News from Nakyaka, Uganda, and Brookings, Oregon. Please pray for us!
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EcoMercy International
Mar 2, 2023, 12:48:53 PM3/2/23
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Dear friends,
This is the first report I am making to you in 2023. See what Fr. Stephen and his helpers have accomplished over the last four months!
And read to the end for some some news from my own life here with my family in Brookings, Oregon.
But first, the current need at St. John Chrysostom School in Nakyaka, Uganda, is to install a chain link fence around the entire school property in order to (1) keep out cows, (2) increase the security for the children, and (3) provide one side of various animals pens. Currently there are several strands of barbed wire running around the property, but these were placed on wooden posts that have fallen over because they were eaten by termites. The cost will be $7680, which seems like a lot, but if everyone receiving this email donated a little it could be met in no time. Please donate for this need at EcoMercy.org! Think of the hundreds children it will be benefit both now and in the future. May God bless you!
Below is the estimate for the fence:
Boundaries are important! The scriptures report that when the prophet Nehemiah, living in Persia, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were fallen down and that the his brethren living there were in great distress and reproach, he fell down and wept! He wanted to do something to rebuild the walls. But he knew that these physical boundaries couldn’t be repaired unless the remnant of the faithful would come back within the spiritual boundaries God had set for them, belief in one true God and keeping His law (Nehemiah 1:9). May God be merciful to us wherever we live, whether the United States or Africa, Allowing us to come into the protection of His gates!
The big news over the last four months is that Fr. Stephen and his family and hired workers have finished constructing the addition to their new home on the St. John Chrysostom School property which includes a kitchen and a couple other rooms to be used for storage and whatever they need. May God bless all who have donated to make this a reality! Here it is beginning to go up:
The L shape of the building forms a courtyard behind the house:
I have yet to see an aluminum or fiberglass ladder in Uganda:
Enjoying fresh jackfruit during the construction:
And here it is finished: (The small garage will probably serve as a space to store important tools, such as the ISSB machines, which make the interlocking bricks, and various garden tools for maintaining the school property. As a priest and school dean, Fr. Stephen’s work is varied, but it includes directing all of the facilities maintenance.)
I received these photos of the completed addition just three days ago. Fr. Stephen provided a caption to this one below: "Papadhia and grandkids making fire in the new house."
I replied that we now need to fund the construction of a built-in wood stove and chimney in this kitchen just as in the school kitchens! This has now been funded.
Fr. Stephen also wrote, "These photos express our happiness at our new home 😀.” Below: Fr. Stephen’s helper begins construction of the water tank.
The water tank was actually finished prior to the addition. Here it is with the secondary school in the background:
It looks very large next to the small house.
And here Fr. Stephen applies a base coat of paint with his grandson. Everything will have to be painted with a top coat, but Fr. Stephen will need help purchasing the paint.
This photo shows how the addition is situated with the house and water tank. The house was originally a shelter without walls, but we decided to turn it into a house.
You may remember dear Maria Babingaisadha from previous newsletters:
Sadly we must inform you that she went to be with the Lord. Here she is shortly before she died, a baptized orthodox Christian, having nearly run the race, having fought the good fight. As we say in the Orthodox Church, “Memory eternal!" which means, may Christ God remember her in His Kingdom, just as the good thief on the cross prayed for Christ to remember him.
Maria and her late husband, Martin Babingaisadha, were founding members of Annunciation parish at Nakyaka where they lived not far from the church. In fact, the school originally met at their property before the land was purchased for the current school. Fr. Stephen himself conducted Maria’s funeral and here is the procession:
Annah and Mark Lunagula attended a poultry, fish & dairy expo in Kampala:
A photo from inside:
There are many more photos I could show, but I’ll end with these two:
Fr. Stephen and Elizabeth and the grandkids greet you! I know they pray for all the prayer partners and donors of EcoMercy.
Hopes for 2023
This year, after funding the fence I would like to fund goats for milk and some more school uniforms.
We didn’t manage to raise enough money for animals which I spoke about in the “Giving Tuesday” fundraiser; and, after being informed by one of our donors who lives in Potlatch, Idaho, how much more efficiently goats can produce milk compared to cows and explaining this to Fr. Stephen, we are now pivoting toward goats. Goats can produce much, much more milk per pound of feed than cows, which explains this Bible verse: "And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens" (Proverbs 27:27). Stay tuned for more details about this in a subsequent email or fundraiser.
