May 2013 visitors to Acres of Hope

A team of five from Louisiana College and one from Indianapolis spent the last half of May at Acres of Hope. Quick bios and a passionate entry from the team leader follow.

Team from left to right: Geoffrey, KB, Bridget, Andrew, Karissa, Torie, and Whitney

Whitney is from Indianapolis and currently works for a humanitarian non-profit company. She has a heart for Uganda. She and her husband are dreaming of how to incorporate their love of CrossFit with their passion for Acres of Hope to raise awareness and money for ongoing projects like building a permanent school structure.

Andrew just graduated from LC and is currently serving as a youth minister in Shreveport, LA. This was Andrew’s second trip to AOH and feel that one day the Lord will lead him to Nebbi for a longer period of time to serve and minister there.

Bridget is getting ready to start her senior year as an education major at LC. She loved getting to use her gift of teaching with the children as we led VBS at AOH. She knows that the Lord will eventually have her and her significant other serving in Africa long term after they finish school and get married.

Torie is also getting ready to start her senior year at LC. She recently changed her major to Psychology. She loved spending time with the kids at AOH and knows she will be going back next summer to do it all over again.

Karissa just completed her freshmen year of college. She too is an education major. Karissa has a heart for children and is spending the remainder of her summer doing an apartment minister in the inner city of Alexandria, LA.

With a serious passion for Jesus, Africa and watermelon, KB Thomas organized and led her fifth trip to the Pearl of Africa. She is currently in the middle of being the first to adopt from Acres of Hope. It's a crazy process that requires a whole lot of prayer and patience. Last summer KB met Daizy, and knew she would be bringing her home and raising her as her daughter. This trip presented her with the wonderfully bittersweet opportunity to again love on Daizy, but at the end she had to return to the states without her. She knows everything will work in His perfect timing, but that doesn't make it any less emotional.

KB has graciously take the time to share her thoughts and pictures from her most recent trip to AOH.

A Change of Perspective

Three years ago I was blessed to get to travel to Northern Uganda where I met one of the most incredible people I have ever known, Geoffrey Keronga. I had been trying my best to visit some part of Africa for over 10 years and the door finally opened for me to go. The Lord knew what He was doing in making me wait for that experience and to say that my life will never be the same seems like a drastic understatement. Here I am three years later and returning from my 5th trip to my “home away from home.”

Three years ago Acres of Hope was a nameless dream of Pastor Geoffrey’s. I remember sitting and listening to him share his heart and passion for caring for vulnerable children. At the time I had no idea how this dream would come to fruition but I knew the Lord had allowed me to get in on what He was doing in Nebbi, Uganda.

I will never forget returning to Uganda last summer (2012) and pulling up to Acres of Hope. In just two years’ time we had seen the Lord provide and exceed our expectations. From nothing to 3 completed pod houses and 20 something children standing on the porch in their pajamas greeting us with songs in the dark. Tears of joy streamed from my face to see this dream of Geoffrey’s coming full circle.

So here I sit, back in my office, after trip number 5 to this amazing place. I could never fully put into words or convey what a special place Acres of Hope truly is. The minute you walk through the gate you are greeted by shy smiling faces. Within a short amount of time you are no longer a visitor but you are part of the family. Everywhere you look you see wide eyes, toothless smiles and the sound of laughter. This is a place where vulnerable children are no longer vulnerable. They are healthy, happy and well loved.

When I got back to the States I was looking on Facebook and saw this picture posted from a friend:

The caption read “Life is all about perspective” and I couldn’t agree more. Only I feel that once you have been to Africa you tend to see the world in a different way. If I was technologically savvy enough I would have edited the rhino horn in the picture and put a map of Africa in its place.

It seems impossible to visit this place and not forever be changed by your experience. Since my time in Uganda I have learned to simplify my life a great deal. You realize just how little you really need, especially when you know that a little will go a long way in Uganda. The way you spend money tends to change and giving no longer seems like a sacrifice. The way you see people changes and spotting the joy in a fellow believer becomes easy to spot. Oddly enough you can look at scraps of trash and see their potential for something useful because in Africa nothing is wasted.

As a typical American we go thinking we have something to give, something valuable to offer to make life easier for our Ugandan friends…we think we can help “fix” things for them only to realize they aren’t the ones who are broken…we are! Our stuff and the busyness of our lives have kept us from knowing and experiencing the joy they have. What kind of faith would it grow in us to have to trust the Lord for the next meal we get to eat? How would our faith be tested and strengthened if our only hope for health and safety was His protection? How much more would we long for heaven, knowing this place is not our real home, if we had to toil and labor day in and day out to survive or to just have our basic need for water met?

I can honestly say that every time I get to spend time at Acres of Hope I walk away a different person. I realize just what a capacity God has given us to love others and serve them. I leave with a clearer perspective that life isn’t about me, not my wants or needs or comforts. For a moment in time I get to experience true fellowship in community like you see described in Acts where everyone shares their belongings and at the end of the day there is more than enough for everyone.
Thanks for letting me process….now what you’ve probably been waiting for are some pictures from our latest adventure.

One afternoon we made them popcorn and it was a big hit. It isn't very often that I make popcorn the "old fashioned" way.

The kids were playing a game that Bridget taught them.

They love to color pictures. Every morning we did a Bible story with them and then colored a picture of the story. We also go to do crafts, games, and sing with them.

And here is one of my personal favorites, Miss Daizy.