Monday, December 17, 2007

Support Letter

Several people have asked me if my support letter is available to read online. I will copy and paste it in here as I've not figured another way to attach a document:

December 6, 2007


Friends and Family:

We regularly see the pictures and hear the statistics about how the AIDS pandemic (an epidemic affecting a wide area and/or large people group) is taking the lives of people all around the world. It is not just a far away continent story or an AIDS story. It is a human story that goes beyond a disease.
Have you ever considered what is happening to the children of all the adult AIDS victims? The impact that it is having on children, families, schools, communities, and countries?

Uganda, a country in east central Africa, has one of the largest numbers of orphans in the world; a staggering 2 million and rising. These children are being raised by grandparents and other family members who are already struggling to survive. Due to a lack of government-subsidized education, extended families and orphanages face an enormous financial barrier to educating Uganda's children. Consider the mission statement of Nyaka School from their website (www.nyakaschool.org):

The mission of the school is to provide quality, free education and extracurricular activities, both formal and informal, to children who have been orphaned due to HIV/AIDS as a means to counteract pervasive hunger, poverty, and systemic deprivation.

Nyaka is the only tuition-free orphans’ school in the Kanungu district of Uganda. It began with 56 children who were all “double orphans” (they had lost both parents) and has grown to 276 children on two campuses.

The school is in need of medical personnel, social workers/counselors, teachers, technology specialists, building tradesman, and others who are willing to step in and support their efforts to teach and train children to improve their futures. The teachers and family caregivers also need training to know how to best lead and support the children in their grief and adjustment.

I have a special opportunity this winter to go to Nyaka School and contribute to the growth of the students, teachers, and families. They need manpower to build a new classroom for which they have received funds and have planned a concurrent teacher training. The mission team will be gone for ten days to help with these projects and others.

Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church and author of The Purpose Driven Life, states, “The HIV/AIDS pandemic is the greatest opportunity for the Church to be the Church. It is time for us to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those who need compassion.” I’ve decided it’s my turn to be hands and feet for Jesus.

Would you consider being a partner with me in this mission? There are two specific ways you can help. First, I would appreciate your prayers for safety and effective project work for the whole team. Second, each team member is responsible for raising $2300 to cover airfare, ground transportation, food, lodging, and materials. If you could provide resource support, it would be tremendously appreciated. All gifts that are sent in the enclosed reply envelope will be credited to my mission project account. Checks should be made payable to Sherwood Oaks Christian Church. This is a charitable contribution and is tax-deductible; however please note that a check with my name in the memo line will not be recorded as a charitable deduction. Be sure to fill out the information portion of the response envelope and send it with your contribution enclosed. My final payment is due January 15.

I have created a blog to keep those interested up to date on my preparation and journey as time and technology allow. The address is www.lucygoesglobal.blogspot.com. I will mail a follow-up report to all the project supporters when I return.

Thank you for your interest, prayers, and support as I minister to the precious children and families in Uganda.

Most Sincerely,



Cynthia Parkes
Director of Children’s Ministry



For more information on Nyaka School:

Sept. 07 Newsletter http://www.nyakaschool.org/newsletters/September%202007.pdf

Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2oKUl5V7Aw

Article
http://www.ugandapulse.com/articles/daily/news.asp?ID=2943

School Wish List
http://www.nyakaschool.org/wishlist.php

American Contact Address
Nyaka Aids Orphans School
P.O. Box 339
East Lansing MI 48826

$145 would educate one student at Nyaka for one year.




Donation envelopes available upon request. Thanks for your prayerful support.
Cynthia aka Lucy

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