Returning to Uganda: Reconnecting, Encouraging, and Giving With Care
On September 11, our family will return to Uganda—a place that has deeply shaped our lives, our marriage, our faith, and our family.
Josh and I spent more than five years collectively living and serving there. This trip is not about arriving with all the answers or assuming we know what people need. It is about returning to people we love, listening well, honoring long-standing relationships, and responding thoughtfully where we are invited to help.
We are raising funds for three specific purposes.
Reconnecting With the Young Adults From the Babies Home
During my years at the babies home, I had the privilege of knowing 57 little faces. We shared everyday life, made memories, and grew deeply connected. Each child changed me in ways I still carry today.
It is hard to comprehend that the babies and children I once knew are now young adults. We have stayed in touch with many of them whenever possible, and while we are in Uganda, we hope to gather as many as we can.
We want to spend time hearing about their lives—not simply who they were as children, but who they have become, what they are pursuing, what they are proud of, and what challenges they may be facing.
One of their favorite activities when we lived there was going to the swimming pool, so we hope to recreate that joy with a pool day together. Funds will help cover transportation to and from the gathering, swimming entrance fees, and food for the day.
We would also like to have the ability to respond to immediate, clearly identified needs that may arise, while doing so privately, respectfully, and without creating pressure or expectations.
Encouraging Couples Who Are Serving in Uganda
Josh and I know firsthand how demanding life and service overseas can be.
There were seasons when our marriage, emotional health, and family life felt battered by the weight we were carrying. We would not have made it through some of those seasons without friends—and sometimes people who barely knew us—choosing to show up, listen, encourage us, and pour back into us.
Because others cared for us so intentionally, we want to offer that same kind of care to four couples who are currently serving in Uganda.
We hope to provide a special evening that includes a beautiful dinner, meaningful conversation, encouragement, and space for each couple to feel seen and supported. This is not a training, project, or program. It is simply an opportunity to care for people who spend so much of their lives caring for others.
Supporting Trusted Ugandan Pastors and Community Leaders
We also plan to provide resources to pastors and local leaders in Uganda whom we know, trust, and believe in.
These leaders understand their communities far better than we do. They have daily relationships with families and individuals and are best positioned to recognize urgent needs and respond appropriately.
Rather than deciding from a distance what people should receive, we want to place resources in the hands of trusted local leaders who can use them to help with needs such as food insecurity, necessary home repairs, medical expenses, or other pressing circumstances.
How the Funds Will Be Used
Our goal is to use every gift carefully, transparently, and with respect for the people involved.
Funds raised will be used for:
Transportation, food, and swimming costs for the young adults’ gathering
Thoughtful assistance with immediate needs identified through personal conversations
A special evening for four couples serving in Uganda
Resources entrusted to respected Ugandan pastors and community leaders
Other unexpected needs that may arise during the trip and align with the purpose of this fundraiser
We will not be seeking to create dependence, make promises we cannot sustain, or publicly share anyone’s personal hardship without their permission. We want to listen before acting, support local leadership, protect people’s privacy, and offer help in ways that preserve dignity and choice.
Above all, we want to remain open to how God may lead our family while we are there. If He places a person, family, or need in our path, we want to have the ability to respond wisely, prayerfully, and generously.
Thank you for helping us return not as strangers, but as friends—ready to reconnect, encourage, listen, and give with care.
