New Year, New Website, Different Blog Address

The thought never crossed my mind that I would be spending so much time in front of a computer screen working on a website to just to serve in Uganda. Reading the Bible? Yes. Creating new sewing lessons? Yes. Thinking of meaningful ways to relate to ladies in Uganda? Definitely. But here I am, in the home stretch of completing our website. The address is theweinsteins.org Rather catchy, right? The direct link to our blog posts on the website: (Click here for blog posts)< We have new email addresses to match the website address. Jeff@theweinsteins.org Yvonne@theweinsteins.org

Happy News!

Jeff and I left for Uganda on August 15, 2019, one year ago. We thought back on the things that happened during our time there. There were highs and lows, but we want to mark the year by remembering the positive things that happened. 

Most of all, we want to make sure that it is abundantly clear that the support and kindness shown to us by many is not taken lightly. 

Our work in Uganda was possible only because of our supporters in the US who donated, prayed, and encouraged.

Thank you.

We are continuing our work remotely and are looking forward to the time that we can return to Uganda.

Too Good Not to Share - Fresh off the Press!

This morning I awoke to an email with a food distribution report from Pastor Simon Oloyojok. When we receive donations for food, we wire the money to a church in Uganda, Gulu Bible Community Church. Pastor Simon and other staff members of GBCC then purchase food and other supplies and distributes them. 

The bottom line is that between 192 to 240 people benefitted from the latest $500 sent from your generous donations, 

Rather than dissect the report, I am posting it here - it includes a complete financial accounting and pictures, Please enjoy and remember that if you have encouraged, prayed, or given monetary gifts, YOU have made a real difference.

We are Concerned About Our Friends.

Our lives, in a nutshell.

Since our return to the US in early April, we have had the pleasure of talking to family and friends. Based on questions that are being asked, we realize we have not done a good job of keeping people informed about our lives right now. So, here is all you need to know about us (at this time)....

We are:
Living as guests in a lovely home in Riverside owned by our dear friend, Susan Miller;
Driving a car owned by our church, The Grove;
Paying rent on the Mission House in Gulu, Uganda. We also support our housekeeper, her three children, and our guard who all currently live there;
Planning to return to Uganda. We don’t know when. All borders and the airport are closed because of COVID-19;
Continuing our ministry. We do this in several ways, but currently our major focus is to raise funds for food for Ugandans;
Thanking God for each person who supports us. We rely on your gifts for living expenses and send any remaining funds to Uganda for food.
Extremely concerned about the people we know in Uganda. When we left in early April, the country was in a state of lock down due to COVID-19. Travelling was restricted to "footing it" (walking) and a strict curfew was imposed. The result? Gardens located out of town in the villages could not be reached, food could not be harvested, and people immediately began to feel hungry. Then the government shut down all businesses except open air food stalls. The result? People had no jobs or income, so could not purchase food, even the dried beans and rice which were available.
Many people live in rented premises. They are torn between looking for money to pay rent and for putting food on the table. 
All the teachers in private learning institutions at all levels are out of work, and struggling to sustain their families.
The boda boda (Motorcyclists) are out of business since they are not allowed to carry passengers...yet this is a livelihood business for those who did not make it far in education.
Since then the government has allowed some businesses to reopen, but the economy is out of balance and the poor are still unable to purchase either fresh or dried food.
Prior to COVID-19 we enjoyed living in Gulu, Uganda, even though it is definitely part of a third world country. Poverty and hunger were evident, but not as severe as they are right now.
Currently, people we know personally are very hungry. This is very disturbing to us. It is one thing to hear an organization asking for funds to “feed the starving children in Africa”. It is quite another to know those very hungry people by name. 
Trying to be a part of the solution. We transmit money to a pastor in Gulu we partner with. His house is on his garden plot so he has been able to weather the storm thus far.  He then purchases dried beans and rice and distributes them to the community. Our friends and relatives here in the US have been very generous and donated funds to send to Uganda. We have trimmed out any discretionary spending to be able to contribute, too.
Hoping you are able to help buy food, too. Here is your chance to help make a real difference and provide food to those in urgent need.

If you would like to help our ministry with a one time or monthly monetary gift, click here. All donations are tax deductible.

Donations at Work:

It was so exciting to see the photos from one of the recent food distributions. Here are just a few of those pictures.

Add caption

No Money, No Food

Note sent to us by our friend, Pam.

I am continuously reminded of the generosity of our friends and supporters. Sometimes it is in response to a direct appeal for funds, as in the recent face-mask fundraiser. Other times it is an unsolicited response to something that touches them. Here is one recent example of the latter.

We are in frequent contact via texts and emails with friends in Uganda. One is Patrick, a young pastor who looks up to us as his parents. Contrary to habits, he had not responded to our texts for a number of days and we were worried. When he finally texted us, he apologized and said he had been ill. His symptoms included headaches and dizziness. 

We found out he had not eaten. He had no food. He had no money.

It turns out he had used all of his money to buy food, which he then gave away to others who had none. I gave Patrick the motherly “you need to take care of yourself or you won’t be able to help others” talk. 

One of my long-time friends (we’ve known each other since high school, and that’s a long time) Pam Ballen, asked me if I had heard anything about how things were going in Uganda.  I told her about Patrick sharing everything he had. “If you really want to know….. It’s an extremely difficult time. As a result of the lockdown, curfew, and limited transportation, food is scarce. And people don’t have money to buy the food that is available.”

A few days later a note came in the mail with a large check. The note: "Can't send food - which we have a lot of- so will send money! Hope this helps." 

