The Best Meal You Never Eat

What is your absolute favorite meal? Most of mine come from my mom's kitchen. My mom is a great cook and knows how to make a mean broccoli-and-rice chicken casserole and whoo-boy is her manicotti delicious!

Growing up I ate some darn good food from my mama's kitchen. The thought never crossed my mind that it was a privilege to have a favorite meal, because I never worried about where my next meal would come from. The idea of not having enough food never even occurred to me. 

But for more than 140 million children around the world - the idea of having enough food is completely foreign. Hunger is a daily reality to them. And a favorite meal? This idea would be strange too - if they get to eat at all, they certainly don't get to be picky about what meal is their favorite.

Now when I say "hunger", I'm not talking missing a meal here and there, or having a little rumble in their tummies occasionally. I'm talking severe malnourishment that causes swollen stomachs, hair loss, skin discoloration, and reduces the body's ability to fight disease and infection. And every year, for 6 million children, this kind of hunger will also cause their death. (source: www.un.org)

Numbers like that are not only incomprehensibly tragic, but can feel overwhelming and debilitating. But the good news is that there are people doing something about it - and you can be one of them. Compassion International's One Meal One Day campaign is raising money to intervene in the lives of some of these severely malnourished children and you can be a part of the impact.

The idea is simple: give up your favorite meal between now and November 6, 2013, and donate the money you would have spent on that meal to One Meal, One Day. Easy right? And yet the impact on the children who receive food because of your gift will be exponential. (donate here)

Perhaps you're wondering, I thought Compassion's sponsor program helped these kids - why do they need more money? Good question, and here's the answer: Compassion's sponsorship program makes an unbelievable impact around the world by rescuing children from poverty, but there are many times when a child comes to the Compassion centers so malnourished that the funds from monthly sponsorships are not enough to meet the child's needs. Also, in the case of famine, natural disasters, or in emergency situations, the child many need more intervention than the sponsorship alone can provide. The money raised through One Meal One Day will help meet these extraordinary nutritional needs.

And getting involved is so easy. I'm willing to bet that if you are reading this (with - ahem - a computer//tablet/smartphone and an Internet connection), then you aren't worried about where your next meal is coming from and you probably can afford to skip one without much detriment to your health. But the money you would have spent on that one meal will stretch so much further in a poverty stricken country - providing far more than just one meal for one person.

One Meal One Day would be an amazing project for a family with older kids to tackle together. Talk about an tangible lesson - giving up one meal and experiencing a twinge of hunger so that other kids around the world might have the nutrition they need to live. That's a life-lesson your kids won't soon forget.

Or how about this idea: host a dinner party for your friends but serve beans and rice (a staple in most third-world countries). Then, donate the money you would have spent on steaks, side-dishes, desserts, and drinks. Plus, you'll have an awesome conversation-starter for your friends.

The main point is this: it only takes a little to make a huge difference in the lives of these kids. They need someone to step in and say, "You're important - you matter." All it takes is skipping one meal. Will you join me in the fight against hunger? If so, donating is just as simple - you can visit my fundraising page here. If you do join One Meal One Day, please come back here to my blog and tell me how it went - I'd love to hear about your experience!

Hungry for change? Let's do this thing!

Ugandan Mamas and Me

Truth be told, my spirit has been a little stir-crazy since traveling to Uganda and getting all pumped about loving the poor through action, then coming home and having twins and realizing the "loving the poor" thing might need to take a back seat for a little bit as I care for my babies. Well, not a back seat exactly. I still sponsor two sweet girls in Uganda through Compassion International and we still give to a number of organizations that are doing some amazing things to help make a lasting change for the poor. So I guess I'm not taking a backseat, I'm just not as hands-on as I would like to be because I've got both hands full with the two little ones God has blessed me with. Maybe it should be easy for me to let that be enough right now. But it just isn't. There is too much suffering going on around the world and too much comfort in my own life and it just doesn't sit well with me. I have to do something more.

As I study my Bible, I'm finding again and again that for someone who claims to love Jesus, loving others - especially the poor - is a huge, non-negotiable response. A natural, overwhelming desire from a heart changed by Christ (don't believe me? check out this verse). 

I don't get (or want) a "veto" card on the caring for the poor thing just because I'm a mom with young babes. Motherhood is a huge calling, a lot of work and a precious responsibly, don't get me wrong, but even the "Proverbs 31 Woman" cared for the poor while caring for her own family ("She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy" - verse 20). But there is no denying that it's hard right now with the twins being so young. 

