Gaining Momentum in 2010
Submitted by Kyle Douglass (not verified) on January 5, 2010 - 11:06am
As a new year begins, OJM is poised to have its most successful year to date. 2009 saw some significant growth steps both both here in the U.S. and on the ground in our pilot program in Ddwaniro, Uganda. We have added two additional board members, Cammy Lenning and Rebecca Fawley (both still in the candidate phase), who we feel bring more depth and insight to our leadership discussions. We had many discussions with potential partner ministries, from Heifer International to Partners World Wide, God's Story and on. Our network is expanding and some exciting collaborations are on the horizon. We also added a Remote Care Partner with Life Point Church in Portage, MI.
A major step has been in the hiring of our first two full-time employees, Executive Director Kyle Douglass (who had been part-time since December 2008) and our Development Initiative Coordinator for Uganda, Paul Seruwagi. Paul has been a friend and "volunteer" for OJM for several years now and has proved himself a compassionate, visionary and skillful leader. Paul made the decision to leave his job at a weekly newspaper in Uganda to pitch in with OJM and we are so grateful to have him overseeing our work on the ground in Uganda. Paul is excited, too, as evidenced by his email on the first working day of the new year:
"Thanks for trusting me with the coordination responsibility and the opportunity to work and minister with you brothers, towards facilitating a better life for the children and the community in Rakai and Uganda in general. Brethren, together with my family, we are praying Paul and Timothy's prayer to the people in Michigan. That let The Lord fill us and you brothers, the knowledge of his will for the community, wisdom and spiritual understanding, to fully please Our Lord. Colossians 1: 3-12."
We join him in his prayer!
In the village of Ddwaniro in the Rakai District of Uganda, our humble school project has grown into a church-led, community-wide development initiative addressing not only the needs of the orphans and vulnerable children but of the village as a whole. Glory of Christ Development Initiative, an independent development organization, has been established with a fully functioning board and five subcommittees to oversee work in the areas of Business, Education, Family, Health and Spirituality. The next five years of projects have been initially determined with several having been completed or currently in the works. The church roof was finished, a generator, copy machine, solar cells and desktop computers were purchased and a seed distribution program is currently in its first planting. A health clinic and land purchase are in the works and an evangelism training program is planned for mid-February 2010. Most importantly, all of this activity is being primarily implemented by native Ugandans and community contributions have been a part of each project.
We are so excited to see where God leads us in this new year. We expect it to be a year of continued organizational refinement, expanding vision and continued results. Of course, all of this comes with its fair share of challenges and we take them willingly, knowing that God is with us and the opportunity to serve others in his name is a privilege worth a high cost.
"Thanks for trusting me with the coordination responsibility and the opportunity to work and minister with you brothers, towards facilitating a better life for the children and the community in Rakai and Uganda in general. Brethren, together with my family, we are praying Paul and Timothy's prayer to the people in Michigan. That let The Lord fill us and you brothers, the knowledge of his will for the community, wisdom and spiritual understanding, to fully please Our Lord. Colossians 1: 3-12."
We join him in his prayer!
In the village of Ddwaniro in the Rakai District of Uganda, our humble school project has grown into a church-led, community-wide development initiative addressing not only the needs of the orphans and vulnerable children but of the village as a whole. Glory of Christ Development Initiative, an independent development organization, has been established with a fully functioning board and five subcommittees to oversee work in the areas of Business, Education, Family, Health and Spirituality. The next five years of projects have been initially determined with several having been completed or currently in the works. The church roof was finished, a generator, copy machine, solar cells and desktop computers were purchased and a seed distribution program is currently in its first planting. A health clinic and land purchase are in the works and an evangelism training program is planned for mid-February 2010. Most importantly, all of this activity is being primarily implemented by native Ugandans and community contributions have been a part of each project.
We are so excited to see where God leads us in this new year. We expect it to be a year of continued organizational refinement, expanding vision and continued results. Of course, all of this comes with its fair share of challenges and we take them willingly, knowing that God is with us and the opportunity to serve others in his name is a privilege worth a high cost.