Dear Shining Hope Family,
To say February has been a difficult month would be an understatement. Funding was particularly low, and we wondered if we would have food for tomorrow. Our eighth graders had to miss their first week of high school. Our vehicle’s alternator died, leaving Kalungi stranded for five hours late at night. Nakato, one of our children’s caregivers, developed severe ear pains and, so far, has found no relief.
There have been many sleepless nights. Heartache. In-the-pit-of-your-stomach anxiety. But in the midst of the pain, we’ve also had . . .
• Our support family there to pray with us and for us. We can’t tell you how much this means!
• Our faithful monthly donors—and the unexpected gifts that came at the perfect time.
• A group of men willing to push Kalungi’s car to a safe place in the middle of the night when the alternator died. And later, the Lord provided the funds to replace this part.
• The Lord’s sweet presence in a special way that is only experienced in the darkness.
• Tuition completely provided for our children in primary school.
• Two gifts that enabled Scovia, Edrine, and Jonathan to start high school on the 27th—and the miracle God gave us of fully supplying their remaining tuition afterwards!
• God’s daily provision of food through kind hearts (like YOU!). No neighbor child had to be turned away empty.
• The joy of rushing a laboring mama to the hospital and being part of helping her baby boy arrive safely into the world.
• And many, many more daily providences from our merciful Father’s hand!
Our kids in primary school started this year’s first term!
Kalungi wrote on the 6th: “Today our kids reported back to school. We prayed for God’s provision in this year’s educational journey like He has always provided. And we prayed for good health to enable all the kids to stay in school for all the days of this calendar year.
“These pupils are being helped back to school today, but I believe, through them, many others in the future will be educated. This will be an achievement rooted in our current donors. God is blessing them with an education so that they may also become a blessing to someone tomorrow in the same way.”
Blessed to be a blessing! Here, Ronald, Grace, and Jovan proudly show off their new school supplies:
Just look at these happy smiles as they are being enrolled!
In closing, we would be so grateful if you came beside us before the Throne of Grace with these prayer requests:
1. Please pray for God’s provision for the food we serve to 70+ kids each month. Pray for the Lord to send many more regular supporters.
2. Please pray that the Lord would bless Kalungi with more land sales, which will in turn help support our ministry’s needs when donations are short.
3. Please pray for Nakato and the severe ear pain she is experiencing. She has had hearing issues since she was young, but has never had pain. Pray for relief, grace to endure, wisdom for the doctors, and provision to be able to see a specialist.
Perhaps you’ve seen the viral video of Rushawn, a ten-year-old Jamaican schoolboy, singing “It’s a Beautiful Day.” The chorus says:
“Lord, I thank You for sunshine
Thank You for rain
Thank You for joy
Thank You for pain
It’s a beautiful day, ay, ay, ay, ay
It’s a beautiful day, aay.”
It may sound strange to thank God for pain. It certainly goes against our nature. But even in the pain, God is good. He is worthy of our praise.
And so, this February, we are thanking God for the pain. We are truly grateful for this test of faith. And we are SO. IMMENSELY. GRATEFUL. for you and for your irreplaceable support, prayers, and presence! If you find yourself walking through a difficult time right now, we want to encourage you to keep praising God in the pain. Keep your eyes on Him. In return, He will bless you with a thousand mercies.
Rejoicing even in the pain,
Kalungi + Rachel
“Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” ~ I Thessalonians 5:16-18
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