joy finding paradise

Christmas in Uganda

Joy Ames — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 10:33:18 +0000

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

I am so blessed to have amazing family and friends who helped raise $2,000 for the Christmas party here in Mityana, Uganda. Kids that attend and live near the Maranatha Mizigo Primary School were invited for the day and we had more than 300 kids show up!

Ah-MAZING!!

The day started out with singing and dancing.

A youth choir from a church in Kampala joined us.

The choir was amazing - singing carols including Feliz Navidad and then some other fun kid songs like Father Abraham - Mom, you would have loved it! They brought other kids up on stage to help lead the dancing routine and then the choir would follow their actions.

There were a few kids who were so tired...

Next up - LUNCH!

During lunch I sat down with two of the girls from the choir, Ruth and Martha. These sweet girls were so much fun and had plenty of questions about America.

You might have seen my post on Facebook where Ruth asked if America was just like the movies. I replied that no, most of the movies are not showing what really happens in the US. She then asked if kids sing and dance on the tables during lunch to which I answered, unfortunately not. She was completely bummed out and said, "But that's why I want to go to America!"

I also shared some hand sanitizer that my sister had sent over from Bath and Body Works after lunch. They loved the smell so much and had to take photos with the bottle so they could remember it!

The kids enjoyed playing on the playground and some games in the field behind the school after lunch - sack races, racing with an egg on a spoon.

My little buddy, Benjamin, of course had to take some photos of his own with my phone as well. Mostly selfies!

A Christmas cake to celebrate Jesus' birthday and those who had their birthday the day of the party helped cut the cake (yes, it was Martha's 18th birthday!!).

Then, the moment the kids had all been waiting for... GIFTS!

Cathy, one of the teachers at the school was so appreciative of the party and after she'd told me thank you a few times, I asked if she would let me video her telling all my friends and family thank you because they are the ones who made the party a reality!

Last, a few other special photos from the day...

Pastor Patrick, my Ugandan Dad Santa "Akim" Mary - she is attending university & working This little sweetie! Brevian Margaret - I simply ADORE her! Whitney's selfie

THANK YOU again for all your love, prayers and support you've given not only to me, but to all those I've seen while on this trip.

Only days left with my Ugandan family now before I head off on a tour of the country's national parks to see more of its beauty and amazing animals. Gorillas here I come!

“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

— Luke 2:14 NKJV

week in paradise

Joy Ames — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 21:04:39 +0000

Setting aside time to process everything I am seeing and experiencing seems so overwhelming at times – thus the week in paradise is actually for two weeks because I’m behind.

Every week comes with new places explored, new faces I’ve met and a deeper appreciation for Uganda and all it has to offer.

The quick-and-dirty:

While Randy was meeting with one of the pastor partners, Jeff and I had time to go and see the “Source of the Nile”! We took a 30-minute boat ride to where the Nile River begins and Lake Victoria ends. It’s here in 1862, John Hanning Speke discovered the source of where the river begins and you can still see today where it is bubbling up from below the surface! The water levels have changed over the many years and at one point before the main bridge to Jinja was built, you could easily walk across land where the river started but now that land is small islands in the middle of the river.

"The Rest of the World" Marker just above where we got in the boat The story behind finding the source Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting was held in Kampala in 2007 - this is memorial of that event; even the Queen of Edinburgh attended Gandi had visited Uganda and the Nile River and fell in love, asking to have some of his ashes spread at the source The "painted" island All the birds that "paint" the small island where this tree grows While I loved the color of these boats, I was relieved we weren't taking one for the tour Fisherman catching some Nile Perch Old houses/stores that were once on dry land The beauty here is incredible Boat ride with Jeff Hanging out at the Source! Water bubbling up where the lake and river meet

Stopped to see the set up for collecting grasshoppers as they are now in season until the end of December. These barrels and sheets of corrugated metal with a bright light at the top attract the grasshoppers early in the morning where they are blinded and fall to the barrel where they are trapped. From there they are sold to either be boiled or deep fried and are considered quite the delicacy. As you saw in my last post, I’m not a fan but I did try one!

