un-trip update...

Just a quick, and very thankful, update on my
 "Un-trip" fundraiser from July:

I am very excited to report that a community of family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers contributed a total of $2,535 for the Ugandan widows!!

This amount well exceeded my goal of $2000 and I am thrilled!

The amount raised should cover the salary of a director for the Widow's ministry for ONE YEAR... as well as pay for her transportation!   This is awesome!

Thanks so much for supporting my endeavors and most importantly for supporting the Ugandan widows!

James 1:27
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.

Matthew 25:40
The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'

Mission Un-Trip

As you know, I am a widow.     With my grief and loss aside, I consider myself blessed beyond belief.  My boys and I are provided for and cared for.   We are blessed with water, food, shelter, clothing, education, family and friends.      Considering all of the world’s widows, I am a minority.

Many of you know that I traveled to Uganda in February of 2011 to visit with Ugandan widows and hear their stories.   I heard the struggles that the Ugandan women face to feed their families, raise their children and simply survive.   I know that their cries are echoed throughout the world.    My time in Uganda changed my perspective on many things.   I came away wanting to make a small difference, in some way, for these Ugandan widows.  I have sat by for the past sixteen months, in the comfort of my home, not sure of what an unskilled single mom could do to make a difference.  

When I returned from the trip to Uganda in 2011 I was ready to go back.   I wanted to go back to the beautiful country and spend time with the beautiful people.   I was anxious to get back on African soil.  But over the past few months, God has changed my heart, and mind, about what I should be doing.    I do not believe that God wants me to invest money in a plane ticket.   I do not believe that He wants me to plan the vacation of a lifetime for my kids… quite yet.   

I do believe that God has given me a pretty nifty idea.   I would love to ask you to join me in this venture. I would like to ask you to please join me on a Mission UN-trip!

Instead of sending out a support letter that raises money for plane tickets, room and board….. Consider this a support letter for each of us to DIRECTLY SUPPORT WIDOWS in UGANDA!!

My goal is to raise $2000 that will be given directly to the Widows United ministry of Mission Link International.     (www.missionlink.org)

Mission Link is currently in need of hiring a director of the widow’s ministry (ideally a Ugandan widow will fill this role!)   $2000 will come close to covering a director’s salary for one year!     

Mission Link is also currently working with many widows on a piggery project.   Soon there will be about 100 piglets.  At least 2/3 will be sold for meat so they can have funds to duplicate the project again.  Funds will be needed to help erect shelters for the pigs.    The goal is that this project will become a sustainable source of income for these widows.

Please join me on my Mission UN-trip by supporting these women!  I may not be traveling to see them…. But I am thrilled to raise money that will be put to use on the ground.    We can join together and make a difference for a few.  And in turn make a difference for a whole community.

If you catch my vision…. And want to NOT travel with me…. please make checks payable to “Mission Link International” with ‘Widows United’ in the memo line.   All gifts are tax deductible. 

Checks can be mailed to:  Mission Link International, P.O. Box 38, 1677 Avon Street Ext, Charlottesville, VA 22902.   (For my record keeping purposes, please include a little note that says, “For Jill’s Un-trip”.)

Thank you so much for your continued love and support.  The boys and I are thankful for each of you!