What Its Really Like...

When we landed in Uganda in November 2011, we were greeted by a beautiful, cheerful Ugandan woman.  Her name was Lillian, an employee of Compassion Uganda in charge of sponsor tours, and also a former Compassion Child.

She showed us around her beautiful country, smiling, laughing and filling our brains and hearts with details about life, how she wouldn't be where she is now had she not been sponsored through Compassion.  

Recently she posted the following on Facebook.  She's on a trip to New Zealand (for what, I'm not entirely sure) and I thought this was beautifully said, from someone who has seen life before and after child sponsorship through Compassion...

Child Advocacy is great and amazing! I love everything on this Beautiful Survivor tour. It's a blessing to see children being picked for sponsorship and just to remember how my photo was, on the table years back before Rosemary Mahomed picked it and decided to sponsor me. Now am here advocating for others to be released from poverty. Tonight i should say was my best event, when I was speaking in St Matthew Anglican Church- Morrinsville, and I saw Rosemary walking in... Imagine what happened within seconds but i managed any way. She had flown in to NZ from Australia and drove all the way… just because of love. Great surprise it was for the church of course when she was finally introduced and I had to hug her but couldn't stop the tears both in the eyes and nose....!! I just love her...If you know you sponsor a child; i want to tell you that your sponsored child really loves you so much. You may have picked a paper with a photo... but it's a life behind the profile. It's the child in need waiting to be released from poverty! I love u all sponsors and for the Kiwis who are picking children for sponsorship from the table during this Beautiful Survivor tour... you are such a blessing. Thank you for choosing to change a life. God bless you abundantly.

I'm really looking forward to seeing Lillian again when I get to Uganda.  Her smile, laugh and kind loving heart is one I'll never forget!

If you are interested in learning more about child sponsorship, click here.  

Home Is...

This past week a few different people have asked me if I'm getting excited for my trip to Uganda in October.  Or maybe it's still too far away?  They ask.

Nope, I'm excited.  But I'm not frantic like I was last time.  I basically freaked out last time I went.  I mean, I'd never been to Africa, I had no idea what to expect and figured I wouldn't be prepared no matter how much I tried.

When I clicked the "register" button in 2011 I couldn't believe this dream was actually coming true.  That God was finally sending me to a place my heart had been for years.  My head reeled with everything that needed to be done and list upon list was made so I wouldn't forget.

This time, a calm washed over me when I clicked that same button.  The peaceful feeling of knowing you'll soon be headed home.  Yeah, that's right, I said it...home.

Yes, Sumner, WA is my home.  My family is there, I grew up there and my dad is buried there.  It's where I go for Christmas and where the majority of my thoughts and prayers get sent, where I wish I could be on holidays, weekends and when I'm lonely.  I also call Chicago my home, as this is where I've lived for the past almost 6 years.  I've only lived in my mom's house longer, never worked a job as long as the ones I've had here and this is where I do life.  But a large portion of my heart is in Uganda with my two beauties Florence and Specioza.  My family worries that I either won't come back or I'll decide to move to Africa for good.  And honestly, I'm not completely opposed to that.  I'd give anything to see my family on a daily basis, and watch my nephew grow up, but if God is calling me to a different life, I'll hop on the first plane headed to Africa.

It's almost harder being somewhere in the middle here in Chicago.  I have to remember that the work God has for me here is just as important as the work I'd be doing in Africa.  Souls are souls and the 5 I encounter on a daily basis here are wanted by Him just as much as the ones I'd be meeting in Africa.

I guess, yes, I am excited about Africa, and seeing my girls.  But not in a ants-in-my-pants kind of way. More of a content, I-know-that's-where-I'm-supposed-to-be-isn't-it-great-when-our-heart-aligns-with-God's kind of way.

If you are interested in donating for travel costs or towards the purchase of school/art supplies, hygiene items or clothing for the Compassion Sites I'll be visiting, please let me know.  Prayers are also appreciated.

The Excitement is Building

It's official, there will be more than one reunion happening this October!  Yes, I'll be seeing my Compassion girls again but I'll also be reunited with my girl Ashley, my roommate from my first trip in 2011.  I can actually be excited instead of being hopefully excited.  I was trying to keep calm because what if she didn't actually get signed up for the trip?  I can't imagine going without her so I'm rejoicing that it's officially official!

