ALARM, so ALARM could continue to provide for their schooling and other support.  This was a great picture for me of the Lord’s Prayer and asking for our daily bread.  It was also a great reminder of our responsibility to steward the resources God gives us.  Then Immanuel asked us to pray that he would not feel angry.  That really broke my heart, as I think of the pain a six year old must feel not having a mother and father.  As a father of adopted children, it grieves me.

Please pray for all the child-headed homes in the world.  Pray that the local church in each community would care for the orphans amongst their community.  Pray the church would be earthly mothers and fathers to these children.  Praise God for ministries like ALARM who are jumping in to meet needs as we are called to in Matthew 25:31-46.

Tomorrow – Visiting A Widow Group We Support.

Miriam with her two younger brothers

Miriam

Adequate kitchen supplies. Something Richard lacked.

They have mattresses, something Richard lacked.

So what is a child-headed home?  It is exactly what it sounds like.  It is a house where the parents, usually deceased, are no longer in the home, and the oldest child takes on the “parent” role to the younger siblings.  Through ALARM, we have provided support to some child-headed homes, but there are many more to serve.  We got to meet with one of those in need.

Molly, the ALARM Uganda field office manager in Gulu, learned of a critical situation last month through her church.  She met with them over the past month to provide some of the most basic needs, most notably food.  Molly and the team brought us to visit the family.

There are four children in the family – a 16 year old boy named Richard and his two younger brothers (ages 13 and 6) and his one younger sister (age 12).  Their dad died in 2003, and their mom died in 2005.  So Richard became head of household in 2005 at the age of 12, caring for his then two, eight and nine year old siblings.

In assessing their needs, it was clear they were in great need of the most basic of things.  They have one meal per day, they don’t attend school, and their small home is falling apart (not to mention roof leaks and bug infestation).  For cooking, they have one sauce pan and one pot, which makes cooking and storage of food difficult.  They do not have mattresses, but rather sleep on small wood mats.  They told us they often wake up in the middle of the night when ants and other insect bite them. 

Richard shared with us that he is a Christian and relies on Christ to sustain his difficult life.

I had the incredible privilege of praying with Richard and his siblings.  When I was done praying, Richard broke down and wept.  It was clear it had been a long time, maybe years, since he wept about his unbelievably difficult circumstances.  So I sat with Richard for a bit to encourage him and celebrate his faithfulness as a man who provides for his family (1 Timothy 5:8) in difficult circumstances.  I thanked him for his great example of faithfulness.

We worked with ALARM to provide for some of their most immediate needs within a week, including a couple of pots, some mattresses, a light, etc.  Since their house is falling apart and in danger of collapsing, we committed to partner with ALARM to build a new home for Richard and his family.  We hope to receive the plan from ALARM shortly.  The next step will be to identify how to get them in school.

Please pray for Richard, his siblings, and the ALARM staff and local church who are now encouraging and serving the family.  Pray we would be faithful stewards of our resources to be a part of God’s means of grace to countless other child-headed homes.

Monday – Visit with a child-headed home we are currently sponsoring.

Richard (blue shirt) with his siblings

Damage to their home. Leaks are causing the walls to erode.

Kitchen

One of the kids sleeping on a wood matt on the floor

The one light they have to see at night.

The family in front of their home.

A home we built for another family last year. Example of what we will do for Richard and his siblings.