Zambia!

The date is set! February 2nd I will be leaving our home in Dallas and flying across the world to Zambia, Africa for 12 days! This new country already has touched my heart, as it is home to the 80 orphans whose names and faces I have learned in the last 3 weeks. I can't wait to meet them face to face. To sit in the dirt with them, to laugh and play, to let them braid my crazy, weird, straight American hair. What a joy it will be to put real live faces with the names I have already come to care about. I have read their stories- now I want to live their lives with them.

 

The best part is that I get to keep coming back and visiting twice a year. In my other travels, I knew I was saying goodbye for a long time, if not forever. Here in Zambia, I can't wait to build lasting relationships... heck, I see some of my best friends here in the States only twice a year!

I'll also be praying and looking for a few children that God really lays on my heart, as I have family members that would like to sponsor a little girl. And Jake and I want to sponsor a child as well. I'm afraid I'll come back to the States asking Jake to sponsor 25 children, but that's what makes me so excited about this "job"... I get to serve these orphans all year long, 8-5, 5 days a week! Could it get any better??

In the weeks ahead I hope to share some of what we'll be doing in Zambia. We have SO much to do in preparation. And once I'm there, I'll also use this blog to update my friends and family about our travels. I can't wait! Thanks for following along!

Check out everyorphan.org to learn more.

Book recommendation

Looking for a GREAT book recommendation?

Just Monday my boss came in and laid a book on my desk. "Have you heard about Katie?" he asked.

And let's just say, all week all I've wanted to do is learn more about Katie and her amazing story in Uganda. Jake and I fight for the book every night to read and I even stayed up past my bedtime devouring it last night after Jake fell asleep.. ha!

Katie also has a blog outlining her adventures since 2007.  As of today she is a mother to 13 Ugandan orphans and her story is amazing. Check it out if you are ready to be challenged and to follow along as one 22 year old American girl shares the adventure she is living. It won't leave you untouched.

These last 10 days have been nothing short of wonderful. What a joy it is to hear stories, to look at pictures and to learn names. Names of children that I get to meet face to face in only a month! I really want to pinch myself sometimes. This "job" continues to bring such joy and it's only just begun!

This week our dear friends Mike and Cindy are in Haiti! As you may know, Haiti hits close to home for me because I was there 4 months after the earthquake in 2010. I can still see mass graves and destroyed buildings in my head. Yet I also remember the heart of those at Mission of Hope and the positive changes they were bringing to the people of Haiti. Mike and Cindy are blessed to go serve at the same Mission of Hope I visited 19 months ago. Check out my experience here. 

I so wish they could update us on their trip but I'll just have to wait patiently until they get home this weekend. As the week has progressed, I think of them often and say prayers for their trip, safety and the experience of a lifetime they are having. These trips define your life. I hope it leaves them changed... that their hearts won't ever be the same and it's just the beginning of their giving... giving of themselves to those in need.

We are all called so differently.. some of us to other countries, to the workplace, to our own homes and neighbors... yet we are all called to give. And with that giving comes joy. The joy I can't wait to see on Mike and Cindy's faces once they are back on American soil and we can take them to dinner to hear all about their trip. Nothing compares to sharing these stories with your loved ones and friends. Nothing compares to the joy of giving.

Big news!

Well folks, I have some exciting news to announce and news that will probably change the future of this blog a little bit. As of this week, I have started what I like to call  a "dream job". I've been volunteering with an organization called Every Orphan's Hope for several weeks and in mid November they asked me to join them full time, starting in December. I seriously had tears in my eyes when the invitation was given and couldn't have been happier to accept. After all, I'm doing what I love and I get to come to work every day knowing that my efforts are making a difference half way around the world. And you know what is the craziest blessing of all?? I'm REQUIRED and PAID to travel to Zambia twice a year as part of my job description! Could it get any better than that? What an answer to prayer this job has become!

