Happy New Year from Jinja!

Happy New Year from Uganda! We rang in the New Year Uganda style last night! We attended the "overnight" service at Deliverance Church in the village of Kakira. All the churches mobilize together to praise God for the old year...and pray in the new year. It is a time of praise, worship, dance, prayer, & inspiring messages. We started at 8 pm and went all the way until 2:30 am! You would all be very proud of the team for pushing through until the wee hours of the morning. Just before midnight we are praying and singing...the praises being lifted up to God become almost thunderous. Just before midnight we began singing "I Surrender All." It was an experience that I believe the team will not soon forget.
Yesterday afternoon I spent furniture shopping with Godfrey & Shadrack. We were in need of buying new couches, dining room table & coffee table for the house. I discovered upon arrival that we were in need of replacing furniture in the main house. Because of the generous donations of people who supported this trip, we were able to purchase those items.
When I went with Godfrey & Shadrack to deliver the furniture to the home...I was finally able to see some of our children at Living Hope! It is so good to be back home with my family here at the home! Today I will take the rest of the team to the home where we will spend the New Year together. They are anxious to meet our children!
Prayer points:
1) Pray the team will be well rested after having experienced their first "overnight"
2) Pray for us today as we minister to our children at Living Hope Children's Home
3) Pray for the funds that we need to continue furnishing the house. We are in need of buying a refrigerator, curtains, rugs, beds, and various kitchen supplies.
4) Pray for the individual team members that they would continue to empty themselves so God can use them in powerful ways. God is working in the midst of the team in powerful ways.

Thank you for praying for the meeting I had yesterday concerning the home. Continue to pray for me as I work with individuals here at the home & church.

We all wish you and your families a very Happy New Year! May this be a year that brings glory and honor to our God! I pray that you experience the peace that passes all understanding & this causes you to draw even closer to Him!

Kare!
eydie

Happy New Year's Eve from Jinja!

Happy New Year's eve from Jinja, Uganda! We arrived in Entebbe yesterday afternoon. Our flight from Dubai was another great flight. It was good to step foot onto Ugandan soil once again! We prayed as we waited for our bags...as we had 13 pieces of checked luggage. They all came pretty quickly....until we got down to the last 2. But God is good...all arrived safely with us! We were greeted by Shadrack, Godfrey & Chris! We received a very warm Ugandan welcome. The 2 hour plus drive to Jinja was filled with new experiences for the team. They were able to take in the sights of the land...to see the lush green pastures...and to experience the traffic driving through Kampala! We made the traditional stop to get "chicken on a stick" and "roasted bananas!" They are now all officially welcomed to Uganda! We unpacked all of our bags...then the team went off to their rooms for a needed night of rest! Today, most of the team came to have breakfast together...then morning devotion time with the staff. It is great to start the day praising God in worship, His Word, testimonies and prayer. Today we spent time each sharing about something God has shown us in the past year as we get ready to pray in the New Year!
Prayer points for us today:
1) Pray for the team that they are well rested. Exept for Makaila & I, this is the first time for the other team members to be in the Ugandan culture. Pray for them as they adjust to this new culture.
2) Pray for us today as we are getting settled in with our plans for the trip. We will be working on our program for the children & young teenagers. Pray for wisdom & guidance & flexibility.
3) Pray for the team and the families that they have left at home. We are all praying for you!
4) Pray for our 24 hour prayer chain.
5) Pray for me as I have a meeting today at 11 am today (Dec. 31) which would be 12 midnight your time (Dec. 31). I am meeting with some of the staff concerning some of the needs at the home.

I also ask that you pray for Dove Christian Ministries in Oxnard. I was there the Sunday before I left (Dec. 27). I would like for us to be in prayer for the congregation there as well. Pray that God be glorified.

We will update this blog daily as we have the time available. We appreciate your prayers of support.

May God bless you as you celebrate the passing of the old year and the new hope that a New Year brings!

Kare! (bye)
eydie!

