The Fountains - Doug, JoEllyn, and Alyssa - are Mission Partners working at Uganda Christian University in Mukono, Uganda.  We have lived and worked here since July 2004.  Doug is Director of Planning, and previously launched the Department of Health Sciences and several programs in that Department.  JoEllyn is Director of Financial Aid for the University.  Alyssa is a student at Kampala International School of Uganda, a strong international school in Kampala, and she is also a cultural ambassador with our friends. 

We were originally sent as Mission Partners from the Church Mission Society which has since merged with the South American Mission Society USA.  As Mission Partners, we are under the employment and spiritual direction of our Mission Agency, and the Agency also collects and manages donations toward our work and lives.  We live entirely off the financial and prayer support of faithful friends.

Coming to Uganda is the result of a long discernment of where Jesus is leading us and where God is at work in people's lives.  UCU is one of East Africa's strongest Universities, but is also remarkable in its absolute commitment to Christian doctrine and principles for life.   We have known people who worked, studied and lived at UCU.  So our invitation by Vice Chancellor Stephen Noll in 2003 to join the staff was a very great moment in our lives.

Now Uganda is home to us, and in many ways is more familiar than our 'home' culture in the US.  We have stories to tell of God's rich blessings, the work of the Church, the faithfulness and joy of the people.  We also have first hand experience with the hardships - disease, war, poverty, orphans.  We have the brightest and the darkest aspects of life, sometimes all packed together in a day.

It is not always easy for us.  Our finances are limited, electricity is erratic, roads are dangerous, fuel is sometimes scarce, and food and living can be expensive.  We sometimes succumb to disease such as malaria.  So we covet prayers and are so thankful for the generous support we receive.