Farewell 2014 - bring on 2015!

Here's a little sneak-peak into our year 2014!

Click on the pause-button on the bottom right when the first page comes up and then advance at your own pace. Each photo enlarges when clicked on.

REJOICE with us over the GOODNESS of GOD!

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MIRACLE-WORKING GOD!!! (part 2)

I am totally giddy as I get to share what 

ONLY GOD 

could have orchestrated about getting 

FRESH 

CLEAN 

WATER 

onto the property of

If you haven't read part 1 of this amazing story, please go back here to read it now.

It's a MUST if you want to get the whole picture of HOW AMAZING our GOD is!

In the midst of significant financial challenges at the moment, 

GOD'S

OVERFLOWING, 

SUPERNATURAL

UNEXPECTED

PROVISION 

took us by surprise.

Speaking of overflowing, here is a short video-clip about the drilling of the well and the 

FIRST WATER FLOWING!

You cannot imagine

HOW THRILLING 

the sight of water flowing is in a setting where water is so hard to come by!!!

Did you know that EVERY DAY

4,500 children die due to lack of clean water?

That is equivalent to 8 fully loaded 747s!!!

SHOCKING, aye?!

And here, 200+ children are now able to have access to this water!

IT IS GLORIOUS!

So, here's the rest of the story:

ONLY GOD...  

... knew that water was found in ONLY ONE SPOT on the 2 properties
(home property and adjoining future school property)

Miracle water!!! I love love love these children!!!

ONLY GOD...

 ... knew that in order to make a well in that ONE SPOT it needed to happen BEFORE the building of the new school building, as access to that ONE SPOT would have been pretty much impossible after the beginning of the construction.
(And now we know why the construction needed to be delayed... hahaha)

oh, these faces! so beautiful!!!

ONLY GOD...

... could have orchestrated the building of the well in such a way that it was finished and dedicated on Friday last week, with the construction of the school starting this Monday.

Talk about

PERFECT TIMING!!! 

WOW!!!!

I am still blown away!!!

ohhh - the blessing of fresh water!!!!

ONLY GOD...

 ... arranged things in a way that the actual drilling happened on a Sunday morning as it was the only time the company was able to do it. 

It did disturb the church service on the property, but could it be that

IT WAS THE SERVICE?!!!

Coincidence?

Or GOD at work, showing HIS LOVE to HIS CHILDREN?!!

watching in wonder

ONLY GOD...

... knew that water on site was really necessary for the building of the school
and it needed to be there NOW!

It will save so much hassle/work/money!

such loveable children!

ONLY GOD...

... knows the person who paid for this

(maybe one day we'll find out, too, but we really don't need to)

WATER!!!!!!!!!!

God knew, intervened, orchestrated, provided

JUST IN TIME!!!

To show HIS LOVE, CARE and GREATNESS

towards the children and those caring for them!

WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!!!

This miracle couldn't have been more timely and inspires us with a whole lot of FAITH to believe God to move the other mountains that are before us as a ministry at the moment.

What are thousands of $$ to HIM?!!!

Really?!!!

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!

HE KNOWS

HE CARES

HE GUIDES

HE PROVIDES!

That's right!

What a monumental encouragement for the 

BIG PROJECT OF THE CONSTRUCTION 
OF THE SCHOOL!!!

Here's a short video-clip with Praise speaking about it on the grounds of the new school,
even showing the current school.

News from Praise Sept 14 from Isabel Betts on Vimeo.

And, in case you are curious: the well will be squished between the fence and the back of the new school building. It will be accessible but we are going to start praying for a solar pump so that water can be pumped to the different places on the property that need water.

P.S.: Have I ever mentioned that my father used to own a well-drilling-company
(together with his brothers)?

Just a little detail that brings me an extra tickle!

GOD IS AMAZING AND WE GIVE HIM ALL THE GLORY FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE!!!

MIRACLE-WORKING GOD!!! (part 1)

There are times when God's goodness literally 

TAKES.MY.BREATH.AWAY and

makes me tremble in AWE of HIM!

When HE does things that SO clearly show that 

HE KNOWS

HE SEES

HE CARES!!!

I spend a lot of my time and energy raising and stewarding finances for 

in Uganda.

Besides the fact that this means hard work, long hours and many sacrifices

- even for the family -

in general I am having a blast FUN!

Just to watch GOD at work on behalf of HIS precious, beloved, children

(after all, HE is the FATHER TO THE FATHERLESS)

makes me feel like this:

HE is the one working tirelessly on behalf of the 

forgotten

abandoned

orphaned

unloved

suffering

And what do I get to do???

I GET TO come along for the ride!

Even when I pedal as hard as I can

and am out of breath many-a-times

It is OBVIOUS that it is HE who makes the bike go places!

