The Joy of Sponsorship

Visiting our sponsored kids is our biggest incentive of going to Africa again & again. It is such joy to watch them grow up! These guys have been best buds since our first visit in 2011:

The boyzzzz hanging out after school:

Jonas is sooo blessed to have some amazing older brothers who adore him and are such great role models for him! 

(Jonas and Christopher have always had a special bond--they both love animals!!)

(Josh gave him this Africa necklace for his bday).

Visiting our secondary school students (high school):

Playing spoons:

Check out these African weights:

Thanks Uncle Kevin for the hats!!

All the guys look up to a Uncle Joey.

Here is one of our "success stories":

One of our older sons has been working as a lab tech in the nearby hospital for 2 yrs now,

staying in his own nice little apt within walking distance of the hospital...

(His name is Zziwa ;)

...loving his dream job, not only supporting himself, but also paying for a younger siblings school fees and helping his mother improve her home (adding a door, cementing over the brick walls, etc), seeing his sense of pride and self-sufficiency as well as the joy of being able to help his Mum. 

We were touched to see our photos on his wall (along with a cross we gave him and a bulletine insert from Calvary Community Church):

Even though we no longer sponsor him, he will always be our son (just like older kids in America leave home, get jobs & go out on their own but still stay in a close relationship with their parents).

Another older daughter from New Hope is also living out her dream job, as a 4th grade teacher. She just graduated in Dec and was thrilled to land her first teaching job in Feb (when their new school year starts). We will be visiting her school and do crafts with her students. Last time we were here, we had given her several books with inspirational quotes and devotionals for teachers and she told us she's read them over and over the last 2 yrs! She is also paying for her sister's school fees and giving back from the blessings she's received.

Another one of our older sons is going to med school at a teaching hospital in Kampala:

He actually uses some of our sponsorship money to sponsor his own little boy...paying it forward! 

Another one is finishing up a degree in accounting at the end of this year (which means we'll no longer be sponsoring her) and another one is going to school to be a vet (top of his class)....we are sooo proud of our older kids and how well they are doing! They are amazing individuals, full of talent and personality, each with a heart for the Lord and a desire to serve. It is so gratifying to see the end result of sponsorship...self-sufficient adults doing a job they love, providing for themselves, contributing to society, helping others out, etc.

Truly child sponsorship is one of the biggest blessing in our lives!  Seeing where these kids come from and seeing where our money can take them is such a joy and brings deep satisfaction to my soul! 

****If you are interested in sponsoring a child, please email us and we can set you up!****