AN OUTSIDERS' EXPERIENCE & PERSPECTIVE

I sit here writing this very first blog post from The Hub just outside of Kampala after completing the redesign for Connect Africa Ministries. God has done a great work in my life and led me here for about two months of service, ministry and volunteer photography work.

At the begninng of 2014, I felt the Lord calling me to be a generous and giving person. So I began to pray about where to give. Where do you start with so many amazing non-profits and ministries in the world? So I began in prayer asking for God to give me direction in where to give. I am a wedding photographer in Dallas, Texas, and I attended a wedding photographer conference called WPPI in Las Vegas. I had heard about Thirst Relief International through some of their promotions in our industry, but in Vegas I was able to visit with two of the staff members about their work around the world. I felt burdened by the lack of clean water in the world and chose to partner with them.

Several months later, I heard a sermon about the gifts of singleness. I am recently single (after being married for about 8 years) and I hadn't yet considered singleness a gift. So I began to pray for God to show me how to use my gift of time, money, and talents for His glory and His Kingdom. I felt called to take 2-3 months off of work from my photography business to offer my gifts of photography and my heart for serving to a ministry. After contacting several organizations, things just panned out easily with partnering again with Thirst Relief International and they connected me with Trevor Tychon in Uganda with Connect Africa Ministries. My friends encouraged me to do fundraising to get my community involved. I made t-shirts, mailed letters for donations, offered mini-portrait sessions to raise funds and within 30 days, God had provided everything I needed for my trip and more. I was able to raise funds for a community rain water harvest tank as well! So just a few months later, I finally boarded my plane to come here and it's been an amazing opportunity to see the inner-workings of this beautiful ministry.

When I first spoke on the phone with Trevor, I really appreciated his heart and his goals for ministry in being a reconcilor in this area: to reconcile people to God, people to each other and people to the land. I believe whole-heartedly that Christ has made us to be reconcilers in the world (2 Corinthians 5:11-21). And I can testify that He, his family and team are all working dilligently and whole-heartedly towards this God-given vision.

I just want to invite you to explore this new website and see all of the ways Connect Africa Ministries is working in the world for The Kingdom. And please consider partnering with Connect Africa directly: you can give a one-time gift or sign up for monthly giving to support this NGO.