Flip Flop Drive

Many of you have asked how you can help the people of Uganda.  Each month until we head to Uganda in September we are going to pick one item to collect.  We will bring these items with us to bless the people of Karamoja in Uganda.  This month we are going to start with Flip Flops.  Mostly because Old Navy almost always has their annual $1.00 flip flop sale on Memorial Day weekend.

There are so many bare feet in Karamoja.

If you'd like to contribute some flip flops to this month's drive you can drop them off at 1827 Harrison Avenue, Panama City or email Becky at ezekiel37medical@gmail.com.   


Brandy and her husband, Joey, put a video together for their church (Lighthouse to the Nations).  Lighthouse is also going to be collecting the flip flops.

https://vimeo.com/41804208


God Bless,
Becky

School Girl Project

During our first trip to Uganda in January 2010 I noticed that the Mercy Uganda team had brought a suitcase full of disposable feminine products.  It was something that hadn't crossed my mind as a need.  As I contemplated it more I thought that having a few disposable feminine wouldn't last too long.  Would the girls be able to get more?  How the girls of Uganda deal with starting their menstrual cycle?

When I got home I started doing some research online.  I found many websites that discussed the topic and that it is quite a problem for the girls in third world countries.  The girls do not have the necessary supplies to be able to attend school while they have their cycle.  So, girls are forced to miss a week of school each month.  We are so blessed (and spoiled) to be able to drop by the closest department, grocery, convenience store and pick up what we need but these girls do not have that luxury.  Most of them use old rags, leaves, and even tree bark.

There has been some research done recently by the Uganda government that states that more than HALF of the girls that enroll in school in grade 1 drop out before finishing grade 6.  That is incredibly tragic to me.  We all know that if you educate and empower a girl you help the entire family and village.

I have been blessed to connect with a couple of quilting guilds in Birmingham, Alabama through a friend's family friend.  I LOVE how God works in times like this.  With their help over the following 2 trips we have been able to provide over 150 girls with 3 reusable cloth sanitary pads and 3 pairs of panties.

Below are some pictures from the first time I was able to distribute the pads.  The girls were incredibly sweet and MORTIFIED at the same time.  I didn't know why there was a pattern for a drawstring bag on the pattern/instructions we were using so we didn't make them.  Well, I quickly figured it out when we started distributing them because the girls were so embarrassed because they didn't have anything to put them in so the BOYS wouldn't see.  We have since started making the bags.  :-)

This is a finished product with the exception of the velcro or snap to fasten under the panty.

These are the first recipients of the pads.  They are from Kyamagamule.

Each girl kneeled and said "thank you"

These girls are from Kayapas, Karamoja.

If you would like to help support this project by sewing the pads and/or drawstring pads, by purchasing fabric, by purchasing panties in sizes girls 10-women 6, or by donating money towards purchasing the panties please feel free to contact me at ezekiel37medical@gmail.com.  Perhaps you know someone who likes to sew and you'd be willing to share this blog with them as well.  I have the pattern and instructions that I can email.  The sky is the limit for this project.
God bless,
Becky

Big News!

We are happy to announce that we have officially started our own non-profit organization.  The name is Ezekiel 37 Medical Ministry, Inc.  We have already received the confirmation from the IRS and are a legit company.  We have applied for the tax exempt status and do not foresee any issues with regard to that.

The Directors of Ezekiel 37 Medical Ministry, Inc are:
President:  Dr. David Dietrich
Vice President:  Dr. Chad Mitchell
Secretary/Treasurer:  Becky Carreira 

Our plan is to continue our partnership with Mercy Uganda because we believe and support the work they are doing in Uganda and they have been supportive of our decision. 

The following are in the works:

• Website
• Looking into accepting credit card payments
• Updated brochures to share

We are incredibly excited about the future of our work in Uganda and the possibility of expansion into other countries.  We certainly hope that you'll join us on this journey and continue to pray for our team.


 God Bless!

Like us on Facebook!

Karamoja Project

On the last evening in Karamoja during the trip last September, Gabriel asked us to think and pray about helping the people of Karamoja with basic household needs.  He went on to explain that it is not uncommon for a family of 6 or 8 to only have 2 plates and no cups.  No wash basin to wash their clothes or bathe their children.  It is so easy for us to not think about needing these types of items.  We run to the closest department store to get whatever we need.  They do not have that luxury in Karamoja.

Both villages that Mercy Uganda works with in Karamoja (Kokorio and Kayapass) have received wells and now that they have clean water they need items to improve the overall hygiene.  The majority of the illnesses that are treated on the medical trips can be prevented by cooking with clean water and cleaning their bodies.  They need a wash basin, soap, and jerry cans to carry the clean water.

Gabriel also stated that it wasn’t uncommon for an old man or woman of 80 years to have never slept on a mattress…..let that set in a second.  NEVER slept on a mattress.  Think about the last time you haven’t slept on a mattress.  Imagine sleeping on the ground night after night for 80 years.

Based on all the information Gabriel gave us we have created the following packs to improve the lives of people in Karamoja.

