Dear Lulu Tree Family –
Happy New Year! Greetings from myself, Emily, and all of your Lulu Tree brothers and sisters! The time has come to celebrate, once again, all the Lord has done through you, dear ones, over the previous year.
“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now…” (Philippians 1:3-5)
UGANDA
Harvestime Graduation in May – 127 graduates!
It was such an honor and a privilege to get to travel to Uganda this past May with members of my board and with our Director of Finance to witness the graduation of 127 students from the Harvestime Biblical Program!
Completion of the Guesthouses (“Homes of Hope”), Dorms and Study Hall
These buildings, known as the Center of Hope, are going to be rented out with the purpose of sustaining ministry in Uganda. They also serve as the homebase for The Lulu Tree Foundation, since Uganda is the only country in which we’re registered as a foreign NGO.
All profits from the Homes of Hope (guesthouses), the Hall of Hope (a study hall) and the Dorms of Hope (a place to stay for groups), as well as profits from the renting of the School of Hope (overseen by Headmaster George), and the renting of the farm (overseen by a son of Amina, a mother from the slums) will be used to send teenage mothers back to school and train pastors in Harvestime.
Seeing the School of Hope care for more than 250 vulnerable students, nine of them being teenage mothers (who are currently receiving free primary education)
Headmaster George, along with his staff at the School of Hope, are renting out the School of Hope from The Lulu Tree to educate over 250 vulnerable children, including teenage mothers (seen above in their school uniforms), the disabled, and pastor’s children. They are doing an excellent job of caring for the facility (painting it using their own funds) and they also deeply care about the children.
Sending teenage mothers to high school
Most teenage mothers in Uganda never get to finish school. They are ostracized in the classrooms, and often kicked out of their homes. Thanks to the School of Hope, both of these girls, who are named Rebecca, were able to graduate elementary (while staying at the school dorms). Now, because of the Lord’s grace and your generosity, they will also be attending four years of high school.
Three Harvestime classes being funded entirely by profits from sustainable projects
It is with great joy that we see the profits from the Lulu Tree farm and the School of Hope funding these three classes so church leaders can be equipped with the Word of God.
Helping mothers from the slums send their kids to school
We continue to partner with original mothers from the slums of Kampala, sending their children to school. It is our joy to see some of these mothers thrive at their sustainable projects.
Providing a piggery for an abandoned pastor’s wife
The pressures of life in ministry without accountability or training can cause many men in the church to abandon their wives and seek fulfillment elsewhere. This pastor’s wife was abandoned. We equipped her with a piggery to help her care for her many children.
GUINEA
Two Harvestime classes, graduated!
In 2023 Pastor Francois Haba worked hard to train 33 Harvestime students in two locations, Mamou and Guekedou, Guinea. They all graduated this November!
One active sustainable shop to fund Guinea ministry
This shop was established and is overseen by Pastor Francois’ wife, Finda, to fund ministry in Guinea.
LIBERIA
Two Harvestime classes nearing completion (Bomi County and Foya County)
We praise God for the hard work of Pastor David Zawu who rides hours on his motorbike to oversee these two Harvestime classes in Liberia.
SIERRA LEONE
A near-completed house dedicated to The Lulu Tree for sending out workers
Funded and built entirely by Pastor Sonnel Kamara, this house will be used to train up church leaders in Bible Classes and Sustainable Projects. It is our West Africa “Home of Hope.” The prayer is to be able to send out these church leaders to church plants across Sierra Leone and western Africa.
Three active Harvestime classes in the Sierra Leone villages
We praise God for the hard work of Rev. Sonnel Kamara and his Harvestime teachers who are raising up men and women to be dynamic and well-educated church leaders in a very Muslim environment.
BURUNDI
A successful vision trip in May 2023
It was an honor to travel with our Director of Finance, Steve James, to his home country of Burundi, the second poorest country in the world; we met up with his dad, who oversees pastors, and we visited the churches, in addition to vision casting with Steve and his brother Sammy about how to invest in Burundi.
One poultry education center near-completion
The current plan is to begin investing in Burundi through a Poultry Education Center; the coop is currently being built, and the long-term goal would be to help the church support the community through egg layers.
INDIA
Three thriving tailoring classes in southern states
While my plan to visit India was canceled this year, it is my hope to travel there in the near future and visit these wonderful tailoring classes that The Lulu Tree has been privileged to partner with. Every mother graduates with a sewing machine and a Bible.
SRI LANKA
The graduation of 20 mothers from the Harvestime Bible Program
Such joy, to be able to travel for the first time to Sri Lanka and to visit these 20 mothers, celebrating their graduation from 21 courses of Harvestime in just one year!
An inspiring financial seminar and worship session with the mothers
I traveled, once again, with our Director of Finance, Steve James, who spent an afternoon training up the mothers in Biblical stewardship.
Witnessing the tremendous success of the mothers’ sustainable projects
The mothers seen above are profiting from a flour processing plant, a gas oven which provides for local catering, a hairdressing salon, and goats for goat milk and rearing. We were so impressed by their drive to work hard and to bless others.
VENEZUELA
One boat purchased for Harvestime classes
We are honored to partner with Miguel Zabala of Venezuela in providing him with a boat to further his work, training up church leaders along the rivers branching into Columbia in 2024.
Land donated for Lulu Tree poultry education center
We are delighted to partner with these men in establishing a Poultry Education Center in Venezuela, similar to what is being launched in Burundi. The land for the center was provided miraculously, as testified here by Miguel:
“I preached every night and in the mornings at 5am since we arrived in the community. On Thursday, before preaching, I announced to the community that we had not obtained the land we wanted for the poultry project, and that if there was a brother who had land with water and electricity nearby, he should let us know. On Friday (return day), at 5am, Brother Antonio arrived to offer me his land as a donation. This is the best land we could choose. It is on the bank of the Cuao River (west side) and with electrical connection on the east side (community street). It is 60 meters long by 22 meters wide. It looks like a mini golf course.”
IN TOUCH MINISTRIES
We are so thankful for the faithful partnership of InTouch Ministries, which supplies audio Bibles for us to take on each of our trips.
And thank you, dear friends, for helping us prevent tomorrow’s orphans by equipping today’s families through the local church. Our greater mission, as you know, is to become one family in Christ. We are so honored to partner with you, brothers and sisters, in bringing God’s kingdom to earth.
May you know how deep and how long and how wide and how high is the love of Christ Jesus, a love whose arms will never let go.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
In Him and For Them,
Emily 