The Ssemakula Family, from left to right: Quinn, Josephine, Genesis, Lawrence, and Genevieve.

Sickle Cell Anemia differs from malaria in that it is genetic rather than infectious.  This means that it is not transmitted through insects or human contact but is passed down from parent to child.  When both parents carry the recessive gene, known as Sickle Cell Trait, the child has a 25% chance of inheriting Sickle Cell Anemia.  Children born with the disease have differently shaped hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells.  Sickle hemoglobin becomes rigid after losing the oxygen molecules.  This causes the red blood cells, which are normally supple and round in shape, to take on a hard sickle shape.  While normal red blood cells slide easily through small vessels, the abnormal cells form clots thereby restricting blood flow.  These cells also die more quickly, causing a constant lack of red blood cells (anemia).  Symptoms of this disorder can be devastating and complications include extreme pain, stroke, infections, and acute chest syndrome.

This graph demonstrates the spreading potential of Sickle Cell Disease.

For our friends Lawrence and Josephine Ssemakula, Sickle Cell Anemia is part of their daily reality.  Their eldest daughter, Quinn, was diagnosed with Sickle Cell Anemia as a baby.  At 10 years of age, she has already beaten the odds which show that in Africa, of the estimated 200,000-300,000 infants born with Sickle Cell Anemia every year, 60-70% will die before the age of 5.  Quinn’s good health is largely due to the care of her loving and educated parents who have worked diligently even with their limited income at building her immune system through diet.  Our organization has been working with the Ssemakula family since 2004, providing education in the Bible and healthcare.  In our time in Uganda with them, we experimented with different crops and dietary supplements for Quinn, working together to find how best to keep her small body strong.

Though the prognosis for “sicklers” as they are called in East Africa is bleak, on-going care can greatly improve the life expectancy for Quinn and the many others who struggle with this disease.  We have committed to seeing that Quinn has this opportunity, and have been working with her family to find ways to improve her health.  Some of these include growing alfalfa in their family garden to increase her intake of iron and vitamin C and acquiring a hemoglobin scale that works simply by color and requires nothing electronic yet is accurate.  We pray that with continued efforts, Quinn’s life and health will be a sign of hope to her community and of God’s love for others whom the world ignores.

Written by Celesta Bargatze

This 8' x 8' greenhouse, constructed from repurposed glass windows, is where we start all of the seeds for our community garden.

Our gardening team has constructed a greenhouse by utilizing used glass door panels and wood to start seedlings in soil blocks until they are ready to transplant into the garden beds. We have reconstructed our entire garden with sheet mulching, a much more efficient technique for creating rich soil that is less labor intensive to maintain. We have started our own composting operation utilizing all of the food scraps from our community kitchen and wood chips and hay from companies in Nashville who donate their excess. We have currently planted tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, peas, potatoes, beans, lettuces, squash, pumpkins and plan on much more in the coming days. We have created edible landscaping by planting over ten different kinds of trees, over fifteen raspberries plants and thirty blueberry bushes with the hope of sustaining some of our community’s nutritional needs.

Our practical goal for the garden is to provide all of the vegetable needs for our community kitchen enabling us to provide healthy, local, fresh food for the meals we serve throughout the week. This goal, however, comes with many challenges such as limited space, varying soil quality, crop care, water run-off, crop rotation and communication, among other facets. We believe that these challenges have and will only continue to sharpen our ability to produce food from the land.  Furthermore, the teamwork required helps strengthen our relationships as the LORD prepares us to take our experiences abroad to families and friends that are in need of further education that will empower them towards more efficient, nutritious agricultural methods. However, we are thankful for such challenges as they prepare us for transferring our experience abroad, where many people are in need of education concerning how to grow food without extra chemicals, on limited plots.

By Geoff Hartnell

In the summer of 2011, Nyago John took his first trip back to Uganda since moving to the US in 2008. Here, he re-visits the elementary school where he attended, signing the guestbook and greeting the headmaster and children.

