New Beginnings

New Beginnings Happy New Year from Uganda! Another year......hopefully, another chance to live and grow. As the new year starts out, we see so much hope and love and growth at the James Place in Jinja.

One year ago, some of the same ladies came into the gates with heads down and babies crying. Now, a year later, the babies are walking and laughing and running all over the place while the moms are proudly sewing, crafting and learning English, Bible, business, farming and HOPE.

This year, we are starting out with our heads up and smiling. We are confident that the Lord has a covering over this place and that He has big plans not only for the mamas that are committed to change......but also for the babies. For the next generation. God has this!

We have a team headed to Uganda (literally right now in the airport as we speak) and this will be a new beginning for them as well. They will learn about HOPE from a different perspective than they experience in the states.

Today, Magdalene came to talk. She has a son named JJ. Magdalene is a lame lady that we have worked with now hand-in-hand with JPCC (Jinja Pregnancy Care Center) for 2 years. She has tried to give up several times on parenting. JJ is a beautiful, healthy boy. Magdalene has received about 4 or 5 different opportunities here at the James Place and she has been a little difficult to deal with if I'm being honest. But today, she asked for forgiveness, for another chance to do the right thing and for new beginnings. We talked to her and tried to encourage her and told her that she is a good mama and she honestly thinks that she is not because she keeps messing up. I told her that I have messed up more than I wanted to talk about and that every mama in the world messes up. We are all a mess. But because of Christ, because of the love that we can't imagine came down to give us new beginnings, we could not deny Magdalene another chance......another burst of encouragement to say.....You can do it and today is your new beginning!

We are looking forward to the team coming. And we are looking forward to them meeting the children that we get the privilege of loving on....like JJ. JJ has a mama that loves him and is starting over today. And that is worth everything!

Happy New Beginnings to you on this blessed January day in 2014!