Spent time at the Emmanuel Home and farm area while Randy was visiting. James the farmer who was taught farming through an organization called Farming God’s Way is such a gentle man who truly loves to share his passion of farming with anyone wanting to learn. We harvested some of the maize and had it roasted by the mommas while we were there.

James sharing his passion for farming with Randy Even with only 2 days of rain since planting, James has maize ready to harvest Corn Selfie Freshly picked Momma helping prep the maize for roasting One of the mommas roasting the corn Maize a-roasting! Finished and Yummy! Randy & James enjoying the roasted corn that was picked an hour prior Loved this mud hut on the farm property - likely used as a "kitchen"

Randy and I stepped into a few of the classrooms at Emmanuel School and were able to greet the kids and teachers. The teach all subjects in English except for when they are teaching the local language.

Enjoyed a chicken burrito and strawberry lemonade while in Jinja – it wasn’t what I had hoped.

Got to take in another football match with Jeff, Margaret and Randy. The Ugandan Cranes beat the Congo Red Devils in this 2018 World Cup Qualifier match.

Enjoyed a gorgeous morning greeting the kids at school while God painted the sky with watercolors!

Met a horticulturist who was able to share information about growing passion fruit with Patrick, Fred and Solomon – his backyard garden was immaculate!

Visited a school started by Dr. Emma Naluyima and her husband David – they leverage a 1-acre farm to teach the kids farming skills and leave NOTHING to waste; David showed us around the farm. It was so fun to see the gears start moving in Patrick’s head as we learned from David.

Dr. Emma is listed as one of the top farmers in Uganda and has the nickname “Momma Pig” because of her business breeding and selling pigs. She was in New York when we visited; she is a part of the documentary Food Evolution that was just released a week ago. I’m eager to see the film as they discuss GMO, how it’s viewed and if it’s a good thing.

David, Dr. Emma's husband, showing us the banana plantation Fish farming Appropriate sign for Momma Pig Growing grass for the kids to feed their rabbits

Made juice with Peter – oranges, tangerines, passion fruit, mango, papaya and LOTS of sugar; I was really surprised by how much sugar they use considering the sweetness of the fruit.

Sweating it out with Hellen and Olive at aerobics!

My second time for dinner at the pork joint! While I don’t eat much meat and try to stick to chicken, this place is amazing!

Toured a friend’s farm who has 3.7 acres started in 2004; they now have 274 mango plants with 15 different varieties – who knew there were that many different types of mangos! I also tried an apple-guava and an ortanique. The apple-guava color was like a green apple. After looking up apple guava, the photos I found online are not the same as what I tried. An ortanique is a mix between an orange and a tangerine and very unique – Thus OrTanIQUE. It originates from Jamaica and according to folklore, it was developed with the help of a pair of lovebirds – one living in an orange tree and the other in a tangerine tree.

The farm also had pigs, chickens, cows, fish farm, New Zealand white rabbits, rosemary, grapes, strawberries, chili peppers, lettuce, carrots and onions along with a huge greenhouse area where they grow seedlings to sell as small starter trees – primarily mango trees.

The neighbors were growing coffee trees and even the production of how they plant and then sell the starter trees was impressive to see.

Saw the farm land (50 acres) that was purchased for growing food for the school – pineapple, papaya, banana/matoke, pumpkin, aloe vera and more; Fred is often the one tending to the farm and uses a boda (motorcycle) to drive to the farm which is ~11 km from the house.

Visited the future retirement home location for Patrick and Eva – although Eva tells Patrick that it’s his retirement as she’s not ready for it any time soon.

There was a HUGE jackfruit on the tree on the property – they have 10 acres.

Patrick had planted passion fruit on the property and while it wasn’t growing as much as he’d hoped, it was producing fruit.

Introduction for Grace – a cousin of Jeff – I was only able to stay for about an hour as I had to leave for Kampala with Olive.

Explored Speke Resort – one of the nicest hotels in Uganda; it had beautiful gardens, a great pool, stables of horses, close to a marina and lakefront views and boardwalk.

