Uganda - How did this happen?

This is my verse for Uganda. And it actually could not be more perfect, because we will literally be working with people in exile. We'll be spending time with Batwa people who have been relocated to Kisoro, Uganda in order to provide refuge for the mountain gorillas. 

So how in the world did I get myself signed up for a mission trip to Kisoro, Uganda, you ask? 

Well, allow me to tell you. 

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It all started way back towards the beginning of this year. I had just joined the Influence Network, and was diving into the discussion forum. My eye caught a thread that was looking for 20-something bloggers who were interested in guest posting. Ding, ding, ding!

An e-mail here, and an e-mail there, and I find myself quickly realizing just how much in common I have with this girl looking for guest bloggers. Our conversations effortlessly flowed from family, to running, to relationships, always coming back to the reoccurring theme of how amazing our God is.  Yupp, Diana was destined to become one of my great friends from the get go. 

We made plans to swap blogs for the day, and both shared all about the post-college lessons that we have learned. Things could have stopped there, but lucky for me, they did not. 

You know those friends that can give the best advice, never get tired of hearing about what's going on in your life, and don't think you're crazy for overanalyzing every detail until it can't possibly be analyzed any more? And you know the kind of friends who do all of those things, and point you back to Christ while doing it? 

Well, that's Diana in my life. Whether I am messaging her on gchat, or shooting her a text message for advice and prayer, she has quickly become one of my go-to friends for any and all situations that come my way. 

And now that you understand the extent of the epic-ness of this blog-indused friendship, cue to a few weeks ago. Diana and I were doing our typical gchat routine, when she mentioned that she was applying to go on her first mission trip to Uganda. The Lord had already put Africa on my heart, so this immediately grabbed my interest. I asked her if this was with her church, or an outside organization, and when she said that it was the later of the two, I knew exactly what my next question would be. 

I asked if I could apply, too. 

She said of course! And the two of us immediately got goose bumps (sounding like a proposal story, huh?) realizing that the first time we'd meet could very well be on a plane to Uganda. Uganda!

I asked her how much the trip cost. You see, I knew that I wanted to go on a mission trip in the near future. But, I expected to pay for it myself. The idea of fundraising was downright frightening to me. 

So when she replied $3,700, I figured that my dreams of the most epic blogger date/mission trip of all time were flying out the window. That was just way more than my measly savings account could afford right now. 

I went for a walk outside, and thought to myself. Why am I so afraid of fundraising? I love supporting others when they are on mission for Christ, so why do I have a hard time playing the reverse role? 

The only things that came to mind were pride, difficulty asking for help, and the fear of what others would think of me. What would they think when I ask for support? Would they think I'm worthy? Would my non-Christian friends think I'm crazy? 

I suddenly realized that I had to do this, I had to face this fear. Because none of those items listed above are valid reasons for turning down an opportunity to raise money 

to bring glory to God's name. 

The fact of the matter is, if God puts something on my heart, who am I to say no? I want to say yes! No matter how scary or daunting it might be. 

And I quickly became very aware that not only does God want to change me on this trip, He wants to change me before it even begins. He's ready to teach me how to accept support and blessings from others, and it's time for Him to help me let go of my fear of what others think. 

So I did the craziest thing I could think of, and I applied. 

Let the journey of Amy in Uganda begin. 

The fundraising has officially started. Check out my support page here!