It's not just a shoe drive

God has been so gracious to me in my life and I don't ever want to take any thing lightly or for granted the opportunities he provides or brings my way. Like many of you must be knowing already,I started a children's ministry in uganda over seven years ago, to primarily instill godly values and discipline into children in my village and also as a way to spread the word and love of Jesus in action to children at a young age just like I was privileged to know him earlier in my childhood.
Along the way through many lows God has brought us to a place where we now run our own school offering free academic education and a good biblical foundation which we believe will impact their lives in a very special way and also change their surroundings. One thing however has touched my heart so deeply that I felt the need to share my testimony on the great 'asset' called shoes!! As far as I can remember in my life growing up in Uganda is that I never owned more than one pair of shoes, and the one pair I owned took me to school, church, played soccer with it and went with me everywhere I went.
Now that is for almost the first 15 years of my life , first of all boys shoes for some reason
were always more expensive than girls shoes and growing up with a single mother who had to play all roles including taking care of herself without any external support, I was even very lucky to have a pair of my own, by then actually we used to purchase second hand everything from a big open air market with products that came from Europe and the US and I mean everything to your imagination!! Before the mighty Chinese introduced brand new cheap products to our markets....
Now recently very good friends and partners in the ministry initiated a shoes drive for our children in the village of Kyoga, and the results have been so amazing, it's only a few days ago that I felt so inspired to write this blog to testify of my own story and what shoes mean to me and those poor little children.
One of the most captivating shoe memories I have is when I was a teenager at 15 years and I remember one of my cousins I was staying with had to give me one of her own pair of shoes for me to wear to school, and my cousins were girls for your information!!!
Just imagine having a 15 year old American boy teenager wear girls shoes to school, church, weddings and everyplace... It was so embarrassing but I didn't have any other choice and one thing I used to pray and declare was that if I got money 'one day' I would have a closet full of shoes.. Because I vividly remember that if my shoes weren't torn from the many miles to and from school, the abundance of rain in uganda or the beautiful game of soccer!! Something was eating away my one pair of shoes and oh yes one day they even stole the only pair I had at a school soccer game. I had removed them on that fateful day to use them as goal posts or parameters for the opposing side, by the time we came back from a counter attack on the opposite side my shoes and school shirt were taken and to this day you and I haven't heard of the whereabouts of my black shoes and school uniform, I do however still remember how mad my mom was and the whooping I received that day.
I am not just writing a fun and sad story but a story to thank everyone who has been a part of this successful shoes drive, and also to let you know the impact you are making in a child's life you may probably never meet and most importantly not taking for granted the conveniences we have in this country.
On behalf of the great team and leadership we have at Kuza Africa here in the US and in Uganda thank you so much for being the hands and feet of Jesus.
I now 'own' six decent pairs of shoes and I am content with that number!!!!
With gratitude,
Andrew Paul Kizito
Founder
Kuza Africa
www.kuzaafrica.org

The Best Teacher

John 14:16
'And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever'