This is the first report I am making to you in 2023. See what Fr. Stephen and his helpers have accomplished over the last four months!
And read to the end for some some news from my own life here with my family in Brookings, Oregon.
But first, the current need at St. John Chrysostom School in Nakyaka, Uganda, is to install a chain link fence around the entire school property in order to (1) keep out cows, (2) increase the security for the children, and (3) provide one side of various animals pens. Currently there are several strands of barbed wire running around the property, but these were placed on wooden posts that have fallen over because they were eaten by termites. The cost will be $7680, which seems like a lot, but if everyone receiving this email donated a little it could be met in no time. Please donate for this need at EcoMercy.org! Think of the hundreds children it will be benefit both now and in the future. May God bless you!
Below is the estimate for the fence:
Boundaries are important! The scriptures report that when the prophet Nehemiah, living in Persia, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were fallen down and that the his brethren living there were in great distress and reproach, he fell down and wept! He wanted to do something to rebuild the walls. But he knew that these physical boundaries couldn’t be repaired unless the remnant of the faithful would come back within the spiritual boundaries God had set for them, belief in one true God and keeping His law (Nehemiah 1:9). May God be merciful to us wherever we live, whether the United States or Africa, Allowing us to come into the protection of His gates!
The big news over the last four months is that Fr. Stephen and his family and hired workers have finished constructing the addition to their new home on the St. John Chrysostom School property which includes a kitchen and a couple other rooms to be used for storage and whatever they need. May God bless all who have donated to make this a reality! Here it is beginning to go up:
The L shape of the building forms a courtyard behind the house:
I have yet to see an aluminum or fiberglass ladder in Uganda:
Enjoying fresh jackfruit during the construction:
And here it is finished: (The small garage will probably serve as a space to store important tools, such as the ISSB machines, which make the interlocking bricks, and various garden tools for maintaining the school property. As a priest and school dean, Fr. Stephen’s work is varied, but it includes directing all of the facilities maintenance.)
I received these photos of the completed addition just three days ago. Fr. Stephen provided a caption to this one below: "Papadhia and grandkids making fire in the new house."
I replied that we now need to fund the construction of a built-in wood stove and chimney in this kitchen just as in the school kitchens! This has now been funded.
Fr. Stephen also wrote, "These photos express our happiness at our new home 😀.” Below: Fr. Stephen’s helper begins construction of the water tank.
The water tank was actually finished prior to the addition. Here it is with the secondary school in the background:
It looks very large next to the small house.
And here Fr. Stephen applies a base coat of paint with his grandson. Everything will have to be painted with a top coat, but Fr. Stephen will need help purchasing the paint.
This photo shows how the addition is situated with the house and water tank. The house was originally a shelter without walls, but we decided to turn it into a house.
You may remember dear Maria Babingaisadha from previous newsletters:
Sadly we must inform you that she went to be with the Lord. Here she is shortly before she died, a baptized orthodox Christian, having nearly run the race, having fought the good fight. As we say in the Orthodox Church, “Memory eternal!" which means, may Christ God remember her in His Kingdom, just as the good thief on the cross prayed for Christ to remember him.
Maria and her late husband, Martin Babingaisadha, were founding members of Annunciation parish at Nakyaka where they lived not far from the church. In fact, the school originally met at their property before the land was purchased for the current school. Fr. Stephen himself conducted Maria’s funeral and here is the procession:
Annah and Mark Lunagula attended a poultry, fish & dairy expo in Kampala:
A photo from inside:
There are many more photos I could show, but I’ll end with these two:
Fr. Stephen and Elizabeth and the grandkids greet you! I know they pray for all the prayer partners and donors of EcoMercy.
Hopes for 2023
This year, after funding the fence I would like to fund goats for milk and some more school uniforms.
We didn’t manage to raise enough money for animals which I spoke about in the “Giving Tuesday” fundraiser; and, after being informed by one of our donors who lives in Potlatch, Idaho, how much more efficiently goats can produce milk compared to cows and explaining this to Fr. Stephen, we are now pivoting toward goats. Goats can produce much, much more milk per pound of feed than cows, which explains this Bible verse: "And thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens" (Proverbs 27:27). Stay tuned for more details about this in a subsequent email or fundraiser.