Raining Hope Missions Trip Update #1

We are now on our way to Uganda! We left yesterday, December 28th from Los Angeles International Airport. God has been answering our prayers! We had heard that there would be extra security at the airport...so we asked that God would make the path clear! We made it through checkin and all security checks with great timing! God definitely went before us! Amazing to see the hand of God work today. We also had one extra bag with supplies for the kids that we would have had to pay the $175 excess baggage charge. Our ticket agent said that he would let it go on for free! Brandi & Kurt had to pay an extra $100 for their 2 bags that were heavier than the allotted limit. But because they went to another counter to pay...that agent informed us that if we wanted we could have vouchers for 4 hotel rooms at a nearby hotel in Dubai. That is where we are now...at a hotel run by Emirates. Four rooms, dinner,snack & breakfast vouchers! It was better than staying at the airport for 11 hours! It has also given the team an opportunity to regroup and prepare for our entry into Uganda. We leave the hotel at 6:30 am for the airport for our 8:25 am flight. Our flight from LAX to Dubai was EXCELLENT! We had such a smooth flight. Because I was wearing my CBU sweatshirt...and Makaila as well...another CBU alumni (just graduated this May) stopped to talk to us! He was on the same flight. I was able to get to the computer here at the hotel to send this post. The next one will be from our hotel in Jinja! This one was a challenge...the blog's heading was all in arabic! That was a first...and a challenge to find the right tabs to push to post this! Please continue to be in prayer as we continue our flight in the morning. All is well...God is good...all the time! If you would like more detailed updates to the trip...please send me an email to signinghands49@sbcglobal.net I am sending out full updates every few days as emails. I will try and post to this blog daily as time allows. Thank you for your prayers!

Christmas Fundraiser

Raining Hope Christmas Fundraiser
Saturday, December 19, 2009
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Miskel Home
8823 Denver Street – Ventura, CA 93004
805-340-7612

Home made tamales (First come, first serve!)
Baked Goods
Homemade Gifts

Stop by for a cup of cider, visit with friends, and make a donation to the children of Living Hope Children’s Home for Christmas!

24 Hour 'Round the Clock Prayer Team

24 Hour ‘Round the Clock Prayer Team

In our meeting times on Wednesday with the Uganda Team...we have been using a Bible study used by the International Mission Board on Impacting Your World. One area that we emphasized was on prayer. Here is an portion from the book... "No church would send out a volunteer team without praying for its members. No believers would dare go to a foreign country and think they could make a difference without praying that God would use them and empower their witness with His Holy Spirit. But prayer is a way the entire church, not just those who go, can be involved in a mission partnership.

The entire congregation should play a role in seeking God's will for overseas involvement. Church members should pray not only for those who go on mission teams - for health, safety and effectiveness - but also for the places the teams go and the people to whom they witness and minister. Continuing prayer for missionaries and local believers will expand the effectiveness of the team's ministry long after the team has returned home."

"The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful" James 5:16

THIS IS HOW YOU CAN BE INVOLVED IN A VERY POWERFUL WAY...

We are in the process of establishing a 'Round The Clock Prayer Team for our upcoming Uganda trip.

If you would like to commit to praying for one hour a day for 1 week, or both weeks, we would be grateful. (Trip is December 28-January 11)

There are 15 spots already committed to. We are in need of at least 9 more people to sign up to fill the additional time slots. Simply email carol@caroljohn.com to sign up today!

Memorial Fund

Raining Hope Memorial Fund
Helga Miskel (May 3, 1951-April 27, 2009)
Mariel Miskel (Dec.15, 1936-Sept. 29, 2009)

This Christmas, I pray you will think about giving a different kind of gift that can make a difference in the life of the children of Uganda.

This year our family experienced the loss of my sister-in-law, Helga & my mother-in-law, Mariel. Both of these great women influenced the lives of those around them. In an effort to honor their lives, we have established the Raining Hope Memorial Fund.

