About Hope58: a long-term partnership with the local church in Eastern Uganda.
Founded by Matt and Shelley Actis. Built on faithful presence, local leadership, and a shared commitment to the gospel.
Equipping pastors, girls, and children for the long term.
Hope58 partners with the local church in Bulesa, Bugiri District, Eastern Uganda. Through four programs run from a 42-acre campus, we equip village pastors with biblical training, give vulnerable girls Christ-centered vocational and life skills, and help children get an excellent educational start.
The work is local, long-term, and rooted in the conviction that lasting ministry happens when faithful leaders serve their own communities, supported by partners who pray, give, and stay engaged for years rather than weeks.
Then your light will break forth like the dawn. Isaiah 58:8 (NIV)
Matt & Shelley Actis
Matt and Shelley have given their lives to ministry in Uganda. Matt leads the Bible Training program, working alongside Ugandan church leaders to equip village pastors with the depth of biblical knowledge and pastoral skill their congregations need.
Shelley leads the Girls Skills Center and supports the New Beginnings Nursery School. Her background in education shapes how the programs nurture spiritual, academic, and emotional growth in the girls and children they serve.
Both work in close partnership with the local church and Ugandan staff, with the conviction that ministry is most fruitful when local leaders are equipped, supported, and trusted to lead.
The Actis family includes Matt, Shelley, and their four daughters, who are growing up in missionary life in Eastern Uganda.
"We feel incredibly blessed to serve these communities and watch God work in the lives of those we serve."
Matt and Shelley are global workers with MESA Global (worker ID #31449). See how to give, read what we believe, or visit their personal page.
Matt & Kristi Scales
Matt and Kristi Scales serve with New Life Ministry Center in Uganda, using their professional skills to share Christ and strengthen the surrounding community.
As Director of New Life Farm, Matt oversees the ministry’s agricultural work with a vision of using education, vocational training, and innovation to share the gospel with students, farmworkers, and community members. The farm is currently producing most of the food that the students at the school eat!
Kristi serves as the ministry’s medical director, oversees the school clinic, and is the Director of both the preschool and primary school. Through these roles, she provides health education, leads staff in biblical learning, and promotes the vision of loving God with mind, body, and soul.
Matt and Kristi serve alongside their three children, who attend school and enjoy participating in a variety of activities.
Matt and Kristi are global workers with MESA Global (worker ID #31798). Visit their personal support page.
Amanda Rehfeldt
When Amanda traveled to Uganda in June 2024, she expected to stay for only two weeks—but the Lord had different plans. Today, she joyfully serves full time with Hope58 and New Life Ministries, helping provide vulnerable girls with education, practical skills, and, most importantly, the love and hope of Jesus Christ.
As Director of Finance and HR, Amanda provides essential financial and administrative leadership for the ministry. She also teaches the Bible, leads Bible studies, and personally disciples young women, equipping them with the truth of the gospel and encouraging them to live out their faith with confidence.
Through both her ministry leadership and personal relationships, Amanda seeks to empower young women to grow in Christ and share His eternal hope with others.
Amanda is a global worker with MESA Global (worker ID #31809). Visit her personal ministry support page.
What guides our work
Faith. Partnership. Long-term presence.
Three commitments that shape how Hope58 operates in Bulesa and how we relate to the partners and supporters who make the work possible.
01 · Faith
Christ-centered in every program
Bible training, vocational skills, and early education are all rooted in the same gospel. Discipleship is the through-line, not a side ministry.
02 · Partnership
Led by the local church
The Ugandan church and local staff are the primary actors in the work. American supporters partner with what God is already doing through faithful local leaders.
03 · Presence
Built to last for decades
Long-term ministry takes long-term presence. Pastors trained over three to four years. Girls walked with through full skill-development cycles. Children educated from nursery onward.
How Hope58 began.
Hope58 began with a vision to uplift communities in Uganda by addressing both their spiritual and practical needs. Matt and Shelley felt called to serve in Uganda and quickly recognized the deep need for pastoral training, vocational opportunities for girls, and access to early education.
What began as a single ministry has grown into a three-program campus serving hundreds of people across the Bugiri District. The work continues to expand because it is led by faithful local leaders and supported by partners who stay engaged for the long term.
Where we are today
By the numbers.
250
Pastors in training
Across twelve Bible schools in Eastern Uganda, each on a three-to-four year curriculum.
42acre
Campus in Bulesa
Boarding, classrooms, Nursery School, local church, and farmland in one working hub.
4
Programs, one ministry
Girls Skills Center, New Beginnings Nursery School, Bible Training, and New Life Farm, all in active partnership with the local church.
Join the work in Bulesa.
Long-term ministry takes faithful partners. Give, pray, or share the work with your church.