"Do what God has called you to do."

These are the words that led me to say yes after many excuses, take a leap of faith, and be obedient to God's calling to serve Him in Uganda. But I need your help to get there!

What are you doing?

On September 9th I will be competing in a 70.3 mile triathlon, consisting of a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run, to raise money for the cost of the trip to Entebbe. It's my first triathlon, but I've been training hard and now that scheduling arrangements have been made for at home while I'm gone, it's time to start fundraising hard! When training for the run 10 for Texas I claimed Phillipians 1:6 - 'He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it'...  and am still holding tight to that truth!

What is Rescue Hope?

The ministry, Rescue Hope, exists to connect healers with those in the most desperate need of healing. Rescue Hope encourages and equips doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals to join them on international medical mission trips. The name Rescue Hope depicts the rescue of those suffering physically by providing medical care to them and to those suffering spiritually by sharing Jesus with them. No, I'm not a medical professional, but I will roll bandages, fluff pillows, play with kiddos, and assist however I can! To learn more about Rescue Hope, please visit rescuehope.org

When are funds needed by?
As soon as possible! The price of airline tickets is continually fluctuating, but the longer we wait to purchase the higher the price will be. The goal is:
$1,500 for airline ticket ASAP
$1,500 for ground costs by September 1st
Any additional funds raised will be donated to Rescue Hope

Background:
It's incredible how Abba paved the path to Tororo throughout my life! The journey began when I was in middle school and learned about a missionary family from Honduras at churcg. It was then God started to prepare my heart to serve Him abroad. While at college in Tennessee I befriended a group of American missionary kids that grew up in Kenya. They showed how God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things by sharing their stories of African safaris, adventures on the mission field, and had beautiful pictures of riding elephants and the African landscapes in the dorm. But they were just regular young adults like myself. Then here in Texas, by the hand of our Sovereign Father, an incredible missionary from Kenya and I were placed in the same church small group for Mothers of Preschoolers in 2014. Through conversation Mendy and I discovered she was the group mentor of the missionary kids I had befriended in college! Big God in a small world! When Mendy and her family (the Sedlmeiers) died in a tragic accident the following year, the depth of the impact they had on the world as missionaries was a huge wake up call. I had already began teaching ESL in our church, but suddenly looked at the world differently. The borders and boundaries were erased and my heart and eyes opened. Soon I began to have dreams of children with gorgeous, dark skin. Dreams of them playing and laughing, dreams of traveling to my 'home away from home.' Eventually this led to asking my husband one morning "do you know where Uganda is? I keep having dreams about this place and don't even know where it is!" It seemed crazy but I quickly fell in love with these people I have never met and a place I've never seen. January of 2017 brought many challenges with the diagnosis of a chronic illness. As someone who has always been active being told I'd never run again due to poor joints was devastating. And how was I ever going to 'Live Sent' if I couldn't GO? The same month I attended a conference on missional living where a presentor challenged me with the question "Are you being called to a specific area of missions and if so, where?" Without delay the words "yes, to work with orphans in Uganda" rolled off my tongue. This was ridiculous considering I could hardly even walk from hip injections the day before. But it was then I made two promises with God: 1) If He presented the opportunity to go to Uganda, I'd go... but I wasn't going to go looking for it! And 2) If I could be an athlete again I'd use it for His glory. That Spring an incredible Orthopedist, and Physical Therapist not only believed it was indeed possible to run again, but with their guidance and by the Grace of God I finished a 10 mile race fall of last year. A couple months later the director and head doctor of the organization, Rescue Hope, spoke at our church on being 'Blessed to be a Blessing'. Dr Tomlinson and his wife, Diane, spoke of the Children's Home they were opening in Uganda the following year, and showed pictures of the children I had dreamed of. I was blessed and it was time to be a blessing... but not now because excuse x, y, and z. Two days later a friend spoke about the Sedlmeier family at a holiday remembrance for those killed by drunk drivers, and as he spoke about the work the family did in Kenya he shared how when someone asked Mr. Sedlmeier why they did what they did, he responded "you do what God has called you to do". Those words pierced my heart. It is time to do what God has called me to do.