The memo line of the check: Food for Uganda. 

Generosity exemplified. Pam.

💖Give Now💖

Thanks for the donation of $6300!

A total of just over $6,300.00 was donated to us during the face mask fundraiser. Our goal was $6000. The extra funds raised have been sent back to Uganda to help people purchase food during this critical time. Right now the country is on lockdown and many of the Ugandans involved in our mission activities are in dire need of food.

-Blog Post Rumination:
 "...exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think or imagine..." (Ephesians 3:20) That about sums up what happened when we decided to try selling face masks to pay off some of the cost of our plane tickets home. We never even thought that people would donate so much. We were surprised when we surpassed our goal, but I don't know why; God is a big God who loves to take care of His children. 

The Blog Post:
We just completed our "Uganda Be Kidding Me" face mask fundraiser. Our plane tickets to fly home were $3000 each (one way) for a total of $6000. Uganda Be Kidding Me! A typical one-way flight is normally in the range $600 to $800. The $6000 was an expense we had not anticipated, but COVID-19 happened and it was imperative that we fly home. 

Uganda be kidding me! After 3 days so many face masks had been ordered that we stopped taking orders for fear we wouldn't be able to fulfil them.

The next 2 1/2 weeks we did nothing but sew, package, mail, and deliver face masks. Over 270 were made! Praise God for the help of members of the Raincross Quilt Guild and friends who stepped in to share their time and talents. Yvonne would still be sewing, probably until the 4th of July, without their generous volunteering!

Uganda be kidding me! Many many people paid more than the recommended amount for the masks. Such generosity touched us.

Uganda be kidding me! People donated without even ordering masks just because they wanted to help us. What generous people we know!

Uganda be kidding me! As of today, the total raised is just over $6,300.00, exceeding our need of $6000.  The extra funds have been sent back to Uganda to help people purchase food during this critical time. Right now the country is on lockdown and many of the Ugandans involved in our mission activities are in dire need of food.  And donations keep trickling in. We never dreamed that we would raise enough from this fundraiser to completely pay for our tickets home. God is good. People are good.

Uganda be kidding me! Yes, I was surprised by the total dollar amount people donated. But, no, I am not surprised by the extent of the outpouring of love that was shown to us. It is very humbling. We have the best people in our lives.

Thank you for donating, ordering, volunteering, and encouraging us. We are so touched by the generosity of everyone. We feel cared for and loved.

Thank you!

Completed Masks

Jeff keeping track of orders.

 More Completed masks

Parts of the masks ready to sew.

Ready to package.

Packed and ready to be picked up.

Uganda Be Kidding Me!

They charged you HOW much for 2 one-way airline tickets from Uganda? $6,000? Uganda Be Kidding Me! Face Mask Fundraiser Although missing our Ugandan friends who became like family, we are very blessed to be back in Riverside during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was quite a memorable time getting everything in place before we were finally allowed to leave Uganda. If you haven’t read about it, check out our blog at: Weinsteins2Uganda.blogspot.com We were fortunate to be on the last flight out of the country which was arranged by the Embassy. It was a commercial flight. Unfortunately, the one-way tickets cost nearly $3,000 each for a total of $6,000. Usually round-trip tickets cost anywhere from $1,400 to $1,900. This $6,000 is an expense that is not a part of our budget. In addition, we are maintaining our home in Gulu and paying staff until we return. We have been making face masks of Ugandan fabric and giving them away.  A friend suggested instead of giving masks away, we use them as a way to raise support for funds to cover the cost of the tickets. After prayer and careful consideration, that is what we are doing and would ask that you please support us in this way. We realize there are a lot of people who need financial assistance at this time. This makes us especially appreciative of anyone who is willing to come alongside us and support this effort. Thank you.  Questions and Answers Q1. How much do the masks cost? A1. The suggested donation is $8.00 per mask. A friend pointed out that Yvonne will need to make 750 masks to raise the entire $6,000. We are up for the challenge, but would also appreciate other suggestions on ways to fundraise. People have been so generous to us, and we feel strongly that we must put in personal efforts to raise funds. Q2. May I donate for more than one mask? A2. Sure. There is no limit to the number of masks that you can have. Q3. The masks are amazing and I would like to donate more than the $8.00 suggested for the mask I am going to receive. Is this possible? A3. Yes, that would be wonderful!  Q4. I really do not want a mask, but would like to make a contribution. Is this possible? A4. That would be such a blessing! Q5. With this pandemic our finances are not where we would like them to be. I love the masks and would like to show you that I support your mission. A5. We would love to send you a face mask so that you will remember to pray for us. A donation of $8 was only a suggested amount. If you find that you are not able to donate at this time, just email Jeff with your request and we will make it happen. Here are the details on ordering the masks and contributing money toward the tickets. Step 1: Review the choices of fabric on the order form: https://forms.gle/ZrDeck3gn5nmPRs98  Step 2:  a) Send Jeff an email at: Jeff.trailman@gmail.com telling him which fabric and number of masks you would like; or  b) Complete the order form by clicking here: https://forms.gle/ZrDeck3gn5nmPRs98 To make a donation: If you would like a receipt for taxes, make your contribution though our sending organization, Harvest Alliance, at this link: https://tinyurl.com/jeff-yvonne  If you do not wish to have a receipt, please use Yvonne’s PayPal account: mrsweinstein@fastmail.fm Use the “send to friends and family” option. Thank you for your love, prayers, and financial support. This has been quite a journey, and would not have been possible without your participation on our Weinsteins2Uganda team. People are making many types of face masks. The type we make is shown above.