Ash found these at Target for 58 cents!

I've mentioned before that she was going but it wasn't a sure thing...but now, she's officially registered and already buying things to give to the kids at the Compassion sites we visit.

I'm telling you, this girl's heart is amazing.  If you haven't read about her before, check out this blogpost from earlier this month.

Ash and I are going to team up on getting things to take-I've already asked the dentist to donate some items and he said no problem...I'll be picking them up in a few weeks when I get a filling repaired (yuck.)

It's all coming together...


If you'd like to donate items or money for items to be purchased for the children at the Compassion sites, please contact me.  Items needed include toiletries, art/school supplies, bandaids, etc.

Spring Break

I'm off work today.  The family I work for is on vacation at their condo in Big Sky, Montana.  If you've never been, you should go.  It's amazingly beautiful.  And they aren't over selling it when they call it "Big Sky Country" promise.

I was there for a week with the girls and their mom last July.  Their mom was "working from home" so the girls and I explored (ok, they showed me around because they might know that mountain better than they know their neighborhood here in Chicago) and one day the bunch of us headed out to Yellowstone for my first visit.  It's simply breathtaking there.  Big Sky, that is...I mean Yellowstone is great too, but wow, the views from Moonlight Basin (where the girl's place is) simply are beyond words.

A view from the back deck.

I'm not exactly sure what I'll be up to this week in chilly Chicago (aside from double dog sitting, a few lunch dates and a dentist appointment) but I know my girls will be enjoying below freezing temps and skiing like there's no tomorrow over in Montana.

After thinking about my girls being gone I started thinking about my other girls...Specioza and Florence, over in Uganda.  What's the weather like there right now?

So, I went on Compassion's site and looked up more info about where both of my girls are.

Hoima

Specioza (13) lives about eleven miles north of the closest city, which is Hoima.  Her community, located on the eastern side of the country near the midpoint,  consists of about 8300 people where the average monthly family income is about $8.  She eats beans, fish, cassava, beef and millet.  Malaria, coughs, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, sickle cell anemia, asthma, worms and typhoid run rampant in this part of the country.  Her and her mother and a few siblings live in a mud walled house with dirt floors and grass (or tin if they can afford it) for a roof.




Right now in Hoima, the daily high temperature reaches about 82 degrees and the nights cool off to 70 or so.  It's rainy season apparently, as thunder storms are forecasted almost daily for the next 10 days.

Mukono

As for Florence, she lives on the opposite side of Uganda from Sepcioza, in a community just northwest of Mukono where the average monthly family income is much higher at about $30 and consists of about 60,000 people.  Her house is made of a cement floor with a corrugated iron roof and adobe walls.  Several rooms of her house caught fire around Christmastime where she lives with her sisters and brother who is listed as her guardian. 

There is a wider variety of food in her area which include maize, beans, bananas, fish, greens, potatoes, rice, groundnuts, cassava and sweet potatoes. Common health problems in this area include HIV/AIDS, 
malaria and sexually transmitted diseases.  Florence lives with her siblings

The weather in Mukono is almost identical to Hoima with slightly less storms.  The adults in both communities find work (if they can) as farmers.

Needless to say, these girls won't be vacationing anytime soon.  They'll continue to do their daily duties of carrying water, helping cook and keep the house, as well as attending school and their Compassion site.

Can you imagine living off $30 a month?  Sharing that with a few kids and maybe another adult?  I've been there, as I know many of you have as well (maybe not Uganda, but other impoverished places) and I've seen how life is done there, and I STILL struggle to wrap my mind around it.

What sticks with me most about these girls, and all the other kids and adults I met in Uganda, is that though they don't have much, they are rich.  Rich beyond anything I can imagine.  They have so much faith.  Hope in the Lord.  And joy.  They are filled with joy.  Like I've never seen before.  My first instinct is to sell everything and move there-hoping to absorb some of that joy.  And if God called me to, that's exactly what I'd do.