So what do I do on a daily basis? Well I'm in the process of working that out but I'll be in charge of donor and sponsor relations. I get to give sponsors updates on their children, communicate with the homes in Zambia to receive those updates, and ultimately make sure that our sponsors have the relationship they desire with the children that they have come to love. I get to be on the front lines and see these relationships develop and I can't wait! I also have been given the freedom to do a little business development, which is another thing I'm very passionate about.

This blog will stay true to its history... I'm here to bring to light, what others are doing around the world and in our country too. Yet, now I will also have a front seat to wonderful stores from Zambia and will love to share those with you too. Hold on to your seats.... this girl is pumped about this new opportunity and won't let it leave me unchanged!

If you want to learn more about Every Orphan's Hope, check out this video:

http://vimeo.com/30296319

Uganda- Part 2

One of my favorite things we got to do in Uganda was teach PE. We taught all ages but these pictures are of the precious 3rd through 6th graders at recess. 

Danika (my 18 yr old cousin) and I taught them how to play frisbee.... or at least we tried! Can you imagine how crazy it was? The frisbee flew every which way and we spent most of our time running it down, instead of playing catch. But here's one little guy in action:

 And here I am leaning over, trying to catch my breath and trying to cool down... the littlest activity in that humidity makes you pour sweat! 

Here Becka and I are ready to go explore Uganda. It was a trip of a lifetime and one we were very blessed to take... thanks Grandma for giving us such an opportunity!

Always amazes me what they can carry!

Roasted bananas that were bought for us from the side of the road. Of course we ate them and it felt good to conquer my American fear-filled mind (what kind of bacteria is on this?? Didn't I just see a 100 flies on this?? Where was this cooked? Can my stomach handle this??) And truth be told, we all survived! Eating local food is just one of those things you've gotta do while traveling!

Baboon on the side of the road

And here's where it gets real:

These were abandoned buildings that refugees used when they fled from the LRA and the unrest up in Northern Uganda. I found this article/quote written back in 2006 by Michelle Brown from Rufugees International:

"Despite improvements in the past year, and the cessation of hostilities between the Ugandan government and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) signed on 26 August, the humanitarian response in Northern Uganda continues to fail. The crisis remains one of the most severe in the world. Over 1.7 million people are displaced from their homes, without access to basic services such as water, sanitation and health care." 

As we drove by these buildings, I could only think about how LITTLE time had passed since people were living here. How only a few short years ago, families were fleeing and taking shelter wherever they could find a safe place. It truly just made me pray for those families and the situations that they still face today after overcoming such a horrific experience. It's impossible to not be moved by the history and to not want to do something about it... to help prevent it, make others aware, support those who have gone through it...anything. And that's what makes these trips so important to me. 

When we got back to the orphanage, these babies were waiting for us. Some had lost parents due to AIDs, others to accidents and war. After seeing the refugee buildings and hearing the brutal stories people still face in Uganda, our purpose was clear. We were there to help in any small way we were needed.

This is the 3 year old class. We were NOT supposed to be distracting the kids and taking pics so I hid the camera for a few precious shots (awful, I know!). These were the best behaved 3 year olds I have EVER been around. Discipline is serious here and there's no wonder.. these kids were better behaved and more respectful than most 10 year olds in America.

And here's a video to leave you with of them singing. While there's no picture, I knew I'd always love looking back and listening to their voices. "Trust and Obey" will never be the same to me.

My trip to Uganda (Part 1) and an update

So it’s definitely time for an update! If you saw my last post (linked to my other blog) you saw the list of things we had going the last couple of months. To sum it up, Jake and I got engaged after dating for 2 years in March, and knew we wanted to get married before he started his new coaching/teaching job this fall. So before we knew it, that meant a July wedding with an early August honeymoon and only 4 months to plan the event which was held in Colorado! To throw in another big milestone, I went to Uganda in June for 9 days.. but I’ll get to that in a bit J We also moved to Dallas, TX and Jake got a new job while I left mine in Oklahoma City right before the wedding in CO. SO….. it’s been a crazy few months if you can’t tell. But we are loving married life, survived the big move, rented a new place, had a WONDERFUL honeymoon in Maui and Jake loves his job- all amazing blessings we try to make sure and count every day in the midst of the madness.

