Friday, January 2, 2009

Want to go to Uganda?

You guys know that I am heading back to Uganda in April to lead a HopeChest Sponsorship Trip Want to come? I figured I'd put the trip details up here and see if anyone is interested in coming or in pitching it to your ministry team at your church!! We are hoping to have 10 churches, businesses or even towns represented that are interested in possibly sponsoring an orphanage (meaning finding individual sponsors for 60-100 children and committing to building a relationship with that orphan community). Please join us in prayer! We are hoping to have most of the trip planned this month. If you think your church would be interested, email me and I can help you with more details! brandi (@) Kidslake (dot) org

Goal of the trip? The trip is for those who are interested in possibly sponsoring an orphanage or looking more deeply into the HopeChest concept We will be touring/spending time at orphanages or orphan care points that are in need of sponsors and also ones that are currently sponsored (although they will be newly sponsored so the difference won't be as vast as say. . .a year from now)

Cost of the Trip? $1300 for on ground fees. This includes visa, travel insurance, all lodging, travel and food in country. The Flights usually cost around $1700 roundtrip.
Sidenote: I thought this was high at first but watched very carefully how the money was spent and they are VERY careful. Also, if money is left over at the end, they will either use it for orphanage needs or add it to the pastoral account. They actually found out before our trip that the $1500 quote was too high and refunded money to people!

Pastoral Scholarships? We don't want money to be a reason that someone doesn't come on a trip. This is mainly because almost 100% of the pastors who come on a trip end up having their church sponsor an orphanage! So, while we want to be conservative with our pastoral scholarship money (mainly b/c we have to raise it all ourselves!) we also want to offer it when necessary! These scholarships are provided for a church decision maker. i.e. the Pastor, Missions Pastor or lay leader who can "make the call" about whether or not to proceed.
Come Along! If a church signs up to sponsor an orphanage, they are going to need a lay leader to help run the charge at their church. How about proposing to your church not only the possibility to sponsoring an orphanage, but offering to lead the charge! Might I suggest YOU coming along with your pastor or leader as well! (that is, if you aren't the pastor or leader that your church sends!)

We currently have 9 people that are planning on pitching this to their churches and others in the next couple of weeks. Please be in prayer for these girls as they meet with their leadership. We are praying that God fills this trip up in His wisdom and sovereignty. Please join us in prayer!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't the $2300.00 that would be used for one person to travel to Uganda (for what a week) be better used giving it directly to an orphanage - I bet they could use it. And the children would definitely benefit.

Brandi said...

That would be true, if you were just siteseeing. However, if it costs $3,000 for one pastor to go to Uganda and he sees the need and has his church sponsor an orphanage, then you have to figure that in.

One church sponsoring 100 orphans at $34 a month equates to $3400 a month in sponsorship or $40,800 a year in assistance. That's just sponsorships. Most churches also do other projects for their orphan community AND this doesn't take into account all of the lives changed! 100 children's lives will be changed through sponsorship, for sure. The number of lives changed in that pastor's home church is incalculable as they share about their trip through various messages and cast the vision.

So, actually this is a very wise use of money in the kingdom.

Great question, but you could sign your name.

Brandi

Christina said...

Love your answer to the response you received. You are awesome! By the way, this is Christina. ( from WHEEL OF FORTUNE!) I have a blog now. No posts, yet... but there will be soon :)

Melissa said...

Brandi, this is cool. I am actually getting ready to pitch an orphan/adoption ministry proposal to my church leadership. One of the visions I have is for those who can to support orphans and also to send folks out on shortterm missions trips to orphanges. Maybe I need some info to take to my meeting on Wednesday :)

Joyful Living said...

I CAN'T WAIT I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!

Created For His Glory said...

I shared this with our pastors too Brandi :)
Blessings,
K

Ashley said...

I like how you answered Anonymous, but can I add something??

I can't tell you how many times you hear people (in Liberia) say, "thank you for coming, and for not just sending us some money."

These kids need to physically feel the love of God, and all of the encouragement, laughs, prayer times, etc. are much needed too! They need to know that they are special and that they are loved.

And you never know...the person who thinks they're showing up in Uganda to "touch the lives of orphans" or "check out a new missions opportunity for their church" or "love on some kids" just might experience Christ's love and power in a new and life-changing way.[guarenteed] =)

P.S. If I wasn't already 'involved' with Liberia, I'd be going to Uganda with you!

Anonymous said...

sounds exciting brandi, im actually leaving n few hrs!! you never know, might see you there. love ya!

Ami said...

Hi, Brandi. Thank you for commenting on my blog. I, too, read your blog all the time and find encouragement to think beyond my little world, yet I rarely take time to comment on your blog. Just know that I am reading and nodding my head in agreement. :) I don't know if my church would be willing to participate in this project at this time, as they just announced on Sunday that they're heading up a trip to Kenya for July. But I can tell you that I will pray about this idea for myself, and if the Lord leads me to go, I will obey.

Brooke said...

Hi Brandi,

I just came to your blog for the first time today--I have been reading Katie Davis' blog for a few weeks, and am excited that I stumbled upon your blog! I'm commenting on this old post because I would love to talk to you more about HopeChest, and specifically, your involvement with Uganda. I do the fundraising for a program called Duke in Uganda (read about it here: http://globalhealth.duke.edu/news-events/stories-from-the-field/duke-supports-ugandan-medicine) and I just started a non-profit in January called 1World HealthShare, which funds short term medical mission trips. I am going on a medical leadership training mission trip with Mission to the World (the Presbyterian Church of America's mission organization) in April, but I would love to get involved with your project and get my church to sponsor an orphanage in Uganda. I have only been to Kampala with my Duke in Uganda medical mission work, and we work with two orphanages there--but they are really well funded and all of the children at each are sponsored. I am going to be in Uganda for the month of July, and am trying to plan some time to find orphanages that need sponsorship in the two weeks before the Duke in Uganda medical mission trip begins in late July. I really want to get involved with some of the orphanages outside of Kampala that need funding, and HopeChest seems like a great organization. My church in Durham, North Carolina is really involved with medical mission work due to the number of health care professionals from Duke and UNC hospitals, but I would love to start an orphanage sponsorship program in Uganda at Church of the Good Shepherd. Would you email me at brookegleason@gmail.com?

Thanks so much, and God bless!

Brooke