I find myself dreaming of the day when I can involve my kiddos in loving-the-poor-projects and use those opportunities to teach them about the love God has for the world and how we can show His love to others through the way we live. Those will be incredible moments that I will cherish and that I eagerly look forward to, but those times are still a few years out. 

So I started thinking - what talents/abilities/opportunities do I have right now that I could leverage to love the poor? Where can I start right now? And after a little planning, I am super excited to share with you what I've come up with.

You may (or may not) know that I make and sell beaded crosses. One of them (the one pictured on the upper left of my blog) is made with recycled magazine beads from Uganda and each time that cross sells, I give 50% of the proceeds to Amazima Ministries which provides approximately sixty meals for a child living in the slums of Uganda. But I also have many other styles of crosses, so I thought, why not use those crosses to help the poor as well? So I've opened an online boutique through Etsy (which is something I've been dragging my feet on until I got inspired by this idea) and 25% of all of my profits will be donated to Kiva - an organization that provides small, low-interest loans to help those living in extreme poverty start a business. (By the way, the repayment rate of these loans is incredibly high: 99% of those receiving a loan pay in back in full.)

One unfortunate misconception about the poor is that they are poor because they are lazy. However, more often than not, the poor are extremely hard-working. They simply lack the hope and opportunity to lift their family out of poverty. A micro-loan of just $100 would give someone living in extreme poverty the capital needed to start a business and begin using their talents and abilities to provide for their family. Giving them not only sustainable income, but confidence, empowerment, a sense of achievement and HOPE. All things that can break the cycle of poverty and be a catalyst for lasting change for the poor. Not a temporary hand-out, but a life-altering hand-up.

Here's my favorite part of this venture: I'll be providing loans specifically to working mothers in Uganda. As a working-from-home mother myself, who also happens to love the people and country of Uganda, it is a perfect match. (My heart just fluttered a little bit even thinking about it.) 

Another reason I chose mothers specifically is this: I love adoption (I have two adopted sisters whom I adore), but I would love even more for a mama to be able to keep and provide for her babies instead of having to give them up for adoption because she can't make enough money to feed them. I would love for kids not to be orphaned by AIDS because the only available way for their mother to make a living was to sell her body. A Kiva loan can change these things and keep babies the arms of their mamas. Be still my mother's heart. And my poor-loving heart for that matter. ::flutter flutter::

If you are interested in what I'm doing, here's the link to my Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/jhcraftynotions

And here's a little peek of a few of the crosses I have available:

Thanks for listening to my excited ramblings. Creativity, helping the poor, mamas and their kids, Uganda:  this kind of stuff just gets my heart pumping!!  

The Power of Words (Goal #57: Complete)

More progress on my Project 101 in 1001 list. Read about my journey here.

Goal #57:  Write my Compassion sponsor children once a month for a year - COMPLETE

For the past year, I have participated in Compassion International's "Second Fridays" - an initiative that challenges sponsors to write their children on the second Friday of every month. I blogged before about how life-changing it is to these kids to receive letters from their sponsors and how crushed they are when they don't hear from them (read that post here).


After meeting my two sponsor girls, Rachael and Barbra, this past spring, it has been an even greater joy to correspond regularly with them. Though this goal is completed, I will absolutely continue my monthly letters to these precious girls. They are such a gift in my life and it is privilege to be a voice of encouragement and truth to them. 


If you sponsor a child through Compassion or similar organization, please pick up a pen and send your child a letter. You can never fully understand how powerful your words of encouragement are to them. (Watch this awesome interview of former Compassion sponsor children to get a glimpse at the difference your words can make.)

Ssekos: These shoes are made for changing the world...