I’ve been enjoying the two months off of work, although it has only felt like a week or two now that I’ve caught my breath. I’ve loved putting the house together, cooking meals for Jake, taking care of our dog Boss, running errands, switching my name on EVERYTHING, going to the gym regularly, making a new budget for us, babysitting a little and just being a wife. What an adventure! And who says this isn’t work? J People ask me all the time what I’m doing now, and I honestly could make a list a mile long… I love it!

So that is why the blog(s) have been so far behind. But now I want to catch up and the first thing I want to write about is Uganda.

While the trip was in the midst of my crazy 4 month engagement, I really was able to detach and really enjoy the 9 days I had there. I went with my Grandma and cousin and really cherished the time I got to spend with them. Because of work, I was actually only in Uganda for 5 days, with 4 days of travel time… unreal. I don’t think I’ll ever go for such a short time again just because it’s so hard to travel that much for such a little visit. But man were those 5 days amazing!

This picture is of my cousin Danika and I with another girl named Becca that came on the trip with us. The "welcome to Uganda" sign was held by our driver at the airport to welcome us when we got off the plane.

This was our room at the hotel the first night. We got in so late at night that we weren't able to travel to the village until the next day. I wanted to take a pic of the mosquito nets, since so many of my friends have never seen or slept under these :)

Lake Victoria

We got to see a lot of Uganda because we traveled around a lot. These pictures I took from our jeep, so the clarity isn’t great but it shows life as they know it there…. I kept trying to get pictures of the babies because they are the key to my heart, but man, that jeep was going fast!

This is a large slum in Kampala (the capital city). I tried to get a couple pictures but again, we were zooming through the city!

The Rafiki Village is about an hour or two from Kampala. What a great site it was as we drove up to the gate! It looked very similar to the village in Ghana I've visited and was just as beautiful! We were all so excited to see where we would be serving for the week

Our wonderful cottage

Right outside our cottage grew this Jack Fruit. It's HUGE! We tried eating some and it was pretty good too!

These were Safari Ants/Army Ants which are pretty famous for traveling in large groups and destroying whatever is in their path. This was just a little stream/line of them by our cottage. Man do they bite! I got bit by one and I couldn't get it to let go of my leg! These ants are even known to kill small pets and animals.

Well I have TONS more pics so stay tuned for Part 2....

Update...

http://shellp.blogspot.com/2011/07/next-few-months.html

T-1

Can't wait to hold babies like these in my arms!!!

Africa, here I come! Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts! I'll try to write/email whenever (or if) I have internet access. Love you all!

T-3 Days

Every time I go on a trip like this, there's always a child that steals my heart. 

In Ghana I fell in love with several specific children but Afua (Af-wa) definitely stood out and won me over by her mischievous ways. Whether she was causing trouble or being sweet and kind, I immediately took a liking to her.

She was also quite the little dancer and the most athletic little kid I've ever seen. She beat all the boys her age in whatever sport we were playing (maybe that's why I took a liking to her so much :) ) and was quick as lightening. I remember standing in shock watching her run circles around everyone else.

This little video makes me smile every time I watch it and takes me back 6 years to the wonderful 2 weeks I stayed with these kids. Afua is the second one from the right, wearing a white shirt. She's really the one dancing the most (especially at the end) so you definitely can't miss her! Where does a 5 year old learn to dance like that?!?!? Cracks me up!

And some of you may recognize the Sunday school song... "The Lord is my shephard, I'll walk with Him always... always... always... I'll walk with Him always"

A trip of a lifetime...

This has been a long awaited post for me to write, as I’ve been planning this little adventure for 3 months now. As most of you know, a piece of my heart was left 6 years ago on the other side of the globe and it’s been my desire to get back to that continent ever since.

