I have been feeling a tug on my heart to return to Uganda. It has now been three years since I have been in Africa. In May I have the opportunity to return for two months to work with two stellar organizations that are empowering Ugandans to break the cycle of poverty.
With less than one doctor per 12,500 people on average (1 per >25,000 in some areas) the need of quality medical care in Uganda is great. In many areas the only access the people have to a doctor is a 'witch doctor' who often does more harm than good. Ugandan children die at a rate of ten times that of ours in the US of curable diseases, infections and malaria. This statistic hits home for me as my incredible Ugandan nephew, Clinton, is the only survivor of his nuclear family which included a loving mother and her 4 children. They all died separately and probably of easily curable diseases but none of them even received a diagnosis as the only doctor in their village was a witch doctor. Clinton bears burn scars over his spleen from the village doctor, most likely from a bout with malaria. He remembers the 'fire' the village doctor used when he placed hot coals on his skin to 'treat' his enlarged spleen. For those of you who don't know much about malaria, this is NOT the proper treatment.
My time in Uganda will start with Palmetto Medical Initiative (www.
Next, I meet up with Come Let's Dance (www.comeletsdance.org). This organization was founded by my good friend Shane Gilbert in 2005 and I have had the privilege of watching it grow from a dream to a beautiful reality. They are doing so much to improve the lives of not only Ugandans, but also American volunteers who travel to Uganda. CLD has many projects that are focused on sustainability and empowering Ugandans to be leaders in their country. I am excited to see the progress since my last visit. What was empty land, animal stalls filled with fleas, and a small house during my last visit, now houses a fully functional school (that my sister Lauri helped start) and a small medical clinic. I am excited to work with CLD staff, volunteers, and Gladys- the Ugandan nurse at the clinic.
The last 10 days of my trip I will be joined by my parents, Lauri, and Clinton. It is my parents first trip to Africa and we plan to show them the CLD projects and travel to the village where Clinton's grandmother lives.
These are my plans, but I hold them loosely knowing that Uganda is rarely predictable and that God's plans are better than mine. I'm choosing to leave my comfortable life and trust that my sacrifice will have significance beyond what I get to see. This verse has been speaking to me lately, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
I want to invite you to partner with me on this adventure. I am setting up a blog to share my experiences with you. As I head to the front lines, I need your prayers more than anything! My plane ticket and housing are paid for, but I would like to raise additional funds for the organizations I will be working with. If you feel led to give financially, know that your money will go directly to funding projects on the ground in Uganda. There are two tax-deductible options. Both of these organizations are doing incredible work!
To donate to PMI you can click this link and then click 'sponsor me' to donate online:
The deadline for this is April 18th.
To donate to CLD you need to write a check to Come Let's Dance with my name in the memo and mail it to CLD.
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