We sent this newsletter out (with a slight change) to some folks early in July and wanted to find a way to have a link to it rather than display it as an actual post but plans for that have gone awry. Here it is as just an ordinary post in case it helps to give you a more clear picture of why we are going to Uganda.
Do you ever look back on your life and think that where you currently find yourself, you could never have imagined just a few short years ago? We have been thinking quite a bit about that perspective over the past while. It seems that life is full of surprises. Some nice, some not so nice but with this in mind, we have some exciting news to share with you about the next few steps in our journey. For some of you it will actually be news but for others, you have heard of our intention but are just now hearing more of the details.
In a little less than 2 months, Chad and I will be leaving for Uganda, Africa. As you know, we went with a team of 11 people from our church in May 2008 to volunteer for a couple of weeks with an organization called Watoto Children’s Ministries. While we were in Uganda we helped to build a home for 8 orphaned children and their house mother and had some other amazing experiences. Over the course of preparing to go on that trip a thought started to grow in our hearts and being in the country only further encouraged its development. As you can read about on our blog http://inwardandupward.blogspot.com we are now making plans to go back only this time we will be going on our own, just the two of us. We plan to go for one month this time and that will give us an opportunity to see how we acclimatize, how we fit in to the work that is already happening there and see what God wants to do.
What most captured our hearts was the motivation and thinking surrounding a building called the Production Centre (now called Watoto Fabrications) where some of the children in Watoto homes were learning a trade. At that point, in May 2008, they had the basics of a metal works and cabinetry shop. The Watoto organization expressed a desire to expand on this, integrating the “shop” work into the school program and establishing an apprenticeship program. As Watoto has told us, everything happens at a different speed in Africa than it does in North America but we know we would like to be involved somehow, however they can use us, to help this project along on its way.
As you will also eventually read on our newly-minted blog, this whole process is a series of small and not-so-small miracles. It is difficult to explain how impossible it seems from our perspective that two non-adventurous, aging, pocket-poor misfits could be of any help in a country so far from home. Still, God doesn’t always call the brave, strong and/or prosperous to do what He wants to accomplish. He’ll have to explain to me someday why He is calling us but we are certain that He has.
So, we will greatly appreciate you praying for us as you see fit as we prepare, travel and help out in Uganda. That will be the best and most important support and encouragement for us. If we believed that money that has already come in and that will come in was for our benefit, it would indeed be difficult to accept but because we know it is to benefit some children and families in Uganda, we'll trust the Lord on that front too. Whatever we can do to raise awareness of this humanitarian effort is beneficial.
PS Please continue to check out our blog and the links on that page. If you want more information just call or email us. We will do our best to answer your questions.
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