For the Love of Africa Ministry's First Anniversary

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 Letter of Appreciation from Dr. Gilbert
 

On behalf of Africa as a continent, Uganda as a country, friends of FOLA, members, fellow servants who work with me in For the Love of Africa Ministries (FOLA), all beneficiaries, and church members etc., we want to extend our vote of thanks and embrace FOLA more and more for the work done in one year.

This past year we have seen God working through FOLA, surely me as a person, I have seen Momma Mary becoming more and more a “voice for Africans.” Momma, thank you for pressing on towards the goal of changing Africa. Every stake holder, every volunteer, every board member, every supporter and every member on American side, we want to appreciate you for believing in this big vision and for giving your 100% support. I know all the success that we have achieved is because you are with us and you believe in us.

For the Love of Africa Ministries has blessed many people, especially the marginalized groups, needy people, disadvantaged villages and slums, orphans, HIV /AIDS victims; also in many other capacities such as educational empowerment (through sponsorships and starting of a school); health care improvement (building a medical clinic, sponsoring medical missions, doing surgeries, health education and promotion, nutritional teachings, etc.), safe drinking water initiatives; developmental studies; awareness on different life style challenges; improved farming; spiritual empowerment (through conferences, seminars, and crusades; church building and planting); and psychosocial support to stigmatized people. Great work has been done! Glory be to God.

Some scholars said that the journey of 1,000 miles begins with one step and all this has been done in just one year. This means we still have a lot to achieve. Allow God to use you more for the second, third, and fourth step, until we accomplish this great vision that God has created FOLA for.

God will bless you abundantly, as you continue to support For the Love of Africa Ministries. Let’s take the light of FOLA higher and higher than ever before. Long live FOLA!
 

Dr. Gilbert

Uganda, Africa

Celebrating the First Anniversary 

of “For the Love of Africa Ministries”

It is with great excitement that we celebrate the 1st anniversary of For the Love of Africa Ministries! When I look back at the birthing process of the ministry and how far the Lord has brought us, it amazes me, because God has been so faithful and true to us! I cannot take any credit for it, because it all belongs to God!

I remember my first mission trip to Uganda, Africa in September of 2011, when I became so broken over the extreme poverty I saw everywhere. It had such an impact upon me that it has changed my life forever! I remember feeling that God wanted to use me to make a difference in Africa! About three weeks after I returned to the USA, I had a dream that I was standing on a platform on a busy street corner in the USA and I was speaking to anyone who would listen to me about the many dire needs in Africa. I KNEW that day that God was calling me to be a “voice crying out for the poor and needy in Africa,” but at that time, I did not realize in what capacity. 

After my 2nd mission trip to Uganda in 2012, I again felt the Lord tugging at my heart. I told Dr. Gilbert Birungi, the Ugandan doctor I work with, that I was taking some time off to pray and seek God’s face. I needed to make a decision to move forward into what I felt God might be calling me to. After much prayer, the entity was created on March 18, 2013.

When I look back to the beginning and to where the ministry is now, I am so amazed at God’s goodness and His grace and mercy towards me! I can honestly tell you that by my own standards, I do not feel worthy that He has called me. I remember something Max Lucado said in his book “Outlive Your Live” in that God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called. I have found that to be very true of me! 

All He desired is my availability and submission to His call of servanthood! I am so honored to be the hands and feet He has chosen to reach out into the hearts, souls, and lives of the African people, whom I have come to love so very dearly!

I especially want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ for dying on the cross for my sins and for His awesome work in my life!

Also, very special thanks to Dr. Gilbert and Cissy for their selfless love towards me and for adopting me into their African family! They are such a joy to work with! Also, I want to thank my wonderful Africa brothers and sisters in Christ for believing in me and the call of God upon my life.

I want to thank each and every one of you for believing in For the Love of Africa Ministries and for supporting us this past year! I believe the best is yet to come as He has called us to enlarge the place of our tent, to lengthen our cords, and to stretch out the curtains of our habitation (Isaiah 54:2). May God richly bless your life, as you serve Him!