Stopped for ice cream from KFC on the way to the beach at Imperial Resort Beach. Once at the beach, the boys played volleyball and we all had a fish lunch… or I should say they had fish. I can’t do it with the eyes/head on the plate!

week in paradise

Joy Ames — Tue, 08 Nov 2016 07:54:34 +0000

It’s that time again – weekly highpoints! I did preview a few activities on Facebook so some of these will be a repeat.

As a quick side note, I’m extremely grateful for technology! Sunday night after a long weekend of festivities I was able to call and talk to my niece and my brother! Between the two of them I spent two hours on the phone! Thank you T-Mobile for having network connections in so many countries to provide data and text messaging. Thank you Google Voice and Hangouts for providing the ability to stay connected to family and friends so easily through data connections!

Watched the Chicago Cubs win the World Series via Facetime with my sister My sweet gift from Peter, one of my dear friends here who helps at the house and is always willing to help me with anything! A walk around the “block” and enjoyed these gems A walk around the “block” and enjoyed these gems A walk around the “block” and enjoyed these gems A walk around the “block” and enjoyed these gems A walk around the “block” and enjoyed these gems Greeting the kids at Maranatha Mizigo Primary school in the morning Working on the sustainability planning for Maranatha Integrated Schools Project – lots of data entry A visit to one of the best pork joints around – I’m not a big meat eater but this place was ah-mazing A visit to one of the best pork joints around – I’m not a big meat eater but this place was ah-mazing A visit to one of the best pork joints around – I’m not a big meat eater but this place was ah-mazing Shopping at the Market with Hellen and Julie Hellen trying on a skirt Market skirts all piled up to dig through I packed only long skirts but it’s been so hot! I picked up 4 skirts and two dresses for ~$12.

Got a “pedicure” with Mum/Eva – not the typical pedicure we have in the US but my toes are freshly painted!

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Pedicure nail polish I also went to have my hair done on Saturday morning for the Introduction party.

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Hair stylin'

Got a “pedicure” with Mum/Eva – not the typical pedicure we have in the US but my toes are freshly painted!

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Pretty Toes

My Ugandan sister, Hellen’s son named Jason turned four and we celebrated his birthday at school with soda, cake, candles (aka torches!) and these tiny cream & biscuit cups with an even tinier spoon. It was also Fortunate’s 7th birthday this week as well so they were both sung to and had birthday crowns.

Trying new foods is one of greatest joys of travel and here in Uganda I’ve tried MANY new things – Jack Fruit and Grasshoppers are two that I thought I'd share this week. I actually really like Jack Fruit but it is a texture that some might not enjoy. It’s almost like a green pepper feel – soft and squishy but also a little rubbery but the taste is very sweet.

Jack fruit tree Cut jack fruit

It’s now grasshopper season here in Mityana and at night when you drive through down you’ll see all the bright lights shinning to attract them. I’ll try and get a photo of their “traps”. Randy from True Impact Ministries is visiting and he and Jeff bought some to try. I had Randy video my experience.

Wearing my new gomesi dress for two events this past weekend!

I attended an Introduction party on Saturday for Eva’s niece Edith. An introduction is where the groom is formally introduced to the bride’s family and also when he pays the dowry to her family/parents. Eva was what we’d call the host back home – the one who was to announce the groom. We arrived at the house around noon, the party started about 2pm and we didn’t get home until around 9pm. It was an amazing experience – so many gifts from the groom’s family, the bride to be changing multiple times and wearing four different dresses during the evening. I sat with Charles who is an “uncle” to Edith. I’m not sure of the blood relation but he was part of the group of men who were introduce to the groom’s family as uncles. He works on Patrick’s farm and is also a veterinarian. He was a great date, letting me know what was happening during the event, having with a photo session and encouraging me to love on the kids at the wedding who were excited to see a Mzungu.

On Sunday, at the Harvest for Christ Church in Kampala, they had a Cultural Event and I wore my gomesi dress again there. They had music, dancing and cultural dress all part of the event and I loved it all! I was also invited to be a part of the fashion show portion of the event but I didn’t get a photo of me on stage.

