“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
– Philippians 1:6 1:6
Evelyn was part of a large group of men, women, and children who had gathered at the home of a newly sponsored child we were visiting for the very first time. I’m sure those who walked from the surrounding grass-thatch-roof homes were curious as to why foreigners were visiting their neighbor’s home.
I’m sure they were equally surprised to find that a Abraham, a child with disabilities, was being given an opportunity to go to school. (Normally, a child with disabilities would remain at home due to schools not accepting them, or for other cultural reasons.) And they were likely entertained by the young boy’s father, who smelled of locally-made alcohol and loudly welcomed us to his home after being awoken from his midday nap.
We were sitting with this Abraham’s mother and father, sharing the exciting news of his sponsorship and opportunity to go to a school for children with disabilities, when we spotted Evelyn. It was obvious she had been severely burned on her face and her arm. The wound on her arm was open, red, and oozing. She was trying to keep flies from landing on it. Evelyn wasn’t a sponsored child, or even a family member of a sponsored child, but she was right where God wanted her to be that day.
While speaking with Evelyn through an interpreter, we learned she had epilepsy and had fallen into a fire months earlier. We prayed for healing and protection for her. Deborah and David (Discipleship Coordinator and Social Worker) said they would follow up with her.
With the help of the Uganda team, Evelyn was taken to a hospital in Kampala to be seen by a burn specialist. She traveled over 7 hours from her remote village to the hospital, where she was treated for an infection and then received surgery. We recently received the photo at the top of this newsletter along with a video of Evelyn thanking Arrows + Hope for the love and support she received!
What an absolute gift it is that we get to plant seeds of hope, the hope of Christ, into the lives of people like Evelyn – and into the lives of all the bystanders who watched while Eveylyn and Abraham, the most unlikely by their cultural standards, received a gift. The gift of hope.
Thank you to all of you who have planted seeds of Hope with us over the years. Whether in the form of giving, visiting, or praying, each gift is such an important piece to the ministry of Arrows + Hope.
It is a new year, and we are more excited than ever to share the good news of Jesus and the freedom He gives the orphan and vulnerable children of Uganda, their caregivers, and others He puts in our path – just like He did with Evelyn.
Abraham in School
The children pictured here are all sponsored through Arrows + Hope and are from the Soroti area. They are at St. Ursula’s School for children with disabilities, which is one of few schools in Uganda catering to the needs of these children with disabilities!
Christmas Blessing
Thank you once again to all of you who have given towards the Christmas Packages this year! Arrows + Hope was able to provide a special Christmas dinner for 130 families, as well as a goat to all children at the Soroti Center. We are grateful for the team in Uganda who worked hard to deliver these packages along with the message of Hope found in the birth of our Savior
