February Update!
Mood:  happy
Topic: Ministry Update!

Hello everyone,

Wow---January was an active month with a lot going on and much progress in many directions.

 

A wonderful group of 5 nurses from an organization called Carpe Diem visited and did a medical evaluation on about 200 of our kids. We are filing the reports on each kid in their folders and we now know which families are having problems with malnutrition and poor hygiene.

The field officer will be keeping a closer eye on the more vulnerable families.  We also took advantage of the kids being at the office and had them take back their school books and pens and pencils and other school needs before heading home. That relieved the huge croud that usually comes in at the last weekend before start of school.

The first term of the year starts in February and we had many many new kids hoping for money for school. It is so hard hearing their stories, seeing their eyes fill with tears knowing how much they want to be able to get an education. We send the field officer out to investigate all new applicants to be sure all needs are genuine.  After talking with over 100 children, we have selected 24 to be helped in school. We now are in prayer for more sponsors for the many extra kids.

The rains have come early and we now need to plan our first planting at the new land we have just purchased.  It will be a lot of work, but so rewarding when the first harvest comes in.

Lastly I was so happy to have a visitor and friend stay with me for two weeks. Kaggy George came and had an opportunity to see the program first hand. She planned on assisting me get the office in better order but things were constantly busy and she could not get to that. She did meet many of our kids and visited some of the families as well as the Rescue Home kids. On her last weekend here we visited the Queen Elizabeth Park and had a wonderful time seeing all the animals. A wart hog, however, was not happy being in our photo shoot and decided to chase Kaggy. We also were woken up in the middle of the night with a hippo outside our window. I never knew that they made such strange noises and loud too!!!!

As we head into February we still have many activities planned. I continue to marvel that God called me to this wonderful country and sometimes when I wake up I think with wonder---"I am in Africa!" even after 13 years here. I am home and happy.

I thank all of you who continue to support and pray for me and the ministry. Mukama akulinda--(God be with you.) Carol

 

 

 

P.S.  As you can see, the Manna Rescue Home Van is going to good use!

--
 Carol Adams
 Youth Encouragement Services
 Fort Portal, Uganda
 www.caroladamsministry.com

Our Recent Graduates
Mood:  special
Topic: Ministry Update!

Here are some recent photos of our graduating hairdressers and mechanics.  These are kids who for one reason or another could not finish secondary schooling. They have now finished a two year training in auto mechanics and have received boxes of tools needed to start them up.  There are many cars in the country now and a good mechanic can usually find jobs.  We also have students graduating as plumbers, carpenters, electricians and tour guides as well catering students. Most of these students are being employed. This country has a very high unemployment number and we are very happy to see so many young men and women now having a way to survive in a difficult world.  It feels so good to see my kids going out into the world with a chance to make a living!  The donations from so many people have made this possible.  I thank all of you for your ongoing prayers and support.

Love, Carol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have a new van!!!
Mood:  happy
Topic: Ministry Update!

God is great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These are the shots of the new van for the rescue home.

Praise Him. Love, Carol

Hello from Emerald, YES Uganda Volunteer
Mood:  happy
Topic: Ministry Update!

Hi There!

 

My name is Emerald Russell. I have been living in Fort Portal, Uganda, and volunteering for Carol Adams at Youth Encouragement Services for the past 6 months. I wanted to introduce myself to all of you, and send out my gratitude for your support of Carol's programs.

 

I cannot begin to explain how impressed I am with the effect your support, via Youth Encouragement Services, has had on this community. I primarily focus on Y.E.S.'s newest project, Manna Rescue Home, which is a home for 30 orphans living with HIV/AIDS. Although I am often focused on the children there, I have had the opportunity to meet many of the current students, and even past graduates of the Y.E.S. program. I am often inspired by their stories, and it is wonderful to meet young people who genuinely use the opportunities, provided by you and Carol, as a foothold to begin their path to success.

