Wednesday, September 30, 2009

WHO CARES? About the Babies

WHO CARES? About the Babies
So far we have the following local partners on this project that also like what we are doing: Uganda Child Care, To Africa With Love, Eagles Wings, and Love In Action!

Help us save the babies! Please pray! We need some signs made! Show us you also care about "Saving The Babies" http://apps.facebook.com/causes/22409?m=3f1cca43



Submit your sign ideas to us! Commit this to prayer in your group or church!
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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

First steps to "Save the Babies'

I met with our local chairman of our village today along with Robert who recently discovered the Dead baby that was dumped. Our chairman is behind us as we discussed our preliminary outline of a program to stop the baby dumping. He shared with us some history about this problem as it has been going on for a while that when he was in charge of the refuse pick-up it was common to discover babies every week. We know that only a portion of these babies are actually found because there is a serious problem here.

Here is the dilemma: If we put together a program for a safe haven for babies to be dropped off, we will have lots of babies. What is the alternative to that? Don't receive the babies and they will continue to be discarded but we won't know about most of them!

I know that God put this on my heart to do something and I can only expect Him to provide! If God had Fay and UCC start a babies home, then He must of had a reason. Because now God is into phase two, "take care of a problem."

Our next step is to start on one section of the town and design a prototype sign to erect at dump sites to instruct people where to take their unwanted babies. We will be coming up with "safe havens" for drop off points as these people will not go the police station or other government facility and the hospital has problems of its own.

We need funding for this program, so if this strikes you as a place for you to make a small offering then we will be happy to assist you. We have a program on Facebook http://apps.facebook.com/causes/22409?m=3f1cca43 or you can go to our web site www.hewillprovide.org and make a financial donation.

With a combined effort we can make this happen!
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He Has Reminded Me That He Is In Control!

An open letter to all of our supporters!

Dear J & S,
What an amazing thing to wake up to today! I see your gift and I praise God! I thought the balance of the bike was a lost cause and for me to just get on with the next project and be grateful for the portion that has been provided. But Me of little faith! Thank you for reminding me that He is in control of all things.

NOW HE HAS PROVIDED THE ENTIRE MINISTRYCYCLE! This is amazing! A few people answer the call and here are the fruits. Now I know why He needs to start with the small things because He prepares us for what is ahead step by step. I believed and have taught that it was important for us to take care of the small things and to be good stewards of all of God’s gifts, which is true! But this also teaches us that we actually need to be prepared to receive such wonderful gifts because it could be too overwhelming for the average person to bear. He is capable of abundant blessings and we shouldn’t forget it. How God chooses to use each of us in His work is also a mystery and a great blessing! Thank you for listening to your heart. Matthew 22:14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” We are the ones to make a decision to accept the invitation.


Believing He Will Provide,

Jim Fruehan

PS: I find the unusal amout of the donation to be interesting, ($405.00) it must be of some significance!

Monday, September 28, 2009

My Testimony To The Holy Spirit

The power of the Holy Spirit is pretty awesome! I think many of you, who have been following our lives through this ministry, know how God has been using us. Lately He has stretched me further to a place that I didn't know He wanted me. I am referring to sharing the Gospel in public places. He started off by having me share the Word in a village church where it is like home when I go back periodically to "teach" the Word of God. I was asked to share at a few other outreach events as well.


Now we are involved with a radio ministry where we are on the air on Monday and Tuesday evenings. We are involved with another bimonthly event called the Big Saturday Miracle Explosion where I have spoken at the last two events. This is something like a crusade where people gather for the day and receive the Gospel, praise and worship and Divine healings. I now am spending a lot of time preparing for my presentations which of course involves reading and researching the Bible. So this is where God wants me to be!

Although I know that the Holy Spirit guides me through these sermons, I am compelled to spend time preparing. It is a lot of work because I have to wait to feel what God wants me to talk about. But when it is time to share the Word, The Holy Spirit takes over and guides me through like something that I can't really describe. There is such a spiritual high that I feel!

Since last week when I first brought Jennifer with me to the radio station to fill in as my interpreter, we have been asked to appear together to do our shows. She was also with me this weekend at The "Big Saturday." This has been a great opportunity for her as well. You just never know how God will choose to use you!

I think it is important to say, that God knows our hearts, I was ready to serve Him however He wanted me.
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Friday, September 25, 2009

Please Save The Babies!

As Robert was walking home from school on Thursday he noticed some people standing near the neighborhood dump site. As his curiosity grew him closer to figure out what was going on he came to the realization that once again a new born baby has been dumped. The baby was dead and it seemed to have some trauma to the head leading him to believe that possibly someone struck the baby before dumping.


I know when this similiar thing was happening back home, the hospitals started a no questions asked policy to receive unwanted babies. I have been thinking and praying about this problem here in Masaka. I know that Uganda Child Care has recently opened a babies home here and would take in these unwanted babies to give them life and a future. In fact they have received babies under these same circumstances.

