After almost nine months of consistent rains, the dry season has finally come. It is
dry, hot (mid to high 90s) and dusty. While this can be uncomfortable, it’s clear to see that God has his purpose for this time as well.
The maize has had time to dry and Thursday was time to harvest. Each harvest (there are two a year here) all available Kasana staff and kids of all ages head down to Enterprise Farm and pick maize together. It’s a fun time of fellowship and the free labor allows the Farm a better opportunity to make a profit to help the ministry. The maize will be stored in our maize crib for a number of weeks before being sold and turned into maize flour.
We thank God for His provision in times of rain and times of sunshine.
Uncle Jonnes and Uncle Jay open Envisioning 2012.
As the Ugandan school year runs Feb. – early December each year, December and January serve as “summer vacation” for the kids.
Our Envisioning band has led wonderful times of worship.
We reported back to work on Jan. 4 and we have been busy hiring new staff and preparing for the year ahead. Most of our sons and daughters who live with us full-time at Kasana Children’s Centre are visiting relatives for three-four weeks before returning to us, their Kasana family, next week.
On Wednesday, we began our annual Envisioning week. It is a wonderful time to join together with New Hope staff from each of our sites and be reminded of the calling God has for us. With nearly 100 staff, their spouses, 30 Investment Year sons and daughters, a number of S5 and S6 sons and daughters, and ten Kenyans from the first Kenyan Institute of Childcare and Family class, this is our biggest Envisioning gathering yet.
This year’s theme is based on Matthew 1:23 – Emmanuel – God with us. We are focusing on the primary purpose God has for us, relationship – first with Him then with others. In our first two days, we have discussed the Biblical foundations of relationship, what deep relationship looks like, barriers to relationship, our own orphan hearts (and how that affects relationship), and relating with wounded hearts to others with wounded hearts.
There is much more to come (three more days of Envisioning). We would appreciate your prayers that we will all be able to receive all God has for us.
- Tal Anderson
BY CONSTANCE DOBBS
Eight years ago, one of our Kobwin daughters was abducted from her family in Amuria by the LRA. At nine-years-old, she became one of “Kony’s” wives. This is the name abducted girls are given. She continues to struggle in almost every way, academically, spiritually, and physically, especially in regards to her health. She still wonders what is”"wrong ” with her. BUT after being with us for almost two years at Kobwin, she now smiles. She now has a glimmer of hope, because of Jesus.
Another son we work with in Amuria, just escaped last year from Central African Republic. Eight years, four countries and five languages later, he has been reunited with his twin brother and is helping to care for his mother. We will bring him to Kobwin in January to be part of our second family group. He is already saved and trusting God to provide care for his ailing mother so he can begin building his future, the future the Father has always had for him.
Who is that? Simply put, family, by God’s grace and blessing. Ask anyone who visits Kobwin even for a short time and they will tell you that there is something very special going on with our family there.
Our Kobwin family in their new school uniforms.
At the age of seven, one of our sons now at Kobwin, witnessed the brutal torture and murder of his mother. The LRA rebels then took his father and until two months ago, our son never knew if his father lived or not. For the last eight years, this young man has had repeated nightmares reliving his mothers death and grieving the unknown fate of his father. We recently received a call that his father was living only an hour from Kobwin! What a joyful, yet tearful reunion it was!!! God, our Father does work in mysterious and amazing ways.
This is just a snapshot of what the Father has carried our Kobwin children through to bring them to our care. Each one has a story of loss, trauma, and heartache equally as astounding and amazing in the depth of need. Yet, we are so thankful that their lives are being transformed in His perfect timing. Most of the children at Kobwin have been with us for almost two years now and the newer ones that joined us this year have been enfolded into the fabric of who we are.
During my recent visit, I had the privilege of leading a number of the nightly devotions as we examined the book of Acts. In just one week, God met us and spoke to us profoundly. We saw how the early church came to be and how they lived and worked together. WE realized that that was us! Young believers, in general, living as family, praying and sharing the word daily, breaking bread together daily – having everything in common with no one in need. The kids were amazed and challenged. The challenge is to go on in the same way and to go out into the Kobwin community and even return to their own community to share the Gospel – to bring life to those who know no life and share the hope they now have. In December, the opportunity is coming. Our kids all go back to Amuria for the holidays and to be with relatives and friends. Please be praying with
us for these young ambassadors!
The fact that our Kobwin children are growing is a real testimony to the Father’s amazing ability to change lives. But there is still much work to be done, much healing that needs to take place. And for this, we also need your prayers! As staff we need wisdom and strength to pursue these special children to the depths of their need. Some of them will be “repairers of the breech” (Isaiah 58:12) for their people and their community. Others, I believe, will go to our local community in Kobwin, and beyond.
