I Left My Heart in Uganda, Africa

Six-to-eight-weeks and $120 later, I can officially travel internationally as Jennifer Hanson! The final piece of the puzzle that is changing-your-name-after-marriage (which ::ahem:: guys don't have to deal with) has been completed (over a year after my nuptials) and I can now (only if needed of course) quickly leave the country at a moment's notice. (Why do we say that any way? "Always have your passport ready in case you need to quickly leave the country." Sounds so sketchy.) (And while I'm at it -why is the majority of this paragraph in parentheses???)

Why would you need to "officially travel internationally"?, you may be wondering (or not). Well, I am so glad you asked (or didn't).

Devin and I have sent off our paper work to go to Uganda, Africa in March 2011!! We'll be traveling with Visiting Orphans and will have the opportunity to work along side the amazing Katie from Amazima Ministries (who I've mentioned many times on this blog). 

I traveled to Uganda with BreakDown United back in 2006 and I left a piece of my heart in that beautiful, precious country. Plus, I have two little pieces of my heart living over there - two amazing girls that Devin and I will have the joy of meeting in person for the first time during this trip.

One of the little beauties that I met while in Uganda in 2006
(© Jennifer Hanson 2006)

I am so excited for this trip - so excited to love on some precious people, so excited to serve as the hands and feet of Christ and so excited to see how God provides as we raise the hefty chunk of change we need to get ourselves over there. I have been longing to return to Uganda for over four years and now that I can start counting the days (150 by the way) until our trip, I can hardly contain my joy!!

I'll be posting more soon about what we'll be doing while we are over there and some of the super-awesome ways we'll be raising support. Can't wait to share it all with you! 

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. - James 1:27

P.S. Devin, the photographer, took my passport photo so that I don't have to look questionably deranged for the next ten years. Excellent marital benefit.

P.P.S. Confession: When I wrote Goals #63 and #93 I honestly thought it might be a bit far-fetched to accomplish them in the allotted time. Ha! Silly Jen. When God tugs at your heart to do something - He provides a way!