“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.”
Psalm 9:9-10
This weekend we celebrate the incredible sacrifice of our Savior at Calvary and the blessed hope of the resurrection. In that moment, Jesus defeated death and made a way for us all to live forever with Him in heaven. The resurrection changes everything! It brings HOPE in the midst of all of our trials here on earth. This world is not our home, and our eternity is secured! Hallelujah!
I witnessed that hope firsthand in the eyes of our V127 kids while we were in Uganda just a few short weeks ago. I vividly remember the emptiness and desperation in so many of them when they first came to us, but what a privilege to watch God transform their lives, one by one. I was able to spend time with many of our students who have been with us for the last ten years, since the inception of the ministry, and I was so encouraged by their passion, intelligence, and vision for the future. They are beautiful, kind, talented, and determined to change the cycle of poverty that has trapped them for years.
On this last trip I was very excited to finally meet our Mark Kazibwe. Mark was away at boarding school the last few times we were in Uganda, but this trip we were able to spend some sweet time with him. Mark’s father abandoned their family when Mark was young, and his mother was struggling even just to feed Mark and his siblings when they first came to us. They had no way to attend school. This is the first photo we received of Mark.
Now I want you to meet him 10 years later, as he is starting Senior 5 on a track to attend university. We recently received some very exciting news about his S4 national exam scores! He told me he would love to be a biomedical engineer or a neurosurgeon. We have no doubt that he will accomplish whatever he sets his mind to, and we will be with him every step of the way.
Thanks to the generous gifts of several friends and supporters, we were able to send the funds for a new playground at Victory Primary School a few weeks ago. Praise God! Our team has been gathering materials and the work is scheduled to begin this weekend. What an answer to prayer! Our current playground is broken and very sad, but the old is about to be demolished and the new is coming soon. I’ll keep you posted!
We came home from Uganda with a list of twelve new children needing sponsorship and I’m very excited to tell you that 11 of them have been sponsored. If you are one of those new sponsors, welcome to the V127 family and thank you very much! Only our little Elisha still needs a sponsor, (pictured here) so if you know anyone interested in sponsorship, please send them to v127.org/sponsor to fill out the form. We currently have 167 sponsored children, and we have helped 203 since the beginning of the ministry. That is only God and His mercy and His gracious provision for His children!
Here’s a quick update on our construction projects, including estimates of the costs for current needs:
- A large retaining wall at Victory House – $7,300
- Renovations at the House of Hope (paint, boundary wall and gate, new bathroom) – $2,120
- Boundary wall around the back of Victory Primary School for security – $5,375
- Completion of the third and fourth floors of Victory Primary School – $18,600
This will all come out of our construction fund as God provides. Thank you for your prayers for provision and wisdom as we seek to meet the most pressing needs before us.
I’m so thankful for each one of you. Have a wonderful weekend of celebration with your families and be encouraged…the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you!
“Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.”
Ephesians 1:15-23 NLT
Much Love,
Jan