The Weinsteins Go to Uganda: May 2020

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💖

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!