The Christmas Season: Good News with Obstacles

My daughter Katelyn once told me that trail mix is just M&M's with obstacles.  That made me laugh, mostly because for me, it is SO true.  Eating all the obstacles is definitely worth it when it means I get a few M&M's out of the deal!

I approach life that way too.  I can put up with a lot of stuff I don't really like when there is a "payoff" at the end (or at least the hope of a payoff!).  I don't really like raking up leaves, but I sure do like a clean, healthy yard.  I don't really like vacuuming, but I sure do like a happy wife!  I'm sure you can relate.

Christmas time is here, and believe me, there are plenty of obstacles we need to go through to get to what really matters.  But in our culture, there isn't any other way to get to Christmas than to go through the obstacles.  The shopping, the materialism, the parties, the busyness, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, trips to the in-laws, and fruit cake.  Enjoy them all (if you can), but never forget what's on the other side. Never forget that God became a man, and that He made a way for sinners like us to find our way back to Him.  Never forget that the baby Jesus, born in a barn, became the Savior of the world.  Your Savior, and mine.  That's the Good News! He's the reason we do what we do at ECM.

I hope you'll agree that it's worth it to fight through the obstacles in order to enjoy the Savior (who is even better than the trail mix with M&M's that I just happen to be eating right now!).

A Thanksgiving Thought

Paul said “Give thanks in all circumstances.”

Yeah, right.

I know, that might be a little too honest for some of you, but for others it is exactly how you feel right now, or how you felt yesterday, or will feel tomorrow.  The truth is, sometimes it is easy to be thankful, and sometimes it is most definitely not.

We are told that when life gives us lemons, make lemonade; that when God closes a door, he opens a window; that we need to keep our chin up and keep pressing on, no matter what life throws our way. If only it were that easy….

Thankfulness is a matter of perspective.  Some people are thankful because they are looking down at the grass, not up at it; others find reasons to complain about almost everything.  I am always amazed at how our African brothers and sisters are continually thankful in all circumstances.  And trust me, they have every reason not to be thankful, at least if you are looking at material possessions and ease of life.

You see, thankfulness is not something we can or should turn on and off, like the bedroom light switch.  We don’t choose a day of the year on which to be thankful. Being thankful is, like love, a verb; something we must choose to do continually, even when every fiber of our being tells us not to. It should be our lifestyle and come from deep within.

Join me in giving thanks to God for all he has done, for his mercy and love, and for the gift of salvation.  Join me in thanking God for ECM’s first thirty years, and in asking Him for His blessings on another thirty.

Give thanks in all circumstances.  Yeah. Right!

Self-su...what?

Like many of us in the church today, you may have heard the term "self-sustainability" used in a missions context.  You may have thought, "that sounds right, but what does it really mean?  As we consider the role we play as Christians in bringing the Good News of Jesus to a hurting world, it is important that we understand what the term refers to, and more importantly, why it is important for mission work in the 21st century.

Over the past one hundred years, the ability to move not only people, but also goods and funds, from one continent to another, has improved greatly.  Whereas once we sent missionaries to foreign lands with just a Bible in their hands, we now send them with crates of clothing and supplies for the nationals.  We also send them with a very large checkbook to be used to help people.  We have typically shown our love to those in need by giving them what they needed. Unfortunately, we have created a dependency on US resources which is difficult for many third-world communities to break away from.

To fight against this creation of dependency, mission organizations have increasingly moved toward partnerships with local ministries which promote self-sustainability, the ability to sustain the work without demanding that all or most of the funding come from outside the community (typically from the western world).  In general, this surfaces in missions in one of two ways: 1) individual self-sustainability, where individuals and families become able to sustain their livelihood without the financial assistance of others (often through micro-financing opportunities and training); and 2) project sustainability, where the ministry work is able to continue even after the parent organization no longer provides funding.

The Gulu Poultry Project is a perfect example of this second type of sustainability.  With this project, ECM is making a distinct effort to move from where we are now, providing 100% of the resources needed to do ministry in Gulu, to where we want to be, providing a small percentage, or even no percentage, of the resources needed.  The Poultry Project is a first step in making this move possible!  If you think that we're on the right track, please join with us to help raise the funds necessary to start the project! Watch the video and donate here!

