Africa is becoming our home
Hi friends!
We’re in Uganda, Africa, where Erica and I collaborate with existing leaders to educate children. This is new, because the last 17 years Erica has been a part of a Bay Area organization who has educated 26 kids, and most of them have entered or are now entering life, beginning to build their futures. It’s beautiful. Erica was asked to become the Executive Director of S.A.N.D. and began a path where BayGanda would emerge. Today, I’m honored to serve the vision that I believe was placed in her heart from divine love, and I work alongside of her to see that vision become a reality.
We are collaborating with Ugandan leaders helping to develop their early education programs in existing, local schools. Instead of starting a new school, or schools, we want to sponsor, educate and support these impressive Ugandan leaders. Great things are happening here, and we believe in the future of Uganda. And the kids… they’re open and hungry. We walked into a class where elementary age children were being taught Chinese, they belted out to us in perfect unison, “Nihau!” They learned to say “Hi!” in Chinese only a few minutes before, vigorously writing on their paper so they wouldn’t forget. The children here understand at a young age that education is their path out of very real, third-world poverty. In the past two weeks we’ve been able to do teacher trainings for our friends James and Ananias (our first school collaboration), and help coach at a basketball camp for our friend Godwin. Every trip here we’re more and more woven into relationships. The boda bodas which surround us like schools of fish (mopeds), the women carrying just about everything on their heads, and children carrying water from the local well, it all has become normal to us. We bought a car and drive through the villages with people pointing and staring having never even seen “muzungus” before (foriegners). Africa is becoming home.
To Mexico. In 2024 we were able to accomplish more than any other year previous at our project in Punta Colonet, Baja California, Mexico. We are so grateful to Brian and Sandy, Sofia, Santi and Rebecca, Erika and Dolores, for their leadership of Buena Onda. We have an amazing team whose passion is to love children and build a lasting work in our dusty, Mexican pueblo that you’d miss if you blinked. People overlook this place, but I believe God has a special plan for the people there. In 2025, I’m expecting Buena Onda to blow the doors off the place–– This is our mandate:
“Every child in Punta Colonet educated, healthy, thriving in spirit
and with an opportunity for a future.”
Personally, I made a giant step of faith for 2025. I have been doing handyman work to help meet life needs the past year or so. I read a book called “Thirst”, which told the story of Scott Harrison who started Charity Water which provides clean, drinking water through wells around the world in it’s most impoverished areas. They just passed 1 billion dollars raised in 20 years. I was moved by Scott’s vision and grit, and by the faith of everyone in the organization. As I processed the story of Charity Water, I felt the inner leading to step away from my tool bags and move full-time into building our nonprofit efforts in Mexico and Uganda. I asked two of my oldest friends, Ben and Bill, to personally support me. They both stepped in and are providing 70% of my monthly salary. Fellas, thank you with all my heart. I’ll spend the first quarter of this year raising personal support and continuing the raise the resources needed to take our work to the next level in Mexico. We can’t rest until every kid is supported in mind, body, spirit and future.
Thank you everyone for your love. You are here with us as we do the work, because you send us to do it. We ask that you become a monthly giver (use the donation button on the navigation bar above), follow us on Instagram and tell as many people as you can about what we’re doing. I’m reminded of what Nataly’s abuela told me in the beginning when she donated the land for our project…
“…Just do something good with it.”
With love,
Chad.