Hard to believe it is October and we are off to another year of school in Uganda! We are so proud of all the kids as every single one of them passed their exams and are being invited to the next grade – a big deal for our children considering the situations they are coming from. The Fall Term has begun and they are all so excited to be back in school where they are eating 3 meals a day, hanging with their friends, and getting an amazing education. Home life for them is hard because their parents, or lack thereof, can’t provide for them so they often go without meals. Your gift of sponsorship has changed their lives.
Clint just returned from Uganda in September and got to be a part of the birthday party celebration for all the sponsored kids. It was such a great day and every single kid got to open a present – thank you to everyone who sent personal gifts or money for us to be able to pull this off. The kids were so excited and felt so loved and cared for. The trip was incredible
and we are putting together all the stories and media from it that is going to be featured at the Project R12 Charity Gala in November. Some of the highlights of trip include getting to rescue 2 beautiful girls, Anita and Sharon, and bring them back to their first EVER bedroom at the Girls SafeHouse. It was such a powerful time.
Our team also got to see the progress of the Boys Safehouse – we are about 80% finished ($5,000 is needed to complete the inside) and hope to finish it totally by the time the boys return from boarding school at the end of the November. We knew that $25,000 was the bare minimum for the house and so now after all the work, we are about $5,000 short – need to furnish the inside, paint, get bedding, and other small things inside that will make the house a home.
We are so thankful for Project 615 and how they stood with us to make the Boys Safehouse a dream come true. Clint also got to see the graduation of over 70 single mothers through the Genesis Project. They completed 6 incredible months of job training, mentoring, and hard work to earn a certificate that legally gives them the right to start a business or be employed by a current business.
Many of the girls are going to be working or starting their own small salons and tailing shops. It’s truly a story of transformation. Perhaps one of my favorite stories out of this trip is when Clint got to go with the girls and see them serve the community by cleaning the streets. Rather than advertising for the Genesis Project, our team serves the community and it speaks far more than any advertisement ever could. Currently, we have over 100 single mothers who just began their 6 months of training and transformation.
We are counting down the days for the Project R12 Charity Gala on November 2ndat 7:15pm at Six Sixty Downtown in Nashville. It’s going to be the finest party and celebration we’ve ever put on with the goal of rescuing over 500 women and children in one night! We are so happy to announce that we sold out of both tickets and tables! If you would like to make a donation towards the goal of the evening you can click HERE and we will factor your donation into the goal!
There were so many other wonderful moments on this past trip that we were able to document via video and we are working hard to put together some pieces for you to actually watch and SEE and FEEL the impact of what you are doing in Uganda. It is such a joy to be able to love everyone and anyone in Uganda regardless of their social, economic, or religious background. Our partners and team in Uganda do such an incredible job of creating safe, powerful, and impactful environments to maximize your giving - we've been able to do more this past year than all previous years combined. It's truly remarkable. One of Clint's favorites moments of this past trip was simply being able to embrace and love one of the local Muslim leaders who came to the Genesis Project Graduation. We both just love this moment because 6 years ago when we began Project R12, this was a deep cry in our heart: to love and serve anyone and everyone - with no agenda.
For us, we believe the greatest servant leader to ever walk the Earth went by the name of Jesus Christ - and at the heart of both Clint and I is the desire to serve justly, humbly, and wholly to everyone and anyone we meet whether it be in the USA or Uganda. So this was a special moment for both of us and a testament to our partners led by our team leader Freddie who have created such a life giving environment that isn't constrained by the netting of religion or judgments.
As always, nothing would be possible without the selfless giving of YOU. We never take it lightly and are so thankful for your kindness and love to people you have never met, in a country thousands of miles away. We are honored. We are praying this Fall is a time of harvest for you all.
Tara