A seed planted

I have always had a desire in my heart to serve people in Africa.  I know the moment the seed was planted in my heart.  I was sitting in a pew at First Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem, NC and heard missionaries talk about those who don't have everything they need for basic living.  I realized how very blessed I am and there was an awakening that day involving the knowledge that we can help others.

My jobs have gotten me closer to Africa.  I was an international Recruiter for Microsoft, responsible for finding and hiring talent in the Middle East and Africa.  I was a Global Recruiter for PATH (non profit in global health addressing some of the world's most critical health issues), hiring from and for Africa, mostly in developing countries where the projects were being implemented.

Still, I always knew something bigger, something greater would unfold in my life related to Africa.  Once I decided to move back to NC, the dreams that had laid dormant for years came flooding back.  Over just a matter of weeks, conversations happened, doors opened, the path became clear and the journey begins...

This may seem like a random picture and in some ways it is.  I was trying to find something to symbolize the start of the journey.  Well, not so many options in iPhoto.  However, this is what I decided to post.  This is a picture of Cannon Beach, OR.  I am looking through a fence out at the ocean and beautiful landscape.  This makes me think of a whole big world on the other side, yet sometimes there is a wall that prevents us from exploring it.  I have decided to jump over the fence and see what that big ol world has to offer.

Many people have asked me "what do you have left to do before you leave?".  I have gotten a ton of stuff done, but still need to get my meds for malaria prevention, traveler's "sickness" and some other emergency medication.  A friend last night asked me if I need to pack things like shampoo.  I was stumped.  Clearly, I haven't thought through everything.  Today, I will work on my packing list.  The other big work that needs to be done is building out the education component of the Rwanda projects, which I am responsible for.  We have a group of 7 going to Rwanda to take on the sustainability projects at the girls' orphanage and education center.  Each person is taking the lead on some aspect of the projects.  I have been impressed with each person's commitment and follow through on their parts.  We meet weekly on a conference call and discuss the project details, timelines and key information about visas, immunizations, transportation, places to sleep, etc.  I am learning so much!  


Now if I could just figure out how to add photos to this blog to make it a bit more interesting...

Let's get it started, oh oh!

Many friends have encouraged me to blog about my upcoming adventure so here I am, finding my way through starting a blog...let's see how this goes!

I'll start with an email I sent out to friends and family to let them know about my trip...

I am getting ready to make a trip to Africa to serve with two organizations.  This has come as a surprise to some people, but the truth is that Africa has been on my heart since I was a little girl. I can remember sitting in a pew at First Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem, NC and hearing missionaries talk about people in a far off land who didn't have the basics for living- food, water, shelter.  It was my first awakening of how blessed my life is, that others don't always have everything they need to survive and that people can actually do something to help.  That "heart moment" never left me and after all those years, an opportunity to do some hands on work has presented itself.

Next month, I will be traveling to Pemba, Mozambique, which is on the east coast of the African continent, to serve with an organization called Iris Ministries.  This organization was started by a woman from California who felt called to take care of the orphans in this country.  These children have been left without caregivers for all kinds of reasons including war, disease, or other kinds of death or despair. Some children are abandoned because of extreme poverty or in some cases, they are escaping severe abuse.  There is no social system to step in and often these children are treated like lepers or "untouchables", left to die or fend for themselves.  Iris Ministries provides for as many children as they can and ministers to their physical, emotional and spiritual needs.  Iris brings hope and joy through the care they provide.

Immediately following my 3 week volunteer assignment in Mozambique, I will travel to Rwamagana, Rwanda to meet up with a team of volunteers from the US (Seattle and Charlotte) to take on another project.  This team is part of Orphans to Ambassadors (O2A), a non-profit which was started by Jake Gentry after studying the devastation left in war torn regions and the impact of refugee camps on a country.  Again, he saw children abandoned, shunned and left with nothing after the refugee camps were shut down.  He realized that it takes so little to change a life, so that is his mission.  I've been supporting O2A for a couple years now and am compelled to take my giving to the next level- hands on delivery.  I'll be working with an orphanage and boarding school to provide more sustainable options for their center, which cares for 450+ Rwandan girls.  Our team will:

      Implement a long-term solution to water collection and safe storage for basic cleaning and sustaining agriculture production with irrigation during the dry season. 

      Construct a large chicken coup on site for daily egg production to secure a stable protein source to the student’s diet. 

      Renovate existing kitchen facility to accommodate four high efficiency Rocket Stoves with ventilation ducts saving the center a minimum of $150 per month on wood costs. 

      Provide instruction for key students and staff of orphanage to install, operate, and maintain all implemented systems.

I appreciate your love, support and encouragement as I am taking these steps to pursue this calling.  It means so much to be able to share this journey with you!  What started as a seed planted in my heart so many years ago, has grown into something tangible and meaningful.  Now is the time for me to say YES to my heart's cry!