Wednesday June 8th 2011

Its Tuesday morning here in Kampala, Uganda. It's 9:45 am local time and 1:45 am back home. Sometimes it's hard to balance the two times. Knowing when to call home and being able to are two different things. I do, however, enjoy the opportunities I get to talk to those of you back home.

We have spent the last two days taking Joe and Dylan back to the airport in Entebbe. They had a late night flight, as most of them are when heading back to the US. They are probably in Brussels as I type this. I'm going to miss them. They gave me some very good advice on how to proceed with the mission work I am trying to do. They left me a book to read called "When Helping Hurts". It is certainly a great book and one that I would highly recommend to anyone choosing to do any type of mission work.

The problem we run into here is creating an environment where people get used to getting handouts instead of working to develop their God given talents and climbing out of the mess they are in. It is hard to look at a grown man that is capable of working, when given the chance, asking you for a handout. As bad as that is, it is absolutely heart breaking to see a child doing the same thing. I don't want to be a part of teaching a child how to beg. I want to empower them to get an education and overcome the poverty in which they were born into.

How do we do that? It starts with a lot of prayer. Understanding that like them, I too am broken. It is only through Christ that I am complete. These are my brothers and sisters in Christ and it hurts our Heavenly Father to see them hurt.

Sustainable jobs is what is needed. We can start with doing things within the community, but long term we need sustainable jobs in which they can develop, control and increase. In the simplest form, a man needs to feel needed. He needs to provide for his family. He needs to understand his purpose and what God has planned for his life. That is no different here than it is at home. It is no different for you or me.

Please keep me in your prayers!

Tom Cox