If you were reading my blog around Christmas last year, then you know that I love giving/receiving gifts and making purchases that help someone in need. Fair-trade items, items made by artisans living in poverty-stricken counties, or by ex-prostitutes coming out of the sex trade, or by widows who are being taught a trade to provide for themselves and their children. Those kinds of purchases just bless my day and I love when these items (usually clothing or accessories of some kind) act as a springboard for conversations with others about caring for the poor.

courtesy of the Sseko website

I recently heard about Sseko shoes and desperately wanted a pair of my own. A cute pair of shoes that I could style in endless ways and that helped some young ladies in Uganda - yes please! I happened to have some "just for fun" money that Devin had given me to spend on myself, just for fun (that's hard for the practical, frugal, giving side of me to do sometimes) and the Sseko purchase allowed me to spoil myself with something fun and help someone in need: ha! win/win (and a little bit sneaky).

courtesy of the Sseko website

My favorite thing about Sseko as an organization (besides that they are in Uganda) is that they hire recent high school graduates to make the shoes, not in order to learn the trade of a shoemaker, but so these young ladies can save money to go to college and become the next generation of doctors, teachers and leaders in their country. During a nine month paid internship program, Sseko automatically puts 50% of the girls' fair-wage salaries into a college fund and whatever the girls save for college out of their remaining 50%, Sseko matches at the end of the nine months. It is an awesome program that encourages these young women with so few opportunities to pursue a positive future.

When my Ssekos arrived, I immediately started trying out some of the different styling options (not an easy feat while heavily pregnant, I'll tell you that!) The possibilities seem truly endless, but I've only tried four different ties so far. Here's how I wore my Ssekos the first few weeks:

I varied this one a little because my foot wouldn't stay in them when tied like the photo.

The shoes are really well made and I think that when I can easily reach my toes again, I'll enjoy styling them a bit more. I also got an additional pair of red straps so I can really change up the look of the shoes when I feel like it. Some of the styles I tried were more comfortable or stayed on my feet better than others (I also think I got a size too big, which might be part of the problem), but over-all they seem like a good product with a great purpose! So go ahead, put a pair of Ssekos on your Birthday/Christmas/Just For Fun List!

Uganda Stories: Beautiful Feet

Yep. I think it's high time I start sharing some more stories from our trip to Uganda (back in March...). Sorry for the long delay - I'm still processing the time we spent there. Not to mention I've had something(s) on my mind and growing in my belly that have served as a major distraction. 

* * *

One very special night at Canaan Children's Home (the orphanage we lived at in Jinja, Uganda) was spent on our knees before some beautiful, precious kids.

A couple on our trip heard that many of the children living at Canaan did not have shoes for school. Most of them only have sandals and flip-flops (though the majority of the time they run around barefoot). This generous couple decided then and there to order enough black, patten leather shoes for each school-age child at Canaan to have their very own pair (and dress socks to go with them). This open-hearted act inspired our team to make a special evening out of giving the shoes to the kids - a way to bless the them beyond just a material gift (which was still a huge deal to them).  

So, during our last evening together, we gathered all of the school-age children in the open-air chapel. At the front we had a few chairs set up, along with basins of water and towels. As each child's name was called, they came to the front, received their new shoes and took a seat in one of the chairs. Our team members then washed their feet and helped them try on their shoes. You should have seen their beaming faces (the kids and the team members)! Pictures don't do the moment justice, but I'll share a few to try and give you just a glimpse.

Kneeling before those kids - holding and washing those dirty, scabbed, precious feet - was a very special experience for everyone involved. It was special for the children to be honored in such a way and an honor for us to be able to wash their feet and show them Christ-like love. 

My only regret (one shared by our team when we realized what had happened) was that, because some of the shoes had not been delivered in time, not all the kids got shoes that evening. But that is not where the real regret lies. 

Although the children with the missing shoes were assured they would not be forgotten, we did forget them in one way and it breaks my heart to remember. Not only did those kids not get presented with their shoes that night, they also did not get their feet washed. Why we didn't think to wash all of their feet - shoes or no shoes - I don't know. Perhaps we were just too caught up in our "assembly line" of name/shoes/wash that we missed the longing looks of the kids who didn't get shoes or the gift of having their feet washed. Perhaps we let our American "get it done and get it done right" mentality shadow this time of service. I'm not sure how it happened - but I wish I could go back and do it differently.

I share this not to ruin a sweet story, or to lessen our gift to these kids, but rather to show how easy it is to "miss it" - even amidst a loving act of service. No doubt, our hearts were focused on blessing the kids at Canaan, but we were also so focused on our "plan" for how to do that efficiently, that we completely missed out on blessing some of the kids who fell just barely outside of our well-laid plans. 

This saddens me to remember, but also serves as a reminder to not let my plans for serving others get in the way of truly meeting the needs before me.      

