We met this brave new mercy ministry…an orphanage that Greg, Moses, and I visited and served in Uganda.  Through friendships that God put together over the years, I was introduced to Pastor Isa and the Stream of Hope for the African Child (SOHAC) ministry in a small town about 75 miles north of Jinja, Uganda called Nawantale.  It was a brutal trip to get there from Kitale, nearly 10 hours total by vehicle plus a border crossing.

Pastor Isabirye Paulous and his team started a church and children’s home because of the needs in this community for spreading the Gospel and for children to be defended.  Traditional worship and belief in the spirit world is common.  An undefended child is at risk for exploitation in many ways.  The church building is a simple structure with open sides and grass roof but full of joyful worship.  It is the only church in the village center.  We spent a great Sunday giving messages and in worship with them.

Stream of Hope worship

The kids and few caretakers are existing in a very cramped and basic way.  They can get clean water at a community well 1/2 mile away but all the children wake at 3:00am to stand in line at the hand pump so they can get water for the day, before walking over 3 miles to school.

Village hand pump

Cooking and facilities need improving.

Kitchen facility

Sleeping quarters are safe but too cramped and on an unfinished floor with no mosquito nets.

20 boys sleep in this room

SOHAC funding is inadequate and they are just surviving.  We brought them medicine to treat the children for intestinal worms and diarrhea, we left some mattresses and mosquito nets, we bought a 2 week supply of food, we performed field dentistry and removed many teeth, and we purchased school books and supplies so the kids could go to school.  They were so excited to go to school that they did not sleep.

Administering de-worming medicine

2 weeks of food and supplies

Pray with us for the guidance and provisions for SOHAC Ministry, for the health and well-being of the kids, for God to be honored in all things, for the lost of Nawantale to see Jesus in the flesh through this work and wish to know Him, and for us to know how God wants us to proceed as Mission Servants Ministry to serve this mission.