Until then, I'll continue to ensure that my girls have access to medical care, that their tuition is paid for, school uniforms are purchased, meals are supplemented, health and religious education is provided and most importantly love is given.  These girls know I come alongside their parents/guardians and pay for the things they can't afford.  But that's not what really matters to them.  It's my letters, my prayers, my love from across the world.  The knowledge that someone, somewhere cares about them and doesn't have to, but chooses to.  That they were picked by God for me, and I for them.  God placed us worlds apart and the Holy Spirit brought us together to form one beautiful family.

Happy family!

I can't wait to go back and see my beautiful daughters in October.  If you would please pray for my trip preparations in the coming months I would appreciate that.  And if you feel compelled to give financially, please contact me privately.

Please pray and see what God has for you...is it a child in Thailand, Guatemala, Haiti, Ghana or any of the other countries Compassion works in?  If so, click here to be united with your child.  

One Meal One Day

How much do you normally spend on a lunch out?  What if you skipped that meal and donated the money you saved to feed hungry children?  Just one meal, on one day.  Do you realize how much of an impact this one small act could have?

Compassion International challenges us to do just that on March 27th.  Take a look at the video and for more info visit One Meal One Day.

One Meal One Day Challenge 2013 from Compassion International on Vimeo.

$38, What's It To You?

So, $38.  What'll that get you?  Two weeks worth of Starbucks.  Some gas in your tank.

What about a health/wellness education, vaccines, a meal each week, a school uniform and school dues, and access to gospel centered community?

To some kids, $38 is the difference between life and death, being educated and not.  Hearing the Gospel and remaining in spiritual darkness.

Compassion International's Child Development Program does just that.  For $38 a month you can provide these things for one child.  I mean, look at these two...how adorable are they?  And they are both in need of sponsors.

Ana Maria lives with her father who is sometimes able to find employment and mother who takes care of the home and children.  She live south of Lima, Peru and has one sibling.  The houses in her area are typically constructed of dirt floors and wood walls, the community has about 3,800 residents.

In this area, the typical diet consists of beans, chicken, fish, bread and rice.  Health problems include bronchitis, colds, parasites, tooth decay and malnutrition.  The average household income is equivalent to about $94 per month.  The community is in desperate need of libraries, technical training centers, employment opportunities and hospitals.

With your sponsorship, the staff at Emanuel Student Center where Ana Maria is enrolled, will be able to provide health and hygiene education, nutritious meals, field trips, sports, tutoring, like skills training and bibles, among other things.  Ana Maria's family will also be provided with nutrition education, marriage counseling and access to Bible teaching.

Nyambita lives with his grandmother who sometimes finds work as a farmer and three siblings.  His favorite activity is running and is in kindergarten.  In the Mbela Community where Nyambita lives, houses are constructed of dirt or wood floors, mud walls and tin or thatched roofs.  There are about 23,500 residents of this community that is southeast of Mwanza, Tanzania.

His diet consists of maize, beans, beef, rice, fish and potatores.  Malaria is rampant in this region and most adult males aren't able to find work other than occasional work as day-laborers, street vendors or subsistence farmers and make about $56 per month.

The staff at Nyambita's Compassion center (Ufufuo Mbela Student Center) will be able to provide him with health screenings, medical treatment, sports, educational field trips and materials, school uniforms. His parents/guardians will also have opportunities for parenting skills training, project involvement and additional support as necessary.

I should note that these two kids aren't on the Compassion site and their info isn't anywhere else in the world...I have their packets and each child is only issues one packet, preventing the same child from receiving more than one sponsor...

In addition to all of these things, you'll be able to show love and encouragement to your sponsored child through letter writing.  Many of the young adults I met while in Uganda expressed how important it was to receive communication from there sponsors as they grew up.  Often these children flourish with the love and prayers of someone they'll most likely never meet in person.  

If you have further questions or if you'd like to sponsor one (or both) of these beautiful kids, please contact me and I'll get you set up.  To see other children in need of sponsorship, click here.

One Down, One To Go!

Well, I finished one of the blankets I've been knitting for my girls in Uganda!  I don't know if this one is going to be fore Florence of Specioza...I'm not sure how I'll determine that, but I have time to get that figured out.

For now, I'll celebrate the fact that after many hours of work, one purple blanket is complete!  I've already started on the next one...it's lighter purple as you can see, but I'm knitting it exactly the same.  Hope this one is just as quick as the last!

