Immediate need: Guardhouse

IMMEDIATE NEED: Guardhouse & Security Wall

If you have been following this “Send It Ahead” project you know that the water well is in and is producing water for the school and  surrounding community. As part of the well project we have to have security at the well pump site, that’s just how it is in Africa, which is not much different than here. In order to continue with the security we have to build a guard house and a security fence around the well pump. 

We do not have the funds to complete this phase of the project, but our brother, Pastor Lewi, has started the building in faith. The local people have made the mud bricks and Pastor Lewi has hired a mason to start the building.  He has also had loads of stone delivered to build the security wall. 

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I have been working with Pastor Lewi on the budget for this project  and he is about $650 into it and praying for funds to come. I am estimating the total funds needed for this phase will be about $1000. He has told the workers and the venders that he will try to pay them on June 1st. That’s 2 days from now. 

If God has ever spoken to you concerning your involvement with the orphans in this refugee camp and specifically with the “SIA” project we need your help now.

Remember that you cannot take it with you, but you can “SEND IT AHEAD”.

If you can help we have a number of ways for you to donate to these children’s needs. Go to www.pouredoutforthenations.com  click on SUPPORT at the top of the page, there you will find an area to donate by PAYPAL or a button for online EGIVING,  please it is very important to make sure you designate your tax deductible donation to “Send It Ahead” or simply “SIA” program. You can further designate your funds by adding; Water, Food, Teachers or Building Project. There is an area for you to type in your designated gift on both sites, look for the “comments section” or “special notes”. For those that rather give by personal check: make check payable to, “Poured Out For The Nations” with “Send It Ahead” and designation in the note area. Mail to: Poured Out For The Nations, Send It Ahead Project, P.O. Box 564, Pearland, TX 77588.

note: funds for the guard house and fence can be designated “WATER” or “General Fund”.

May God richly bless you for your generous giving to help these vulnerable children in Uganda.

Send It Ahead- update to date

Project overview to date. Uganda Refugee Camp Orphans Program. SEND IT AHEAD!

Short term goals, those items and concerns that can be developed over the next 12 months. All concerns are of course funding dependent and we are prayerfully waiting on God’s timing as we continue to work as funding allows.

Adding a solar pump to water well.

Add piping and storage tank to have water readily available at the school.

Providing children with a morning meal.

Providing mosquito nets to children.

Full funding of teachers salaries, $100 per month for each of the 10 teachers.

Building a guard house for the water well and pump station.

Providing a monthly salary to resident guard, $50 per month.

Construct an adequate female toilet facility for visiting short term workers.

Provide full salary for Pastor Lewi, $500 per month.

Accomplishments over the past 12 months.

Have had a well drilled with hand pump installed.

Are funding 10 teachers at 1/2 salaries.

Have provided text books for the teachers in all subjects.

Purchased dictionaries, chalk, Bibles and world maps for student classrooms.

Had 45 new classroom student benches made.

Have rebuilt 5 classroom blackboards.

Provided miscellaneous sports equipment.

Purchased small generator for school and church use.

We have certainly been blest to see God move as he has provided over the past 12 months. God’s people have responded to the critical needs of these orphans and vulnerable children in pray and sacrificial giving. Our team stand in awe as we have observed what you all have helped to accomplish. We give all glory and praise to the Lord, but we also give you all a truly heartfelt thank you.

Remember that you cannot take it with you, but you can “SEND IT AHEAD”.

If you can help we have a number of ways for you to donate to these children’s needs. Go to www.pouredoutforthenations.com  click on SUPPORT at the top of the page, there you will find an area to donate by PAYPAL or a button for online EGIVING,  please it is very important to make sure you designate your tax deductible donation to “Send It Ahead” or simply “SIA” program. You can further designate your funds by adding; Water, Food or Teachers. You can also give to the SIA general fund or individual team members travel accounts. There is an area for you to type in your designated gift on both sites, look for the “comments section” or “special notes”. For those that rather give by personal check: make check payable to, “Poured Out For The Nations” with “Send It Ahead” or simply “SIA” and any special designations in the note area. Mail to: Poured Out For The Nations, Send It Ahead Project, P.O. Box 564, Pearland, TX 77588.