 

Beyond the kids in the Y.E.S. education program, I have had the opportunity to meet with many needy families who have been supported by many of you. Again, I would like to convey my gratitude. I have been floored by the reactions of some of these community members, who don't see your support as a handout that will keep coming, but instead as an opportunity to get them started on their own path to financial stability and support for their families.

 

With the opening of Manna Rescue Home (MRH), things at Y.E.S. have been extremely busy! The Y.E.S. staff continues to provide support to the appx.375 children now in the Y.E.S. program, as well as focus on the large challenge of the Rescue Home. MRH provides all food, medication, educational, and emotional support needed for the 30 kids living at the home. Although MRH requires more time and effort from the Y.E.S. staff than ever before, it has proven to be extremely successful and worthwhile. We have seen tremendous improvements in the health of many of the children. Most of the children came from extremely poor home environments, where they were often stigmatized and abused because of their illness. At MRH the kids receive group counselling, and personal counselling when needed. It is amazing to know that these wonderful children finally feel welcomed, have a sense of belonging, and even a bit of normalcy.

 

Right now a group of Irish volunteers are with us, representing their church community which has done a considerable amount of fundraising. Thanks to them, a vehicle was purchased last week for the Rescue Home. This will allow us to take children to the hospital at night when emergencies arise, take the children to school when it is raining, and take them on occasional trips to the many beautiful and exciting places that Uganda offers. Beyond purchasing a vehicle, these volunteers are working hard with a local crew to build a play-ground for the MRH children. The kids are having a blast watching it all come together, and soon they will be able to play on it every day.

 

Y.E.S. is also in the middle of a very exciting computer project. An Irish organisation, Camara, has teamed up with Mountains of the Moon University, here in Fort Portal. This program provides refurbished computers and trainers, as a form of community outreach and empowerment. Y.E.S. recently received 20 computers, has set them up at the office/hostel site, and will soon provide computer classes to students on the program.

 

Because I am often searching for new donors for the Rescue Home, I am rarely in contact with the original Y.E.S. program's extended family. So thank you very much for allowing me to introduce myself.

 

Again, I cannot fully express my gratitude to each of you for the role that you play in the Y.E.S. program. I know that some of you make large financial sacrifices to contribute to Y.E.S., some of you have dedicated a lot of time, and some of you make occasional contributions which aren't much of a burden. I want to impress upon you that regardless of your level of support and commitment, what you are doing, be it small or large, is making a world of difference for one or more Ugandan orphans. For those of you who have been able to visit Fort Portal, I think you will agree with me in saying that Carol's program really does have a ripple effect. For each of you who sponsor a child in school, a young person is going on to achieve and make a positive impact on this community. Many of the program graduates whom I have met are now doing remarkably meaningful work, and they would never be in this position to help others if it weren't for you and Y.E.S.

 

Pictures of the Rescue Home can be viewed on the  Manna Rescue Home Facebook Group. If you are a Facebook member, just search "Manna Rescue Home", join the group, and enjoy the photos! If you are not a Facebook member, it is free to join at www.facebook.com.

I am at the half-way point in my stay, and will be volunteering for Carol for the next 6 months. If you have any questions about Manna Rescue Home, please visit its page on the Y.E.S. website: www.caroladamsministry.com, or feel free to email me at emerald.russell@gmail.com.

 

I hope this email has found you all well and enjoying summer wherever you are!

 

All the best,

 

Emerald Russell

Volunteer

Catholic Medical Missions Board

 

Happy New Year from Carol Adams and Youth Encouragement Services
Topic: Ministry Update!

Carol Adams and Youth Encouragement Services

Wishing you a Happy and Blessed New Year!

 

2007 Y.E.S Highlights and some Lowlights.

 

      22 children finished their education and graduated!! You have no idea how very excited they were, a literal dream come true, giving hope to many, many others that there can and will be a better life.

 

      Florence Bamuturaki joined us this year as a counselor working with the children. They have grown to love and trust her, sharing their problems and looking for solutions.