(We traveled with Visiting Orphans - an organization that offers multiple trips yearly and to numerous countries, all with one purpose - to love the orphan and care for the needy.)

Uganda Stories: Soon

There was a moment, towards the very end of our trip, that brought all the swirly thoughts in my head and all the conflicting emotions in my heart to a complete stop. During this moment, it was as if nothing else mattered except the truth God was trying to show me.

We were visiting Royal Hope Academy and had received the most jubilant welcome of anywhere we had yet been. When we got off our bus, there were hundreds of children lining the long pathway to the school's chapel. Hundreds of singing, clapping, smiling children shouting a Ugandan-style welcome song for us. Drums pounded in the distance and got louder as we approached the chapel. Entering the wood and steel-plated building, we were greeted with the site of balloons and colorful cloth wrapping the worn wooden beams which held the structure up. It was a celebration and we were the guests of honor. My cheeks literally hurt from grinning so broadly at this incredible welcome.

But this was not the moment.

The moment came later, after a number of wonderful songs and dances from the various age groups and a warm welcome from founder "Auntie Becky."

The children's choir began leading the room in worship. The worshipful hearts and postures of these children blew me away. And the it came. The moment. The children began singing a older gospel hymn that I have heard and sung myself a number of times, called Soon and Very Soon:

Soon and very soon we are going to see the King 

Soon and very soon we are going to see the King

Soon and very soon we are going to see the King

Halelujha, halelujha, we're going to see the king

No more cryin there, we are going to see the King

No more dyin there, we are going to see the King

No more suff'r'in there, we are going to see the King

Halelujha, halelujha, we're going to see the King   

It hit me then and the world stood still: crying, dying, suffering... these things are daily realities for these kids. This song means something to them. It isn't just a nice song with touching lyrics about Heaven that might get you to close your eyes as you sing it, especially if you've had a rough week. This song meant so much more to these kids because they live in a world where the destiny of "seeing the King" is something they cling to - something that invokes hope and joy and endurance in their lives. Something that I do not understand the way they do.

I stopped singing then. It didn't seem right to sing along with these children as they expressed their deep-felt joy and hope for Heaven amidst their deep experiences with suffering, dying and crying. It was a moment that was theirs alone, because they sang this song with an understanding that I will likely never have. It was something sacred to witness and something difficult to realize. It was something I will never forget.

Uganda Stories: True Joy

Something that has always struck me about the believers* in Uganda is their genuine joy. Yes, they are poor. Yes, their lives hold incredible pain. Yes, their day-to-day struggle to survive is harder than anything I could imagine. But when you see them, it is their joy that stands out above all else. 

This joy is what I remember most about my first visit there in 2006 and something that impacted me again this time around. These believers experience the joy of the Lord in a way I have never seen anywhere else. They are poor and hungry, desperate and needy, but they turn that desperation toward the Lord and their faith is radiant because of their need for Him. Some would see this joy and say, "Wow - they are so joyful despite their circumstances." But I fully believe they are joyful because of their circumstances. They have a dependence on God that produces great faith, great love and great joy - because He is all they have.

Since and during this most recent trip to Uganda, I've been wondering if this kind of relationship with God is even possible in American. It has to be – somehow. We can’t all live in Africa, yet we are all called to have that same relationship with God… but it is so much harder to find that dependence when we have so much else to depend on. Compound that even more when we live within a culture that fights and prays to avoid discomfort and trials with everything in us. 

I heard a song recently by Laura Story that reminded me so much of the faith of the Ugandan people and challenged me deeply to accept the very real possibility that the trials of this life could be God's mercies in disguise and perhaps I shouldn't despise them so much when they show up in my life. (Listen to the song Blessings here.)

(Me, Papa and Devin)

The best example I saw in Uganda of this kind of joyful dependence was Papa Issac - the founder of Cannan Children's Home. This dear, sweet, lovable, jolly man cares for 107 orphans. It is his burden to feed them, clothe them, school them, mentor them and provide them with "aunties" (caregivers) that will show them love and spiritual training. Papa Issac is fifty-six-years-old and considered an old man by Ugandan longevity standards. He has health issues that are only getting worse as he pushes forward with God's work each day. In candid moments, the weight of his task is heavy on his shoulders. Despite this (because of this) he is one of the most joyful people I have ever had to privilege to know. It is obvious from Where is hope, joy and strength comes from - from the only One would could provide such joy amidst such trials.