Between church and the cultural event on Sunday, Jeff, Margaret, Randy, Joan (one of Randy’s daughters/sponsored child) and I were able to tour the Parliament building for the Kingdom of Buganda. The building was completed in 1958 but the history of the kingdom goes back hundreds of years. It was only in 1962 when the Republic of Uganda became a country that a president was introduced for the whole country which is made up of many kingdoms/regions. The Buganda kingdom is the largest and oldest of the country and the people of Buganda adore their king.

Constructed as a straight road to the palace about 1 mile long.

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week in paradise

Joy Ames — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 09:38:31 +0000

Another week has come and gone! I am feeling more in the groove of things and not so nervous about my time here and time away from family and friends. Don’t get me wrong – I still miss all of you terribly!

Blogging about everything little things seems overwhelming but yet at the same time important to share. For today’s post, it’s just highlights again but the goal is to have a few more this week, and in the weeks to come, with details about specific events, places and people – both here in Uganda and experiences from Ethiopia. My goal will be to post the "week in paradise" each week (duh!) with snapshots and comments from the previous days... Fingers crossed that it happens weekly!

So… the short (but actually long) list of what went down:

Two without photos:

Seeing one of the Maranatha schools, Nkona, and getting (having) to drive there and back – opposite side of the road plus in the rain on the way home
Learning how to do my laundry by hand – my Ugandan sister, Noreen, was a fabulous teacher

Visiting and seeing the Hoffman House – more to come on True Impact partner locations

Michelle Hoffman and her 8-year old daughter Julia went home to be with the Lord as a result of a tragic car accident August 17, 2012. Although their young lives ended much too quickly for us, the quality of their short lives is a testimony to their great love for God and people.

Checking out Emmanuel Children's Education Center

This is the building that the True Impact team helped build in June 2016. Since then, the financial support from TIM continues as others here build out the roof and finish up the building for additional classrooms.

Picking up fresh tilapia at a small fishing village on the lake

Purchasing fabric with Helen for my Gomesi dress – traditional Ugandan cultural dress

Making juice with Peter and Eva almost all with fruit from the yard – mango, papaya, passion fruit plus oranges and tangerines

Seeing the crops growing next to Immanuel Home and learning from James (who farms the land) how it works, what his needs are and how he’s teaching the kids

Enjoyed a relaxing Saturday in Kampala at the Kenlon Hotel after all the driving the previous two days

Lunch with the family by Lake Victoria

Language lesson with Willy (shown here) and Peter

Helping Willy clean out the pig stalls (photo prior to cleaning) – Tami, you’d be so proud

Experiencing a Ugandan club football (soccer) match – more to come on this experience

Meeting Timothy, Patrick & Eva’s youngest, at his university for art and seeing his final project – a large sculpture portraying alcoholism

Experiencing a night of worship at Harvest for Christ Church in Kampala – arrived at 8pm and left at 12:30am with it still going

Home visits with kids and families for potential sponsorship through True Impact – wow, this was amazing and I’ll be sharing more

coffee bee

Joy Ames — Sun, 23 Oct 2016 18:20:51 +0000

penned by Rachel of Electrica

a caramel cloud, a puff pillow top

today, a short Ethiopian treat

the curious bee

the drink, smooth and sweet

closer, a nose-dive, in!

a stir, a swirl, a swim

and i could drink

(rest) in peace

I honestly thought I was going to get stung by this bee as he wouldn't quite pestering me. I finally got up out of my chair and walked away as he continued to buzz around by my chair and ultimately into my macchiato. I spooned him out and decided I couldn't waste this perfect drink!

bampita sanyu

Joy Ames — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 07:13:17 +0000

“Bampita Sanyu” is what I say in Luganda (the language for this region of Uganda) when I introduce myself - meaning My name is Joy.

Sanyu means Joy. I was introduced at Golgotha Missions Church on Sunday and Pastor Patrick provided that translation which I’m now called almost 100% of the time. It’s been really fun to have the family here and kids at the school call out my name – Sanyu! Sanyu!