If you would like to make a donation in memory of a loved one, it will help to bring HOPE to the children of Living Hope Children’s Home in Uganda. We will send a special Christmas card to the family of the honoree letting them know you made a donation in his or her name. You will be able to add a personal note that we will include with the Christmas card. You can also make a donation in honor of one of your friends or a family member. We will send a Christmas card to them as well to let them know your donation was made in their name. This is a different kind of gift but one is very compassionate & meaningful.

Help us make this a Christmas to remember.

If you would like to make a donation to the Memorial Fund, please contact eydie at eydie@raininghope.org
May God bless you with His abundant peace this Christmas!

Week of Prayer - Sunday Requests

Sunday, November 22, 2009 – Pray for the officers of Raining Hope
This work requires a large team of people whose hearts have been touched and changed by Jesus in ways that move them to action. You can visit our website: http://www.raininghope.org/ to read the full testimonies of our officers:

Eydie Miskel – Executive Director
Eydie’s first trip to Uganda was December 2006/January 2007. Since then, Living Hope Children’s Home in Uganda was established by Psalms Ten that currently provides for the needs of 76 children! She resigned from her church administrator job at her church of 13 years to serve voluntarily with Devo Marshall, founder of Psalms Ten to meet the needs of the children. Eydie travels back and forth 2-3 times a year to Uganda from her home in Ventura, California where she lives with her husband, Michael & daughters Kiana & Heather, to her family in Uganda!
Pray for Eydie as she takes on the responsibility of running the non-profit organization of Raining Hope.
The story of Eydie’s call and of her subsequent work for the children of Africa is inspiring and encouraging. She has said that “the people there taught me how to live, breathe and walk in the power of the Holy Spirit.” Those that have heard Eydie’s story have listened in wonder at the greatness, goodness and power of God to transform His children and love the world.
Devo Marshall – Board Member
Devo is the founder of Psalms 10 & the Living Hope Children’s Home. He started this organization because of the overwhelming burden God placed on his heart for these children. He has been an incredible example of what it means to be a faithful and obedient servant to the call of Christ. Pray for Devo as God has called him to focus on a stateside ministry. Pray that God would continue to narrow the vision He has placed on his heart as we seek to serve the young people of this community.
“As I began experiencing some hardships in my own life, Eydie really stepped up. Over the last couple of years, she has assumed more and more of the responsibilities of the day to day operations of Psalms Ten. Through a lot of prayer and seeking the Lord, it has been made completely evident to both of us that she has been tagged to assume this ministry. I cannot say that it is easy to pass this ministry off. It has been a big part of my life for the last few years. I can say that there is no one that I would rather see in charge, because I know that Eydie will remain completely reliant on the Lord for direction. I am honored that Eydie has asked me to be a member of the board of Raining Hope and to be a part of the continued growth of this ministry. I continue to hold the children of Uganda in my heart. I am still in love with the idea of helping bring change into their lives which will one day begin to morph Uganda into the country that it has the potential to be.
Micah Marshall is Devo & Chelsea’s 14 month old son and living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. SMA is the #1 genetic killer of young children. It is a motor neuron disease that eventually impacts every muscle in the body hindering the ability to walk, sit, stand, eat and swallow. Most do not make it past the age of 2 years old. But there is hope for a cure. Help us fight for the cure! Check out this website that will give you updated information on SMA. Sign the petition to help bring an end to SMA! http://www.gwendolynstrong.com/
Carol John - Treasurer
“When I was in high school my great aunt traveled to Kenya and returned full of stories which fascinated me. That same year the movie The Singing Nun came out which ends with missionaries in Africa joyfully giving healthcare to multitudes of children. I was hooked. I would be a medical missionary to Africa when I grew up. 40 years later my dreams would be fulfilled in a different way as I was called to help my friend Eydie go to Africa as a missionary; and now to continue that help with Raining Hope as the treasurer and regular encourager. I’m grateful to be a part of such a team at Raining Hope.”
Sylvia Hernandez – Secretary
“God daily reveals to us the need to go out and spread the good news. He wants us to share with those that are less fortunate and to give the reason we have hope. God has great and wonderful things to come! Through my friend and sister in Christ, I have been blessed to be a part of the vision for Africa and am honored to be a team member of Raining Hope as Secretary.”
Joanna Pickett – Webmaster & Designer & Grace Gefke - Photographer
Joanna & Grace traveled to Uganda with Eydie on an International Service Project with California Baptist University in May of 2009. The children and people of Uganda touched their hearts in a way that caused them to want to do more. Joanna created not only our “Raining Hope” logo but our new website as well! Grace is a very gifted photographer. She captures the life of the people of Uganda in a dramatic & powerful way. Despite the distance between Riverside & Ventura, these two CBU students are an important part of the Raining Hope team.

