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Uganda Ministry |
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Page last updated 9.3.07 |
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Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church 53720 N. Ironwood South Bend, Indiana 46635
Sunday services: Rite II @ 9 AM Sunday school: on hiatus for summer (10:25 AM during the school year) Office Hours: 9 AM to 12 PM Monday through Friday Phone: (574) 243-0632 Fax: (574) 243-0643 Email: info@stmic.org |
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To contact us: |
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An update from the April/May Messenger: God has blessed our Uganda Orphan Ministry with a vibrancy beyond anything we ever hoped for or imagined when we started this project almost 2 1/2 years ago. And it continues to thrive today. To briefly review, from November of 2004 through the summer of 2006, proceeds from the Prayer Bracelet Project supported the education of fifty-two AIDS orphans in the Muhabura Diocese of Kisoro, Uganda. This past June, eight of us (Charlie, Susan, Annie and David Gustafson, Paul McLeod, Cathy Welsh-Payne, my son Michael and me) traveled 8,000 miles (on behalf of our parish) to personally meet these beautiful children, share our love for them and remind them that this part of the world has not forgotten them. We learned a lot about their needs, but we learned even more about our own needs. They taught us what it means to be truly gracious and what holy humility looks like. They taught us that thanksgiving is a key to loving Jesus. More than anything else, we learned that they have an overflowing abundance of what we too often lack—humility and gratitude.
We returned from Uganda with an ambitious goal—-to find individual, personal sponsors for each child, knowing that we couldn’t keep raising money at the same pace we’d been doing. Our prayers were that individuals would be moved to support at least one child all the way through school, knowing that if that’s accomplished, our efforts will make an enormous difference in that child’s future. Well, IMANA ISHEMWE! (Praise God)! All of our children have found a sponsor through the generosity and love of members of our parish. We currently sponsor 54 children. Additional children are still available for sponsorship to anyone who would like to participate in this vibrant ministry. At the end of 2006, $14,000 was wired to Bishop Shalita to cover the educational expenses of our children and to also purchase lamps, fuel, shoes and book bags for them. Anything left over may be used for personal gifts.
To summarize, since the inauguration of the ministry in November of 2004, $17, 465 was raised through the Prayer Bracelet Project specifically for the orphans and $4,554 was raised for supplies. These funds were raised not only through your purchases, but through your efforts to create awareness at your workplaces and among your friends and neighbors. Various churches in the diocese also helped to sell the prayer bracelets. Almost $1,000 was raised at the diocesan convention. St. Joseph VNA was an enthusiastic supporter of our orphans and St. Joseph Regional Medical Center helped us by selling bracelets in their gift shop. Over $14,000 was given from personal sponsors and the remaining Uganda Restricted money on hand. In addition to these funds, the money raised for the mission trip through fundraisers (such as last year’s EYC Valentine Dinner, the Survivor: UGANDA competition, the Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper and other generous donations from parishioners) totaled $12, 829. The grand total raised since the beginning of this project for bracelets, supplies, sponsorships, and the mission trip is almost $50,000! That reflects enormous grace and compassion for these orphans. WAKOSI CHAYNE! (Thank you so very much)! |
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To view pictures from St. Michael’s Mission Trip to Uganda in the summer of 2006, visit this page. |
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A place where God is encountered, people are empowered, and lives are Changed |
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To learn about more ministries at St. Michael’s, visit the Ministry page. |