I was worried that I'd get started and after a week or so push it to the back burner.  It seems like October is a long way off but I knew it'd come up and surprise me and I wouldn't have the blankets done...well, I'm no longer worried about that!  I'll have them both done in plenty of time!

Next on the "to-do for Uganda" list is fund raising.

My least favorite thing--asking people for money.  But, it's a necessary thing so, be expecting a letter or email soon!

Beyond that, I need to start making a list of all the things I want to include in the backpacks I take the girls as well as the items I'll bring to take to the kids at the other Compassion sites we'll visit.  I'm already planning on asking my dentist to donate some toothbrushes but that's as far as I've gotten.

A Classroom at a Compassion site in Kampala

Last time I took tons of school/art supplies and toiletries.

Cutie lookin cool in my shades!

I know I'll bring bubbles and stickers a plenty this time-the kids loved when other sponsors on the tour gave those out.  Maybe a few pairs of sunglasses too...mine were demolished by the time I got back-the kids just loved wearing them!

Thank you again for your prayers for this trip and all the pieces coming together.

Maybe I'll look into getting
some kid-size shoes too.

Sisters Of Compassion

Last week I got a phone call from Compassion explaining that the discount code they gave me when I registered for my trip to Uganda was incorrect and instead of my trip costing around $1,500 it's going to be more like $3,100 plus airfare to/from Washington DC where our group meets.

Ugh.  I already paid the non-refundable deposit of nearly $400 and I'm almost done with one of the blankets I'm knitting for my girls, plus I really really want to go, but that's a HUGE difference in cost.  Some people have suggested I call them back and explain that it was their mistake so I shouldn't be responsible for the new balance.  Part of me feels that way too.  But when I stop and think about this organization, which is set up to help children, I know that if I get them to pay the additional portion, the money isn't coming from some rich guy's pocket, it's coming from a place its desperately needed.  I'm not willing to take money from an organization that helps kids, even if it was their mistake.  I know that God will provide, He always does.  

I'm asking for prayers for faith that it will all come together, and for calm while it's all getting figured out.  Thank you for supporting me through prayer.

Ashley!!

My roommate from my previous Uganda trip, Ashley, is also struggling to figure out finances for the trip.  She isn't registered yet but I am praying that God will also provide her with the ability to make the commitment to this second trip to Africa.  It would be such a blessing and sweet time for us to be back there together.  She sponsors a boy named Joseph (11) who she met last time, but now also sponsors a girl named Rose (18) and will be able to meet her for the first time.  Ash also has Stephen in Ghana who is 10 years old.

Ashley and I were paired up as roomies based on age, at least thats what the trip leader will tell you.  The truth is that God knew exactly what He was doing when he put us in a room together.  Ash and I met up at JFK because our flights arrived within minutes of each other.  We then walked over to meet the rest of our tour group.  By the time the group leader arrived, she thought we'd come together and had been friends for years.  Nope, we'd just met a few hours prior.  Some of the other sponsors though we were sisters...

Ash, Joseph, Me and my girls, with other
Compassion Kids

We stayed together the entire trip, sitting together on the bus, next to each other at meals and when we met our kids the last day there, we played together like a big happy family.

I haven't seen Ashley since we parted ways at JFK in November 2011 at the end of the Uganda trip.  She took a plane back to Oklahoma and I was on my way back to Chicago.  We've talked on the phone, emailed, and texted but haven't seen each other.  Its strange to think about going to Uganda and not having Ashley there.  We bonded over the shared experience, but it is deeper than that too.  We are two women, who though have lived very different lives, have gone through similar heartache and trials.  God put us together to strengthen each of us separately but also to form an even stronger team--we've both become Compassion Advocates and have challenged each other to become more involved and invested in the cause.

I love this girl and I'm praying that God will provide a way for both of us to make this trip together.

Ash and Joseph

**Ashley is also a Compassion Corespondent which means she writes letters to kids who don't receive letters from their sponsors.  She writes to Jushua (10, Philippines), Shadrack (9, Tanzania) and Ines (4, Bolivia).  This woman writes to 6 kids on a regular basis...sometimes I find it hard to write to my two regularly.  These 6 kids are being loved on by her and will be changed forever because of it.

Marci on the far right is also making
the trip back in October!