Family Pack-$25

• Set of Plates
• Set of Cups
• Wash Basin
• Soap
• Bathing Sponges
• Jerry Can (used to carry water)

 

Bedding Pack-$65

• Mattress
• Sheets
• Blanket
• Mosquito Net

Combo Pack-$90

        Includes all items from Family & Bedding Packs

To become a sponsor please email Becky at ezekiel37medical@gmail.com.

Celebrating Home

As we begin our fundraising for the September 2012 trip we are partnered again with Celebrating Home.  Celebrating Home is formerly known as Home Interiors so that speaks to the quality of the products.  The candles are wonderful and their dips mixes are delicious.

Please join us in support of our efforts and help us reach our goal. You may review our program by clicking on this link http://www.celebratinghome.com/fundraiser/Ezekial37/.

Remember that 50% of our sales are returned to Mercy Uganda-Ezekiel 37 Medical team when you make a purchase. 

If you live locally please see a team member to place an order and save on shipping.  We would be incredibly grateful if you'd share this website link with your friends and family.

Thanks in advance for your support.

God Bless,
Becky & the Ezekiel 37 team

Mercy Uganda's Student of the Week--Solomon #5407-BG-11

I am so happy to report that we received a sponsor for Florence last week.  Thank you Charleen and Dave!!

Please allow me to introduce you to this sweet boy.  Solomon is about 12 years old.  He is part of a large family that is special to Mercy Uganda.  The father is Charles Onyango.  Laura (founder of Mercy Uganda) had the privilege of meeting Charles in 2008.  He is such a precious young man of God who has had a life of loss and hardship.  When he was a young teen, his parents were murdered by the Lord’s Resistance Army while living in Gulu.  This left Charles to care for his younger siblings.  A year later, one of his siblings died leaving Charles to care for their three children in addition to his own six.  That’s 9 children all together.  Charles struggles to meet their needs, always loving each child and never showing partiality.  Charles works hard to keep the children in school.  He with little education himself does whatever work he can to provide for the family.  He is unable to pay all the school fees but does all he can to barter goods in exchange for their education. 

The children are sick often with recurring bouts of malaria, malnourishment and dehydration.  If the children were in school they would have food each day.  They would have a mosquito net to cover their bed and help protect them from malaria.

It costs $500.00 per year to sponsor Solomon.  This includes all of the school requirements, 3 terms of school, boarding, food, and transportation.  The school fees can be divided up into the 3 terms, January, May, and September, with the January term being higher to purchase requirements for the year.  Term one: $200.00, terms two and three $150.00 each.  Each student is required to bring a list of items for their first day of school.  These items typically include a mattress, mosquito net, trunk to store items, school supplies, school uniform, socks, shoes, bars of soap, a carton of laundry detergent, among many other items.


With Your Sponsorship:

1. We send you pictures and updates as often as possible. The updates are done by our team in Uganda when they travel to the areas and the schools, and by our team members who travel to Uganda during the year.  You may receive 1 to 3 updates a year depending on our ability to travel to some of the more remote areas.
2. We will let you know if the child has siblings in need of sponsorship in case you want to help a family, or know a friend who may want to partner with you.
3. We will be more than happy to deliver letters and small care packages to your child when we travel to Uganda. We try to let our sponsors know ahead of time so they can send us letters for us to take with us. You can also send small monetary gifts that we will deliver to your child which provides special items, and extra food.  It also allows us to purchase things for them there in Uganda so your gift is maximized.

If you have more questions or would like more information about our child sponsorship program, please contact us. We would love to share with you.  Remember, your sponsorship is tax-deductible!
  

If you would like to sponsor Solomon please contact Becky at ezekiel37medical@gmail.com.

Click here to see other children that are waiting for sponsors.

Student of the Week

UPDATE-- 1/14/12 9:07pm--Florence has received a sponsor!  Praise God!!  Now Florence can attend school along with her sister.

There are many children in Mercy Uganda's database that need sponsorship for school.  So, we're going to start doing a Student of the Week.

This is Florence.  She is 8 years old and lives in the Konkwa village in Karamoja.  She has been unable to attend school due to the fact that her mother has died of AIDs and her father is expected to die at any time of the same disease.  She is in critical condition. Florence and her sister Marisca are staying with relatives who cannot afford to care for them.  Neither of the children has been tested for AIDs.

Seeing that Florence's mother has passed away and her father is terminally ill from AIDS it is imperative that she get in school soon.  The school she will attend is a boarding school.  She will have a roof over her head at night, a mattress to sleep on, at least one meal a day, and receive an education.

It costs $500.00 per year to sponsor Florence.  This includes all of her school requirements, 3 terms of school, boarding, food, and transportation.  The school fees can be divided up into the 3 terms, January, May, and September, with the January term being higher to purchase requirements for the year.  Term one: $200.00, terms two and three $150.00 each.  Each student is required to bring a list of items for their first day of school.  These items typically include a mattress, school supplies, school uniform, socks, shoes, among many other items.

Will you consider being Florence's sponsor?  Or maybe you know someone?  Will you share this blog with your friends and family?  Please feel free to share on Facebook, Twitter, or email.

Contact Becky at ezekiel37medical@gmail.com