Dear Shining Hope Family,
You’ve brought so many SMILES to others this month through your generosity! Big smiles . . . joyful smiles . . . smiles so bright they light up everything—and everyone—around them.
“Beauty in happiness can’t be defined,” Kalungi writes. “It must be witnessed. God’s presence in the lives of our children outshines their sad past.”
Just look at fifteen-year-old Drake’s beaming face!
Only six short years ago, Drake lived on the streets. At night, he slept in the house of his grandmother who neglected him. He was a very sad and lonely looking boy when Kalungi first started noticing him. For a long time, he never spoke a word, causing Kalungi to think that he couldn’t talk.
Fast forward to today. Drake is one of the happiest boys you’ll meet! He is a God-fearing young man, full of hope and joy. He is being nurtured and guided, and he is receiving an education. He has friends. And HE FEELS LOVED! Isn’t the Lord good?!
The smiles of Edrine, Alvin, and Scovia are a further testament to His faithfulness!
Our 21 kids aren’t the only ones you’ve left smiling!
“Here is one of the beautiful smiles of the neighbor kids who don’t go a day without lunch. Feeding them is not achieved by our own efforts, but God does it for them. And through our Shining Hope family, their beautiful smiles are possible.”
This happy little guy captured Kalungi’s heart the moment he first saw him. He exudes such confidence and always has a bright smile on his face! And each time the camera is out, he eagerly asks to be photographed and strikes the cutest poses.
September 5th came, and with it, the start of our kiddos’ third term of school!
Kalungi writes from the children’s perspective: “Bye bye holidays, we are back to school. It’s been nice spending some time at home, but it’s time for us to learn more new things. Thank you, our friends, for helping us go back to school with all our school fees in place. This has given us confidence, and we promise with your prayers we won’t disappoint you.”
Grace, Jovan, and Maureen:
To everyone who helped send these little ones to school: we thank you dearly for your kindness! Through you, God is making a way for them to have a better future.
This term is especially integral because, if they pass their exams at the end of the year, they will be promoted to the next grade level. Please be in prayer that each child would excel in their studies so they can move on to attaining higher levels of education, by God’s grace.
Our Nagayi, Dalton, and Caroline (sitting leftmost at the desk):
The LOVE OF LEARNING so clearly shining on the faces of Diana and Wilber!
In a distant village from us, someone else had a special reason to smile. Francis, a beloved paralyzed man, received a long-awaited visit from Kalungi! We are so grateful God opened up an opportunity to travel to see him, as the cost of gas has prevented us for several months.
Kalungi picks up in telling the story: “He was very, very happy that I have not let him feel alone ever since I got to know him. He told me he has been tempted multiple times to commit suicide in the past, but because of the hope I and the ministry bring to him, he finds a grip to keep strong as he continues to pray to the Lord to pass him through these tough times of his life.
“It’s small acts you do for someone that can keep something big from happening to them. May you find it in your hearts to pray for this Brother every day.”
It’s been almost two years since we’ve been in Francis’s life. He admits that he thought Kalungi would only be with him for a short time, as even his relatives forsook him. It has been a mutual blessing to talk with him on the phone, visit him, and help meet his basic needs each month, as he was living in extreme poverty before. Your love gifts have made all the difference!
Kalungi recounts an incident that recently happened to Francis: “On one Sunday, Francis made efforts to go to church to give thanks to the Lord for enabling him to survive even in his crippled state. While being driven on a boda boda (motorcycle) to church, the bottom of his foot was deeply and badly burnt by the exhaust pipe onto which it settled. It took Francis a good time to realize he was getting wounded, as he only noticed as they were helping him off the boda boda to the church. This was able to happen because his lower body isn’t sensitive. He has now healed from this, but please pray for Francis not to have injuries without his notice anymore.”
In closing, we have a special prayer request for you. Between growing kids, feeding more neighborhood children, and prices continuing to escalate, we have been having a difficult time making ends meet. We would be beyond grateful if you joined us in praying for God’s provision.
“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance,” Proverbs 15:13 states. HOW TRUE THIS IS! By caring for these precious individuals and their needs, you’ve shown them Jesus’s love. You’ve wiped their tears away, bringing joy to their hearts and smiles to their faces. THANK YOU for the tremendous impact you’ve made—and continue to make—in the lives of our kids, the lunch kids, Francis, and others He brings our way! May God bless you!
In the joy of the Lord,
Kalungi + Rachel
Comentários