Happy New year friends, it's a blessing again to share with you what God impresses on my heart... I really do take this ministry very seriously that's why I always wait to have a new message inspired by God's Spirit.
As we all know this is a brand new year and a time for all of us to reflect on Our lives and how we can better ourselves,
having said that, life is not a simple resolution list, but a work in inevitable progress!
As a father for the first time you get so excited about your new child and you want to be the best dad in their world , the same applies to any new challenge marriage, job, career or anything you are engaged in at this point.
From my point of view and little experience it's very hard to make the best mature decisions while maintaining your excitement and wanting to do the best for the people you love or thing you love
For example getting a new job and getting some good money and you suddenly storm the mall every weekend purchasing
all the things you ever dreamed of or say being a movie fanatic or a party thrower.
Whatever you enjoy doing or aspire to do we all need someone wiser than us to show us the way to do it.
In my case it is being a good father, personally I didn't get to see my father as he died before I could even register memories of him, so having no figure to physically learn from, I was so unprepared and unsure of how to handle my new responsibilities.
Now, this being a new year I know some of you might be graduating from college, some getting married, some starting a new business or whatever it is you are starting on this new year or maybe you want to have another chance at the things you have been unsuccessful at, I want to remind you that we all have the best teacher available upon request !!
The Holy Spirit is our guide in all things not only on Sunday or when you are in trouble but even when you are stuck on the highway and you need wisdom on how to change your tire!!
I tell you I have found myself in situations that were so difficult to navigate out of and it did take God himself through the Holy Spirit to get me out of there!!!
The Scriptures say that he will guide and teach us in all things, my friends don't allow yourself to succumb to failure, regret and defeat, we have a way out of these things that bother us terribly, the Holy Spirit of God will help you, Jesus calls him the helper, that is one of his main roles... So please don't carry all the problems of the world on your head.
You have help ready for you as you begin this year strongly, remember he will never leave you nor forsake you, but you need to ask, the scriptures also say that he is our ever present help in times of trouble so call upon him today and explain your limitations like you would to a friend .
I may not be the most perfect father or husband in the world but I tell you this my friend that whenever I am faced with situation that requires me to act immediately and I can't reach for google!!!
The Holy Spirit is always present and he always provides the solution or idea that I need at that point to make it through, take advantage of him today.
God bless you and keep you in his love
Let me know how this blog is blessing you.
Go out and overcome all your challenges today in Jesus name.
Blessings
Andrew Paul Kizito
www.greaterriverchurch.org

What Christmas means to me

Dear friends I am glad to finally be back with our blog, the best news is that I can now do this on my phone at my convenience without sitting down at a stationed computer. I just found out about the app for blogger this morning and as God provides time, I will be writing more regularly and keeping you updated on the ministry here at Greater River.
Now we all know it's Christmas time and everybody is running crazy about gifts and
dinners and these beautiful things but it is very important for us not to forget what Christmas or the birth of Christ is all about and what does it really mean to us especially now in the year 2012.
Please thoughtfully read this message and may the Lord speak and minister to you.
Isaiah 9:6
1- For unto us a child is born... One of the greatest joys is to welcome a child, God has given us the opportunity to welcome a child in our midst, it is a blessing, therefore we have a reason to rejoice!!!

Unto us a child is born!!!
That means joy, happiness, smiles and merry in the place of our sadness, grief and misery, there is a child in our midst therefore lets rejoice and be glad.
-2
Unto us a son is given.. Not to Jews alone or a chosen few but to all of us unto us all of God's people a son is given, he is a gift Freely given, therefore it's our responsibility and choice to receive him in our lives.
-3
His name will be called wonderful:
He is full of wonders and great things, miracles, blessings, gifts, abilities and so much from God he wants us to see and enjoy!!
Taste and see that The Lord is good!!

4-
Counsellor..
He says in his word that come and let us reason together, though your sins are as red as scarlet they shall be made as white as snow.
He is a friend he wants to have a relationship with you and me, a one on one relationship not just a Sunday or group affair.. He wants to comfort and listen to you and speak words of wisdom and counsel to you.

5-
Mighty God
What a blessing to serve a mighty God who is able to defeat all the challenges In our lives, he is stronger and mightier than the situations In your life. All you need to do is ask him, call upon him in the day of trouble and he will answer you and show you great and mighty things that you have not known.
6-
Everlasting father
He is the father to the fatherless, many of us either didn't have a chance to have a father or lost them, but I tell you my friends he is an everlasting father, he never kicks us out of his house because we are older than 18!!! we are always his children.

Let us take advantage of this love and just enjoy the love of our father!!! He is waiting with hands open wide to love on us...

7-
Prince of peace
You and I can agree that there is apparently no peace in our world, in our nation, schools, work places,even In our homes and bedrooms!!!
Thank God he is not only giving us peace, but he is the prince of peace... He wants to give you peace today, he is here to calm the storms in your life, when the fires are raging he wants to be your peace, when the bills are over due he wants to give you peace, when there is no food on your table, he wants to be your peace.Whatever the circumstance might be, he is able to give you peace because he is the prince of peace.
So dear friends as we celebrate this festive Christmas season let us reflect and
Remember that this gift God has freely given is for us, for you and me. It doesn't matter what you didn't receive for Christmas just be content that you have the greatest priceless gift of all, The Lord Jesus Christ, give him 100% access into your life and see the difference he will do in your life, he will turn it all around for the good, Again taste and see that The Lord is good!!

