Friends of ours (Dan and Carla Ernest) who had been supporters of and had sent their daughter to God Cares School missions trips, invited us to a fundraiser dinner. That was when we got to see and touch this incredible ministry, school and children's home. We were given an I believe Degna Horton was helping to host at our church, we selected a little girl, as we have three daughters and thought it appropriate to add another! A couple years later Degna and Julie Dimas were going on a summer mission trip to God Cares through Buyumba and were willing to chaperone our oldest daughter Chloe who was very interested in participating. Our 16 year old daughter sent out letters and collected donated items to sell at her own garage sales at our house, a good friend of hers helped her all day at one. Asking for donations, explaining her mission and desire to help and experience God Cares and her hard work collecting and selling in order to raise her own funds was a big boost to her character development.

The team gathered before the trip to learn how to build a key-stone garden that could grow food and be watered easily by recycling grey water and self-filtering it. Being with the godly team for the duration of the trip, meeting the happiest and poorest children she'd ever seen or known and watching the incredible and successful ministry and servants at God Cares blew her mind and gave her enormous perspective. Chloe came home telling us about the simple but delicious fresh food she tasted (avocados and pineapple), the simple life the children live and the culture she experienced. She was able to personally deliver gifts we sent with her to our sponsored daughter 'Ameria', and connect with many other children. She came home and told us how joyful, yet how poor, these students were, it impacted her greatly. She remembers giving her "flip flops" away to one of the children and said they were so excited and delighted. We then wished we had sent her with many many flip flops. We continued to support our God Cares student "daughter" through college and she has just graduated and we are now supporting another young child we a take through school. It is an HONOR to partner with Buyumba and God Cares, it is like the basket that carries our fish and loaves we offer to Jesus and he multiplies in the hands of the ministry of these saints who are the hands and feet of Jesus to these beautiful, ambiitious, grateful, bright children who grow to love the Lord and improve their country and futures!

If your teen has the opportunity and desire to join a missions team to God Cares, I can not recommend it highly enough. And make sure they work to earn the funds and have "skin in the game" it is an incredible gift you give to their education, heart, moral character, perspective and compassion for a LIFETIME.

It was 2005 and the first time that I heard the LORD speak to me loud and clear. I was a baby Christian, I hadn't even been saved for a year.

I'm walking down the hall of my church and I see a flyer for a mission trip to Uganda. I saw these beautiful children with smiles on their faces that only the LORD can provide.

THE LORD said, loud and clear, YOU MUST GO! I didn't even hesitate to grab the flyer and go through the process and preparations.

I was Blessed to meet Pastor Dongo at our first mission trip meeting. People were sharing their talents, skills and I thought, what can I possibly do? I asked Pastor Dongo, what if I don't have any skills, what can do? He simply asked me, "Can you Love these children." I started to cry and said, "YES, I can Love these children.

I noticed that Pastor kept referencing this Bible camp in Sept, and his face lit up every time. I thought, how fantastic does this Bible camp sound. Then the LORD spoke to me a second time, LOUD AND CLEAR.

ASK HOW YOU CAN STAY LONGER...

So I did, and everyone just stared at me. I asked exactly what the LORD said and then I stuttered and asked what does one do to stay and help out at the camp?

In true Pastor form, he said, "You will be fine"

Hmmmmm... I will be fine...

Of course in true Tracey Lynn fashion, I needed more specifics.

After the meeting had ended, I approached Pastor Dongo and asked, "So what does it mean, that I will be fine?"

He put his hand on my shoulder, and said that I would live with him and his family and that all I would need would be money for any personal expenses. I felt much better. From that moment on, I was his CANADIAN Daughter, and he called me, CANADAAAA

Pastor Dongo and I were standing on a hill looking over the city and the camp was only a week away. Although Pastor knew that GOD would come through, he had no idea where the money was coming from and time was running out.

The LORD then pushed me out of my comfort zone again. I sat down at this tiny internet cafe and I comprised an email asking my church for the money for this amazing camp. I sat there for approximately 30 minutes with my finger over the "send" button...hesitating, scared, however, driven by the LORDS strength, I hit send.

Three days later my church emailed me back, and they had raised all of the money and then some. Pastor Dongo and I cried at the news.

We shared another moment over looking over the city, THANKING GOD and praying. Pastor Dongo then said that I was his "Aaron"

I was a baby Christian and so I didn't know a lot of scripture, however I knew Exodus 17:12. It was ALL by the strength of the LORD and NOT me. I still weep when I reflect on that moment.

I first heard about Buyamba in 2013, when a former God Cares Student started 6th grade at Bethany Christian School, where I work. The picture is from 2023, a windy day in Thousand Oaks when Ivan came back to visit! It is my privilege to sponsor and pray for two boys at God Cares school, one in high school and one in elementary.

I can't remember what year it was, but we were visiting my husband's brother Jerry at his farm in New York state, at the same time as Pastor Dongo was there. It was a real pleasure to meet him, we had heard so much about him when Jerry was in Uganda. Kelly Kreps, a neighbor, came over and they were talking about possibly setting up a sponsorship program for the increasing number of AIDS orphans being taken in by families in Kabagala Pentecostal Church. Kelly wrote out a check, handed it to Pastor Dongo, and said, "Here's a sponsorship for one child." There was no thought of a school yet, but God Cares was launched in that moment.