A new direction....a new message from the Founder

HEAL Ministries was birthed out of pain and love.  God used the trials in my own personal life to show others that He is still in control and that He uses all things to glorify Him.  HEAL Ministries' focus has always been orphans and widows, abandoned women and children.  In 2007, Heal Ministries was founded to launch teams throughout Central America, Africa and inner cities in the U.S.  We focused on orphans and widows and based the ministry on James 1:27.  We developed fast relationships with various orphanages all over the world.

In 2011, God made it very clear that the new direction and focus would be Uganda.  We listened and we responded.  We started sending teams to Uganda only in 2012 and I relocated to Uganda to learn all that I could learn about what God wanted us to do.  My son, Trey, also relocated to Uganda as God was calling him to this new adoptive land we have grown to love.  The HEAL Ministries board of directors faced trials in 2011 and we all made a decision to follow God's calling and His ministry no matter what.  Today, the board has reshaped the ministry in a positive direction and I have been refined in the process.  The board has worked so hard on the new vision, new direction, new logo, and new website and I am so pleased.

Uganda has a special place in the hearts of all involved with HEAL Ministries.  I am able to do what God has called me to do as the Director of Missions because He has given the same passion to all the board members that are able to carry out all board duties.  They work very hard at making sure that everything is done to the highest integrity and to honor God.  I get to work in the field, love on orphans and widows, abandoned women and children and receive teams.  While some think that I have given up alot, I would disagree.  I get the easy job.  I get to go and serve and love on people that are so fun to love on in Uganda and I get to live in the land that God has chosen for me for such a time as this.

The teams have always been the heart of the ministry.  There is no doubt that short term teams make a huge difference in the lives of those being served.  Usually, the ones that are on the teams have such life changing experiences that they can not even understand the depth of their impact on others.

God is shaping the ministry.  He is changing things according to His plan, not mine, not the boards.  It is a very exciting time in the ministry.  Some have asked about my health.  It is no secret that I have battled cancer the last three years, however the cancer does not define who I am in Christ.  I am wise with healthcare and treatment and listen to my doctors as to what I should do.  I will continue to serve faithfully until He gives me further instruction.  Until then, I'll serve Uganda with love and I pray that God will continue to pour out this passion into others to complete His will.  God will use me for as long as He desires and He will replace me when needed because it is definitely NOT about me.

After surgery in mid August, I'll have a few months of recovery and rest and then return to Uganda in January.  There, I'll return to my easy job of loving on the orphans and widows, abandoned women and children.  I am blessed...

Missing Uganda...

Molly Bibb was one of the team members this past summer that had the opportunity to serve in Uganda.  She is an example of how a family has been drawn to a land that she knew nothing about.  Why?  Because her teenage son went there a year before on a HEAL mission trip and wanted to see what all the excitement and talk was about.  This is what she discovered.....

Molly's journey in her own words....
Serving in Jinja, Uganda with HEAL Ministries this past summer was life changing.  Between helping with the orphans, painting an abandoned mom's room, sharing an art activity with the mothers in a malnourished program, and attending a Bible study in the slums with moms and children, we all enjoyed a broad range of rewarding experiences that immersed us in the local culture.

Here is the amazing thing.....in the short time that HEAL Ministries has been in Jinja, it was awesome to see the progress that has already been made.  God's message is being received with enthusiasm and hope.  Women in the slums that were competing for food and shelter are now supporting each other.  They care for each other's children when needed and are attending to the sick.  They are learning to become a family with each other because of what they have learned through HEAL.

The preschoolers in the orphanage sing about Jesus and are learning to read and write at just 3 and 4 years of age!  The young mothers that wanted to give their babies up for adoption are now choosing to raise their own with the help and education they are receiving from Tina and the Crisis Center.

Through the efforts of HEAL, lives are changing.  Not only the lives of those we served, but also for those that go to serve on the teams.  As a team member, we are forever changed to think about others first, to think about how we can make a difference in the future.

Now that we know the problems.........we can NOT ignore them.  Jinja is a beautiful place with beautiful people!  We were greeted with warmth and appreciation for our help and we can NOT wait to return so that we can serve these amazing people again and learn about God's love along the way.