I look at this kind of joy and wish for it. Yet selfishly, when I look at the circumstances behind the joy, I am grateful I don't have them. I want the joy without the trials, yet so often, God uses trails to produce His blessings. Something to remember the next time I face a difficult circumstance I'd rather be rid of - am I willing to forgo some of God's greatest blessings in order to stubbornly cling to my own temporary comforts? 

'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

-Blessings by Laura Story 

* I should clarify by saying that as a whole, the people of Uganda are an incredibly friendly, joyful bunch of folks. But there is much suffering in their lives and I have noticed a deeper and more consistent type of joy in those who place their hope in Christ amidst those daily trials.

Goal #93 COMPLETE: Visiting Our Compassion Family

More progress on my Project 101 in 1001 list. Read about my journey here.

Goal #93 - Visit Compassion sponsor girls in Uganda - COMPLETE!

When I hesitantly put this goal on the list, I could only half-imagine that it could ever possibly happen and yet, by God's provision and timing, I was able to accomplish this life-long dream (so much more than a goal to me) within the first year of Project 101 in 1001. (And just in the nick-of-time too, now that we have twins on the way!)

My first exposure to Compassion International was at a young age. My parents began sponsoring a little boy from Haiti named Ethny when I was about five or six years old. Enthy was our family's sponsor child until he graduated the program at around twenty-years-old. As he and I were close in age, we "grew-up" together via letters and photos. When I was very young, I would have reoccurring dreams about meeting Ethny in Haiti and playing with him there. This never happened sadly, but that experience lit a passion in my heart for the ministry of Compassion.

When I became a sponsor myself in 2006, I remembered those dreams about visiting Ethny and desperately hoped that someday I would get to visit my own sponsor children in Uganda. On March 22, 2011 that life-long dream became a reality! 

Allow me to proudly introduce you to my beautiful girls:

This is Rachael (who I have mistakenly been calling "Nazziwa" for the past four years... apparently Nazziwa is her last name. That was a little embarrassing to straighten out during our introduction. Oops.) When we first saw each other, we ran into the each other's arms for a long embrace full of lots of laughter. Neither of us could believe this meeting could really be happening. After four years of sharing our lives through letters, it was wonderfully surreal to be talking face-to-face.

This lovely girl is twenty-years-old and hopes study for her teaching certificate when she graduates high school next year. Teaching young children about Jesus in Sunday school is her main passion and she loves to sing. In one of her first letters to me she wrote, "I hope I get to meet you someday, I would like to sing for you." I held her to that promise during our visit and discovered my girl has a lovely voice! She sang a song from Hillsong United and it was simply beautiful.

This smiley little thing is eight-year-old Barbra, who wants to be a nurse when she grows up so she can care for the babies in the hospitals and orphanages. Barbra was very shy at first meeting, and being from a rural part of northern Uganda, doesn't speak much English. We had to communicate through a translator (who insisted Barbra was usually a chatterbox) which made breaking down her shy barriers a little more difficult, but eventually she warmed up to both Devin and I.

Another reason she may have been shy is that she has had little, to no exposure to "Muzugos" or "white people." The translator told me that on the seven-hour bus ride to Kampala, Barbra saw a white lady out the window and exclaimed, "I get to meet one of those today! That's what my sponsor looks like!" Too cute. We also got to meet Babra's mother and baby brother Ambrose (right), which was an honor we hadn't originally planned on.

Just for fun, Devin and I performed a swing dance for the girls, family and Compassion workers present. We told them we wanted to show them some American dancing since we had been blessed to see so many African dances while in Uganda. Partner dances are rare in Uganda so all the spinning and twirling delighted our little audience. Chris, the Compassion center director told us, "I need to learn how to move like that!" and then tried to mimic us with a move that can only be described as something resembling dancing spaghetti.

Another fun part of the visit was when Devin and I announced to the girls that we were expecting twins (something that is considered a huge honor in Uganda.) Rachael especially squealed with delight and I teased her that it was because of her prayers (she insisted on praying that God would give us children even though I explained to her in my letters that we were not planning on starting a family for a while yet.) 

It was an incredible, surreal, unbelievable experience meeting these girls and I wish our short visit could have lasted longer (we were literally leaving for the airport three hours after the visit began). However short, it is something I will never forget. These girls are amazing and I am so blessed and honored to be their sponsor. I am so excited to write them this week now that we've met and hugged and talked face-to-face.

