Camp Site Construction in Progress

We are so excited to see all the work that is being done on the camp land even though we are not in Uganda. This post is from our friends and partners Syd and Andrea Sparks.

Construction Site/Camp Land
Construction continues and we are making some good progress. It is exciting to see things go up. Here are a few pictures of what is happening. The photo above is the house in progress on the left hand side of the photo, the nearly completed bathing shelters which are a little hard to see but are right in the middle, and then the nearly completed pit toilets. The photos below are of our store room. The first one is before they roofed it and the second one after.


Storage Room

Pit Latrine
Construction has finally begun. Last week we broke ground and began working on the foundation for our first building. One thing that is quite different about the construction process over here is that there are no big machines to do the work for you. So everything that you see dug out in the photo was dug by hand. All of the rocks that are being used in our concrete mixture are broken by the man in the picture below. He has used a hammer to break most of it. How would you like to sit and break rock with a hammer and have to fill a dump truck full. Not my idea of fun but it is a job and he is earning money. The bottom picture is a 12’ long x 8’ wide hole that will eventually be a 10’ deep holding tank to collect rainwater (cistern). As you can see they ran into a big problem as they were digging. There is a very large boulder that they couldn’t just dig out. So they brought in the rock crusher and he went to work.

New Hope Uganda Promo Video

Letter From The Director

Jay Dangers (New Hope Uganda Ministries Director)

Dear Family and Friends of the Mitchells,

Greetings from New Hope Uganda! I trust you are all well! On behalf of the New Hope family, I would like to thank you for your support of Caleb and Alair. By faithfully supporting and caring for them, you are supporting the work and the children here, and we are so grateful for that!

Caleb and Alair have come to help with a new and very special project- developing a camp facility that will be used by children from New Hope Uganda and many others from around the country. In preparation for this, not long after they arrived, Caleb and Alair began attending the New Hope Institute of Childcare and Family. NHICF is a five-month training course conducted here at New Hope that offers intensive training on caring for fatherless and abandoned children, on serving in a foreign culture, on counseling, worldview, and so much more. In addition to attending NHICF, Caleb and Alair have spent their time investing in the children in Pacific family- spending evenings with them, working in the gardens with them, and more. They have also begun working hard to learn Luganda, and Caleb has made many Ugandan’s days by using every Luganda word he has learned as he visits with them! On the weekends, the Mitchells have been an immense help to the Baby House staff by caring for baby Nicholas. Rumor has it he might be with them more than just weekends in the future!

Thank you for your faithful support of Caleb and Alair! Faithful and sufficient funds are an immense blessing to anyone out on the “field,” and do much towards alleviating stress. Please do pray that the Lord will continue to provide the remaining monthly and start up funds they need. We pray that the Lord will bless you all richly for the sacrifices you make that enable the Mitchells to serve with us here!

Life can be very difficult out here- with constant challenges, cultural differences, uncertainties, and the never-ending work of raising children. Please do continue to pray for Caleb and Alair, that God will give them strength and wisdom for all that they will encounter as they continue the work with the camp. As you are able, I know the occasional email, letter, package, or even phone call would be a great encouragement as well! As you also know, Caleb and Alair came back to the U.S. recently, as Alair’s mom has been very ill. Please do lift them up in prayer during this very difficult time.

As a way to better care for our foreign staff we have held two Foreign Staff Retreats in the last two years. We would like to continue this as an annual event. Although we would love to pay for each member’s time, New Hope Uganda does not have the funds available, so we have asked each individual or family to pay for their own way. If you are looking for an extra way to bless the Mitchells, please consider contributing towards this annual retreat for them. Thank you!

Indeed we believe that the part you play as you serve by sending the Mitchells is vitally important- and is of equal value to that of those of us on foreign soil’s “front lines.” As David told his men in 1 Samuel 30:24,“…as his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies; they shall share alike.” I Samuel 30:24 Also, as the writer of Hebrews writes, we are confident on your behalf that “God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them.” Hebrews 6:10

As the Lord notices your service in this way, we too say thank you for the role you have played here at New Hope through your continued support for and care of Caleb and Alair. They are a blessing, and we are thankful to have them as part of the Kasana family. May the Lord bless each of you richly!

In Christ,

Jay Dangers
New Hope Uganda, Director

Caleb Having Fun With Nico

Mitchell's October News

Training: Our five month training is coming to an end, and we have been reflecting on much of the teaching we have received here at NHICF (New Hope’s Institute of Child Care and Family). It has either centered around or in some way been related to “family”- our belonging to the family of God, and identity as children of our heavenly Father, the brotherhood of the believers in this family, as well as the roles of men and woman in marriage as husband and wife, and most recently as father and mother in the families we are given by God.
We have had a week of studying biblical child training and have come to realize that it has just as well been a week on biblical parent training. All that we have learned has been invaluable and very timely as we begin parenting and training Nicholas. We have a united goal to continually have our hearts turned toward the children God brings; to continually seek to turn the hearts of children toward their parents, and to turn hearts of individuals and families collectively toward God the Father resulting in the worship of Him and magnification of His glory!
Another few days have been devoted to learning about the different department’s day to day functions, and the operation of N.H.U. (New Hope Uganda). We were able to talk to and have Q&A with heads of departments and supervisors about how things work here. Some highlights of these few days were touring the Vocational School and Enterprise Farm. At the Vocational School maize (corn) is milled for Kasana (New Hope) families and farmers in the Kiwoko and Kabooboo communities. Here students are also trained in weaving, sewing & tailoring, welding & automechanics, as well as carpentry. At the Enterprise Farm 40 acres of land are used to farm maize for the secondary (high school) student’s lunches. They are expanding to include vegetables and soon to include fruit from 100 fruit trees purchased this week. Just this year New Hope also started a small business raising pigs. They can sell them once full grown for about 100,000 (shs) which is around $60 us dollars. This tour was a great opportunity to see New Hope faithfully using what God has entrusted to them, and becoming more self sufficient as they grow each year.

Camp Land: It is exciting to report to you that the 1st camp construction project is planned to begin November 17th. The structure will be for camp staff housing. Please be in prayer as we develop relationships with the community there and that our interactions would genuinely reflect the love of Jesus. Pray that we would be mindful of their eternity as many of them do not know Christ.
Personal: Alair’s mom’s health is declining as the cancer has begun to take over her liver. Many of her days are spent in bed, and arrangements for a hospice nurse to come are being made. Please pray for God’s grace as she deals with the pain of a deteriorating spine, for Jim (Alair’s dad) as he cares for her and in making funeral arrangements. We plan to return to the States (CT) to be with them and the rest of the family. We are purchasing tickets with the plan to be there by Thanksgiving. Also pray for God’s continued grace as we move forward with steps in the foster/guardian/adoption process with Nicholas. We want to thank you for your love and prayers.

Blessings,
Caleb and Alair

Pacific Family's Youngest Members

David (left) Rebeccah, and Peter (right) from Pacific family enjoy getting their picture taken.

Learning First Aid

Seggie (Francis on left) and Amon learn the Heimlich maneuver


One week at the Institute we learned first aid and CPR. A team from Alaska came to do the training. It was very beneficial and we learned a great deal. One of the interesting topics was how to treat snake bites.