Etsy Sale

We are launching a new line of jewelry next month.  To make room for the new things, we are having a 50% off sale on our current Etsy stock!  Use the code 50FIFTY at checkout from now until the end of August.  Your purchase still empowers a woman with a fair wage and helps us to feed our boys.  Make sure you share the promo code with your friends also!

Just a few of the things left on Etsy:

Meet Mukasa

Meet Mukasa Fahad. Mukasa joined us at the beginning of this year. He knew one of our boys, John, when they were on the street. The first day that John was on the street, Mukasa saw him and helped him know where to go and where was a safe place to sleep. They didn't see each other again until the beginning of this year. They ran in to each other and Mukasa remembered him. Mukasa loves school and was trying to work to pay his own school fees, but couldn't manage. He lost his father and his mother's family doesn't want him. His stepmom tried carrying for him, but struggled with her biological children. Mukasa is super helpful and easy going. He is honest, hard-working, and focused. We realized the potential in him, and decided to put him in secondary school. He loves art, especially drawing. He is in his first year and will join the boarding section next term.

Prayer requests for Mukasa:
For him to continue to stay focused on his future and perform well in school
For his relationship with his family to improve and them to welcome him
For us to find sponsors for him so we can continue to provide school fees for him
For his love of art to continue to grow and develop

Meet Yusuf

Meet Bogere Yusuf. Yusuf joined us at the beginning of last term. We have known him for many years. He was living at a home that barely gave the boys anything but a place to sleep. He was helping at our friend's programs in the slums, and was a really great leader. He would run the programs even when our friend was late and the boys really listened and respected him. Yusuf joined primary 5 last term in the boarding section. He is serious about school and is trying really hard to catch up. His teacher loves him and says he is well-behaved. Yusuf loves to play soccer and is looking forward to the school holiday, so he can go back to his soccer team. He says the only thing he doesn't like about being at school is he doesn't get the chance to play any soccer. Yusuf is really quiet until you get to know him. He is soft-spoken and laid back. He is really helpful.

Prayer requests for Yusef:
For him to catch up and perform well in school
For his talent in soccer to grow and for it to provide greater opportunities for him, especially when he reaches secondary level at school where he could get scholarships for playing
For us to find sponsors for him, so we can continue providing school fees for him
For his relationship with his mom to continue to improve

Things going on

I have now been back in Uganda almost a month.  I am so happy to be home with the boys.  It has been a good month, and so exciting to see how the boys are growing and changing so much.  It has been a busy month also, catching up on things from when I was gone and reconnecting with people. We are so thankful for those of you that were praying with us for my time in the US to be fruitful.  We found several new sponsors for the boys, and now many are fully sponsored.  We are still praying for a church to join us and we hope you will keep with us in that prayer and for the rest of the boys to find sponsors also.  My hand is also doing much better also, so thank you for those prayers.  I don't cringe in pain anymore when someone shakes my hand.  I know soon it will be completely healed.  It was also so encouraging to meet so many new people and have them join our story.  We appreciate each one of you!

One of the first things that we did, was to visit Mbazira in his village.  We were able to resettle him with his father several months ago.  Mbazira loves to raise animals and farm, so he wanted to start raising pigs.  When we visited him, we were able to get him started with 2 piglets, a house and food for them.  He has big plans for his pig project.  He eventually wants to be able to buy a motorcycle with the money he saves from selling the offspring, and expand to caring for other animals.  He wants to help his family fix their house and build his own on his family's land.  We were so happy to see Mbazira doing well in his village and reunited with his family.  That is the ideal outcome for each boy, and we are so happy that it was possible for Mbazira!

I have jumped right back in with helping at our friend's programs for boys still on the street.  Even while I was gone, Sylvester and Richard, attended the programs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  Sylvester is the cook and helps run the programs.  It is so cute to hear the boys call him uncle.  He wants to be a social worker when he is older and wanted to volunteer somewhere to gain some experience.  He has found something that his heart loves and he wakes up super early so he can get there and have the food ready for lunch for the 70 or so kids that come to the programs. Richard helps with first aid and general things around the program.  He loves those boys so much, and they know it.  Everything he has he pours out to them, day after day.  It is so amazing to see these boys come full circle.  They get the difference the programs made in their lives, and as a result want to help the boys there.  They are making me so incredibly proud.  If you doubt what you are doing is making a difference in these boys' lives, just look to these two.  They are already changing things here and it wouldn't be possible without your love, prayers, and support!  Please keep our friend, Kevin, and his programs in your prayers.  He doesn't have any support for the programs and uses his own earnings to feed the kids.  Programs have been sporadic lately because there hasn't been enough money.  Please pray he is able to find consistent support for his programs.

