How a Shipping Container Saved a Life

In Matthew 6:8, when giving instruction on how to pray, Jesus tells his followers that "your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him!"  It's a good thing, because I would have NEVER thought to ask for this! Read on to see what I mean.

More than two years ago, ECM organized and sent a shipping container to Uganda. Although we were able to send a lot of very important items, the cost was also quite high, and from a strictly business perspective, it didn't really make much sense. In fact, I vowed never to do it again!  But just last week, a story from one of our staff members in Uganda reminded me of how God is always up to something good.  The mother of one of our sponsored children had been sick for some time, and was actually quite close to death.  She was losing her sight, and no one expected her to survive.  Suspecting that she was sick with AIDS, our staff member began to pray about how she could help.  She remembered a book called "All Your Health Questions Answered Naturally" and began reading the chapter on HIV/AIDS.  She rushed back to the hospital with the "secret remedy": raw food and plenty of water.  Like the command God gave to Namaan to bathe in the Jordan seven times to be cured of leprosy, the remedy seemed ridiculously simple. Yet, they tried it. At first it was a struggle just to open her mouth and help her eat a little.  They did this throughout the night, and for the next couple days. Soon she started gaining strength and speaking, then sitting up in bed. Within a week she was discharged from the hospital.  Had she been cured of HIV/AIDS? No, but she had been given a new lease on life, and more time with her daughter.  Given her prior condition, it was a remarkable turnaround.

The fact that our staff member had the book was also remarkable.  Amongst thousands of books shipped on that container, sandwiched between tables and desks, socks and coats, and enough school supplies to last a few years, was a book about healthy eating that somehow made it into the hands of this particular staff member, who remembered its existence at just the right time.

So, the truth is, it wasn't really the shipping container that saved that woman's life, but you probably knew that already.  No, it was the God who knew exactly what would be needed, well in advance, and who pre-ordained that an obscure health book would be donated to a church which would in turn donate it to ECM, which would send it on a very expensive shipping container all the way to Uganda, where it would be used to save a life.  I don't know about you, but I think that's pretty cool!

If you'd like to be a part of the cool things that God is doing through ECM, please visit our website.  We are always looking for new partners to join with us!

Perfect in God's Eyes

In the small town of Kyengera, just south of Uganda’s capital city of Kampala, lives a cheerful girl known by those in the community as “Stella, the handicapped girl.”  Like most of the handicapped children in Uganda, Stella spent much of her life homebound and shunned.  Uganda’s physical and social environments are decidedly disability-unfriendly, highlighted by a lack of handicap-accessible amenities, including toilets, as well as unchecked discrimination.  Beliefs that handicaps are a result of curses and evil spirits, or are a punishment for wrongdoing, are prevalent in the culture.  Only limited basic human rights exist for persons with disabilities in Uganda, and many are left homeless on the streets, begging for their next meal.  Such is the world of Stella, “the handicapped girl.” 

Stella was fifteen years old when she saw ECM children gathering each week for Saturday Bible club.  As she watched from a distance, she saw something special going on, and asked if she could be a part of it. The program coordinator readily accepted her request, and now Stella attends as often as she can, loving the opportunities she has each week to learn from the Bible.  With help from ECM, Stella was able to gain admittance to a school where the headmaster was also disabled.  Though a teenager, she was placed in kindergarten, because she lacked any formal education.  Now nineteen, she has advanced to Primary 2 (second grade) and is in a boarding school.  She loves to learn and be with the other children!  The Kyengera project regularly provides Stella with transportation to and from her boarding school, and whenever possible helps with her school fees as well.

ECM has made a significant effort over the past few years to bring hope and practical help to children with disabilities.  This often-overlooked group needs our help more than ever, as these children are not only discriminated against in their society, but also face serious challenges because of the lack of available handicap-accessible amenities.  We are working hard to care for these kids and to help make their lives better.

Recently, Stella has faced some additional challenges in her life, and returning to school was difficult.  Her mother became ill and did not have the funds to both purchase her own medication and also send Stella to school.  She also struggles to use the local transportation system because her wheelchair will not fold up.  Your gift today will help us provide for these and many other needs as we reach out to those with disabilities.  (Please designate your gift for “Children with Disabilities”, or visit our website and click on Donate Now).

Something Beautiful

Madina Birungi

Walking past garbage heaps was a daily occurrence for Madina Mukabaliisa, an elderly woman living near the town of Kamuli in eastern Uganda.  But on this day, God had something special in mind for this woman of faith. As she walked past, she saw a group of people trying to open a plastic bag.  She wondered why everyone was so interested. Then she heard the cry of a newborn baby, and watched as the bag was opened and the child, for a second time, was delivered.  Madina then surprised everyone by volunteering to care for the child until a new family could be found. When a new family was not found, she continued to care for the child, naming her Madina, after herself, and Birungi, meaning “something beautiful.” 

Several years later, this beautiful child was welcomed into the ECM family, where your support allows her to remain in school and attend Bible club, receiving nutritious meals, learning life skills, and experiencing the love of God.

Beautiful things like this happen throughout ECM’s projects because you have a heart…. 

• A heart for Madina
• A heart for African children and families struggling to find hope
• A heart for rescuing the broken and outcast
• A heart for bringing the good news of Jesus to a needy world

Thank you for impacting Madina's life in such a profound and beautiful way.  You make all the difference when you have a heart!   If you would like to donate to ECM, Click here to make a difference today!