"Consider it pure joy..., whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." James 1:2-3


Greetings!

I had the pleasure this month of spending time with our ECM team in Uganda. I was reminded that the challenges of the past two years have not been ours alone.  It was refreshing, then, to read the words of our country director, Brian Mukalazi, who wrote, "Despite the prolonged, multifaceted challenges posed by COVID-19, our team has been more innovative, resilient, and spiritually stronger, and the lives of hundreds of vulnerable children in poor Ugandan communities have been touched." This was music to my ears!

You see, it is the challenges we face in life that cause us to be more innovative and resilient, and to grow spiritually. Without challenges we become stagnant and complacent. With challenges and tests, we grow and learn to persevere.

I fully expect a boatload of challenges in 2022, and you probably do too. I even heard someone refer to the new year as 2020, too. I don't know if 2022 will be a repeat of 2020, but if it is, and we face one challenge after another, we can do so with boldness that comes from knowing the one who controls our lives and the events of this world.  

So, with James' advice fresh in our minds, let's pray for a joyous new year for the entire ECM family, no matter what challenges we will face!

Pressing on,
Executive Director
Our children love to hear from their sponsors! Thank you so much for taking the time to write them words of encouragement and send them little gifts and photos. You are impacting their lives for eternity!

To learn more about communicating with your sponsored child click here!
Clement Jean learned about Jesus when he attended Sunday school at his home village Kintshwa-Nseke, near Mission Garizim. It was there that he put his trust in Jesus as his Savior. Later he studied in another village, and remembers the Rousters coming there with evangelistic teams. In Sunday school, Clement began to understand that he could accomplish significant things as he followed Jesus.

After high school, Clement learned to drill water wells using a big rig. Eventually he was able to purchase his own rig and began drilling water wells at many places in Congo. Though Congo is blessed with many natural springs, on the plains and in cities, many suffer for lack of clean water. There, wells are much needed.

In Sunday school, Clement learned that Jesus is the Living Water. Now he is thrilled to provide clean, safe water for many in his country!
ECM's Lorella Rouster visited with Clement Jean during her recent trip to Congo. Clement learned in Sunday school that Jesus is the Living Water. Now he helps provide safe, clean water as a way to minister to others in his country.
  • Uganda finally re-opened schools on January 10. Some schools re-opened and closed again earlier, and some schools have been closed for almost two years. Pray that all Ugandan schools would open and stay open so children can get the education they need.

  • Our Child Sponsorship Coordinator, Alexandria, is pursuing a calling God gave her to become an Ambassador for ECM. Alexandria will be using her musical gifting to provide worship music and to also share about ECM's work and the need for child sponsors at churches. She will also continue as Child Sponsorship Coordinator from Indianapolis as she continues to raise support for her new position. Pray that there would be lots of interest in having Alexandria lead worship & speak about ECM, and that through Alexandria, God would provide more sponsors and more partners. Pray that Alexandria would make good contacts to enable her to raise her missionary support for her new position. Pray that doing the Child Sponsorship tasks entirely remotely would be a smooth transition.

  • Pray for ECM U.S. staff who began a Donor Management System conversion December 1. The conversion, training, and learning curve will require time to be invested. Pray that God would multiply staff's time and help us to stay on top of regular tasks for the next several months.
Above you've seen some of the ways you've helped. Now, won't you pray about the opportunity to help this or another child who is in need of sponsorship? Simply contact our office for more information, or visit our website to search for one of many other children needing sponsorship.
$37/month
Beatrice lives with her father and twin sister in a small ramshackle house surrounded by waste trenches in the Kamwokya slums. Her mother abandoned her family and no one knows her whereabouts. Unfortunately the father is not much help either, as he often abuses drugs, and locks the girls in the house while he goes gambling. The girls have survived on the kindness of their neighbors, since the father does not care for them at all.

Beatrice is now old enough to start school and would really like to go, but will probably never be given the opportunity unless someone supports her. Could you prayerfully consider being the one to change Beatrice’s life forever?

Kamwokya (Uganda)