Maybe it’s an age thing, but I read a quote today that reminded me once again of the need to have a plan for the ‘eternal’ things. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, ‘God has set eternity in the human heart’.

Rabbi Abraham Heschel writes, ‘Six days a week we wrestle with the world, wringing profit from the earth; on the Sabbath, we especially take care of the seed of eternity planted in the soul.’

Lord, show me what it means to care for the seeds of eternity in my soul, while helping others discover the seeds they have planted in theirs.

Psalm 139:23-24 says: ‘Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting’.

At CPA we have endeavoured over the years to be holistic in our approach, helping both partners and beneficiaries to grow in body, mind, soul, and spirit. One without the other makes for stunted growth in any of us. We have been on an extraordinary journey over the past 28 years, and we hope that we have planted seeds of eternal hope in many.

We recently received a delightful update from Julius in Kampala: One of our lads from Komamboga, who has been through difficult times in the past few years, had secured employment on the workshop floor in a local shoe factory. At school he had trained as an electrical engineer and achieved very good results. As a result of the training and his good work, he has been offered a position within the company as one of their electricians. We thank God for this news!

Please pray for the following.

Ethiopia:

• A truce which was signed between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF in November last year appears to be holding. Let us pray that this continues, and that people and communities can begin to look forwards again.
• It’s nearly impossible to imagine the pain that has been and is currently being felt. Father, we pray that time and your Spirit will bring a measure of peace to those traumatised by the events of the past two years.
• Food security remains a huge issue throughout the region. Recently food aid deliveries have been halted in the north due to misappropriation. Let’s pray that those with oversight will turn their attention away from themselves and towards the widows, orphans and the very poor.
• Peace talks have begun between the Ethiopian government and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLM). Ethnicity issues going back many years are the root cause for this conflict. Let us pray for eyes to be open and a realisation that we are all made in the image of God, and that the earth is His – Lord have mercy.
• Please pray for our good friend Million and his family, and Beletew and his team, as they continue serving the communities around the Rasa Goba/Afar region.

Uganda:

The news from both partners in Uganda remains positive. Please use these headlines in your prayers

North Kigezi:

• Nelson, Esther, Adeera and our latest project worker Naomi are all doing well.
• The children are all back in school.
• Naomi is heading up the new self-help groups, which are taking shape.
• Holiday clubs for the project children have allowed time for their learning outside of school, including the importance of healthy eating, sanitation, husbandry and much more.
• Bishop Rev Onesmus Asiimwe, who has been in post for several months now, has given his blessing to the North Kigezi projects.

Kampala:

• Julius continues to develop the family empowerment project for families living in the slums of Kampala. There are a lot of logistics and paperwork that need to be in place before he can begin.
• We are very grateful to our old friends at ‘Caring Hands’, a Kampala based charity, that have given Julius some great advice about how to prepare for, and set up a successful project in the slums, based on their own experience.
• Pray for all the great work that Julius’s charity (called ‘Reach the Unreached Ministry’) is doing amongst the poor of Kampala, including Julius’s work with the Komamboga children and young adults.
• Julius’s family – Harriet his wife, and Martha their daughter who is at university.