I am just about a week into my time here in Uganda and while I said I had no expectations before leaving, four days in I was really missing home. Being all alone, in a foreign place with a language I don’t understand and a completely different way of life was not what I expected! That being said, I got through the next day and really enjoyed the time I had! I just need to remember to “be still” and realize that God is using me just as I am and blessing those around me even though I might not see it.

“Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.
Psalm 46:10 NLT”

Highlights from the past week:

Amazing views of the land during my flight

Another look at Uganda from the air

Seeing Lake Victoria while landing

Hearing Pastor Patrick share stories of his life on the way to Kampala

Enjoying a Ugandan wedding reception

Watching the boys play soccer

Learning more about the needs and goals of the Maranatha Schools – including plans to renovate this chicken house into classrooms

Adjusting to eating “African food” as they call it even though I’m told the food is different in the various regions of Uganda itself

Watching Pastor Patrick enjoy welcoming the kids to school with hugs, telling them they are good boys and girls and that he loves them

kid photographer

Joy Ames — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 09:15:29 +0000

As I’d posted on Instagram a while back, some of my best photos are those taken by little photographers... the little guy on my left ended up taking my phone on Saturday afternoon while we were outside playing and snapped some great shots.

Photo session with the kids at Impact

In planning for our time in Ethiopia, we knew we wanted to see and spend time with the kids sponsored for school by Impact Church. This is the church of Pastor Eyob and Addy – where we’ve visited each time in Addis. The church covers the cost for school, supplies and weekly tutoring for 20 kids in Addis and 8 kids in Gambela (a town south of Addis).

Due to the political unrest in Ethiopia, the start of school was delayed until just this past Monday so seeing the kids on Saturday was a great way to provide them with school supplies and a new backpack (thanks to Sports Authority - circa 2013). In addition to the new bag, each child received notebooks, pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners and erasers. (Note for future trips, purchase notebooks here in Addis vs. back home as they prefer having a smaller sized book that is common for all students.) Each child picked a folded up piece of paper with a number on it that gave the order of how the backpacks would be chosen. Eyob and I laid the bags out on the floor and the kids then took turns selecting which one they wanted. This was a great way to do it and even though some of the bags were bigger than the kiddo, they were all so excited for the newness. Another learning in this process is that there really isn’t a "girl" or "boy" backpack – they liked all colors and are just happy to have a bag.

Sorting school supplies
Pile of backpacks
Backpack selection
Which one should I pick...
Kids with their backpacks

We played "Pictionary" for a short while...

The kids then shared their names, age and grade...

Last, time outside to play foosball, soccer and just run around...

pray for Ethiopia

Joy Ames — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 06:33:05 +0000

When planning this trip abroad, my original plan was to stay in Ethiopia for four weeks. The first two would be in Addis with Rachel and the following two weeks, I’d meet up with a group of individuals supporting Touching Africa Ministries (TAM). TAM is an organization led by Michael Elliot. Michael has led trips to Ethiopia for more than ten years and I was eager to join the group and see more of Ethiopia outside of the capital… that was until the trip was cancelled.

If you happen to watch BBC or follow the news for Africa, you might have seen that Ethiopia is experiencing protests against the government from two of the largest ethnic groups. Since mid-August, the US Embassy has discouraged Americans from traveling to Ethiopia, specifically to areas outside of Addis. After having discussions with partners in Ethiopia, TAM decided it would not be worth the risk to travel in Ethiopia and the trip was postponed until next year. While I can appreciate that safety is a primary concern, I will admit that I was disappointed that the trip wouldn’t happen at this time. Knowing about the increased hostility, Rachel and I also reached out to our friends in Ethiopia to see if we should also consider a visit at a later time. No one could guarantee safety here in Addis, but thought we’d be okay to still make the trip.

Fast forward to this past Sunday and another protest led to government retaliation and death. This time the protest happened less than 30 miles away from Addis. News coverage on a global level reports 52 dead but when you look at Ethiopian news they are saying hundreds dead. Even though the numbers vary greatly, the loss of life is what is to be mourned.

