Tag Archives: Projects

Trip 21 to Uganda, Post 9 – Community Support and Kingdom Projects

Some of the best things that we experienced, involved joining God’s plan for the lives of other people in the community outside the Child Redeemed Mission Home.  Here are the ways the Mission Servants team was called to help others on this trip…..

Eddie is a cousin of Julius, one of the CRM children.  Eddie was born with a Club Foot on his right leg and his mother could not afford to get it fixed.  She thought it only cost the equivalent of $13 and that was too much.  Donors (with a specific heart for Eddie’s needs) through MSM agreed to pay the roughly $500 for Eddie to start and ultimately complete the several procedures and operation to allow him to walk and run normally.  The Mom did not ask for help but was beyond words with the love and grace shown her and Eddie.

MSM has been working with the Teso Christian Center, on the Ugandan/Kenyan border since 2013.  They are Ugandan Teso Pastors that train Kenyan Teso evangelists to reach unreached people and plant churches in an area with low literacy.  Donated solar powered audio Bible devices, Jesus Film projectors, solar charging equipment, and laptop has been provided to Pastor Godfrey and his ministry.  They use it all with great results in spreading the Gospel to remote villages.  We attended a graduation ceremony of 9 Children’s Ministry workers and left more audio Bibles and a solar charging system.  MSM also supplemented their effort to expand their church/meeting/training building by funding the steel roofing materials needed.

MSM begun a relationship with the Rock View Primary School in the village of Kuslwe, about 15 kilometers from CRM in 2017.  RVPS is a Christian private school started in 2010 and has almost 300 children in classes Nursery thru 7.  MSM built and provided 78 (4 student each) desks and 5 teachers tables to help with the growing enrollment.  RVPS is constructing several new buildings including a classroom block.

MSM begun a relationship with the Promise Primary School in the village of Nabwigulu, about 10 kilometers from CRM in 2017.  PPS is a Christian private school started in 2016 and has almost 300 children in classes Nursery thru 5.  MSM helped to complete a latrine last year and will help with a monthly funding supplement and capital support as needed as this school, which serves a very poor region, works to become financially independent in the near future.  MSM also provided 22 (4 student each) desks to help with the growing enrollment.

Budala is an elderly church and community member who worked for CRM as a guard for a while and supports several family members yet being unable to work anymore.  They live in a small traditional temporary hut in poor condition.  He did manage to make enough bricks for a small permanent house for his family but was stuck with any hope of going farther with the project.  MSM and the church stood with Budala.  MSM will provide the cement, roofing, doors, and other supplies, and the church will provide all the volunteer labor to complete the house.  This project has some urgency as the rainy season begins in about 6 weeks.  Budala did not ask for this….and was overcome with the love shown to his family.  It is heartwarming how the church got behind this.

Stephen is a neighbor and part of the supportive community around CRM.  He started a yogurt production facility in 2016 and CRM has been buying enough for the children, twice per week.  Stephen needed a new freezer which will allow him to increase production in a safe manner and become profitable.  His yogurt is very good and the only dairy (source of calcium) the kids get.  Tuesdays and Fridays are highly anticipated yogurt days at CRM.  MSM gave him a microloan in exchange for discounted yogurt for 1 1/2 years and the freezer is now in place.

Trip 21 to Uganda, Post 8 – More Projects Completed.

Finishing up reporting on the completed projects, here are several key accomplishments made during this trip that will leave Child Redeemed Mission Home operating more productively.

Solar energy production and storage was increased by 50%.  New panels, batteries, and controller now allows all night security lighting and 24/7 full voltage access for the office equipment and inside lighting.  No more dimming and shut offs.

100 student desks and 5 teachers tables were produced at CRM and shipped to Rock View Primary School.  The nearly 300 kids at this school had no desks at all.  Most of the boys helped and learned during the 3 week project.

New printer, donated laptop, and new WiFi source makes a much improved and very comfortable and productive office.  New gutters over the dorm entrances eliminate an annoyance during rainstorms.

New security lights at the chicken coop and enhanced LED lighting in wanting areas of the buildings push out the darkness.

