Relationships Result in On-going Ministry
In 2006 Barb and Bryan Hoffman first visited Uganda with the goal of identifying ministry opportunities for the Santiam Christian School’s missions program. At that time the orphan crisis was at an all time high. Many children’s homes were rapidly taking in kids who had been abandoned or orphaned by the AIDS crisis. For the next 8 years, the Hoffmans led numerous teams from Santiam Christian to Uganda. There, the teams worked with a local children’s home and church in Ghanda Village. During these visits, relationships were formed with the staff and children being served at the children’s home. Many team members made repeat visits just to see the kids. As these relationships deepened, several families began providing financial sponsorship for over 17 kids.
In January of 2016 the Hoffmans took another trip to Uganda. By then, the children’s home had closed. Some of the children had aged out of their sponsorship. They heard stories of medical, spiritual, educational and emotional needs.
Finding these beloved children and young adults in crisis and without adult support and direction was the genesis of the rebirth of On Belay Ministries.
The following March, at a gathering of supporters - many who had participated in mission trips over the previous 10 years, the decision was made to form a non-profit that will help meet the needs of these children. God works in miraculous ways, and through His provisioning, the group was able to rebirth an existing non-profit. In a very short period of time - by November 2016 - OnBelay also received the necessary legal status in Uganda to operate as a foreign non-profit organization.
God Goes Before Us
Since the Spring of 2016, God has blessed the mission and vision and accomplished much. With the help of our supporters and by God’s guidance, On Belay has been able to:
Obtain our non-profit status in Uganda
Hired a Ugandan staff to oversee our operation
Worked with village leaders and government social workers to meet standards of compliance
Secured two houses, one for male and one for female students
Partnered with a local clinic to meet medical needs
Set up 2 young women in wedding dress business
Provided opportunity for starting small businesses
Hired social workers to provide career guidance
Enrolled 20 students in primary, secondary, trade school and university
Graduated 4 students from trade school, 2 mechanical engineers and 2 electrical engineers
Graduated 5 students from secondary school
Started a four acre farm, which allows us to grow our own food, provide a training ground, and provide an income stream for the ministry
This has been a true walk of faith. Full of new challenges and unexpected road blocks. But we kept coming back to the faces of the children God has put into our path.
Our Commitment to These, the Least
We could not walk away, even when there were so many. How could we begin to help them all? God’s answer was simple: You can’t. But right now you can help these. A little thing is a little thing, but faithfulness with a little thing is a great thing. We pray God will help us to be faithful with these few who are nearing independent adulthood and those others that he puts in our path in the years to come.
Our Current Projects
Learn more about our current projects here