We desire to show the children authentic, Christian love that originates from a very loving God. Your prayers make a difference. Please keep us in your prayers for provision, safety, wisdom, strength, peace, and for the spiritual anointing that is needed for the work that we do.

Week of Prayer - Saturday Requests

Saturday, November 21, 2009 - Finances
Partner together with Raining Hope Incorporated to rain down hope to the children of Uganda. You can join us in specific prayer that God would provide the funds in the following areas:
Become a Regular Contributor: Donations that are not designated towards a particular project are used for the daily operations of the home. This includes food, supplies, utility bills, compensation for the staff of Living Hope, maintenance, or whatever else may be necessary. Currently it costs us close to $2,700 a month to operate the home separate from school fees.
Designated Gifts: If the Lord leads you to assist in a particular project, you may designate your gift to help towards a particular need.
Office Rent – Our stateside ministry is located at Poinsettia Pavilion in Ventura. We have had individuals assist in the monthly rent. The Pavilion rents specifically to non-profit organizations which keeps the cost low. Assistance in this area and utilities will help us tremendously.

Administrative Costs – supplies for communication/publicity etc.
Everyone involved in developing this ministry is doing so voluntarily. There are no salaries for the stateside staff. Eydie has to raise her own funds to travel to Uganda each trip.
Every gift will help us move towards accomplishing this goal. Your donation and regular giving partners together with us to provide hope for their future.

Week of Prayer - Friday Request

Friday, November 20, 2009 – Brandi & Kurt Hennigan
We have been praying for 2 ½ years that God would touch the heart of a couple that would be willing to go to Uganda and live on the field at our children’s home. God answered that prayer by sending us Brandi & Kurt Hennigan! They will be traveling to Uganda with us in December and staying at Living Hope for 6 months! Praise the Lord! As we have renewed our vision, we have also gone through organizational changes. They will be on site to provide training & encouragement for our workers. They will bring a sense of stability & organization to the existing program. Pray for them as Kurt completes his service in the military in December. Brandi has already quit her job to prepare for this trip. Pray for this couple and all the details involved in stepping out in faith!
“For years now I've felt that God has a plan for me to do something with my life that may not fit into what our society considers "normal". I've never felt that working my Monday-Friday job with church on Sunday was going to be enough to fill the call that God has placed on my heart. I knew that I should be doing more. Over the past two years I've felt a distinct call to go to Africa. I wasn't sure why or where but I was sure that God would show me if I was willing to go. When I shared with my husband that I felt led to go he wholly supported the idea. We began to pray for direction with willing hearts. That was only a few short months ago. God has answered our prayers and opened so many doors for us to go to Uganda. He has called each and every one of us to share his love and the story of the Gospels. We feel so blessed to have the opportunity to do that in Uganda. We are going with open hearts knowing that God has led us there for a reason and we have faith that he will show us at every step of the way what that reason is” (Brandi Hennigan)
Pray that Brandi & Kurt as they build relationship with the people of Uganda that they will be open and receptive to the message of hope they bring in the name of Jesus.

