2007 was a banner year for HUMBLE United Methodist School and the sixteen children in Primary Seven who became the first graduating class. They sat for their National Primary Leaving Exams, administered at registered schools around the country in early November with results being posted in January – just in time to make applications to the available secondary schools. Scores run from an aggregate 1 (best score) and higher, with 28 being the highest acceptable score most secondary schools will accept. We are thrilled to report that all 16 of the HUMS students scored 14 or better and all were accepted at Hilton High School, in the Mukono district. It is a combined academic and vocational school so each student will be allowed to pursue the path most appropriate for each of them.
The majority of these 16 had experienced sporadic education prior to HUMS and yet through their own efforts, the efforts of an extraordinary and dedicated teaching staff and the extravagant generosity of donors at Crossroads, they have thrived and excelled.
Although now in secondary one, these sixteen children are still considered part of the HUMBLE community and are one of the three priorities of the Crossroads HUMBLE call group. Crossroads has received a detailed annual budget for the secondary students. Like US schools, secondary schools are more than twice the cost than primary. The cost for each secondary student is expected to be about $3200 per student.
Hope for Africa Children’s Choir
The East Africa Annual Conference of the United Methodist church has established a new ministry for Orphans and Vulnerable children. This expands on how HUMBLE United Methodist School has been serving some of the needy children in Uganda.
The first accomplishment of this new ministry is the formation of the Hope for Africa Children’s Choir. This choir is composed of 23 orphaned children, some of whom had been living in the Internally Displaced Persons camps in the war torn area of Gulu. Together with the 11 adults who care for them, instruct them in their classes and in their music they live at the Hope for Africa Children’s Choir and Academy in the village of Nasuti.
In April this first choir will start a tour of several UM conferences in the US, beginning in Texas at the General Conference of the UMC. General Conference is held every 4 years as leaders from the UMC from around the world gather to discern and discuss the mission of the church.
The choir will be traveling to Ashburn on Thursday July 3, staying until they move on to Milwaukee on July 9 for the final leg of their trip. They will be leading us in worship on Sunday July 6 with another concert scheduled for that evening. We are asking families to prayerfully consider if they can host some of the members of the choir at their homes for the duration of the visit. For the well being of the children, families are asked to host either one adult female with three girls or one adult male with two boys. For more information contact the Uganda Missions Team
Uganda UMVIM Trip 2008
The dates for Crossroads Annual UMVIM trip to Uganda have been confirmed as July 10 through 25. This year's team will be spending time with staff and children at HUMBLE School, helping in the final construction stage of the clinic, visiting Uganda UMC churches and hopefully scheduling a visit with the secondary students at Hilton High School. As always, our primary mission is not to take Jesus to the people in Uganda but to encounter Jesus there, share our stories and histories and build relationships that will endure forever.
If you are interested in participating please contact Jen Score.
Virginia Community Clinic
The goal of a HUMBLE clinic that will serve not only the children and staff at HUMS but also serve the Lukojjo community is nearing realization. It has been a work in progress for several years, with groundbreaking taking place in 2005 but limited funds have prevented the construction from being completed. With funds raised by the Virginia Annual Conference the slab and walls were competed but then work was forced to stop until additional funds were available. In 2007 the roof was completed just in time for the dedication ceremonies in August. What remains is the finishing work on the walls and floors, electrical and plumbing and the installation of glass windows. Some of this we hope to accomplish during the July UMVIM trip.
Crossroads has received a detailed, professional Bills of Quantity with the breakdown of the entire construction of the clinic. What remains is approximately $35 -$40,000 of material and labor. Some of this labor will be provided by UMVIM volunteers. The rest will be local skilled and 
unskilled laborers.
The Uganda UMC is currently working on the plan for the operations of the clinic, with a full time nurse, part time doctor and regular UMVIM volunteers. We will be working closely with the General Board of Global Ministries and UMCOR to see if any funds are available to supplement the operation of the clinic, particularly in the areas of malaria and HIV/AIDS the leading causes of death in both children and adults.
