Africa 2024

Can no longer call it The Uganda Mission Trip because we are now reaching into Kenya and Zambia.

This year was very good and very blessed. There were some tough times which you would expect however, we were able to overcome them. 

While there, Apostle Phil held a Pastors Conference. We were very happy to see our pastor, Bishop Patrick Lumumba, from Kenya arrive and be involved in the meeting. Here is an example of how God works. Bishop Lumumba being new, we were looking forward to meeting and getting to know him. Turns out, he already knew our pastors from working with them over the last 20 years of ministry! God placed his hand on this new connection and has opened the door to help raise up more children.

With the expansion of CII, it is important more than ever for the pastors and mission people to get to know each other and build a team. It is encouraging and meant to be uplifting. Several of our pastors did come. We had lunch together and exchanged information and ideas. Moving forward, each mission trip will have a pastors conference and we will alternate each pastor doing a teaching that will be heavy on gospel and uplifting for pastors specifically. This will be done not just to team build but also to give our pastors tools to stand strong in the faith. 

I am still in awe that they all know each other. In December, Pastor Kimbowa will be headed to Kenya to get eyes on the work there at Princedom School by invitation of Bishop Lumumba. To God be the glory. I love watching God be God.

BEDS AT GRACE

All of the 100 beds, mattresses and mosquito nets are all in place at Grace Children's Home. We had to use all but one classroom to house the new kids. However, we have a plan in place to build a new school building and to get the wall completed. There are three sides to the wall left to do and it is quite a long distance. Just off the top of my head, I am thinking $7500 to $10,000 to finish it and one side will be used to build the classroom off of. This will also save time as well as finances. Grace is a big concern at the moment because of the influx of kids. We will keep working at it until we get it completed. 

They are still making bread but that has become problematic due to the cost of flour and the other materials needed to make the bread. Prices are going through the roof. 

FOOD COSTS

Last year, I reported that food cost had doubled due to the war in Ukraine. Well, this year it doubled again. In fact, it is worrisome how much the food has increased in cost. The 2.5 tons of food we purchased last year cost 3.5 Million Ugandan Shillings. This year, the increase was to 7.3 Million using the exact same truck. The war in Ukraine and global inflation due to the economic inflation in the US and the ailing US economy has caused food prices to double what they were last year. If you remember, we had already seen an 50% increase from 2022 to 2023. Fuel costs have also increased which in part has forced up food prices as well. There is a little tidbit the news here will not report. 

I thought we had been sending enough money to help with the food issue but learned when I saw the prices, we are not sending enough and are actually sending about half of what we need to send. We will continue to work on this. 

Jireh

I have GREAT NEWS to report on this location. The Ugandan Road Authority has decided to go another route with the new road and they will not be tearing down our school and filling the well. That is the good news. The plan for this location is to continue to build the new school which is away from the road and the mosque which gives us trouble regularly. Once the new school is up, the current buildings will turn into teachers quarters. It is normal in Uganda to supply a room for teachers to live in and now we will be able to do so as the plan progresses. A new well will need to be drilled at the new location and the old well will continue to serve the teachers and the community. The health of the village of Kasasa was greatly improved by the well and the school as we allowed the entire village to draw water from it. That will not change. We will continue to keep everyone advised as things progress.

Victory Tom and Jan School

This is our most advanced school. The school is complete. There is no more building that needs to be done. Such a blessing. It is hard to be there without a smile. This place has gone from a witch doctor haven to a God honoring school caring for kids. It is just amazing what has been done here. CII will continue to help with food. Just because we won't be helping with projects because they are done, does not mean we will leave them stranded. They are still a part of things and we will help with food as needed. I am so happy to see this school actually come to fruition. It is the vision coming into reality. 

None of this would be without our supporters being loyal and giving.

Alpha School

Alpha School continues to progress. It is a bit slower than I would like but it is moving forward. The wall that was knocked down by the earthquake is being rebuilt and bricks are being backed to keep things moving. The major problem with getting this school up is bats. Yes, I said BATS. 

They are hanging around the roof during the day. I admit it was fun to toss a stick up and watch them all scramble around. You have to duck because there is a reason people say, "blind as a bat." they will fly right into you. Money was left for more cement to continue getting the school up. The well is still working perfectly and supplying wonderful cool, clean drinking water. 

