Dear friends,
Greetings from Uganda! We’re in the middle of mango season… harvest time is the most fun! Delicious, sweet, plentiful…
Interns Planting An Orange Tree with Nick
It was my birthday last week and we’re encouraging everyone to plant a tree on birthdays and especially when a child is born.
We have between 20 and 30 interns on our farms for up to two months from different universities and other learning institutions. The students stay on site and get to work and learn outside of the classroom. We love the fresh energy, the questions, the curiousity, the dream sharing. Some of the interns are refugees from South Sudan and someday would like to go back and build their country especially in the agriculture sector.
What a birthday… many surprises from staff, students, and friends. 4 birthday cakes and lots of celebration!
Facilities Upgrade… For More Student Capacity
Seven new washroom stalls and improved housing for female and male students, interns, and volunteers has been completed and are fully in use! We are grateful for the gifts received to help us serve more young people.
Ebola and Travel Update
We were planning to visit family, friends, church and more in August in Canada but… Canada is requiring anyone coming from our part of the world to go into a 21-day isolation upon arrival… That won’t work for us so Cheryl will be going to Vermont, USA and then after at least 21 days there, she will be able to go BC, Canada. She will arrive in Vermont on July 15th.
Ebola seems to be under control in Uganda with very few cases but DRC (Congo) is a different story… please pray!
Picking Moringa Pods
When the long pods are dry, we pick them for the seeds.
Ask Google… “what is the most nutritious plant on earth?“
The answer….
Moringa oleifera, often called the “miracle tree” or “tree of life,” is widely considered the most nutritious plant on Earth.
Moringa leaves contain almost all essential nutrients, growth factors, vitamins, amino acids, proteins, minerals, and metals like potassium, iron, and zinc.
So many uses for this gift that God has given especially to the poorest regions of this world!
Our “Living Soil Project”
For the last year, we have been working on improving the soil sustainability, naturally and turning away from pesticides and herbicides to produce healthier vegetables. Our model gardens are attracting alot of attention from many visitors.
Free Valuable Food For Animals
Azolla and Duckweed grown in simple ponds can double every 2-3 days be harvested from the surface, dried or given fresh to animals like pigs, chickens, rabbits, fish and more. We are making more & more ponds and teaching staff and students how to manage these superplants in a low-cost manner.
Azolla is described in sustainable agriculture as a nutrient-rich livestock feed, a natural organic fertilizer, and a carbon-capturing superplant.
Duckweed is considered a superfood, containing about 35% carbohydrates, 20% minerals, and up to 40% protein.
Hey, we could go on and on about some of the innovations that we are implementing. This is what we are called to do!
We are built for struggle, and we are built for adventure. Dr Jordan Peterson
Thanksgiving, Financial Needs, and Prayer
* Thank you God for another birthday and as Ugandans pray daily, “Thank you for the gift of life”
* Thank you for wonderful, committed staff who continue to learn to be “servant leaders”
* Thanks for your financial gifts to plant trees, train young people, provide jobs to young people
* Prayer for the nation of Uganda – Several incidents in the last month have pointed to a possible change of leadership. Pray for stability and justice.
* Continue to pray for a clear, positive outcome for a land dispute that we are currently involved. Let justice win out.
* Finances needed for improved or new water sources for our training farm.
* Funds are needed to sponsor students and interns that come to our farms for various lengths of time. For two month internship our costs are double what the interns are able to pay. Potential students for our longer programs need scholarship assistance to be able to attend and for us to run our programs.
* For our personal support – Thank you to those who continue to assist us monthly.
With grateful hearts,
Nick & Cheryl