Ugandan John Nyago Reflects on the Impact of G.O.D. Int’l in his Hometown

John Nyago grew up in Bombo, Uganda. His father, Muyomba Tom, was a pastor there whom a team from G.O.D. Int’l met in July of 2004. John has been a dear friend since that time. He began participating with the movement in 2008 after gaining his permanent residency in the U.S., and has since been taking Bible and missiology courses at the Institute. Below he tells his testimony of the work of Global Outreach Developments, Int’l in his home town and country.

My first encounter with the ministry of G.O.D. Int’l was in Uganda, East Africa in July of 2004.  A team came to my hometown of Bombo, a village of about 20,000 people located approximately 20 miles north of Uganda’s capital city of Kampala.

Before G.O.D. came to Bombo, my family and the church in Bombo were earnestly praying that God would bring people to our community who would help to teach God’s word, empower our people, and attend to the needs in the community.  My father Tom Muyomba is a pastor and he has always had a desire for all people to know and experience God.  But during this time he felt inadequate due the diverse needs in Bombo and his limited education both in the Bible and in secular studies. This drove all of us to pray and trust God to bring more laborers to teach and work in Bombo.  Miraculously God led G.O.D. to Bombo, a place that they had never been to, nor had any contacts before.

My first encounter with G.O.D. in Uganda was also my first time seeing missionaries preparing and cooking food with the local people, washing dishes and doing laundry, eating similar food to that of the local people, and sleeping in ordinary houses of the local people.  Generally, missionaries from the West bring in their own food, finding boarding in the city, and miss out on experiencing life as the locals do.  G.O.D.’s incarnation and solidarity with the impoverished people in society to this day reminds me of what God did through Christ when he became like one of us, and lived among us!

I remember how the team from G.O.D. always loved to learn and call every person by their name as well as desiring to listen to each person’s story.  Knowing a person by name acknowledges that he/she is a valuable human being with a special identity.  Most people also don’t want to listen to other people’s stories, especially those from the poor and marginalized.  I think they don’t want to be responsible for what they might hear. But the G.O.D team members were not afraid of listening to my people’s heart-breaking stories.  I saw team members praying, crying, encouraging, and holding hands with the local people, helping the people to process their experience and find healing from God and the fellowship of other brethren.  In the middle of all this, I felt God; through the genuine expression of concern by the G.O.D team I felt God comforting, caring and working in his people, not afraid of the chaos surrounding their experience.

To this day, I am hopeful of more wonderful ways that God is going to continue working, empowering and revitalizing the people in Bombo so that they can be a light to the rest of Uganda and the world at large.

For this reason, we have had to make some adjustments for our students who are now working full-time with the businesses. Many of those who have taken on full-time positions with the businesses are students who have either finished the program at our Institute, or are very close. The businesses demand daytime hours, which brings about the need to offer classes during the evening. This semester we are offering an evening class, Johannine Literature (an intensive writing course on the gospel and epistles of John) to allow the business participants to still benefit from formal Bible teaching.  Such times allow students to ‘provoke one another towards love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, but encouraging one another.’ (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Employees of Music City Handymen are all involved at the Institute for G.O.D. Int'l.

As someone who has finished the Missiology program and has been participating in getting our Music City Handymen business started, I am grateful for the opportunity to still be able to study God’s Word. In order to make this happen, sacrifice has been required from both teachers and students. Our teachers put in many hours in class preparation and ministry throughout each day, so adding a night class to their schedule is demanding on their time. Both students and teachers here have found continuing biblical education to be a pursuit worthy of our time, even if it means sacrificing a couple of evenings a week.

We remember that ‘man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’ (Deut. 8:3). As God’s children we acknowledge that the Word of God sustains us. The classroom provides accountability for students to study the Bible in depth. Giving this much time to the Bible also helps keep our minds engaged in the Word throughout each week. I am glad that we can continue to provide classroom time for learning the Word as individuals take on different responsibilities and areas and ministry.

