Redeemer's Plans

   I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:18)

      People say that there are moments in your life that define you, I disagree. I don't think that it's the moment's in our lives that define us but the way we choose to live our lives which defines us. It's the choices we make, the things we sacrifice or pursue, the people we stand up and fight for, that make us who we are. Yes, there are moments in our life that seem clearer but we remember them because how we reacted impacted us, it shaped us somehow. If we were able to focus on what mattered we wouldn't just have moments in life to hold onto, we would have everything. We can't always control life or where it takes us, but we control the way we live that life. I believe that no matter how hard life seems, we still have the ability to make a difference; for people, for our cities, for the world. I don't want single moments of my life to matter,  I want my whole life to count towards something. I want to make a difference and because of that I will live my life differently.

     There are so many things in this world that are beautiful and worth fighting for. They aren't always easy to see, or find, or keep, but they always are worth the most. Often they require you to fight for them and to make sacrifices, yet you treasure them and hold them close to your heart because their value is beyond anything you have or could ever give. One of the most beautiful things I've ever seen is justice, and it is definitely worth fighting for, sacrificing for, and living for. This is the beauty that I want to see, that I want to find, and that I want to keep. I may be young but no one ever knows how long they have to give, and I refuse to let the time I have slip away.

Gabon

     In May I'll be leaving to go back to Africa for at least 14 months. To some this might seem like a long time but when it's the life that you want to be living, it's just the beginning. I'll be first going to Gabon through Envision for 2 months and then to Uganda for at least a year. I am so excited to be going back to Gabon, I really miss everyone. Even though I've been home for more then 9 months it really seems like only yesterday that I was there. I cannot wait to see all of the Hope House children and to be able to tell them how much I've thought of each and every one of them. I'm also looking forward to being a part of what God is doing in Uganda. I'll be working with Empower A Child and many of their different ministries, including primary schools, secondary schools, a remand home (variation of a juvenile hall), breakfast ministries, street kids homes, babies homes, a hospital for children with severely broken limbs or disabilities, sport and drama outreaches, and village building projects.

Uganda

     When I think of somewhere that needs to see justice, it's Uganda. With a population of 31 million, 50% of their population is under 15. Nearly half of the over 2.4 million orphans are orphaned due to AIDS. In Uganda alone AIDS is killing more than 200 people every day.The average Ugandan lives on $1 US a day. Since 1987 a rebellion has been going on in the north and tens of thousands of children have been abducted for it's cause, and more than 2 million Ugandans displaced. This is a country that needs help, healing, and hope.

    There is so much injustice and need in Africa and I want to see it end. The wonderful thing is that I already know the ending . It might be hard to see in this broken world but Victory is coming and it brings redemption, healing, and restoration.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1:26-27)