Uganda

Last week I had the chance to hang out with my bff Lindsey in Uganda. She was visiting East Africa with a team from our church. We spent a few days hanging out at an orphan school, teaching silly songs, playing games, and in general just loving on some babies. The Helping Hands ministry she was working with organizes orphan sponsorship, enabling individuals to help pay for orphans to attend school and have at least on guaranteed meal a day. Two of our days at the school in Busia were spent giving out gifts to each child, reading the letters from their sponsors, taking updated pictures of them, and allowing them to write letters back to their sponsors. I don't know all the numbers but I would say not even one third of the 700 kids at the school have sponsors. It is beautiful to see the pure unadulterated joy on a kids face when they receive a bag of goodies from someone who is loving them from across the world. Kids got things like pens, pencils, candy, notebooks, socks, toothbrushes, etc. The children who did not receive sponsor gifts were given a small toy (instead of a gallon sized zip lock bag) which they treasured. My heart was full, overflowing, and resting in the goodness of the Lord as I spent hours taking pictures, putting children in line, calling students out of class, explaining for the hundredth time how to write a letter to their sponsor, and filing paperwork. There are a million more things to talk about the trip - visiting churches, praying over land, riding boda bodas, and eating American candy over girl talk late into the night.



I am spending the next couple of days catching up with work and preparing to be gone again. Stu and Lauren (who I am semi filling in for) have returned from some time in the states and we will get all back in the grove of Stu leading Adventures as make my way out of the picture. We have been blessed beyond belief as a friend of ours has invited us to Mombasa (to stay in a house for free) for the weekend. It has been a dream of mine to visit the coast on this trip to Kenya and I am super excited that it is happening for sure! I am looking forward to lounging by the pool, feet in the sand, and sun on my face.

Thank you all for love, prayers, and support. Of course I am still counting down: days until the states-29, days until wedding 75!