Jennifer

Meet Jennifer.

Jennifer is 16 years old. She was abandoned by her father at a very young and once her mother remarried, she was forced to live with an Aunt in an unhappy situation. She was able to go to school and managed to complete P-6 before she was forced to quit school and take care of her aging grandmother.

I had the privilege of visiting Jennifer and meeting her grandmother, Rosaria, this past March. As we approached the house, we were greeted by Jennifer and then ushered into a small dark room to find Rose (as she was affectionately called) lying on a wood framed bed, her frail body covered by a thin quilt. She had been bedridden for quite some time.

As the light came through a small window, I knelt down beside Rose's bed and took her hand to greet her.  Jennifer came in quietly behind us to wipe Rose's forehead with a damp cloth. As I knelt there, I couldn't help but notice Rose's extremely frail body, the thin mattress she lay on, the darkness of the room. Yet, it was obvious that Jennifer was taking good care of her.  

Rose began speaking in Luganda to our translator. I wondered about the stories this woman must possess, what things she must have seen throughout the years, what hardship and heartache she must've known in her life, but also what joy. 

I waited silently for her to finish and was then told that she had asked if I would pray for her. I was humbled by the request.

I took her hand and prayed for her, knowing that she could not understand my words, but our Heavenly Father did and that was all that mattered. I hope that she felt feel loved and valued in that moment. I don't remember exactly what I prayed, but I do remember feeling privileged to have been given the opportunity to pray for this precious Soul. As she looked up and smiled at me, it occurred to me that I might not see her again.

A few months later, Rose passed away. 

When I returned to Suubi in July, I was told that Jennifer had gone to visit her other family members after the death of Rosaria, but no one wanted to take care of her or provide a place for her to live. She had no place to go.

She had spent the past three years lovingly caring for Rose and had made sacrifices most of us can not comprehend. Understandably, she was afraid to return to her grandmother's house to live alone. Her situation broke my heart and I knew immediately that we needed to help her.

Thankfully, we were immediately able to provide a safe, loving, place for Jennifer to stay until she is able to live on her own. We talked to her about her future and her dreams. It had been quite a while since she had dared dream, but she shyly admitted that she wanted to attend Beauty School.  

This precious young woman, who has lovingly taken care of her grandmother for several years wants to attend Beauty School. That's her dream and I believe that, together, we can make that happen.

The total cost of the program is $800 which includes her room and board. If you are interested in donating towards Jennifer's dream of Beauty School, you can donate through our link HERE and add the comment "Jennifer". If you have any questions, please email info@thesuubiproject.org. 

Each of one of us can make a difference, but together we change lives. 

Our Vehicle Miracle

For over a year, we have been dealing with various issues with our vehicle; the last of which was labeled "major engine problems". We knew that we could not afford to continue the unfortunate cycle of repairs that we had been enduring since we purchased it several years ago and were praying for a solution. When informed of the latest issue, Gary and I came to the realization that to spend any more money on repairs would not only be wasteful, but foolish.

Even though we knew we desperately needed a new vehicle, we had no idea how we were going to afford one. We knew the only way we could pull off purchasing a vehicle any time soon would take a Miracle.

With my departure for the summer team trip just 12 days away, I prayed a bold prayer and obeyed the Lord's prompting to "share " this need with our Suubi sponsors and supporters asking for prayer and donations. I even went so far as to pray that the money would be raised before my departure. It was a BIG prayer and I knew it, but I was desperate and believed wholeheartedly that God could manage this request if He chose to do so.

We had never raised this amount of money in such a short time, but with great anticipation, I began checking email frequently.  Each time a new donation came in, I was brought to tears because I knew the Lord was providing.   I was genuinely encouraged by the generosity I was witnessing and it blessed my heart immensely.

A few days before my departure, we were still several thousand dollars short of our goal. I knew the vehicle would most likely cost more than what we estimated since I had watched prices go up since I last inquired. Still, I hoped that our estimate was close and I continued asking the Lord to provide the amount needed before I left.

The day before our team's scheduled departure, I was busy with last minute preparations and did not check my email.  At some point on departure day, as we waited for our flight, I found a moment to check email and was astonished by what I found.  Tears immediately came as I read an email from a gentleman who had done a "little research on the cost of vehicles" and made a donation the day before I left. The amount he donated exceeded the amount I had said we needed. I was speechless.

ONLY GOD can make it possible to raise over $11,000 in less than 12 days! 

Within a few days of my arrival to Uganda, David, our country Director, and I set out looking for the type of vehicle we felt would be a good fit for Suubi. We found one that we were both pleased with and agreed the Lord had confirmed our choice. After negotiating with the seller and finalizing the purchase, for nearly the exact amount we had raised, we sat in our new vehicle and laughed. We were giddy with excitement and in awe over how the Lord had brought this moment about. Before driving off the lot, we prayed together and thanked God for His provision and for the people who prayed and donated to make this possible. It was truly an amazing experience. 

ONLY GOD.