Week of Prayer - Thursdays Request

Thursday, November 19, 2009 – Uganda Mission’s Team
Pray for the current missions team that is preparing to go to Uganda, December 28, 2009-January 11, 2010. Pray that in the preparatory period, the team would prepare their mind, body, soul and spirit to go on mission with God. Pray that the individual team members saturate themselves in the Word, in prayer, in worship & His love. The Ventura group meets on Wednesdays from 11:30 pm-1:30 pm each week for discipleship & prayer. Pray for unity within the team. Pray that they will impact their world for Jesus and deepen their relationship with Him.
Katie Andrews (Ojai Valley Baptist Church)
Amber Beliveau (Reality Ventura)
Grace Gefke (California Baptist University)
Kurt & Brandi Hennigan (Conejo Church)
Makaila Mobley (California Baptist University)
Joanna Pickett (California Baptist University)
Tiffany Rudd (Reality Ventura)
Kendra Saunders
Connie Weiss (Conejo Church)
Eydie Miskel (Conejo Church)

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 – Sponsor our children
Please pray for our sponsorship program. When you become a Monthly Sponsor you give a set amount each month to help one of our children. These funds will cover the costs associated with the children’s school fees & supplies. The monthly contribution is $30 a month per child. If sponsors can commit to a higher amount each month, they are welcome to do so. (For the younger children, $30 a month will cover their direct costs each month. The older kids who are in senior level schooling, require close to $120 a month.) Currently only 30 of our children have regular sponsors. Pray that each one of our children will be sponsored. They love to have a friend in the United States who they can write to and pray for.

Week of Prayer - Tuesday Request

Tuesday, November 17, 2009 – Living Hope Facility
We have been leasing the current property for the past 2 years. Our lease is up at the end of this year. Please pray for guidance as we believe God is moving us on from this site. We are currently seeking other sites that would better meet our needs. The current property needs a lot of repair work. Pray that God will lead us to the property that He has already chosen for us. Pray that we will be drawn to landlords who are Christians. When Ugandans discover westerners are involved in providing funds, we can be taken advantaged of for more money. We pray that we find the facility that will bring a renewed sense of hope to the children.

Week of Prayer for Raining Hope

Monday, November 16, 2009 – The Staff of Living Hope Children’s Home

Please pray for the adults we have that serve as our staff onsite at Living Hope. They have endured much hardship this past year in the midst of our financial crisis. Yet they continue to remain “Strong & courageous!” (Joshua 1:9)
Shadrack Kabaale – Acting manager of the home.
Annette –Houseparent & cook. She also is the music director at Cornerstone Baptist Church.
Juliet – Houseparent & acting secretary
Fida – Houseparent & cook
Solomon Sebanakitta – (student at University in Kampala. Working with us to minister to our older youth in boarding school)
Godfrey Ojambo – Advisor & dear friend to Living Hope. Works with the youth of Cornerstone.

Pray for Pastor Paul Muwangala – Pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church.

Week of Prayer for Raining Hope!

Prayer is the solid foundation of everything we do at Raining Hope. Thank you for participating with us this week in our first annual “Week of Prayer for Raining Hope," November 15-22, 2009. First and foremost, we ask you to PRAY diligently for God to be glorified and made widely known through the work of Raining Hope.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7

Sunday, November 15, 2009 – The Children of Living Hope Children’s Home
Raining Hope, Incorporated exists to raise and distribute funds in order to provide food, clothing, shelter, healthcare and education for children & families in need in Uganda and around the world. Pray for Living Hope Children’s Home that currently cares for 76 children & youth. As the children are raised in a Christian family environment, our prayer is that they experience the love of God on a continual basis. We pray they learn how to interact in a family atmosphere, and understand the foundational values of a life-long relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ.
Our long term goal is to provide avenues and training that will enable our children of Living Hope to become self-sustainable. Please pray for us in this development stage of our new vision. We desire to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in this new process.

Fundraiser Success!

This past weekend we had multiple fundraisers going on! Carol John hosted a yard sale to help with my airline ticket for our trip in December. It went extremely well! Thanks to everyone who donated such great items for the event! Three of the girls on our team (Amber, Tiffany & Kendra) had their second yard sale on the same day...and the reports were theirs went well too!