On Friday at 7:30 AM, I will be headed out of OKC and traveling to Uganda, Africa!

It’s so crazy to realize the trip is right around the corner. With all the other “seasons” of life I’ve been going through the last six months, it’s been very easy for the trip to completely sneak up on me.

I’ll be going with my Grandmother and cousin which just makes the trip even more special because I’ll get to share it with people that I love and hopefully will become even closer with. Grandma took me to Ghana 6 years ago and I’ve been very blessed to be invited once again to join her and my cousin this time around. Plus with my wedding less than 2 months away, I think the 10 day absence will be GREAT for my heart, soul, and mind.  A perspective change is for sure in order!

We are going with an organization named “Rafiki”, which means “friend” in Swahili. While you never know exactly what to expect when you travel anywhere (let alone overseas), it helps that this is the same organization we went with 6 years ago. If the trip is anything close to my 2 week experience in Ghana, I’ll be playing with lots of babies, teaching school, eating all kinds of interesting things, (I’m MOST looking forward to eating the fruit there! It’s amazing!!!!) and serving however I am able.

The Rafiki Training Village in Uganda where we will be serving is located in the rolling hills of southern part of the country. About one hour travel by car from the nation’s capital of Kampala, the Village is situated on fifty-five acres in the primarily agricultural district of Wakiso. The Rafiki village provides living, medical, and educational facilities to orphans and vulnerable children. Also, the onsite staff trains African churches to care for their orphans and to support their widows. We will be helping the staff accomplish these purposes as well as just loving on these babies and children and giving the hard working staff a hand with all their daily responsibilities.

It’s going to be quite the trip and I can hardly wait! No, packing hasn’t begun yet and mentally all I can think about is work, weddings, and check lists…. but as the week progresses, I want to prepare by using this blog as an avenue. I’ll be uploading media and posting more about the trip so that I can get excited and also share with you what I’ll be experiencing. It’ll also be a great trip down memory lane for me, as that is where I left a piece of my heart six years ago with several adorable orphans and teenage girls that changed my life forever. Feel free to travel back with me as I dig up those memories and as I travel to Uganda.

A Prayer for Mavis

I received the saddest news the other day which has left my mind to wander and my heart to ache for a little girl on the other side of the world that I only had the privilege of knowing about for a few short months.

I got a letter from Compassion, telling me that MAVIS has moved from her home in Accra and can’t be a part of the Compassion ministry any longer that they offer and I support. L While I first received the letter from Compassion letting me know of her move, they also invited me to call them to receive more details - which I immediately did. Turns out Mavis’s family was having some difficulty with their current living arrangements (I assume financially) and as a result are moving to live with Mavis’s Aunt in a town named Koforidua, Ghana. I Google Mapped the trip and it looks like it’s an hour and a half north and inland of Accra, Ghana where they lived previously on the coast.

The move left me with so many feelings and my heart immediately went out to this family. Moving is never easy and the little experience I’ve had with it myself has been in a wealthy nation where I knew all my needs were going to be met. I moved knowing that it was what I wanted to do or moved on my own terms- not because I needed it out of survival. I’ve started over in new schools and had to meet new people, leaving close friends behind, and it just is never easy. Yet, I also know that God is in control and He has plans for little Mavis, as He does for me. That He’ll take care of her and provide for her needs even when I can no longer give and provide for her on a monthly basis. He is bigger than all of it and has her best interests in mind.

As if this didn’t tug at my heart enough, I received the following in the mail just yesterday from Mavis’s social worker. The prayer just about did me in.

So now I’m left with one job to do: to pray for little Mavis and her family on their new adventure. If I know anything about moving, it brings many new opportunities and could be the best thing for her in the long run.

Compassion has also sent me information on supporting a new child. I’ll keep you posted. And if you’re interested in starting a relationship and supporting a child, please visit Compassion’s website. A little girl overseas may have you to thank as a result!