Angering news

Shortly after I left, the local authorities paid a visit to Grace Children's Home. That was just the start of the trouble. They arrested Pastor Daniel stating that he did not have the protective wall completed and because of that the children were in danger. After three days in the local police station they changed the charge to Child Trafficking. He explained that all of these kids were rescued from Human traffickers. The police did check out his story and were able to confirm that he is NOT A TRAFFICKER but has saved them from being trafficked. They demanded a fine!!!!!! Yes you are reading it correctly an fine of 1.5 million Ugandan shillings to be paid.

A fine for being innocent of any wrongdoing. It became real obvious, real fast that they were looking for a pay off. FAST FORWARD. We did not pay it. Let me say this. I had prayer around the globe going for him. We are not going to spend the Lords money given by our donors TO PAY BRIBES. With extortion, once you pay, they will come back to that well time after time. While it was killing the entire CII team, we could not and would not pay that extortion money. Then today they said they wanted 15 million shillings. That on the exchange is about $4,700. Pastor Daniel sat in jail for a bit over two weeks waiting. 

Then today after he was told 15 million, they changed their minds and let him out. Just like that! With everything that was going on with this and all the prayer, you will never convince me it was not the Holy Spirit that opened the jail doors. He is known for getting His out of jails. 

Daniel is back at Grace and no bribe money was paid to corrupt police or any other official. Praise the Lord.

 Video of Pastor Daniel’s Homecoming 

Zambia

Welcome to our newest work just begun in Zambia. We began 2 months ago in early August. There are 35 children that we are feeding. All 35 are orphans. Feeding is the big issue. They need beds and we are doing everything from scratch. We have purchased food, chairs and three tables. We plan to get two or three more tables and go from there. 

We will be developing a plan for this location to include a proper kitchen. Moses Chibanda is our pastor there and has turned out to be a wonderful addition to the CII team. Please welcome him and help us get this work done for him as well. 

 Take Action and Donate Today 

Rock of Joy School

The second floor of the school still sits unfinished. While it is important to do so, feeding and maintaining qualified teachers is the biggest problem. Because of the global inflation and food costs, Feeding the 400+ students is quite a task and the teachers need to be paid as well. They feel the inflation and have families to care for. 

On the good side of things, Apostle Phil was able to ride in the van with the replaced engine in it. It was running so nice and smooth as well as going up hill there was no fear of the engine dying out. Also the foundation of the girls dormitory is now looking very nice with the new Terraso flooring in place to hold it and protect it.   

Remnant

Remnant school is looking very good as usual and the new dormatory has students in it. There have been repairs to the well pump which are needed and completion of showers and such for the girls. The issue here is that things are wearing out and will be in need of replacement and repair in the coming year. That will include the floor of the large hall used for eating and for tests among other things like school programs. Feeding and such are also a problem due to food prices. School supplies are also an issue here.  

Currently we are serving over 1,460 children. Four hundred and forty of the children are orphans and all are impoverished. Some families cannot pay for the children to attend school. We do not turn them away. What that does do is create a feeding problem because so few of the families can pay and the cost of food has once again doubled. It can also cause problems paying and retaining qualified teachers. 

The donations of our supporters mean so much more than what can be put into words. 

 Take Action and Donate Today 

ARE YOU BEING WATCHED?

Meet Hannah Gavic who is the winner of the drone raffle. CII raffled off a drone as part of having a booth at an art and craft show and Hannah won. By the way, as she was filling out her tickets, she was talking about how she never wins anything. Well, that streak is broke. Congratulations!  

I would like to take the time to thank each and every supporter of Child Initiative International. Your help and heart felt giving enables us to do the things we are guided by the Spirit. Food is still our biggest need and we have to buy it there at the locations. If you should feel the tug to help, we would certainly appreciate it. 

Don't sit back and watch miracles happen, become part of them.   

2021 Mission Report

This time of COVID-19 has created issues around the world and the mission field is not exempt from that change. However, God is bigger and more powerful than COVID and God has not given us a spirit of fear. That is the mind we went with and we saw God show up and it was wonderful.

There were some things which were honestly very hard to swallow and deal with however, we did and many people were blessed.

This report will be a bit different than what you are used to seeing in past years due to the different circumstances surrounding the trip. Schools were all closed and children normally living at the schools were living either with family members or in a temporary foster situation pending the ability to bring them back. The only school which still had the children on location was Grace Children’s Home. There is no place to send them as these are the children who have been rescued from human trafficking and abusive situation among other things. I will highlight and show what is new and going on there.  