I have an idea that we will speak with some of the local officials about putting up signs near these dump sites for people to take their babies to a receiving area instead of leaving them for dead. I will speak with UCC about a program such as this and see if we can organize a plan of action.

We will need to organize a fund raiser to produce and erect the signs throughout the city. Keep this in your prayers so the Lord can guide us on how He wants us to solve this problem.


Let me know if you have any other suggestions or ideas!
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Monday, September 21, 2009

Our 100th Blog Entry!!

My Sidekick, Jennifer

The sweat was pouring out of me like a cartoon character! Have you seen the cartoons where it is pouring out in buckets because of being under pressure and how they exaggerate everything to illustrate a point? Well that was me tonight!!

About an hour before we are to go on the air tonight for our weekly radio show, I received a message from Pastor Moses that says he is stuck on the way from Kampala and could I take on the whole show with my own interpreter tonight. So I asked Jennifer if she was up to it tonight, as she has become one of my main interpreters here at the house. She wants to be a journalist so this is all a good experience for her. She is 15 years old, pretty amazing girl. It is good to have your regular interpreter here because the interpreter needs to understand my accent in order to follow.

So when it is time for us to go on the air I understood that we would have an engineer with us, but I was wrong. The engineer came in to turn on the intro music and makes the mikes hot and leaves! Yes he just leaves the studio and I am talking and this music is still playing because he had said to start but didn't show how to fade out the music. Oh good he comes back and realizes I need a little help here! He shuts off the music and leaves me again. OK I figure we can do this. I have this board with the slides switches like you see in the movies, a computer screen and phones but I don't know one switch from another. Yes it is exactly like that! Like a comedy show. Pastor Moses always operates the board and I sit across from him and just do my bit. But today Jennifer is sitting across from me and I am it!


Normally I have about 20 minutes of material because there is intro time in the front of the show and their is wrap up time at the end. But not tonight! When you are on the radio you can't have dead air you have to keep saying something. We kept it moving and luckily I had a few extra verses in my notes to refer to so I could stretch out the message. But there is no break, I can't signal over and fade to music for a minute and take a breather because I don't know how to use the board, so we are there with an open microphone beckoning us to keep talking. I look up at the clock to see how we are doing, and it won't move, the clock says I am only half way through the show and I am running out of material, but I have a whole bible in front of me, why can't I just start reading something, I could start at Genesis.

Then I am wondering are we really on the air? Oh yes I can hear myself on the headset but what am I saying? Oh Holy Spirit guide me I need the gift of tongue tonight! You know with a live audience at church they can see you if you are looking for a verse in the bible but when you are on the radio you have to go play by play. My hat is off to those great radio personalities that keep the show going. Boy the radio can really be exhilarating!

So the sweat is just pouring out and my head is soaked and I look up and we are going to make it, I see the clock and what I am reading in Psalms should end just about right on time. You know some of the Psalms are really long but not the ones I chose tonight! Anyway, I figure OK we are home free and we are right on time, but where is the engineer? So I think OK let's have a closing prayer and I am trying to pray long but it is coming up short, it is hard when you are on the spot. But I have nothing left in this prayer and I look over at Jennifer who is just doing so great and interpreting every word I say. So I looked at her and say well Jennifer do you know a song? At this point we just tell our audience that we are sitting here without an engineer and don't know how to sign off. If we weren't in the middle of it I could probably think of so many things that I could say.

Oh the engineer comes in and we hand it over to him as he somehow makes music come from somewhere and shuts off my mike. He said; "Oh I forgot to turn on the air conditioning, you are really sweating!"
And I was wondering what would be a significant enough event to have the honor as the 100th blog entry! Praise God! Thank you Jesus for an exciting journey!
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Sunday, September 13, 2009

Fighting Malaria

It seems we no sooner got David home from an overnight stay at the clinic for malaria, and we are bringing in Rob. David was on an overnight IV drip because we could not manage his level of malaria with oral medications. He responded well to the IV and came home this afternoon. In the meantime we were treating Rob with the oral medication for malaria, because he tested low. Later this afternoon when we checked his temperature he was 104.5 Fahrenheit about 40 Celsius. We cooled him down in a cool bath to a less dangerous level of 102. We took him to the clinic at that point and they admitted him for an overnight drip.

It is not uncommon for us to get one of the kids tested when they don't feel well and the test will show negative. And then it could be the next day and they are off the charts! Even when we seem to catch it early with some oral medication, which we keep handy. Very high temperatures are common with malaria, as we have done the cool bath routine before to break a high fever. I feel for them because I know it is not a comfortable bath but we have to take some immediate actions. We know the clinic does not have facilities to cool down a patient and I have yet to see them take the temperature of a patient. It really makes me realize why the average life expectancy is so low as 45 years. We have noticed that the IV drip of quinine seems to be quick acting. Malaria is a tricky disease, it has highs and lows, one day you may feel OK and then the next day you get really ill. The symptoms seem to vary among patients.

