“The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances.” -Robert Flatt

**Easter 2019 Celebration Update**

We are so happy to tell everyone that our Easter Celebration was such a wonderful blessing and joy to us all.  We were able to raise well over our goal and provide an Easter meal to 80+ children and 20 adults in our village.  Our meal consisted of rice, meat, Irish potatoes, greens and matooke.  That was followed by Kayima in collaboration with the children, delivering food to homes in need.   We did not get everything documented as our phones had run dead (with no ability to charge them at the orphanage) and we were so busy with all of the children.  We hope you really enjoy the parts of this special day that we are thankfully able to share with you.

Along with the meal we were also able to have a late birthday celebration for our Mabiru Jessie on behalf of his loving sponsor family.  Birthdays are quite different here in Uganda as most children have never gotten to experience one, and because of poverty it is common that children only ever dream of a birthday celebration.  Sometimes when we receive a new child at the orphanage there is no actual way to know when their birth date even is so find ourselves having to set a date ourselves for them.  Of course it is our goal always to give to these children things they have never experienced.  To be sure that they are fed, sheltered, clothed and loved in a way that is substantial means everything in the world to us.  And watching these dreams become reality for our orphaned children is really quite incredible.  

Here is Little Rebecca enjoying her new dress and water boots from her wonderful sponsor.  She is pictured here with Salakiiya and Rosemary (Rosemary is still in need of a sponsor).  

A special thank  you also to Lea for sending these coloring supplies for the children to receive on Easter as well.  They will enjoy them so much when it is time to make letters for their wonderful pen pals at Launch Pad. 

Thank you to the Stratton family children for donating their allowance so the children could also experience their first “Easter egg hunt”.  We were unable to find Easter eggs but we did however manage to give the children a very fun experience.  

With our hearts full of love and gratitude, we thank each and every one of you for making this Easter celebration so special.  It is because of your generosity and love that we are able to pave a new path for them and help them know and see how important and special they all are.  This kind of goodness is immeasurable and truly life changing for them all.  Some of our children here have been through great loss of parents who loved them dearly while others have been through the great tragedy of being abandoned or chased off.  You can see in their faces how strong and resilient they are and from that you know that these children will grow up to do great things with their lives.   Thank you all so much for being a special part of that.  

Here is a special video of our celebration we hope that you will enjoy, put together and shared with love from our website volunteer helper and sponsor mom Ashley.  We hope you enjoy and as always, God Bless.

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As Easter fast approaches we find ourselves with great hope that we can by the Grace of God, provide an Easter celebration for our children here at HOOL once again.  Our goal is to reach $200 for food and $20 for transport (car rental to Jinja) to purchase goods.  If we find that we are so blessed to receive enough extra funds we will be making deliveries to our foster home families and to our elderly that are living in constant hunger and starvation.  As always, we give many thanks for all of your continued love and support.