Psalm 68:5-6 – “Father of orphans, champion of widows, is God in his holy house. God makes homes for the homeless…”
Psalm 113:7-8 – “…and he lifts the poor from the dirt and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, even the princes of his own people!”
It really is difficult to put into words our tour of Watoto Child Care Ministries. I’ve told the story of Gary and Marilyn Skinner moving to Kampala to plant a church in 1983. Fast forward 9 years to 1992, when God began to deal with Gary about caring for the orphans of Uganda. I’ve already mentioned the brutal dictators and civil wars that Uganda has endured. These civil wars together with the AIDS pandemic (more about AIDS in a later update) have left 2 million children orphaned in Uganda. This is a hard number to fathom. That’s the population of Memphis and Birmingham combined. Just stop and think about it – 2 million orphans.
This might sound really simplistic, but to me, the greatest thing they did was start. Why that first step is such a challenge to most of us, I don’t know. Maybe it’s fear of failure, fear of long-term commitment, or feeling like you’re not ready or you don’t have enough resources, or in the case of Uganda, the need is too great. There are a thousand excuses to wait until a more opportune time. I’m reading a really cool little book right now called The Big Moo, by Seth Godin. It’s kind of a crazy little book, but there is one chapter that’s all about this tendency we have to feel like we’re not ready. The German philosopher Goethe gave us this great bit of wisdom – “Whatever you can do, or dream, begin it. Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it. Begin it now!” Fourteen years later, the Skinners are caring for approximately 1500 children (with a vision and plans to care for 10,000 children in Uganda), and they’re expanding like crazy with hundreds of acres and buildings going up all around. But it didn’t start that way. It started with a conviction and a heart to do something. They rented a small house and started with one child at a time. They found a small house in a rough part of Kampala and started taking in children – 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and on and on.
We started off Monday morning touring their two largest campuses, which were about 45 minutes from Kampala. They were absolutely beautiful and excellently maintained. I wish you could have seen how nice the classrooms were…and the homes where the children live…and the meeting areas. It was awesome. At the end of the day we had the opportunity to tour their most recent addition – a home for abandoned babies, right in the heart of Kampala. They’re just completing renovations on this home they purchased in a great area of Kampala, where they will be able to care for up to 60 babies. It’s a beautiful home, and as I walked through those rooms I could just picture all those little babies, God’s babies, many of whom are literally left to die in garbage dumps. I felt God’s presence, His mercy and love, and could hardly hold back the tears. Right now they’re waiting for just the right person to manage that home. A pediatric doctor would be ideal. Let’s believe with them.
The highlight of the day for me was having lunch with Marilyn Skinner in a little open air café across the street from their church, Kampala Pentecostal Church. She passionately described hers and Gary’s story and the story of Watoto (”Watoto” is a Swahili word for “children”) from that small home in Kampala, to where they are today. Their children’s choir has performed for President Bush twice. It was an amazing hour with an amazing person. I preached a few weeks back in our church about being in the presence of someone great, and how it expands and inspires you. On Monday it was true again for me.
There’s so much more I could write about, but this is getting long. Make sure you pop over and look around their website – www.watoto.com
A few closing thoughts:
- Next summer we’re going to send multiple teams here to help build Watoto homes, and also to provide medical assistance. FYI – Next year our world missions emphasis is going to be Africa. I’d also love to try to connect some teams again with my friends Dave and Jean Ohlerking, who are leading Children’s Cup down in Southern Africa, where the AIDS crisis is even greater. We’re working right now on all the details for the trips next year. Stay tuned.
- Next month at a special conference, the Skinners are unveiling a partnership program where a church in the US or other Western country can partner with a church in Africa to build a home for orphans. Their vision is to see 10,000 such partnerships with an ultimate goal of caring for 1,000,000 orphans throughout Africa! Is that awesome or what?! One staggering statistic that I’ll talk about in a future update on AIDS is that by the year 2010 (only four years from now), there will be an estimated 50 million children orphaned because of AIDS throughout the continent of Africa. This dilemma is the responsibility of the church, not world governments. As Marilyn said to me, “Why would God call the government to take care of His children?” It could be the church’s finest hour to show the world that we can mobilize to meet this need. More about that later…
Hi Pastor John,
Thanks so much for taking time to share about your awesome visit with Marilyn Skinner. It’s so inspiring to hear about the lives that the Skinners, KPC, and Watoto are touching. I can’t wait to build a Watoto home next year!
