God is taking me on a journey to Africa...

Dear family and friends,


The opportunity of a lifetime has been offered to me. I have had many jobs, traveled to many countries, but none of these experiences will compare with the adventure I am about to embark upon: living and teaching in Uganda, Africa!

Ever since I can remember, I have had a desire to help people. More recently, I have felt passionate about developing countries. I am now 28 and have enjoyed teaching music in Cobb County, GA for the past four years, but I could not resist the opportunity to teach in a nation that needs so much help. Last winter, I was inspired by a friend from high school, Susan, who taught special education in Uganda. I visited her for 2 weeks last Christmas, and I did not want to leave! Since I felt called to help in Africa, I prayed that God would show me an opportunity if I was supposed to move to Uganda. Coincidentally (or rather providentially), we ended up spending much time with a teacher recruiter for Heritage International School (H.I.S.). The recruiter gave me a tour of the beautiful campus and introduced me to several administrators, teachers, and parents who were involved with the school. Although many of the children who attended the K-12 school are children of missionaries, any child can apply to attend. The private Christian school is located in Kampala, which is the capital of Uganda.

I carefully considered this decision through prayer and discussions with family and friends. I really felt that God was calling me to do something new, with different challenges and greater risks. During this time, I remembered something Jesus said to the disciples that I’ve reflected upon since Sunday School; “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations… (Mathew 28:19)”. By the summer, I decided to apply and was then accepted to teach starting this fall! I was originally going to be teaching kindergarten and music, but they recently asked me to teach 5th grade due to a last minute change at the school, which would require me to teach several different courses: English, science, social studies, math, and Bible. I agreed and am looking forward to the new challenges and rewards that teaching 5th grade will bring, but I also believe that God has a lot more in store for me then just reaching out to my class and the other children in HIS. I see myself getting involved with local churches and orphanages and helping other types of organizations that God leads me to. Also, I believe that this trip will continue its impact even when I get back to the states. I want my experience to enrich the lives of the children, friends, and family around me with the valuable life experiences I will have to share, and perhaps launch new missionaries towards their dreams!

The school and parents are very supportive of all the teachers at the school. They are helping me find an apartment within walking distance from the school, and I have already received encouraging e-mails from prospective roommates. The neighborhood around the school is quite safe, and it sounds like all of the neighbors are very helpful to newcomers. To be able to make this experience a reality, I will need to raise funds for living and travel expenses. The school is able to cover all housing costs and health insurance, which leaves me needing about $2500 for food and living expenses per year, and will also need to raise $4000 for travel. My goal is to raise $6500 through the course of the next year. I will be leaving in mid-September and plan on living in Uganda for 2-3 years.

Please prayerfully consider partnering with me on this adventure to Africa. The card (see link below) explains the different options if you wish to contribute, and anyone who is interested will receive monthly e-mail updates from me with pictures. Thank you for your consideration, but most of all, your prayers!

Sincerely,

Laura



Heritage International School Website: http://www.heritageinternationalschool.org/

To donate, simply click HERE and print the page. If you have problems with this, I can e-mail you the original document.

First post to test out blogspot

Welcome to my first blog here! I have not blogged much, but now that I am embarking on a new season of my life I thought that this is the perfect time to start trying again. I used to use Xanga but I can't seem to figure out how to make my blog look streamlined and easy to navigate. After looking around at other people's blogs I came across several classy looking blogs on blogspot, so, here we are!