Headed to Uganda

It is with great excitement that I can announce that I will be headed to Uganda in Africa in January. The HEAL Ministries board has commissioned me to Uganda from January 10th to August 2nd to research and assess the needs that we feel God is leading us toward.

Please come along the journey with us through this blog. And if you feel led to actually visit, we'd love to have you! Visit our website for mission trip opportunities in 2012 at www.heal-ministries.org.

These pictures give you a glimpse into our hearts.

blessings!

Tina Weir

Director of Missions

Reflections from the field............

God has used Uganda to change the hearts of HEAL teams. We sent a team of 12 in January and a team of 8 in July. Both teams had heart changes and passions created for orphans and widows in their distress.

Meredith Manning from Harpeth Hall writes about her January experience: "Our team's trip to Uganda with HEAL MINISTRIES is one I will never forget. Tina is an inspirer, and all of our mission work was enhanced her her love and years of investment in her passion for orphans and widows. My time in Jinja, Uganda was a trip that truly changed my heart and instilled that passion in me too. I am so thankful for the opportunity and incredible experience HEAL Ministries has brought me!"

Meagan Rae Mitchell reflects on her recent July trip:

" I came to Uganda with HEAL Ministries in search of something I couldn't put my finger on. It wasn't clear or obvious at all but I knew the answer lurked somewhere deep inside the winding red roads and foreign territory of this faraway place and I was determined to set out to find it. Only a few days into this journey I realized that the answer I was looking for was a place in this world. It has become very evident to me that God is amazing at putting every single person in the right place at the exact moment they are supposed to be there. I had a thought that shook me and was dumbfounded that I hadn't thought of it before. Imagine God sitting on His mighty throne, watching each and every soul that He has created, knowing our life's story, knowing what comes next. I pictured him seeing, watching the need in a place like Uganda, a village like Jinja, noticing the poverty and hunger need. But He does not fear, no, He is not shaken, for our God sits with the book of life and whispers to the people, "Do not be afraid, just hold on a few more days, for soon I will send you someone to answer your prayers." He knew Katie Davis' plan and chapter down to every period and question mark there was. He knew that's what He made her for, to serve others, to serve Him. Now she's made this place her home, made her job serving others and feeds hundreds on a weekly basis. She is one small mark on God's canvas probably entitled 'The Big Picture'. Because if we do step back and look at the big picture, we are all put on this earth for a reason, we have a calling, we have a purpose, and He knows exactly when and where the details of our life will blend together to make up our story. I came to Uganda feeling lost and now that I am finding myself, I am finding that God is in charge of my soul. I am okay with knowing that if God knows my place in the world, then I will reach that destination as my story unfolds."

So don't get tired of doing what is good, do not get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time.
Galations 6:9

"Its one thing to have faith, and another matter entirely to act on your faith."

Last day of LOVE with the children of God!

We have all heard the saying "love is all around" but we our team has lived this saying the last 3 -1-2 weeks. There has truly been love everywhere we have been. We visited several ministries that we have worked with the last two days here: Amani Baby Cottage, Serving His Children, Canaan Children's Home and Ekisa. We have grown to love deeply in a short time and that can only be from God. We love so deeply that it hurts to leave but are encouraged that we will see our friends again: even if it is not this side of Heaven for some, we will talk with all of them again. We look forward to the day that we can have conversations with the ones that cannot communicate. We have loved meeting the children of God everywhere.

One of my favorite quotes from Mother Teresa is: "I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can no no more hurt, only love."

We leave Uganda with only LOVE in our hearts. Love that comes from our heavenly Father. We have seen His love shine down on every ministry that we have partnered with and we have seen tremendous JOY everywhere. His JOY. We witnessed the miraculous change in a little boy yesterday at Serving His Children: he could not walk because of pain 10 days ago and yesterday he was smiling and laughing. There are many stories like Emma's. He is being shown God's love and is healing. We were able to assists with Amani's rearranging and place beanie babies in every bed (because of a generous donor) and see the joy that the children felt when receiving them. We have witnessed love through the eyes of everyone we have worked with and met Jesus there.

We are going to post reflections and stories for those that care to read them in the next couple of days. For now, we leave Uganda remembering a favorite quote about love and we pray for all of our friends here always.

"What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like." Saint Augustine

1 John 3: 1 - "How great is the love the Father has has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"