Enjoy this season and New Year's celebrations responsibly and we will see you on the other side of 2013!!

Blessings,
Andrew Paul Kizito
www.greaterriverchurch.org

LAST MISSION TRIP UPDATE

                     LAST MISSION TRIP UPDATE

   Dear friends it’s been a very short  9 days in Uganda and I am happy with all the progress we were able to achieve, thanks to the support of you my family in the U.S and here in Uganda, I could have never managed all this by myself.

    For those who have been following my blogs, on Saturday we had our last day on the ground with the children we minister to, the ministry board suggested that we plan an early Christmas party and also get a chance to give away the rest of the care packages I brought with me from the U.S., it went very well.

Before the celebrations I was able to visit with some of the teens who had gone astray and just talked to them to revive their spirit and hopes that had disappeared.

   

 It’s so amazing how a good thirty minutes of one on one ministry can make a huge impact and bring visible results. that was always my vision to offer direction, encouragement and hope, so I bless God so greatly that he has allowed us to see the fruits of this ministry.

   Also just seeing how the then kids now teenage moms, and younger adults who didn’t want to get involved are now personally coming and you can see through their eyes, a cry please we need more of this!!.. So keep us in prayer that we can wisely use this opportunity to be fully effective as God would want us to.

      

     Our volunteer instructors led the children in games and songs and quizzes for prizes, the kids enjoyed this a lot and so did the adults who were present.

     We prepared a big ceremonial meal of pilaf rice and beef and each child had their own bottle of soda a Fanta orange and Mirinda fruity.. Kids for some reason just love these two brands, so it was just amazing to see them enjoying that.. Sodas go for 1000 shillings each, which is about 60cents U.S money.. But it is so expensive for families here..

 Actually they only drink sodas at weddings, parties and maybe when they perform well at the end of a school year.. That was a great sight to see and just let the kids be kids.

    After the meal we had more requests for sponsorship from parents and we made more sponsorship packets, so hopefully we can get each of them a sponsor to get them through school even as our building facility starts to materialize.

   We gave out more packages to those who had not come earlier in the week and at around 6pm we had to literary chase the kids away to go home as they didn’t want to move an inch! as they were opening their packages and showing each other what they had received.

       As we made our way to the car to leave, some of the kids came with letters to their American friends who had sent the gifts.. This is amazing because I didn’t tell anyone to do that, they actually also made banana fiber dolls and handmade toys to send to American children!!

      All in all it was a great experience, though very short and fast not what I expected ,I didn’t get a chance to see most of my relatives and friends but it was just as great to do the work of the master,

Now I look forward to meeting my family back in Colorado. I will keep you updated on how everything goes.

Thanks for your prayers and support, God bless and I will talk to you later.

        

                                IMMEDIATE PRAYER REQUESTS

*THERE IS A HUGE NEED FOR CLEAN WATER ON THE LAND WE ARE BUILDING

-we pray for provision to drill water from the ground,clean water is half a mile away,making the building process slow, as well cooking and cleaning, the children carry the water in 20 litre jerrycans over their heads.

*THERE IS A FINANCIAL NEED TO COMPLETE THE WALLS, ROOF,AND FURNISH DESKS AND TABLES FOR THE CLASSES BEFORE SCHOOLS OPEN IN FEBRAURY 2013

*  WE NEED WISDOM TO HIRE GOD FEARING TEACHERS AND INSTRUCTORS WHO WILL RUN WITH OUR VISION OF .. 'RAISING UP GOD FEARING, MORALLY UPRIGHT AND SELF SUSTAINING CITIZENS'

* WE NEED A REGULAR FINANCIAL FLOW TO SUSTAIN THE MINISTRY

-We talked about starting a small scale bakery that can provide bread, cakes, doughnuts and other comfectionary needs

- This will engage the young people in our ministry and also provide skills and some source of income

- An Estimate of  $ 2000 Is enough to start this bakery project.

