Dreams Come True!

In TEN DAYS I will be on my way to Uganda!
I wanted to share my journey (so far) with all of you who have been such a great part of my life, and so many of you who have specifically contributed to this trip, your time, your love, your support… you’re all coming with me!

So Here’s My Journey To Uganda, all the way up to the Here and Now
For years Chelsea and I have talked/prayed/dreamed about going to Africa to work with orphans, and last August (2008) we finally felt like the timing was finally right…. And why not go? We have the desire, the means, and we are free from many of the commitments that many have that make it harder to just take off for a month.

For me personally, my heart started to really move toward Africa in 2006. Before I had always seen myself working with inner city kids like I had done in Peoria, IL and Atlanta; but in September of 2006 it seemed like everything started to point to Africa- every concert I’d go to would mention an organization doing amazing work in Rwanda/Malawi/Kenya…, movies and documentaries I’d end up watching even though I hardly ever made time for tv, a website link to Grace of God orphanage in Malawi… and I found myself logging in on the computer each morning and day dreaming about meeting these kids whose pictures I looked at a hundred times. It seemed like I had to wait forever before I could go, but I never doubted that I was going.

The way things have come together since August of last year have been steady, but seemingly backwards. The organization we originally joined with was a great starting place for us, they were very thorough with all the travel details/checklists/telling us what to expect, but as time came close to start buying tickets something just didn’t feel right, didn’t fit. This was a very stretching experience, wanting to go, knowing we’re supposed to go, all signs pointing at “go” (money pouring in, approval for the time off work, people offering us fund raisers, missionaries to Uganda taking time to meet with us)…. And nowhere to go!

Enter African Hearts! Awhile back we'd contacted Rock Outreach (a ministry that trains leaders in Uganda), and they forwarded our info to African Hearts Community Outreach, who in turn contacted us about spending our mission with them. AHCO is a grassroots organization in Kampala, they have 2 boys homes and they work to get boys off the streets and in schools, they administer medications, meet basic needs, and give lots and lots of love to the boys still on the streets and spend a lot of time with them, they have unique programs at the homes, such as the boys are in a brass band to raise money to cover their school fees.

Our Part to Play:
This I stole from Chelsea’s blog because I liked it better then mine: “We will be spending three days a week in the city's slums, giving medicine to the kids who live there and spending time with them. In the afternoons, we will spend time with the boys from the orphan homes that African Hearts takes care of. We will teach them Bible classes, music, games, and art. During the evenings, we will live at a Babies' orphan home (also sponsored by African Hearts). On Sundays, we get to take our boys to church. On our free days, we have the flexibility to go wherever we were needed or simply spend time with the various people we are sure to meet.”
We also have been invited to share on Thursdays at Uganda Byumba, God Cares School, and on one of our days off we are arranging to meet Juliet, my World Vision girl!

We are so excited to be going. I encourage you to look at the website: http://www.afrihco.com/
When Chelsea and I looked it over the first few days their mission just echoed everything that's been on our hearts to do. I can’t believe how God is giving us the trip of our dreams!
The babies’ home where we get to stay just made my day/week/month!
http://www.sanyubabies.com/

For updates on our trip please refer to back to this blog (http://raquelinuganda.blogspot.com/)

Or Chelsea’s
http://chelsealyndilbeck.blogspot.com/

If any of you are looking for a way to donate directly to the children we will be serving, they are in need of the following items: backpacks, textbooks, pens, pencils, scissors, art supplies, folders, glue, maps, learning-related posters, binders, rulers, highlighters, tape, calculators (graphing/ scientific), protractors, compasses, dictionaries, thesauruses, graphing paper, colored pencils, children’s books, socks, school clothes, clean DVDs, soccer balls, and soccer-related gear.

Thank you for your involvement and support in my life!

Here we go…………