Into Africa
There is a couple from our church that has started an orphanage in Rakai, Uganda to house young children who have lost both parents due to AIDS. They have ten acres of land on a hill and are currently working to build the orphanage and get infrastructure set up for themselves.
Rachel, who coordinates 1000 kids and teachers a week in Sunday School classes at our church, meet with a woman who is involved with the orphanage about how she can help mobilize our kids and their families to get involved an help out. We are always looking for a way to get the kids involved and to get them to think on a global scale. To try to reinforce the idea that they are extraordinarily blessed in America and they should do what they can to help others. This seemed like a perfect way to do that.
The evening after their meeting, Rachel had a voicemail from this woman. She said that she was very impressed with the organization and passion that Rachel has for kids and this kind of work and wanted to know if we would be interested in helping her lead a team of people over to Uganda to help get some work done over there.
We are meeting with her and her husband tonight to discuss the details and find out what they have in mind, but our minds are kind of spinning at the idea. It is both exciting and a bit frightening, but we are very interested in finding out more details and seeing if this is a way that we can compassionately help people in need in Africa. Obviously, this would be a short term (week or two) opportunity but this is not the kind of the thing that we could get involved in and then walk away from.
Interesting anyway and weighing on my mind. Thoughts?
posted by Jeremy @ 12:55 PM
3 Comments:
Wow, that is really great, working with this organization. Rachel's passion for the work sounds really admirable in every possible way.
It's a big, big decision. I've had friends who have worked for non-profits and others who have worked on mission trips and one who was working on small business loans in a tiny village in Benin, and the biggest question for all of them was: "Is this the right way for me to help?" It's something they all struggled with and came up with their own answers.
I think that there are a lot of worthwhile causes and when you are dedicated to something you feel passionate about, it is intensely gratifying to do what you can about them, utilizing the specific skillset that you have to help the efforts.
For instance, since you are a tech-nerd ;) your involvement might best be used by volunteering your time to their website and/or IT resources of the organization, rather than stuffing envelops or helping a medical staff, unless it's something you are deeply interested in. Or something like that, you know?
I am a big fan of bringing pre-existing skills as a valuable resource to anything you do. So it's up to you to evaluate if your contribution would be best made by making the actual trip or otherwise supporting the organization from home.
UNREAL!!!! Sounds awesome, can I sign up!!!
That's an awesome opportunity, take it and run with it!!
Don't just leave us hanging. Are you guys going to go? I bet you two are great with younger kids. :)
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