We are thankful for our current partners and all that have come alongside of us in one way or another, very thankful! We trust that the others who will join us are on the way!
Digging in the garden. The harvest this year provided a couple of months worth of food.
If you feel the Lord calling you to this area of our ministry, please contact us.
cooking!
Note: The following was written three weeks ago.
Investment year 2011 is coming to an end. We still have two weeks to all have to finish before the 25th (of Nov.) which is going to be the baton hand over to the new incoming I.Y students. This is always a hard time mainly to our leaders because they had gotten close with those going out and at the same time they are excited to have those coming. In it is all a period of mixed emotions.
zam Zam, Fiona, Joanna
For us students it is hard since we were all used to being together. This marks our time to separate as different ones of us join different institutions and those taking the same like a’ levels seldom go to the same school. It is a time marked with testimonies which are a great inspiration to those about to start IY.
The incoming students get their first assignment on the same day they are acknowledged as the next I.Y students. They are asked to read the Kasana story called the LONG ROAD TO HOPE by Jennie Dangers. The book clearly narrates the days of small beginnings to all the achievements reached. All of us children need to hear this as it is the roots unto every thing we are enjoying now.
Zam Zam (IY 2011)
By Godfrey Kyazze, Head of Curriculum Development
Musana 107.8 FM on air.
Psalm 124:1-8
”If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,” Let Israel now say––
“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us,
Then they would have swallowed us alive, when their wrath was kindled against us;
Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul;
Then the swollen waters would have gone over our soul.”
Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth.
Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.”
The words of the Psalmist above, make lots of meaning to us as Musana Radio as we come to the close of our second year of service. We praise God for your love and support through the prayers, encouragement, counsel, giving and the many ways in which you have been part of what God is doing here at Musana Radio.
If it had not been for the Lord, Musana would not have survived this year.
Twice last year, our station was hit by lightening and our consuls were damaged. We are so thankful to God that some of you responded and we got urgent help to replace them. What we did not realize was that the transmitter had been affected and was gradually losing power. By the time we realized this, it had dropped from 1000KW to 15%, literary only reaching that fraction of broadcast. We had to close the station. Experts took it for repair and found out that the damages were big and that we needed to replace it. This was a big blow to us and to our listeners who had become so used to their Radio that it had made them one big family of Musana. Incredibly, we were off air
Our new transmitter.
for three weeks ONLY and through your very generous support the Lord provided for us and we replaced the transmitter. This was a miracle!
By the time we went off air, we had started a teaching on witchcraft which stirred a lot of issues and many people were being set free. This has been a big issue in our country and there has not been a clear voice to address this matter. Musana Radio has been a tremendous tool in addressing this and many are testifying of how they have been set free from witchcraft ever since these teachings started. The teachings have been very vital in preparing the Nation for the 49th Independence celebrations which we had on October 9th as we ushered in the year of Jubilee for our country.
For the big part of the year we have not had enough electrification. We have mostly depended on a generator and fuel to power our station. This has also been very costly.
But through it all we want to thank God for you, our esteemed supporters. Thank you very much for standing with us in our mission of “SHINE AND TRANSFORM”. Through your prayers, encouragements and financial support, we can say, Ebenezer!
We are also thankful for our listenership. Despite the circumstances of being on and off air, our listenership has continued to grow. And more so in terms of what the Lord is doing in their lives. Again and again we hear stories of how people have learnt how to work hard, invest money and start up small projects like poetry, fish farming and others. All as a result of the teachings that we do on Radio, in which we promote three main values, that is, Hard work, Integrity and Love.
To mention but a few, we cannot fail to be thankful for our team that has worked tirelessly and patiently with little pay but believing in the growth of the station. This team of young men and women, most of whom were not believers by the time we took them on, we are grateful for what the Lord is doing in each of their lives. Some have come to know the Lord from there, some have sanctified their marriages, others have got married and others are continuing to amaze the community in which they live because of the big change those who knew them before are seeing in their lives.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
Support Musana FM Radio by sponsoring one full day of programming for $110 or give any amount to the general radio fund – to donate click here.
Praise God that we have almost completed our Standard of Living Matching Funds grant. This grant is already starting to be used to help in providing some much-deserved raises for our national staff and to do some home improvements. Unfortunately, we have had to go very slowly on the home improvements simply because we currently have a serious shortage of construction staff.
While we continue to look in-country for construction help, we could really use construction experts and handy-man types help over this next year. We have 40+ solar units to install (this reduce our reliance on the unreliable grid system here) and a number of water tanks and indoor plumbing to install. If could help us install these items or do general maintenance and would be available to volunteer here for a week, one month, three months, six months etc., we would love to talk to you.
