The following is an adapted excerpt from an article submitted to One More Child by Adam Hollingsworth. We are grateful for the opportunity to share this story with generous supporters like you, in the hope that it will make a difference in the life of one more child.
We spent yesterday in Soroti, a 90-minute drive from our home base in Kamonkoli. We visited six homes and distributed hundreds of clothing items. We prayed with families, extended families, and every villager that came running to greet us. Consistent with the culture of Ugandan generosity, we received two chickens, some beautiful baskets, and a bag of oranges. It is very normal for Ugandans to give gifts before they will accept anything from us.
Traveling with us was Sarah, one of the social workers with Hines Ugandan Ministries, the local partner of One More Child. I asked Sarah how she got connected with Hines and she just laughed. Sarah told me she was one of the first kids in the children’s home when it started back in 1998. She grew up in a home with eight siblings, an alcoholic and sometimes absentee father, and a mother who was not able to produce income for the family.
To earn money, the kids were hired out as field hands to pick crops for those who owned larger farms. There was never enough money for Sarah or her family, and they were always hungry. They used a local plant to wash their clothes.
Through a miraculous encounter with Pastor Charles, who leads the local church here, Sarah learned about Jesus and gave her life to Christ. Her family was not happy about her decision, and Sarah’s mother made sure she was working in the fields on Sundays so she could not go to church.
However, once Sarah became a sponsored child, she began attending the ministry’s school (Genesis Primary). She got regular meals, and once she moved into the children’s home, she slept in a real bed, ate hot meals, and got warm showers.
WHAT YOUR GIFT OF SPONSORSHIP DOES
With the support of her sponsor, Sarah graduated from high school, earned her degree in social work from Ugandan Christian University, and now works full-time for Hines. Sarah is married, has a beautiful daughter, and spends her days caring for kids with the same background and challenges she had as a girl.
So, if you are wondering, do these child sponsorships really work? Ask Sarah. But for the support she received from her sponsor and the love she received from Hines, Sarah said, “By now I’d be dead…
SPONSOR A CHILD!
Sponsor a child today to give food, school supplies, an opportunity to hear about Jesus Christ, and so much more!
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