The Father's Heart For Children In Africa--CMM's Alissa Cooper Reports From New Orphanage in Uganda
Radical Prayer-ActionTakes Land For New Orphanage With The Heart Of The Father.
April, 2009
Dear Friends,
I apologize that it has been so long since I have written an update. Time goes by so quickly! I cannot believe that it has been over a month since I last sent an update. I have many exciting things to report and testimonies of God's faithfulness. I am continually in awe of how God blesses my life and continues to meet my every need, as well as give me the deepest desires of my heart.
The last month has definitely not gone as I expected, but that is usually how I find things when I am in Africa. I never know what to expect, but I always find that God does more than I expected and teaches me many valuable lessons. I have spent the last few weeks in Kampala (the capital city) because I faced some minor complications in seeking to obtain a work permit. (I need a work permit in order to remain in Uganda on a permanent basis and continue to work with the local Ugandan organization-God's Care Ministries.) I at first thought this was going to be a very simple process, but I soon discovered that the immigration system here is not quite as organized as what it could be. I had to visit the office on more than one occasion to submit new paperwork and definitely encountered long periods of waiting in order to receive assistance. I thank God that now I have at least received my special pass, which allows me to remain in Uganda until the immigration board issues my work permit. I do want to thank the Lord because he definitely gave me favor with the immigration board officer. The officer told me that he could have charged me heavy fines for not having the right stamp on my passport, but he decided to have mercy on me. He also gave me an extra month on my passport so I wouldn't have to pay for another special pass before receiving my work permit. I have found so many times that God has blessed me with favor in my interactions with others. I give all the glory to Him! Please continue to pray that I will obtain my official work permit soon and that there will be no more complications.
The most exciting thing I have to report is that we are going to be able to begin construction on the medical clinic this June. I had said on my previous update that I thought we would not be able to begin it, but God has helped things to fall into place in order for the work to begin. I am very excited about this because I did not want to see the process being delayed. There is definitely an immense need for medical care here, and I am very pleased that we are going to be able to begin to construct this structure. There is a team coming from America who will be working with the Ugandans to construct the medical clinic. Currently we are making arrangements to have the bricks made so everything will be ready for them when they come. Pray that we are able to get all of the building materials for the Medical Clinic ready before the team comes in June.
We have purchased about 65 acres of land for the Children's Village. We are now pursuing getting a land title for this land and having it surveyed. We met with a surveyor this week. It is going to cost us about $3,500. This is a very important process, and we are praying that it will be finalized before the medical clinic is finished. The approximate time frame for this process is two months. Please pray that it will take no longer than two months to obtain a land title for the land and have all of the property demarcated.
We have met with an architect who will be helping us develop a building plan for the Children's Village. He will also be helping us develop specific plans for the buildings that we want to construct on the Children's Village. Please pray that God will give the architect and us wisdom regarding the specific placement of the buildings and what they should look like. Also pray that he will complete these building plans in a timely manner.
Many things have to fall into place in the next couple of months, but I know that God is able to make all of it happen. As I work with God's Care Ministries we have many things we would like to see happen. I believe God for miraculous timing regarding all of these things. I know that with man it may seem impossible, but with God it is more than possible! Please pray and believe with me for miraculous happenings regarding the events of the Children's Village and the various ministry components of God's Care Ministries.
The language barrier has created quite a challenge for me. I long to communicate freely and openly with the people, but many of them have a very difficult time understanding English or cannot understand it at all. I am praying for God to help me learn the language very quickly so that I can clearly communicate with the people. I know that these things take time, and it is all part of the adjustment process of living in a new culture. Please pray that I will be given a supernatural ability to comprehend and speak the language in a short period of time.
I plan to begin a ministry outreach called "Baskets of Love." I will be providing some basic necessities such as soap to needy families in the area-mainly the elderly who are caring for orphaned or vulnerable children. This is one way that I plan to spread the love of Christ to the community. I believe that love speaks much more loudly than words, and I know that this is one way that I can show the community that I care. I will be carefully selecting only a few families each month and will distribute baskets of love to them. Please pray for this new ministry-
"Baskets of Love." I believe that it can be used to bless, encourage, and transform people's lives.
I also hope to begin to reach out to the children and people in the hospitals again. During the month of March, I was busy in Kampala pursuing other tasks so I really did not get to do much of this type of ministry. (I did at least have some opportunities to minister love to some of the street children and beggars while I was in the capital city.) Nevertheless, hospital ministry is definitely an area that I feel God has called me to minister. I have a compelling desire to love, pray for, and offer encouragement to the sick. I will most likely be doing this ministry once a week, but I may have to change my schedule slightly if I am too busy. Please pray that as I visit the sick in the hospitals, I will carry the love and power of Jesus with me and will bring hope and joy to these people.
