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April 24TH 2020
Ali and I hope that this note finds you and your families well and that you are managing through this scary time. As many of you know I work in the hospitality industry and we have been devastated by this virus. Thankfully I am still fully employed and now working from home like most of America as I try to navigate a business environment that has likely changed forever! But enough about us this is about our children in Uganda. Roller Coaster could not even begin to describe the ups and downs in Uganda since my last note to you, but praise God despite everything, the children and the team are safe and well! Unfortunately we have had to cancel our trip in May but we are hoping to reschedule for later in the year. We will get a save the date out as soon as we can. Uganda took very strict measures to ensure that COVID 19 would not cause the people of Uganda to be impacted physically by the virus and it has worked. As of today, there were 55 confirmed cases, 38 of whom have already recovered and zero deaths! But it came at a great cost to the economy and much hardship to the people. Strict curfews, no travel in personal vehicles and escalating costs for just about everything. It’s no surprise to Ali and I that Peter and Rose have navigated every challenge with skill and grace. Peter was able to secure a pass to take Namale to the Cancer Institute in Kampala and when there were no drugs at the hospital he was able to secure them. They had the children making masks, setting up sanitation stations, and when he could not find sanitizer he found the ingredients and made their own! When the District Health Officer summoned Peter to a meeting to find out why he was housing children, the result was a visit by local dignitaries with branches of bananas and the local TV station to recognize the work they are doing. In addition to taking care of the children we felt it was important to take care of the staff at the schools and so, thanks to your faithful giving we were able to provide a portion of every teacher’s salary to help them through their difficult time. Check out the the letters of gratitude that were sent to us to the right. We do have one very disturbing event to share with you. While Peter and Rose have been talking care of the children at the Ranch their home was broken into and EVERYTHING was taken. The thieves left the dining table and chairs and three mattresses, everything else was stolen. Clothes, TV even the children’s toys! He has placed a $4,000 value on the items that he intends to replace so if you feel led to help with a donation towards that expense, we will gladly pass it on to Peter and Rose. In summary, your children are doing well. If anything comes up that is specific to your sponsor child, we will be sure to let you know. We are praying that things will return to some semblance of normal soon, both here and there although my sense is that recovery may come sooner in Uganda. Thank you as always for your support, none of this happens without you! May God continue to bless you and your families. Sincerely, Cormac & Ali (949) 677-2316 |
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