Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Counting Down the Days

In February of 2009 I had the honor of traveling with a local team from Ohio to Uganda, Africa to construct a teacher's home for Watoto Child Care Ministries. Watoto provides holistic, residential care for orphaned and vulnerable children with the core vision to rescue a Child, raise a Leader and rebuild a Nation. The vision this ministry has is beyond amazing!! They take in these orphans and widows and provide them with a home, a new family, an education, food, and daily continue to pour out the love of CHRIST to them!!
I first found out about Watoto when one of their children's choirs first came to the area and I got to enjoy one of their awesome performances!! That night I signed up to sponsor a child by the name of Miriam Nantanda! My dream that night had been to travel to Uganda and visit Miriam!! I had to wait a long 5 years but it was all worth it!! When I met Miriam at her village it just sent tingles thru me cause we had been friends for so long but never talked to each other in person!! We were able to spend about an hour together and it seemed like we knew each other so well and really connected!!
Another thing I got to experience while I was in Uganda was a day at Baby Watoto!! In early 2007, Watoto started a home for orphaned and vulnerable babies. The facility called the Bulrushes, is located down town Kampala and provides a loving safe haven for babies to be restored physically and mentally. Babies 0-2 years old are rescued and nurtured until they are ready to either graduate to a Watoto Children's Village or to be reunited with existing relatives. Words cannot describe what I felt walking into this facility!! Tears poured over my heart as I watched all these little babies crawling all over the place and knowing that they were safe and being loved!! It was then that God really grabbed on to the reins of my heart and my focus was no longer on me and what I wanted but what He had in store for me! So after returning home I applied to return to Watoto and serve at the Bulrushes and what do you know here I am today preparing to leave in a little over 40 days! Actual departure date is November 1st!!
One of my dear friends Linda will also be joining me to go back to Uganda!! We are so excited to experience more of the African culture and be a part of this wonderful ministry!! But above all we are thrilled to be doing the will of our Heavenly Father and furthering His Kingdom!! Linda and I will be volunteering our time at the Bulrushes as nannies for a period of 6 months, Lord willing!
I know so many people are praying for me now and will continue to do so while I am serving! Thank you all so much! The power of prayer is becoming more and more real to me each day! I am so grateful that our God has time for each one of us and is never too busy for us even when at times we think we are to busy for Him!!! I will try and keep this blog updated as much as possible and have a list of prayer requests too!! Thanks again for all the support everyone has given thus far spiritually, emotionally, and financially!! I am so blessed!!