We love y’all and are praying for you all while you’re away.
Erin
We will add this to our prayer list at home…the Church will be able to meet these needs abundantly.
Vasan
We heard your heart!
Thank God for Gary Skinner.
Can’t wait to have you and your teams come cry with us in Swaziland and Mozambique–tears of grief at the plight of the children and tears of joy at the 3000 whose lives we have changed with Jesus’ love.
Dave & Jean Ohlerking
Children’s Cup International Relief
hey john
great post. makes me really glad to be a missionary!
stepping out to devote one’s life to full-fime missions is a big decision–and not one to be taken lightly. however, even though the task is hugely intimidating, we are simply tools God uses to get the job done, as you said, one child at a time.
looking forward to having you visit us in Swaziland soon.
“It could be the church’s finest hour to show the world that we can mobilize to meet this need.”
That exact thought has dominated my mind since my first overseas mission trip in 2003. Then I see the fruitful efforts of ministries like Watoto and Children’s Cup and it fires me up! It’s high time that the world’s picture of the Church is one of deep compassion matched with relentless action – let it be said of God’s people that they’re the ones who get things done – all for His glory!
Hi John,
It’s a blessing to read your articles from time to time when I can, I got to know you when you served as a district Pastor at the Nairobi Lighthouse, and it encourages me to see that you still have the same passion and heart for those things that touch Gods heart like you did then and are rapidly gaining pace. Keep writing!!
In Christ
Muthuri
I see you are special guests at Hillsong Australia. God Bless
it is a great testimony.
God bless you and let every one who cares become apart of this great effort.
Eddy Kampala
Thanxs for all you do to help just get just one more orphan on board.
keep it up
I continually thank God for Ps Gary and Auntie Marilyn, through them there is hope in Uganda for the orphaned child and the widowed mother. It is by accepting God’s will for their lives that this has been able to happen. They are such a blessing and we love them so much.
Watoto is raising the next generation of Ugandan leaders, and I am so happy that at some point these very young children will be the ones making important decisions for Uganda, just because someone accepted God’s call on their lives.
This leaves me with a question to think about- Am I ready to change this world by following wherever God leads me?
Praise the Lord.
I thank the Almighty for the provision of these couple as a vessel for his works. My eyes were watery after watching DVD of the LA tour.
My the Good Lord bless each one of you children abdundantly and may all your drams be realised. I was especially touched in the individual’s testimony of his or her aspirations.
May the Lord bless the Pastor and wife for the great work. Your work is a challege to us other Christians.
Love all of yous.
Ski.
God does amazing things and to me it is amazing and incredidle to have Pastor Gary come to Uganda and look after the sweet liitle innocent souls robbed of their joy but all that cannot be mourned about but instead thank the Lord.
keep it going.
Hi,
Our church here in the little town of Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada is also assembling a team to go to Watoto in the spring of 2008. This will be the second time a team will go from Quesnel. We are all amazed at what the Skinners have accomplished and look forward to helping. Your article was very interesting to read.
God bless,
Shelley
Through an interesting series of events, it looks like I am going to have the priviledge of coming to Uganda with a heart that aches for the children.
Please let me know in what way I can be of service to you in your efforts witht he Skinners. My bags are open, my heart is open, and my ear is open for God’s leading.
Are there any more resources to find out about the Skinner’s work, like a book or archive of articles that I can put together and use to show my church about what you are doing there?
Barbara Snow
Hello,
I will like to know what is required to become a lifetime missionary in Watoto. Venezuelan by birth, I have recently moved to Canada from the USA. I had the pleasure of seeing the children sing a week ago here in Vancouver Island, and I fell in love with them. So much love…
I want to help! I am interested in some information about living in Watoto as a volunteer. What’s the process and what does it take? I am a member of Bethel Tabernacle Church here in Ladysmith, one of the churches where the children sang.