Down in Riverside, Joanna, Grace & Makaila had a benefit concert and art show to raise money for Raining Hope, Inc. This is what they reported: "The night was a success to say the least. Musical artists consisted of the amazing Lindsey Weston (remember this name cause this 17 year old is gonna be famous one day!) Evan Foat, who shared the wonderful heart felt songs he wrote, Chris Bennet, (one amazing banjo and accordion player) and the band Kaden, who not only were some of the nicest guys but they sang and said such encouraging, motivating words. We were so thankful everyone could be apart of the night. We raffled off Jedidiah merchandise, sold some yummy baked goods, as well as the bracelets and headbands we have been busy making. A HUGE thank you to Jedidiah Clothing Co. for donating the merch for our benefit! You guys rock!!"

We have a couple more events coming up to continue to raise funds for the trip! They will be posted soon.

November 15-22 is "Week of Prayer for Raining Hope!" We will have specific prayer requests each day. We encourage you to join us in this important week of lifting the ministry to our God!
Prayer requests will be posted starting on Sunday!

Faith Baptist Church

Today I spoke at Faith Baptist Church in Santa Barbara! What a blessing it was to be back with the family of Faith Baptist. There is a tradition that the Ugandan people started with me after my second visit to Uganda. They had made a cake especially for my visit. Tradition has it that the person that cuts the cake must return to the country! So...everytime I go to Uganda...they always make sure I have a cake to cut! So...Faith Baptist Church liked this tradition...and has followed their example! The cake today was very yummy! I LOVE to be at this church, cake or no cake! Carol John (my missionary driver...or as she likes to be called ... Carol John M.D.!!) and I were welcomed with open arms today. I updated the church on my visit to Uganda in May with the CBU students. They loved hearing what God is doing! There were at least 8 water bottles full of coins ready for me to take home for the children. It was also encouraging to have 4 more of our children receive sponsors today!!! Praise the Lord! Thanks to all at Faith Baptist Church for your prayers and your continued support. Pastor Fred sang a wonderful song during the offertory that left a precious impression on me. When our God says to go...we are to obey. The blessings that await are beyond anything that we can imagine! Thanks to all who prayed for me today as I shared. God answered your prayers in amazing ways today!

Logo Designer

The new logo for Raining Hope was designed by Joanna Pickett! She is a student at California Baptist University. I led an International Service Project team to Uganda this summer and she is one of the team members!!! She is a very talented individual and we are blessed to have her sharing her gifts with Raining Hope! We love the new logo, Joanna! You are the BEST!

Thank you for your suppport!

Our Raining Hope BBQ was a wonderful success today! We raised $1,349 and money is still coming in! Thanks to everyone who supported us today...whether in planning, preparing, cooking, attending, giving, praying...YOU ARE ALL VALUABLE AND APPRECIATED! The children of Living Hope Children's Home will be able to start to go back to school. Thank you for making a difference!

Raining Hope BBQ

Today, September 25th is our Raining Hope fundraising BBQ! From 11 am - 2 pm you can join us at Sarazotti Park - 510 Park Road in Ojai! Lunch will be served from 12 noon-1:30 pm. We will have tri-tip & chicken...and Heather's swirly brownies! Expression Ministries will be providing our worship music. We will have a jolly jump that I am sure the children will love. It will be a great time to fellowship with family and friends...and maybe even meet some new friends! Best of all you will be supporting our children at Living Hope Children's Home in Uganda! If you are not able to attend, please keep us in your prayers.

Get Ready for Rain!

Joanna and I have just set up the new Raining Hope Uganda blog! On this blog you will find updates on Raining Hope, Incorporated and encouraging words on what God is doing! It is very exciting to see what God is doing and where He will take us. Be checking back for updates on the children of Living Hope Children's Home as well as what is going on here stateside. Let's watch and see how God rains down His blessings!