No other goal on my list could possibly compare to the last two I've blogged about. Completing the remaining goals seems almost trivial now. Hang with me if I seem less-than-enthused for a while about the remaining 609 days of Project 101 in 1001. I'll get there - probably.

Goal #63: COMPLETE - Serving with My Man

More progress on my Project 101 in 1001 list. Read about my journey here.

Goal #63: Go on a mission trip with Devin - COMPLETE. 

(Devin and me, in Uganda, Africa in front of the Amazima chapel)

This goal was a big one - almost the biggest on the list (trumped only by Goal #93 - Visit Compassion sponsor girls in Uganda). I knew the goal was a huge undertaking. But I also knew that it was something I really, really wanted to do with my husband before we started a family. Little did I know that I would actually be pregnant with twins while accomplishing this goal. Quite the epic babymoon if I do say so myself.

Going on this trip at all started with a lot of faith-stretching. We knew we didn't want to "solicit" our friends and family for support, but we also knew we couldn't cover the costs without some help and some hard, extra-money-making work on our end. We chose to write an update letter to select friends and family members (only the ones we were in regular contact with) letting them know of our plans to travel to Uganda to serve the orphan ministries there. We mentioned very little about financial support and had our "if you'd like to help us financially" information as a P.S. in small italics at the bottom of the page. Then we prayed. A lot. We prayed that God would encourage people to support our trip not because we begged and pleaded and guilt-tripped them, but because they believed in what He would do through us. Because they wanted to give and give cheerfully.

We were blown away by the generosity that was poured out on us by such a small amount of people. Our trip costs were completely covered a few days before the deadline and the money still kept coming in. (Here's what we did with the overage.)

Another area that took a lot of faith was traveling all the way to Uganda once we found out I was pregnant. Especially since I would still be in my vulnerable first trimester. Especially because I couldn't get vaccinated. Especially because I was carrying twins. (My doctors thought I was crazy by the way and were non-too-supportive of my leaving the country in my condition, let along going to :gasp:: AFRICA of all places.) But as I mentioned in my previous post - after a few days of individual prayer, we both felt confident of God's sovereignty in the situation - whatever the outcome.

Sharing Uganda (which has held a piece of my heart since my trip there in 2006) with Devin was a very special experience for me. At the same time, this trip was very different from my first visit. Because of this, we were able to experience many new things together for the first time (for example: eating sugar cane which was freshly cut with a machete right in front of us). Serving along-side the man I love, in a country I love, among a people I love was something I will never forget.

(Devin loving on a whole pile of orphans - be still my heart!)

My only regret is this: We had an incredible team. A team full of amazing people who I probably didn't get to know as well as I could have had I not relied on/spent so much time with Devin. I wouldn't have changed the fact that Devin was there, I just wish I would have reached out of the "Hanson-comfort-zone" a little more. 

This trip was amazing, made even more so by the blessing of having my husband serve along side me. Shoot - the blessing of having a husband with such a huge heart for those in need is a huge, amazing blessing all by itself! As I watched him play with, hug, minister to, and pour into the lives of so many orphans, I was reminded yet again of how truly fortunate I am to have this man that God has made my husband.

Uganda Stories: Giving More

 Our team organizing lots and lots of donated supplies
(photo courtesy of my wonderful teammate, Katie Hobson)

One of my favorite nights in Uganda was towards the end of our trip when we sat down as a team to decide how to use the overage money that we had raised for our trip. Personally, for Devin and I, God provided for our trip expenses in some really cool ways - above and beyond what we needed. As a team, God gave us over $9000 combined extra and we were able to hugely bless the ministries that we worked with in Uganda. It was so great. If I could spend the rest of my life giving away $9000 worth of blessings every day to needy people, I would be one happy camper.