And of course my constant hope is that more of the children and their parents would seek baptism. Please pray for that.
Our message
Also in 2023 I would like to continue to hone our message.
What do you think of when you see “Eco” in our name? Certainly there are examples of “greenwashing” out there. But popular interest in ecology is a good trend, because “ecology" is relevant not only in the a rainforest but also in a patch of soil in your back yard. The the intent of this word is to signal an awareness of the environment, specifically how diverse species of plants and animals exist in a balance that preserves the environmental resources we depend on. To me “Eco” means practical solutions that meet people’s needs while stewarding the earth!
“Mercy,” on the other hand is a word that comes from Christian worship: Lord have "mercy.” This signals an interest in the pure water of the unchanging doctrine of Jesus Christ. We don’t want to drill a bunch of wells just to see these fall into disrepair in the next generation. We want to build on the Foundation of Christ. St. John Chrysostom School is part of the Ugandan Orthodox Church, thus we wish to proceed not by human strength, but by Christ’s power and wisdom!
“International” means an organization that unites servant leaders in different nations, people who are looking to bring out the best in our brothers and sisters in Christ in other nations and who are willing to be lights to everyone around them.
Put “Eco,” “Mercy” and “International" together and you have practical solutions for servant leaders to build the global Church.
The main practical thing we’ve done is to fund machines for making ISSBs (Interlocking Stabilized Soil Bricks), which in turn have built rainwater capturing tanks and various buildings. We also installed a borehole well and planting of trees. And all of this is for the purpose of supporting Christ-centered education.
Getting the message out
There are a number of difficulties that I face in getting the message out. Firstly, I don’t believe in supporting myself financially through EcoMercy International. That’s because it’s very easy for professional charity directors to become too proud of what they do and begin to tell stories that perpetuate the very problems they set out to address. For example the fundraising song "Do They Know It’s Christmas" portrays Africa as a place “where nothing ever grows; no rain nor rivers flow” and, yes, they don’t even know it’s Christmas!—which is no longer true for the vast majority of Africans. We don’t want to perpetuate a charity paradigm in which Africans are portrayed as forever helpless, forever living in a blighted, God-forsaken landscape. For another example, our permaculture focus is very helpful, but God doesn’t provide for Christians in just one way. Concept-driven charity can only go so far. Christ-centered charity is really where it’s at—local congregations supporting local priests who have the ability to give or receive charity, but these priests do not depend on international charity. Charity is the work of the Church, which is why I’m in pastoral training right now with ROCOR-WR.org.
Secondly, while I’m now enrolled in a pastoral training course, I am still needing to fit in some handyman work. I’m also holding a prayer service at my house on Sunday mornings. And I’m hoping to remodel my shed into an Orthodox Christian bookstore. Read more about that here: http://saintbasilbooks.org/give/
So I have many time constraints. And another barrier is that to get much attention online you have to make great videos, which right now is an insurmountable hurdle for me in terms of skill and time commitment.
But, again, if everyone reading this email donated a little bit and perhaps made your own Facebook fundraiser for EcoMercy. We could meet all the needs very quickly while shining a light for Christ!
Brookings, Oregon
One local homeschool mom and her daughter have been joining us for prayer on a regular basis, which has been a great encouragement, and we are hoping to soon be recognized as an official mission parish of the Western Rite Communities of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR-WR). "Western Rite” means that, while we are retaining Eastern Orthodox doctrine and fellowship, we will be praying according to the pre-Reformation English liturgy. Mostly, “pre-Reformation” just means that we honor Mary in the our prayers on a regular basis instead of just at Christmas, so the prayers themselves are not a very big step from my Protestant upbringing.
My wife, Brooke, has been leading a weekly literature class (with as many as 8 students) and a few other occasional gatherings for homeschoolers.
See a bell below, now hanging on our front porch, which the children enjoy ringing on Sunday mornings:
Thanks, again, to all who have donated over the past four months. Your faithfulness means more than you know! And thank you to Fr. Stephen and the Lunagula family for your faithfulness and hard work.
Again, please donate today at ecomercy.org or at Facebook.com/ecomercy.org for the needs listed above. I would also like to buy Fr. Stephen a better mobile device with an excellent digital camera for taking great photos and even videoconferencing.
A blessed day to you!
Martin Becktell, director
EcoMercy International
Our message
Also in 2023 I would like to continue to hone our message.
