Dear Friends and Family, 12/27/2010
The time has come for me to depart once again to Uganda in East Africa. Many of you know I have been yearning to return to Uganda for over two years now. I am both extremely excited and also a bit nervous. This will be my first time going to Africa where I have planned the logistics of my entire trip by myself. With this comes exciting freedom but also a large responsibility.
My Itinerary:
Dec. 28th: Depart from LAX @ 1pm and fly through Chicago and Istanbul to Uganda.
Dec. 30th: Arrive at 2am in Entebbe (Kampala Uganda)
Dec. 31st: Head up to the Northern war torn district of Gulu and celebrate ringing in 2011 with the Acholi people!
Dec. 31st-Jan. 15th: Volunteering for The Zion Project. Helping out in the women’s counseling center. Teaching and tutoring at the children’s home. Community outreach in the “red light” district. (There will be much more during this time but I’m not exactly sure what will be going on day to day).
Jan. 15th-16th: Return to Kampala and visit my friends and Africa Renewal Ministries Headquarters at Ggaba Community Church.
Jan. 17th-19th: Volunteering with my friend Jonathan Sewava with Unreached Africa. We will be visiting remote villages and delivering mosquito nets for malaria prevention that we purchased in Uganda.
Jan. 20th: Depart from Entebbe at 3am and arrive the “same day” in LAX at 8pm.
Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers during this time. Specifically for my health while in the country.
I want to thank EVERYONE who donated to my trip and to The Zion Project. If you donated through St. Andrew UMC, I do not know who you are because they have chosen to keep this anonymous so my apologies if you did not receive a personal Thank You note from me! You have helped me raise about $2,600 of my $3,000 goal!! I got a great deal on my plane tickets so more of the funds can go directly to The Zion Project. I would also like to thank those who have given me their kind words of encouragement as I gear up for the trip. Those words also carry their weight in gold in my heart.
If you would like to follow along with me during my time in Uganda you can visit my blog at www.meganinuganda.blogspot.com. You can also make any last minute donations on this site and the funds will get to The Zion Project.
Peace be with You
Monday, December 27, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Christmas Reflections (pre-departure note)
First of all thank you for taking the time to not only help support me but to READ A BLOG haha! I am not an avid blog reader myself but I want everyone who desires to keep up with my trip to know what is going on!
I am only 2.5 days away from a 26 hour journey through Chicago and Istanbul to Entebbe Uganda. This will be followed by a short night of sleep and another 6 hour drive up to Gulu (Northern District in Uganda) arriving just in time for a new years celebration that I'm sure will be "epic".
Some thoughts before I leave:
* I'm soooo sad that Kristen will not be there with me. My partner in crime and one of my best girlfriends could not make it to Uganda due to the weather in London where she was supposed to fly though. She made the smart choice to postpone her trip but I'm still so heartbroken for her. I have no words to comfort her and I'm sure there will be some tears as we meet up tonight so she can give me all the items she lovingly purchased for the women and children of The Zion Project. Kristen your blessings will be felt next week even if your actual embrace is delayed a few months.
* Donations came from unexpected places and people who I know looked deeply in their hearts and even deeper in their wallets. I can't express how much the notes and emails have helped me know I am on the right path. A special thanks to my sweet boyfriend JB who has been my biggest fan and believes in me sometimes more than I do in myself!
* Random: Today I practiced wrapping a head scarf that my sister gave me for Christmas. This is going to be helpful because during the dry season, the place I'm staying pretty much just has a bucket outside....aka no showers for me while in the North. :)
For all you late-birds who were too busy before the holidays, it is not too late to donate and your money will go directly into supporting the programs of the women and children at The Zion Project. You can use the ChipIn widget below to make a secure online donation!
I am only 2.5 days away from a 26 hour journey through Chicago and Istanbul to Entebbe Uganda. This will be followed by a short night of sleep and another 6 hour drive up to Gulu (Northern District in Uganda) arriving just in time for a new years celebration that I'm sure will be "epic".
Some thoughts before I leave:
* I'm soooo sad that Kristen will not be there with me. My partner in crime and one of my best girlfriends could not make it to Uganda due to the weather in London where she was supposed to fly though. She made the smart choice to postpone her trip but I'm still so heartbroken for her. I have no words to comfort her and I'm sure there will be some tears as we meet up tonight so she can give me all the items she lovingly purchased for the women and children of The Zion Project. Kristen your blessings will be felt next week even if your actual embrace is delayed a few months.
