BIG Love in the time of Covid-19

The James Place has been far from normal this year due to COVID, but thankfully we have been able to have some staff working on and off, and we even had some wonderful interns come and serve. It has been such a joy to watch our interns develop relationships with staff and use their gifts and talents to serve The James Place. From creating fun crafts for the childcare kids to learning how to roll paper beads, our interns got a taste of what life is like at The James Place - even in the midst of a global pandemic. I was really encouraged by their hearts for our women and children and the ways they poured into each staff member they encountered.

At the end of May, we had some exciting changes take place. My husband John was hired on as the Operations Director at The James Place! Our staff has welcomed him with open arms, and I have loved seeing how excited they are to have a Ugandan male in leadership. Getting to lead The James Place as a team for the last two months has been an honor, and I am so encouraged at how happy and excited our staff is about the new transition. John has spent the last couple of months developing relationships with staff, getting to know the systems in place, and helping improve our property. He is such a great asset to have on the team!

After a six-week lockdown, we were able to open The James Place gates back up on August 4th to 20% capacity. It’s not much, but it’s so nice to have a few staff coming again. COVID restrictions in Uganda have constantly been changing this year, so while we don’t know exactly what the rest of the year will hold, we are hopeful that things will continue to open back up slowly. We are excited to be able to serve ALL our women and children again SOON!

Rebekah McKerley Etyang, Director of The James Place