Three Little Words

For the past two months, my response to many people's questions have been some form of three little words.

"What are you going to do next?" - "I don't know."
"Are you going back to Uganda?" - "I'm not sure."
"Have you heard any news?" - "I haven't heard."
"Do you know what's happening yet?" - "I'm still waiting."

Well, finally, I have a new set of three words to say:

I'm

Going

Back! 

I have applied and been accepted to go back and work as a staff member at Hope Land, in Jinja, Uganda, where I did the lecture phase of my DTS.  I will be working with two of the ministries there, a home-building ministry called Homes of Hope and also with the Vocational Training School. 

 

Vocational Training School 

 The Vocational Training School (VTS) is a year long program offered to youth of Uganda who cannot finish their formal education because of their family's financial situations.  The aim of the school is to provide students with practical employment skills that will help them create better futures for themselves and their families, while also developing self-confidence and character.  Hope Land has been running a Girls VTS every year for quite some time, where the students learn skills in baking, tailoring, farming, and hospitality.  There has not been a Boys VTS since about 2004, because the nature of the boys' vocations, including mechanics and construction, makes it more difficult to find opportunities for practice.  But we are hoping to change that this year and start a Boys VTS in August!

My role with the VTS has several parts.  I will be part of the logistics team that is figuring out how to get the Boys VTS started again this year.  Once the school is started, I would like to offer supplemental lessons in English writing/composition and computer skills.  I also envision myself working as Hospitality staff for the students, helping them be unified as a class, planning activities and birthday celebrations, leading Bible studies, and offering one-on-one meetings. 

I'm really excited about this opportunity, because vocational training is something that touches my heart.  I myself love to work, so to be involved in helping others achieve employment is a blessing for me.  I also really value vocational training because to me it is a way to help someone gain skills that will empower them to change their own life, rather than giving away something that will either be short-lived or will create dependency.  So for me, this is a great opportunity to learn more about working in vocational training ministry.

For more about VTS, visit the school's page on Hope Land's website: http://ywamhopeland.org/training/vts

Homes of Hope

The Homes of Hope program came to Hope Land in 2013, and it allows a team of people anywhere in the world to raise the funds needed to build a home for a family in need, and then come to Uganda and work with us to build the home.  The homes are built in the community around Hope Land.  This ministry is still very new to Hope Land, so we are in the development stage, troubleshooting as we go.

My role with Homes of Hope will vary throughout the year.  I will also be helping with logistics on this team, working as Hospitality for the teams that come to Uganda to help us build, and I will be on-site to help build.

For more about Homes of Hope, visit the ministry's page on Hope Land's website: http://ywamhopeland.org/ministries/homes-hope

I am so excited that God has allowed me the opportunity to go back to Uganda!  It has been a long and quiet two months of waiting, but the promises that God put in my heart never wavered.  And now, I am really going back!  I leave the last week of April.  

The first six months of working for YWAM are probationary, but I fully expect to be able to continue past that probationary period.  If we start the Boys VTS in August, then I expect to be in Uganda until August of next year, 2016.  At that point I will have options, because I am still very interested in doing the School of Biblical Studies program that runs every August at Hope Land.  If I go straight into that, I would be in Uganda another year, so I would be there until August of 2017.  Alternatively, I could choose to do another year as a staff member.  Or maybe God will lead me home, or to another country... I don't know what He has planned.  But I am preparing myself to be in Uganda for about two and a half years, until August 2017.

Support

Living abroad has its costs, as does working for YWAM.  Staff members at YWAM are not compensated, and must pay their own staff fees to cover rent, utilities, and food while living at the base.  The idea behind this is that we are there to give our time as a service to Lord and to the people to whom we minster and teach, and we must partner with our churches, friends, and families to raise our own support.  This allows YWAM to direct its funds towards the ministries and training programs, rather than to its staff. 

There are many ways that friends and family members can support my trip if you desire to do so!  

> Prayer: We have some major tasks ahead of us to get the Boys VTS running this year, and to help Homes of Home develop properly.  You can be praying for the success of these ministries, as well as provision for the programs, solutions to problems, and the health and safety of my fellow staff members, my future students, and me.

> Donate old smartphones: If you have an old smartphone sitting around, you can consider donating or selling it for me to bring as a gift for my Ugandan friends and fellow staff members there who cannot afford a good phone.  The phone must be able to use a SIM card and must be unlocked in order to work there.  If you think you're interested in sending me a phone, just contact me and I can explain more!  

> Donate financially: There are many ways to donate financially.  You can:

             > Send a donation by mail: You can send cash or checks in the mail.  Just send me a message on Facebook or an email if you need my address.

             > Set up a direct bank account transfer: If you know how to do a direct funds transfer through your online banking, you can email me for my account information and transfer funds to my account.  However, your bank may charge you a small fee for this service.

             > Donate with a credit or debit card: If you would like to donate by charging your credit card or debit card, you can do so through Pay Pal.  Simply click on the "Donate" button in the right-hand sidebar of the blog.  There is also a link below it called "Directions for Donating Online" that will take you to a page of instructions.  If you desire to set up a recurring monthly donation, you will have the option to do so.

> Sponsor a week or more of my staff fees: 

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UPDATE: March 29, 2015 - ALL of my weeks of staff fees have been sponsored!! Thank you to everyone who is sponsoring!

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Staff fees at Hope Land are $200 per month, or $50 per week.  I have divided up the time that I know for sure I will work as a staff member into 67 weeks, which totals $3,335.  If you click on the link "Weekly Sponsorships" in the right-hand sidebar of the blog, you will be taken to a page that shows all of those weeks.  If you would like to sponsor a week or more, just contact me and let me know which week(s) you would like to sponsor. You can send money for this any time before the week(s) you choose, even if I am already in Uganda! This is a great option for anyone who desires to support me but cannot provide the finances before I leave, because you can make a commitment to pay later.  Staff fees are not due in advance; rather they are due the month that they are used, so I do not need to arrive with all of my fees in hand.  If you want to pay while I am already in Uganda, you will be able to send a check to my parents, do a direct bank transfer, or pay with a credit or debit card through Pay Pal.

I could not do this kind of volunteer work without so many loving friends and family members supporting me!  God has always provided me with all that I need to do His work, and I am trusting Him again during this trip for all kinds of provision, including financial, prayers, encouragements, guidance, wisdom, and ability. 

Thank you again to anyone who helped me go to Uganda the first time for DTS - as you know, it changed my life completely.  I am looking forward to this next opportunity, to serve for a longer period of time and to allow God to use me to work in the lives of a beautiful people group.

If you have any questions about my trips or my plans, or anything really, please feel free to contact me by email

(sklein273@gmail.com) or Facebook!  

Also, I will have better Internet access this time than I did last time, so I will be able to update this blog more often.  I am also hoping to create an email newsletter either monthly or bimonthly.  If you would like to be included in this newsletter mailing, please contact me :)

Thank you so much for your prayers and encouragement as I prepare for this amazing journey!