 * QUATERLY OR MONTHLY SPONSORSHIP FOR CHILDREN

- This will enable children in our ministry in uganda access high quality christian education, meet basic needs and also facilittate teachers school workers and volunteers.

PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER GIVING A TAX DEDUCTIBLE GIFT TODAY:

YOU CAN SEND YOUR CHECK TO 

2340 S TROY ST AURORA COLORADO 80014

OR GIVE ONLINE ON OUR WEBSITE

www.greaterriverchurch.org

 

IT'S A WRAP!!

SATURDAY 8 2012

Greetings dear friends and loved ones.. My trip to Uganda is coming to an end today. I bless God for all the great things he has done and the ability to get most of things I had in plan done.

 I thank you for all the prayers and the support in all ways.

Today Saturday we are wrapping up the activities for my stay but the ministry will continue, by the grace of God we have a fully functioning board of directors working tirelessly and for free to make sure everything  goes well.

   On the plate today is another give way of care packages I brought from our church New Life Community Church, I was given three boxes of toothbrushes, toothpaste, booklets, pens and pencils and more all in a single package for each child, I wish you could be here to see the kids buried in excitement as each one for the very first time in their lives would own a real toothbrush and use toothpaste to clean their teeth, as opposed to using little dirty sticks and ash or to keep their teeth clean daily.

    Now just a few days ago, when we gave away the kids care packages we had two full grown fathers who came and they wanted a package for themselves thankfully we had more than enough. But it’s interesting because African men don’t get involved in things like this.. let alone got to do with little kids and teenagers in God related activities.  So we thank God for that, actually one of the men came to me, shook my hand and thanked me. Can you imagine this small package preached the great message of the love of Christ to men who would have never made it to church and all the glory goes back to God.

    We shall also have a big meal and drinks for the kids from the whole village, we pray we cook enough food to feed all of the them.

    We shall also prepare sponsorship packets today, because some of the parents or guardians I have talked to, say they want their kids to go to school, they just cannot afford it. So we pray that we can secure sponsorship for the children through you our partners and well-wishers.

  

    Alright I have got to run and get to work and later pack for my journey back home to the U.S tomorrow night.

  Keep us in prayers and will talk to you again very soon,

Andrew Paul Kizito

www.greaterriverchurch.org

    

UGANDA MISSION UPDATES (12-6-12)

Friends,
                blessings and greetings from Uganda. Thank you for all the prayers and support.
The last two days have been crazy busy and I didn’t get the chance to write, but we praise God for good health , safety and work is going well am trying to get as much as I can get done before heading home to the U.S on Sunday.
       Sunday I was able to get a rental car for easy access to and from the village, that's a blessing!! However I just realized I didn't know how to drive until this week!! The way people drive here is worse than New York City. So my 'good' driving from the U.S is earning me very Loud Honks and the rest that comes with that!!
    I visited my former home church on Sunday and got a very warm welcome and they even had me share my testimony and experience in the U.S and I never felt so humbled to stand before the pastor who helped me get into ministry almost 15 years ago and give a good report of what God is doing in my life.
   Monday we were able to get some legal stuff taken care of as far as the school is concerned, we registered that with the Government here and when the school year opens in February 2013 we will be up and ready to run.
   Tuesday we went through the mapping of the Land again with a local engineer and I gave them the kind of picture I envisioned for the finished structure and they are now designing that and by Friday we shall have all the measurements and full costs of the whole project finalized.
     I was also able to get some video and pictures of the area we are stationed I will send you some hopefully tomorrow.
   Wednesday we started digging the foundation for the classroom blocks for the nursery/kindergarten school and two elementary classrooms as well.
    We figured it will be better to start on something small that will be ready by the beginning of the year even as we wait for provision for the main structure which might take almost six months or more to finish.
   On Wednesday we also met with some of original group of young people we started working with in 2007 and shared how we can be more effective in reaching this community here with the blessing God has given of the school and ministry center.