New vegetable storage bins were made for the kitchen storeroom.  This will help allow them to buy more items in bulk to save money.  A motorbike was purchased to eliminate reliance on BodaBodas (Taxi-motorbikes), provide emergency independence, …and give me a way to cool off in the evenings 🙂

Praise God for the provisions, skills, and time to get these projects done for CRM and the improvement of operations there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trip 21 to Uganda, Post 7 – Is that how it looked in your head Bob?

The equatorial sun is brutal upon most of the land in the unshaded compound at Child Redeemed Mission Home.  The logic behind a greenhouse is to have some control over the climate that crops are subjected to in order to extend the growing season.  Tomatoes and peppers are a few crops that thrive in greenhouses.  Although CRM is in the child raising business not the tomato raising business, learning how to plan and execute a successful project is an important lesson for children in rural Uganda especially.  All those kids can go through a lot of produce each week as well.

We utilized a bent and welded steel tubing frame, raised beds, drip irrigation, and quality plastic donated by Ludvig Svensson, Inc. in Charlotte, NC and carried to Uganda in our luggage.  Tubing was purchased locally and all fabrication done on site.  Plastic was held in place with weighted edge bars and zip-ties.  Kidpower came in handy when we needed several dozen pairs of hands.  Now that it is done…I will say that I had a blast doing it.  Here is how it was done…..

Our water supply is from the well tank that the above picture was taken from.  May God be honored with this!

Trip 21 to Uganda, Post 6 – What is that?

Those of us over 40 years old will remember these fondly.  No one in Uganda could figure out what I was building though.  They figured how to play on it fast enough!  The kids love it and promised to stick to the rule of only 6 at a time.  I love building playground equipment!!

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The pivot bearing shaft was made and donated by Pinnacle Converting Equipment in the US and we carried it to Uganda.  The rest was built on site with hammers, DeWalt  cordless tools, and a rented portable welder.  Here’s how…

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Anchor structure welded to the pivot post.

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Pivot post concreted in place.

 

Platform welded.  Hand rails and tie rods made Blacksmith style.  Then assembly.

 

 

 

Trip 21 to Uganda, Post 4 – First Timers

Jeff and his son Connor Milligan completed their first African mission trip and they had a great time.  Connor hosted a soccer tournament at the home and was a great young Christian ambassador and connected with the kids on their level.  Jeff really enjoyed the kids, culture, and projects.  They wrote their thoughts down below…..

My name is Connor Milligan, I am 14 years old, and I recently had the blessing of going to Uganda for a week. This trip was very special to me as it allowed me to experience a different country’s culture and way of life. The primary goal as I was on this trip was to let the kids know that they are valued. The kids here at the Child Redeemed Mission Home are all kids that have been neglected by their parents or their parents either died or left them. It is a very sad situation and my personal goal was to see every kid smile. I accomplished this by just hanging out with them, trying to learn their language, and just being silly. I love to play soccer, and so I played soccer constantly with them and had a lot of fun doing it. Also while I was there, I helped build desks for the children’s school, upgraded the lighting system, and started to build a greenhouse. This was an amazing opportunity for me and I encourage anyone considering going on a mission trip to try it.  It has been a wonderful experience for me and I know I will remember it for the rest of my life.

Jeff Milligan…I remember the day I heard about Mission Servants Ministry (MSM) and their involvement with Child Redeemed Mission (CRM) Home.  Immediately, I felt a call from God to go and help.  Fourteen months later it has become a reality and I am fortunate enough to be able to share it with my son, Connor.  I heard many stories from previous travelers to Africa, but none of the advice can really prepare you for what you experience.  Everyday in Uganda has been a flood of emotions, from disbelief at the locals’ living conditions, to sadness at the struggle of families for basic living necessities, to joy from the smiles of the children at CRM.  Even as I write this, I can hear the angelic voices of children practicing songs for Sunday church service.  God is definitely blessing the children at CRM and MSM is being an amazing steward of the funds donated to this cause.  Meeting these children firsthand and working in partnership with MSM has given me the encouragement and confidence to sponsor a child.  Each of these kids is an amazing creation of God and the love (and food and education and Christian teaching) they receive at CRM is transforming their lives.  I am proud to be a part of God’s work here.

All praise and honor to God!