What We Have Been Doing in Uganda

Part 1 of 3

Uganda is a country that has been torn apart. People groups, North & South regions, and the LRA have all been factors into how Uganda is today. How the Government is run, how the people groups interact together, and just how the people survive. To create a better life, children will strap themselves to the bottom of Greyhound buses to ride to Kampala to become street beggars. Some don't even make it to Kampala. But those that do, a life of cyclical poverty begins. All they know is how to live on the streets, to become hard, but to never forget their family back home and send them the money they are able to collect. They become street children. They do have a family back home, but they may not be able to go back home or even know how. Their family may not have been able to provide for the child so they said that they had to go to Kampala so that they could provide for themselves.

This is what Josephine - Sweet Sleep's National Director for Uganda - saw when she was able to go on a 5 day journey with an indigenous partner organization. Josephine was able to see how the organization takes street children and street families that have been displaced in cities and bring them back to their families to restore the community. And we would like to take you on that journey. Beginning May 12th, we will go on a 6 day journey through Josephine's Journal. We will see the desperation and need for going to larger cities to provide a better life and then the hope and restoration of these children and families by going back to their communities. On May 12th, we will have an Introduction Post to this journey so that we can explain a bit more about how Sweet Sleep can help, and also a quick explanation of the region that Josephine journeyed in - Karamoja. Then May 13th through May 17th, we will release a daily post from Josephine of what she saw on her 5 day journey, along with prayer requests from that day.

We are so thankful that God has given Sweet Sleep an opportunity to grow into other regions in Uganda. Please be praying for our continued ministry in Uganda, for the leadership and guidance of Sweet Sleep staff in Uganda, and that God reveals His good, pleasing, and perfect will in ours and your impact on orphans.

Spring Student Conference offering helps 158 orphans in Uganda

What an amazing blessing the ministry of Sweet Sleep is for me. Quickly after discovering the vision of Jen Gash and looking into the work she and the Sweet Sleep team are doing around the world, it became my passion as well.

Missions is dear to my heart.  The Lord has put a deep desire to raise the awareness of others to global missions as well as discover ways for a young generation to become sensitive to the needs all over the world. For teenagers to get excited about spreading the fame of the God of the universe to their community and the world. 

Every year at our annual associational Spring Student Conference we include a special missions offering. When the council of several youth pastors that plan the conference met to decide on which organization to give to, it was a quick unanimous decision to partner with Sweet Sleep. 

This past weekend (March 30-April 1, 2012) was the conference and God blew our goal away. The Spirit of God stirred in the hearts of the 1400 students & adult leaders in attendance. Our goal was to raise $4,000 and resettle 80 children in Northern Uganda. The goal was high as former years averaged a little over $3,000, but we knew God would move.  That goal was smashed in just the first night.  Our weekend total offering was $7,900 which brought us great joy knowing it was going to provide a life saving mosquito net, mat, mattress, blanket, and Gods precious Word for 158 kids. The students were moved by the vision set in place, the photos, videos, and testimonies of us passionate about placing the needs of others before our own. 

We are super pumped to get these funds to Sweet Sleep so they can set a plan to get these resources to Northern Uganda. God is faithful and so very good. 

At the end of this month we have also planned a City Wide Under The Stars event in which we have 12 churches signed up to participate before the conference. With the huge success this weekend, we believe that number will double. Our goal is to give these students an experience that will continue to raise their awareness to the needs of these orphans as they sleep under the stars just as these orphaned kids do.  We already have local businesses, radio stations, tv stations, news stations, and the newspaper involved to spread the vision throughout all of East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Western North Carolina. 

We honestly believe God is going to use this event, last weekends planted seeds, and the future opportunities to transform lives here locally as well as around the globe. 

I want to thank the entire HBA staff and youth council for their love for Sweet Sleep and their passion to unify together to make this happen.

Thank you Sweet Sleep for listening to the call God has placed on your lives and letting us join you on mission to help save lives and see the Kingdom expand.

Ryan Epps
Youth Pastor, Boone Trail Baptist Church

See more photos on Facebook.

Announcing TN Acteens in Uganda Summer 2103

Awesome weekend at the TN WMU Missions Gathering in Gatlinburg!

We had a great time with Acteens in worship and our founder, Jen Gash led 4 inspiring workshops.