 

      Small Income Projects: We are working with the children's extended families to educate in utilizing better farming techniques as well as setting up small income producing projects.

    

      Manna Rescue Home, most certainly has been the greatest future highlight as it has now completed Phase 1, housing and caring for 30 children with AIDS who are seeing a hopeful future. From no one to care for them to a home with love and protection, they are now able to develop their innate God given skills. Projects for the rescue home include animal husbandry and vegetable gardening so that the children can work with the animals and also produce food for the home.  Completion of the Rescue Home would have been impossible without the help of our Irish volunteers and Eamonn Smyth overseeing the construction.  Grace McClean produced a professional video of the program that we hope to have on line. As of now, some have already been mailed out to you.

 

      Lowlights: Well there has to be in Africa or elsewhere. California had their horrific fires destroying thousands of homes and we here in Uganda had the dreaded Ebola disease outbreak killing countless people in our region. Along with that brought the outbreak in neighboring Kenya over corruption in the elections and now it is still fairly unstable.

 

      Manna Rescue Home desperately needs a VAN! We are stuck with no transportation.

 

A donor has already pledged $5000 to match $10,000 toward a $15,000 vehicle, which in Uganda does not buy a lot due to the terrible taxes on cars.

 

This is a desperate situation since we are currently relying on others for the transportation issues that arise related to sickness, mobility and supplies, which can be unpredictable.

 

Please go to CarolAdamsMinistry.com where you can make an immediate donation online.

 

As you can see, it is always busy and exciting! I thank God for all he has done for us here in Uganda and could not do anything without your help, prayers and donations.  Our overhead is literally nothing as everything goes to the project and children.  Today's sermon at church had the message, Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all things will be added unto you. I pray that our program continues to seek Him and give Him all the glory. I ask for wisdom for myself and all of my staff as we move into this year.

I close with again huge thanks to all of you and best wishes for your New Year.

 

Thank you all, and God Bless you for helping.

Love,

Carol Adams

 

Happy New Years!
Topic: Ministry Update!
Youth Encouragement Services--Uganda

Happy New Year 2007 !!!!

To all my friends, family and supporters,
I hope you all have had a wonderful and blessed Christmas season.
I am sitting here on January 1 on a sunny cool day with temperatures in the low 70s and a nice breeze and the smell of newly mowed grass. I have been praying and reading Philippians which is one of my favourite books from Paul in the Bible. I think that Phil. 3:13 and 4:8 are good thoughts to go into the new year with.
Before I start a brief recount of 2006 I wish to apologize to anyone who I may have not have answered an email from or who I have not have kept updated enough on your orphans. Please email again and remind me about anything I have not done. I would be very grateful for that as I often worry about things that I may have forgotten. Also there are addresses on my mailing list that I do not recognize. If there is anyone who wishes to be taken off this list please drop an email back and I will do that immediately.
The year of 2006 has been an amazing one with much happening. The year started with a very inspiring sermon from Rev. Patrick Kyaligonza. Basically he talked about putting all of our trust in the Lord who is in complete control and who has nothing but love for us.
In January we were searching everywhere to raise funds to send a 12 year old orphan to India for open heart surgery. After several trips to Kampala and to the hospital there Peter and Grace Rwakojo, our field officer, flew out on February 17. Unfortunately after two operations and much struggle Peter died on May 7th and his body was flown back and buried at his home on May 12 th.
During the trips to Kampala we also faced some adventures in connection with the presidential elections that were far from peaceful. At one time I got stuck in a traffic jam during a riot and had a tear gas canister land just feet from the car. Tear gas does a lot more than make your eyes tear! The next trip I told Grace that I wanted to stay in a guest house a bit outside of Kampala where it would be safer. I was on a small motorcycle headed there when Grace and I got caught in another riot that ended in a shoot out where 4 people died. The man on a motorcycle just behind us was hit by a bullet but we survived unscathed.
On a much more positive note, the work of YES is growing and expanding in many ways. We received funding to finish the upper level of the hostel in July and work was started immediately. The movie theatre/conference hall was completed first with a grant from Peace Corps and there have been weekly movies for income generation (If anyone has any good clean DVD movies we would gratefully accept them) and we also have been renting the hall to many groups who hold conferences and trainings. The hostel has had many groups through out the year from Australia, US, Holland, and from within Uganda. The Church of Uganda used our facilities for a week long retreat for a group of lay readers and deacons before they were commissioned and ordained.
Our children have again received gifts from Franklin Grahams Shoe Box ministry. 24 Dutch people came for that giveaway and I enjoyed meeting them so much. The kids loved the gifts and were happy that day.

