BIG NEWS!!

I've got my travel dates!!! I'm going to Uganda September 10th!!!!! I'm beyond excited right now! I will be traveling with two families who are going to get their children from Amani Baby Cottage. I will be there for 3 months!

Please pray with me for my travel and my stay. GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!

No Excuses

At the age of 9, Okello Ronald was abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army and forced to become a soldier. He watched the rebels murder his father and lost his arm in battle.

This photograph is by Stephen Shames. In 2000 he went to Uganda to begin documenting AIDS orphans in Uganda and came across this boy in the process. He visited his home and on the wall in his room is written "no excuses".

After all this boy has been through, all he has witnessed, and all he has been forced to do, he lives by the motto "no excuses". So many people would give up after going through such horrific experiences, but not this boy. He will do whatever it takes to make it.

This photo reminds me that once we have seen we cannot pretend that we don't know. We cannot just sit around and do nothing for the least of these. Get up, get moving, be active, DO SOMETHING! NO EXCUSES!!


To see the video of this boy click on this link:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/06/28/weekinreview/shames-slideshow/index.html

My prayer for the orphans

"I pray that out of His glorious riches He may stregthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that supasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." ~Ephesians 3:16-19


This was the verse that went with my devotional this morning and immediatly i thought of all those kids who have no idea what love is. I want them to know love so that they may have an idea of what God's love is like.

Drum Roll Please....

I got my email from Amani today!!! So excited to let you all know that I have been accepted!!! Yipppeee!! As of now my plans are hopefully to travel in September! As in one month from now!!!! Do you realize how soon that is?? Ahhhh I am beyond excited!!! I will keep ya’ll posted as the details get worked out!

Please be praying for my family, my spirit, and that all the details get worked out soon. Thanks for all your prayers!!


If you want to help me out with my trip funds please go to shopoatsvallvillage.blogspot.com and purchace one of the new 147 million orphan shirts and put my name in the paypal subject. If my name is in the subject then part of the proceeds will go towards my trip. Thanks!!

Anxious

I have been in contact with Amani and they have told me that I should hear from them this week or maybe next with their decision. I am so anxious to hear back from them it’s hard to concentrate sometimes. I find myself daydreaming about being in Africa and all the sweet faces around me. Every night this week I have had a dream about being in Africa surrounded by these sweet children and every time I wake up either crying or extremely sad that I am not there right now.

Please pray with me while I wait to hear back from Amani. Please pray that God will give me the patience I need to make it through these next few days and that I don’t get too anxious.

Hope to be updating you soon on when I can go to Africa!