End of Sixth Week

Didn't realise that I hadn't updated for so long. Have been unwell for a week and had visitors on and off. Anyway - 6 and a half kilos off and I am very happy with that.

Nice and steady and hopefully it will stay off this time.

People have continued to be so supportive, especially my church family.

2nd Week

4 kgs off in total - $171 per kilo pledged!! I am so grateful to Elliot and Margaret for their prayer. Feeling well.

End of the First Week

Well, if I was overwhelmed last week I am astounded this week. $163 per kilo pledged! The pressure is on.

I have done OK this past week. 2.3 kgs off and feeling well. Everyone terribly supportive at church. I thank God for his provision - my strength is in Him alone.

Overwhelmed!

I have been overwhelmed by the support I have received from my church family. They have been wonderful. So far I have been pledged $77 per kilo (which if I lose 30 kgs is $2,310). All I have to do now is lose the weight!! I still have a few more people to contact so expect it to rise. I was really touched by Elliot, a young guy from SBC, who came up and said he would put me on his prayer wall. These things are really precious. My lovely sister in Christ, Carmela, was a real brick, taking round the list to get people to sign up.

I don't want to let any of these people down - or God - or the kids at Watoto. Lord, please give me the strength to do this.

PERSONAL FUNDRAISING

Below is a copy of a flyer I have printed off to raise some funds for the new project in Gulu. This will be for a new church plant as a foundation for the new Watoto Village aimed at rescuing and healing children who have been abducted into the rebel army (LRA). I don't know how much I can raise but I reckon anything will be some help.

I'll start off at Church and see how I go! (And maybe at Jennie's on 2 June at her film night if it is OK with her.)

W O W!
(Weight Off for Watoto)

My aim is to try to lose between 25 and 30 kgs by Christmas of this year. I hope that you might consider sponsoring me per kilo – payable on 30 December 2007 at whatever I have lost by then. All money raised will go to support the Watoto Childcare Ministry in Uganda.

Carmela Strain will be my weigh-in sister and will make reports (I hope at some point you will be able to see progress for yourselves), or check out our blogspot.

I also need a huge amount of prayer support. this is a real challenge for me as I have failed many times before. I appreciate any support you may be able to give to me, monetary or prayer, preferably both!

Judith Sharp

IT IS THE SEASON

I see your will Lord, I hear you calling
“Come join the work I have prepared”
You have planted and you have watered
The sun has warmed the cold hard ground.
The harvest beckons, it is ready
for the workers to be found.


Increase my faith Lord;
Desire to serve you.
Just like the saints of old
Abram and Moses, Aaron, Elijah,
Who helped your plans unfold.


It is the season, the tasks are many,
In my strength I am too weak.
But you have promised that when we trust you
You will enable and complete.
The harvest beckons, it is ready
for the workers to be found.



I once was lost, I once was hostile
To the love of your dear Son.
His sacrifice saved me, He now presents me
Holy and blameless before your throne.
Now is the season
For me to stand up,
and declare “Your will be done”.


(JS - April 2007)

Just an image of the children who don't have a future if we don't act. I, personally have looked the other way when I see these photos because it was too painful and I thought that there was nothing I could do. Well there is, and I have stopped looking away.

I have three grandsons and the thought of them being abused in such ways is incredibly heartbreaking. There but for the grace of God.

Man's Inhumanity to Man

Just been reading an account of the terrible seige by Islamic militants at a school in Beslan, Russia, in 2004. On what should have been the start of a celebratory school week, 331 men, women and children were killed and over 700 people injured over two days of absolute horror and carnage.

Some of the militants were women who were wired up to bombs as they sat amongst women and children in fear and despair. It is said that they had lost their husbands and children through violence and were now taking their revenge.

Here we are trying to appeal to women with a mother's heart to help children on the other side of the world who are experiencing dreadful horrors, yet there were other women completely oblivious to the pain and suffering of children sitting right in front of them - the depravity of man!

Frustratingly slow progress!

Well, not a lot happening at the moment. We have had several meetings, Vikki has been away, Judith has been away, we are all back. Vikki and Carmela have been looking at locations for a fundraiser dinner. Looks like that will not be happening until around March of next year, which is a good plan as it will take a lot organisation.

Meanwhile we hope to have our video evening on the 7th June at Vikki's place. More on the details later. We still haven't received the resources from Colour but hopefully these will arrive within the next week or so.

We are all still fully committed to this project and as soon as we have anything to report, it will be out there!!

Other ladies are arranging stuff at the moment; Jennie B, Gai and Ros from Narraweena are arranging a video night at their church if they can get hold of the resources before then, and are also talking about doing a Christmas in July dinner this year. There are lots of people just waiting to get together, however, God's timing is paramount and we can't just rush ahead until all is in place.

Community Awareness

SO, WHAT ARE WE AIMING FOR?

