Just a quick update...

God has been providing in so many ways! He is so faithful! It has been amazing to be on this faithwalk and see God at work. It seems so surreal that we are leaving for Africa in 20 days! So much to do, so little time. :)

Sarah and I have been attending Northcoast Family Fellowship while we have been here at school. The church body had been so supportive of our trip. They are allowing us to do a clothing drive at the church as well has lifting us and our trip in prayer.

Sarah and I were both able to purchase our plane tickets a couple of weeks ago. We will be flying into Dubai for the night. Dubai is the richest city in the world. There are more cranes being used there to build than anywhere else in the world combined!

The next morning we will be flying into Entebbe, Uganda! There the directors at New Hope will meet us and take us back to the orphanage.

Sarah and I are so excited! We can hardly believe that our dream is soon to become a reality!

Joan's Story...

Name: Joan Nambubi
Gender: Female
Age: 7
Birthday: April 5, 2000
Nationality: Ugandan
District: Budaka
Grade in School: Primary One
Favorite Hobbies: Hide-and-go-Seek
Religious Background: Christian
Status: Orphan, Resident
Current caregiver: New Hope
Former caregiver: Grandfather

Father: Dead
Occupation: NA
Year died: 2002
Cause of Death: AIDS
Mother: Dead
Occupation: NA
Year died: 2002
Cause of death: AIDS
Number of Brothers: 5
Number of Sisters: 4

My Story
Joan’s parents died of AIDS in 2002, when she was only two years old. Joan was left under the care of a feeble, elderly grandfather earning less than 50 cents a day as a peasant farmer. Joan was not going to school regularly, had no access to healthcare and was sleeping in a dilapidated grass-thatched hut. She spent most days fetching water and working with her grandfather in the family garden.

Florence's Story...

Name: Florence Namwebya
Gender: Female
Age: 6
Birthday: Unknown
Nationality: Ugandan
District: Jinja
Grade in School: Primary One
Favorite Hobbies: Playing
Religious Background: Christian
Status: Vulnerable, Resident
Current caregiver: New Hope
Former caregiver: Grandparents

Father: Alive, HIV Positive
Occupation: None
Year died: NA
Cause of Death: NA
Mother: Alive, HIV Positive
Occupation: None
Year died: NA
Cause of death: NA
Number of Brothers: 6
Number of Sisters: 3

My Story
Both of Florence’s parents became bedridden with AIDS while she was still an infant. Florence was sent to live with an aunt in Busia Town. However, when Florence’s aunt separated from her husband, she was no longer able to care for Florence. At high risk of being abandoned to street life, Florence was brought to New Hope.

Sumaya's Story...

Name: Sumaya Kagoya
Gender: Female
Age: 6
Birthday: Unknown
Nationality: Ugandan
District: Busia
Grade in School: P1
Favorite Hobbies: Playing
Religious Background: Muslim
Status: Vulnerable, resident
Current caregiver: New Hope
Former caregiver: Grandmother

Father: Alive, remarried
HIV: Unknown
Occupation:
Year died: NA
Cause of Death: NA
Mother: Alive
HIV: Positive
Occupation: Sex Worker
Year died: NA
Cause of death: NA
Number of Brothers: 4
Number of Sisters: 3

My Story
Sumaya’s parents divorced when she was still an infant. Soon thereafter, Sumaya was abandoned by her mother, an HIV-positive prostitute in Busia Town Council. Although Sumaya’s father is still alive, he has remarried, moved to a different district and is unable to care for Sumaya. Sumaya’s aunt tried to support her but could not provide the most basic necessities of life.
Sumaya and her brother, Ashiraf, are now under the full care of New Hope.

Annet's Story...

Name: Annet Baiza
Gender: Female
Age: 16
Birthday: April 7, 1991
Nationality: Ugandan
District: Pallisa
Grade in School: S2
Favorite Hobby: Netball, Read Bible
Religious Background:
Christian
Status: Orphan, Resident
Current caregiver: New Hope
Former caregiver: Aunts and local charity

Father: Deceased
Occupation: NA
Year died: 2001
Cause of Death: AIDS
Mother: Deceased
Occupation: NA
Year died: 2001
Cause of death: AIDS
Number of Brothers: 4
Number of Sisters:0

My Story

Before the death of her parents, Annet had a relatively comfortable childhood in Uganda’s capital city, Kampala. She had sufficient food, attended school regularly and did not have to work beyond normal household chores. However, after losing both her parents to AIDS in 2001, life became very difficult. Annet and her siblings were taken to live with an aunt, who eventually mistreated them and denied them educational support and sufficient food. Annet was forced to stay at home where she was treated “like a slave” and forced to work all day instead of attending school. After around a year, another aunt took Annet into her home and sent her to school. However, when this aunt’s financial situation deteriorated, Annet had to work in a neighbor’s garden instead of attending school. Annet often went hungry and was increasingly neglected by her aunt.
Annet was then brought to a newly founded charitable project in Busia serving orphaned children. However, in yet another disappointing twist, the project director began abusing Annet and the other orphans at the project. Having fled the project, Annet was found by a local pastor and brought to New Hope.
Annet is now under our full care. She dreams of finishing school and becoming a nurse.

Amisi's Story...