Written By Cameron Kagay

According to recent Barna polls, 11% of the American adult population is currently divorced and 25% of adults have at least one divorce during their lifetime.  Interestingly, divorce rates among conservative Christians are significantly higher than other faith groups, including non-believers.  According to these same polls, less people are entering into marriage, many due to the attitude that it simply does not work.

Times of dialogue helped give guidance to married couples involved in full-time ministry.

Recently, couples involved in our ministry had the opportunity to evaluate the health of our marriages at our first ever marriage retreat! Forty couples came together to reflect on the health of their marriages, as well as the marriages of their friends, and it was invigorating.

Over the course of the weekend we had the opportunity for intentional dialogue, focused study in the word, table fellowship over meals, and we shared both laughter and tears.  We discussed issues such as our roles as men and as women in the specific context of our vocation as third world development workers. We asked questions like: “How many hours should men work during course of a the week?  How many classes can mothers successfully take during a semester?”  We discussed issues pertaining to future deployment like, raising our children in the third world and taking care of our parents.  We also discussed various issues concerning the full-time ministry we are all apart of: “What type of accountability do individuals have with one another, and what type do they need?  What is our responsibility as married couples towards the single individuals with whom we serve?”  The hope was that we’d walk away from these discussions with shared biblical values and understanding on the issues at hand. As we reflected together, we were refreshed and thankful to the LORD.  He is doing a great work in us and he has been so faithful!

In the end, the retreat was not solely focused on our individual couples, but the surrounding community in which these couples live, and the health, benefit and accountability that such community offers.

Written by Betsy Johnson

Eco-toilets (or composting toilets) are much easier (and safer) to build. They are also more feasible economically, do not take up as much space, and are safer from disease. Eco-toilets require no water, a great option in a place with limited water supply and no waste treatment facilities. Instead, eco-toilets capture nutrients in human excreta as humanure. Human excrement is covered with sawdust and ash to support aerobic processing, absorb liquids, and reduce odor. Rapid aerobic composting consists of thermophilic decomposition in which bacteria that thrive at high temperatures break down the waste into its components, some of which are consumed in the process, reducing volume, and eliminating potential pathogens. As opposed to the pit latrines, eco-toilets protect groundwater from nutrient or pathogen contamination and provide optimal nutrient recycling.

This last summer, two of our development workers (Josh Kurtz and Cameron Kagay), began thinking about constructing an eco-toilet on Lawrence Ssemakula’s land. His family had been sharing a toilet with a neighbor, and because their land plot was very small, did not have the space to dig a pit latrine. After educating Ssemakula about eco-toilets, he began asking us when we were going to help him build one! After helping in the construction and studying the process, Ssemakula now is the proud owner of the first eco-toilet in Bombo Town. Below he shares an update on the toilet, 6 months out from its construction.

A view of the eco-toilet from the front and side. The structure was constructed with local materials.

Making a toilet can be such a tough task–not only manually, but also financially. Here in Uganda digging a pit latrine is quite expensive. Each foot can range between 3000-4000 Uganda Shillings. [This equals approximately $1.50 per foot. Keep in mind that 37% of Ugandans live below the international poverty line of less than $1.25 per day.] As if that is not enough, the construction materials are expensive too. The deep pit is also such a huge threat to human life among other things.

Today my family is enjoying the benefits of an eco-toilet. The structure has held up so perfectly, withstanding all weather conditions. The toilet has no bad odors. Recently we noticed three days of bad odor but discovered that we realized we hadn’t been balancing the wood chips and the ash well enough. There are completely no bugs. Our eco-toilet is accessible to a disabled person, as it is a sit-down toilet. [African toilets are typically squatting toilets that can be very difficult for handicapped people. Ssemakula has a specific burden for disabled members of his society, so this was important to him.]

My family adjusted pretty fast to this toilet. One can only be bothered during cold days and mornings when the seat is cold. This toilet has been a blessing to us and now we wait for the time we shall shovel out the manure for the garden. Quite a number of people have been asking us many questions about the toilet and we have been educating others, including the town council and health inspectors. They liked it for its hygienic conditions, cost effectiveness, that it was environmentally friendly and consumed limited space. This is a good option for people of Bombo Town, Uganda, and other areas like it.

