The Longing Is Painful

I don't know how to describe it. But, in a rudimentary way, I'll try. There isn't a day that I don't think about the children I met in Uganda. Sometimes, I can close my eyes and smell the dirt, feel the humidity, hear the giggles, and feel the children touching my skin. I know it's hard for others to understand.........but, I could really live there. What a better way to live my life then serving God's most vulnerable people. It' not realistic, I know..............but by doing the things I'm trying to do with work in Uganda, I at least hope that I can have an impact. On a happy note, I have had a few friends who have recently been successful in adoption in Uganda. I've also enjoyed following a blog about the Penner family who brought home two children. One step at a time..............we can all change the direction of the world.

Uganda Or Bust! It's Official

Yipee, It's official. Through something I consider divine intervention I met a gal named Jackie Skinner. We got to talking about soccer and I told her of my dream to go back to Uganda with a girls soccer team and she said, that's my dream and I think I have a team. It's now official! Timpview High School girls soccer team from Provo, Utah will be making the first journey as an American girls soccer team to Uganda in the history of time. (That is, of course, as far as we know. So Jackie and I teamed up and we're making it happen. The trip is in June of 2009 and it's a lot of work, but boy, am I ever excited! Here is a photo at our introductory meeting back in Utah. Suzy, Left, Jackie, Middle, Jenny, Right. Jenny is our fundraising gal and she thought of an inspirational phrase and made t-shirts out of them. That is what we are all wearing. They say on the front, "If no 1 can make a difference.................. and the back says.......................then I am no 1"
Think about it......it's a beautiful concept. That's really exactly how I feel about all of this!

Memories of a Special Boy

Although my trip to Uganda was five months ago, the images that fill my mind are still so vivid. This is one face that stays in my mind. Patrick. A little boy orphan who lives in the Nsambya Babies Home. I saw so much potential in this boy, yet, in reality he has no chance at a good life. I wake up every morning and feed my kids a good breakfast, scurry them off to school and then meet them in the afternoon, usually with some kind of homebaked goody, fix them a hot homecooked dinner, read to them, snuggle them and kiss them goodnight I can't help to think of the injustice of it all. This boy is just as loved by my Father in Heaven as my own boys. Why then, is he so unlucky? I don't know. It's a question I haven't been able to find the answer to yet. Maybe I never will. But what am I left with? A hole in my heart longing for this boy to be my own. What is he left with? Well, nothing really. Hope that he'll be fed tomorrow, fear, abandonment, deprivation, anger, hunger.. I love you Patrick.............................if you could be mine I would make it happen. Until then, all I can do is pray for you that you will find some peace in your life.

Angela and Her Cousins in Their New Clothes

Good News!

Written by my Sister Holly! We visited Rainbow together when we were in Uganda.
I am so excited for this new post! One of the places we spent lots of time at in Uganda was the Rainbow House of Hope in Kampala. It helps orphaned and disadvantaged children. One of the kids we met was a ten year old girl named Angela. She was orphaned when her parents died of AIDS. Each day we went there, I was drawn to her. I didn't know at first that she was HIV positive but when I found out that she was, I knew that I could do something to help her. One of the directors was this young guy named Timothy. I loved him the minute I met him. You just knew that he was someone special as soon as he spoke. He takes care of all these abandoned, disadvantaged kids. He makes sure the kids have food, medicine, clothing and whatever they need. He runs the programs that they have in place and sleeps there with the kids that have no where else to go. He teaches the kids how to play the trumpet and has a brass band that played for us each time we came to visit.
I spent some special time with little Angela where I learned more about her. Each day we went there, she had the same dress on and it was pretty ragged. I asked Timothy what she needed and he said money for food and medicine would be much appreciated. I gave him $200 and told him to go and buy her some new clothes and shoes and get her whatever she needed. He also said that there were some others who needed clothes as well so I told him to use the money to get whatever he needed for these kids.
When he told Angela that I had given him some money for new clothes, she dropped to her knees and kissed my hands and said thank you over and over again. It was very heart wrenching and made me cry!
Here is a photo of my sweet Angela in her ragged yellow dress. I showed her and her cousin how to color and she made me a picture to bring home to my family.
I was so excited when I opened my email today and Timothy had sent me a photo of the kids he helped with the money I gave him dressed in their new clothes. I was so happy to see them with their big smiles and new, clean clothes on! The other kids are cousins of Angela's. Angela is the girl on the right standing in front of the RHH.

Salli and me. He is wearing a shirt my parents gave him when they were both in Europe. He was so cute and loved American girls. I didn't qualify!

Can't Wait to Get Back to Uganda!

I still bear the remnants of the Ugandan soil on my toenails. The red dirt seemed to stain them. That's o.k. with me because it's one more reminder that I was really there. I am anticipating my next adventure and hoping to get as many people involved as I can. The journey has begun...........my step-brother-in-law leaves for a mission in Sierra Leone this week.....................I can hardly wait to hear about his adventures.