All You Need is Love?

In 1967 John Lennon penned a song that was, at the same time, both wonderful and terrible.  All You Need is Love topped the American and British charts that summer, and reflected a deeply felt idea that if we would just love each other, all would be well.  It is a wonderful idea because it reflects the words of Christ when he told the pharisees that ultimately there were only two important laws, to love God and love our neighbors (not to mention Paul's words that "the greatest of these is love").  But it is a terrible song because it makes it sound as if it were easy! In fact, each verse ends with the cheery lyrics, "it's easy."  The problem is, we all know it's not.  If it were, the world would be a different place. If it were, Christians would be better at it. If it were, then we would be able to love our enemies (and even those who have different political views).  And don't forget, Jesus told us to do that too.


But what does love have to do with Every Child Ministries?  Everything, to be honest.  Maybe you give financially because you get a tax deduction, but I doubt it. Maybe you give because it makes you feel good, but I doubt that's the main reason. Maybe you give out of obligation, or because everyone else is doing it, but I think it's much more than that.  At the very core of our giving is, and must be, love for others.  Jesus prayed that our love for each other would be the "selling point" of Christianity, the intangible that made others receptive to the Gospel.  It is our love that brings hope and healing to a desperate world.  It is our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ and for the lost that makes us stand out in the crowd.  Not our rules and laws, our morality, our obedience, or our wealth and power.  But our love. And so it is both beautifully simple and terribly complex.


May love motivate you to respond - a love that comes from a deep gratitude for what God has done for you.  May it persuade you, more than any crafty development officer or slick website, to help others by giving of the resources God has blessed you with.  So, after all, I guess it it is true. All you really need is love.  

If Ever I Loved Thee

A wise person once said, "If you live long enough, you had better be prepared to live with loss." At 51 years of age, I experienced my first significant loss when my mother passed away last week.  One of my comforts during this difficult time has been the fact that my mom did not experience the loss of any of her children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren.  What a blessing!  If only that were true for everyone.  Some of you reading this have lost a child or a grandchild, perhaps a sibling or even a spouse.  I cannot imagine the grief you have gone through!  Those of us who work on the African continent cannot escape the reality of untimely death.  You cannot be in Uganda or Ghana or Congo long without learning that your friend has lost a child or a sibling or a parent.  Funerals are as normal (and as frequent) as the rising of the sun.  Death is, as they say, a part of life.


Perhaps I am drawn to the African people, ultimately, because of their perspective on life and death.  Despite the hardships of life, and the frequency of unexpected and untimely death, they never lose sight of their reason for existence.  They exist not to become wealthy, powerful, or famous, but to relate in love, first to their God, second to their families, and finally to their communities.  This describes my mom, too, and I hope that it describes me as well.  When I reach the end of this life, may I leave surrounded by those who love me, ready to hear the voice of Jesus welcome me into eternity, where I will see not only my mom, but my African friends who have gone before me.  The words of William Featherston from over 150 years ago still ring true:

I'll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,

And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;

And say when the death dew lies cold on my brow,

If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

The Plight of Children with Albinism

Albinism: a congenital disorder characterized by the complete or partial absence of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes.... (see Wikipedia article on Albinism).

Without going into great detail about albinism (you can learn more by clicking on the link above), I think it is important for you to know that of the thousands of children affected by this condition in Uganda, almost all of them struggle to survive and thrive, facing significant, even life-threatening discrimination at times.  Aside from serious medical issues, albino body parts can sell in nearby Tanzania for thousands of dollars (a "complete set" can sell for $75,000!).  One women in our project had to flee with her albino children to another city because her husband had hatched a plan to sell the children to a witchdoctor in Kenya for the purpose of harvesting their body parts.  It's hard to imagine, isn't it?  But these things can and do happen to these children.