Lawrence Ssemakula is one of Global Outreach Developments East Africa cooperatives. He and his wife, Josephine, work as primary school teachers in Bombo Town. Lawrence spends his extra time studying the Word of God, eco-toilets, and how he can be a benefit to the handicapped sector of his society. He loves to play music, has written a few of his own songs, and takes great pride in teaching his 3 daughters, Quinn, Genesis, and Genevieve.

Our literacy students at the Institute have been learning about different learning styles and literacy methods that will allow us to adjust our lesson plans to the needs of our students. Our aim to teach people not just to read the words on a page, but to also read the world around them – their social context and situation in light of history. Our goal is not simply to equip our students with functional literacy skills (Ex: read street signs, prescription bottles), though we do want to ensure they can function within the world we live in. We also aim to help them become critical learners able to evaluate their world, and then bring about change to it. Believe it or not, literacy can enable a person to do this!

One of our Institute students who has taken courses in literacy, Ashley Moore, shares her experience:

“Every Wednesday night I meet with a woman named Amina at a local library. I am helping her to become literate in English. When I walk in she is ready and eager to get going with the lesson. Already she is starting to see results. Last week Amina and I talked about what it would be like for her to read a book to her child. She was ecstatic about the idea (she has two elementary aged children) and she excitedly learned 20 new words. We are both excited for new possibilities.”

Written by: Jeff Sherrod

During the summer of 2010 we found ourselves in a precarious situation.  My position was eliminated from the church program.  We had a few options before us: I could apply at an established church; Stephany could pursue work as a teacher.  This seemed wise for a couple of twenty-somethings.  Instead, we listened to God.  We heard the Lord calling us to serve, to give our lives to the poor.

Grant assists Beka Davis as they tend to the injury of an elderly man in India.

Our participation with G.O.D. International began with a mission trip to India (July 2011).  Being there was an immense challenge for me.  It was impossible to escape the sight of poverty, to silence the sound of suffering.  Malnourished babies in slums, a man maimed begging for drugs, a little girl dying from a treatable disease—I felt helpless to respond to the incredible need that surrounded me.  But I knew that to serve, I first needed to learn.

My first semester at the Institute was humbling.  Five years removed from college, I had to quickly relearn how to study, take good notes, and write quality papers.  The hardest transition was from being teacher to once again sitting as a student.  Before, I taught youth every week at church.  But now I am the learner, sitting in class alongside one of the students from my youth group! My education extends beyond the classroom.  I feel that I am living out lessons from my Genesis class, following God like Abraham, learning to be a good husband and father in a ‘new land.’  I am blessed to begin raising my daughter—born a week after the last day of class—while allowing myself to be formed by God’s word.

Though it is challenging, I am so thankful for this education.  God desires to save the suffering poor I met in India.  In order to do that, he needs people who can humble themselves and follow Him.  I want to do that.  Here, I am becoming the kind of man that can bring life to the least of these.  That, I believe, is worth starting over for.

Written by: Grant Dailey

We continue to support the education of our Filipino friend Rina Escosura who will utilize her Social Work degree to help meet needs in her local community.

Ronnie’s situation is not unique among the Filipino population.  In fact, it has for the past decade become the most common story in the Filipino labor market.  Thousands of professionals and college graduates seek job opportunities each year in North America and Europe, some utilizing high-level educational achievements simply to get a job as a maidservant or nursing assistant.

As for Ronnie, he must now bear living in a one-room apartment with no air conditioner in a country where temperatures regularly climb over 100 F.  He shares his apartment with 4 other Filipino migrant workers, all doing their best to cut down their rent cost in a country where the cost of living is significantly higher than what they are accustomed to in the Philippines.

Our organization’s time in the Philippines has given us the opportunity to observe the ill-effects that such massive human export is having on an already underdeveloped nation. When ambitious minds like Ronnie’s seek employment elsewhere in a more developed nation, there is less ambition spent towards the development of health care, government infrastructure, education, economic development, and the many other facets of Filipino culture that desperately need transformed.

