It’s my first day in Uganda and I relax inside a safe house in Kampala.  The cheery bright blue house sits in stark contrast to it’s ten foot perimeter wall, shards of broken glass bottles line the top like soldiers standing at attention.  Seven year old, Justine sits criss cross applesauce in the middle of the floor and I can’t resist taking a million pictures of her.  Her tiny soft chocolate brown hand gripping mine; letting go only long enough for me to take yet another picture.  She is barefoot and her blue and white striped sundress is almost identical to the one my daughter, Ella, has at home.

In six short months, I will climb Kilimanjaro, with Justine as my inspiration.  Thirty mission driven adventurers will embark on the steepest trek of our lives to help 240 children in the most disadvantaged part of Kenya.  Our goal, to raise enough money to build six classrooms for Missions of Hope.

Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa, over 19,000 feet.  Slow and steady, most of our trek will be a moderate climb, but the lack of oxygen and extreme temperatures make summiting “Kili” a unique challenge.

This isn’t my first adventure to Africa.  Two years ago, I flew twenty-one hours to Uganda with no plan, just an email challenge from Restore International, founded by Bob Goff, author of Love Does.  All of the book proceeds go to Restore to fight for freedom, human rights and improving education.

I can’t just up and go to Africa, don’t I need a twelve page plan and some huge purpose?  Apparently not, just a…”save the date”…”because maybe we have a trip in November”.   Maybe they have a trip in November?  Just over 30 days away?

For a planner, like me, this email feels completely insane.  But I push into unchartered waters – something inside of me propelling me forward.

I can’t do this, why would I do this, how could I do this?

Terrified but courage grows more powerful than my fear and I send three words in response, I am interested, …and then I wait.  Almost instantly at peace, I have done it, email sent.  Hedging I think, that doesn’t mean I have to go.

The very next Sunday God’s call was becoming clear; the sermon at Church was entitled GO!  Ugh, I sat sweating in a front row pew, my thoughts consumed with Africa.

Not even seven days to rest in my fear when I receive THE email; the trip is on.

God was calling me to Go.  I had no idea why and I was fighting Him.  How could I leave my girls?  Who would take care of them?  And my job, How would my boss react and my parents – oh seriously, my Dad was going to lose it.    

Outside my box, for sure, but I was craving to live outside of my box.

No itinerary, no plan, no companion for the trip, and no real purpose; except to find God.

I was running to find Him, to search for where He might be.  My divorce had turned my life upside down – I didn’t even know who I was any more.  My mind raced, if I could just find Him; just touch HIS cloak…maybe I would be okay.

I’d once read about a woman in the bible that ran to find Jesus.  Hemorrhaging for twelve years, she hears Jesus is in town and takes off after Him.  She knows if she just “touches” his cloak, she will be healed.  Taking a huge risk, the reward for her uninhibited passionate faith, was healing!  (Mark 5:25-34)

I am this woman.  Maybe in finding HIM, I will find myself too.  

Accepting the challenge, four short weeks later, I am in Uganda meeting Justine.   We play peak a boo but speak no words, she doesn’t speak English.  Next to me and then later on my lap, she eats her cabbage and beans with her hands.  Her bright smile and contagious giggle draw me in close to her – it’s the kind of smile you get lost in, the kind of smile you never forget.

She’s the youngest in a house filled with twenty-two young girls, age 12-18, each victim’s of sexual abuse.  As I learn Justine’s story, my heart aches with the knowledge of such horrible, unspeakable things happening to her; to any child.

Justine had been rescued, two weeks prior, from an island on Lake Victoria.  Lake Victoria is one of Africa’s Great Lakes; if you are abandoned, there is very little chance you will ever make it off the island.  No Mommy, no Daddy; Justine had been left.

As I held Justine’s hand, I wondered, who is fighting for her?  And I didn’t want to let go.  I fell madly in love with Justine and other African children, just like her.

A desire was born to fight for them.

And the spark kindled during my trip to Uganda was ignited in February by a different email challenge to climb Kilimanjaro for the children of Missions for Hope in Kenya.   This challenge fills my heart with both terror and delight.  Is it possible God is calling me to Africa again?

Yes, yes it is possible.  And I AM capable.  With God on my side, how can I lose? (Romans 8:31)

The Mission’s of Hope school opened in 2012 with 320 students.  Today, enrollment has exploded to 958 children, ages 4-15.  Many of these children have never attended school.  The additional classrooms will allow more children to have a quality education and the opportunity to know and love Jesus.

I want to show these children they are wanted.  Isn’t this what we all crave – to be wanted?  No matter what has happened in our past, we are all loved and wanted by God.  This is the heart of all my searching, to know Him intimately and to be known by HIM.

I am still running, looking for Him and finding myself along the way.  I am closer, but it is an adventure, just like my climb on Kili, slow and steady.  In the Bible, God often reveals himself on the mountain top…maybe I will find HIM when I get there and another piece of me too.

New Year’s Day 2017, I will be worshipping HIM on top of Kilimanjaro.  Will you support me on this adventure?    Your donation will help these children know that they are wanted!

My fund raising page:  https://give.cmfi.org/help-build-a-legacy-3a.cause