Though ECM includes children with albinism in many of our projects, we have started a project in the eastern part of Uganda (Tororo) that works almost exclusively with these especially vulnerable children.  A local school has invited us to use some of their classroom space each Saturday, a generous gift considering many Ugandans still consider albinism a curse, and many fathers will leave their wife and children because of it.  (Ironically, albinism is hereditary, so dad might just have something to do with it!)  The community is shocked that anyone is doing anything for these kids, and the albino families can't quite believe that someone has actually come to provide assistance for them.

But we can't do it alone!  Won't you consider joining with us to sponsor at least one child with albinism?  The family will be so grateful!  I spoke with all the kids in this project yesterday, and was so impressed as they sang and danced and showed off their artwork.  The oldest, John, explained that he wants to be a doctor and an artist.  And why not?  He already has Christ, who gives him strength.  Now all he needs is a little help from his friends!

Click here to read more about albinism and what ECM is doing to help those affected by the condition.
Click here to be a friend to one of our children with albinism (or any needy child)! It's a step you won't ever regret!

We pray for more fathers like this one, who continues to love and care for his child with albinism.

John wants to be a doctor and an artist!  He's off to a good start!

The children in our Tororo project holding their artwork.  People are affected to varying degrees by albinism, which is why some of the children have darker skin.

Teaching Teachers

St. Paul Primary School students gather to welcome the ECM Team to their school.

In all my years of teaching, I have never run across a group of students more eager to learn than the teachers of St. Paul Primary School in Naigobya, Uganda. My experience proved true once again as a group of teachers from the US shared new methods and resources with the teachers in this Christian school far from what we would label "civilization."  They eagerly soaked up every word and every new idea during Monday's seminar.  Throughout the rest of this week and into next week, the team of US teachers will work alongside their Ugandan counterparts, demonstrating, mentoring, and building lifetime relationships.

ECM is always looking for teachers who want to share their experience and knowledge with those who have not had the same opportunities in education.  Let us know if you would like to be part of a future short-term team, or if you would even consider long term service in an educational setting in Africa.  We'd love to have you on our team!

Here are some photos that will show you what the team has been up to!

Students listen intently as the US team is introduced

US Teacher Natalie demonstrates a method for teaching math

US Teacher Sarah explains a science concept

US Teacher and team leader Lyla shares with the group

US Teacher Theresa explains phonics principles

Theresa's husband David installed a solar panel and light so that Headmaster Michael
could have a light in his office

While the teachers were in training, someone had to look after the kids!!  ECM Missionary and Afayo team leader Bruce Coker took care of that, along with new Afayo team members Shelley and Matt Actis (below).  

Christmas in June: The Container Arrives!

In mid-March a group of ECM volunteers worked long hours to pack a 40 foot container with boxes and furniture, destined for Uganda and ECM's many projects there.  I took some pictures and video as the container left ECM's driveway, and quite honestly, hoped I would never see that container again!  Little did I know that I would be taking more pictures as the container was unloaded Thursday evening near ECM's office outside of Kampala!

Yes, after nearly three months of uncertainty, and many long days for ECM worker Sophie Akella, the container we so carefully packed in our parking lot was quickly unloaded in the dark using car headlights by a group of teens from the Kamwokya Project.  Many items were distributed to Afayo team members Bruce Coker and Simon Mugulusi for the long trip to Naigobya, while other items made the short trip to the ECM office, where they were somewhat haphazardly tossed in piles, partly a result of the lateness of the day, and partly of the teenagers doing the work!  At the office, the boxes will soon be sorted for the various ECM projects in Kampala and around the country.

The bottom line is, despite all the uncertainty, the container has arrived and been unloaded!  Praise the Lord!  There are many wonderful items donated by so many of you that have finally reached (or nearly reached) their destination.  But there is one thing that I am pretty certain of this time: I don't think I will ever see that container again! And that's OK with me!

ECM missionary Bruce Coker directs traffic as the container is
unloaded Thursday evening in Kampala

Yes, there were a lot of boxes in that container!

A small sample of the boxes piled up in the ECM office.