May God richly bless you for your generous giving to help these vulnerable children in Uganda.

Back in Uganda

March 24 

Praise God we are back in Uganda at the Emmaus Global Outreach primary school on the Nakivale Refugee Settlement. I cannot begin to tell you how precious these dear children are. Nor the dedication, far above the call of duty, of our partner and dear friend Pastor Muhoza Lewi (Lay-we), he is such a special man of God that we compare him as a modern day George Muller. I will tell you more about him later in another posting.

We had such a very special and productive team meeting this morning. There were a number items we needed to discuss in a face to face team meeting and those are hard to schedule when your team is spread all over the world. For those who do not know our team consists of Pastor Dov Schwarz from Israel, Dee Warren from Texas, Pastor Muhoza Lewi from Uganda, and myself from Washington state. Our project is called “SEND IT AHEAD” because we all know when we die we cannot take anything with us, but our Lord has said you can lay up your treasures in heaven, so you can send them ahead.

One of the primary issues that was resolved was that there had been some confusion about the number of children being supported and educated at the Emmaus Global Outreach primary school on the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in southwest Uganda. When our team came together in Uganda about a year ago agreeing to do what we could for these orphans and vulnerable children on this refugee camp, there were 367 children enrolled at the school. About 6 months later when I returned to Uganda to oversee the drilling of a water well, there were 586 children enrolled. That was a very large increase when you’re operating on a very tight budget depending on God’s grace from month to month. 

During our meeting it was learned that we were still only supporting the original 367, the other 219 children were children that recently arrived in the refugee camp and other schools were not available. The UN had asked Pastor Lewi if he could take them at Emmaus for short term, until they could find a more permanent solution. So for you who have been thankfully helping to financially support this program the number of children in the program remains at 367.

You may all not know that we had quite a scare with our new drilled water well about a month ago. I received word from Pastor Lewi that the children had no water coming from the well. When asked the reason he did not know because he was sick and in the hospital. We knew the well was a low volume producer and I was afraid that it was dry (my lack of faith). My wife, God bless her, assured me that God would not have brought this project this far just to abandon those precious children. So, repenting of my lack of faith, I was able to contact Living Water International, who drilled the well, and they sent a technician for an inspection . It turned out to be a mechanical problem and they had to change out the pump and plunger. So, praise God the well is back online and supplying the needs of the school.

Remember that you cannot take it with you, but you can “SEND IT AHEAD”.

If you can help we have a ways for you to donate to these children’s needs. Go to www.pouredoutforthenations.com  click on SUPPORT at the top of the page, there you will find an area to donate by PAYPAL or a button for online EGIVING,  please it is very important to make sure you designate your tax deductible donation to “Send It Ahead” or simply “SIA” program. You can further designate your funds by adding; Water, Food or Teachers. There is an area for you to type in your designated gift on both sites, look for the “comments section” or “special notes”. For those that rather give by personal check: make check payable to, “Poured Out For The Nations” with “Send It Ahead” in the note area. Mail to: Poured Out For The Nations, Send It Ahead Project, P.O. Box 564, Pearland, TX 77588.

May God richly bless you for your generous giving to help these vulnerable children in Uganda.

Next trip - March 2018

Matthew 10:42

 And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

I will be going back to Uganda in March to check the progress of our projects. I have had a few people ask me how they could help toward my travel expenses. Anyone can simply make a donation to the Send It Ahead program and add "Ken Merrill travel", in the memo. Thanks to all who have supported this project.

During this next trip our team, Pastor Dov, Dee Warren and myself, will be going together, the dates for this trip will be March 22 through April 2. My focus will be on planning the security wall and guards house around the water well pump. This portion of the project is dependent on the local users of the water well to supply the labor for the making of the blocks and the construction of the wall and attached house. 

Right now we are paying salaries for 3 guards to watch over the well around the clock. By constructing the wall and house we can cut that expense down to one guard who will live on site. There will be some construction materials cost. The largest costs will be for the metal roofing and some cement for the plaster to cover the walls. The material for the walls will be mud blocks which will be made on site. 