Our special announcement is that we are partnering with TN Acteens to take trips to Gulu & Kampala, Uganda on May 31-June 10, 2013. Both trips will include ministering to children through provision of new beds, Bibles and mosquito nets as well as through sharing the gospel to both of these communities.

You don't have to be an Acteen to participate in this trip. Any girl or boy age 13 and up can participate in this trip.We will keep you posted here and on Facebook other ways that everyone can support this trip.

See pictures from the weekend at Facebook.com/sweetsleep.
More questions? students@sweetsleep.org  Click here for FAQs: Gulu or Kampala

Why I'm a bedhead...

We love our Bedheads! Here is a rerun of a story from Bedhead Alyson Walker. Alyson has also participated in our Uganda mission trips. You can be Bedhead now or join us on an upcoming Uganda trip this summer. Our Uganda mission trip info meeting is Thursday, March 29 at 6:30 pm at the Sweet Sleep office in Brentwood, 116 Wilson Circle Pike, Suite 100 (in the same building with Mazatlan's near the Brentwood P.O.). Contact trips@sweetsleep.org for more info.

Why I'm a bedhead...

A few years ago, I became familiar with Sweet Sleep at a conference. I never had thought about how children were sleeping. It just broke my heart to think children, especially orphaned and abandoned children, were sleeping in such terrible conditions.

As a preschool minister at my church, I suggested that we give our VBS offering to Sweet Sleep last year - participating in their Build-A-Bed program. Our kids loved it!

Later, our staff was challenged to read "Radical" by David Platt. After reading it, I saw that Sweet Sleep was going to Gulu, Uganda and I felt that I should step out and go. I am so thankful that I was able to join the work of Sweet Sleep. I saw first hand the children that got new Sweet Sleep beds. Seeing how excited they were for a bed was an amazing experience. I even had the privilege of going to a home and setting up their new beds and nets. The children said they could not wait for bed time to come. I don't know many children who are excited about bed time here at home.

After returning from Uganda I wanted to do more. Becoming a bedhead is a simple way to help each month. Every penny counts and helps children sleep sweetly.

Click here to join Alyson and become a bedhead!

Alyson Walker is currently serving as Minister to Families with Preschoolers at South Tulsa Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She has led Sweet Sleep's Build-A-Bed and Nickels for Nets Projects in her church, is serving as a Sweet Sleep Regional Rep for her state and is looking forward to going to Cape Town South Africa with Sweet Sleep this November.

Sweet Sleep is on the go

Here at Sweet Sleep we always seem to be on the go. We want to continue to celebrate the team's return from Moldova, click here to see photos on FaceBook. 

But before you know it we are off again to Uganda this June. 

This summer we are once again offering a special Back2Back experience in Uganda. We will send one team the first week of June and another team the second week. But for those who have extra time in the summer we offer the opportunity to make an 18-day journey that bridges both weeks. For only about $500 more you can double your ministry experience with our Back2Back trip.

If you are interested in any of the Uganda trips this June, we are having a 

Special Uganda Informational Meeting 

on Thursday, March 29 at 6:30 pm 

at the Sweet Sleep office in Brentwood, 

116 Wilson Circle Pike, Suite 100 

(in the same building with Mazatlan's near the Brentwood P.O.)

Uganda Experience – June
3 options – 2 different trips or a 1 extended trip

Gulu – June 1–11 – Open
Cost: $1200 - $1700 plus airfare
Team will be providing hundreds of beds kits to (probably) HIV+ children in northern Uganda. They will also be ministering to and sharing Bible stories to thousands of children, caretakers, and members of surrounding villages.

Kampala – June 6–18 – Open
Cost: $1200 - $1700 plus airfare
Team will be providing beds to children in an orphanage in Kampala. They will also be doing arts & crafts, leading Bible studies, and doing recreational activities with the children in the orphanage for the duration of the week.

Uganda Back 2 Back Experience – June 1–18 – Open
Cost: Open $1700 - $2200 plus airfare
Team members will be participating in both the Gulu week and the Kampala week. This is a great opportunity for students, teachers and others with extra time in the summer. Because airfare is a big part of the cost, for only about $500 more this trip almost doubles the ministry opportunity.