WOHOOOO!!!

And sometimes the speed is ASTOUNDING!

Folks,

HE CARES, HE REALLY DOES and HE is at work!!!

Remember this for the struggle YOU might be having RIGHT NOW.

HE works behind the scenes on our behalf and HIS timing is PERFECT,

even though it might not look like it at times.

This post will be in 2 parts

as there is too much for just 1 post:

When I first visited Praise and the children in their 'jungle home'

2 1/2 years ago

This is where the children would get 

water to drink, cook with, wash etc

It was risky and Praise was constantly worried that they might fall in and drown

or get hurt/abused in some way on the way there and back.

Click here to see a blog post with a photo of the kids getting water from here.

Let's not even think about how disgusting yucky and unhealthy that water was,

and yes, many were sick because of it.

Fast-forward to 1 1/2 years ago, when God provided this well.

Not only for Praise and the children but the whole village.

That was ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!

And - as God usually does things - he used people whose hearts were moved by the plight of these children and the village without a clean water-supply.

YET

The children have been walking 10-20min each way to get the water

and carrying the heavy loads is definitely not ideal for their growing bodies.

They've been walking there early in the morning (around 5-5:30am)

in the dark

and oftentimes again a second time in the day

to provide for their very basic water needs.

And many times they have had to wait in line and 'compete' with the other villagers

to even get water at all.

even the little ones are getting trained up

On the way to the well!

photo taken during my recent trip to Uganda - thank you, Sallie!

NOW

ARE YOU READY FOR THIS???

As of yesterday, October 3rd, 2014

THERE IS CLEAN DRINKING WATER AVAILABLE 

ON THE PROPERTY FOR THE NEW SCHOOL

 just a few meters/yards from the home!!!

And this well is a 

SUPERNATURAL

PROVISION

OF 

GOD

ALMIGHTY!!

Imagine this unknown (to us) company showing up

and drilling a well

without anybody that we know - or who knows us - being involved!

Not asking for even one cent for payment

(value: US$8,000)

JUST.LIKE.THAT!!!!

It is UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

But TRUE!!!

For more of the story and photos 

come back for part 2!

And believe me - it gets even better!

WOW, GOD, WOW!!!!

To YOU be the glory

GREAT things you have done!!!

God of Surprises!

Who would've ever thought when I wrote my last blog-entrance that I would write an update like this today????

I certainly didn't! 

And I certainly also didn't expect to be silent for so long, but hey, LIFE is happenin' around here and
 a whole lot of amazing stuff that just puts blogging on the back burner.

When I was in Uganda for Praise's wedding in January,
I met up with Willy (see last post) and found out that he was looking for a job,
besides the small business he'd started.

at the wedding

I also met up with the staff from our Hope In Villages+ program and as we were talking about the way forward with getting the children's caregivers started into micro-businesses, we all came to realise that the next phase would require the help of somebody that's trained in business.

Here you can see some of the ladies singing and dancing for me, thanking the sponsors:

Long story short - Willy agreed to work with us and has done a fabulous job in the last few months, with the bonus that he gets a salary, which helps him support a whole bunch of people. 

He even turned down an offer from the university to lecture (with a much higher salary) as he had already committed himself to our project.

What an amazing young man he is!

He LOVES what he does as it is his passion to help impoverished communities get out of poverty through business and I can tell that he really cares for these ladies and wants to help them.

Willy with some of the women

During our last Skype-call Willy told me about the amazing time he had as he was visiting some of the ladies one by one to mentor them in their newly started (or boosted) business due to the loans they had received the week prior.

(They also have a savings-scheme going)

Several people testified to him about the change they had seen in the women since they'd started to come to 'those meetings at the YWAM-base':

Abusive and alcoholic before - now loving, sober, singing songs and doing their work.

Then he was intercepted by a group of men who wanted him to share from the Bible, as they also had noticed a change going on in their community through the women.

They were encouraged about businesses starting up now, too.
Not so long ago, the only businesses in their community were alcohol-production.

With Willy as the first male figure in the program, they were so eager to listen to anything he had to say and he carefully shared from the Bible and led them to the Lord.

They even assured him that they were going to start going to church.

How about that for change through some loving investment?!!

This is just the beginning, but oh - how exciting!!!

Here are some more photos:

first sprouts of HOPE coming through the ground in our garlic project that is to serve as a pilot- and training-project for the women - also hoping to make enough profit to keep employing somebody to keep mentoring women in their businesses

a couple of months later - doing well through "Farming God's Way"

one-on-one mentoring of one of 25 who have received loans so far

just a week after the giving out of loans - a new kiosk for selling veggies

GO, GOD, GOOOOO!!!!

You - and only YOU - can change communities!

One person at a time!

YEAH!!!