My heart has been so excited about the opportunity to love and reach out to children and people in the area. Today I had the opportunity to pray for a woman and her two children. She brought them to me as I was praying over the land. She asked me if I would pray for their needs. It was such a beautiful moment. I definitely felt the presence of God as I prayed for them. Before she left, she gave me a gift of sugar cane. I was deeply blessed by this experience. I have had many precious moments like this one since I have been in Uganda. It is beautiful to see how God continues to send me people that I can minister to and demonstrate the love of Jesus. I have definitely found that if we are open and willing to be used of the Lord, he will always give us opportunities to bless other people's lives. He wants people to feel his love, but we have to be willing to be His vessels to express it. It is so rewarding for me to minister to others. I am truly grateful that God has appointed me to come to Africa and be his vessel of love to these people.
Please pray that I will continue to be sensitive to respond to the Spirit's leading and minister to those people that God sends my way. It is sometimes easy to get caught up in your own programs and miss those people that God has sent your way. I want to never miss an opportunity to communicate the hope and love of Christ to others.
The final thing that I want to mention before I close is exciting news about my personal life. God has richly blessed me by bringing a man of God into my life that I can do ministry with. It has always been my desire to work alongside a man in ministry, but I was willing to serve alone in Africa if that was what God required of me. The most important thing to me was that I was pursuing my calling to serve the Lord in Africa. Two years ago, when I was volunteering at an orphanage, I met a Pastor named Victor Sande, who was just beginning a ministry in Kyenjojo. We had the opportunity to work together and found that God had given us very similar dreams and passions. We also were very compatible with one another. We continued to pray as time went on about whether God had brought us together to serve the Lord as a couple. We surrendered our lives, relationship, and ministry to the Lord. God continued to confirm to us that He brought us together to do mighty works for the Kingdom of God. Pastor Victor has been a tremendous blessing to me and has assisted me in pursuing the visions God has given me. I am very excited about our future together. I am fully confident that we will do more together than we could have ever accomplished on our own. Pastor Victor has recently proposed to me, and we have set a wedding date for August 15 of this year. I am very excited about how God has brought hope and restoration into my life and has blessed me with a man who has a heart for ministry and a deep commitment to the Lord. Please pray about Pastor Victor and I's upcoming wedding and marriage. There are, of course, many preparations to be made for our wedding day. (A wedding is a very special and meaningful occasion in Uganda, and many of the Africans attend this event.) We deeply desire for the Lord to be at the very center of our relationship and ministry. We will definitely need the wisdom and guidance of the Lord on how to balance the various areas of our lives.
The final request that I have is for special prayer this week. I have been dedicating last week and this week to intense prayer and fasting for the ministry and wisdom and direction from the Lord. I will be visiting the prayer mountain in the capital city this week to seek the Lord. Please pray for me during this time of prayer and fasting. Pray that God reveals many things to me and that victories are won in the spiritual realm. There are a number of challenges that I am facing regarding the ministry, but I know that prayer is the answer to everything. As is says in James "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." Please pray for God to give me renewed wisdom and strength during this time and to prepare me for the months ahead.
I will end there for now. I will try to continue to update you as often as I can. It can sometimes be difficult because of slow internet connections or inability to charge my computer. However, I will do the best that I can. Please know that I deeply value and appreciate you and your love, support, and prayers. You have definitely made my life more meaningful. I am honored to have you as partners in this mission. Please always feel free to communicate to me through e-mail. I may not be able to respond to you immediately, but I will do my best to get back to you as soon as I can. May God bless you richly.
Faithfully Surrendered to Christ,
Alissa
Prayer List
- Pray that I will obtain my official work permit soon and that there will be no more complications with the Immigration Department.
- Pray that we are able to get all of the building materials for the Medical Clinic ready before the team comes in June.
- Please pray that it will take no longer than two months to obtain a land title for the land and have all of the property demarcated.
- Please pray that God will give the architect and us wisdom regarding the specific placement of the buildings of the Children's Village and what each building should look like. Also pray that he will complete these building plans in a timely manner.
- Please pray and believe with me for miraculous happenings regarding the events of the Children's Village and the various ministry components of God's Care Ministries.
- Please pray that I will be given a supernatural ability to comprehend and speak the language in a short period of time
- Please pray for this new ministry-
"Baskets of Love." I believe that it can be used to bless, encourage, and transform people's lives. - Please pray that as I visit the sick in the hospitals, I will carry the love and power of Jesus with me and will bring hope and joy to these people.
- Please pray that I will continue to be sensitive to respond to the Spirit's leading and minister to those people that God sends my way. I want to never miss an opportunity to communicate the hope and love of Christ to others.
- Please pray about Pastor Victor and I's upcoming wedding and marriage. There are, of course, many preparations to be made for our wedding day. (A wedding is a very special and meaningful occasion in Uganda, and many of the Africans attend this event.) We deeply desire for the Lord to be at the very center of our relationship and ministry. We will definitely need the wisdom and guidance of the Lord on how to balance the various areas of our lives.
- Please pray for me during this time of prayer and fasting. Pray that God reveals many things to me and that victories are won in the spiritual realm. There are a number of challenges that I am facing regarding the ministry, but I know that prayer is the answer to everything. As is says in James "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." Please pray for God to give me renewed wisdom and strength during this time and to prepare me for the months ahead.
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