Our building projects and other projects were put on the back burner and dealing with the need for food became the priority both in 2020 and 2021. Particularly on this trip. Because they are a cash society, the country being locked down has been particularly difficult for may people. These same people who would do something to earn money during the day and purchase food on the way home could not do so. It was particularly harsh for the elderly and single moms.

FOOD DISTRIBUTION:

Truckloads of food were purchased. Flour, rice, beans, sugar, oil, and in some cases pasta type noodles were brought in and broken down into individual bags which could be carried home.

More than just one day worth of food was given. The idea was to give enough for one meal per day and to try and make the rations proportioned for the number of members of a family. Some of the families had more than one child and we needed to try and insure that there was enough food to go around.

We served people from two villages as well as police and in one case military families. The living conditions of the police and the military families were beyond sad. The fact that they are also going without food is ridiculous. Police living with a family in one room shanty type housing and soldiers living with a family in houses as small as the tool shed in my back yard and not quite as nice.

We also fed Muslims who came for the food. Yes, it has gotten so bad that Muslims were coming to Christians to eat. That is not normal in a place where the lines of religion are very clearly drawn.

We fed anyone who showed up and needed to eat. In a developing nation, you do not have to worry about verifying if they truly are in need or not.

We purchased more than one truck load of food.

The trucks were off loaded and dividing the food began.

Many recipients were Muslim. Of them we saw conversions to Christianity as we were the only ones out feeding and it opened the door to talk about Jesus.  

We even fed police and the families of the officers. They have a COPS Fellowship and this is the mud floor tin wall place where they worship. They have no music and sing. The pastor pictured here is the only one with a Bible. Those who can write, will write down the scripture and take it home to re-read. We do plan to keep in contact with them. The facilities they live in are not much better than the small church they have made here. They would like to have fellowship with some American Police. We will work on that as well.

In this picture you can see several Muslim women who had come for food. We turned no one away from God’s provision. It gave us an opportunity to talk to them. No Mosques were open and there was no feeding program from Muslim, government or other Christian groups we could find there. Because of your support CII was the only one by God’s grace, getting the job done.

Just a small portion of the people we helped who wanted to say Thank You America.

There were multiple groups like this. Between all we had done, we had a total over 4,000

And we will continue as long as donation for this provision keep coming in. 

HELPING OUR PASTORS:

About two weeks before our arrival Uganda experienced an earthquake in the southwestern region of Rakki on the way to Tanzania.

Part of our Alpha Learning Center was damaged. A wall for a classroom which is being built and the toilets were knocked down. It also knocked down a portion of Pastor Vincent’s home.

We left pastor Vincent enough Money not only to repair the damage to the school and continue the building project but, I also informed him to use some of the concrete purchased to repair his home. We are not just about helping the children but, in these times,  we are not going to leave our pastors without food or a place to live. He should be able to rebuild the brick wall of his home that fell and salvage the roofing. They do not have home owner’s insurance and it will not use much of the concrete to fix the wall to his home. We cannot leave a brother in need like that. Vincent has done a fantastic job getting the building up and going at Alpha. Not to mention that he has begun to replace the mud church next door to the school with a new much larger brick church.

You may recall that this is the place where the children were writing lessons in chalk on the outside walls of the church because the chalk showed up very well in the manure mud mix.

We now have a school there and the damage from the earthquake will be repaired and the school will move forward.

JIREH SCHOOL TO MOVE: 

The Ugandan Road Authority has decided to widen the road leading from Rakki down to Tanzania. In that process they have gone along the road and spray painted large white arrows on many homes and other buildings.

They are supposed to purchase the land and compensate the owners for the lad they are taking. Our school has two such buildings. They are of course the two completed and good-looking buildings totaling four classrooms. It is also at one of the locations where one of our Sticks to Bricks kitchens is being built. There is also a well there.

That being said, since all schools are closed down due to COVID, Pastor Dick is taking advantage of the close down and has already begun moving the school to the new land.

As much of the classrooms that can be salvaged like bricks and tin roofing as well as windows and doors will be disassembled and moved to the land we purchased about a half mile from the current school. This includes the kitchen and the new ovens, which were being installed until the buildings were marked for confiscation and tear down.

