We had an incredible time at Bweyale & Bobi Village celebrating the 10-year anniversary of VOH. More than 800 children, staff and guests gathered together for dancing, singing, poems, laughter and LOTS of speeches about ALL God has done in the last 10 years! I think the best part for me was hearing our kids giving testimony to how their lives have been changed and forever transformed! From "hopeless to hope-filled", "no food to eating until their bellies are full", "being afraid to having a loving home", "not in school to making good grades."
I wish you could have joined us. You could have worn a gomesi (traditional Ugandan dress) like Rose and me.
Richard, Scovia & Barbara - with VOH since 2008
Rose and Barbara who will be graduating from University next summer. She'll be a secondary school teacher!
Graduates
Proud mama talking...22 of our sweet "babies" graduated from Senior 6 and will be heading to University or other areas of training next year!!! Nancy (pictured above - front row, second from right) placed #1 in all Northern Uganda on her second term exams.
Catherine's Prayer
I asked the house mom's how I could pray for them. Catherine (on the right above) who cares for 44 orphans in a home built for 24 said, "Pray we can bring more children to the Village."
So Much More to Do
As our children grow, their needs grow and so must VOH. Our prayer and desire continues to be that our kids would grow up to be Christian leaders in their families, communities and country. Continue to pray with us as we train, minister and prepare them to be self-reliant. Some new projects that will begin in 2018 will be providing entrepreneurial and business training. We are partnering with Just Hope International (JHI) to lead in these areas. JHI will also further their agriculture training.
There are thousands of orphans still living in horrific situations - begging for home; begging to come live at one of our Villages. We have selected300 of the MOST VULNERABLEto be on the waiting list.
I had a difficult talk with Tammy (Katie & Zachary's mom). She was asking when the kids could start raising money to build another home for new kids (they raised the fund to build Compassion girls home and Protection boys home). I had to tell her, "We can't move any more children, until we build the infrastructure needed to care for them."
We need to build 4 more classrooms, a counseling center for our traumatized children, homes for more staff, an administration building (government requirement), security fencing and we also need the funds to care for the 44 new children moving into Protection home Bobi Village becausethey are not sponsored.
We need to raise $202,000 by the end of the year!
Received to date: $42,615 Still needed: $159,385
We don't move forward with any building project until God provides through our friends like you. Click here for a list of ways you can be a part of this.
Sounds impossible, huh? As Richard (pictured above) said when we opened our first village..."mum, we need a school motto." I asked, "what should it be?" He answered, "Nothing is impossible with God!"
Rose and I often look around one of the Villages and say, "Did you ever think VOH would come this far? It was just a dream and a prayer." We end up shaking our heads with tears in our eyes.
Impossible! Miracles!
THATis whatVOHisALLabout.
We get to witness God do the impossible in the lives of our children!!!
Thank you for joining us!
Cindy Cunningham, Founder & Executive Director Rose Aber, Uganda Director
Thank you for your #GivingTuesday gifts!! Through 13 supporter Facebook Fundraisers, our VOH Facebook page and website donations, you gave more than $23,200! With the $10,000 matching funds from a generous donor, that makes more than$32,200 raised in ONE DAY!