 Today Thursday we left early to get more supplies to work on the foundation and get the walls up, in order to be ready for the school year beginning February 2013.

   We were able to give away the packages from the children’s ministry at New Life Community Church and the kids were so happy and couldn’t keep their eyes off their packages.

  We had to leave to them in amazement and head on our way to another meeting with the leaders of the children’s ministry.

Time check 5:53 pm

 I will keep you updated, blessings and thank you again for the prayers and support.
Andrew Paul Kizito

www.greaterriverchurch.org

UGANDA MISSIONS UPDATE

Greetings to you dear friends and loved ones, it is a blessing to be able to write to you about the progress here in Uganda, East Africa.

  God has and is still so faithful, those of you who remember I mentioned to you that that we would be travelling to build  a children's ministry and resource center, but all was said in faith with nothing in the bank to show for it!!

   Long story short, God provided and  I am now here, I arrived Friday night 11:00 pm after a number of connections from Denver to Minneapolis, Minneapolis to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Kigali and Kigali to Entebbe Uganda.. A very long flight but I thank God for safety and good health through the whole process.

   I was met at the airport by my mom and some friends and family and we drove straight home to my friend’s house where I am residing in Bukoto a city suburb.

     God is gracious, my friend has internet access in his house which is making it possible for me to stay in touch with my family through Skype, viber and magic jack free calling to any U.S number, now that is a blessing!!!

    So yesterday Saturday I made my first attempt to go to the city I was born and raised in, but I tell you four years can make a whole big difference in a growing country, more people, more cars, less space and lots of changes!! I made it there without any help via public means and was able to see a few people I knew then, which was nice...

   Later on in the day I made my way to the village where they had been waiting impatiently for my return, now this is the village where I used to spend my Christmas holidays and go into the forests to look at monkeys and hunt for wild birds... so to go back to do something that is going to help the community, that is profound and I thank God so much for allowing to use me at such a time like this.

   We had planned on giving away care packages nicely done by the children's ministry at our church , but postponed that to Monday when more kids are notified in the community and also have an opportunity to do evangelism through that, I know with all my heart that this is going to make a big difference in families here.

     Now one of the reasons I felt so led to set the ministry in this area is because not so many people care to go into these isolated communities , most people want to go to cities that are more established which is okay, but I really believe in making an impact in small communities because when people are enlightened, taught and trained in the right way, they obviously love their home towns they will most probably stay and make it better, and the better it becomes the more people are attracted to it, they then start investing, and before you know there is a lot of growth, and in the long run this prevents overcrowding in the bigger cities, you get less crime, because people can find work in their local areas, they then build stable families and instill good values.

    Now we need a lot of prayer and I believe this is God's timing, yesterday as we prayed and dedicated the construction to the lord, in our meeting there was a little girl I could notice from almost 6 years ago from one of our ministry visits, she was carrying a baby , so I asked whose baby it was and she said with a lot of fear, ‘that is my baby’, Now this is the trend in these little villages, families cannot afford to even pay for the subsidized government elementary education, so they keep their girls from school and have them work in fields, their dreams are broken and no hope, so they start having babies, but in my opinion 14 year olds should not be mothers, they still have their own growing up to do!!!

    So I ask for your prayers and support that we can establish the school as soon as possible, even as we build this multi-purpose structure that will house the school, library, ministry auditorium, counseling and guidance center as well as a home for children who have been neglected by these teenage moms who once over burdened by the responsibility they run off to the city and never come back leaving the children to their grandparents.

     Next week Monday we shall start unloading the bricks oven , and start mapping out the foundation , please keep us in prayer, and if you feel led to give any gift to towards this work .. Please go ahead and send that to

GREATER RIVER 2340 S TROY ST AURORA COLORADO 80014

 or go to our website   www.greaterriverchurch.org to place a donation online

 I will talk to you on Monday blessings and love from Uganda

Andrew Paul Kizito

www.greaterriverchurch.org