Application Due April 1 for all three trip options

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

Sarah's Story

I may never write another blog post again. Well, not if we have great perspective like this from our Ugandan National Program Director, Josephine. Enjoy her words again as we share with you, Sarah's story.

"During the bed distribution you read about yesterday in Atiak, Sweet Sleep was able to choose one beneficiary at random from a group of children who had come to receive new beddings from Sweet Sleep. We followed her up to home to learn her story about her sleeping conditions before and after getting new beddings.

Sarah is aged 9 years old with both parents dead. She lives with her grandmother (pictured below) and is lucky that she going to school, though she has to walk a long distance to the school. Sarah lives in a deep village off the main road and there is hardly a clear road that leads one to her home apart from following wandering paths.




(The car failed to move any further due to the bush and we had to move by feet up to Sarah’s home that you could see from a distance.)

In the life of Sarah, she has never slept on a mattress before much as she has always longed to sleep on one.

All along, Sarah has been sleeping on a papyrus mat that could press her ribs all night long forcing her to have short sleeping hours. She confesses that she has never woken up at a time beyond 6.00am because during the time when most people are comfortably deep asleep, to her mosquitoes are busy biting her and the mat pressing all her body thus making her wake up earlier than expected.

(Sarah’s bed while at the side lies a polythene paper that she uses to cover herself during the night.)

Sarah continued to tell us that she would hear stories from her friends who sleep on mattresses: that it feels very comfortable and had always admired to sleep on a mattress one day. But one day, some of the ARC field staff came and talked to her grandmother that a ministry by the name of Sweet Sleep was to bless her granddaughter with new beddings soon. It was the greatest news that they had ever heard over time because they cannot afford to buy a mattress.

“All along they (ARC) were waiting when they will be informed when and where they will be receiving their beddings till today when God has answered our prayers” said Sarah's grandmother.





According to Sarah, during the rainy seasons both the mat and the polythene paper she uses to cover herself are too cold and that sometimes she prefers to sleep while seated, leaning against the wall instead of sleeping down.

Sarah could not hide her joy when she made her bed and laid on the mattress for the very first time in her life. She requested us if it was okay for her to have a bath and went to sleep there and then.




(God’s time is the best, Sarah cannot believe it she has a bed of her own.)

Sarah told us that she is very, very happy with what Sweet Sleep has done for her and above all said will read her Bible before going to bed hence having Sweet dreams. She further said that she is going to share what Sweet Sleep had done for her with her friends and teachers at her school.

It is always joy whenever Sweet Sleep comes in and changes these little one’s sleeping conditions.

Thank you Jesus."

Thank you Jesus, indeed. I can't tell you how much I love Sarah's story. She's such a precious little girl and the pictures of her beaming with joy, hope and love from her new Sweet Sleep bed bring tears of the same to my eyes.

It also moves me to tears to read Sarah's grandmother share their prayers with us. They have prayed all year for God to bring them a bed, blanet, Bible and mosquito net. God has indeed answered their prayers.

Hundreds more are praying that same prayer. Hundreds more orphaned children in Sarah's community cannot sleep through the night because of their sleeping conditions. Hundreds of children cannot attend school regularly because they are suffering from malaria. This illness is completely preventable by Sweet Sleep's $8 mosquito nets.

Because so many orphans like Sarah are waiting for Sweet Sleep to answer their prayers, today I'm going to ask you to consider signing up to become a Sweet Sleep "bedhead". Details of that are on our website, www.sweetsleep.org. When you visit our site to make your donation, read about how you can save and change orphan's lives by making it possible to give beds to orphans every month in 2011.

Don't forget to mark your gift for "Gulu" in the comments box, or in the memo line if you are sending a check. Please mail your gifts to Sweet Sleep, PO Box 40486, Nashville, TN 37204.

From Sarah and all the happily sleeping Sweet Sleep children in the world, thank you.

Sweetly,
Jen

Pictures, pictures, pictures!

In the words of Josephine, "There was joy all over Ataik."

Amen, and thank you. Enjoy these pictures.


















Joy...Hope...Love...Health...Happiness...Protection...Provision...

These are just a handful of the words I could use. What would you add?

Considering that, just 5 weeks ago, I had NO idea Sweet Sleep would be providing these beds to these precious children, I might also add: Miracle.