Please contact us through our website.
I’ve always wanted to visit Africa, and especially do medical work there. I’ve come to Uganda with a medical outreach team from Washington state, and New Hope Uganda has been such an amazing way to accomplish my goals. When we got to Kasana Children’s Centre, the welcome from staff and kids was incredible. Even though there are visitors all the time, there is still such tangible excitement to meet everyone who comes by. The Ugandan people are so friendly and generous–they genuinely want to know how your day is going. At first, it seemed difficult to be able to open up to people you’ve never met, but in truth, it is refreshing to actually be able to be sincere in asking how others are doing and being able to answer with feeling.
Things do feel different here, of course, but not in any kind of a bad way. Kasana feels so safe and comfortable, it’s difficult not to feel at home here. The food (which for us has mainly been prepared by Auntie Gertrude and Auntie Janet) has been wonderful. I’m a vegetarian and they had no trouble accommodating that request. The rooms are comfortable and feel very safe, and Auntie Jovia has done an incredible job keeping everything clean for us. We’re carefully advised from staff on how to prevent malaria and other sicknesses, and the support we receive from (especially Auntie Mallory and Auntie Hannah) them is so helpful.
I’ve especially enjoyed working in the clinic with Auntie Jennie and Uncle Roger. It’s been such a blessing to serve people who appreciate every smile and caring touch. Many of us, even those with medical training, were unsure of how we’d be able to help here, but we have been lending a hand wherever we can and it seems to be so appreciated! As our time at Kasana comes to an end and we go on to Musana camps, I can’t wait to see what else Uganda can show me.
- Kat King, part of Alexander Team
Hello
I am James.
I have been blessed to be part of this year and seeing what God has done to my life through IY. It’s an enormous blessing to me
personally. And my special thanks go to the different ones of IY staff for way they have spoken into my life and generally given of their lives and time to be used by God to facilitate and coordinate this program. Its through this that my life has been impacted.
As an individual, I specify that last part of this year has been so influential to me since we had father heart retreat. My heart
was revealed to me as I had lived as an orphan having a stony heart which tried always to ignore everything which concerned such a topic in many sermons I had heard. But knowing the truth that I am a son of God has made a relevant change in my life and I have things that have changed due to this. I.e my trust to God and to people as I have learnt to be vulnerable as a son to my father God for full dependence on him.
I hope as I advance to next levels of life I will get hold of this and always apply it in life. I really thank the initiators of this program that has not only worked for me but also to the multitudes of the others who have made best use of it in acquiring life skills and spiritual benefit. Thanks to auntie Jennie, auntie Jessica and uncle Steve but also to the Kasana family for all your support. God bless you!
IYs cooking chappatti in the early morning.
Washing clothes.
Chapattis for sunday lunch has become a good tradition – the challenge is getting teenagers up early enough to cook enough for 13 of us before leaving for church at 10.!
The Investment year students who are living with us have to do a lot of general work. With no washing machine and no electric iron, clothes washing takes up quite a bit of time at the weekends or spare moments during the week. Everything generally gets ironed to get rid of the mango fly eggs (mango flies like to lay their eggs on damp clothing…the eggs then stay in the clothes and wait for some nice warm skin to burrow in to ..mmmmm – we should say we have never suffered from such choice african bugs!!)
We spend some part of saturday mornings cleaning the house together, everyone has to get involved before being able to choose what to do with the rest of the day.
I am a recent graduate from Seattle, Washington with my BSN degree. This is my first trip to Uganda, as well as working with New Hope Uganda. I heard about NHU through my cousin who went on the trip a year and a half ago. I decided to come on this trip in hopes of supporting the staff, building relationships with the children, and spending time in the clinic. I have a heart to serve others and I am extremely passionate about caring for others, especially children.
This week I was invited to make dinner with the Jonathon Family! I had the opportunity to learn and spend time with Auntie Constance and many of the children in the family. I was able to work alongside Sarah and Clair making chapate! It started with measuring the flour, water, and oil (no measuring cups, all by hand and feel of course!) to making balls of dough and rolling them out to the right consistency and size. I was able to see another son, George, fry them in a pan. He loves to help cook! Our team ate with the entire family after sharing a time of worship and devotions! It was amazing to see each of the children do their part and take pride in their role in preparing our meal.
During the night I was able to talk with the children and find out what they enjoy studying, if they like cooking, etc. They were so welcoming and hospitable! It also gave me
the opportunity to practice with their names and connect with them on their level. This was their area of expertise and they were able to share it with me! I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to cook with Clair and Sarah and learn from them! I believe cooking is important in all cultures and brings people of all ages together!
Chelsea Van Dalen, Lynden, WA, member of the Alexander team
