On a beautiful morning on the 15th of February 2021, chairs were neatly arranged in a large wide semi-circle next to the existing Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at CURE Children’s Hospital of Uganda (CURE Uganda). Co-workers and guests gathered for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new laundry building being constructed and relocated to create space for a new ICU.
After a beautiful moment of prayer following praise and worship, Pastor Fred Wangwa, Spiritual Director of CURE Uganda, welcomed everyone and recognized Ronald Mugabi, CEO of Gabikan Engineering Inc., the construction firm for the project. He spoke about how the laundry building is the first step in the bigger plan to create additional space for a new, larger, and upgraded ICU to be built in the near future.
Pastor Fred spoke while holding up a plumb line, “You need this for every building project, as it’s a tool that helps keep your walls and edges straight.” Pastor Fred then asked us to turn to the book of Amos 7:7-8.
“Thus He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold I am about to put a plumb line In the midst of My people Israel. I will spare them no longer.”
Pastor Fred explained that God was holding the plumb line and shared with us how we can have our houses built nicely plumbed but our lives remain crooked. He urged guests to build their houses on strong solid rock (Jesus) and plumb their lives according to the Word of God.
By trusting in God’s provision, the dream to grow CURE Uganda has come to fruition. Executive Director Tim Erickson explained, “A few years ago, we had a meeting with a team from Engineering Ministries International (EMI) and developed a Master Site Plan for the hospital. We did not have the funds for new construction, only faith, and God brought forth some faithful donors, including our friends from the CURE Canada Board of Directors, who believe in what CURE Uganda is doing.” Tim went on to say, “I find it rather humbling to think of us continuing to build during such hard times, where many organizations have closed down. It is only by God’s grace. I can’t explain other than God’s miraculous provision. We are co-workers with God, and our work is to make God’s glory known.”
The plans for the new laundry building were shared with CURE Uganda co-workers in the General Services Department to make sure it would meet all the expressed needs. “Everything about this new building was done intentionally with our co-workers in mind,” Tim shared. Before the ground was broken, Sister Anita Kirunda said a prayer. “Father God, we want to say thank you for providing the resources, thank you for the workers, and we ask for your protection on everyone involved in this project. We come against the spirit of unnecessary delays in the mighty name of Jesus! The team got ready with their tools waiting for the signal from Pastor Fred to break ground and get the laundry building construction underway. “In the name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,” Fred prayed and all co-workers cheered with claps as they began digging.
About CURE International
CURE International is a Christian nonprofit organization that operates a global network of pediatric surgical hospitals, which serve one of the world’s most marginalized and vulnerable populations – children with disabilities. Patients at CURE hospitals suffer from orthopedic, neurosurgical, and maxillofacial conditions that limit their mobility/functionality and opportunities for education and employment. In addition to world-class clinical service, CURE intentionally ministers to the emotional and spiritual needs of patients in its care and invests in training programs that aim to equip the next generation of health workers and strengthen national health care systems. Since inception, CURE has conducted more than 5.3 million patient visits and 330,000 surgical procedures around the world. For more information, visit https://cure.org/.
