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Newsflash

Dated March 30, 2007

Dear beloved Partners and Friends,

Amazing is very probably the phrase we can use to describe the first quarter of 2007 at Destiny Orphanage and school. Before this, we must first of all thank God for giving us the Grace. In addition to being witnesses in seeing God blessing the children who lost their parents, you as our dear friends have enabled us at Destiny Orphanage walk with GIANT STRIDES confidently! Again, we are thankful to you.

Invaluable partners, we are humbled to present to you a thrilling report on the first quarter of our 2007 journey at Destiny Orphanage and School. By you walking with us through this quarter, you offered us a unique opportunity. This may sound like a story but hear this: with your support Destiny is now accommodating 663 children of which 325  are boys and 338 are girls.

Human Resource Management involves getting teams of people to do what is expected of them. Indeed our Headteacher, Mr. Enock Alibaawo, and the School Administrator, Mr. Michael Kirule, have truly built a team of nineteen competent Teachers, twenty Matrons, five Cooks, three Cleaners, one Chaplain, one Nurse and a Watchman. All these together with the children are happily staying at Destiny Campus. We appreciate what they are doing.

If you thought what you had just read was the end of the good news, then hear this: the school is now running from Kindergarten to Primary Seven. We will have candidates sitting for the Primary Leaving Examinations this October and this will be our first year to pass out pupils to Secondary section in 2008. Interesting to hear again is that on January 24th, 2007, Destiny Orphanage and School was officially registered with the Government. Remember, to be registered means that the school is not only approved but also well recognised by the Government.

The day Saturday, February 24th, 2007, entered  the annals of the history books of Destiny. It is the day when our new water purifier was switched on to start serving our children with clean and safe water  for drinking! The modern kitchen building has been completed with good firewood stoves fitted which save firewood by 50 percent from what we have been using in the past. This wonderful kitchen will open its doors to the cooks and children on April 2nd, 2007. Our tractor is also fetching some income for us when it is hired by the community. It is also helping us to grow our food crops on the hired land 15 miles away from school premises. Destiny  poultry farm is equally helping us with eggs. Our kids have access to eggs. In the month of February 2007, Faith Academy donated text books to our school.

CHALLENGES IN THE LAST QUARTER Despite all these numerous achievements by the school through your helping hand, the school has also had its share of challenges:

  • Our chief cook Carol Mukisa got burnt by fire in our outgoing temporary kitchen.
  • Malaria fever is still a big problem. Children are still vulnerable to mosquito bites.
  • There has been a very big decline in our monthly child sponsorship.
  • Water shortage at the school has been a very big hindrance. Our hand-dug well which is 30 feet deep cannot yield enough water to us especially during the dry season.

GOOD THINGS WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO

DINING HALL On April 5th, 2007,the construction work of a dining hall will begin. This building will be a multi-purpose one as it will also serve as a chapel. Incredibly, the plans have been approved by the government authorities and the time to begin is now. This building will cost $40,000.

MEDICAL CLINIC Our medical clinic will be officially opened on July 7th, 2007. We expect the Government Minister for Health to be the Chief Guest. Pastor Jim Kaminski, together with his daughter Alisha and her husband Paul, will do the dedication.

SCHOOL LIBRARY Garden City Church in Missoula, MT -- the church which is one of our longest friends -- will be sending Susan Roberts in June 2007 to help us to set up a school library.

A NEW BOYS' DORMITORY Without Walls Christian Center Church in Gilbert, AZ, under the senior pastorship of Ken and Deanna Dutton, has come out by faith to lead us in a campaign of constructing a second dormitory for the boys. This building will be able to house 200 boys and it will cost $40,000. Please we kindly request you to join us in this fundraising drive.

PRAYER REQUESTS

  1. It is our prayer that the Lord may provide 100 mattresses for our children. Each bed costs $20.
  2. It is our prayer that the Lord may provide 100 beds for our children. Each bed costs $40.
  3. Please pray that the Lord may help us to get a drilled well. The drilling company has quoted $10,000 for this project, which will be a 150-foot deep well.
  4. Prayer request of 300 blankets. Ecah blanket costs $10.
  5. 100 acres of agricultural farmland. Each acre is at a cost of $600.

Once more, we appreciate the support you are giving to the children of Destiny and we pray that may the Almighty reward your efforts abundantly.

Your brother and Friend,

John Michael Mugerwa

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Dated January 5, 2007

Happy New Year Greetings to you.

The year 2006 has gone so fast! It has gone with all the challenges thereof and the blessings we captured in it have stayed with us to help us to see the goodness and faithfulness of our God.

DESTINY ORPHANAGE AND SCHOOLThis home of Eagles which is accommodating 602 children with a staff of 45 has been able to provide education, feeding, medical treatment and clothing through the year under the mighty hand of God’s provision. Our God has used windows of heaven like you to partner with us. It is at this note that we take this opportunity to forward to you our special thanks for your love and financial support to the Ugandan children.