On November 11, I moved into the apartment at the hostel. I think it is going to be much better living close to town as I get older and also I am here when guests arrive. It is a beautiful apartment and also much safer than my home in the village of Kasusu. I have donated my Kasusu home and land for the Manna Rescue Home. This home will be for children who are in severe stages of AIDS and who have no one to care for them. There are many in that situation that are suffering and dying without knowing the love of God or of any human either. I am excited that construction is now starting for additional rooms for the home that will be able to care for 30 children.
Some other great news is that we have received funding from UNICEF that enables our program to have a full time counsellor for our orphans and care givers. They also are funding all of the furnishing of the Manna Rescue Home and part of the ongoing operational costs.
In 2006 I enjoyed a visitor from Germany who stayed with me for a month. I also am so very grateful for the support and help from Students from Pearson College. They worked tirelessly on the proposal we submitted to UNICEF and continue to assist in many ways. A couple from Peace Corps has also been so supportive and helpful in our work as well as a man from VSO who taught us how to keep our finances on a computer program. I am also very grateful for a couple who have worked hard back in my home state of Hawaii, setting up a web page and a 501C tax status for our program and a way to donate through Pay Pal on the web. They have also been so helpful to me with the computer situations and confusions I face being in a third world and being still a beginner with computer things.
This year I am looking forward to meeting a team from Ireland who will be assisting in the construction of the Manna Rescue Home. There are several other volunteers who may be coming to visit. If anyone feels led to volunteer for office and computer assistance and is good in accounting and proposal writing and organizing files, we would really welcome their help. This is an area where I feel overwhelmed at times and I could use some assistance.
Please, when you get a moment, visit our website at CarolAdamsMinistry.com to see what's happening here and check for updates to the ministry's blog.
This has become a bit long and yet I feel that much has been left out. I am so thankful to God who has been with me and taken me through this last year and has shown me so many miracles. I hold on to Corinthians 1:26-31 when I wonder about God calling me into this work. I will always thank and praise God and serve Him with joy.
May all of you know and have the peace of God in this coming year.
Love and thanks to all.
Mukama asiimwe (Praise God)
Carol

Carol Adams
Youth Encouragement Services
Fort Portal, Uganda
www.ugandaforhim.com

--
Carol Adams
Youth Encouragement Services
Fort Portal, Uganda
www.ugandaforhim.com

