"For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you 
plans to give you a hope and a future"
Raising Godly leaders for a country in need
A Lasting Impact
  June 2015 

 

                       

 Our whole mission and aim at HUM is to care for children of Kamonkoli and raise them up to be the future leaders of Uganda. We know that if we provide only for their physical needs of clothing, food, and education, we have not yet fully cared for them. It is their spiritual understanding that will shape and determine the whole course of their lives. That is why Katherine started using the AWANA program every Saturday morning: to teach the kids the ways of the Lord and help them to understand what a relationship with Him looks like.

Each week, an average of 250-300 children come to play games and learn and memorize verses from the Bible. It is so exciting to watch these kids hide God's Word in their hearts and know those verses will have a lasting impact on their lives!

Since we live and operate in a 3rd world country and in a different language, there are some distinct challenges to helping these children learn God's Word. The Bible has not yet been published in Lugwere, our local language, so we have chosen to help the children memorize in English. However, since so many of the kids want so much to learn English, they're also even more eager to come and practice speaking each week. Each of the teachers in most of the classes also take time to explain the verse's meaning in the local language (or English in the higher classes) to help the children understand what they are memorizing.

 

             

 When a child successfully recites the verse for the week, they receive a piece of candy. Watching their eyes light up and dark faces grin is so satisfying! Knowing that they have had the double benefit of both candy and spiritual knowledge brings so much joy.

AWANA also provides a great place to identify children in need of the sponsorship program. As they come to AWANA, we can see which children from the community are struggling at home from their lack of decent clothes, evidence of malnutrition, and whether or not they've been attending the public school. According to our Sponsorship Administrator, approximately 60% of the new children we bring into the program are found from AWANA. This is just one example of all of the different programs at HUM working together to provide holistic care for each of our children.

 

            

      

 In my 4 years living in Uganda, I have been convinced time after time that teaching these children to live according to Jesus' values and commands is the best thing I could ever give my life to do. My own parents faithfully taught me God's Word, and demonstrated His own love for me, and I'm so grateful for the chance to pass on what they gave me to my Ugandan kids. I see everyday how desperate they are for love. I see how many of them don't receive love at home and reach out for affection wherever they can. It is one of my greatest joys in life to love these kids and teach them how much Jesus loves them. Thank you all for enabling me, Katherine, and all the staff at HUM to serve our children and do what Jesus has called us to do. May He bless and sustain each of you always. Melanie  

                                                                                                                                                           

      

         

 

 

 

 

303-847-9522
P.O. Box 620727,  Littleton, CO 80162
P.O. Box 1402, Mbale, Uganda, East Africa

 

Meet Winyi

 

 

 

One of the kids who has been faithfully attending AWANA for several years is Winyi. He is in the 4th grade and hasn't missed reciting a single verse this year! His favorite verse that he's memorized is Romans 3:23: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. He says his favorite part of AWANA is reciting verses and running in the games. If we don't have AWANA on any given week, he goes to dig in his family's fields until the afternoon when he goes to the children's choir practice at church. He says that AWANA on Saturday and church on Sunday make those two days his favorite days of the week (though he also loves school and excels in his class). We love watching these kids come with eagerness and excitement to study God's Word!

I

Wish list of items for AWANA

*Balloons

Soccer ball sized rubber balls

*A new AWANA square (designed for outdoor play)   -$85 at awana.org

*Stickers (A large quantity of same size/type would be ideal!)

*AWANA beanbags

*5 referee whistles

 

You may purchases these items and send them to our US office or send funds for us to purchase them.

Write your kids
Many of you recently received letters from your sponsored children.  You can now write them on our website.   hineskids.org