DINNER & A MOVIE
Join our team for our annual Dinner & A Movie Event!
More Information
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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!
