FIVE. YEARS.

F I V E  Y E A R S. 

Five years ago I stepped on a plane from the Newark airport platform bound for Uganda, East Africa. All I had to cling to was a dream, a hope, a relentless fire within my heart to respond to a little voice that said – “go be an instrument.” 

Reflecting back upon these past five years of launching a non-profit organization in a foreign country sends a magnitude of emotions, thoughts and feelings raging through my heart.

Upon stepping off that platform at Newark airport, I had NO idea what was going to await me in Uganda. I had NO idea the heartache and suffering I would see. I had NO idea the pain I would feel. I had NO idea the hearts I would meet that would transform my life. But, most importantly, I had NO idea the profound sense of JOY, fulfillment and purpose I would deeply experience every single day. 

In our world today, there is a war raging amongst us – a war of the powerful against the weak. I see in Uganda and in various other parts of the world, that a life that requires greater acceptance, love and care is considered useless, insignificant or held to be an intolerable burden. Therefore, they are rejected in one or another because of their illness or disability.  

Throughout my own life and having a dear sister with a disability, I’ve often asked myself the question of “WHY?” 

Why do we perceive a life that requires complex care or a deeper level of understanding a burden? Why is human life attacked at a moment of its greatest frailty? Why were people with disabilities created? 

Over these past  F I V E  years of living in Uganda, I’ve seen a paradoxical mystery transpire. I’ve seen that perhaps the forces of strength and weakness befall the world for a reason. What if God has a plan of YOU living in a first world country and having access to so many resources and opportunities? What if God created people with disabilities, poverty and decreased access to medical and rehabilitative care in Uganda for a reason?  

What if God intended from the beginning of the world, for you & me to be the force of change for the Ugandan people. What if He intended for us to BE a resource for broken and weary hearts in Uganda? What if He greatly desires us to “imprint” our gifts and talents on the world to serve those less fortunate? What if there was a bridge that could be built for both worlds to feel a genuine breaking opening of hearts to understand God’s merciful plan through this grand design?

My dear friends, as we approach the 30 day countdown to celebrating Imprint Hope’s five year anniversary, I want to thank YOU for being this bridge of hope for the Ugandan people. Thank you for supporting and strengthening the mission through your prayers, encouragement, selfless support and merciful love. 

Over the past five years, I have walked through so many seasons of profound joy, heartache, loneliness, and true freedom with the Ugandan people. I have sat for hours on the dirt ground with families in Ugandan villages and listened to them pour their heart out and share pieces of their life with me. I have witnessed these families dare to hope in someone or something and then have it snatched away from them without a moment’s notice. 

Through all of the breaking opening of hearts, in the serving, in the knowing and being known, I have realized that the gut-wrenching hope I have experienced by living in Uganda, was born in the hard and beautiful moments that YOU have made possible. It has been made possible through YOU seeking to understand someone else’s pain that you have never ever met. 

Over these next 30 days, we are going to share highlights, triumphs, hard and beautiful moments over these past five years of Imprint Hope’s presence in Uganda. We are also going to share our vision & hope for the future of Ugandan families, who have children with disabilities.

At Imprint Hope, we believe that the family is truly a place where a child’s life can be protected against the many attacks to which it is exposed. A family is pivotal in creating the groundwork for a culture of life, acceptance and awareness to form the basis of society of Uganda. Consequently, the role of a family is irreplaceable in building a culture of life in Uganda. 

We want to invite you on this journey with us because without YOUR support and prayers, our mission would be inconspicuous in Uganda. Please follow along on our social media channels to see real-time updates and information about these next exciting 30 days! 

Again, thank YOU, thank you for being the bridge of hope, truth and mercy for the Ugandan people! We could not do this without YOU!