Other good news: Small David has returned home. (He left while I was gone.) He is learning to drive and hopes to have a job driving a school bus when he receives his driving permit in a few weeks.  He will be moving out soon, into his own apartment. Davis moved out of the house about 2 weeks ago after saving enough money from his job to rent his own apartment.  He is working fixing computers still and is able to take care of himself now. Moses didn't make it in boarding school, too many restrictions and rules for him to manage.  BUT, he is now living with a friend learning to make sandals during the day and studying at night for the primary leaving exam.  He likes going to school now, as it is only a few hours a day and not so restrictive. We have started working with a new group of women that make jewelry.  They are all internally displaced people and live near stone quarries.  The women are all survivors from the war in the north and fled to the city.  Many of their husbands were killed in the war, and now they are trying to provide for their children on their own.  The only opportunity they have is selling fruits in the city or working in the stone quarry.  Both pay pennies a day.  Making the beads provides a small income to help them.  We are launching their line next month, and right now you can shop our Etsy shop at 50% off everything using the code 50FIFTY at checkout! We have a new puppy, Thor.  He was wandering the street in front of our house a few Sundays ago.  He was crying and chasing everyone.  He almost was run over by a motorcycle, then a boy picked him up and kicked him.  The boys ran to his aid and took him home.  His best friend at home is Mukasa and he cries whenever Mukasa leaves him, but everyone loves him.

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT!!

Prayer requests: For all of the needs of the home to continue to be met, especially for the boys that don't have sponsors to get For the new women's group.  For stores to be willing to sell their jewelry, people to have jewelry parties, and for the jewelry line to be successful. For the boys to continue to heal and change.  For them to know they are loved and that God has great plans for each one of them.  For them to be able to let go of their pasts, and instead look to their futures. We have tried and tried to find an art teacher, but each one has disappointed us.  Please pray that we would find one that is serious and willing to teach the boys. For our friend's programs.  That they would become fully funded.  For the boys still on the streets.  The rainy season is starting and it usually rains at night.  For them sleeping outside, it makes for many sleepless and freezing nights.  Pray for their safety and health and for those that want to return to their villages, for a way to go back.

Easy ways to get involved: Shop our Etsy store using code 50FIFTY for 50% off your order. Set Welzoo as your internet home page and choose LOT2545 as the charity to benefit. Buy coffee from Just Love Coffee Roasters and choose LOT2545 as the charity to benefit. Share our website, Facebook, or Instagram with your friends and tell them about what we are doing. Use Paypal to give a one time gift or recurring gift or mail a check payable to LOT2545 to LOT2545, 190 Clover Lane, Medford, OR 97501 Shop Amazon Smile and choose LOT2545 as the charity to benefit.

Things I love about these kids part 1

Generosity

They always give everything that they have for others and challenge me to do the same.

• I didn't see a boy's shoes that we had just gotten, so I asked what happened.  "I saw him(another boy) and he didn't have any shoes so I had to give him mine.  I still had my sandals so I was just going to use them."
• A boy from the streets was going through rubbish looking for bottles.  We had just gotten a snack at the supermarket and one of the boys was eating his.  He gave his cake to the boy, another emptied half of his peanuts and gave his water to the boy.  That happens anytime the boys are eating anything and see a boy with nothing.
• There are tons of kids begging on the streets of Kampala.  We passed a rather persistent one and one of the boys gave him his last coin.  When I asked why he said because he will get beaten if he doesn't bring home any money.
• One of the boys was playing with a boy on the street.  He really loves this kid a lot and he looked  at me and says, "I really wish I had money.  I would bring that boy home with us."
• We were walking together through town, when I turned around and realized I was alone.  Finally, I saw the boys running towards me and I asked what happened and where they went.  There was a man carrying many things and he was struggling so they stopped to help him.
• They share everything with everyone, even random people we don't know.  They have roasted corn, they break it in half and give to a kid.  Anything and everything is meant to be shared.