Exciting Updates From the Robbs
Hello to all of TCI’s wonderful friends and family!
In this month of love, we are thrilled to be starting a new type of monthly newsletter, which will include personal reflections, testimonies, and updates on the ongoing work in Uganda. We are excited to share how the Lord has been at work—leading our steps, lavishing us with His grace and provision, and sovereignly orchestrating every detail to fulfill His perfect purpose.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
“For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”
Looking back to 2009, we could never have imagined how a simple trip to Uganda, meeting with Pastor Moses and interacting with his Kiburara ministry would change our lives forever. We didn't choose to have the people of Uganda in our hearts; rather, God planted that love within us. He sovereignly linked our lives with Pastor Moses’ mission to raise up a generation of young people in rural Uganda to impact their nation. Now, seventeen years later, we can see that it was His hand all along, fueling our desire and sustaining this call!
The first ten years were defined by annual trips to Kiburara Uganda_ supporting youth conferences and securing grants for essential classrooms and dormitories at Alpha Omega, secondary school. Through this hands-on work, we became more aware that education is the vital key to breaking the cycle of poverty. Along the way, we began to engage with the primary schools (elementary schools).
However, we also came to realize that the answer did not lie solely in the distribution of aid and funds. Something more was needed; and God knew what that was. He brought Eda Michaud with us on a trip with to Uganda in 2019. Unbeknownst to us, she was a veteran with 27 years of experience in rural development and this fundamentally changed how we were doing things. On that trip, Transformed Communities International (TCI ) was born and we started a wonderful (but not always easy) journey. God placed this vision of faith in our hearts and brought the wonderful Ugandan Team into being. Eda trained the team, registered the organization here in the States, and helped launch it successfully as our Executive Director.
After a while, Eda was no longer able to serve in that capacity because of her other full time commitments so we had to continue without her. However, God has been faithful! At every turn, He brought the right people alongside us to guide and encourage us through the technical aspects of running a nonprofit, and He moved the hearts of others to pray for us and give generously. Recently, at a gratitude dinner, we sought to honor all the people He brought to us at just the right time—it was truly overwhelming.
As microbiologists, we are obviously not trained in the world of nonprofits, but God has been an ever-present help at every step. In July 2022, God led us to the people of Karamoja who were dying of starvation. And He stirred a deep desire within our Uganda team to go and help them. Because funds were limited, we made repeated appeals for help. Over the past three and a half years, people have responded with overwhelming generosity.
One thing we have learned is that age is not necessarily a limitation for God. Frank officially retired from the University of Maryland last January; he is now 81, and I am 71. As the administrative work required to sustain TCI has continued to grow, we have prayed for years that the Lord would provide skilled younger people with hearts for the work in Uganda—so that a strong succession plan would be in place and TCI could be taken beyond what we ourselves are able to do. Well, God has just done exactly that! In November 2024, we were introduced to a young man, Ryan Matthews, who told us that God had told him to leave his financial job in the NYC area and go into the nonprofit world. This was wonderful, as he offered to help us that year with our tax receipts and the budget for the following year. We liked Ryan and we’re very grateful for his help. Meanwhile, we joined him in prayer for jobs in big nonprofit organizations.
In March 2025, we asked him if he would like to join our board. At first, he said, ‘probably no’ because he was part of two other boards, but he said he would pray. One week later, he got back to us saying that he sensed the Lord wanting him to be on our board and he would really like to come with us on our trip to Karamoja! We were very impressed with him when we met him for the first time in person in Karamoja! He is a humble man with a passion for God, wise, capable, and he fit in so well with what we were doing in Karamoja.
Furthermore, as 2025 progressed, he came down to Maryland a number of times and helped us with more TCI work. Still, no other jobs were working out for him. After Christmas, our team spent time in prayer and fasting, seeking direction on whether God is leading Ryan to join TCI as Executive Director in the US. He spoke very specifically to us through His word and His peace. Stepping out in faith, we are thrilled to announce our first US-based position! While we have operated entirely with volunteers until now, Ryan is taking this bold step by personally raising the support needed to fill this vital role.
We are in awe that God would lift Ryan out of the financial world of New York City and bring him to our organization! Frank always says that he has given us a Lamborghini in Ryan! We trust that God has much bigger plans for TCI. While the magnitude of His vision felt beyond our individual capacity, we believe He has faithfully provided the leadership we need through Ryan.
In February, we will be embarking on another trip to Africa. We will first be in South Africa to attend the Advance Global Gathering, then travel north to Uganda. Cathy Mays, Mary Thomas, Craig Botha, and Ryan Matthews will all be there at different times. While we do not know the fullness of God’s plan for this trip, our focus will be on collaborating with partner organizations to strengthen and cast vision for the work in Uganda . Please pray for us!
Thank you so much for partnering with how God has been leading us. Frank and I will remain fully involved in TCI work, and we are excited to walk in all the good works God has prepared for TCI. We give all glory to him – we could never have orchestrated such a story!
_ by Sue Robb