Uganda Missions Trip

Hey all! So I'm going on a missions trip to Uganda this coming March and would definitely appreciate all the prayer I can get leading up to it and during the trip. We'll be supporting an orphanage there primarily for kids who have escaped from Joseph Kony Also, if you're at all so inclined, I'm trying to raise money for the trip and would certainly appreciate any donations! Below is a copy of our support letter that we've been sending out in attempt to raise money and explains a little more of what we'll be doing. Thanks everyone!



Dear friends and family,

You may be familiar with the stories of the tens of thousands of children in Uganda who have been orphaned, kidnapped, brainwashed, and transformed into child‑soldiers to do the bidding of Joseph Kony – the leader of the rebels who call themselves the Lord’s Resistance Army, or the LRA. You may also be familiar with the multitude of Ugandan children who have been orphaned due to the horrendous effects of HIV/AIDS. But what you may not be already aware of are the huge strides taking place to remedy the staggering tragedies that exist, and how you can be a critical force within those efforts.
For two weeks this March/April a team of 10 - including myself - from Vintage Faith Church will be traveling to Uganda and do everything we can to help in the efforts of pouring into these children’s lives and humbly ask for your financial assistance in making this trip a reality. We will be partnering with Otino‑Waa Children’s Village which was started in 2003 by Bob and Carol Higgins as a safe place where orphans (many of whom escaped Kony’s clutches) could not only survive, but thrive and be prepared to become world‑changers in the best ways possible. There were 78 children at first, and now there are 260 kids between the ages of 5 and 18 years old at Otino‑Waa who are daily being provided with protection, education, medical treatment, spiritual guidance, a home, a family, and genuine love – all of which had been torn away from these children previously.
With great hope, vision, and ambition comes great needs however, and Otino‑Waa is no different. And that is where our team and surrounding community of friends and family come in. By combining our group members’ unique and God‑given talents, passions, and strengths, we intend on humbly blessing Otino‑Waa Children’s Village in the below listed ways:

· Film/Documentary: Much of the world remains unaware of both the tragedies/terrors as well as the profound triumphs of the human spirit and God’s love that occur daily among the Ugandan people. When we mentioned that we had a fourth‑year film student on our team who is passionate about bringing those truths and knowledge to people who would otherwise remain unknowing, the staff at Otino‑Waa was ecstatic. While we hope to accomplish much during our short stay, the children there need continual and regular support to maintain their course and this is one way we hope to help get the word out to future supporters.

· Photography: As with the Film/Documentary aspect of our trip, we hope to further awareness through our team’s strengths and gifts of photography. But in addition to documenting our trip to inspire and remind us all of the people, struggles, and triumphs there, we intend to teach the basic skills of photography to the staff and children so that they too may more effectively communicate the great strides and obstacles of Otino‑Waa.

· Gardening: Another of our team members is studying and deepening her passion in Sustainable Agriculture at U.C. Santa Cruz and as a team we intend on bringing this to fruition at Otino‑Waa Children’s Village. We plan to help expand, strengthen, and advance their pre‑existing garden to new heights and diversity by applying the latest advancements in science and knowledge of nutrition/health, agriculture, and sustainability. This will provide the community there with a more sustainable means of providing a healthy diet for themselves and further their autonomy from the unstable supplies of food available in Uganda. The children are already passionate about the garden and we hope to further the satisfaction and strengthening of community that occur through the joys of gardening.

· The Children: At the end of the day, we are doing this for the kids in the name of God’s love and His kingdom. We will joyfully, humbly, and faithfully love on the children and support them in any way we can, be it by directly engaging and interacting with them or indirectly through supporting the people who have committed their lives to Otino‑Waa Children’s Village. We will be teaching vocational and computer skills, planning activities, preparing arts and crafts, and just having fun with the children. We do not know what opposition, challenges, changes, or obstructions we will face but it is our intention to follow God’s lead in this – wherever that may be – and out of a joyful duty utilize our passions, strengths, and gifts through God’s perfect grace, mercy, and love to expand His kingdom.

