GUMA NA YESU Children “Keep with Jesus!”

The need and the vision . . .

In Southern Uganda – our dear longtime friends, Naboth and Alice, have been helping over 700 needy orphan children. This African couple haven’t had much to work with, but they’ve been doing everything possible to extend the love of Jesus. Because of this need, and our long-time ministry relationship with Naboth and Alice, Harvest Ministry has decided to focus orphan efforts towards these precious kids at GUMA NA YESU Children’s Center.

A few Guma Na Yesu children:

DID YOU KNOW?

1 Startling Orphan Statistic:
Every 2.2 seconds, another orphan ages out of an international orphan facility, with no family and no home. Older orphans are vulnerable . . . to abuse, suicide, prostitution, slavery, becoming child soldiers, and immorality (and as a result, they become most vulnerable to AIDS and disease). Yet, as orphans are rescued, saved by Jesus Christ, and brought into God’s Kingdom, the enemy’s plans are thwarted: instead, these older orphans can live happy, productive, lives and help to advance God’s cause and mission purposes.

1 Special Highlight @ GUMA NA YESU Children’s Center:
At Guma, each of the children and teenagers are connected with a caring Christian family and a local church (who they live with during holidays). The children are educated in academics, and they are trained in the Word of God, with daily worship, fervent prayer, and opportunities for ministry (including dance performance, special music, preaching, and prayer for others). Over the years, we have had opportunities to spend time with Jennifer, and she growing into a beautiful young woman with such a heart of service to the Lord. Please do keep her and all the children at Guma in your prayers.

To remember this African word (from the Runyankole language), just think of the word “GUM” . . . and imagine chewing a sweet, delicious, sticky wad of GUM . . . and to keep chewing it for a long, long time. The name of this new orphanage project is Guma Na Yesu (pronounced “Goom-uh nuh Yay-soo”) – which means “Keep with Jesus!”

The long-term vision is to care for hundreds of orphan children through the support network of a strong Christian church and caring Ugandan families.

The vision is to build a Guma Na Yesu Children’s Center – with a free orphan school, basic provisions (of food, clothing, and educational supplies), and a family support base – to enable hundreds of orphans to be adopted into Christian families. Our prayer is for each of these orphan children to “keep” with Jesus for their entire lives! The heart of this orphan project is to train children to be mighty in God’s Word and to experience a life of knowing God personally – so they can fulfill God’s purpose. These children experience the presence of God daily – through prayer, child-led preaching, and through fervent worship and dancing. These children love Jesus, and their heavenly Father loves them.

Who we are . . .

N.E.T.S. Ministers, Naboth & Alice
Directors of Guma Na Yesu Children’s Center

The Lord is just begining to give a new vision for Guma Na Yesu and through His wisdom and direction, He’s showing us how the needs of these children can be met. This orphan ministry is founded and directed by African ministers, Naboth and Alice of Southern Uganda, and now supported and overseen by Jon & Ann Dunagan of Harvest Ministry. The vision for Guma Na Yesu is for it to be nationally-led by Ugandan ministers, teachers, and church families — under the blessing and direction of JESUS and the authority of God’s Word.

Where we’re located . . .

This African orphan ministry is being built in Mbarara, Uganda. It’s a needy area, with many orphans. Guma Na Yesu Children’s Center is currently under construction – on a hilltop property near one of Naboth’s new church facilities – directly above a Ugandan military base.

Prayer Focus: Please pray with us for God’s abundant provision for the orphan children of Guma Na Yesu Children’s Center. And if you want to help, do let us know. Also, we would really appreciate your prayers for God’s wisdom concerning the future of this orphan project, and what Harvest Ministry’s long-term involvement should be.

500 New Mattresses for Orphan Kids!!!

Could you imagine putting your child to “bed” each night, on a dirt or cement floor, with no mattress or even a decent warm blanket? For many precious children, orphaned, and/or in poverty, this is daily reality.

At Harvest Ministry’s GUMA NA YESU (“Keep With Jesus”) Children’s Center in Mbarara, Uganda, there was a HUGE need for bedding for all of the children . . . and God abundantly provided with designated mission gifts for 500 new mattresses.

Our prayer and focus for our GUMA NA YESU children is that they will “keep with Jesus” all the days of their lives, and now as they sleep, they will be reminded (in this small way) of God’s GREAT love for them.

GUMA Directors (and NETS Ministers) Naboth & Alice, were absolutely delighted with what they called the “MIRACLE at GUMA.” Now we are believing God for blankets (at $5/each) for all of the children, and possibly sheets and pillows.

(And one little preschool girl in Oregon, named Olivia, has added her own precious prayer, that God will also help to provide “teddy bears” for these kids!!!)

BEFORE:

AFTER:

We thank everyone who GAVE and who PRAYED for this need.
May God bless you for your heart for these children.

Audio #2 – COMPASSION

God’s compassion is nothing to fear; it’s compelling and exciting. If God “moves” your heart with compassion in regards to a specific need, rest assured that He will provide all that is needed (in finances, wisdom, and connections) to do all that He’s called you to do!

Audio #2 – COMPASSION

The second audio in Ann’s 3-part-series, “Living Joyfully as a Mission-Minded Family.”

N.E.T.S. News – from Naboth & Alice

January – February – March, 2009

N.E.T.S. Minister Naboth, and his wife Alice (from Mbarara, Uganda – in East Africa) have had some exciting mission reports to share. Recently, they held village evangelistic outreaches in two locations (including a mission crusade in Keisho, Tanzania where approximately 1000 people heard the Gospel and hundreds prayed to surrender their lives to Jesus). As they prayed for the sick, several people testified of healing, including one woman who had been blind.

At Guma Na Yesu Children’s Center in Mbarara, Uganda (where over 700 orphan children are being trained and cared for, supported by Harvest Ministry), workers are currently plastering the new Guma Na Yesu school building, and soon the children will be settled in that location.

Prayer Request: Please pray for the brand-new believers who came to the Lord during Naboth’s recent mission outreaches, and also for the leaders and orphan children at Guma Na Yesu Children’s Center, during this school construction and transition time.