What do you think of when you see “Eco” in our name? Certainly there are examples of “greenwashing” out there. But popular interest in ecology is a good trend, because “ecology" is relevant not only in the a rainforest but also in a patch of soil in your back yard. The the intent of this word is to signal an awareness of the environment, specifically how diverse species of plants and animals exist in a balance that preserves the environmental resources we depend on. To me “Eco” means practical solutions that meet people’s needs while stewarding the earth!
“Mercy,” on the other hand is a word that comes from Christian worship: Lord have "mercy.” This signals an interest in the pure water of the unchanging doctrine of Jesus Christ. We don’t want to drill a bunch of wells just to see these fall into disrepair in the next generation. We want to build on the Foundation of Christ. St. John Chrysostom School is part of the Ugandan Orthodox Church, thus we wish to proceed not by human strength, but by Christ’s power and wisdom!
“International” means an organization that unites servant leaders in different nations, people who are looking to bring out the best in our brothers and sisters in Christ in other nations and who are willing to be lights to everyone around them.
Put “Eco,” “Mercy” and “International" together and you have practical solutions for servant leaders to build the global Church.
The main practical thing we’ve done is to fund machines for making ISSBs (Interlocking Stabilized Soil Bricks), which in turn have built rainwater capturing tanks and various buildings. We also installed a borehole well and planting of trees. And all of this is for the purpose of supporting Christ-centered education.
Getting the message out
There are a number of difficulties that I face in getting the message out. Firstly, I don’t believe in supporting myself financially through EcoMercy International. That’s because it’s very easy for professional charity directors to become too proud of what they do and begin to tell stories that perpetuate the very problems they set out to address. For example the fundraising song "Do They Know It’s Christmas" portrays Africa as a place “where nothing ever grows; no rain nor rivers flow” and, yes, they don’t even know it’s Christmas!—which is no longer true for the vast majority of Africans. We don’t want to perpetuate a charity paradigm in which Africans are portrayed as forever helpless, forever living in a blighted, God-forsaken landscape. For another example, our permaculture focus is very helpful, but God doesn’t provide for Christians in just one way. Concept-driven charity can only go so far. Christ-centered charity is really where it’s at—local congregations supporting local priests who have the ability to give or receive charity, but these priests do not depend on international charity. Charity is the work of the Church, which is why I’m in pastoral training right now with ROCOR-WR.org.
Secondly, while I’m now enrolled in a pastoral training course, I am still needing to fit in some handyman work. I’m also holding a prayer service at my house on Sunday mornings. And I’m hoping to remodel my shed into an Orthodox Christian bookstore. Read more about that here: http://saintbasilbooks.org/give/
So I have many time constraints. And another barrier is that to get much attention online you have to make great videos, which right now is an insurmountable hurdle for me in terms of skill and time commitment.
But, again, if everyone reading this email donated a little bit and perhaps made your own Facebook fundraiser for EcoMercy. We could meet all the needs very quickly while shining a light for Christ!
Brookings, Oregon
One local homeschool mom and her daughter have been joining us for prayer on a regular basis, which has been a great encouragement, and we are hoping to soon be recognized as an official mission parish of the Western Rite Communities of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR-WR). "Western Rite” means that, while we are retaining Eastern Orthodox doctrine and fellowship, we will be praying according to the pre-Reformation English liturgy. Mostly, “pre-Reformation” just means that we honor Mary in the our prayers on a regular basis instead of just at Christmas, so the prayers themselves are not a very big step from my Protestant upbringing.
My wife, Brooke, has been leading a weekly literature class (with as many as 8 students) and a few other occasional gatherings for homeschoolers.
See a bell below, now hanging on our front porch, which the children enjoy ringing on Sunday mornings:
Thanks, again, to all who have donated over the past four months. Your faithfulness means more than you know! And thank you to Fr. Stephen and the Lunagula family for your faithfulness and hard work.
Again, please donate today at ecomercy.org or at Facebook.com/ecomercy.org for the needs listed above. I would also like to buy Fr. Stephen a better mobile device with an excellent digital camera for taking great photos and even videoconferencing.
A blessed day to you!
Martin Becktell, director
EcoMercy International
This boys soccer shirt (below) reminds me that the soccer goal posts have been broken:
Hard working teachers!
~~~~~ End of report ~~~~~
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