Whenever possible, I like to share with you emails and messages we receive from our partners in Africa. Walking alongside these men & women, laboring with them for the Kingdom, and celebrating what God is doing in their ministries is big part of my day-to-day work. I know…tough job, right? I hear from them almost every day, if not by Skype, then by email. And everyday, I’m challenged and encouraged by their perspectives on life and ministry. Their words, so refreshingly authentic and humble, often convey much more than we can about the impact of our projects. So, I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again – they’re just too good not to share. Here’s a recent email Candice and I received from our Kampala Director, Fred Kaddu. The “shopping” he’s referring to was done for our newest girls moving into the Restoration Home. We wanted them all to have a fresh pair of PJ’s to celebrate moving into their new home. A relatively small thing for us, but as Fred reminded us, no small thing for them. Gratefully, Allie (Strategic Development & Project Manager – Africa)
26 local people employed as Passion Partners extended staff in Kenya & Uganda Over 48,800 miles traveled by domestic staff visiting African partners on site Within 4 months of opening, 3,000 cases treated at Ohuru Medical Clinic 18,000 people given access to clean water through 3 well projects Over 500 girls achieved app. 13,500 more days of learning through feminine product distribution 180 families in Kibera slums received life-sustaining food School renovation underway to launch feeding program for over 400 children in 2013 42 girls to receive food, shelter, and education as residents of Wakiso Girls Restoration Home “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…” Eph 3:20
In late November, 17 girls moved into a new home. But not just any girls, and not just any home. Girls who, before joining “Restoration”, as they call it, yearned for safety, security, and provision–things they have not known in the past. But now, they have a new place to call home, where the aspiration everyday is to ensure they are well-loved, cared for, provided for, listened to…restored. We’ve been hearing just how much they are enjoying and adjusting to life in the new Restoration Home. Their favorite things? Three certain meals a day . . . Water–clean water, that is just steps away . . . And having their very own bed. I thought their words were too redemptive not to share with you, so here a couple “letters from home…” From Winnie: From Agnes: Want to see more of the home and the girls? Check out our Restoration Home albums on Passion Partners facebook page! * testimonies have been shared with consent of the girls.
We had been so anxious for months to lay our eyes on the work that God was doing among our partners in Uganda. We knew that pictures just weren’t quite doing it justice and couldn’t wait to see it ourselves. Over the past several years, our partners in Kampala, Fred Kaddu and Wakiso Baptist Church, have been oh so faithful and committed to the vision of a full-scale Restoration Home for girls. And on November 10th, that vision became a physical reality, as Passion Partners officially opened the Wakiso Girls Restoration Home. Being present at the Dedication Ceremony was certainly a highlight of our trip…I can only describe it as a day of sheer joy and celebration over what this house will mean to this community and especially to the 42 girls who will call it “home.” Another milestone for Passion Partners took place during our trip, as the Jitambue Purity Project (a program originally started by our partners in Kenya) formally launched in high schools in Kampala. And what an honor for our team to be able to attend one of the first meetings of the project at Onwards & Upwards High School in Wakiso. The project will begin with 200 girls in four different schools, who will receive the truth of God’s word about their value & their purity, education...
di-‘fīn v. 1. to determine or identify the essential qualities; 2. to discover and set forth the meaning; 3. to fix or mark the limits of: demarcate; 4. to make distinct, clear, or detailed ; 5. to explain or identify the nature or essential qualities of pӑsh-‘ən n. 1. a strong liking or desire for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept; 2. intense drive; 3. boundless enthusiasm; 4. the sufferings of Jesus pärt-‘nər n. 1.a person who shares or is associated with another in some action or endeavor; sharer; associate; 2. one that is united with others in an activity or a sphere of common interest For almost 2 years Passion Partners has been laying the foundation of more than just the buildings we’ve been constructing around the world… February 2011: ground was broken on the Ohuru Medical Clinic in Kenya; August 1, 2012, the doors opened and, already, more than 1000 people have been served. It exists as a reminder that God goes to the ends of the earth to manifest His love and involves us to do so. January 2012: ground was broken on the Wakiso Girls Restoration Home in Uganda; October 2012 it will cover the heads of 42 abandoned, abused and/or orphaned girls, shelter their hearts, and shepherd them in a “hope and a future.” It...