2006 BLESSINGS AT DESTINY

  • The Lord blessed Destiny with permanent private shower places. Thanks to Faith Community Church in Tucson - AZ (USA)
  • A poultry farm of 500 layers was set up in January.
  • A water purifier was assembled and will start to serve by February 2007.
  • Kitchen construction begun and is in high progress.
  • Many friends from U.S.A have visited our school.
  • Ramos Ministries in Seattle - WA (USA) provided new shoes for all children at school.
  • Friends like you have continued to partner with us.

2006 CHALLENGES AT DESTINY

  • In May, fraudsters tried in vain to defraud our bank account.
  • In August, one of our girls (7) fell in a boiling sauce pan of water. She was rushed to the hospital and now she has totally been healed.
  • In September, we lost one of our lovely boys - Bosco (13) after a short illness of cerebral malaria.
  • Malaria fever has attacked our kids on many occasions thereby affecting their education.

SAINTS GATE CHURCH Thankfully, the Lord has blessed Evah and I to keep on pastoring this great church for 22 years now! In the year 2006 the Lord Showered many blessings upon us and the ministry as follows:

  1. There was much growth and expansion.
  2. Evah and I received a car donation from one of the local leading pastors when she came to preach in our church in January.
  3. Probably the World’s Largest All-Day Marriage Seminar was organized and took place on September 9th in a soccer stadium in the midst of Kampala the Capital City of our Nation. More than 27,000 gathered for this 12-hour event.
  4. The Media program on Radio and TV has continued to impact many listeners and viewers.
  5. In the month of July, I was ordained – Bishop of 80 churches under our mission.
  6. Praise be to God that in the first week of December, I was elected to be the Chairman of Kampala District Pastors’ Fellowship with about 600 Evangelical Churches.

2007 TASKS We here at Saints Gate Church and Destiny have named 2007 as the year of realities.

  1. We are stepping out from the boat to start the construction of a 2500 seater Church. The work is expected to start by mid January.
  2. A dining hall to seat 1000 children will be constructed at Destiny.
  3. Prayerfully we will buy a school farm land of 100 acres at a cost of $60,000.
  4. A dormitory for boys is on a prayer request list to be constructed at Destiny.
  5. We pray that you may be able to visit us here. We promise to keep you in our prayers.

We will humbly request you to let us know more about your 2007 prayer requests so that we can specifically lift your name to our Maker and Savior in our daily prayers. Keep on running a winning race! Don’t give up!

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Dated December 6, 2006

Greetings from Evah and I, Saints Gate Church and Destiny. The home and soul of 602 children. We would like to thank God who has moved us through our community-Katwe over the last 22 years. Many of our friends like you know that Evah and I have been married for 24 years now.

Though we have not yet received our biological children but whenever you will happen to visit our home, you will not be surprised to find more than 10 adopted children in our house whose parents died of AIDS. This ministry of keeping kids in our home has been going on for the last 16 years!

We are so excited to let you know that our two daughters Loy and Winnie - out of these children from our home - will be married to Paul and Samuel respectively on 12/17/06. This will be a joint wedding where eight other young couples will also be exchanging their vows on the same day at our church.

This mass wedding of ten couples will pull a big crowd from our community. It will also demand much funds from Evah and I but it will be worthy as we promote pure marriage in our campaign to fight against HIV AIDS which is killing many young people in our nation of Uganda.

Please keep us in your prayers.

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Dated August 31, 2006

This is to sadly inform you that on August 27th, Destiny School in Uganda has lost one of its children. Bosco Siboman (13) died of cerebral malaria after a short illness. He has been a Christ life committed boy, humble and a leader. We will miss him.

The day he died he first preached in the school chapel and then complained of headache at the school! He was rushed to a nearby clinic where he died on arrival.

Pray with us for the comfort of other children.

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Dated May 20, 2005

May 20 marked the beginning of our Second Term of the academic year. Teachers are in much anticipation to see that our kids excel in learning.

The non-teaching staff is also busy doing a good job in cooking, washing, cleaning, etc. We thank God who has kept them and given them strength for they are doing a great job here. I always admire them. They are always very happy at the end of the month to receive their paychecks. This happens because of your giving, love and prayers.

We have started growing our own food to help us feed the children. A plantation of sweet potatoes has been grown on 6 acres of property. Also, cassava (root food) has been planted. Thank God for the tractor which has been a great tool in this project.

Announcing “The Destiny Chicken Project"! We have begun this effort as one of our sources of income and as an avenue to provide eggs for food to the children.

Believing God's best for you!

John Michael and Evah Mugerwa

The School

This year the school runs Kindergarten through Grade 6.  Each proceeding year a grade will be added to our school.