To our dear ministry partners — thank you for your patience and grace. I know this update has been long in coming, and I want to acknowledge that openly. Since Jim’s passing on February 21, 2026, after his two‑year battle with esophageal cancer, I have been walking through a season of deep grief and adjustment. It has taken time for my heart to find the strength to write again. I am deeply grateful for your prayers, your compassion, and your continued support of our ministry during this tender period.
In this season, it’s important to remember that our six‑member Board runs the U.S. side of the ministry entirely on a volunteer basis, and Jim’s passing has required us to prayerfully discern the best way to regroup and move forward. Even so, the ministry on the ground in Uganda remains strong, steady, and full of life. The children are thriving, and the school community remains vibrant and full of hope.
In fact, we are currently building a chapel on the school grounds in Jim’s honor — Saint James Chapel — a place where students will worship, pray, and grow in faith for generations to come. You’ll find a full article about the chapel’s construction later in this newsletter.
As part of this season of transition, I will be stepping off the Board for a time of rest, healing, and discernment. We are grateful that Brett Gibson has graciously accepted the role of Chairman to continue the leadership Jim so faithfully carried. Additional Board members will be announced in the future, and we will keep you updated as those decisions unfold.
Jim walked gently through this world, leaving strength in his footsteps and grace in his wake. His faith was steady, his kindness constant, and his love for people unmistakable.
Twelve years ago, Jim helped lay the very foundation of this ministry. He guided Innocent through the process of acquiring the 501(c)(3), established our Board of Directors, and set the structure that still supports our work today. He also provided the wisdom and guidance that enabled PPMU to purchase our school property and helped complete many of the ministry building projects that now make our campus a vibrant, safe place where children can thrive and grow. Jim was a steady, faithful leader behind the scenes — chairing quarterly meetings, overseeing all ministry taxes and banking responsibilities, solving donor concerns, answering questions, and personally emailing tax statements year after year.
His leadership was never loud, but it was unwavering. He carried responsibilities that few ever saw, and he did so with humility, joy, and deep commitment to the children and staff we serve. To Innocent, Jim was more than a co‑laborer in ministry — he was a father figure, a mentor, and a man he loved dearly.
My beloved Jim and I were given 33 years together as a blended family. Our six kids and nine grandchildren all miss him deeply. We strive to carry forward the love, strength, and faith he poured into our lives.
Towards the end of his life, when weakness kept him in his recliner, I would ask Jim, “Where are you at with God, Darlin?” and he would smile and say, “GOD IS ALL OVER ME!” It gives me great comfort to know that God was carrying Jim through his suffering and into eternity. He was the absolute best of men. He wasn't perfect, neither was I, but we were perfect for each other.
Thank you so much for partnering with PPMU and with my family as we walk the new journey God has placed before us — a journey without Jim for now, but not forever. We will see him again one day.
"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." - Rev 21:4
Please continue to send donations in check form to the current ministry address. If and when the mailing address changes, we will notify you promptly.
