October 2024 Newsletter
Take a close look at this picture. What do you see? For some, you may see a plethora of dangerous activities happening. Maybe you see a severely overloaded truck with items overflowing off of the sides and the top. Maybe you see the young man sitting on top of all of the cargo, far above the road, bracing for the next Uganda pothole or speed bump ahead. Maybe you see the tiny boda passing on the side of the road with his passenger, unaware of the danger that could be. Maybe you see the taxi racing by at a high speed to meet his quota for the day or the cargo truck trying to pass him at an even higher rate of speed. Maybe you see something more, or something less? Maybe you know nothing about Uganda and the crazy roads, and drivers, and ways of life and maybe this pic just seems like a photoshopped AI kind of thing, but I assure you it’s very real and very common here.
Here’s what I see in this picture. Faith. The truck driver has faith that the way the carriers loaded the truck will endure the rough Uganda roads to his destination. He has faith that his driving skills will get the cargo where it’s going. The man on top of the cargo has faith that with every pothole and bump, he will remain seated on top of the massive mountain of stuff and not go sliding onto the busy road below. The boda man has faith that his intuition and balancing skill will safely allow him to pass this leaning tower of cargo and he will get his passenger to their destination safely. The taxi driver has faith that the bag hanging off the side won’t slip and fall onto his moving vehicle, harming himself or passengers. And the speeding cargo truck has faith that his discernment to pass the taxi won’t get him in an accident. But how strong does that faith remain when a traumatic ripple effect of unfortunate events takes place? What is our hope and faith truly in? God or man? These are real conversations we have daily at the project. Conversations of believing and hoping in something unseen, yet so very real in us. Conversations of trusting a God that’s wildly present, but tangibly not sitting next to us. Conversations that have moved mountains and transformed lives every single day. Conversations we won’t stop, because God hasn’t called us to stop yet.
Matthew 7:24-27 says, “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because it’s foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash.”
What’s happening?
October has been a non-stop, busy month, around here! Earlier in the month I had a small team from GoSendMe Global come visit and pour into me as a missionary they serve. Not coming to make life busier and harder, but coming to truly bless me as a missionary in the midst of what I do, where God called me. It was such a sweet time of unloading and healing and then leaving even more confident that things are very different now as a missionary. We spent some time with my amazing team, they got to hear testimonies from a few of the boys, and I got to explore my host/home country even more with them. As I left them in Entebbe, I left exhausted, yet filled up in a new way that I’ve not really ever experienced here. I left heard, valued, and prayed for. Pray for GSM as they continue doing the work that God called them to, serving missionaries who God called to serve. Rob and his team are a huge blessing to me for sure!
We also had 3 school visitation days, 2 candidate prayer days and a graduation this month. Our students are all doing so well in school, and are finishing their year strong. We pray they continue to make wise choices to keep their opportunities and study hard and put God first in all things. We have 3 students who are finishing their S4 exams this week, which is a huge test that will either allow or prevent them from proceeding to complete their secondary schooling, before university. They won’t get their results back until mid-February, so they’re already anxiously awaiting their results. Another student is completing his P7 exams next week, which is another milestone to allow him to continue on to secondary school. He will also get his results back the beginning of February, which is when he will find out if he can proceed to secondary school. All of these young men have been working so hard, so we have confidence that they will pass and be able to proceed with their education dreams. Please pray for them as they finish testing and wait on results.
Graduation was a long, but fun event and we got to witness our first graduation class of technical school. The young men all have jobs and are becoming more settled and beginning to provide more for theirselves. We praise God for His continued provision and wisdom for these young men as they continue to progress in their chosen fields.
We did a few more home visits this month and one of them was quite the adventure, to say the least. We are in rainy season, so dirt roads become mud roads, which is one of the many reasons why I have a 4WD SUV. We ended up on top of Mount Elgon, driving through waterfalls, mud filled roads, and then climbing on foot up another muddy hill to reach the mother. It was a bit of a stressful adventure, but the blessing came when Saguli’s mother saw him, for the first time in 6 years, when he had been told he died. She thought she was seeing a ghost and just fell to her knees praising God that He brought her son back to her. Saguli told her his testimony and life over the last 6 years. He got to tell her that he had given his life to Christ, serves at church and at the project, even with preaching and discipleship. He got to tell her that he’s starting a business course next week, and all of the ways that God has drastically changed his heart and his life. These are the earthly moments that are worth every Ugandan adventure we endure.
Since we got the NGO approved I’ve been working on completing the remainder of the legal paperwork in order to submit my work permit papers. As of yesterday, I’ve officially submitted everything and hopefully will have a work permit in hand by the end of this month, Lord willing. Please pray that everything was submitted correctly and it’s processed with no hiccups. I’m having to leave the country again tomorrow due to visa restrictions, hopefully for the last time.
What’s to come?
As I mentioned I have to leave the country tomorrow, on the 1st, because of my visa restrictions. Hopefully this is the last time I have to leave because of Visa issues, but I’m also looking forward to a little respite in Kenya. Please pray for safe travels and safe return to Uganda.