We will move forward and “IF” the government keeps its word and we get paid for the land and the well, we will put that money into the school on the new land.    

 The new land is actually much larger and will house the school better. It is going to be a drawn-out process and it will not be much fun but, we will get it done and prevail. We are looking at this as more of a bump in the road, not a road block.

THE CHILDREN:

With the exception of Grace Children’s home, the children are either at home “OR” are staying with a foster family. By government mandate all schools have been closed due to COVID. Our pastors have had to work hard to find families for the orphaned children to stay with.

Grace Children’s home being so far back in the bush and out of sight still has all 78 children there. There is no place to send them except a government orphanage.  That would be catastrophic as there would be the opportunity for abuse and rather than rescue, we would become an enabling means for trafficking and other horrid issues.

We do need beds again. Unfortunately the beds we can get our hands on do not always last. 

We need beds and mattresses. So we are going to continue to raise money for feeding people in the villages and also to get some new beds.  

GRACE CHILDREN’S HOME:

The kids are happy and healthy. Not one case of COVID. In fact the worst thing they had going on was a baby with Colic who has a breast-feeding mom that enjoys very spicy food. Baby not only had the colic but was getting spice that its little new born tummy was not near ready for.

Once we showed mom and dad how to handle the colic and advised mom to forgo the spices until finished breast-feeding, the baby began to do much better. In fact she is doing very much better and allowing both mom and dad to sleep now. The entire family is better and calmer.

The rest of our kids here are all doing very well. We were able to pass out some bracelets to them which came from America. They were more than thrilled.

Even with the building projects being put on the back burner until things get more back to normal, they have been able to get the outer building shell of the new kitchen in place. It will be three rooms. A cooking area, a pantry and a small one room place for the cook to live. There is still a lot of work to do, but we will get there in time and once the financial blessings head our way. 

My concern here is the beds. Traumatized children tend to wet the bed a lot. Because of this issue there, the urine destroys mattresses and the bed frame welds. What happens is the welds give out. Then the broken beds need to be trucked out, fixed and brought back. It is actually more expedient to just buy new beds and then bring back the others once they have been rebuilt. It is not an easy transport and we could end up with children piled up in one bed which also wears out the frames.

What you are looking at here is the beginning of the Kitchen at Grace Children’s Home. The outer shell of the building is being worked on and it will need more work but again, building is on the back burner to food. The bad part to that is, if we are not careful, the needs such as beds and other items can face neglect. 

And you know me, I can’t resist handing out the things supporters make and send for the kids. This is back in the bush so, they are all still here.

OUR OTHER SCHOOLS:

Rock of Joy, Remnant, and Dick & Jan are empty and standing just the way we left them. Dick & Jan did get the second level finished and it is looking wonderful. The kids will be so excited once they return.

FROM THE PRESIDENT:

When we were there, we were working with restrictions we had not had to observe before and did do our level best to adhere to the curfew. We did fail with respect to the curfew a few times. The traffic jams coming out of Kampala were horrid. Everyone had to be closed down and home by 7 PM. On several evenings we sat for more than 30 minutes without moving so much as a foot.

In a televised speech The President said that he was going to open the universities and also churches to hold church with a maximum of 200.

Schools remain closed until all teachers are vaccinated. He clearly said that no schools will open unless the teachers all get vaccinated.

He also threatened local authorities telling them that if they allowed any vaccine batch to expire before getting them out to people, they would be fired.

I have since being home learned that the current plan is to reopen schools by January if vaccinations are in place and completed.

OTHER ITEMS TO TALK ABOUT:

For me, this was the most difficult trip since my first trip in 2006. The very first thing that I noticed was that the flights were about 25% full. The flights were so empty people could take a full row and lay down and sleep during the flight. I had not seen anything like that since 2006 either.

What made the lack of people on the flights so disturbing was, “we were the only Christian Missionaries on the flight. THE ONLY ONES! There were plenty of Africans and Dutch business men and women, but, usually these flights are packed with Christians and churches going to Rwanda, Uganda and other places to do everything from sing, to feed to, whatever.

WE WERE THE ONLY  ONES!!!!

What does that say? For me it was frustrating because I know, God does not stop sending His people because of COVID. Yes, it is more inconvenient to go on a mission trip. There can be no denying that. However, it is much more inconvenient to hang on a cross and that was done for us. I think we can endure the inconvenience.