Will you be so kind as to send me the information to my e-mail address: Blueunicorn8911@hotmail.com
I look forward to your reply.
Yours Truly,
Dharma ~
After I saw the Watoto choir I knew that I wanted our Girl Scout troop to go to Uganda and help out at the hospitals, homes, and at Bulrush. We saw them at a church, it changed my life. My brother says that he wants to be a minister in a Watoto village. I have seen the choir three times and was so sad when I heard they won’t be back in Portage for four years! Most of the girls cried while they watched the slide show. I hope you all felt the same way I did. How old does someone have to be to come to Uganda and help build part of the village? I am nine years old. Thank you very much.
Sincerely,
Natalie Sturdy
Portage, Michigan USA
It was nice that the above project was started and indeed i don’t know how i can extend my sincere apprecaition for the great work yu doing, but let God bless all your efforts, amen, 256774806265
This is a most powerful article about the need of watoto children. I remembered watching such beautiful songs with precious smile from watoto singing ministry in Sierra Vista Arizona…I will keep you in my prayers. I wish that you can come and visit us here in American Samoa.
God bless
Vaesavali Vaiuta Steffany
Thanks alot for sharing your experience with us. I have been touched by your experience, may God bless the Skinners for the great work of bringing hope to the hopless and disadvantaged children of Africa Uganda in particular. we ‘re proud of them and we’re believing God to join hands with the Skinners in order to help build God’s kingdom. God bless you king size. amen
you guys are awesome
you guys have warm kind hearts
i love u
wow!
I was so impresed when you came to my church and sang and danced.it was the best show ever because you used your minds and hearts to sing for us and we appreasheate it so mutch.we are visiting yor watoto childrens village to build a school house i hope we get so see you again.
on behalf of dundas street church woodstalk canada
lotsa love haillie grube
I wept while reading your entry. I’m beginning my first effort for African orphans next month. I’m bringing 10 bags of medicine and medical supplies to orphans in the Tayna Region of DRC. God has diverted me through Entebbe with a two day layover and I’m certain it’s to see Watoto for myself. I would like to coordinate future trips with your church group if that’s possible. So far, I’m traveling solo. Thanks for your story about this amazing and inspiring project for the children.
que DIos los siga bendiciendo erin, michael y todos
hey john,
i really think this is inspiring. well, in school we were asked to do a project for africa in social studies class. our teacher told us to write down our top 3 choices of what we wanted to research on. as i was thinking hard about this, i remember when my mom’s friend took me to a watoto children’s choir concert. this first thing i wrote down was watoto. as a 12 year old, i don’t fully understand the seriousness of these kids, but i wanted to help. i handed in my paper and about 10 minutes later my teacher called me over to her. she said, “what’s watoto?” i replied saying it’s a village in uganda africa that takes in kids that have been abanded, their parents have died of HIV or AID’s, or that they’re just left alone. she then said, “you got it.” and circled the word watoto on my paper. i was so pround because i got to introduce this village to my class, and make everyone aware. i’m still working on my project, and i’m trying to get all the information i can. i’m hoping i’ll be able to use my poster for some type of fundraser i might be able to do with my friends. i’d really like to help, because i know how much things i have, and how little others have.
god bless gary and marilyn,
good luck with everything.
(: <3
Hey Pastor.
I live in Cape Town and i was at Hillsong sisterhood on saturday the 5th sep 2009 and Marilyn was preaching there. I was so blessed and the Lord spoke so well and things that i needed confirmation on, the Lord made them clear in that service.God has given me a heart for our continent. Been at a place where i feel like God wants to release me now. i studied theology and community development at Cornerstone Christian College and im currently working for Habitat for Humanity South Africa in Cape Town. I want to move to Uganda and be part of the ministry you doing that side. Please get hold so we can engage more.God is saying its prime time, its time…
I will realy appreciate hearing from you.Much blessing. Bonolo