Name: Amisi Maradiga
Gender: Male
Age: 6
Birthday: July 7th, 2001
Nationality: Ugandan
District: Busia
Grade in School: Primary One
Favorite Hobbies: Football
Religious Background: Muslim
Status: Orphan, resident
Current caregiver: New Hope
Former caregiver: Grandmother

Father: Deceased
Occupation: NA
Year died: 2003
Cause of Death: AIDS
Mother: Deceased
Occupation: NA
Year died: 2003
Cause of death: AIDS
Number of Brothers: 6
Number of Sisters: 5

My Story

At age 2, Amisi lost both his parents to HIV/AIDS. He was then placed under the care of aunt, who works as a prostitute at a truck depot in Busia Town. Unable to support Amisi, his aunt brought him to his grandmother in the Arubaine slums of Busia. Amisi’s grandmother earns less than 50 cents a day from the petty sale of charcoal and is unable to provide Amisi with school fees, healthcare and more than one meal per day. Before coming to New Hope, Amisi slept in a small mud shanty and shared a single papyrus mat and blanket with his siblings.

Ashiraf's Story...

There are 67 orphans at New Hope. Each child has a story. Each one has experienced pain that most of us can only imagine. Here is an opportunity to get to know a little bit more about these precious children. Will you join with Sarah and I in lifting up these kids in prayer? I will be posting a child's story almost everyday so you can pray for each one specifically. Thanks for your continued prayers! ~Laura

Ashiraf's Story...

Name: Ashiraf Mugoya
Gender: Male
Age: 4
Birthday: December 12, 2004
Nationality: Ugandan
District: Busia
Grade in School: NA
Favorite Hobbies: Playing
Religious Background: Muslim
Status: Vulnerable, resident
Current caregiver: New Hope
Former caregiver: Grandmother

Father: Alive, remarried
HIV: Unknown
Occupation:
Year died: NA
Cause of Death: NA
Mother: Alive
HIV: Positive
Occupation: Sex Worker
Year died: NA
Cause of death: NA
Number of Brothers: 3
Number of Sisters: 4

My Story

Ashiraf’s parents divorced when he was still an infant. Soon thereafter, Ashiraf was abandoned by his mother, an HIV-positive prostitute in Busia Town Council, when he was only two years old. Although Ashiraf’s father is still alive, he has remarried, moved to a different district and is unable to care for his son. Ashiraf’s aunt tried to support him but she could not provide the most basic necessities of life. The aunt was so poor she could not afford the 12,000 shillings ($6) needed to have Ashiraf treated for a serious worm infestation in his stomach.

Shoes for Christ

Most of the orphans at the New Hope Orphanage do not have proper, if any, shoes. This is a cause for a lot of health problems because the kids have to walk great distances sometimes to fetch water or go to the market. Lack of shoes can lead to a lot of infectious diseases. We began a shoe drive here at Ecola Bible School. We were completely blown away by the response of our fellow classmates. They helped us buy almost 70 pairs of shoes! Everyone has been so supportive and now all the children at the orphanage will be receiving a brand new pair of tennis shoes. We are so excited to be able to bring the shoes down to these precious children! Thank you fellow Ecola students!! You guys are amazing!!!

Introduction: Journey to Uganda!!!

Welcome to Laura and Sarah's very first blog! Please join us on our journey to Uganda, Africa. We are excited to keep in touch with you all through this blog. Here is some basic information about the trip:

Greetings to our Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

Our names are Laura and Sarah, and we would like to share with you the vision God has given us to minister this summer. We are two students attending Ecola Bible School in Cannon Beach, Oregon. Here at school, God is doing so many amazing things in our lives and we are both growing deeply in our spiritual walks with Him. One of the things God is doing is increasing our passion and hearts for missions. We are very excited to share with you that with our increased passion for missions and with prayerful consideration God is leading us to serve Him in Africa!

We are going to embark on an exciting, God-directed mission to Uganda, Africa, teaming up with the New Hope African Children Foundation.* based in Busia, Uganda. They provide love and care for about 67 children. There will be so many opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus. We will most likely be teaching English, giving HIV/AIDS prevention talks, teaching basic health care and skills to parents, construction, and we will also be meeting needs through counseling with the children. Our targeted departure date in leaving the US is the 17th of May, returning home on the 5th of July.

Prayer is so vitally important and we feel that we need to be covering this trip in it. Would you join with us in praying for this trip to Uganda? Here are some suggested prayer points to keep in mind:

• That God would use us as His vessels and work through us to reach those who are in need of Him.
  
• For safety in our travels, as well as while we are in Uganda.
  
• That God would provide financially for this trip. We will each need to raise about $3,500. $1,150 of that will be given to New Hope to keep their orphanage running, as well as to cover our living expenses while there. Plane tickets and transportation to Uganda will be about $2,000. The remainder will cover our day to day needs.
  
• That we would bring encouragement and love to the New Hope staff. Also, they are praying for a digital camera and laptop for their orphanage and school.
• That people would either come to or grow in their relationship with Christ.

Your prayers would mean so much! This is what the body of Christ is all about, praying and supporting each other. If you want to commit to lifting us and this trip up in prayer, please email us at puregold07@gmail.com. We just want to be able to see who is on our prayer team.

Thank you for praying and we will keep you updated on what God is doing.

May God richly bless you!

Laura and Sarah

*New Hope’s website – http://www.newhopeafricanchildren.org/

**All support for Sarah and Laura is being sent through Chapel in the Pines – Uganda Mission; 55 Smith’s Ferry Drive, Cascade, Idaho 83611. (Laura’s home church.)