Lives Restored

The sleepy town of Gulu, Uganda lies some 200 miles to the north of the capital city of Kampala, just 90 minutes from the South Sudanese border.  Located in Acholiland, the city and the surrounding area were devastated by war for almost 20 years.  After President Yoweri Museveni forcefully took over the country in 1986 from Tito Okello, who was Acholi, sentiment rose against Museveni in Acholiland.  The movement, familiar to most of us as the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), eventually turned on its own people in order to "purify" the Acholi and turn Uganda into a theocracy.  Atrocities such as rape, murder, and kidnapping of children for the army followed, until 2006, when Kony and the LRA were finally driven out of Uganda. (see Joseph Kony, Wikepedia).

Peace in Acholiland has brought the opportunity for restoration and new beginnings.  ECM's work is located in an area called Tegot Atoo, which was a displacement camp during the war.  The name comes from the two nearby adjoining hills ("Tegot"), and the fact that so many lives were lost in the area during the war (Atoo, roughly translated, means "place of death.").  Many of the children we work with still have memories of the war, and some lost their parents.  Those parents and caregivers still living have few if any memories before 2006 that did not include death and devastation.  Yet these very children gave many testimonies during my visit of God's goodness, and expressed thankfulness for ECM and our work in the area.  In the Tegot project, ECM helps the children attend school, provides uniforms, and works closely with the families to ensure that the children are well provided for.  By helping these children become successful in school we give them hope for today and tomorrow.  By sharing the love of Jesus with them, we give them hope for eternity.  I think that about covers it, don't you?

To read more about ECM's work in Gulu, click here.

Primary school children in ECM's Tegot Atoo project in northern Uganda. There are more than 70 children in this project, making it ECM's biggest project in Uganda.

ECM's secondary school students and Gulu staff.  As the oldest children in the project, these children still have significant memories of the war.  They are doing well in school and for the first time have a reason to be optimistic about the future!

Finding our Way Home

Entrance to The Way Home Discipleship Center in Nasuti, Uganda.

Today was a homecoming of sorts.  Not in the typical fashion of returning to my boyhood home, or a place where I had spent much of my life.  This "homecoming" involved going to a place where I had never been before, the site of ECM's widow and orphan project, "The Way Home."  To be honest, I had seen and been involved with the work of the Way Home for several years, but now the project has grown and is developing its own Discipleship and Pastoral Training Center to supplement the help already being given to widows and orphans (new homes, discipleship, and Farming God's Way training and implementation).  The new center will house pastors who come for Bible and Pastoral training, a great need in a community where most pastors have little or no training.  Pastors are already lining up to receive this valuable training, which we hope to start in August.  Please pray for ECM missionaries Russ and Marcia Baugh and the entire Way Home team as they follow God's lead in this exciting venture.  Click here to learn more about The Way Home.

Missionary Russ Baugh leads a front porch
Bible study for The Way Home staff.

On an entirely different topic, I had the opportunity to catch up today with an old friend, Immanuel.  Immanuel worked for us 15 years ago when we lived in Kampala, and turned from Islam to Christ in part through our relationship with him.  During that time he had a son, whom he named Mark.  I had the opportunity to "meet" Mark for the first time since he was a toddler, at his boarding school in Kampala. It was exciting to see them again!

Left to right: Mark, Mark, and Immanuel

Why we do what we do...

There's a funny story of a family that always cut off the ends of the pork roast before placing it in the pan for cooking. One day a visitor asked why they did that, and the truth was, no one really knew.  Mom didn't know, and grandma didn't know. They had just always done it that way.  Finally someone asked great-grandma if she knew why she always cut off the ends of the roast.  "Sure," she said.  "My roasting pan was too small."  Sometimes it pays to ask questions.

As I begin my travels in Uganda, I must ask the question, "Why do we do what we do?"  "We've always done it that way," can simply not be our final answer. Today, barely out of my cramped Boeing 747 mini-seat, I visited four of ECM's nine projects in Uganda, to begin finding out why we exist here.  I found my answer while visiting the Kamwokya project in Kampala.

