Fundraising Friday's

This year will see us return to Uganda! We plan to spend two weeks in my favourite part of the world.

This will be Lutaaya's first visit back so its a big deal. I want her to see more of her birth country than the 4 walls she looked at for almost 9 years in her former home. I want her to share in exploring her birth country, the sights and sounds and feel of the place that I came to love. More importantly, I want her to know her culture and the people behind that culture. Truly amazing people that I now call friends.

So I decided to invite you on our journey too. Not in the way where you jump on the plane with us but in the sense of our preparations and plans. Come on a journey to Uganda with us.

While in Uganda we don't want to simply holiday. We want to still bless the many people we meet along the way. There are endless lists of needs I could list here but ultimately they all cost money. So I thought I would do a series of blog posts where I share some of our fundraising ideas, advertise events in aid of Uganda and share some ways you can get involved too. These posts will form a series called 'Fundraising Friday's'.

The series will give me opportunity to share our plans of what we hope to do while in Uganda as well as ways you can get involved. If you want to organise an event or fundraiser in aid of our trip then let me know and we can feature it here too. Maybe you could hold a fundraiser at work or at your church? If you want me to come and share our story at your church, simply leave a comment here or message me on Facebook. If I'm able to come along and talk about Uganda and the needs there, I'd be more than happy to share my many stories and future plans.

From the name, you probably guessed these blogs will happen on a Friday. So keep updated on the blog each Friday as you won't want to miss any. And if anyone thinks they can help in organising an event or have an idea of a craft, etc that may be a good fundraiser, please get in touch. As the supermarket chain advert says, 'every little helps'.

New Year, New Beginnings!

New Year's Eve often leaves us contemplating........

Contemplating the year behind us; the new year before us; plans being made; relationships, old, new and those yet to start; new year resolutions; life; love; faith.

Generally it's a time for new beginnings.  A time we set ourselves goals that may appear a little unrealistic by the end of January.

It's a time of reflection.  A time of forgiveness.  A time for moving on.

Inevitably, it's a time of HOPE!

Hope of what lies ahead.  What joyous adventures we may find oursleves on in this coming year.

So whatever circumstances you find yourself in at the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013, hang on to that HOPE.  Hope for a better tomorrow.

Happy New Year! 

Picture from Faith by Design Coverz

Faith Journey's

On 16th December, Lutaaya took a big step in her own faith journey.

She was confirmed!

She confirmed her faith in front of family, friends and our church family.

It was such a beautiful day, which she shared with my God-Daughter and our Auntie!

Such precious memories were made to treasure forever.

So thankful all these special people, and many more, could share the day with us.

My Auntie then invited us to join her for a family meal to celebrate. 

A wonderful ending to such a special day.

Christmas!

I have to apologise for the lack of recent blog posts.  We have had a very lazy Christmas.  Lutaaya, along with a variety of other family members, has been poorly with any illness currently doing the rounds.  So we've spent our time off work/school getting cabin fever in our house, slouching on the settee and watching every Christmas film imaginable.

Buy hey! - The big guy in the red suit still showed up Christmas Eve, so my girly woke to an abundance of gifts Christmas morning.

The delight on her face when she woke up.  I can hand on heart say, that even though this is her third Christmas at home, this felt like the first that she could truly appreciate.  She knew the routine, had expectations of the family traditions (e.g. sacks off grandparents after lunch.....)  and truly felt like she belonged.  It was the best Christmas present I could have asked for.

Here's a few snapshots of our day for you to enjoy.

Lots of new gadgets to play with

My sparkly Christmas Princess

Taking the mess gifts to Auntie Andrea's

SMILE!  It's Christmas!

Yes - she is in the sack!

Dancing Queen

The new disco ball

My gadget girl

Who needs a guard dog, when you have Gypsy????

From our house to yours,

Merry Christmas!

Remembrance Day - We Will Remember

11^th November is always Remembrance day here in the UK and the Sunday nearest to that date becomes Remembrance Sunday.  This year, both fell on the same day. 

We have always taken part with our church for Remembrance Sunday so it has always been a part of my life.  I have heard the stories of my great grandfather being in the war and being captured as prisoner of war.  I have also heard my Grandfather’s stories of his time, doing his service in the army.  They are real stories by real people but this year, it seemed more relevant to me.

The weather was lovely for our Remembrance parade to the local cenotaph, this brought out people in our community.  The church was packed for the service and it was wonderful to see so many support this day.  The thing that struck me however, was the fact, so many younger people attended this year.  From children, to teens, to young adults.  All present to pay their respects.

I hear in work of one little boy’s Dad serving in Afghanistan on the frontlines and it makes it real. 

Then on a day like this, I see a young man, who was once a young person I worked with as his youth worker, turn out in his uniform.  So proud to see.

It makes it real. 

These men and women are putting their lives on the line for freedom. 

The service men and women of our country make it real.  They bring it home.  They are the friends and family we know and love, and they risk their everything to serve our country.

