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Founder's Report 2022
1st Jan 2023
The last two years have changed the world outside of us, and indeed the world on the inside of us. In my day-to-day conversations, one thing that continues to strike me is this growth in our realisation of our frailty and vulnerability. Covid-19, the Ukraine war and the economic crisis currently facing and already impacting many countries have all taken us into shared grief, shared fear, and indeed shared suffering. I have personally never felt so close to our brothers and sisters around the world, nor more able to see some of their own current experiences in mine. The world suddenly feels very small, and very uncertain.
In the light of this uncertainty, it would be easy to curl up on ourselves, distance ourselves from other people and their suffering, become hoarders and savers and worriers. I have myself, more than once, hesitated before giving to my neighbour in need just in case tomorrow I may need it.
Perhaps it is not the world that has changed though, but our perspective. We were lulled by the gentle and steady hum of life and its busyness. In 2 Corinthians 4:18 it reminds us that “the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal”. Humans are compared more than once in the scripture to grass, something that can die, and something that can be cut! Indeed, the world has not changed. It has always been this shaky, this temperamental, this scary, but we perhaps forgot this for a while…..
In Isaiah 40:31 it reminds us that those whose hope is in the Lord will “soar on wings like eagles”. It is a very different picture to what the world promises us, which seems to be nothing but trouble. It is a promise of freedom and of lightness from the weight of the world.
It is not the world, the government, our finances, our mortgaged house, nor our family that gives us security. Our security comes from a God who restores the years the locusts have eaten, who parts the sea so we can escape from our enemies, who steps into the fire with us and stops us from burning. He is a God who turns water into wine, and feeds the 5000 from two fishes and five loaves.
One of my favourite stories is Elijah and the widow at Zarephath. Elijah travels to Zarephath during severe drought and asks a widow picking up sticks to bring him some water and a piece of bread. She tells him she only has enough oil and flour for one last meal for her and her son before they will go on to die of hunger. Through her obedience to feed the person in need God asked her to, Elijah, the Lord performs a miracle and the flour and the oil do not run out until the rains start again.
Likewise, I have watched as you, our supporters, our volunteers, our staff and our trustees, have given sometimes from your last oil and batch of flour to those in need through this ministry. I feel so incredibly humbled to be a leader in such a ministry where people love and give regardless of the storm outside, and when their own pantries are dwindling. I constantly learn from and feel moved by this family of ours, and the kingdom work God continues to do through it. Biojemmss is so blessed to have the dedicated, and servant-hearted staff, trustees, and volunteers that it does, who have continued to stand unwaveringly in the storm and I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to them for their support. Biojemmss is what it is because of the love and generosity of so many people who have given, sacrificially, what they have to give.
God has not only continued to grow and protect Biojemmss, but also how he has stretched and strengthened the staff, volunteers and young people. Like last year, I am confident that we as a ministry are emerging from this year stronger than ever before. Indeed, this year we have seen consistency in financial giving, and also positive responses to our one-off online appeals. We remain committed to supporting The Biojemmss Organisation, Uganda and the exciting vision it has to develop the land and build facilities that will enable it to expand its work with local communities and continue to reach some of the most vulnerable children in Ugandan society, especially emerging from the aftermath of this global crisis. We are particularly pleased to report that our fundraising for the buildings has commenced alongside several new and creative initiatives to meet the needs that are emerging during this time.
We as Biojemmss consider ourselves family and you, who support us, volunteer with us, and pray for us, are part of that family and we want you to know that you matter to us, we see you, and we love you. We know, and trust, that God will bless your pantries to outlast whatever storm we, and you and your families personally, are passing through. May the Lord bless you abundantly, protect you, and restore all to you, above all, your peace.