Maria is in her 20's now, and has been a sponsored child in ECM for many years. She spoke with passion and tears about how ECM gave her hope when she had no reason to be hopeful.  She spoke with a heartfelt gratitude not only for her sponsor but also for ECM and the love shown to her over the years.  Patrick followed with a poem he had written, expressing his deepest thoughts about his troubled past and the hope he has now for the future because of the love of God and ECM's staff.  Steven shared from his heart a testimony of a hope that strengthens him from day to day.  And the entire group sang a song written by an ECM project volunteer, grinning as they sung the chorus "Every Child Ministries, Uganda, bringing hope and a smile to African children."

At ECM we are not primarily in the business of filling stomachs, providing clothes, and making sure kids get an education.  We are primarily in the business of bringing hope.  Some hope is for today, and comes from a good meal, a new shirt, and good grades in school.  It is a good and absolutely necessary hope.  But a better hope is for eternity, the kind that pushes us through all that we endure, no matter how painful, because we know that someday we will see Jesus face to face, and walk with him on the streets of heaven.  That is the hope I saw in the eyes of the children today, and that is the hope that we want every child to have!

The children and staff of the Kamwokya Project

The children and staff of the Kyengera Project

The children of the Gayaza Project

The children of the Karamoja Project

How to Have a Really Great Summer

When I was ten years old the world was a different place.  Snow banks were much higher, and thunderstorms much louder.  And prices were slightly less than today.  I could get an 8-track tape for a couple bucks, a candy bar for about a quarter, and a gallon of gas for 50 cents (though my dad was paying, so I didn’t really care). 

My, how times have changed.  But for those we serve in Congo, Uganda, and Ghana, some things never change.  Generations come and go in the village with little progress. Parents die of disease and war, children struggle without proper care or an opportunity for education.  To these, the cost of a candy bar at any price is out of reach.  The main concerns of life are summed up in the need for water, a simple meal, family relationships and good health.  But none of these are a given.  Nine-month-old baby Lesa died of malaria because her mom didn’t have the funds or the knowledge to seek timely treatment. Seven-year-old Florence is an albino child who is discriminated against in her community and school because people are uneducated regarding her condition.  At ECM, we hear stories everyday of children unable to attend school; children who lack proper medical care and good nutrition; children who live without hope.

But there is hope!  Four-year-old Henry was found wandering in a village in Ghana, with no memory of his parents and no reason to live.  Henry was brought to ECM’s Haven of Hope Academy, where his smile quickly won over his caregivers, and his perseverance led to academic success.  Thanks to a caring sponsor, Henry is now a hard working eight-year-old boy who respects others, studies in school, and recites Bible verses in church!   In Uganda, four-year-old Angolere watched helplessly as first his mother and then his aunt died while caring for him.  ECM stepped in to take him off the street and into boarding school, where he could be loved and cared for.

Typically, summertime at ECM is marked by fewer and smaller donations.  The need to bring hope to the forgotten children of Africa, however, does not lessen.  Won’t you help meet this need with a special gift this summer?  Your financial support will help to ensure that children like Henry and Angolere continue to live in hope, and that the countless children we encounter everyday without hope, can find hope in Jesus and in the loving arms of His followers.  To make a gift today, simply follow this link to give online, or click here to print a donation form.  Your partnership in bringing the Gospel of Jesus to the forgotten children of Africa is a great blessing!

Second Chances

Uncle Charles (middle far right) and some of the boys.

Today I visited Koforidua, capital city of Ghana’s eastern region.  There I met a group of young men all seeking a second chance at life.  Most of them came to the city because they were unable to finish their education, and they were hoping that somehow they could try again in a new place.  But city life for a young boy is hard, and with no home and no family, it is an almost impossible struggle.  That’s where ECM worker “Uncle Charles,” as he is known to the boys, comes into the picture.  Charles started meeting with the boys on Sunday mornings about six years ago, gathering a handful to hear God’s word.  The number kept growing until there were more than twenty hurting boys gathering amidst the closed shops early on Sunday morning, their only day free from the burden of their tasks as human pack mules, carrying goods all day from one place to another.  The boys not only heard but accepted the good news, and many of them found new life in Christ, and a new hope for living.  Isaac, though now 23, was inspired to go back to school, and will soon finish junior high!  It is amazing what a little hope will do, especially when that hope is based on the truth of God’s word.  Other boys are following suit, and though life is still hard (many of them don’t even have a place to sleep at night), they keep coming, week after week, to hear those words of hope and grow in their fledgling faith. 

