My Journey to Cherish

Cherish Uganda is a faith-based response to the most vulnerable, orphaned and abandoned children living with the HIV virus (www.cherishuganda.org). I have been blessed with the amazing opportunity to travel to Uganda and spend the next year working along side the Phillips family (www.facebook.com/thephillipsstory) in this amazing place. I will be teaching some and serving as an administrative assistant to the Director/COO of Cherish. The rest of my time (nights+weekends) will be spent hanging out with the 47 children who live in Akaloosa Village, or many of the 200+ students that attend the school on site. They are hoping to expand the ministry this year, and I am sure God will use my years as a teacher to help with ESL and basic reading classes!

Y'all, I am so excited about this opportunity that I don't really have the words to explain it. I have felt certain that change was headed my way since at least January, but I had no idea the amazing things God had planned for me. Shoot, I thought maybe I'd be making a move to Denver or something, but not picking up and heading halfway around the world!

This is where your help comes in- above all else, I ask for prayers. Though God has affirmed for me at every turn that this is the right direction for my life right now, I know it will be a struggle at times to be so far from family and the creature comforts I have known for close to 30 years. I know I will be taken care of, but a little extra prayer never hurts :)

Also, I am doing this on a completely volunteer basis. My basic needs will be provided for while I am at Cherish, but things like my travel costs, vaccinations (you wouldn't believe how expensive they are!), and such are all up to me to take care of. I leave in just 37 days (WOW!), and I hope to have raised the majority of my goal by then. I have already spoken with Brent (the Director), and anything I raise above and beyond my personal costs will be used to plant trees on the Cherish property (there is currently a deforestation crisis in Uganda- I am also hoping to partner with my alma mater and possibly some other schools/organizations to spread awareness of this during Earth Week 2014)!

So that's my story, the short version anyway! If you have any questions, please feel free to facebook/email/call/text me and I will be glad to share more with you! The support and encouragement I have received already has been amazing, so THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart- hugs and love to you all!

A

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
-Isaiah 41:10


Be sure to keep up with my adventure at:
www.cherishalexandra.wordpress.com