I could not and still cannot seem to justify how the “HANDS AND FEET”, we always talk about were completely absent.

It made me feel like the hands are wearing mittens and the feet slippers. Just because there is a problem, it does not mean we should shrink and become a wall flower.

On my arrival to Uganda, once we had cleared customs and immigration, Things got worse. Pastor Steve has discovered Country and Western Music. Kampala has one station and it plays old C&W. Then the news came on.

The news was telling a story about how Ugandans are not getting the vaccine because they do not trust them and that it has been shown on SOCIAL MEDIA SUCH AS FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM among others, the Vaccine had Satan’s DNA in it and if you get the vaccine you are receiving the mark of the devil. !!!!!!!!!!!

They also talked about how the vaccine is magnetic and contains a tracking device. They are getting this all from social media coming out of the United States and the United Kingdom.

How stupid can people be to spread such conspiracy theories and frighten people in developing countries so bad, they are afraid to do what is needed to in order to save lives and people are dying because they do not have the facilities we do with respect to COVID. In a country where 60% of people are illiterate, seeing video and hearing such things come from Americans and the British makes things 100% believable and true thus, terrifying people who need to be protected. ALL FROM SOCIAL MEDIA. It is really my heart felt hope that CII members and supporters are NOT passing on these items. I personally have not been on social media since we left for Uganda and with the exception of posting ministry items, it is my intention to stay off. With all the problems doctors are showing with respect to depression among other things associated with social media, I am choosing to stay off.

I ended up on TV. I had preached four times that Sunday in two churches and had to destroy the falsehood of Satan’s DNA in the vaccine from a biblical and scientific approach. Our pastors were so grateful and so were the people who came to the special sessions that I was asked if I would go on TV and talk about the misinformation and bring up the points I had in the message.

The expression on the faces of people when I would inform them, they cannot receive Satan’s DNA because he does not have DNA, was amazing. So many people were set free by the message that I praise God for the words.

RETURNING:

We had been dropped off at the airport and we were asked for our document showing the were COVID Negative. Well they took that when we arrived. We were then informed we cannot even go inside the airport without an exit test!!! Well, no one told us that. We had no idea where to go and get one and we could not reach pastor Kimbowa as he was already driving back and was not picking up the phone. A very nice young lady told us to go to the clinic in the second level as they can do the test there but, we should go quickly so we do not miss our flight.

We get to the clinic and the rapid COVID test is $100 each and you get results in about two hours. That was going to make us really close to missing our flight. We kept calm, cool and collected. I have learned over the years in the mission field that freaking out, does no good at all. It is all in God’s hands and you deal with whatever gets sent your way.

OK, So, I was freaking out on the inside if I am being honest. But, the ladies at the clinic thought I was funny and they pushed the tests through for us. At that time, we pushed our luggage back up the road to the top level and other people who were trying to leave were now having the same problem. We went right through. We got to the ticket counter and through Customs and Immigration in record time and made it to the gate as the line was forming to board.

Yep, the Lord had it all under control. That is why I never travel without Him.

To Say they were thankful in Uganda would be the biggest understatement of the year. I was told by more than one of our pastors that I am an Apostle. That only an apostle would be so brave and bold as to commit to the mission under any circumstance to glorify the Lord.

My calling is of an Evangelist and it felt very strange to have such things said about me much less to me.

This is not to brag, but rather, to go along with what I brought to light earlier. The planes were empty.

WHY?

2019 Mission Report

OVERVIEW

Number of children 848 

Number of Orphans 382 

Number of HIV Positive Children 8 known and likely many more. Testing has not been done on many due to the lack of funding. We also have 1 child with Sickle cell. 

Number of boarded children living in CII dormitories 314 living in CII Dorms. Some of the children at three of our locations are cared for by foster families from the churches of the pastors at those locations. 

Number of Child deaths in the last year We are very happy to report that we have had no deaths for any reason in the last year. 

Special Needs Student Rock of Joy has its first Special Needs Student. Because the school has ramps Gilbert who is in a wheel chair is able to attend school. Because of his Special needs, the school provides assistance to him, which does included disposable undergarments and bringing him his food as the location of the kitchen is not easy for a wheel chair to get around in. Once the new kitchen is up at this location we will insure that children like Gilbert will have full access to all facilities. For now, he is happy to be able to go to school and gets around on the school grounds quite nicely. 