This phase is where the local users will make an active investment and will have actual ownership in the project. We feel this is a very important part as we want to be in partnership with the people not simply be seen as giving a handout to them. 

Pastor Dov will be preaching and conducting a pastors conference. Dee will be working with the children and the women. As always our number one goal is to lead people to a saving knowledge of God’s grace, and as Jesus commanded to “go and make disciples”. All our “projects” in Uganda will do nothing more than hopefully improve their physical lives for a moment in time. But their salvation and discipleship will have eternal consequences.

Something else we will be doing this trip, that you all can be praying about is that our whole team will be sitting down together to prayerfully go over our program, projects and goals. We feel that it is extremely important to, not only know where we are going, but to ensure we are going where God is leading and that all we do is in His will.

Remember that you cannot take it with you, but you can “SEND IT AHEAD”.

If you can help we have a way for you to donate to these children’s needs. Go to www.watchtherefore.tv click on the donate button at the top of the page and please make sure you designate your tax deductible donation to the “Send It Ahead - Ken Merrill, travel” program. You can further designate your funds by adding; Water, Teachers, or Food. While you’re at the web site please click on the Send It Ahead button at the top of the page to look for more updates and photos from the school.

Recap of December trip

Praise The Lord, for good clean water.         We are blessed by

Jesus to be able to report that the water well is now in operation and producing good clean water. The water testing report has been received and all tests are well within the government standards for human drinking water. This water will meet the needs of the primary school, the future clinic, as well as the members of the adjacent community. It was indeed amazing to watch as the people celebrated and praised God for having this gift of water available to them.

As wonderful as this water is the project is far from finished. The water well is now operated be means of a hand pump and is located over 200 meters downhill from the school.  A solar pump needs to be added to the well and two 10,000-liter storage tanks placed on top of a water tower near the school still need to be constructed. This will ensure an adequate water reservoir and enough water pressure to supply the needs of kitchen, school and clinic.  We thank God for everyone who gave and prayed for this project and we humbly ask for your continued prayers as this project goes into the next phase.

This Google Earth photo shows the location of the water well at the lower edge of the field where crops will be raised, with a red line leading up to the school buildings where the water tanks will be located. The red line continues at 90- degrees to the area where the clinic buildings are located. There is also a red line from the lake to the top of the field area indicating where a pump could be located to pump irrigation water from the lake in order to have year round crops.

 Our main goal for this trip was to bring clean water to these children but we were also blessed to be able to take enough toothbrushes and tooth paste for all the children and teachers at the Emmaus Global Outreach primary school.  Good hygiene

is an integral part of over all good health. And they were thrilled to each have a toothbrush.

The school was also in dire need of lesson books and classroom supplies. And again we are thankful to God for the people who donated to the purchase of textbooks, a dictionary, Bibles, wall

maps, and classroom benches. An education is really the only hope these children have of getting out of the poverty they are now living in. Of course teachers are the key to a good education and the teachers at the primary school are working at half salaries. The school has already lost a couple of very good teachers because of this. If you can help with a sustaining gift designated for teacher’s salaries please go to the web site to designate your tax-deductible donation. And please pray for these children and their teachers.

Another thing that was accomplished during this trip was the showing of the Jesus film to over 1000 people. It was a challenge to find and take the necessary equipment to show the film in several different languages in an area that has no electricity. Again we praise our Lord and Savior for leading

us to the right people who could help us in gathering that equipment.

I have given information on how you can help below, but you can also further designate your gift to specifically helping the water project, teachers, or food. On your check or in the comments for Palpal or Egiving, write in Send It Ahead Project – Water, Teachers, or Food. That way your funds will go totally in support of that part of the project.

Remember that you cannot take it with you, but you can “SEND IT AHEAD”.

If you can help we have a way for you to donate to these children’s needs. Go to www.watchtherefore.tv click on the donate button at the top of the page and please make sure you designate your tax deductible donation to the “Send It Ahead” program. While you’re at the web site please click on the Send It Ahead button at the top of the page to look for more updates and photos from the school.

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