Psalm 41:1 Blessed is he who has regard for the poor; the Lord will deliver him in times of trouble.

Mission to Uganda 2011

Hi friends and family,
Last year I wrote to you about my friends Paul and Janet in Uganda, Africa. I shared about their passion to care for the orphans, and how they have given all they can to provide housing and food for the children. I felt God had placed on my heart to go see how we could encourage them and support them. When I shared with you about the needs, your response was so much more than we could have imagined. Because of your help Paul and Janet are able to provide better housing and education than they could before we went to them this past January. They have a much better latrine and wash area and improved sleeping space for Paul and Janet. Thank you so much for your prayers and financial support. I pray God will bless you for the support you gave to help Paul and Janet, and the orphans.
This January we are planning to return to Uganda, to spend a week with Paul and Janet, and also a few days in Kampala with a new friend and his mission of caring for widows and orphans, Pastor Hummer and his wife Alice. I am so excited that this year instead of just 2 people going, we will have a team 8-10 going. We are planning to have a medical clinic for the children and possibly the neighbors. A doctor and nurse will be joining us on our trip; this is a Godsend for Paul and Janet, and the children. We also have several people joining us to make improvements to the property, possibly working on the school building, and “picnic” building tables for the children so they don’t need to sit on the ground to eat.

I am looking forward to spending time with the teachers at Paul’s school to see how they are doing. Before our trip they were working without a regular salary and often had to leave to find other jobs to support their families, resulting in a very dysfunctional school for the children. They were very discouraged at not being paid and not having money for text books and teaching supplies. Since our return in January we have been sending monthly support for teacher’s salaries and also for school supplies. What a blessing to be able to join this group of dedicated teachers in the work they are doing for the children.
Several of us will be spending part of our time teaching pastors and church leaders. The church leaders are very grateful for anything they can get to help them in their ministry as pastors and teachers. Their resources are very limited; many can’t even afford to buy a Bible. Pastor’s Paul and Hummer are giving their lives to the care of orphans and widows, and equipping church leaders for ministry. They have asked us to help them. Our goal is simply to come along side them and be a blessing to them in any way we can. We would love to provide Bibles and training materials for the church leaders. We have been told to expect up to 500 people at the leadership conference.
I ask that your prayerfully consider how you can help. First we need your prayers for safety of the team, and wisdom. Second I need financial support for the cost of the trip. The cost of the trip is estimated at about $2,200. Any funds raised in excess of the cost will be used for the support of the work mentioned above. Checks can be made out to Skyline Community Church, and mailed to me. On the memo please just write Uganda mission. You will receive a receipt for your tax records.
Thanks, and God bless,
Leroy Byler