Awareness of the problem. We know that Uganda is not the only country in the world where children are suffering. We know there are hundreds (if not thousands) of worthy causes in this world, and indeed in our own country. However, God has invited us to work with Him in this area.

We are not asking for donations as such. We aim to raise awareness of the plight of these children. First of all, among the women of our church family (Seaforth Baptist), then to our friends and families, to our local schools, our communities and beyond. Even to other countries where we have contacts.

We are gathering together resources and ideas to use for fundraising. Our aim is to build a home initially ($19,000 - more than achievable), but there are many projects associated with Watoto and it may be that as we raise awareness, other women may have a heart for different aims. That is God's work.

Vikki pointed out to us the difference between aid and development. It was new to Carmela and myself and it may be interesting to you:

AID - is a 'hand out' to people who can't help themselves, i.e. the children orphaned by AIDS, in fear of being abducted, not having enough to eat or access to education.

DEVELOPMENT - is a 'hand up' to people who haven't got advantages such as being able to access loans to help them set up a business so that they can become self sufficient, education so that they can get jobs and change the future of their country.

It is no good just preaching to these people and then leaving them to it. Of course, we have to pray for them, but we also have to be proactive. We have been shown that God is working in Uganda - He has invited us to join him. Search your heart, listen, watch - is He inviting you too?

THE START OF A JOURNEY

"A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit."

(Elton Trueblood 1900-1994)

IMAGINE:

• that tonight – instead of tucking up your children into their beds – you were watching them start a six kilometre walk carrying nothing but maybe a small mat;
• that tomorrow morning – instead of trying to persuade them to get up for school, to get dressed and to come and eat their breakfast – you stood watching and praying for their safe return;
• that this wasn’t a one off – this went on every day of their lives.
  
  
  THESE ARE THE INVISIBLE CHILDREN – THIS ISN’T CHILD ABUSE – THIS IS FOR THEIR SAFETY.
  
  THESE CHILDREN LIVE IN NORTHERN UGANDA – THEY ARE AT RISK EVERY MOMENT OF THEIR LIVES OF ABDUCTION BY REBEL FORCES.
  
  IF THE BOYS ARE ABDUCTED BY REBEL FORCES THEY WILL BE PUT TO THE KNIFE, TO THE GUN AND MADE TO KILL. THEY WILL SEE THINGS THAT NO-ONE SHOULD HAVE TO SEE. THEY WILL EXPERIENCE THINGS THAT NO ONE, LET ALONE A CHILD, SHOULD HAVE TO EXPERIENCE.
  
  THE GIRLS MAY BE RAPED AND BEATEN. THEIR CHILDHOOD ROBBED.
  
  THERE IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP!

How we arrived at this point!!

Three women, three totally different backgrounds. Vikki and Judith from England, Carmela from Canada. All from a Catholic background. Two with young children, one a grandmother. Just happen to have ended up at the same Baptist Church in Australia?!!!?

March 2007. For each of us this was our first visit to Hillsong Colour Conference. We spent only the first evening together. The next two days I (Judith) was with another group. Saturday morning, Bobbie Houston gave up her teaching session to show a video to 17,000 + women at the conference. The video showed the children who, because of the fear of abduction by rebel forces, leave their homes to walk to the city, to sleep in the relative safety of the basements of the hospitals, libraries, anywhere where they can hide. The following morning, they all traipse back home. This was followed by Marilyn Skinner speaking to us (she and her husband run Watoto Childcare Ministries, a mission based in Uganda). (For more information, better than I can explain to you - see http://www.watoto.com ) Be prepared to be amazed at the work that Marilyn and her husband have achieved with God over the past 20 years.

We three were all spoken to by God! I have never had a heart for overseas mission - I mean, never, and yet felt redundant in my christian life. Vikki is already involved in Action Against Poverty (AAP), Carmela is our great Worship Leader but looking for greater effect in her Christian life.

I tried to contact the other girls by mobile phone - no reply. I had no idea where they were in the Acer Arena at Homebush. Little did I know that they were sitting on the opposite side of the stadium, their hearts totally broken for this mission in Uganda.

I was amazed how quickly God had worked in my life. In my home group we have been studying "Experiencing God". Stop, look and listen. See where God is working and join him in His work!

It couldn't have been clearer as far as I was concerned.

Vikki was being baptised at Clontarf on Sunday, 18th March. Carmela's two children were also to be baptised there. Physically I was too wrecked to attend, but spiritually I was rejoicing.

Friday, 23rd March saw the three of us at Vikki's for lunch and a "debrief". Praise God that we were all on the same "page". We no longer feel that we are unable to help. This is God's work - he will enable us. No only us, but other women, women who have a mother's heart for these children. Women who will experience the breaking of their hearts for what breaks God's heart. There is no necessity for this to be happening and if governments won't change things, then we will.

THE WILL OF GOD WILL NEVER TAKE YOU WHERE HIS GRACE CANNOT KEEP YOU