Things are happening....

I can hardly believe it’s been almost two weeks since my last blog update. Things here are progressing rapidly.

We’ve secured sponsorship for the 2011 school year for 12 children – there are many more children in need so please tell all your friends and family about this wonderful opportunity to bless others in need. (This opportunity can make a difference in the life of a child. If you have the money to go out to eat more than once a week and you actually buy coffee someone else has prepared, chances are good you can come up with the $25/month to help a child. Some of these kids only have 1 meal/day on a good day, so please consider a small sacrifice to you in order to make a BIG difference for someone else!) 100% of the donation goes to the child’s school fees or supplies. And – it’s tax deductible. Ask me how you can help….

Well, thanks to the continuing offers of support from dear friends in the US, it looks like we’ll be able to do a good work for Ray of Hope in the soon-coming days….I’m in the process now of developing web content with the RoH team and confirming the structure for their new website. Hopefully after some technical items are resolved, we’ll be able to proceed and get a great site up and running for them. I’m so privileged to work with these folks and am also very grateful and privileged to know an awesome creative team in the states who are willing to offer time and energy to support this effort. Many, many thanks to you all!! As many know, this can be a rather lengthy process – but in “Africa” time, it seems to be so speedy. The folks at RoH keep talking about how fast things are happening. :-)

This coming weekend I head into northern Uganda to Kitgum. As many of you are aware, northern Uganda has been a place of dramatic struggle and physical and spiritual oppression. So many innocent people have been murdered, raped, or kidnapped. The bloodshed has been so violent…and many families continue to suffer there. Many children were abducted and were forced to become child “brides” or child soldiers….and many still live on the streets and stay in hospital basements or alleys in an attempt to be “safe”. I can’t even wrap my mind around the horror so many of these children (and women and men) face regularly – still!! Even with Kony/the LRA supposedly in the DRCongo, people live under a blanket of fear that just won’t easily be lifted (you can read books like “The Aboke Girls”, “First, Kill Your Family: Child Soldiers of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army” and “The Teeth May Smile But The Heart Will Not Forget” to read just a little of has gone on here). A number of the kids in the family I’m living with have been rescued from those horrible conditions. I am grateful for the opportunity to go with some of the family and some friends of theirs who have family there. It will be an honor to bless some of the families there who are struggling so severely.

Next topic: I’ll be honest, while I appreciate facebook, the updates can make me miss the US a bit…. thinking about Auburn football and football Saturdays with friends – football, food and often a great round of cards! I do miss all my friends but remain in such peace and happiness here. I can hardly believe I’ve been here almost 8 weeks…but sometimes it feels that I’ve lived here for years. All is good!

I will try to send another update once I return from Kitgum… love and blessings to you! I remain grateful for your friendship, prayers and support, and the opportunity to serve the people of Africa!