The Vision of PROJECT GULU 61!

Wednesday, July 30, 2008 at 10:34am

So between the months of March to May 2007, God granted to me a vision of raising funds to assist in the building of a village in Northern Uganda, with Watoto Childcare Ministries... Several people have asked that I share this vision in written form.. so here it is! (For the video, it is posted on my wall)The Journey behind Project Gulu 61In March 05, my Mum and I went to a large women's conference, held by Hillsong Church in Australia. At the conference we heard and met one of the key speakers, Marilyn Skinner with Watoto Childcare Ministries, based in Kampala. If you already know about Watoto, forgive me for continuing, but you never know. So we heard about their ministry and their vision which is to 'Raise the next generation of Ugandan Leaders by discipling parentless children for Christ'. It is an incredible ministry whereby they take 8 orphaned children and place them in a home with one mother, which becomes their new family for life. They currently have 3 villages, looking after about 1800 children, in a variety of capacities. Groups from around the world raise funds to build the homes. So when we heard the ministry, God just grabbed a hold of our hearts. After speaking with my Dad, my parents decided to finance a home. However unexpectantly, 4 months later my Mum died. So, my Dad decided that the 6 of our family would not just send the money but that we would go and physically build it and dedicate it to her (which we did last Easter 07). Little did we know how her dream would spread. At the start of 06, my high school students that I teach heard what we were doing and asked if they could build one too. Initially I thought raising $20,000 was too much for a group of students to accomplish. However we started and ended up raising over $45,000.

So last year in July I took 32 parents, students and staff to Kampala to build 2 homes. What an amazing privilege!So.. the birth of Project Gulu 61 - The Beginning!In March last year I went back to the same conference and Marilyn was speaking again. This time she shared Watoto's new vision which is to build a village/community in a similar format to rehabilitate the child soldiers in Gulu, Northern Uganda. To tell you the whole story would take too long but at one point in the conference I had the most profound spiritual experience that I have ever had in my life. Bobbie Houston stood on stage knowing that many of the 17,000 women present wanted to contribute to the cause. We were all ready to put in the buckets the money that we held in our hands when Bobbie presented an unusual yet divine challenge. Rather than putting our money in the buckets she said ‘I believe God wants to do something far greater in the Spirit, so take that money which is in your hand and take it back to your world and see what God would do with it! It was as if a physical weight fell on my shoulders and I knew that this project was something I had to do. Despite the 17,000 women around me, I was overwhelmed because the $50 I held in my hand, I felt could literally change the world. Like Jesus feeding the 5000, I felt that this small and insignificant amount (my fish/bread) Christ could multiply in a profound way to 'Feed the 5000' and beyond.. And so that whole day I could not concentrate because I needed to know how God would have me spend this money. At 11pm that night I sat there desperate to hear his voice! I waited from 11pm til 1am when He spoke so clearly. He said 'Buy 100 stamps (postage)'... I was like 'What??' (btw.. our stamps in Aust cost 50c so 100 x 50c = $50). And then the Holy Spirit said 'Write 100 lettters to 100 businesses and see what I will do!' It was absolutely incredible! And so that was my plan!2 weeks later my family were in Uganda building Mum's house. We finished so early that My dad wanted us all to go on a 3 day safari. Immediately I felt anxious, knowing that I could not go. And so I stayed back by myself and found myself one night again asking God to answer.. I was happy to write letters but for what purpose??? I was again desperate to know what God would have me do.. Not intentionally, but I sat down at 11pm waiting for God to speak. I again waited from 11pm-1am when He spoke once again in a clear voice! '$100,000, $200,000... no, $1 Million dollars!'. It was incredible because it honestly freaked me out because that was far too huge for me! I saw God take a $20,000 vision and multiply it into $45,000. But once again, God challenged me with the question 'Bec, do you think it is too hard for me??'. And so I wrote the letters and had the 100 ready to go.. however I was wondering where I was meant to send them.To this, God responded 'I'll show you'.

So as I started sharing the vision with people one on one, people began giving me names to send them to. About the 8th letter I realized what was happening.. As I shared the vision, God would give me one name! Oh, so I was going to have to share this vision 100 times or more!! And so currently (as of Tuesday 29th July 08) I have sent out 93 letters with only 7 to go. This past Saturday God revealed that all 100 letters are to be sent by this Friday 1st August!! So I'm praying for those last 7 letters to be sent in 3 days remaining!! Along the way, particularly in February this year, I wondered whether God was doing anything because I felt like nothing was happening. However several months ago, in such a powerful way, The Holy Spirit convicted me that nothing would happen until I had sent all the letters out. So at this point, I am just waiting for God to reveal where the last letters are to be sent. God is so incredible and is in complete control.. And so this is the background of my vision. The whole village and community and church will cost several million dollars... the vision of Proj Gulu 61 of raising one million seems so small yet I find great encouragement in the fact that it is truly HIS vision not mine!! I am fully confident that God will provide the funds. God has given me a name for the project 'Project Gulu 61'... from Isaiah 61:1-4.. 'The Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me bind up the brokenhearted, to set the captives free and release from darkness the prisoners'.The Lord gave me Ephesians 3:20 several years ago to use as a prayer.. it is my prayer that He would 'do exceedingly, abundantly more than all we could ever ask, think or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us for HIS GLORY'!

The point of sharing this before the fulfillment of Project Gulu 61 is out of faith and as an act of obedience. Way back in the beginning God challenged me with 'Bec, if you are not willing to share the vision in faith before a cent has been given, then the fiulfillment of the vision has no power!'If you have made it this far, thank you! And join with me in thanking God in anticipation for all that He is going to do! The letters are purely His 'vehicle' to bring GLORY to His name, across the earth! It's not even about the letters.. It's not even about this vision, but it is ALL about Jesus Christ and His GLORY!'Not to us O Lord, but to your name, be glory'

Blessings to you, wherever this note finds you!Bec ScalesCheck out this video. It will give you the visual understanding. It's also posted on my wall.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB_EJYSejdM

PROJECT GULU 61 - Child Soldiers of Northern Uganda. This is the video that was shown at the conference last year, along with INVISIBLE CHILDREN, which initiated this God-given vision (as described in my posted note).