We are also super excited to have 5 more young men start a business course next week. We use a local Christian business man in town, who begins the course with trauma training, which the previous boys have said was life changing, then incorporates business practice, biblical finance, savings, and customer service. We are excited to see these young men grow in the opportunities they desire, and if they are successful and we get good reports from the teacher, they will soon earn their capital for business start ups. This group has been waiting and working hard for a long time, so they are very deserving of this chance. Please pray for them as they begin this journey.
I’m including the information below regarding Teen Mission again this month. We are preparing and planning for this still, and need to make a deposit for the young men who will be attending,by mid November. We currently have 10 of the 30 chosen students sponsored to attend. This program was life changing for so many last year, so would you please be in prayer for the provision of the remaining funds so we can continue sending young men to be the hands and feet of Jesus in such a great way. If this is something you would be willing to sponsor, help out with, or have questions about please reach out to me, I’d love to chat!
Teen Mission is an 8 week bible boot camp for local youth. They spend the first week together at base camp where they literally do a physical boot camp, with Bible scripture and teaching intertwined. After they complete this part of the training they spread out throughout Uganda into local villages to do evangelism and community service projects. Last year we sent 30 students and every single one of them came back changed for the better! Some finally stopped drugs there, some finally surrendered to Christ and also got baptized, some became more bold in their faith, but all of them came back on fire for the Lord. Our goal this year is to take another 30 students at least. Each student’s cost will be $30, so $900 total. This includes all food, housing, transport, and camping and hygeine items for the duration of the 8 week program.
Thank you
Thank you to both our new and our faithful partners and friends who have joined us on this journey! We continue to follow the lead of God in this ministry and he continues to bless us beyond measure. But, the reality is, we can‘t continue doing the work we do without both prayer and financial support. We try to make sure that basic needs are provided for these young men so that they aren‘t tempted to continue living the life of survival, theft, fighting, etc that they‘re used to. As we rehabilitate them and help them come off the streets we also help them to reintegrate back into society with financial counseling and slowly start introducing them to paying their own rent, food, etc. The goal is not for us to support them forever, but to meet them where they are and help them be successful in the future. As some of the boys graduate we continue to bring in more street connected children to rehabilitate. Jinja, alone, has over 1000 street connected children documented, and many more undocumented. This is a continuous effort right now to rehabilitate and restore hope in the lives of those we serve. We provide safe housing by renting rooms with basic necessities, as well as food, medical/dental care, schooling, counseling, routine hygiene items and medical checkups, and so much more as these young men continue to show us they want to change and be better. None of this is free to the citizens of Uganda, so to be able to provide these services to the young men, as they rehabilitate, is huge! My amazing team of Ugandans, some of which are boys who have graduated from the program, are given a salary so that they can also provide for their families and theirselves as they serve with us. We would love for you to pray about how God can use you to partner with us in these very tangible ways. If at any time you have any questions please don‘t hesitate to reach out to me! Email is the best option due to the difference in time zones. (thens1213@gmail.com)
Nicholas is a huge testiment of the work God is doing here. He came to me with an open fracture, totally high on fuel (huffing and a major addiction here), and in terrible conditions. He’s now totally sober, healing well, happy and preaching every week. He surrendered his life to Christ and tells me daily he will never turn back! Just look at the side by side pic on the next page to see for yourself! God is working my friends! In mighty, mighty ways!
How can you help?
Prayer requests:
Pray for GoSendMe Global and the amazing work they’re doing as a missionary serving organization. They are all a home away from home blessing and breath of fresh air for me as I serve here in Uganda.
Pray for my work permit to be processed smoothly and quickly now that everything is submitted
Pray for our current students as they wrap up the end of term 3 at school for 2024 and for those who are taking huge make it or break it tests over the next 2 weeks.
Pray for our new business students who begin their program next week and will soon start new businesses to continue to sustain theirselves and future families.
Pray for all of our young men as they continue to grow and rehabilitate and my team as we navigate the many obstacles we are daily surrounded with.
Pray for financial donors who can help partner with us to do the work that GOD has called us to. It’s only by HIS will that we are here doing what we are doing and we need financial partners to do this work. Tangible things such as a safe room, food, school fees, and medical care show these young men that they’re not given up on, like so many people tell them.
How is God calling you to partner with us?
Through prayer? Through financial giving? We believe that even as just one of these young men changes, there’s many more ready to start a new life also, due to the testimony of the one. God calls some of us to go, some of us to stay, some of us to give and some of us to pray. Where do you fit in? Please consider joining us in bringing hope and healing to these precious young men! So many in their community have given up on them, but we know that God has called them to more!
TAX DEDUCTIBLE CHECKS mailed to:
GoSendMe Global
PO Box 913106
Sherman, TX 75091
(Make checks out to “GoSendMe Global” and include a note with the check that it is for me, Tara Henson, Uganda)
VENMO: @Tara-Henson-1
PAYPAL: @TaraHenson
ZELLE: thens1213@gmail.com
How to Connect
EMAIL: thens1213@gmail.com
Isaiah 1:17 (CSB)
“Learn to do what is good.
Pursue justice.
Correct the oppressor.
Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause.”
