I have always had a heart for missions. I started doing local missions when I was in middle school, then continued to national and then Canada. I pray every day that I would be able to go to an international level. See the world and reach to the hurting- just like Jesus calls us to do.
Matthew 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”
I find it sad the "stigma" that sometimes comes from international missions. May people ask, "why is everyone so focused on the outside worlds, not on our own nation". What if Jesus had looked to us like that? "Why go and witness my great works and bring eternal glory to them? I have enough issues here where I am. Someone else will take care of them."
Isaiah 6:8 “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”
Image from kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com
It was no wonder to me why my heart sang when I heard of the works of Katie Davis. A girl not much older than me running her own ministry in the heart of Uganda. She speaks to me. She renews my spirit. She reminds me of every reason Jesus wants us to reach out to the unreachable with a love filled heart. She moves me to tears thinking of all the good she is doing in Masese.
Jonah 3:1, 2 “And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.”
She has developed her own sponsorship program- reaching the lives of the little ones so their families won't have to give them up and leave them on Amazima's doorstep because they can't afford food or school, like so many can't. $25 a month provides for 600 children! How awesome. Amazima has also made a tremendous outreach to the city of Masese. Amazima feeds over 1,200 orphaned children Monday through Friday through their feeding program. Many of these children would die without this food and would not be in school, instead begging in the slums. The children are now able to come to school, be fed and take home a plate to their caregiver once a week. They are allowed to attend class free of charge at the school, participate in Bible studies, recieve medical care and general health training! What blessed assurance.
Image from kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com
Amazima has many partners, one of which Equip International in their project, "Nets not Caskets", puts mosquito netting over every bed in the Masese community and educate about preventing deadly malaria. Once a week, Amazima provides more community service with a free or very low cost clinic complete with HIV testing and counseling done by their own social worker. Much like a typical doctors office, Christine keeps records of all the HIV positive people in the community, takes them to regular check-ups and teaches them how to care for themselves and their family. Among these things, they also offer outpatient malnutrition rehabilitation for severely malnourished children, a common sight in much of Uganda. They even allow the child and mother to live in Katie's home temporarily while the child recovers, although in rare cases. They help teach parents how to help their children recover and provide them with the resources to do so in their own homes. Powdered milk, porridge of millet, mukene and nuts and Plumply Nut, a nutrition supplement provided by WHO and UNICEF are all provided. Parents are then taught how to prepare these things for their children and they are monitored closely to see their improvement.
Amazima is also vocational. They run a self-sustaining program for a group of women making magazine bead necklaces. Through this empowerment mothers of Masese grow stronger. The necklaces are made by these women and then sold in the United States. Because of this amazing opportunity, women are able to turn away from drugs, alcohol, trash picking and prostitution- all so common in Uganda. Instead, they are given money management training and spiritual discipleship!
Image from kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com
Saturdays at Amazima are a wonderful day. The sponsored children from the educational program gather at the Amazima pavilion for Bible study, worship, lunch and play! This provides a carefree, fun atmosphere for children to be just that- children. Amazima employs Ugandan men to lead on this day and give the chilren a male role model and spiritual leader. Each child is provided food to take home to their families to encourage their acceptance and approval to come back each Saturday! This pavilion is used to teach basic health care and farming techniques to the community during the week. The garden plot allows the children and parents to gain skills that they can also apply at home.
And there you have it. Quite possibly my favorite ministry at the moment! Katie has a book that is available for purchase detailing her journey to this place, Kisses for Katie. I recommend it to everyone! There is so much we can learn from Miss Davis. Want to help? Amazima has many ways you can pitch in and make this dream continue! Maybe one day I'll be blessed to be able to volunteer at Amazima.
^^^what on earth? I'd like some clarification on that comment? Confused!
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