As is the case with Ronnie, the intention is often to return home to the Philippines after a short time.  However, case after case demonstrates quite the opposite – people stay for years, often missing out on their children growing up.  Beyond simply removing the most capable workers from the workforce, the widespread move towards human exports is tearing away at the traditionally revered family unit.

Filipino sociologist Randolf David observes, “the clannishness and the intense familism of the Filipino are being belied by the frequency with which one reads funeral notices announcing that so many of the children of the deceased are abroad and are therefore unable to attend the old man’s burial.”

As a development organization, we are eager to maintain the cohesiveness of the family unit so that fathers and mothers are able to be present as their children grow up.  Nevertheless, we recognize the complicated realities that cause people to make the decision to leave their family to go to a place where they can send money back to help pay the bills.  It’s not as easy as simply finding an equivalent job at home.

Continue in prayer with us as we work towards opportunities to come alongside people like Ronnie and envision alternative ways to overcome the hardships of an impoverished world.  Currently, we are excited that we have been able to come alongside Rina Escosura (pictured above) and help invest in her education that will, in turn, empower her to meet needs within her own local community surrounding Olongapo City.

By Brett Madron

In addition to being a wife and mother, I work as an R.N. at a local hospital as well as help care for health needs in our community here in Antioch. I am quite immersed in the realm of health care. I love to teach and empower those around me to take care of their bodies in order to circumvent preventable illness, and get the opportunity to do so through student-teaching one of the Institutes’s primary health care classes. I strongly feel that, as a community who desires to educate and empower the poor and forgotten, restoring  the health of people is foundational to such a pursuit. At this moment in my educational journey, I have realized that in order to adequately serve in my immediate context and in a third world setting, I need to be further equipped. For that reason, I am pursuing a Nurse Practitioner program. I have followed a unique course in regards to my educational path. I graduated from nursing school, enrolled in a biblical-missiological education at the Institute for G.O.D. Int’l, and am now pursuing further education in nursing.

Jaimee teaching a Introduction to Primary Health Care

In the the summer of 2005, when I first came into contact with G.O.D. Int’l, I was a headstrong young woman who thought I knew most everything about how human beings worked and I felt very authoritative because of the elite medical language I had obtained. However, very quickly after beginning my studies at the Institute for G.O.D. Int’l, I realized that I didn’t understand God, or human beings very well, and therefore failed to really know how to care for them at all. My trips abroad made me painfully aware that my nursing education was void of the spirit of God. I didn’t even know how to recognize very obvious signs of injustice or discern why a person was suffering. I had been trained in the business of health care, but it was Jesus’ example that would teach me how to look at a person, listen to their story, and touch them, using knowledge and compassion. I learned the vital distinction between treating a patient and restoring a person.

At the beginning of my summer internship with G.O.D. Int’l in 2005, I prayed that God would give me his eyes, ears, and heart. I learned that I couldn’t possibly change the world without understanding him. I enrolled in the Institute for G.O.D. Int’l, subjecting myself to the study of his word and receiving the opportunity to live out what I was learning in the context of a community.  Sometimes I wish I had received my biblical education before going into nursing school. But this time it will be different. I’m going into the Nurse Practioner program with entirely new eyes, ears, and heart. The word of God has changed the way I think, act, and even who I am. The world taught me how to make a powerful name for myself. But the word of God has taught me to deny myself and serve others with everything I have. That latter is what restores broken people.

Finishing nurse practitioner school will be a big step for me in becoming equipped for the vocation the Lord has for me and my family. Living it out in El Salvador with my community members will be an even bigger step. I can’t know for sure what health needs will present themselves in El Salvador. Whatever the context (one-on-one, at a clinic, in a formal school setting, in a community meeting, during a seminar, door to door, or while on a house visit), my goal is to be fully equipped to serve. I have the word of God in my heart and I am developing an additional occupational expertise in faith that the Lord will be able to use me to bring restoration to a margin of people that are too often neglected.

Written by: Jaimee Arroyo