If you'd like to Sponsor a child (it's only $38 a month) or donate to any of the other Compassion programs, click here for more info.

Made With Love

Florence surrounded by the gifts I brought for her

When I went to Uganda in 2011 I had no idea what to expect.  We were asked to bring items to be distributed to the Compassion Sites we visited as well as things for our Sponsored Children.  I filled bags with crayons, stickers, gum, candy, bandaids, journals, markers, shampoo and soap.  I made photo albums for my girls with Bible verses mixed in.  I crammed two very full backpacks into the largest piece of luggage I owned and though I couldn't possibly fit anything else in them, I just knew I was missing something that would benefit the families of my girls.

This time, I'm taking a different approach.  Yes, I will cram as many art supplies, toiletries and goodies as will fit in my luggage, but for my girls I decided to make things a little more personal.  I'm most likely never going to see Florence again (she ages out of the program the week after I'm there) and though I pray I will see Specioza at least one more time, there are never any guarantees...2 trips to Uganda in 3 years is already more than I ever thought I'd be able to manage.

Specioza unloading her backpack of goodies

My roommate from the last trip, Ashley, knit a blanket for her boy, Joseph.  And I was impressed.  Material objects, though necessary to some extent, never compare to handmade items, literally woven with love. This time, I decided to knit my girls each a blanket.  Much to their dismay, they are going to be purple...my favorite color.

Back when we were standing with our feet in Lake Victoria, I asked the girls their favorite colors...orange and red.  When I told them mine was purple they looked at me like I'd grown a third eye.  "Why?" they asked, with furrowed brows.  "Uh, well, it makes me happy...it brings joy to my heart...I think it's pretty?" Was that a suitable answer?  I'd never had to defend my choice of favorite color before.

So, there it is, I'm making blankets for my girls in my favorite color, not theirs...but only because I already had a ton of purple yarn.  I'm knitting just straight knit stitches with a double strand...it's moving along quite nicely.  I've used almost 6 skeins so far and I'm about halfway done with the first blanket.

The first blanket...so far

I'm just looking forward to giving the girls something made with my hands, with love, for them.  A personal item that will hopefully show my girls that though they are far away, I think about them daily.

If you'd like to help support me in my journey to Uganda I would love prayers and if you're compelled to give a financial gift, the money will be used to cover my travel expenses as well as purchase items to be given to the Compassion sites I'll visit.  If you'd like to donate items, email me for a list of what is recommended.

To learn more about Compassion or to sponsor a child, click here.

My Daughters

In November 2011 I spent a week in Uganda.  It was the most amazing week of my life.  One day in particular was, and I'm not being dramatic here, the best day of my life.  The last day I was in country I met Specioza and Florence, the two beautiful girls I sponsor through Compassion International.

Specioza, 12 years old

I was given Specioza as a gift for my 28th birthday by the man I was dating at the time.  He paid for her sponsorship for one year but I was the one to correspond with her (I took over sponsorship for her after the first year).  After four years of communicating, our letters have become more personal and she now writes her own letters instead of using an interpreter.  She was 9 when I began a relationship with her and now, at 13, she desires deeply to further her relationship with Christ, become a doctor and someday visit me in Chicago.

In March 2011 I received an email from Compassion asking if I'd like to join a "Sponsor Tour" that was planned for Uganda and meet Specioza.  After praying about it and checking my bank account, I signed up.  I also immediately signed up to sponsor another child, Florence.

Florence, getting comfortable in my sunglasses!

First, I thought I'd sponsor the youngest child available in Uganda and build a relationship with them from 3 (the youngest a child can enter the program) until they graduated or aged out (children are only allowed to stay in the program until 22) but then I saw the face of a beautiful young woman and my heart lept.  This was my child.  Florence was the oldest unsponsored child in Uganda at the time and though I knew my relationship with her would only be brief, I knew God was telling me she was meant to be in my life.