This was cash donations in addition to the 40+ mattress we raised money for and the 20+ suitcases we brought with us which were full of supplies - shoes, clothing, deodorant, diapers, school supplies, etc. How awesome to be able to give so much back and what a neat experience to decide how to tangibly blessed all of the wonderful ministries we had served and fallen in love with over the week. Here's all we were able to do through God's abundant provision:

Canaan Children’s Home:

• Five, one-year sponsorships for five of the orphans living at Canaan (covers food, care and school fees)
• One, one-year scholarship for an older child who has "graduated" from Cannan and is on their own now trying to pay for life and college (at 18-years-old)
• A gift of $200 for newly-weds and amazing staff members George and Sylvia
• A gift of $100 for our incredible cook Annette who is a sweetheart-and-half and works so hard to send her two children to school (but only gets to see them twice a month)
• A gift of $50 to each Auntie and Uncle at the orphanage (the incredible people who live with and help raise all the children at Canaan)

Pillars of Hope:

• One full-sized loom 
• A double supply of thread 
• (the above will be used for the branch of the ministry that helps rehabilitate prostitutes by teaching them a trade skill)

Return Uganda:

• A full term of school for the children sponsored through Return Uganda 
• Six months rent for the house these children live in 
• A gift of $400 for the feeding program that provides meals to over 300 children in the community

Royal Hope Academy

• A gift of $1000 to be used where most needed (probably for food and to cover school fees of children whose parents can't afford it, which is the vast majority of the 400 kids who attend the school)

GOD IS GOOD! And what a blessing to be a part of doling out all these blessings!
Looking forward to telling you more about our experiences falling in love with each of these ministries. 

Tids and Bits of Uganda

I'm still not quite sure how to tell all the stories that we were privileged to be a part of during our trip to Uganda. There are so many and I'm trying to figure out when and how to tell what and which. It will come eventually. But for now, there are a few things I can put to words tonight:

Our team was amazing. Seriously the best group of people I have ever traveled with (I've traveled with quite a few). No complaining, no bickering or attitudes, everyone got alone great and each person was always willing to jump in and serve wherever their help was needed. 

God handpicked some incredible people to be a part of this team, including Faith, who has a deaf daughter and was able to sign with a couple of the deaf orphans we worked with (wow! was that heartwarming to watch.) Dianna and Jeff, who each had years of children ministry (teaching and music) under their belts and were able to lead our VBS sessions with tons of heart and energy. Katie and Anne, who always had a sea of children around them (seriously - they were kid magnets) and never seemed to loose the energy to smile, love and play with all of them. Welch, our southern gentleman who took such good big-brother-style care of all that gals and set up WiFi for the orphanage (hello!) Everyone - Bret, Simon, Stephanie, Kim, Shelby, Ron, Angie, Maddie, Brenda (and Devin :-) - brought something incredibly special to our team and it was amazing to see such a clear example of the different parts of the body of Christ working so seamlessly together. 

The children we worked with were some of the sweetest I've ever met. Not only were they (for the most part) polite, eager to learn, full of smiles, fun, silly, cuddly and adorable, they were such little love sponges. I know the reason behind their deep need for love is a sad one, but even so, it was such a joy to shower love on those precious kids and receive back their eager love tenfold. Being able to tell them that they are made in God's image and because of God's love for them they are never truly orphaned, was so beautiful.

Pictured left is my little love sponge Jane. She lives at Cannan's Children Home and was my little shadow the whole week. She'd wait for me when we had team meetings/meals, and come running to me with the biggest smile on her face every morning. The first time I met her, she fell asleep in my lap within an hour of our introduction. Melt. My. Heart. She fell asleep in my arms two other times and once I got to carry her to bed and tuck her in. I love this sweet girl and it was so hard to leave her.

The adults who cared for these children were unbelievable and the influence that their love and discipleship has on these kids is so obvious. For the most part we worked with children who are being (in some form or fashion) cared for by a group of Christian adults, but occasionally we would have some of the neighbor kids join our group. The difference in behavior between these children and the children that had positive adult influences was night and day. It was bittersweet to see - wonderful to see what a difference those adults were making in the lives of the kids they serve, but sad to see how many children were still without that influence. I'll talk more about each of these leaders and their work in future posts.

More to come soon, but right now I don't think I can fight off the jet lag any longer. Good night and fingers crossed that I don't wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 2:00am for the third morning in a row...

Back from Uganda and feeling... umm...

After 40 straight hours of travel, Devin and I arrived safely and gratefully home from Uganda on Wednesday night. There is so much to tell and so many awesome, though bittersweet, moments to relive for you through stories, photos and video, but right now I need a few days (weeks?) to process everything and readjust to life here. There is just so much running through my mind that I think I might just short-circuit if I don't take some time to mentally rest.

