Only a Couple of Weeks!

First of all I want to send out a big THANK YOU to all of you who have made donations to support my trip! Debbie Cook posted a link on her blog asking all of her readers to even just send $5.00. Well, lots did (and some donated more) and that really did add up! Thank you again! Tomorrow we are having a huge rummage sale at our church and the proceeds are going toward our trip. Please pray that we will raise the money we need because I am still about $1200 short, and so is Karen. Our trip is just a short time away - we are leaving on the 13th of June.

This is a picture of Kathy and me. I met Kathy on my first trip to Uganda. She lives in a small village called Kasana. She speaks more English than most of the women I've met there, but maybe she just has more confidence. Last spring she took Karen and I on a walk through the village, and when we got struck by a downpour, she ran us into her home. It is a mud and thatch adobe hut, and it was nice and cool inside. The whole hut was probably about 10 feet in diameter. She lives there with her husband and some children, but I don't think they are hers. She has a job selling some kind of porridge in the evening in the center of the village. For many, this is all they eat. They do grow some different fruit and vegetables there in the village, but I think most of it is sold in a nearby town. The only transportation you see there other than foot traffic, is the occasional bicycle. If someone wants to go into the town (about 15 minute drive by car)they either walk down the main road at the edge of the village or walk until they catch a boda boda. Bodas are motorcycle taxis. They are everywhere. Some people even take a bicycle taxi.

I believe that Kathy will be one of the women we will be setting up with her own sewing machine. She was one of the more adept last year and seems to have a "business mind." Of course, business in Uganda is nothing like it is here. I am anxious to go back and see the women we got to share with last year. Some of them were pregnant then, so we may get to see their new babies.

Thank you all for your prayers, support, and comments I have received regarding our trip this year. Gwen asked if I would consider to "open it up" to new people! Absolutely! We would love to have more people come. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, and feel that God has put it on your heart to serve these women in this way, please let me know and I can give you more details on how to get involved.

I would appreciate your prayers over the next few weeks that Karen and I would stay healthy, that we will have energy and compassion, that we will be well used by God, and have safe travel. Having rheumatoid arthritis, sitting still for more than an hour or two can be miserable. Our air travel alone is over 20 hours, plus we have layovers. I can almost never sleep on the plane, so I am usually a little wiped out for the first few days. I also need to return healthy, as I am having surgery as soon as I return. Pray for the women of Uganda, that they would have strength and faith to endure all of the struggles they face every day. They are always so inspired when they find out how many people are praying for them and helped to support us to get us there. They just cannot believe it.

Again, if you would care to support this mission, you can either send money directly to me through paypal or donate directly to International Messengers. My email is nwinning@gmail.com and International Messengers address is in my last post.

I did get this outfit finished and will be wearing it during my trip. I bought this fabric in Uganda last year. Actually, they would never make a dress out of this. It is too thin. They use a much heavier cotton for their dresses. They use this fabric for something they put on over their skirts, like an apron. I wanted something lighter weight because it is so hot there.