Posted in General Posts by Krystle Desales on 3/25/2012 
 

40 children were pulled from the streets of Kampala because of a man named Christopher, who was a former street orphan. His parents died from war when he was still young. He grew up on the streets begging for food,stealing money just to survive, and using brown boxes for shelter. At the age of 10, he changed his life and decided to give himself to the Lord. A man helped him off the streets and educated him. Since then, Christopher told himself that he would use his life to help orphans and raise them to be men and women of God, who loved and served the Lord. His vision is still active today; he runs an orphanage in Kampala called Life and Hope AIDS orphanage. He houses and takes care of 40 children whose parents either died from AIDS or war. Our team, Modern Family, visited the orphanage a few days ago.

“My name is Bryan and when I grow up I want to be a pilot” He looked up and smiled at me with the most adorable eyes I've ever seen. I smiled back and told him I loved his dream. He laughed and as he walked away to join the other children, I looked down and noticed he was wearing two worn out right green sandals on each foot. I don't think it fazed him that he was wearing two right foot sandals, but it did something powerful to me.

It broke my heart to find that all 40 children live cramped in two small rooms and have been living on one meal a day if they are lucky. Their clothes are faded with rips, stains and holes and many, like Brian, run around with 2 right foot sandals. This orphanage needs help, they need help to pay for rent so that the kids can stay out of the streets, and they need beans, bread, and rice to feed the children, they need clean filtered water, school fees, clothes, and new sandals.

In each ministry I have been to throughout the past 7 months, I have had opportunities to help out the community I am in. I have already received amazing responses by family, friends, and people I have never met before asking to partner with me to give aide to specific ministry projects I've encountered that have financial needs. For example, in Tanzania, there was a child named Crystal that was in need of a surgery (see my blog “What You Did”). This month, a man named Richard came to me with a flesh eating wound on his foot and through donations I was able to buy him medication and bandages.

As soon as I started using my personal money to financially bless people, the Lord began to put it on people's hearts to help me. I have received several donations from family and friends in varying amounts. As I continue to put my heart into these special projects, the Lord continues to bring people to partner with me. 

If the Lord speaks to you, and you would like to partner with me, I have started to collect donations into a fund I've named “Hands and Feet”. I gave it this name because that is exactly what the Lord asks of us- to be the hands and feet of Jesus, to share the Gospel, to go to the nations and feed the poor, clothe the naked, and comfort those who mourn.  The purpose of this fund is to provide financial assistance for those who have specific needs. This month I will be using this fund to aid Life and Hope AIDS orphanage. If you would like to donate or help in any way, please email me at [email protected] for more information.

I want to thank all my family and friends who have already donated to help the children. “Blessed is he who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.” Psalm 41;1.
Below is a video I made about the orphanage. I hope this video touches your heart the way the children have touched mine.