Destinations

January 2004 appeared like it would be just like any other year. Going to work, fulfilling our roles at church and generally just trying to live the best we could with what we had. Then without us even realising things just seemed to be different. At the beginning of the year Pastor Gary Levens prophesied over our lives that we would have a break through ministry and that we would break through where others could not, but that others would follow and go even further. When something like this is said you just don’t know what to expect. Was it something to do with music, which we both enjoy and were good at or something completely different.

Later in 2004 Oasis Christian Centre (formally Taigum Community Church) hosted the Watoto Children’s Choir, a choir that was from Uganda that tours around the world to raise awareness and funds for an orphanage/school/community in Kampala, Uganda. While they were with us they mentioned about donations, but also that they allowed teams from around the world to visit and build a house or classroom for them. At the time God was speaking to us about love, so we were obviously moved by seeing the choir. On the way out of the car park I suggested to Kathryn that we should go and build a house for them. It was just one of those things that you say you should do and everyone goes “yeah, that would be a good thing to do.” But Kathryn straight away said “Yes, we should!” So pretty much straight away we started preparations to take a team.  2005 saw us lead a team to Uganda to build house Number 76 at Suubi Village, just outside of Kampala in Uganda. We took a team of 12 people, most of whom were from Oasis Christian Centre, and most of whom were strongly impacted by the experience, so much so that as soon as we returned home they were asking about going again in 2007 to build another home.

New Years 2005/2006 came and we were at a friend’s place, where Pastor Gary & Judy were also. We got to talking about various situations around the world. When out of nowhere, Pastor Gary just popped up and said that he and Judy had been praying about starting orphanages to rescue children in various locations around the world, and that Kathryn and I kept coming to them as they prayed. Again, another instance where you just say “Yeah??? That would be a good thing to do!” But somehow God had been preparing us and somewhere in the next three months we went from thinking that someone should do that, to, WE are going to do that.

Around the middle of 2006 we decided to return to Uganda to attend a conference run by Watoto, about starting orphanages, emphasising partnerships between Western and African churches. While we were there we visited some people that we had been put in contact with in Kabale (South West Uganda) and established some ties with them.  2007 saw us return again, this time partnering with Victory Community Care Services (A Ugandan NGO) and the doors of Akanyijuka opened with 2 matrons and 6 children.  From that point until mid-2009 we saw a total of 40 children come into Akanyijuka Children Homes.