Rooted For Service And Hope For A New Decade
The continued picture we believe The Lord has given us for this year is “A Rooted Hope”. Through your generosity of prayer, time, and financial partnership, we have been able to see an immense amount of growth as an organization.
This will be the 15th year since we started our first orphan care center in South Sudan. From the beginning, Amber and I have desired to answer the question, “If our own children were in this situation, what would we want?” The answer for us has been “We would want people to walk alongside our children for a lifetime, not simply when they graduate Secondary School.”
With this said, many of the children in our care are now young adults and have the opportunity for further education in Uganda (Vo-tech or University). We have worked diligently to build out an incredible team of missionaries on the ground in Uganda in order to disciple them, help to create a training center (Arise Discipleship and Retreat Center), have a launch off point for more theological and discipleship training of local leaders, and create economic empowerment mechanisms so the people of East Africa can flourish.
Uganda is home to over 900,000 child refugees and asylum seekers who have fled conflict or persecution from South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi. Of these, over 71 percent are from South Sudan where years of fighting and economic collapse have relentlessly forced families to abandon their homes.
Most refugee children live with the trauma of having witnessed or suffered forced displacement separation from loved ones, and physical and sexual violence. Even in refuge, many continue to be vulnerable to marginalization and violence, especially gender-based violence.
Your investment in the physical and spiritual welfare of vulnerable children and women from South Sudan, along with neighboring Uganda and Kenya, is needed now more than ever.
We are beyond excited to continue and “root down” our partnership with Rift Valley Hope as well. We are trusting this year will be filled with many opportunities to partner with God in what He is doing to restore all things in East Africa.
Finally, when we think of the idea of “roots”. It is this unseen maze of underground life that works to set the tree up well to bear fruit. The stronger the root system, the deeper ability for bearing fruit. Yet, if the roots are not properly embedded then the fruit is compromised. Therefore, this year we are trusting He is infusing our roots with the Hope of Life. We pray The Lord will guide you to walk with us in prayer, possibly serving, or financial partnership. Let’s live in hope this new decade!