Picking myself up off the floor

Exactly 6 years ago today was the first time I posted on here about a dire need in Uganda regarding Praise and her children and through this post, money was released. 

(Praise was going to find herself and her then 17 children on the street for lack of money for rent.)

Here I am sitting in my quiet house that's still recuperating from New Year's Eve late night,

trying to pick myself off the floor.

6 years!

So much has happened since that day!!! Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined what was going to develop from that first blog post - and Praise's and my relationship 

(in those days she called me sister - hehehe!)

Actually, allow me to back up yet another year:

7 years ago!

There was no blog post, 

but I remember as vividly as if it was today:

Rich and I had just returned from our first exploratory trip to Uganda.

All I wanted to do was lay on the dirt floor,

face down

and stay there for one month.

BAM!

What I had witnessed about the needs - especially of children - there

as well as the Ugandan people I met making a difference

had me floored.

Humbled.

An emotional mess.

(Of course, I wasn't able to do that, as family duties were calling,

 but a mess I was alright... just ask my children)

Fast forward to yesterday afternoon:

I once again felt floored.

Humbled.

An emotional mess.

For very different reasons, however.

In the past few months, God has been accelerating the growth of Maisha Africa in ways that I can hardly keep up with. Even though the monthly running costs for the ministry are a constant challenge,

just in the past month 

(not speaking of the previous months where God also released other properties etc), the property-purchase for our preschool was funded and construction of the permanent preschool building started just before Christmas.

A few days ago, money was released for 2 acres of property for agriculture.

Children working in another property we were gifted with this year  - growing food for now
(dreaming of a playground and soccer field on that property that's adjoining the school)

And yesterday afternoon, I got an email from a couple

(I had connected with the wife, an acquaintance, at the swimming pool some time back!)

who informed me that they wanted to invest

NZ$35,000

into the construction of a 

Place called Home

for Praise, Moses and their children!

$35,000???!!!

Did I read that right???

I put on my reading glasses to make sure that I had counted up the zeros properly.

Yup

Sure enough!

BAM!

I started balling

like I used to ball when I first came back from Uganda

Fell on the floor

crying

this time for joy

in worship to GOD!

OVERWHELMED

at what ONLY HE could be doing on behalf of the precious children in Uganda!

We'd been praying and trying to fund-raise for a permanent home for Praise, Moses and the children.

For the past few years, Praise, Moses, and 12 of their kids (the others staying in the village in the boarding school) have been living in a rented home.

But the owner wanted the home back already a couple months ago. No other rental could be found anywhere near where it was needed and so she graciously allowed us to stay another 6 months.

Long story short, we had a property and a few thousand dollars.

Not nearly enough to build that home.

Yet time was pressing, as the owner REALLY wants her rental back by the end of April.

Through this gift, we can soon start building, as we 'only' need another $15,000.

And we trust that

God

the father of the fatherless

will provide that as well!

On a side note:

I have traveled to Uganda every single year for the past 7 years

sometimes even twice.

2017 was the first year that I didn't set foot on that beloved land.

(had family commitments this year that kept me from traveling there)

Sniff!

But wait!

I didn't need to go this year.

The ministry is going so well without me needing to be there in person.

Thank you, internet!

And co-workers and others went instead of me.

In 2017,

23 people (YWAMers) went to Uganda to minister in different capacities.

God is moving

multiplying

accelerating

BECAUSE HE LOVES THEM!!!!

And that's what thrills me and encourages me to push forward.

I do HAVE TO add one more thing:

What I SO love about what God is doing is the PEOPLE he is raising up here and there around the world in different capacities to work with me/us! 

It is definitely a team-effort of many

and it 

BLOWS.MY.MIND!

I am exceedingly grateful for each one!

You know who you are.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HEART AND INVESTMENT OF PRAYER, TIME, HARD WORK, EXPERTISE, ADVISE AND FINANCES! 

If it takes a village to raise a child, what about many children?

It takes the world! Hahahaha!