I'm feeling all sorts of conflicting emotions - energized, but jet-lagged. Excited, but sad. Happy to be home, but missing some especially special kiddos. Knowing some things for certain and wondering about a whole lot more. 

There is so much to tell. The next couple of months here on the blog will be full of all sorts of stuff that will make you giddy. Stay tuned. 

Off We Go!

Please pray for Devin and I as we travel to Uganda, Africa (March 11-23rd) to love on some beautiful orphan children there. I'm so looking forward to sharing our experiences with you when we return! (I will not have much, if any, internet access while in Uganda, so you'll have to wait for all the stories until we get back.) 

Thank You to everyone for all the support, prayers and words of encouragement that you've pour out on Devin and I over the past few months while we prepared for this trip - we have been so incredibly blessed by you! God has used you in unbelievable ways in our lives. Thank you.

Uganda Update: Royal Hope Academy

We leave for Uganda THIS Friday! 

Day 11

Ministry Spotlight: Royal Hope Academy

Royal Hope Academy was started two years ago by a college-age gal named Rebecca Sorensen. Much like Katie Davis, Rebecca spent three months teaching in Uganda and then made the decision the move there permanently to serve the children of Uganda.

Royal Hope Academy provides Christian education and discipleship to 240 orphaned and/or poor children in Uganda. Rebecca herself was a "partial orphan" who was abandoned by her father at a young age and struggled deeply with feelings of rejection growing up. Because of this understanding and background, she takes special care in helping the children at RHA find healing and wholeness through the love of their Heavenly Father. 

"Since February 2009 when we first started the school, at least 100 children have come out of polygamist Islam, witchcraft or Rhasta into the marvelous light and love of Jesus Christ, really knowing what it means to give Him their hearts and lives. They have learned that they are loved by their heavenly Father, the King of Kings, and that they have been adopted as princes and princesses into His Royal family. Many have been delivered of demonic oppression, healed from diseases and conditions, and certainly saved by the marvelous love of our Faithful Father. They have developed a compassion and a generosity for others as well through a weekly offering they give to help someone in the community who is in need." - Rebecca Sorensen

Rebecca with some of the students from RHA

That last sentence just makes you smile doesn't it? Here are these extremely poor children who have such a compassionate heart that they still find a way to help others in need. Wow. 

Our last day in Uganda will be spent with these kids and we'll reaffirm RHA's message of hope and spiritual adoption through our "In His Image" VBS lesson and activities. These kids sound pretty amazing and I am looking forward to meeting them. 

Uganda Update: Serving the Least of the Least

In exactly one week from right now (9:50am MST), Devin and I will be flying to Uganda!! To celebrate, here's the story of another group we'll be serving while there:

Uganda Day 10
Ministry Spotlight: The Karamajong

Many would consider the people of Uganda to be "the least of these," yet even among this extremely poor nation, there exists a sub-population that is viewed at as the lowest of Ugandan society. This people group is treated as societal outcasts simply for who they are and where they were born. They are the tribe of the Karamajong and they represents the poorest of the poor in Uganda. On March 20th, we will have the privilege of serving them as Jesus would - with love and without social condemnation.

Because the Karamajong are not accustomed to being treated this way, our team leader has warned us that they will often bow down to the ground upon first introduction, simply out of respect for the visitor. It is the way they express how humbled and honored they feel that "the Americans" (or anyone of importance in their eyes) would desire to spend time with them. Especially in light of the fact that they are shunned by their own countrymen.

I am so looking forward to meeting this tribe, because it is they that have made the beautiful magazine beads that I use in my "We're All in This Together" crosses. Their works of art inspire me and to have the honor of meeting them will be so incredible.

From what I understand, we will be working primarily with the Karamajong children - busing them into the city in order to have a special VBS day just for them. It is very likely that these sweet kiddos have never ridden a bus before, so I'm sure the day will be an adventurous one for them to say the least. Just to give you an idea of the world these kids live in, here is a except from Katie Davis' blog: "These [children] are so devalued by society and even their own parents that they are not even given names." 

Amazima Ministries with some of the Karamajong children

It will be so amazing to tell these children (who have been told by society, and sometime even their own families, that they are worthless) that the God of the universe loves them and has made them in His image! Perhaps for the first time in their lives, they will be told that they are special and that God knows who they are. I get chills just thinking about it.

Read more about the Karamajong here.