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Honoring Mike!

Matthew Kuntz:The children’s mischievous eyes and easy laughter couldn’t help but remind me of all of the good-natured trouble that Mike and I had gotten into during our younger years.

After graduation, I followed Mike into the Infantry. After following my friend around for all those years, it broke my heart to see his casket lowered into the ground at the West Point Cemetery. It was hard for me to comprehend why I limped out of the Army on a Ranger School-wrecked ankle, while we lost Mike in Iraq. He was a family man with two kids. I don’t even have a dog. In a rational world, it would’ve been me in that casket. After his funeral, I spent the next couple of months wrapped up in grief and survivor’s guilt, before Mike actually led me out of it. I kept coming back to the fact that he was killed on a mission to deliver toys to Iraqi children. It soon became clear to me that I could continue Mike’s last mission to bring security, hope, and joy to some of the world’s most troubled children. The combination of the security situation in Iraq and my weak ankle led me to focus my efforts on another part of the world. I settled on Uganda, because the United Nations had labeled it the worst place in the world to be a child. The country is wracked by civil war, AIDS, malaria, and systemic poverty. It was clear that they could use the help. Read story - pdf doc.

Updates from the Youth in Uganda

19th Annual Catholic AIDS Ministry Conference

John Mary Lugemwa, OSB attended the National Annual Catholic AIDS Ministry Conference at Loyola University in Chicago between July 12th - 16th. Theconference was organized by the National Catholic AIDS Network and the College Leaders' Program that John Mary was part of, was partly sponsored by the Catholic Relief Services.

Priest Lends Uganda a helping hand

Fr. Michael Lillpopp was featured in Mass Live (the Republican) in July 2006.

WESTFIELD - While many people plan to take time out and relax on their annual vacations, the Rev. Michael Lillpopp chooses to do something different.

The assistant pastor of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Church here is also president of the Uganda Rural Fund USA, Inc. Instead of taking a relaxing vacation, he returns to Uganda, one of the poorest countries in the world, to check on the progress of a school and several other projects that the relief agency has undertaken. Read full article.

Claye & Janine Chamberlin

Andrea & Glen Weatherly

Len & Anne Stroh

Pete & Joyce Caswell

Neil & Bev McLennan

Scott & Cathy Harriman

Anonymous   

Barb & Don Paullos

Barb & Geoff Cousineau

Steve & Joy Fera

Diane Morris of Vancouver donated funds for Richard (one of our middle class students who lives with his grandma) to go to the eye doctor in masaka and get glasses. Emma Catchpole, Also of BC, Canada was so touched that we were buying little Richard glasses that she donated like 30 pairs of glasses all with percription index stickers still on them. Now all we have to do if find 30 people who need corrective vision! Nabakooza I know needsa pair...so that is one down :)

Thank you so much!