Let us praise God for giving us clinic to go to and for providing the funds to pay for it.
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Friday, September 11, 2009

Update for Friday

Here is today's update: We just got power back on and are on line again, we are surprised that power was restored because most people are not working. All the shops are closed as the people call it a "strike." If shops are open the people attack them, the open vegetable market was attacked and they had to close it. A big problem is looting because of people who take this as an "opportunity" for bad behavior. Military and local police are out and about arresting many. Shots have been fired throughout mostly from the soldiers at the "hooligans" as they are referred to. Rita has not been able to get out of Kampala yet so she is staying safe there. We have all of our children back on the compound, home from school and our guard has shown up, so we are going to be tucked in for the night. We have plenty of food, water, and cooking fuel stored up, so we can be OK for a while until things calm down. And we have JESUS too!


Continued violence and disruption in Kampala and surrounding areas:


Kampala, Uganda

Warden Message

September 11, 2009


The U.S. Mission in Uganda advises U.S. citizens that the violent demonstrations experienced in downtown Kampala and surrounding areas on September 10 are continuing today and possibly through the weekend. The demonstrations stem from political friction between the central government and the authorities of Buganda, a cultural kingdom in central Uganda.

U.S. citizens are advised to avoid downtown Kampala as well as surrounding neighborhoods including, but not limited to Kampala Road, Natete Road, Rubaga Road, Hoima Road, Bomba Road, Wandegeya, Hotel Ecuador, Clock Tower, and Kabuye Circle. U.S. citizens should avoid large crowds of people anywhere in the city or in central Uganda, including Kayunga District, as protests can materialize quickly and become violent. The U.S. Peace Corps has temporarily withdrawn its Volunteers from Kayunga District.

U.S. citizens should consider sheltering in safe locations and avoiding all non-essential travel until the unrest subsides.

The Kampala-Entebbe road connecting the Entebbe International Airport and Kampala was closed several times yesterday and it is expected this will continue to occur today and through the weekend

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Official Word From US Embassy

We are in Masaka, about two hours from Kampala and are presently safe, However Rita is in Kampala and attempting to come home here on Friday so keep her in your prayers. This is the email from our embassy:

Violent Demonstrations in Downtown Kampala and Surrounding Areas.

Warden Message

Kampala, Uganda

September 10, 2009

The U.S. Embassy in Kampala wishes to advise U.S. citizens that this weekend the leader of the Kingdom of Buganda is planning his annual visit to Kayunga District against the wishes of the central government. The disagreement has resulted in a stand-off which appears to be fueling long-standing grievances between the Kingdom of Buganda and the central government, and between different political factions within the kingdom.

As of the afternoon of September 10th, 2009, violent protests are occurring in downtown Kampala as a result of this situation in Buganda. This message is an advisory to all U.S. citizens to avoid the central and western downtown areas of Kampala including, but not limited to Kampala Road, the Hotel Ecuador, Clock Tower and Kabuye Circle. U.S. citizens should avoid large crowds of people anywhere in the city as protests can materialize quickly and become violent.

The U.S. Peace Corps has withdrawn its volunteers from Kayunga District and U.S. Mission employees have been advised not to travel to the Kayunga District until further notice.

U.S. citizens with questions or concerns may telephone the Consular Section of the U.S. Mission in Kampala at (256) (0) (414) 306 001 or (256) (0) (414) 259 791. In the case of an emergency outside business hours, or during any suspension of public services, U.S. citizens may reach the U.S. Mission duty officer at the same numbers.

U.S. citizens are advised to register and update their contact information with the U.S. Mission in Kampala. The U.S. Embassy is located at Plot 1577 Ggaba Road. The phone number is (256) (0) (414) 306 001 or (256) (0) (414) 259 791, fax (256) (0) (414) 258 451, email: KampalaUSCitizen@state.gov, and U.S. Embassy Kampala website: http://kampala.usembassy.gov .

For the latest security information, citizens living or traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs internet website at: http://travel.state.gov/, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings, and Country Specific Information can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada, or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. Federal Holidays).

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

"NEWS SHORTS"

From our www.hewillprovide.blogspot.com to you!

Here are some updates and a couple of things that are going on with us!

"Momma Robert" as we referred to her, is doing much better. I met with her on Sunday and she was smiling and very grateful for the medical care we provided. Praise God, He saved her life!

