Travel Day One. Washington/Dulles International to Dubai Airport. Rebecca and I leave today to join and lead a
team of ten "shalomers" (five Ugandans, four Americans, and one Malawian) on a 21-day
mission in Uganda to raise hope and deepen community development projects in
Jinja, Mbale and Hoima areas.
Every year since 2005 I’ve organized and led a service trip and mission to
Malawi or Uganda, either for CitiHope International or WorldHope Corps. This year’s international Mission is focused on Asset Based Community Development (ABCD)
as taught by Communities of Shalom, based at Drew University, as well as on several WorldHope
Corps sponsored projects.
Our team will
conduct the seventh and final session of ShalomTraining
for 300 organized coffee farmers ready to step up from subsistence to sustainable
livelihoods, and lead and participate in two support and empowerment
conferences: one for youth at-risk for HIV/AIDS; and the other for women desiring
greater economic independence and education.
We’ll also implement a water purification and community health project
in a community lacking clean, safe, potable, drinking water.
I’ll try to post a picture or two each day and provide an update on FB. I also invite your continued prayers and support for our mission at
hand. Here’s the link to my Worldhope
Corps travel blog:
Feel free to pass it
along to those who may be interested in our ongoing work in Uganda.