AFTC... always HOME.

(This post was part of the November Newsletter at AFTC. To read the entire thing with an excerpt from Deidrah, go to www.AnswerinForTheChildren.com!)

This is the third time I am calling Answering for the Children my home. At age 19 I felt God’s call on my heart and I traveled thousands of miles away to the little country of Uganda, not knowing a soul. A nice lady named Deidrah, on the other end of an email conversation, was the only person in Uganda who even knew I existed yet was willing to take a chance on me...

My first few days at AFTC, I loosely through around the term “orphanage.” The building I was in, with children separated from their birth mother, living together, could only be called an orphanage, right? I was in Uganda for a few days when finally Deidrah looked at me and said, “We don’t like the word orphanage. It just sounds so cold. We call this a children’s home. It’s a home...” It took me a second. Of course nobody likes to be corrected, but it was in that moment that I lifted the Americanized shield from over my eyes and looked at AFTC for exactly what it was. Home. 

31 children are fed three meals a day, have a safe place to lay their heads at night and have a Mommy and a Daddy. Love, support, and inspiration are poured into them daily, wrapped up with a big hug and a kiss. Instead of being a place where children are “institutionalized” due to their troubled past, AFTC is a place where a lost child finds a place of acceptance and love, a family, a home.

When back in the US, we hear the statistics, we see the pictures of starving children on the TV and it’s easy for us to find “solutions.” I have visited orphanages all around the world; Mexico, Russia, India, America, and yes, I called them orphanages. They weren’t a home. I didn’t feel love, happiness, or compassion the way I have at AFTC. For 5 years, as I’ve worked with numerous orphan ministries, I have been singing Deidrah’s praises. The 31 children at AFTC know what a family truly is, they know what it’s like to have a birthday, to celebrate Christmas, and to be shown the love of Jesus through the people they are surrounded with on a regular basis. 

Answering For the Children has not become what it is today without your continued support. There is no way 31 children could have such an amazing opportunity at life if it wasn’t for you! The investment that is being made in to these children’s futures is priceless, and we are proud to be preparing the future leaders of Uganda for greatness and God’s glory. 

It’s not always easy though. And with a home that is getting older and children who are getting bigger, there’s always those unexpected financial issues and the choice has to be made to cut back on food or to live without something we desperately need, like plumbing. No family should ever have to make those types of decisions in life, no matter where you are in the world. But, it’s a 
reality, and it’s a reality that AFTC has been facing with much heartache lately.

With Christmas quickly approaching, we would love to make this the best Christmas yet for the 31 children at Answering For the Children. We know and understand that Christmas isn’t about gifts, but about the Ultimate Gift of Jesus Christ. When blessing these children, we bless the least of these. But this year, it will be difficult to do anything due to the financial stress that we are facing.

We would love for you to be able to get involved in making Christmas here in Uganda a special one. There is not a contribution that is considered too small. No prayer that will not be heard. Having the financial support to feed the children, fix home repairs, and take care of daily needs, also helps us be able to bless each child individually in their specific needs. We want them to experience the 
love of Jesus through you this Christmas.

Please consider donating to Answering For the Children, to this amazing family 
and home, so that we can keep our head above water and invest in these lives at our fullest potential. We would love for you to get involved hosting a fundraiser, making one time or monthly monetary donations, and praying for the home and each child individually. Your contributions will NOT go unnoticed. 

We thank you in advance for the love and support you have continued to show us! We are blessed that you are using your gifts, in whatever way, to minister to those that God loves. These children are not only ours, but they are yours and they are God’s. We do things a little differently around here, but it’s only because of the example of love that was taught to us by Jesus Christ. 

We pray that you have a blessed holiday season and we can’t wait to see how God works through you to bless this beautiful family in Uganda!