Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to my very small group of blog readers!
I was blessed to receive for Christmas the amount I needed for immunizations and my travel visa! God continues to work out the details for my trip. I'll be headed into the IU International Travel Health Office asap.
As I talked with my extended family over the holidays about my trip, the support, interest, and questions increase. Safety has been an ongoing concern. Tonight, I went to the U.S. State department's website to check out the "Consular Information Sheet" for Uganda. Click here if you'd like to check it out. It was somewhat different than the last update from May 07. It specifically listed the Kanungu district of Uganda (where Nyaka School is) (along with a list of other districts) as having potential security concerns from insurgent activity or armed banditry. I had rested in the fact that on the last report, it wasn't listed. I'll be traveling with a group; at last count, there were more men than women going. We have contacts in the country and at the school who are helping coordinate our visit and know with whom to schedule reliable, safe ground transportation, interesting tourist destinations, etc. Please do pray for the safety of the team!!

In Big, Bold Letters

I just received a Christmas gift (not a holiday gift) from a very close friend of mine. Along with the wonderfully fragrant body spray and the intense worship CD came the largest gift of the three--a black wood-carved sign that reads:
FAITH
in big---I'm talking 6 inches tall-- bold letters. Right now, it's on my office shelf where I'll look up and see it frequently and smile for the reminder to believe in God's provision for a calling--the God who claims He is "able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine , according to his power that is at work within us. . ." Eph. 3:20.
I want the kind of faith that lets God be who he is--big, powerful, multi-dimensional, and personal at the same time. If you're interested in that too, check out the book, In a Pit With a Lion On a Snowy Day. I'm currently on chapter 5, and it's a great reminder of our need for perspective in our circumstances and FAITH.

Support Letter

Several people have asked me if my support letter is available to read online. I will copy and paste it in here as I've not figured another way to attach a document:

December 6, 2007


Friends and Family:

We regularly see the pictures and hear the statistics about how the AIDS pandemic (an epidemic affecting a wide area and/or large people group) is taking the lives of people all around the world. It is not just a far away continent story or an AIDS story. It is a human story that goes beyond a disease.
Have you ever considered what is happening to the children of all the adult AIDS victims? The impact that it is having on children, families, schools, communities, and countries?

Uganda, a country in east central Africa, has one of the largest numbers of orphans in the world; a staggering 2 million and rising. These children are being raised by grandparents and other family members who are already struggling to survive. Due to a lack of government-subsidized education, extended families and orphanages face an enormous financial barrier to educating Uganda's children. Consider the mission statement of Nyaka School from their website (www.nyakaschool.org):

The mission of the school is to provide quality, free education and extracurricular activities, both formal and informal, to children who have been orphaned due to HIV/AIDS as a means to counteract pervasive hunger, poverty, and systemic deprivation.

Nyaka is the only tuition-free orphans’ school in the Kanungu district of Uganda. It began with 56 children who were all “double orphans” (they had lost both parents) and has grown to 276 children on two campuses.

The school is in need of medical personnel, social workers/counselors, teachers, technology specialists, building tradesman, and others who are willing to step in and support their efforts to teach and train children to improve their futures. The teachers and family caregivers also need training to know how to best lead and support the children in their grief and adjustment.

I have a special opportunity this winter to go to Nyaka School and contribute to the growth of the students, teachers, and families. They need manpower to build a new classroom for which they have received funds and have planned a concurrent teacher training. The mission team will be gone for ten days to help with these projects and others.

Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church and author of The Purpose Driven Life, states, “The HIV/AIDS pandemic is the greatest opportunity for the Church to be the Church. It is time for us to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those who need compassion.” I’ve decided it’s my turn to be hands and feet for Jesus.

Would you consider being a partner with me in this mission? There are two specific ways you can help. First, I would appreciate your prayers for safety and effective project work for the whole team. Second, each team member is responsible for raising $2300 to cover airfare, ground transportation, food, lodging, and materials. If you could provide resource support, it would be tremendously appreciated. All gifts that are sent in the enclosed reply envelope will be credited to my mission project account. Checks should be made payable to Sherwood Oaks Christian Church. This is a charitable contribution and is tax-deductible; however please note that a check with my name in the memo line will not be recorded as a charitable deduction. Be sure to fill out the information portion of the response envelope and send it with your contribution enclosed. My final payment is due January 15.

I have created a blog to keep those interested up to date on my preparation and journey as time and technology allow. The address is www.lucygoesglobal.blogspot.com. I will mail a follow-up report to all the project supporters when I return.

Thank you for your interest, prayers, and support as I minister to the precious children and families in Uganda.

Most Sincerely,



Cynthia Parkes
Director of Children’s Ministry



For more information on Nyaka School:

Sept. 07 Newsletter http://www.nyakaschool.org/newsletters/September%202007.pdf

Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2oKUl5V7Aw

Article
http://www.ugandapulse.com/articles/daily/news.asp?ID=2943

School Wish List
http://www.nyakaschool.org/wishlist.php

American Contact Address
Nyaka Aids Orphans School
P.O. Box 339
East Lansing MI 48826

$145 would educate one student at Nyaka for one year.




Donation envelopes available upon request. Thanks for your prayerful support.
Cynthia aka Lucy

Quick Update

Quick update: I'm up to $1150 now in my trip fund!! Praise the Lord! It still doesn't seem real. . . I'm going to start setting aside blocks of time in my week to prepare for the teacher training sessions. I've been reading, but it's time to make the plan and coordinate materials.
I'm going to write a longer post this week that explains the initial call and the confirmation call.
Merry Christmas!!

