Friday, January 7, 2011

The Christ School Bundibugyo Year Begins



As the holidays are now completed, we are all preparing for the new school year. Parents are trying to gather money for the school fees for their children. Travis is interviewing new teachers for Christ School Bundibugyo and wrapping up projects in preparation for the arrival of students.

But, unfortunately, some children will not be able to attend school as their families do not have the resources to send them. And as this is a high mortality rate area, some children do not even have parents to struggle to send them to school.

To meet this need, Christ School Bundibugyo has established an Orphan and Vulnerable Children Scholarship Program which matches a sponsor to a student who has lost one or both parents and has high academic and behavioral marks.

CSB is now old enough that students that were sponsored to finish their education have now completed teaching school and are returning as teachers to CSB. Conversations with such teachers encourage my heart that the investment that someone made in their life through education is now paying dividends to future generations of CSB students.

Anna Linhart and Chrissy Chipriano are teaming up to match sponsors with approved scholarship students. And the good news is that there are just a handful of students that need sponsors!

I'd like to share the stories collected by Chrissy of a few students who were sponsored. May they encourage you as they have encouraged me.

Meet Nyangoma Agnes. Her story is one full of pain and hardship but also one of victory. She comes from Buganikere village and enjoys visiting home on term breaks, where she helps in her aunt’s shop and plays with her uncle’s young children. Agnes completed primary school but there was no money for her to attend secondary school. God provided her with a sponsorship at Christ School, where she began to learn about God and the teachings of the Bible. When she came down with smallpox, she thought death was near but after being healed, she began to trust God with her whole life. Two years ago, Agnes’s twin sister died. As Agnes remembers her sister, tears roll down her cheeks and the pain is still great. However, Agnes can still say “God has done great things for me”. She says with confidence that God has always been with her as she has passed through many troubles. She also states that God is for her and not against her, pointing to the evidence as she prepares to graduate from Christ School. Agnes has a passion for math and economics and hopes to one day become a businesswoman. Join us in praying for Agnes and other students of Christ School—that they would have similar stories of triumph and be able to say “God has done great things for me”.

Meet Kule Isaiah. At nineteen, he is confident and a born-leader. He eagerly explains to me that “Kule” is the name given to a third born male child. When asked about his journey to Christ School, he responds, “God did me a favor in coming here”. At the age of eight, Isaiah’s father was killed in rebel warfare. Isaiah felt hopeless and feared his future had been lost. His mother remained faithful to God and when Isaiah approached secondary school age, she told him to pray, as there was no money for school. He came to Christ School to interview for a sponsorship but the registrations had already been completed. He still interviewed, hoping for a miracle, and was found to be among the top 10 new students. When God answered Isaiah and his mother’s prayers, his life was changed. As he attended Christ School, he began to learn more about God and His character. Today he boldly proclaims that “God is the father of the fatherless.” Isaiah hopes to graduate from Christ School in one year and dreams of completing a Bible course afterwards. He also hopes to continue on and receive a degree in medicine so that he can give back and care for orphans. Join us in praying for Isaiah and the many other students with promise at Christ School, that they would become strong, Christian leaders of Uganda.

2 comments:

  1. Amy . . . good to find your blog. My husband and I sent funds to World Harvest in December to sponsor a Christ School student for a year. We'd love to know if our gift was processed and received, as we have already been praying for the student it will assist. Bundibugyo is close to our hearts, so it was a wonderful fit to be able to send our contributions to this fund. We've followed this mission through the lives of our friends Dan (and Betty) Herron since the first entry into that area in the 1980's. And Mary and Knox Campbell are our "kids" (we are Mary's parents). If you have news or any word, we'd love to know. Thanks
    Blessings,
    Roberta (and Russ) Simmons (Kingston TN)

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  2. . . . oops, I forgot! Our email address is russandroberta@juno.com
    Thanks!

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