In 2019, two ordinary men boarded a plane to Uganda. Neither imagined that God was inviting them to become part of a story that would transform hundreds of children’s lives.

Mike Noland and Karsten Mickelson weren’t searching for a new project or planning to start a nonprofit. They simply wanted to see how God might use them.

What they discovered would stay with them forever.

Hidden among the rural villages of Zirobwe was a tiny makeshift school serving just 40 children. Calling it a “school” almost felt generous. Rough wooden posts held up a rusted, leaking metal roof. The floor was dirt. There was no electricity. No running water. No books. No playground. A small mud shack served as the kitchen, where meals were cooked over an open fire using hot rocks. Most days there wasn’t enough food to prepare even a simple porridge for the children.

Two volunteer mothers, with no formal teacher training, were faithfully doing everything they could to teach the children with no curriculum, very few supplies, and almost no resources.

What they saw was heartbreaking.

What they didn’t see was even more devastating.  Hundreds of children from the surrounding villages weren’t in school at all.

Although Uganda provides government education, “free” education isn’t truly free for families living in extreme poverty. Parents are still responsible for uniforms, exercise books, school supplies, testing fees, report card fees, and other mandatory expenses. For families struggling simply to find enough food each day, these costs are impossible. The nearest government school was also too far away for most young children to safely walk each day.

For countless children, poverty had already decided their future before they ever had the opportunity to dream.

Education was out of reach.  Hope was disappearing.  The needs were overwhelming. It would have been easy to walk away believing the problems were simply too great.

Instead, Mike and Karsten boarded the plane home carrying something they hadn’t brought with them—a burden God had placed on their hearts.

They didn’t have a strategic plan.  They didn’t have funding.  They didn’t know exactly what the future would look like.

They simply knew they couldn’t forget the children of Zirobwe, and they couldn’t return to the comfort of their homes — and NOT help these children.

So they simply began sharing what God had placed on their hearts.

They shared what they had seen with family, friends, and churches. One conversation became another. One person shared with another. As people listened, God began stirring hearts. Compassion turned into prayer. Prayer turned into action. Soon, Loving Hearts Foundation for Africa (LHFA) was established in the United States, while Loving Hearts Foundation Ltd. (LHFL) was formed in Uganda. Together, the two organizations became one ministry with one mission: helping children discover hope through Christian education, nutritious meals, practical life skills, and the life-changing love of Jesus Christ.

No one could have imagined what God would do next.

One answered prayer led to another.  One generous donor inspired another.

One child became ten. Ten became fifty.  Fifty became hundreds.

Year after year, God continued writing a story that only He could author.

Today, that fragile one-room school has become Jireh Preschool & Primary School, serving 267 children from Preschool through Primary Six.

Where children once learned on dirt floors beneath a leaking roof, they now study in permanent classrooms.

Where there was no clean water, there is now a borehole providing safe drinking water for both the school and the surrounding community.

Where children once tried to learn on empty stomachs, every student now receives two nutritious meals every school day.

Where two untrained volunteer mothers once carried the entire school, there are now 16 dedicated Ugandan teachers and staff faithfully investing in the next generation.

God has miraculously provided ten acres of farmland that helps sustain the school, feed the children, and teach valuable agricultural skills that families can use for generations to come. He has also provided classrooms, a school kitchen, sanitation facilities, books, uniforms, school supplies, certified teachers, and opportunities that once seemed impossible.

Most importantly, hundreds of children are hearing the Gospel and discovering that they are deeply loved by Jesus Christ.

But this story has never been about buildings.  It has always been about children.

Every classroom means another child has the opportunity to stay in school.

Every meal allows a hungry child to concentrate on learning instead of an empty stomach.

Every uniform gives a child dignity and confidence.

Every lesson opens the door to a brighter future.

Every Bible story reminds a child that they were created by God, loved by God, and have immeasurable value.

Every educated child has the potential to change the future of an entire family.

The impact now reaches far beyond the school grounds.

Parents who once felt trapped in hopelessness are beginning to see new possibilities for their children. Local men and women have meaningful employment. Families are discovering that education, faith, and practical skills can work together to transform an entire community.

Looking back, one truth becomes unmistakably clear.  None of this happened because one organization had extraordinary resources.

It happened because ordinary people were willing to say “yes” when God invited them into His story.

Every person serving with LHFA in the United States is a compassionate volunteer, allowing 100% of every dollar donated to go directly to the ministry in Uganda. It is simply one more way God has provided through people whose greatest desire is to see children’s lives transformed.

People who prayed.   People who gave.    People who invested in a child’s education.

People who believed that every child—no matter where they were born—deserves the opportunity to learn, to dream, and to know they are deeply loved.

Today, just $25 a month provides one child with a Christian education, school supplies, and two nutritious meals every school day.

And the story isn’t finished.

Hundreds of children in the surrounding villages are still waiting for the same opportunity.

Additional classrooms will be needed.  A multipurpose building that will serve as both a school facility and a church is part of the vision.  Teacher housing will allow us to attract and retain excellent Christian educators.  More grades will be added.  More lives will be transformed.

Seven years ago, there were forty children sitting beneath a rusted, leaking roof.

Today, 267 children are receiving an education, nutritious meals, and hearing about the love of Jesus Christ every day.

Tomorrow’s chapter has not yet been written.

Perhaps… God is inviting you to help write the next chapter.