February 2023 Prayer Letter

Dear Praying Friends, Your prayers have been heard and the Lord is moving in amazing ways. My reading class is going better than I could have dreamed! The boys who didn’t know how to write their names have been working on learning their letters. I wish you could see their faces when they write their names for the first time. It is priceless!! Two of our staff, Ivan R. and Meredith are working with the kids who know how to read. Kirabo translates for me as I teach beginning reading. The kids continue to be excited about learning! Last week, in discipleship class, we were teaching about the Tower of Babel and God confusing the languages. Just for fun, I asked what languages the kids in the class spoke and they spoke 19 different languages!! I love to hear the different languages when the kids lead in prayer. We always encourage them to pray in their heart language. John is a young man we met several years ago. He was living in the slums with his mother and each day they would move around trying to find food. One day, when John was five years old, his mother was killed in an accident and he was left alone. He continued to walk the streets, looking in garbage cans trying to find food for the day. The government eventually picked him up and brought him to one of the facilities where we work. After some time, he went to live with Maama and Pastor who loved and nurtured him and led him to the Lord. John has now completed nurses training and volunteers with us on Fridays at one of the facilities. He shared his testimony a couple of weeks ago and really encouraged the kids. What a joy to see what the Lord has done in his life! The malnourished children you have been praying for are a little better, but still have a long way to go before they are healthy. There are also several special needs children in that facility and they are not doing well. Additional food is now available, but we need staff to prepare it and make sure the children who need it actually get it. Please pray for us as we try to navigate this tricky situation. Many of the kids in the facilities were able to return to school this month. Three of our boys just started high school and walk three miles a day round trip, down a dusty road to get to school. They were thrilled to be going back to school! I have attached a letter that one of our students wrote to us. To be honest, some days are really hard, but then you receive a letter like this one, and it makes it all worthwhile! At one of the facilities, many of the kids said they didn’t believe in hell. We have been teaching what the bible says about hell and today we showed the gospel film, “Final Exit.” When the movie was over, 50 kids prayed to receive Christ! We are praising the Lord! Please pray for us as we encourage these children in their walk with the Lord. I thank the Lord for each one of you, for your prayers and your encouragement! Love, Ava

John and Me

John working in the clinic

Our boys walking to school

Note from one of my new students

Letter of Thanks