Synopsis 

As you can see Over these last thirteen years CII has been busy impacting lives for the Kingdom. Our projects are continuing on and there is still more than enough work to keep us more than busy. But we give thanks to God and to our supporters. Without both none of the work will get done and without both none of what has been done would exist. 

We still have a long way to go! 

2018 Mission Report

overview

Number of children 957 Not including the older kids at university or trade schools.

Number of Orphans 361

Number of HIV Positive Children 30 known and likely many more. Testing has not been done on many due to the lack of funding. We also have 1 child with Sickle cell.

Number of boarded children living in CII dormitories 227 living in CII Dorms. Some of the children at three of our locations are cared for by foster families from the churches of the pastors at those locations.

2017 Mission Report

This is the Child Initiative International “After Action Report. This report is intended to keep all supporters of CII informed of what was done during the 2017 mission trip in Uganda as well as show accountability that the work we are claiming would be done has been done or is in process.

This report also serves to show what needs to be done and the needs involved so that supporters may see what we need help accomplishing.

As always we are grateful for every dollar raised and given in support of the children we are working no only to save the lives of but to give them a future.

To God be the Glory

GET COMFY…IT’S A LONG ONE!

A LETTER FROM THE CEO

We get the wrong idea of things in our modern day. We are hammered on a daily basis telling us that we deserve credit or, a new tablet, or this or that. We get told we NEED the latest cell phone or the newest car that parks itself. We are now locked in an election season where candidates even talk about free college.

While possessions are not necessarily bad and we all work hard for the things we have, when you die, none of that goes with you. Your cell phone will be junked and any precious metal removed, your car will eventually finally be parked in a wrecking yard and so on.

The wise investment is “PEOPLE”! Specifically children. Think about this, they have no voice, many are considered and treated as disposable. Around the world children are abused, purchased, sold, neglected and a host of other things that we can’t go into at this moment.

It really is quite simple, Jesus died to give everlasting life and to give it more abundantly, not for your luxury car. Children are the most loved and treasured of human life, or at least they should be. Investing in the life of a child is an investment in the future of all people. Simply put, it is called love.

When CII began its work in Uganda, we began with 125 kids in a three classroom wood plank school at Rock of Joy. Today God has built his work into 6 locations, more than 1,000 children educated, fed, clothed, and you name it, every day. This does not include the children here in the US we help or our new work we are trying to shore up in Honduras. We can show that we have put significant impact into tens of thousands of people most of whom are children. Don’t you think the money would be better invested in the children of the world? Material things all go away but the impact made in a child is an investment that keeps giving returns. You want to stop wars, raise the children to love. Do you want to stop this or that and bring man kind in line with where it should be, then give a child opportunity. The Bible tells us to “Raise up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

The best way to control and keep people down is to keep them uneducated and severely impoverished! History proves that. At CII we are working to show children that there is more to life than hunger, poverty and hopelessness. In fact, we teach the kids that they are not orphans and that they have a Father who sits on the throne of heaven who has not nor ever will forget them. We teach them that He sent us and that is why we are here. Why? Because it is the truth.

The people and specifically the children of Uganda are among the most loving, gentle people I have ever been blessed to know. The kids who have been abused, thrown away, orphaned or a host of other issues will come up and hold your hand and walk with you. They don’t ask for anything!!! Just the touch of someone so that for a short time they can feel cared about and safe. Something I know my kids feel daily and take for granted. My kids get a kiss and goodbye every day when I head to work and a hug and kiss every night when they go to bed and it has always been that way. Being confident that they are loved is something EVERY child should feel.

It is my goal, and my calling from God to continue to move forward with this work. We will build schools. We will drill wells. We will build homes for orphaned children. We will not be denied. The children will not be denied. God will be glorified. That simple.

In the reality of things, Everyone reading this can give something to help us get this work done. Some of you however will not feel lead to do so. What we are doing simply won’t touch your heart. Some folks won’t like that we are faith based. If you like what CII is doing, that is wonderful and we hope you support the work. If it is simply not your cup of tea, that is ok as well. But, I urge you to find something that impacts the lives of other people and get on board. Do something for someone else. Make a difference in someone else’s life. There is nothing more dangerous than “APATHY,” be it Christian Apathy or any other kind of apathy. Waiting for someone else to do it is simply something none of us can afford.

Like we always say at CII, “ Don’t sit back and watch miracles happen, become part of them.”