Our Vehicle Miracle = Prayer Answered!  I didn't know the TOTAL amount I would need for the vehicle. I simply estimated and then prayed for the "amount needed" to be raised before I left the country. God alone knew the exact amount I would need. When the plea for help went out, a dozen saints donated the portion they felt led to give and then one last gentleman did a little research and sent what he "thought" might cover the balance. His donation was MORE than I had asked for and he made it the day BEFORE I left for Uganda. Despite my inexperience with purchasing vehicles and the hundreds of choices in front of us, the Lord showed us which vehicle to buy. The last donation MET the amount we needed to purchase it. God supplied EXACTLY what was needed through the faithfulness and generosity of His people !

Even now, as I write this, I'm overwhelmed and so incredibly thankful!

“Each one of us can make a difference.

Together we change lives!”

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE: Joseph Kiyaga is no longer affiliated with The Suubi Project. His employment with Suubi was terminated in October 2014 and he is NOT associated with our project and does not speak or act on our behalf.

Due to a recent news story where Joseph Kiyaga was accused by an elderly woman, who mentioned that he was a pastor at Suubi Community Church, we feel the need need to publicly make it known that we are no longer working with Joseph, nor supporting anything he is doing in Uganda.

The news report said that the woman claims that Joseph deceived her into signing over her land title when he gave her a fake check. We do not know all the facts and are not making judgment, but believe the situation needs to be investigated and pray the outcome is just.

Please PRAY that the Lord will protect and defend Suubi's reputation in country, that false rumors will fall on deaf ears, and that our work at Suubi will continue bringing hope and restoring lives for His glory.

"He holds success in store for the upright,

He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

for He guards the course of the just

and protects the way of His faithful ones."

Proverbs 2:7-9

THANK YOU

When we started Suubi 4 1/2 years ago, we didn't have all the answers to the myriad of questions that ran through our minds and we were nowhere near equipped to do this work; but God had called us and we were determined to walk in faith to accomplish whatever He would use us to do.

We said, "Yes, Lord!" with no conditions attached. We simply trusted in His faithfulness.

We have made mistakes, we have stumbled, we have grown weary, and we have nearly been crushed -- BUT GOD has rescued us each time and continued showing us the way. He has and is continuing to do GREAT things at Suubi and in our community. His faithfulness is never ending.

We are grateful that He has allowed us to partner with Him in this work and we pray that we will continue to walk faithfully in His calling to restore hope and change lives in Uganda in Jesus name.  After all... He alone is worthy of our whole lives poured out unto Him.  Amen?

We are truly grateful for the support of people like YOU. We believe caring for the widow and orphan is every Believer's responsibility and know that we can not continue doing this work without your faithful support.  As the Body of Christ, we each have a part to do;  whether you pray, give financially, go and serve in Uganda, buy a t-shirt, share our needs with others, etc -- YOU are making a difference in the lives of the people we minister to and we are thankful for your partnership.

Together, we truly are changing lives.

With Love,
Gary and Cheryl

Dental Visit

"You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who would argue that a child could fully develop his or her brain, body , or skills and talents without proper medical and dental care.  Despite that reality most orphaned and vulnerable children in our world today lack such care.  In fact, in too many instances, their medical and dental needs are completely neglected."

(excerpt from Pursuit of Orphan Excellence)

We had a wonderful group of ladies visit Suubi this month to clean our children's teeth and educate them on the importance of dental care. 

We could not meet these essential needs without the generosity of volunteers using their time and resources to bless our children.  We praise God for His provision and are so thankful for those who go and serve our students and community with valuable services.

Dental hygiene is a huge challenge for our children.  Families are not educated regarding dental hygiene, nor have the means to pay for dental treatment when problems arise.  

This amazing team cleaned and varnished over 150 children's teeth, extracted over 66 teeth, provided all the students with new toothbrushes, and covered the expense for several children to visit a Dentist in the city in order to receive treatment for abscessed teeth.

What a BLESSING!

The team worked tirelessly to make sure every child had proper care.

This is the third team Kerri has led to Suubi and we were happy to discover that the children who were taught dental "home care" last year were sticking with their brushing at home and had improved hygiene this year.  Progress!

These precious ladies also spent time loving on the children, singing and playing games with them, and even treated them to water balloon game!  

Our children were blessed by the care they received and a few expressed their thankfulness through writing notes.

Susan said, "A highlight of the trip was when one of the students handed me a letter and a drawing of a flower.  Made me cry."  

LOVE!  Love expressed through acts of service is a beautiful and accurate picture of how the body of Christ is meant to operate.  We ARE the hands and feet of Jesus -- loving and serving people while continually sharing the reason for the Hope that is in us! 

We THANK YOU for taking care of our Smiles!

THANK YOU -- Kerri, Genefir, Susan, Jemma, and Cassie for using your time and resources to GO and LOVE and SERVE our Suubi school children.  Your investment to care for their dental needs is a crucial part in changing their lives and we are thankful for your faithfulness!