Thank you for all you do to help provide second chances for children and young people here in Ghana and throughout the countries where ECM serves!

Meeting Prince

Prince dancing in church. Sorry it's a little fuzzy, but I think you get the point!

Long before I ever came to Ghana and Haven of Hope, I heard about Prince.  I read of his significant spinal deformities, and the need for surgery to save his life. I read of the generosity of so many, the success of his surgeries, and the need for more surgeries.  But nothing prepared me to hold this sweet boy in my arms!  On my first day here, during the morning church service, he jumped onto my lap (as best he could!) and gave me a hug.  I almost had to pry him off when it came time for me to get up and speak!  Today, a week after our first meeting, I watched Prince dance around the activity center, with all the other kids, glowing with incredible joy.  Not a bad dancer!

I'm grateful to those of you who helped Prince in his time of need!  Be assured that your generosity made a big difference!  And thank you to Doug and Sally Wayner, who made Prince's cause their own, so that he would have a chance to live a full and happy life.  Jesus came to bring abundant life and joy - and now Prince is experiencing it first hand!

Meet the Board

I want to take a minute today to introduce you to some members of the ECM Ghana Board of Directors.  There were four dedicated, godly men at today's board meeting, and it was pleasure to meet them and discuss with them the various aspects of ECM's ministry to children.  Let me introduce them to you (sorry I don't have pictures!): Pastor Alex Boamah has been critical to the success of ECM in Ghana since 2000; Anthony Dontah is the head of the government's Gender Ministry in the country's Eastern Region; Moses Kakaw is a social welfare worker in Sogakope; and Mr. Gilbert works for the Ministry of Human Rights in Aflao.  We are incredibly blessed to have these and other capable men serving on our board and providing leadership for ECM Ghana.  The board is critical to the ultimate success of ECM in Ghana, as they give direction and vision from a Ghanian perspective to help ensure that sound, practical, and legal decisions are made regarding our ministry here.  Please keep the ECM Ghana Board in your prayers!

The Door of Return

Today, after spending time with ECM missionaries Jim and Carolyn Driscoll, I had the opportunity to tour the famous Cape Coast Castle and Dungeon, just up the road from their place in Biriwa, Ghana.  Over the coarse of several hundred years, hundreds of thousands of shackled Africans were held in dungeons as prisoners in this place before being shipped across the ocean into slavery.  After weeks or even months of suffering in these horrible conditions, those who survived were led through the "Door of No Return," and "loaded" onto ships as cargo, never to see their homeland again.  A sign hangs over the gate as a reminder of this horrifying fact.

As I looked at that sign, I thought back to the women enslaved in the dungeons of ritual servitude, as well as all those who are shackled by the irons of sin.  They surely must feel that they have passed through the door of no return!

While that sign made me cringe, I was equally struck by the sign that was hung, long after slavery had ended, on the outside of the gate.  It reads, "The Door of Return."  It is meant to be a reminder that though mankind is capable of horrifying acts, it is also capable of learning from mistakes and righting its wrongs.  While this is true, the sign made me think of something more significant.   I thought of the work that ECM is doing to liberate slaves. I thought of the work that Jim and Carolyn and the ECM team are doing in Biriwa, bringing countless souls to Christ and changing lives both for today and eternity.  It made me think of the truth that no matter the sin or shame, there is a way back in!

In John 10:9 Jesus says, "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.  They will come in and go out, and find pasture."  There is no longer a door of no return, a one-way path to banishment from God!  Jesus provides a way back in, the door of return.  And that is the door that all of us need to walk through!