In June 2013 we are heading to Uganda for a two-week project working with Watoto Child Care Ministries. Uganda is a developing country that has been torn apart by civil war and the AIDS pandemic. Many of the children there have no shoes, no food, no education, no home ,no family. This means that these children must rely on the generosity of strangers for their daily meals, clothing and development. There are an estimated two million orphaned children in Uganda and nearly half of these children are orphaned as a result of AIDS.
During our two weeks in Uganda, we will be part of a team working to build a house (for eight kids and a house “mom”) or a school room. This facility will be built in the Watoto Village which serves as a “community-based” orphanage for Ugandan children. Watoto (which means “children” in Swahili) is a holistic care program that was initiated as a response to the overwhelming number of orphaned children as well as vulnerable women, in Africa. It is positioned to rescue an individual and raise them as a leader in their chosen sphere of life, so that they in turn will rebuild their nation. The Watoto model provides physical care, medical intervention (including HIV/AIDS treatment), education (formal and vocational), counseling and spiritual discipleship, and helps ensure emotional well-being.
We believe that one of the things God has called us to do is make an impact on our world, and we believe we can do that by helping serve the orphaned in Uganda, alongside Watoto. Would you be willing to be a part of this trip by offering encouragement, by praying for me and my team, and/or by offering financial support? This is your chance to make an impact as well.
This two-week trip will cost each team member approximately $4,500. Much of this money will go towards transportation and the cost of the building we will be constructing. We welcome any help you can provide. If you wish to show your support monetarily, donations should be made payable to Desert Springs Bible Church at 16215 N. Tatum blvd. Phoenix, AZ 85032. You can also make donations online by clicking here.
Thank you for your help and support in making an impact for Uganda!
People may have already said this (can’t go trouhgh all 108 comments to be sure), but I’m not surprised. I knew from the beginning of reading your blog that you’d be announcing this someday.:) Congratulations! How exciting.We plan to adopt. We’ve known it since even before we were married. I was adopted and my husband was raised by a stepfather who he considered to be his father. We’re not ready to add children to our family yet, but when we do, we plan to adopt two siblings.My husband is not a Christian, but he’s an immensely good man and he’s even more fervent about adoption than I am.