Sweet Sleep still needs funding for 102 children's beds for the distribution you've been watching this week. An additional 360 beds are needed for children through our other partners. Can you make a gift, right now? Can you call friends and family and ask them to join you? Can you email or facebook a group of people you know? If we join together, we can do this.

Please visit www.sweetsleep.org to make a gift online. Don't forget to write "Gulu" in the comments box. If you'd like to mail a gift, please send it to Sweet Sleep, PO Box 40486, Nashville, TN 37204 and please write "Gulu" in the memo line.

Thanks friends. We're all such a great team!

Sweetly,
Jen

Another Distribution, Another Perspective

When Sweet Sleep began work in Uganda, we prayed dilegently for God to bring us a staff member there whose integrity and passion for our ministry would shine through in everything we did. God answered that prayer in the form of a woman named Josephine. Words cannot define how much she loves Jesus, her country, the children of her country and also, Sweet Sleep. We are as blessed as we are thankful.

Today, as I share about the next distribution with you, I thought I would do so in Josephine's words...

"Today marked another day of Sweet Sleep's continued work of ministering love to the children of Northern Uganda particularly those in Anaka sub-county (Nwoya district). Sweet Sleep’s staff together with those of our partners ARC travelled to Anaka sub-county with a purpose of blessing children with beddings. By 9.00am the sun was very bright in the sky and the engine of the fully loaded truck was already warming up to head for Anaka sub-county where the bed distribution was to take place.




It took us about one and half hours drive on murrum road to reach Anaka sub-county where we found excited and anxious beneficiaries sitted under a big tree waiting for Sweet Sleep to arrive.



Children together with their care takers seated under a big tree while the beddings are piled at the side.

On behalf of the community, Anaka sub-county local leaders thanked Sweet Sleep for coming back again and again in their village to give out more beddings. To them this was a wonderful Christmas gift for their children. He said, “ This village was so much affected by the 20 years civil war leaving us with so many orphans” hence exposed to very poor sleeping conditions where Children share polythene bags, papers and rugs that serve as mattresses/blankets for these helpless children but now that Sweet Sleep has heard our cry for help, we are very grateful for the timely support of providing beddings to our children” said the local leader.

Extreme left is the ARC staff, middle is the Local council III chairman and at the right is the woman councilor for Anaka sub-county appreciating Sweet Sleep’s work.

One could easily feel God’s glory hovering around the shade of the peaceful tree especially when the children started writing their letters of appreciation to the Sweet Sleep ministry for enabling them afford to sleep comfortably on a mattress and under a mosquito net for the very first time in their lives. Some of the children testified that they have never owned a Bible before and that now they have got one they are going to use it to pray to God so as to enable Sweet Sleep to provide beddings to more children.




After the letter writing, the names of the direct beneficiaries were read, accredited and the distribution of items started with a lot of excitement. The care takers/guardians who had accompanied their children helped them wrap up the mattresses and started trekking back to their respective homes some miles away from the distribution points.

Taking thumb prints

Direct beneficiary with items

Care taker wrapping a mattress.

It was a very joyful moment for the children of Anaka sub-county as Sweet Sleep continued to make them feel loved and cared for. Though they had to travel long distances back to their homes, with hope that they were no longer going to sleep on the floor, polythene bags and rugs, they were determined to make it home faster than before after all they were going to have a Sweet Sleep for the nights to come.



Beneficiaries hurrying home"


See friends, isn't Josephine such a blessing? This is probably one of my most favorite blog posts. Thanks for letting me share about our ministry through the eyes of another who truly knows and feels the impact Sweet Sleep is making in the lives of those in northern Uganda.

I know, if you're reading this blog, you likely have a good understanding of the importance of our work. You probably also know about the great need that more than 400 children still have for beds before the end of THIS year.

I'm urging you to make a year end donation, designated for "GULU" to help provide beds, nets and Bibles to all the children who are in need right now. You've seen what your help is doing. One person really does make an impact. Will that person be you?

Thanks friends. I'm blessed to serve along side you.

Sweetly,
Jen
PS Gifts for these children's beds, nets and Bibles can be made online at www.sweetsleep.org . Please be sure to write "Gulu" in the special comments box. If you're mailing a gift, please send it to Sweet Sleep, PO Box 40486, Nashville, TN 37204 and write "Gulu" in the memo line. Thank you so much!