"Practical Empowerment In Uganda"

Dear Friends,

   

These last few months have been amazing as we trust the Lord one day at a time. Proverbs 16:9 says,

 

A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

 

As we face the unknown each day with the pandemic, political unrest, and a totally different way of life, we remember God knows everything...past, present and future along with having a plan for us.

 

Kingdom View Staff

Things at Kingdom View are going well as we have shifted gears to online mentoring, practical empowerment of the staff and communication with students who are scattered in towns all over Uganda. (schools, universities, and churches remain shut down) Before the pandemic we set up a WhatsApp broadcast to over 300 students and alumni of Uganda Christian University, Makerere University and Kyambogo University. 

There are many orphans in Uganda and some live with extended family and face real challenges. Margaret communicates with some of these students who are stuck at home and feeling alone and a bother to family members. She chats with them on WhatsApp, encourages them that God loves them, and focuses them on making the time useful as they wait for the university to re-open. The career planning ministry continues with 2-3 students needing assistance each week remotely. Just this week two alumni received jobs in essential industries.

	Margaret and Christopher

Christopher is coordinating the staff and has developed a comprehensive database of all the students, alumni, staff, vendors and visitors who have passed through the Rock over the years. He has a business degree and is excellent working with computers so the past few months have been productive. We place a lot of importance on practical empowerment of our Ugandan staff through Biblical training, job training, and a series of tasks as we delegate more responsibility to each person. Christopher accounts for all expenses at Kingdom View and works with Mark every week. He balances the accounts, collects information for reports for the Uganda Revenue Department as well as monitors maintenance scheduling and expenses of the ministry. Several of our staff guards came up for contract renewals during this time and we are blessed to have the whole team in tact. Thanks to our donors, we have not been faced with any layoffs. The staff members have expressed their appreciation especially those with families.

Chef Ben

Christopher and Margaret are doing broadcasts to encourage our friends who are scattered all over Uganda. We are scheduling video cooking classes, sending Bible scriptures, giving life skill development advice, country-wide job leads in all fields along with personal mentoring. The new Uganda Christian University chaplain and his wife have agreed to work with us on some Facebook video sessions discussing relationship issues. We expect to have some small cooking classes starting on site soon with Chef Ben Odongo who is working on a MA Theology. You can read more about this on  our website.

The university began online classes this week but don't expect to start in person classes for awhile. We are looking forward to returning to Uganda as soon as the university has students on site.

Standing in the gap with us during this time has been such an encouragement. Please stay safe and know we are praying for you and your family.
  

 With appreciation and grateful hearts,

Mark and Margaret