If the smallest gesture we can do in support of them is turn out on a glorious Sunday morning and show our respect, then I pledge to do just that! 

Help for Heroes is one of the biggest growing charities of our country and I know why.  Suddenly service men and women are a part of our communities again.  We want to support them.  They may not have world war status, but still they fight.  They are the real men and women of our societies.  They are the men and women who lay it all down for us. 

So check out what’s happening in your local area for Help for Heroes or the Royal British Legion, and get behind our armed forces. 

Gotcha Day 2nd Anniversary

I can't believe the time has come to write about a second anniversary of Lutaaya's gotcha day. 

Yes that's right - 2 years ago today Lutaaya left life in an orphanage behind and joined a family - a forever family. 

In a sense it feels like only yesterday and in another it feels like she has been a part of my life forever. 

Lutaaya has been a part of my life since 2005 when I first met her.  In fact, before anyone knew, the adoption plans were happening since 2008.  So she has been part of my life for longer but this day was special.  This day was her homecoming.

It was a very emotional day and there were so many highs and lows.  I remember loving taking her out that very first night for food and then returning to the guest house, where she snuggled on the sofa, in her brand new nightie ready for bed.  And then that special moment of tucking her in for the very first time, in a bed of her own, and sleeping in the bed next to her.  That moment of relief, knowing she was finally my daughter. 

The lows were the fact that as one child left a horrible orphanage, others remained there.  You can't help but think, how do these adoptions affect each of these children who hold on to every hope that maybe next time, it'll be their turn to find their family.  And that sadness continues still.  Recently we heard of two of the children leaving and being adopted by their new parents, one awaiting a visa, the other arriving home in the USA.

But still some remain......

some that have been there from the first time I visited.  Some even longer.  How can we, as a society, close our eyes to this?  How can we think that it is all good and positive for Lutaaya to finally be home, and yet not pray for the same to happen to the children left behind?

Heart breaking.

Today we spent a lot of time together making even more happy memories.  Gotcha day this year also coincided with Remembrance Sunday, so we attended the church service and procession in our town - more on that tomorrow.  Lutaaya laughed first thing this morning, as she recently saw the episode of Jessie, on the Disney channel, where the family celebrate little Suri's gotcha day.  Quite an extravagent celebration.  I stood at the bottom of the stairs as she came down for breakfast, with party poppers awaiting her.
(A bit of added drama as Benny cat decided to eat the streamers as they landed - hoping they exit him soon, urgh).
We had our Sunday lunch in my parents, which Lutaaya loves every Sunday.  Then she had a special meeting to go too.  In the next few weeks, Lutaaya is attending some study sessions in church so that she can be confirmed in December.  This evening she asked if she could finish her special day with some chinese food - and gotcha day girl got her wish. 

My crazy upside down gotcha girl

Happy Gotcha Day girly!  So glad you are a part of my life, for now and forever. 
Kwagala Lutaaya xxxx

Operation Christmas Child

Operation Christmas Child appeal each Christmas time, has a special place in my heart and in our household.  You may also know it as 'the shoebox appeal'.

A few years ago during one of my visits to Uganda, one of the older boys (9years old-ish) was walking around wearing gloves.  Proper woolly gloves for winter.  I was really confused as to why he had them on all. the. time?  They were black in colour and had the grips on the palms.  He was so proud of them.  In the hot Ugandan sun, during a trip to the pool that we had fundraised for, he still walked around wearing his gloves.  I took the opportunity to go sit with him at one point in the day and ask about his gloves.  As I asked his face lit up.  He beamed with joy.  He was so so so happy.  Then he explained......

'They were in my box Auntie.  I had lots of gifts in my box but these are my favourite.  They are like footbool goalie gloves and this part (pointing to the grips) help me with my football skills.  Now all the boys say I am the best goalie. I love them and the boxes.  I hope I get one next year Auntie.  They bless us so much.'

Such a small gift from our part and yet it meant so much to this young boy who had very few posessions in life.  For him, the arrival of this box meant that someone, somewhere, cared.  They cared enough to lovingly pack this box and put in, along with other things, those very special 'football' gloves. 

This year, we were able to take part in operation Christmas child again.  Lutaaya loves packing the boxes as she knows that very possibly, her friends back in Uganda will be receiving them.  She took so much time and effort in picking out the gifts to fill the boxes and them put them all together. 

We spent an evening packing our boxes.  We decided on one for a boy and one for a girl.  We love picking out things for the older age catergory as we know all too well, that they are the children often overlooked and forgotten about, when babies and toddlers steal the limelight. 

So if you are looking for a special thing to do this year, I would encourage you to also support Operation Christmas child.  All you need is a shoebox then fill it with gifts that a child would appreciate this Christmas.  You can find out all the details here and then get packing.  If you're local to me, give me a shout and we can tell you where to get your box too as many local schools are collecting for the next few weeks.

What are you waiting for?  You can put a smile on a vulnerable child's face this Christmas!