Though we serve many intact and single parent, impoverished families the majority of our sponsored children are orphaned. Through sponsorship we are enabling many extended family members to care for most of them. But, some have simply run out
of options. Over the years, Katherine has brought many of these children
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Katherine & Eunice |
into her home to love and care for them. Many have grown up and are on their own, becoming leaders and
successfully contributing to and sharing Jesus with their country. With the help of Rac
hel
and Evelyn, she is making a difference for many children coming from impossible circumstances.
Caring for orphans alongside Katherine is Mama Phyllis. Paula Woodside, a faithful HUM board member and recently retired educator, visited the ministry this month and had an opportunity to visit with Mama Phyllis.
Down a red dirt path next to Mama Katherine's house is a small, immaculately kept house. Mama Phyllis calls it home. She calls herself "mama" because she has loved and nurtured many, many Kamonkoli children through the years in the small home that houses bunk beds, a large
table, a kitchen, and a washroom
that can accommodate the children who live with her. In her care, she has had between 4 and 9 children at any given time. These are children with no where else to live, and in need of a place to sleep and eat. Mama
Phyllis's home operates as part of HUM, enabling the foster care of
children in need. It is just one more way to extend foster care for more children.
In 2009, Mama Phyllis was a part of a small church in Mbale. As a single woman, she struggled to provide for herself. Pastor Charles thought she would be a perfect fit as a foster mother for the small home on the HUM property. The rest is history.
She has worked tirelessly for HUM nearly 10 years now. Though she appears shy and unassuming, she runs her home with efficiency and
organization,
giving children the security they so need. Mama Phyllis can be found cooking, scrubbing her home and working in the gardens in back of the house. Most importantly though, she devotes her time to helping children grow strong physically, emotionally and
spiritually.
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Mama Phyllis & 4 of the orphans from her home
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When asked what she most enjoys about her work with HUM, she responded by saying, "I love to watch the children of HUM ministry grow in Christ. They talk about God and learn to personally walk with Him every day." Lovingly, she works to gain the respect of each child she has, and admits it is difficult to discipline her children when they are disrespectful. "Guiding children, even when it is hard, is the important process," she admits.
Though Mama Phyllis has little "extra time", she enjoys watching cartoons with her kids or listening to broadcast sermons. "I love HUM, and my relationship with Katherine," she quietly remarks. "This is not only the home of my children, but the place that I rest and call 'home' for myself.
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| Hines Ugandan Ministries
Katherine@hineskids.org http://www.hineskids.org
303-847-9522
P.O. Box 620727, Littleton, CO 80162
P.O. Box 1402, Mbale, Uganda, East Africa
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C
lick here to donate online
Donate Now
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A Day at the Orphanage
Share in Katherine's joy of caring for these children, making a meaningful difference in their lives to the glory of God. $158 will meet all the needs of the four orphanage homes for one day.
The Privilege of Litteracy
Acquiring a quality education and literacy are privileges in much of rural Uganda. Imagine a child holding a book in his or her hand to read for themselves for the first time ever. Most of the primary schools in Uganda cannot afford textbooks let alone the privilege of having a library. Though we don't have an extra room at our Genesis School to house a library as yet, we have been able to collect small classroom libraries.
With the challenges of transporting books from the U.S. and securing culturally relevant books we have also added some books on Kindles. An even more unique experience for these children than reading a book is reading an electronic book. They do not have computers, tablets or smartphones and most of them don't even have electricity in their homes.
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Thanks to all of you who have given to our school supply needs in the past year. You helped provide these Kindles and e-books.
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Teacher Paula reading to the kids
on a Kindle reader |
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