It is our Birthday, we are 15 years old today!!!!

 Today we celebrated that we started Amecet 15 years ago!! We had a cake with 15 candles, which we couldn't keep burning, because of the wind... But I looked back on a incredible journey with God.

15 years ago Helen and I started this beautiful ministry.

Helen is from England and she has played such an important role in the beginning. We were the only two staff, we had to think out everything, how to do it, what do we need, which forms do we make, Where to go for permission to operate, where to go when the children are sick, what are our rules and regulations etc. etc. Helen was such a key person during the first years... On this picture she is with our first two children....Grace and Sarah.. Helen, thank you so much for helping to lay out the foundations of Amecet, on which we are still building!!!

Today, exactly 15 years ago we welcomed the first child in Amecet: that was Sarah!! God has used Sarah so much, she was the inspiration for Amecet. As you can see, she was very sick and malnourished. God has been so good to her, look at the present picture, at the right!! It has not always been easy, at times we saw her so very sick, but every time she came through....

 We grew and grew, this is one of the first group pictures. (2003)

We got also more  and more children, little babies, HIV+ children, children who were in need of a safe place and God helped us. We got more staff and more volunteers came to help for a couple of months. We got nurses and social workers and lots of follow up work had to be done, when children were re-settled in their families.

the Amun week became an important tool in teaching and encouraging the children who were HIV+ and went back to their communities. Several went for training in tailoring, or other courses, right now 4 of the girls from the first years, are helping in Amecet, to care for the little one's!! There are three, who are studying to became teachers, one to become a nurse and another one to become a lab technician. More than 700 children lived in Amecet for a period of time (not included are the children who come via Police for 1 or 2 nights). We have lost a number of children, who were so very sick... we believe that they are rejoicing in Heaven. This is still a painful process, when it happens..

We want to thank everybody who has been with us somewhere along the way, in coming here to help, in giving, in praying!!! We could never have made it all those years without the help of so many people. Thank you so much!!!! Eyalama noi!!!! Please continue to stand with us in the coming years!!

Personally, I have learned so much, from the children, from the Ugandan culture, from my colleagues....I have made mistakes...... I have been forgiven ...... and I have tried again.....

God has been there for me, all the way, He has blessed me with four beautiful Ugandan daughters, it has never been my intention to adopt children, but this is what happened: they all came into my life through Amecet: from right to left: Sarah (19), Mary (22), Helen (11) and Catherine (6)

There are so many stories to tell and so many things are happening... Keep following us via this blog. Keep encouraging us, we need your input, advice and support!!!