We Thank God for His Blessings to Us!
Alex and Millie speak at the River Church
SUCCESS!
Wow! We had a full and fabulous three weeks with Alex and Millie. We hosted the Sip and Stroll event at the Johnsons where we learned both about caring for those in Uganda and caring for our fall gardens. We also held our first ever Patron Event where Alex, Millie and Align volunteers shared the strategic vision for the Donela Schools. There were several dinners in both Orange County and the South Bay where Align supporters were able to mingle and ask Alex and Millie questions on how God is moving in Uganda.
We want to thank the Douds and the Moores for opening up their home to dinners in Orange County, and the Johnsons for opening their home in the South Bay.
Through all these events, we are thrilled to report that we raised the monies needed to complete a boys dormitory and girls dormitory for the new Donela High School in Wobulenzi! AND thirty sponsorships were filled. This reduces the number of sponsorships down to just 15 needed for the Life With Hope sponsorship program to be fully funded.
We want to praise and thank our gracious God for all He is accomplishing in Uganda and all of you for responding to His call. WEEBALE! ("thank you" in Lugandan)
Alex and Millie present Pastor Luke a thank you gift from Uganda
Joe Jackson begins the presentation on the Donela Schools at the Patron Event
Attendees enjoying the appetizers while listening to the presentation
Joy Rogers Memorial Campaign
Joy Rogers
While Alex and Millie were here, we received some devastating news. One of our long time supporters, Joy Rogers, was killed in the shooting at a waterfront restaurant in Southport North Carolina on September 27. Joy's husband, Lennie, and their two adult daughters, Chloe & Hailey, are completely devastated as are all of us at Align. Lennie stated: "Joy loved Jesus deeply, and because of that, she loved others deeply. She lived up to her name — her spirit radiated joy, light, and kindness everywhere she went...she had a special gift for making people feel seen and welcomed."
To commemorate Joy and her passionate spirit, the family has created a campaign for Align's Life with Hope sponsorship program. If you'd like more information or to contribute, just click here.
And please keep the Rogers family in your prayers as they grieve the loss of their beloved Joy.
We're Going to Uganda!
Yup, we're going back to Uganda to celebrate the opening of the new Donela High School and its dormitories! The details are still being finalized, but the plan is for Joe and Barbara Jackson to take a team leaving on February 21 and returning around March 7.
Not only will we enjoy the celebration, we will spend time at the Donela Primary Schools in Bombo, Wobulenzi and Kakooge and the Life Home Village. We will also take a "village walk" where we will meet some of the Life with Hope sponsored children and their families in their homes of origin. And we hope to squeeze in some pickleball play with the Ugandans (maybe we can entice some of you OC pickleball fanatics that won the Dinkin' for da Kids tournament this year!) At the end of the trip, we're hoping to add on a two-night safari in Kenya as well as stay an extra night to tour Dubai on our way back to the U.S.
Of course we'd love for you to join us. For more information, please contact Barbara at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or 310-218-8689.
Hope to see you in Uganda!
* Take a sneak peek at recent photos of Donela High construction below *
Ground-view photo
Our HIV+ Widows Could Use Some Love
Did you know that Align's Life with Hope sponsorship program will celebrate its 20th anniversary next month? 2006 was during the height of the AIDS epidemic in Uganda. Align's first client was an HIV+ widow named Milly who inspired the founding of the Life with Hope Sponsorship Program. Align then expanded the program to include more HIV+ widows and orphans, and then added children who were abandoned and/or abused. Click here to watch a video on the how this all began.
In recent years Align has focused primarily on getting children sponsored. Today we introduce you to three HIV+ widows who have been in the program for several years and now need new sponsors. Read their stories and see their photos below.
- Margret Nakato -
Despite her poor health, Margret remains courageous and happy living in the town of Kakooge. She was able to attend school as a young girl, and went all the way through primary grade 7. Now she spends her days cooking, gardening, and gathering firewood to care for her family. Her health is improving as she takes ARVs from Kakooge Health Center, and she receives counseling to support her emotional well-being. Margret attends United Christian Centre and her faith is growing strong. She prays for God to continue protecting her children and is especially grateful that her son, who had an accident last year, has recovered well. She gives all the glory and honor to God. Despite facing many challenges, Margret’s resilience and faith shine through.
If Margret's story is moving your heart, just click here to sponsor.
- Justine Namuddu -
Justine is unable to work to support herself, so she lives with her grandchildren where she gathers firewood and cooks if her health allows. She's managing well and is in fair health overall. Justine has a calm and happy personality. She finds comfort in her faith and enjoys spending time at church. Her biggest dream is to see her grandchildren grow up healthy and strong in peace and safety.
To help Justine, please click here.
- Joyce Kamali -
Joyce is an elderly widow from Bombo, who currently lives with her children and grandchildren. She cares for her paralyzed son full-time despite her own significant health challenges. Lately she has not been well, with frequent back and joint pain making daily activities more difficult. She is growing weaker and can no longer manage to walk to church as she once did though her faith remains strong. Joyce spends her days cooking, keeping house, and gardening when she can. Her constant prayer is that God will give her long life, especially so she might live to see her great grandchildren. She feels sad that she cannot care for her son as well as she used to. But she is grateful for every day the Lord gives.
If you feel God tugging at your heart to sponsor Joyce, please click here.
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