Get Excited!

I never thought in a million years that I would be sitting here on my couch trying to figure out the best way to tell everyone that I'M GOING BACK TO UGANDA! When I left Kampala last October, I got on that plane not sure when I was going back, but I am excited to say, I will be leaving for Uganda in May!

I have accepted an intern position with Abide Family Center, where I will be taking part in their program on the ministry track. I'm going to be "assisting in weekly Bible studies, supporting home visits, and coordinating with local church leaders." Oh. My. Gosh. So incredible. I’ll be building relationships, making plans, and getting to see the ends and outs of an organization I truly respect.

Abide is an organization that I have been rooting for from the shadows for a long while now, quietly stalking their blogs and Instagram’s and getting excited as I watched their mission come to life. To put simply, the goal at Abide is to reduce the number of children living in orphanages in Uganda. They believe in keeping families together and they fight to keep kids with their parents. They have created alternative care solutions to offer social services to vulnerable families.

Abide puts it this way, "Without a strong safety net, desperate caregivers are left with few options and are forced to place their children in orphanages.  In order to prevent family separation we will provide at-risk caregivers with an alternative solution.   Through supporting and strengthening families in the southeastern region of Uganda we believe the number of children living in institutional care will decrease dramatically."

Can I get an Amen? I mean really.... How can I not be excited to walk into this new place? How can I not want to stand beside a group of people whose hearts and souls are dedicated to the preservation of family? The simple answer is I can't. I cannot stay no to this opportunity, I cannot say no to this call on my heart.

But here’s the thing. The lead up to this move is such a stretch for me. It is hard for my brain to wrap around all the loose ends that need to be tied up before I leave the US for four months. I am slowly getting my wits together, compiling my ‘to do’ lists into something tangible and as all these things fall into place, this is where you come in. If you know me at all, this step into Abide is not a surprise, it doesn’t come as an ‘oh my gosh moment,’daily I speak about getting back to Uganda, but even so, I need this community, I need you to walk with me in this. I need you to come alongside me as I spend 4 months in a country that is not my own. I feel so needy and vulnerable at this point because my need is so great. Simply, I need prayer, I need funding, and I need encouragement. 

If you feel that you would like to help me with any of these things, get in touch with me, I would love to chat about what Abide is doing in Jinja and what the Lord is doing in my heart. Check back here and on my Go Fund Me page to follow along and see what I'm up to on my journey. Walk with me as I move to Jinja and intern under Abide Family Center.

Stay tuned as I update you weekly on my progress and process,

No'kwagala,

Heather Graham

Go Fund Me Page: http://www.gofundme.com/heatherjayne_

Blog: heatherjayne88.blogspot.com

Insta: instagram.com/heathergraham_

Abide Family Center: http://abidefamilycenter.org/

heathergraham88@gmail.com