* Donations came from unexpected places and people who I know looked deeply in their hearts and even deeper in their wallets. I can't express how much the notes and emails have helped me know I am on the right path. A special thanks to my sweet boyfriend JB who has been my biggest fan and believes in me sometimes more than I do in myself!
* Random: Today I practiced wrapping a head scarf that my sister gave me for Christmas. This is going to be helpful because during the dry season, the place I'm staying pretty much just has a bucket outside....aka no showers for me while in the North. :)
For all you late-birds who were too busy before the holidays, it is not too late to donate and your money will go directly into supporting the programs of the women and children at The Zion Project. You can use the ChipIn widget below to make a secure online donation!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Why I need your support:
Dear Friends and Family,
As many of you already know I have been involved in humanitarian relief efforts for the country of Uganda for over four years. In 2008 I made a life changing journey to work on the ground in Northern Uganda. During my trip I was able to provide medical first aid and basic antibiotics in a refugee camp, encourage women who were imprisoned, visit several orphanages to play with the children and most importantly come along side a community in need and show my solidarity with them as another human being.
After returning to the U.S., I could not wait to go back to Africa. I had the overwhelming sense that it had become my second home. In order to achieve my goals I quickly changed my major in University to International Studies with an emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa. The passion I hold for Africa runs deep in my soul now. It is a part of me and it is a part of anyone who is close to me.
I have yearned to get back to Uganda for two and a half years now. I’m so happy to be writing you this letter that is announcing my return this upcoming January! I will be working in the Northern region with an amazing grassroots organization called The Zion Project (www.zionproject.org). They are an organization that has set up group homes for girls that were formerly abducted by the rebel army who has tortured the region for over 20 years. Often times these women have escaped the atrocities of war only to realize that their villages will not allow them to return due to cultural taboos of girls who have been raped in the “bush”. They often turn to prostitution and have little or no knowledge of how to raise the children they have as a result. The Zion Project takes these women in, gives them food and shelter, and teaches them life skills that they need in order to escape the sex trade and raise their children. I’m honored to have been accepted to work with them for a three week period and bring words of encouragement as well as school and medical supplies to their group homes.
A journey of this magnitude requires lots of help! As you may have guessed, this is where you come in. I have a financial goal of $3,000 for my entire trip. This includes a very pricey plane ticket, school and medical supplies for the women, as well as my transportation, lodging and food while in the country. Not all of us can physically GO to Uganda, but what you can do is be a part of the journey! I hope this holiday season you can find it in your heart to donate to my trip. I cannot do anything without your generosity!
You can donate directly on this website via "Chip-In". It is safe a secure through PayPal.
Peace be with you,
Megan
As many of you already know I have been involved in humanitarian relief efforts for the country of Uganda for over four years. In 2008 I made a life changing journey to work on the ground in Northern Uganda. During my trip I was able to provide medical first aid and basic antibiotics in a refugee camp, encourage women who were imprisoned, visit several orphanages to play with the children and most importantly come along side a community in need and show my solidarity with them as another human being.
After returning to the U.S., I could not wait to go back to Africa. I had the overwhelming sense that it had become my second home. In order to achieve my goals I quickly changed my major in University to International Studies with an emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa. The passion I hold for Africa runs deep in my soul now. It is a part of me and it is a part of anyone who is close to me.
I have yearned to get back to Uganda for two and a half years now. I’m so happy to be writing you this letter that is announcing my return this upcoming January! I will be working in the Northern region with an amazing grassroots organization called The Zion Project (www.zionproject.org). They are an organization that has set up group homes for girls that were formerly abducted by the rebel army who has tortured the region for over 20 years. Often times these women have escaped the atrocities of war only to realize that their villages will not allow them to return due to cultural taboos of girls who have been raped in the “bush”. They often turn to prostitution and have little or no knowledge of how to raise the children they have as a result. The Zion Project takes these women in, gives them food and shelter, and teaches them life skills that they need in order to escape the sex trade and raise their children. I’m honored to have been accepted to work with them for a three week period and bring words of encouragement as well as school and medical supplies to their group homes.
A journey of this magnitude requires lots of help! As you may have guessed, this is where you come in. I have a financial goal of $3,000 for my entire trip. This includes a very pricey plane ticket, school and medical supplies for the women, as well as my transportation, lodging and food while in the country. Not all of us can physically GO to Uganda, but what you can do is be a part of the journey! I hope this holiday season you can find it in your heart to donate to my trip. I cannot do anything without your generosity!
You can donate directly on this website via "Chip-In". It is safe a secure through PayPal.
Peace be with you,
Megan
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