So, when I landed in Uganda in November 2011 with twenty-some other sponsors, I had two children to meet.  Florence and Specioza spotted me right away, they knew who I was and knew I was theirs.  When Specioza ran up to me and embraced me, my heart had never felt such joy!  Her first words to me were, "How is my brother Devin?"  Now, for those of you who don't know, Devin is my precious angel that I nannied from 2 months-4 years when he and his family moved out of state.  I had written Specioza about Devin (and Zack, his little brother) many times and mentioned all the things we did in the city.  I didn't however expect her to inquire about him, and I was totally unprepared for her considering him family.  It blew my mind and exploded my heart with even more love for this child I had just laid eyes on for the very first time.

The three of us riding a camel at the zoo!

Florence was more reserved, tentative, and observant.  When Spec climbed into my lap and started petting my hair, Florence's gaze told me she was searching my face and memorizing it's every detail.  As Spec hugged me close as I walked, almost tripping us, Florence walked on my other side, letting her sleeve lightly brush mine.  My camera, sunglasses and name tag became items of awe and wonder, prized objects that brought huge smiles to faces even if they were only passing through hands momentarily.

My daughters.

The day was filled with questions.  While looking at the photo albums I brought them, they'd point at someone and say, "Is this your sister Alison?" and wait for confirmation before asking how she is doing, how her husband Ian is doing, and "My, he is taller than I thought."  You see, they memorize the letters I send them.  Every last detail.  They know them word for word.  All of them.  The letters serve as a reminder that they are loved.  That somewhere out there in the great big world, someone is thinking about them, praying for them, loving them.  They don't simply know about me, they know my life, the lives of the ones I love, and they care, really truly care about how each one is doing.  Why?  Because they consider me family.  A second mom.  A mom that comes alongside the woman who gave birth to them and is raising them, a mom that gives what their mom is unable to...money, resources, prayers.  If I'm like a mom, then my sister is their aunt, my nephew is their cousin and Devin is their brother.

Strangers in the morning, sisters by afternoon.

By the end of the day, we were one big family.  The three of us.  Standing in Lake Victoria, holding hands, rolling up hems of skirts to wade deeper.  Laughing, smiling and hugging like we could never get enough...and we couldn't.

The day ended far too quickly.  Tear stained cheeks everywhere you looked.  Eyes that were full of excitement and wonder just hours before were now filled with the sadness of parting from a loved one, knowing that you'll most likely never see them again.  Through bus windows, blowing kisses and saying, "I love you, I love you, I love you" as loud as you can, hoping they'll hear it and believe it, and never ever forget it.

At the zoo...Florence insisted on carrying
both my bags...

My Florence leaves the program this year, as she'll be 22 on October 28.  Little does she know, her birthday present is coming early...I'll be in Uganda the week before, making sure she knows that she is loved, thought about and prayed for.

There is so much more I want to say about my girls, Uganda, Compassion, but that'll have to wait.  I can't wait to see my two beautiful girls.  And reunite with a few friends from the previous trip...God is good, and He is able.

To find out more about the work Compassion is doing around the world, or to sponsor a child, click here.

This One's Mine/Spoken For

I sponsor two girls through Compassion International.  I had the great privilege of meeting them last November when I traveled to Uganda.  Each girl came with one adult chaperone from their school.  One of the chaperones asked me how I chose my girls.  She wasn't sure of the process...did I have a choice of the child I would sponsor?  How could I look at photo after photo of children in need and pick these two specifically?

I explained to her that the youngest girl, Specioza who is 13, was originally picked by a friend and he sponsored her as a gift to me.  He paid, I corresponded with her.  Then I explained that if you go onto Compassions website you can search by country, gender, age, need, etc but I knew I wanted another child in Uganda so that part was easy.  I chose to view the children from oldest to youngest and that's when I saw Florence, who at the time was 19.

Florence, me, Specioza.  Happiest day of my life!

I just knew that she was mine.  I literally said out loud, "This one's mine."

Months later, I heard this MercyMe song for the first time and I couldn't believe it when I heard the exact same words used as God declares each one of us as His.

To hear you say, "This one's mine." My heart is spoken for.

Tears come to my eyes each time I hear this line.

I know how much love I have for those girls.  Just by seeing a photo, I knew she was meant for me.  She was meant to be my sponsored child.  How much more then does God love me...after all, He didn't just see a photo-He CREATED me.  And He looks on me (and you) and says, "This one's MINE."

Gives me chills.

Don't even get me started on the line, "Now I have a peace, I've never known before" That could be a whole post on its own.