We cannot do this alone and instead respectfully ask that you might take part in helping make this trip a beautiful reality by financially supporting us. Airfare, accommodations, and basic necessities will likely cost each member roughly $4,000 which is well beyond most of our individual financial capabilities. Every bit counts and is greatly appreciated. Please prayerfully consider making a donation to this mission. If you choose to do so, please refer to the below instructions. On behalf of myself, Vintage Faith Church, and Otino‑Waa Children’s Village, I thank you.

Sincerely,
Kerrick King



Instructions On How To Give Financial Support:

First, thank you for choosing to help sponsor our trip to Otino‑Waa Children’s Village. We greatly appreciate your willingness and generosity. In attempt to make this as easy as possible, we have two primary ways you can do so:

1. By Check: You can mail a check made out to Vintage Faith Church with Uganda 2013 in the subject line to my address listed in the letter. All contributions are tax‑deductible though there are a couple criteria that need to be in place to be so:

a. Please DO NOT include my name in the subject line. For your contribution to be tax‑deductible, your check cannot be explicitly written to me. If you mail me a check, I will personally ensure that it goes towards my portion of the trip’s funds (unless you request otherwise). Or, if you would prefer, you can mail a check directly to Vintage Faith Church. If you choose to do this, please include a separate note (such as a Post‑It or paper‑clipped piece of paper) enclosed that states what the check is for (Uganda 2013 and my name if you so choose).

b. The IRS also demands that all tax‑deductible giving is to be non‑refundable. Once the check is deposited, it cannot be refunded.

2. Online Through The Hub: We have it available for anyone to financially support our trip to Uganda through Vintage Faith’s online database called The Hub. To do so, you’ll need to create an account at http://www.vintagechurch.org/thehub. At the top you will see a “Give” tab. Once you have clicked on that tab, you can choose how much and through what means you would like to give. Next to the box where you input how much you have chosen to give, please click on “Uganda Mission Trip 2013” in the drop‑down list.

a. As with sending a check, the IRS will void an online donation’s tax‑deductible merit if it is given to a specific individual instead of the organization. So if you choose to give through the online method, please let me know by PM'ing me so I can let the folks at my church know where to distribute the funds.

3. Online Through CauseVox: We have set up another option to give online through CauseVox. You can find it at http://otwmission2013.causevox.com/. The same instructions apply as above.

Thank you once again for being a critical part of making this mission a reality. I am humbled and honored to ask for your assistance in this project and greatly look forward to sharing with you the many ways I will have experienced God’s presence, love, and character when I return.

Praying. My wife is going on a mission trip to Guatemala in January so we understand what you're doing right now. I'll talk to her and if we can squeeze it out of the budget, we'll make a donation.

Thank you! I appreciate all the support and prayer we can get.

Hey all! So we leave in ONE WEEK from today for Uganda! We're fully funded now but would still greatly appreciate your prayers - right now and during our trip. I'll be sure to post pictures and stories here upon my return.

Will definitely be praying, Mr. King

Through The Dark Radio wrote:Will definitely be praying, Mr. King

TTDR, I think your post just made my day....

Anyways, I'll keep praying for you, Kerrick.

Thank you guys! Much appreciated. We leave TOMORROW early in the a.m.!!! Gosh I can't believe it's finally here! Please keep me and the whole team in your prayers. We'll be facing much opposition from the enemy (as we already have experienced some). Please pray for health and safety as well as flexibility and seeking first God and His righteousness through this - NOT our own goals or plans. Thank you!

-Mr. King

(and yes, for those who don't know... my last name is King haha)

Praying here.

Kerrick, I'm part of a group that fasts on Friday to pray as God directs. Do you want me to add your trip to our list?

Yes please! Thank you sir!

Thank you everyone for your prayers! I am back from Uganda and it was amazing! I'll write more when I can but work is hectic right now so I'll keep it short for the moment. But the children and staff were extremely grateful and encouraged that a group of Americans would love them so much to send 10 folks down to love and help them. The stories of these kids are absolutely heartbreaking but through the orphanage and God's love, they're being given a chance at a new life and are thriving. It was so amazing to see and get to be a part of it. Thank you again everyone!!!