Faith + Prayer + Patience = The Rest

As I reflected on yesterday's post, I realized it may seem out of order to explain the faith and calling thing at this point. The reason it came up is that I keep arguing with myself about how much more to do to raise the funds to go. Is God going to be faithful? How much of this is my responsibility? Do I send out more support letters? Do I get another job--like a seasonal one at Kohl's (dangerous) to make money that would specifically go in the fund? Do I go sell plasma (I've been told it's a fairly lucrative venture)? I don't want to be like the person stranded on top of their house during a flood, praying to be rescued, who passes up the boat and the helicopter and then is mad at God because they're stuck.
It reminds me of Peter's rescue in Acts 12. It's one of my favorite memories of a sermon from when I was a teenager. I'll never forget it. It was given by Claudia's dad, for those who know her. He made the point that in verse 7 and 8, the angel tells Peter to "get up. . .put on your clothes and sandals. . . wrap your cloak around you and follow me." Now, we all know that through divine intervention, Peter could have been prepped to leave without doing anything himself (or zapped right to the door of Mary's house for that matter), but the angel told him to do what he could do. The angel, then, took care of what Peter could not take care of--getting past guards and through closed gates. The big faith lesson is to do what we are able to in a situation and let God handle the rest. Define "the rest" please!

Ya Know What Happens When Ya Pray for Patience

I've done it again. You know what happens when you pray for patience--you end up in all these situations that help you develop that character trait. About a year ago, I prayed to be better in confrontational situations, because I saw that one was going to be necessary in a friendship of mine. Of course, that led to an onslaught of practice in several other relationships. I thought, "You're an idiot!! You asked for it!!" Overall, though, while immensely uncomfortable, the skill does have the benefit of keeping the air clean with people. Ya never have to wonder where you stand. Well, here's what I did 7 months or so ago: While I was listening to Tim LaHaye deliver a message on increasing one's faith, I prayed that God would increase mine. Go ahead, shake your head in disbelief. We all know what's coming--the calling to a mission trip ---which I am not personally resourced for. I'm depending on others who catch the vision to impact these AIDS orphans. It is definitely a faith stretch, but I know God will equip the called.
I currently have $900 in my account. I need $2300 for the trip itself, $250 for immunizations and medication, and about $60 for a travel visa. I love seeing God show off with provision--I'm just ready to see Him show off sooner rather than later ( back to patience??????). . . .

Medical Insurance Prefers Cure to Prevention

At our last contact, one of the top things on my to do list was to contact the IU health clinic and check on international travel immunizations. Well, I did that and found out that the consultation, immunizations and medication for the trip will cost between $250-$350. Cha-ching! I won't mention my insurance company, but they don't cover those kinds of expenses--nice. One must assume they figure there's low risk involved and they'd rather you take it and they'll do the "clean up" later if you do come down with something (ER visit? hospital stay?? sounds like big bucks to me) or they assume you'll pay for it out of pocket.
I apologize for the long time between posts, but I've been sick with a bad cold and cough. The Thanksgiving holiday was in there somewhere, too.
More soon. . .

Clarification received--relief!

Okay, I got an email back from the person who taught at the school this past summer. She has further explained "latrine." It appears that it is an outhouse, with or without an "interior structure." At least it's not an "open trench" which is one definition. I didn't like the mental picture!! :)

Many thanks to a personal friend of mine who found a forgotten stash of cash in one of her drawers and decided the best way to use it was to provide some resource support for my trip. What a blessing! Thanks for sharing the vision to help improve the lives of these orphans!

Next prep steps: Call the IU international travel office to meet with them and discuss necessary vaccinations and medications and obtain a Ugandan travel visa. (I have my passport already--and despite hearing many horror stories about how long people have had to wait to get them, mine came sooner than expected!)
Thanks for your interest. . .

Officially Committed

I've submitted my initial paperwork and $100 deposit. It's official now!!

I've been in contact with someone who went to Nyaka last June for a month. She sent me a very helpful list of what to bring, what not to bring, and some cultural differences. Very evident in several of the instructions is the "no priss" factor, which concerns me a bit--she says don't mess with make-up--no one else does-- and don't bring electric hair dryers, curling irons, straighteners, etc. That means I'll go to the stylist and make sure I've got a "no-fuss" do. Now, I was aware of these kinds of "roughing it" being a part of the trip. I figure Hilltop camp has prepared me for some of it :) I was somewhat comforted when I read that the school has a guest house with a shower (cold, but nevertheless, a shower). It's her mentioning the word "latrine" that has me concerned. I've asked her for further clarification. . .

Sweet devo time

Monday, I decided that I would read and study the book of James over the next few days. I love to read and reread James because of its action orientation to faith. "Faith without works is dead!" ". . .I will show you my faith by what I do!" My version of that at home for the family is, "Knowing and Doing are two different things!" (I think that will be the title of my first book.) Anyway, I came across James 1:27, which has new meaning for me as I anticipate my trip: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after ORPHANS and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (emphasis mine)
A sweet reminder of the purpose. . .

New Blogger

Hello Friends & Family!
I'm in the process of creating this blog to keep you all updated on my mission trip to Nyaka AIDS Orphans' School in the village of Nyakagyezi in Uganda, East Africa. I'll be leaving January 29, 2008 and returning February 10.
Click on this link, then click on "zoom out" on the left of the map to see the country and the continent.


I look forward to keeping in touch with this new (for me) techno-format. I plan on catching you up on what led me to take this trip, then keep you updated as things unfold.
By the way, I have a girlfriend that calls me Lucy (not as in "I Love ____") but as in the book/tv special/comic character. She says it's not because I'm a bossy grouch (as the character is) but because Lucy often plays therapist for her best friend, Charlie. There's where the title came from. . .