Ministry Progress
Topic: Ministry Update!
October 23rd,2006

Hello friends everywhere,
It's been a while since I last wrote. As always many things seem to be going on at once. Last week end I had a great visit from two British gentlemen who came to see our program here. It was good to get to know them even if it was a short visit. I hope they can come again and I would love to have any of you visit also. The week before that we wrote a proposal for UNICEF funding. I am requesting prayer that it might be accepted. It would be a huge lift for our finances. The same weekend a generous American lady donated her Toyota 4 wheel drive station wagon to the program. That was a very needed and wonderful gift that will be a great help with the field work when we have sick kids that are unable to be taken on a motorcycle. My Suzuki is still used but I will new keep it as a personal vehicle as it is getting old and with much use we will have more breakdowns. It should hold up fine for local use for now. I am also expecting a visit from a lady from Germany who will work with me for about 4 weeks. She will be coming in November at about the same time I will be moving into my apartment and we will be starting the construction of additional rooms for the Manna Rescue Home for the orphans in advanced stages of AIDS. I continue to praise God for all that is happening here.
I am very excited about my new apartment in the far end of the upper level of the hostel. It is almost finished and it will be so good to be there where I can oversee the activities easily. The hostel itself has been open now for several months and we are beginning to see more activity there. Tourists are learning about it and finding that it is a quiet and restful place to stay on the way to different national parks. I do pray that the business continues to pick up in order to help more orphans with all the needs. The other parts of the hostel in the upper floor will house our offices, a library, and eventually I hope to have a computer training room there. We also have a movie theater and conference room where we show Saturday night movies and conferences and trainings can be held for older orphans throughout the week. I am always in need of DVD movies that are clean and suitable to show here. I refuse to show many of the movies that are now on the market. Certain things from my culture do not need to be introduced here.
These some of the many exciting things that are happening here, and I continue to pray that everything is God's will and that it all glorifies Him. It is fun being here and seeing the miracles that God does day by day. I sometimes remember my calling almost 11 years ago and marvel that He called me to this work. I thank him too for all of you who have made this work possible here. We are a team working in His kingdom.
Mukama Asiimwe
And
Mukama akulindwa
(Praise God and God be with you)
Carol









Carol Adams
Youth Encouragement Services
Fort Portal, Uganda

Progressing In The Faith!
Topic: Ministry Update!
July 10th,2006,

Hello to all from Fort Portal,
My life continues to be very busy and full. It is such fun being a Christian because we never know what the next day will bring when we follow the Lord. I have now decided to donate my home and land here in the village for a rescue home for HIV+ and abandoned kids. I have several acres here and it will be a perfect place for this home. I have funds that were donated last year from Ireland that I can use to add rooms and develop things for this home. I will still need to finish the apartment at the hostel where I will move to as it is just a shell now. I have put in a proposal with the Japanese government and I am confident that funds will come from somewhere. The apartment has a beautiful view and should be very comfortable for me. It is also close to town and I will be right there to take care of customers when they arrive at different hours. This week a lady invited me to visit her at her home. She is an American who came here to be a missionary. She has decided that she can not handle many situations here in Fort Portal and that God can use her now in a different place and way so she is leaving. She showed me her nice appliances and when I asked her to give me a price list she said that she wished to donate them to me. I was so overwhelmed and happy. She has a refrigerator, stove and a washing machine! I have hand washed clothes for over 10 years and am very excited to now get a washing machine. God always gives so much more that I would ever ask for.
The kids are all in the middle of second term of school and things are a bit more quiet at the office these days. I have been receiving visitors from many places for the hostel and also am now showing DVD movies every Saturday night. I have several volunteers who are helping with things in the office. One visitor is a British man who is teaching us accounting using quick books on our computer. I have a thing called a flash disk where we back up data daily so that works out well. We are now completely balanced through June. I am learning so many things. We also have a young man from Canada who is helping organize the program we have with Send a Cow Uganda. I had not had time to be following the extension worker and what he has been doing and we really needed this help. This young man is very organized and he is fast catching on to the situations we face here and is not taken in by begging and lies that are unfortunately part of the work.
On the negative side, we still have a lot of trouble with lack of electricity and often the network of the telephone goes down. It is something we have to live with and we do the best we can. We did buy a small generator to run the computer for a short time daily but with gasoline costing over $5 a gallon we do not use it unnecessarily. We hope to eventually get solar power but it is incredibly costly to set up.
I will close with praising God for the daily wonders and his constant love and also thank all of you for your prayers and love.