Throughout the past few weeks, we have been sharing with you the heart and soul of Passion Partners…our mission, our vision, our values….getting “back to basics,” if you will. And we know for many of you, simply hearing “the basics” for the very first time. Today, I, Allie (Strategic Development & Project Manager – Africa) want to take you back a couple of months, to our official launch of Passion Partners, and share with you the first communication our founder and Executive Director, Candice Ashburn, sent out to supporters. This was the first time we formally extended the invitation for others to “be a part” of Passion Partners…a significant moment in our ministry, to say the least. Candice knows, and we all know, that it is both an exciting and intimidating task to invite others to join others in the work God is calling you to. Yet, we, Passion Partners, firmly believe that this is exactly what He’s asked us to do…invite others to join us. Why? Because the work God is doing is just too big, too significant, too good to keep to ourselves. So, in case you missed it, here it is… the “launch,” the “invitation”… in retrospect. From Candice: “I want you to know . . . that what has happened to me has really served to advance the...
I would like introduce one of the most outstanding 18 year-olds I’ve had the privilege of getting to know. Genny Kate Gurley has nannied for me for the last couple of years. She is one amazing young woman with incredible discipline to place herself before God and His Word. Her work ethic is beyond reproach and if her willingness to be taught is any indication of her life trajectory, she is a shooting star. Thank you, GK, for sharing your last summer “at home” with me, my family & my ministry. You really have become a part of our family. Candice Read on to hear about Geny Kate’s experience with Passion Partners in Kenya, in her own words… Geny Kate & Anabelle in the now infamous “safari van” I had no idea what to expect on this trip to Kenya with Passion Partners. Not only had I never been to Africa before, but I knew very little about the Passion Partners projects we’d be working with and barely knew the other trip participants, besides Candice and her children. I was just an eighteen-year-old girl, recently re-settled from Birmingham to Nashville, who was about to start college at Mississippi State. I was thrilled when Candice asked me to be a...
It was a late arrival and my daughters and I had never been in the Nairobi airport. We navigated our way through customs and baggage claim and headed for the door, hoping someone would be there to receive us at midnight. As I looked around, there she was. The beautiful blond-headed girl whose face was familiar to me. In an instant, I went from uncertainty to confidence, knowing that even though we were sojourners in a foreign land, we were safe. Allie (Passion Partners staff member & trip leader) had been in the country several times before. She was familiar. Although it was late, she greeted me, and I could easily identify it. There was Jesus, all over her face. We got to the van, and I was introduced to a young Kenyan man named Chris. Chris is on staff with Swahiba Youth Networks, the partner ministry of Passion Partners based in Nairobi. I greeted him and saw it a second time. Though well past midnight, he still had a certain sparkle in his eye. It was clearly Jesus. We reached our destination and fell into bed. The next morning there it was again when I met Peter Abungu, the Founder & Director of Swahiba Youth Networks. I spotted it almost instantly…the common thread…the look on his face. There was a glimmer...
and without a doubt, August 1, 2012 is one of those days for all of us at Passion Partners. On this sun-drenched Wednesday, deep in Western Kenya, the Ashburn Ohuru Clinic opened its doors for the first time. What had once been the God-given dream of a 94 year-old Kenyan widow (who, by the way, has lived almost twice as long as the average life span of a Kenyan woman!) became a God-ordained reality for a young widow from Nashville, TN, whose late husband, himself, was a physician. Walk back with us through this unforgettable day… Before our team even arrived that morning, hundreds of residents from the surrounding community had already gathered to celebrate the opening of this long-anticipated clinic and to receive treatment at the free medical camp.
Our vision… … to provide leadership and funding to existing ministries, as well as emerging ministries, around the world with the goal to walk along them in a collaborative effort, allowing them to be more effective in their call and in fulfilling their passion. I want to share something with you today that gives a unique glimpse into Passion Partner’s relationship with our ministry partners overseas. It’s a letter written by our Founder and Executive Director, Candice Ashburn, to our partner in Uganda, Fred Kaddu, and the girls of the Wakiso Restoration Home. To give a brief bit of background…we are nearing the completion of a new Restoration Home in Uganda that will house the current 16 girls, as well at 22 new ones. I can’t tell you how precious Fred and these girls are to us, and how honored we are to be building them a new home. For several months, we had been planning a visit to Uganda, (we would’ve actually arrived back home today) primarily to see the girls, love on them, encourage them, and see the new house with our own eyes. Unfortunately, a sudden Ebola outbreak hit Uganda just days before we were to arrive and we weren’t able to go. To put it simply, we were bummed. Very, very bummed. And our hearts were heaviest...
