The Children Need You

Dear Friends,

Sweet Sleep has shared much with you about our life-changing, life-redeeming, life-giving work in northern Uganda. Today, I am sharing with you an urgent request for our work there.

As you now understand, the children in northern Uganda are innocent victims of a senseless war that has lasted over 20 years. Though the area is currently experiencing peace, the slaughter of innocent men and women by rebel forces has left over 750,000 children orphaned and abandoned in the region and living in refugee camps. Thanks to you, Sweet Sleep has began the resettling of these orphans back to their native villages. Part of this resettlement is ensuring that when the children return home, they have a place to sleep, protection from the deadly malaria disease in the form of a mosquito net, and a Bible in their language. Tonight, there is a child who knows of God’s love and is sleeping sweetly because of what you have provided. Thank you.

When Sweet Sleep originally began its work through partnerships in the region, there was a fear that the children would be hesitant to leave the camps because they had never known any other home. These camps are incredibly dangerous places for children to live due to those who prey upon them nightly. It was our partner’s hope that the beds and mosquito nets would be a strong incentive to them to return to their tribal family and newly constructed huts which were being built for them. Our partners, ARC, World Vision and the Gulu Child Probation Office, hoped to reintegrate 700 children in 2010. As it turns out, our partners experienced shocking results because of the provision of a bed, net and Bible; the children were lining up to leave the camps. Rather than resettling 700 children last year, Sweet Sleep reintegrated about 2,500 children!

The situation in Northern Uganda is urgent and so the need continues grow, which is why Sweet Sleep is sending another team over on July 15th. We expected to provide roughly 500 beds, however we’ve received an urgent plea last week for several thousand, so we’re committing to provide 1,000 beds on this next journey. We have promised to provide a bed for every one of these children because we believe that no task is too big for what God has called us to. However, we need to raise more funds than originally allocated for this trip. Sweet Sleep needs to raise $50,000 by July 15th in order to provide a bed to every single child.

Because of the urgency of this request, we are asking for your help. Please consider continuing your investment in the children of this region as Sweet Sleep transforms their home land from an area which knew of only killing, to a region that is being transformed by God’s love. $50 provides a bed, mat, bedding, Bible, and mosquito net for each child. Will you help give a bed to one child?

Time is short. Please take a few minutes to go on-line and make your gift. Please put “Beds for Gulu” in the comment box, so the money is allocated for this project. You can also send a check, with “Beds for Gulu” in the memo section to Sweet Sleep P.O. Box 40486 Nashville, TN 37204.

Finally, take a few more minutes to watch this short video Sweet Sleep has just released for our student-based initiative to bring awareness and support for this cause through churches and schools. The video helps tell the story visually in way that I could never do.

Thanks, friends. Your gift matters to one child. And, it matters to me. I am grateful.

Sweetly,
Jen