His servant to Africa,
Mary Linette
President & Founder

Mercy Junior School

Mercy Junior School has now been in existence for one full year and has 60 little adorable children! Just the thought of being able to invest into and changing the lives and destiny of these 60 children, who did not have hope of a future, is mindboggling! They are disadvantaged, at risk children from a very poor city slum area called Katanga. I walked through this village with Dr. Gilbert on my last trip and what I saw was heartbreaking (view video)!




Normally, the income in Uganda is about $365 per year and the yearly school fees per child is $300 for tuition alone, literally making a child’s education an impossible feat. Since the income level is so low in Uganda, they do not have a tax base with which to fund the schools, as we do in America.

Therefore, most children end up illiterate and the cycle of extreme poverty, despair, and hopelessness continues from one generation to another. In order to break this cycle and bring change to this area, we felt called by God to open Mercy Junior School, where the children are able to get an education for free and are provided a hot lunch.

It was in the early part of February 2013, that one week 5 children showed up for school (even though we did not have an official school yet at that point), the following week 5 more children came, and the week after that, 10 more children came. God did NOT need our help to start the school! He started it all by Himself. 

It is through our faithful monthly supporters that we are able to run the school, employ the teachers and staff, and provide most needed necessities. We want to extend thanks to all of you who have helped make this possible with your support! We can change the destiny of a village, a city, and a nation, one child at a time and that is through education. Thank you for being a part of this change!  

 Mercy House Children’s Home

Dr. Gilbert and Cissy Birungi are doing a wonderful job of overseeing the children’s home, are bonding well as a family, and are teaching the children Christian values. The children are well-adjusted, blossoming young individuals whose lives are being transformed from one of hopelessness into ones that are very bright and full of potential!  

I have visibly seen these children’s lives change drastically during time they have been in the children’s home, from little faces that had NO smiles at all, to ones that now beam from ear to ear!

We are very excited for what the Lord has for the children’s home! He has shown us great and mighty things and has moved mountains to bring us to the place of where we are now. A special thanks to those who sponsor this great work!

The Beginning of Mercy House Children's Home
 
We began Mercy House Children’s Home in October 2012 when we took in Denavensi, who had been brought to one of Dr. Gilbert’s medical missions with part of her intestines protruding out of her abdomen.

DENAVENSI went through a sponsored surgery that saved her life. She is a double orphan, as her mother had passed away and her father had been killed in a car accident. The first year I met her, in a two week period of time, I NEVER saw a smile on her face. Not even once!

She is now becoming a beautiful young lady, who is always smiling and full of life!

DOREEN, who is timid and shy with big beautiful dark brown eyes, came to the children’s home in December 2012. She comes from a very poor family and has adjusted to the children’s home very well.

After only being in the children’s home for about a week, she begged Dr. Gilbert to be able to stay. She is such a sweetheart, who loves playing and interacting with the other children!!!

COMFORT, is a double orphan, who had lived in very harsh conditions with relatives in a camp after coming from the Congo. She has suffered ongoing health issues, but has been improving. She is a lively young girl, who always walks around with a smile on her face now.

On my trip last year, she loved playing in my make-up and spending time with me. After I had come home last year, she said to Dr. Gilbert, “Our white grandmother, I want to be with her playing, singing, and also sleeping with her when I am sick.”

RONALD,whose parents died of Aids, is a double orphan also. He is a very sweet young boy who has struggled with a lot of health issues, but through Dr. Gilbert and Cissy’s wonderful care, he has been able to continue to fight these health issues. He has come such a very long way and we continue to believe God for His life.

MAGIDU, who the newest member of our children’s home, came to us after having fallen into a pit, and after six months of living in excruciating pain from having two broken hips and being full of infection, was carried on his mother’s back a mile to one of Dr. Gilbert’s medical mission. Through sponsorship, we were able to perform surgery to save his life. He has come such a long way and we are so proud of him!