Mukama asiimwe--Praise God-----Carol

--
Carol Adams
Youth Encouragement Services
Fort Portal, Uganda

A Busy Week!
Topic: Ministry Update!
June 11th,2006

Hi again everyone,
A very busy week has again finished. On Monday we received a volunteer from Canada named Leigh who is helping me sort out the Send a Cow work here. That organization has been helping so very much with training and supplying animals to the people we work with.
The day I want to tell you about is this Sunday. I was just driving out to head for church when a boda (small motorcycle) pulled up with one of our orphans who is ten years old along with his uncle and a rolled up mattress. The uncle said that he no longer wanted the boy because he is "bad." I asked how such a small child is so bad and he told me he is a thief. The boy just sat there silently with tears coming down his cheeks. His late mother had a house near me so I said to leave him at the house for now until I could decide what we can do. I have a suspicion that the uncle was hopeing that I would offer him money to keep the boy, but I felt that he was no good for him anyhow. The mom died about a year and a half ago. The sister found her dead and came running all the way to my house and threw herself in my arms crying terribly. Another uncle has this girl now and I wish that there was a way to re-unite the two kids.
I then went to church and after service a man who I trust came to me with this story. There is a 15 year old girl who is desparate for school fees. She is from a backward community over the mountain where people sell their daughters into marriage. Her father allowed her to complete primary school but made a deal with a man to buy her right after she finished. She is a courageous girl who wants better for herself. She had heard that the law protected her from this sort of thing even though her own mother and aunts all accept it and think that she is just being a stubborn girl. She managed to save enough money to come to Fort Portal and she went to a human rights organization where they promised to help her. They traveled back to Rubisengo where she was from and talked with the father, who has many wives and very many children. The father said that he accepted the decision and would not sell that particular daughter. However the girl still knew that a man had been told that she was his and she lived in fear. This man is even an HIV positive person. Two weeks ago a man tried to catch her and she ran to her father's house. The father let the man in and the girl was captured and tied up and thrown into the back of a pickup truck. She screamed and kicked and fought the whole time and as she was driven away she screamed at every area where there were people around. Some friends who knew about her situation managed to get a phone call through to the human rights group and the next morning the police came demanding to know where the girl was. The father finally told them and she was found still tied and thrown on the floor of a small mud hut. The "husband" had not reached her yet and she had not been raped. The police have now taken her to Fort Portal and a kind lady has taken her in to live here. Her father has most likely taken the cows and cash he got for her but the "husband" who bought her knows that if he comes to Fort Portal and trys to kidnap her again he could be in trouble as she is underage.
As a program our policy states that we assist orphans with school fees but I really want to help this brave girl who wants a better life. If anyone feels led to adobt this girl and help with her school fees we would be very grateful. It is a sad fact that this story isn't even unusal here. I realized this when I realized that I sympathised but was not shocked by the story. Oprah should get ahold of this one!)
I would love to hear from anyone. My love and greetings to all, Carol!
Carol Adams
Youth Encouragement Services
Fort Portal, Uganda

This Weeks Update!
Topic: Ministry Update!

June 10th,2006
This Weeks Ministry Update!
Hi everyone,
I'm writing this on the word because the internet is getting very hard to open and if it does open I hope to be able to send this out so that you know what is going on and why I do not answer emails as much these days.
Some have been asking about my eye problem. I have an appointment with a specialist on Wednesday next week so will know more then.
The hostel has become very busy and I am praising God for it's growth. This week we are having a fuel saving stove built in to the kitchen. On Saturday evening I have the grand opening of the movie theater, Sunday evening 20 young people traveling through come in for a night and I need to set up breakfast for Monday morning and present a short talk of the work we are doing. At the end of the week 20 VSO workers come in for 3 days and will help finish a house we built. Then in July we have 2 groups of 14 Australians for 5 days each group and another group of 20 for ten days who will also use the conference hall. All of this on top of everyday program things. Today I have a large meeting of send a cow beneficiaries to discuss problems and expectations for the future.
I will try to get back to you folks individually soon. It depends on the internet. I really pray that situation will soon improve.
Aloha and mahalo, Carol