2012- A FRUITFUL YEAR AT WOPI/FORTRESS

Blessed 2013 to all you our Friends!!!

What a beautiful year 2012 was! Thanks be to the Lord and to you our friends who have been such a big blessing to us through prayer,encouragement ,financial support,gifts and ofcourse your friendship.
We are delighted  to share our joy with you of all that’s happened here.

At the Fortress(the safe home for pregnant teenagers), its been joy throught the year.  I am speechless about the experience of seing  shame turn to glory and beauty, rejection turn to favour, the lonely embraced with arms of love, the weary and heavy ladden put to rest, and heads lift up in confidence. The smiles  and laughter are breath-taking.

17 Girls delivered their babies safely and got resettled with their families. Precious little Gift had a sudden death after we had resettled him and his mother and we grieved with the family for the family after the Loss. All the other children and their Mums are well resettled to their families apart from the 2 girls now live with two friends of the Fortress. Its been a mixture of joy and tears  as the girls left their close knit Fortress family back to their homes.  Girls with heavy bags,matresses, and cute babies, families exclaiming is a great sight, though we know that girls go away with much more… esteem, joy, skills and Jesus!

12 souls came to Jesus while at the Fortress and were restored. Many went through counselling over  many issues including struggles with rejection, anger, defilement  among others.

  We received teams of visitors  from Sweden and USA who were all a blessing and added a lot to the fortress. They brought baby cloths,sheets, baby lotions, pampers and spent time encouraging the girls. We also had social work interns and volunteers who did so much good work and am sure they learnt so much here.

Transportation of the girls to hospital,church and running some errands was made easy by the Van that our dear  friends provided.Also, by the grace of the Lord, you friends have provided food, medical expenses,money for rent and facilitation, you are all appreciated for your contributions. We are so thankful for that.

The sales of beads have also been helpful. By the time a girl leaves the Fortress, they have made enough money from the bead work to buy a matress, beddings, mosquito net, and other necessities and ofcourse some more money to use.

Joan, the first fruit of my ministry to is back to school studying a tailoring course, she is excited about it and thank God her health is getting better. Kemi  her lovely  5 year old daughter is doing well.

Other WOPI Projects
The community outreach programme has flourished. We were able to reach out to many pregant teens,counsel them and visit them at their homes and provided them with Mama Kits and baby clothes.
Girl At-Risk empowerment programme has been fruitful  with 5seminars in two communities. These girls at risk of HIV/AIDS, abuse, teenage preganacy among others ,between 12 and 18 years  of age, attended in big numbers between 30 to 75 in each of the seminars and were equiped with information about relevant topics like esteem, reproductive health and they also received gifts like sanitary towels,underwear and other essentives and also 13 girls came to Jesus.
The Masuliita women project also was blessed by some of our friends. 14 more piglets and one goat were given to these women as an income generationg project for their families. The first lot already have reproduced.About 4 visits were made and on one of the visits, about 35 souls came to Jesus led by our friends from the Rock church and their community Reverand was glad to witness and follow up on his new flock.While we were at his house after the vist, I cannot forget hearing him say,” Jesus has visited my home!Av been praying for this!”

To God be the Glory for all He has done!

       Hoping to receive more interns and volunteers to be apart of the Fortress. Incase you know any interested person, feel free to pass on the information. Its ok to share this newsletter with your friends and family.

Thank you all our friends for your love, generosity and encouragement. Looking forward to 2013!!

Love,gratitude and blessings,

Josephine Nambatya.