One Year On
Tested, Trusted, and Still Standing
Dear Friends of Village Mercy,
A year ago, on 29 May 2025, Village Mercy was held at gunpoint. Armed men entered our property in the early hours of the morning, held our staff and residents hostage, and stripped us of equipment, phones, laptops, our entire solar power system and much more. It was one of the most frightening nights any of us can remember.
And yet, here we are.
We do not mark this anniversary with bitterness or fear. We mark it with deep gratitude to God. Not because the robbery was not painful, it was. Not because the trauma was not real, it was. But because what God did in the aftermath was nothing short of extraordinary. He showed up. And He showed up through people.
Within days, groceries arrived. Financial donations came in. Strangers we had never met reached out with prayers and encouragement. What we lost was replaced. What the enemy meant to use to scatter and silence us, God used to draw people closer to this work and to bind us more tightly together.
Our residents watched all of this unfold. They saw Christian brotherly affection in action. Not as a sermon, but as a reality. People gave not because they had to, but because they loved. That is a sermon no words can replicate.
Beyond the practical recovery, something harder to quantify also happened: we grew. Our dependence on God deepened. Our trust in His provision was tested and proved. And the ministry did not just survive that season, it moved forward. We have since made significant progress in strengthening our security, though our ultimate confidence remains not in walls and locks, but in the One who never sleeps and never stops watching over us.
“He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”
Psalm 121:4
To every single person who prayed, gave, called, or came, thank you. You were the hands and feet of Christ to us when we needed it most. We will not forget it.
With gratitude,
Edward Matovu
Executive Director, Village Mercy
Full House - and a Growing Waiting List
Village Mercy is full. Completely full.
That is not a complaint, it is a praise report. God keeps bringing men to our door who are hungry for freedom, desperate for change, and willing to do the hard work. We have had to place applicants on a waiting list that continues to grow, and honestly, each name on that list carries weight. These are men in crisis, and the wait is not easy for them or for us.
We thank God that He keeps on bringing individuals in search of life. It is a reminder that this work is needed, that the gospel is still drawing people, and that there are still men who believe change is possible.
This season also strengthens our resolve and our prayer: that God would provide us with a larger residential facility and more manpower to serve more men. We hold that vision before Him and ask you to join us in praying for it.
Men at Work
Community Service and Christian Witness
Our residents have been busy beyond our walls lately. As part of their involvement in the broader community, the men recently traveled to a local farm to help mow grass and build a kraal for livestock.
What makes us genuinely proud is not just the work itself, it is the way they worked. The feedback we received was that they showed such diligence, care, and thoroughness that their conduct became its own kind of testimony. A Christian work ethic on display.
That is exactly the kind of fruit we pray for. Not just men who are no longer using, but men who are building, contributing, and showing what it looks like to live differently.
A Joyful Visit from Pastor Doug & Valerie DeMar
We were recently blessed to host Pastor Doug and Valerie DeMar from the US at Village Mercy! From preaching and teaching conferences to sitting down with our residents for morning sessions, Pastor Doug poured into our community. We are incredibly grateful for their time and ministry. Connections like these remind us of the strength found in our broader faith community.