Pastor Phil

10 YEARS OF DINNER & A MOVIE

Dinner & A Movie 2016 is tomorrow. This is an exciting time particularly because of our Decade Of CII Celebration. Looking at it over the years, this dinner has meant a great deal to CII. It has not only helped raise badly needed funding to keep the doors open but also it keep our supporters informed and involved. It is a time of full disclosure and transparency as well as a time to meet the leadership and missionaries and get to know them.

In the past we have always had great food. This year will not be any different. The fellowship of everyone involved is an awesome thing to be part of and it gives new people an opportunity to see tangibly what they are looking to be involved in and be part of. Also as the Lead Pastor and CEO it gives me an opportunity to be accessible to all the people who are part of CII. It is a reminder that the leadership and missionaries are not the only working parts of CII but that we are all part of this miracle in motion.

We have been able to show wonderful video of trips over the years and bring back baskets and necklaces made by the widows and children plus highlight what CII is doing locally. We are a charity on the move facing giants and moving mountains every day. It is my favorite event because I get to interact with people who understand and love the vision we have for CII.

This year particularly for me is a bit emotional because I will be thinking about the years past and looking to the future of things to come. Without the people God has put around me, none of this would be.

Dinner & A Movie is where we can look back and see God’s hand on CII.

2015 Mission Report

Uganda Trip 2015 Overview

In November of 2015 CII will officially be 9 years old. When we began with only the children at Rock of Joy it was one very small three classroom school where 125 children attended. God had gone before us and prepared a way to achieve and come to the point we are today. 

• 6 Schools 

• 3 Children’s Homes 

• 1 Farm with a tractor 

• 3 Wells drilled 

• 1 Supported Children’s Mission in Rockford Illinois 

• 1 Funded children’s mission, (Jesus Club) in Rockford Illinois 

• Children across America helped over the years. 

• Christmas supplied with winter coats, shoes, toys, beds, School supplies, and chemo therapy paid for, for a 7 year old ovarian cancer patient and so much more. 

2014 MISSION REPORT

UGANDA TRIP 2014

As usual the 2014 mission trip was full of its own challenges and blessings. I can tell you that the Lord has shown up big as usual. I can tell you that a great deal of work has been done and there is still a load of work to do. In some cases we are moving things closer to enabling our locations to become self-sufficient. Some of our locations are further along in the process than others. As a supporter of Child Initiative International I want to encourage you to continue on this journey with us and see what God will do with a group of faithful believers. While we have challenges to handle which will require funding, we have come to a place where Hope Becomes Reality.

TRACTORS, CROPS & YOU

First off, this was too exciting to wait until the next CII blast and I know we just sent out an email on the 5K, but you are going to be just as excited to hear about this amazing opportunity that has come up. And the donations that come in for the 5K are specific to local area kids. Just a little background, last year during the mission trip CII purchased 11 acres of fertile farm land that will help not only provide food for the children but also a source of income as they have 2 harvest seasons. The next move was to purchase a tractor. Initially, the quote that CII was given was for $40,000. That was a tractor and plow included. This year when CII went on the 2013 mission trip, the team visited a Massey-Ferguson dealer and would you believe, but the price came down to $17,000. Is that crazy or what? This $17K includes the tractor, plow, on the land training and a full warranty. We have $4,500 put away for this already. As this was included in the after action report, one of our readers became excited about this and has offered an opportunity we have to try and make!!! Completely of the Holy Spirit. Are you ready? This supporter has offered to match dollar for dollar up to $6000! The catch is we have to raise this by December 31, 2013. Can we do this? With God all things are possible!!! And you are part of this plan. We can only reach this $6000 with your help. Your donations and getting this word out is the only way we can make this happen. This is not a guilt statement. Quite honestly, CII tries very hard to not tug at heart strings or make anyone feel guilty about giving. But this is about helping CII do what our mission is and that is to make locations/villages self-sufficient. This will give those in Uganda the opportunity to grow their own food and harvest it properly. Feeding the children and selling to afford other necessities. This is a GREAT opportunity. Please join us! You can send checks to CII, P.O. Box 1146 Belvidere, IL 61008 or go to the PayPal widget provided on this website.

Please specify that this donation is for “tractor fund”.

So, pass the word on. Point people to the website. Have them contact us directly. Forward this email to your friends! But we know WE can do this!