Dear Legacy Family,
Greetings from Uganda.
I want to take this opportunity to update you all on all that God is doing in Uganda and in SOS USA. But let me first express my appreciation for your incredible loyalty and support of SOS and Legacy Christian Academy. I want to assure you that you are making a tremendous difference in the lives of some of the world’s most impoverished people. Thank you for sharing your wealth with my friends here in Uganda. Your sponsorship is a crucial part in helping us to disciple our community. Because of you, we are able to provide a Christ-centered, high-quality kindergarten, primary, and secondary education to the many children in Kubamitwe and the surrounding villages.
I wish each of you could come here for yourselves and see the impact firsthand. At times I try to imagine what life would be like if Legacy did not exist. I will look into the faces of these children that I call my friends and imagine life without the miracle of Legacy. There is no question that life would be drastically different. Chances are, many would have the same scars as their parents. The scars of unmet expectations of love and all the baggage that accompanies victims of unwanted pregnancies. They would be barely literate and be hardened by the pains of a Christless existence. Instead, these children are able to grow up as children. They are enjoying friendship. They are focused on learning. And they are experiencing the joys that come with following after Jesus Christ and His ways. Life is so good for the students of Legacy, and this is all because of your love and faithfulness. I am forever grateful. Thank you!
Furthermore, I want to appreciate your diligence to Legacy sponsorship, despite SOS’s imperfect communication and administrative backing. Since the conception of our Legacy sponsorship program, we have failed to live up to our own expectations of communication. This has been due to a multitude of factors, namely, the lack of an efficiently functioning portal and the lack of strong stateside administrative help. Well, finally we have overcome these two major hurdles. Over this past year, with the help of Armando Freitas and the addition of JD Zamroz, we have fixed the portal and have come up with a more effective communication plan that will hopefully enhance your sponsorship experience. Being a small organization, we may not be able to meet the expectations that accompany world-class sponsorship programs of global organizations. The upside, however, is that you are helping real people in a very tangible way, and 100% of your resources are coming straight to Uganda, blessing children, not just in a temporal way, but eternally. Thank you for your patience with us as we have stumbled through the many challenges of this life-impacting program. We pray it will be not only a blessing to us here in Uganda, but to your family as well.
As with the rest of the world, our 2021 academic calendar has been greatly interrupted due to Covid-19. Nevertheless, we have still maximized this year and have still been productive! Our teachers continue to participate in trainings, serve on the Legacy campus, and stay in contact with and minister to our Legacy students. Many of our students are still receiving homework assignments from their teachers in order to stay sharp in their studies. Your sponsorship has enabled us to maintain our teachers’ salaries throughout the shutdowns so that they continue to feel loved and cared for. We are praying and are hopeful that we will be able to resume classes soon. Once school resumes, we will work diligently to gather a letter from your sponsored child. We are grateful for your patience with us!
Furthermore, I am happy to announce that our P7 students, who were given national exams in the late spring, performed at a remarkably outstanding level. Their results far exceeded our expectations. I wish you could have been here to hear the whole community jubilantly run throughout the village, shouting and jumping for joy for the positive result. Chants of, "Legacy, Legacy!” echoed throughout the dirt roads, as the headmaster Solomon Kavuma did summersaults before his peers. I was so proud of my team and my kids. I am so proud of my dear friend Solomon, who has led the whole effort with a father’s heart and a pastor’s care. Please pause and praise God with us.
The Lord has been so gracious, and we have much for which to be thankful! Please take some time to watch the video below of an update given by Solomon and me. We pray you are encouraged!
Thank you once again.
Servant of the King,
Shannon Hurley
Founder & CEO | SOS Ministries