We spent most of this morning at the hospital today for a follow up of eye exams for three of our children. It is a process here to get anything done and this was just the same. And we still have to go back tomorrow for the second half of the test. For some reason they dilate the eyes first and do part of the test and then since the eyes are dilated they have to wait until the next day for the second half. I think if they reversed the procedure it might be better. And like I said this was a follow up, so yes they had been seen at the eye doctors office and then he refers them to the hospital for examination. This was for a simple vision check. I always got my eyes examined in one day, but this isn't America. We also have one boy with extensive hearing loss in one ear, it seems to be ear drum damage so we will followup with that on Friday for further testing. That's that in a nutshell, but we could probably make a movie out of all the details that surround a day such as this.

We have been on the radio now for two days and it is going well. The first night was little hectic, they had changed our time slot by 15 minutes later and we only ended up with a half hour instead of the hour that we planned for, so that meant a little last minute program cutting and editing. But I had the extra 15 minutes to put it together. So tonight was much easier because we were able to follow our plan. We will be on the air on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. I refer to our half hour show as a bible study, it is a teaching and sharing format. The radio is is a powerful form of evangelism, the old is forever new. Here in Uganda, people gather around radios and listen together to shows like this. The sponsor gave her approval of our format and likes the variety that we are able to contribute to. May God to continue to bless this women so she continues to support two radio shows!

We put out the word that we would like to get people involved with a little micro financing with us so we could get a motorcycle to help with our ministry. This would help with our transportation and help us to generate income by running our own boda. This would give someone employment and produce income to pay for the cycle. I proposed paying off a loan of about $1200. USD at $50.00 per month. We received two offers for donations towards a motorcycle and one of the donors said he will finance the balance. So now we have a MINISTRYCYCLE FUND! It looks like we have already more than half of the estimated cost of $1200.00 donated. The more that is donated the less we need to finance. So if you know anyone that is interested in improving our economics let them know about this project. We have really been thinking about projects that can help us to be self supported. It is better than being totally dependent on donations for all the operating expenses. Praise God, this all happened after I last wrote that we needed God to provide transportation for our radio ministry, and guess what?
HE IS PROVIDING!
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Monday, September 7, 2009

Back To School

Do you know what it is like around the house when your kids go back to school? Today is the official back to school day for Uganda, returning from the second term break. Can you imagine how quiet it gets around here, when seventeen kids return to school?



Every day we had so many activities with outreaches and fun things. We were running tutoring classes in math, English and science and the kids were busy studying for the next term. There is always a ball bouncing in the background and the chatter of kids as they do all their various chores and other activities. Oh, and there are a few squabbles now and then too!



Now today it is very quiet around here, I don't think we are ready to complain about the silence quite yet, but we probably will be, soon enough. This evening, when they all return home we will be meeting them at the gate as they greet us with hugs and laughter!
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Sunday, September 6, 2009

WHAT MAKES A GOOD LEADER?

The topic for this weeks radio show was "What makes a good leader." We were invited again to the Saturday radio show aimed at the youth. Four of our boys were guests on the local talk show this week. They all did an excellent job representing The Door OF Hope Family!







Robert, Phillip, David, and Joseph are on the air!




Saturday, September 5, 2009

Go Into All The World And Preach The Good News To All Creation.

In Mark 16:15 we find the instructions pretty clear! Go into all the world and preach the good news. That is a pretty heavy "to do" list. Even as we are here in another part of the world, I find that we can only take care of a small area of Uganda at a time.

This past year I had the opportunity a few times to present the gospel on the radio. I really enjoyed the experience and Pastor Moses had an open invitation for me to return. I have put it off for a few (good) reasons. First of all the radio program is at 5:00 AM, YEA! In the Morning! I am a night person, I have a lot of responsibilities and duties and I can't burn the candle at both ends. Besides, I am not a preacher so do they really need me? And on and on. But quite honestly it was tough.

I thought, I am not a preacher but I have been asked on several occasions to share the word at Sunday services or at some of our village outreaches. So maybe God wants me to "preach" my style. Maybe that is what some people want or need to hear.

So this is where God's sense of humor comes in: The other day Pastor Moses stops by our house to share the "good news" about his ministry with me. He tells me that the lady that sponsors the radio show has decided to sponsor two! "Now we have two radio stations!" He tells me. "One in the morning and one at night." "We have two radio stations 5:00 AM and 10:00PM" That's good I say; as I am recalling myself saying; "I am a night person." (Be careful what you ask for).

So I am always up at that hour and even later, so it is just a matter of rescheduling my nightly activities. So this is one of the ways He wants us to "Go into the world and preach the good news!" With the roads and transportation being such a problem here, it seems the radio waves will allow us to reach more people with less effort. The new radio station is more powerful and even goes beyond the Ugandan borders. We now are only faced with the local transportation, to and from the radio station and being at night it does create a new challenge, but I am guessing the Lord has an idea about that too!

Please pray for transportation, and we will see how He Will Provide.
We have another story about the radio having to do with our kids, we should have that story up tomorrow.
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