Tuesday, more protests and news that it was in Addis this time. While I’ve since read reports saying it was again outside of Addis, there was an American killed. Sharon Gray, a fellow at University of California-Davis postdoctoral researcher, was hit in the head when the van she was in came under attack. That night, Rachel and I reached out to our friends to determine how much activity we should have in the next few days, ultimately deciding the areas we’d be in were safe enough but to be aware of our surroundings.

Ethiopians in general are calm, kind-hearted people. There is little crime in the country and while there are problems, I have previously always felt safe and comfortable here.

Faith over Fear

I am praying for peace, healing for those hurt and that God’s presence would be felt by all and that His spirit would move in a mighty way.

I am choosing to NOT live in fear. Fear can be crippling. Fear is not love.

I AM CHOOSING LOVE.

I am choosing to still go out and love where ever I can.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot[a] love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. – 1 John 4:18-21 ESV

hello from Ethiopia!

Joy Ames — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 20:51:45 +0000

Rachel and I made it safely to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia yesterday and have had a fabulous day with friends! A quick recap of the past 50 hours:

Departed from DIA to LAX and had to say good-bye to my sweet sister who has been one of my biggest supporters in life
Saw the beautiful trees and their changing colors while flying over the Rocky Mountains
Delayed flight out of DIA meant our connection in LA was TIGHT! The gate agents had called Rachel and me both but neither of us heard our phones while going through security again, but by the grace of God we got on board even though they'd already printed the boarding list!
Flight to Dublin and then Addis were uneventful and actually enjoyable on the new 787 Dreamliner in an exit row none the less - Hello leg room!
Breezed through getting our Visas and customs
Checked into GT Guest House
Coffee at Kaldi's with friends
Lunch at Antica with Addy and her dear friend (drinking Ambo!)
Purchased the remaining school supplies!
Afternoon nap
Dinner at Santorini's Greek Restaurant to celebrate Rachel's birthday!!

Happy Birthday Rachel!! I couldn't ask for a better friend and travel buddy! Most of you probably don't know, but Ethiopia is on a completely different calendar that most of the world. It's actually 2009 here which means Rachel did not turn another year older but actually lost 7 years by coming here! Also - Rachel has her own site <Electrica> with a blog going as well. Check it out and follow along with her!

where are you going and for how long?

Joy Ames — Tue, 13 Sep 2016 04:30:17 +0000

As soon as I posted on Facebook that I'd booked a one-way ticket to Ethiopia I was flooded with questions - questions that did not have thoughtful responses yet.

Where are are you going?

How long will you be gone?

What are you doing?

I should have known better, but alas, I'm ready to share!

keeping it short & to the point

September 28 - Leave for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with Rachel
- Time will be spent with our friends we've made on our prior trips (2011 and 2013)
- Supporting Impact Ethiopia church and their ministries, specifically the kids they sponsor
October 14 - Fly to Uganda
- I'll split my time in three locations at orphanages supported by True Impact Ministries
End of December - Head to Cape Town, South Africa
- Enjoy the beach, relax and explore
Mid-January 2017 - Fly to Cambodia
- The plan is to support Child Rescue, Inc. and be a part of the orphanage and schools they have built
March 2017 - Travel through Thailand, Vietnam and Bali
- No specific plans but looking forward to seeing as much as I can

want to know more?

If you are interested in reading more about the organizations I'll be working alongside, you can read more about what they do on my Support page. Details are also included for how to support these organizations and my hopes to help come alongside them to do more.

trip aspirations

Empower Local People – doing things with them v. for them; help identify and build opportunities for long-term sustainability
Don’t Mess Stuff Up – understand and learn how things work in the lives of the individuals I meet
Be a Grace-filled Individual, Humble & Kind

where in the world??

Joy Ames — Mon, 12 Sep 2016 04:28:38 +0000

Wonder where I am or where I'm headed? Check out my map and look for the red pin for my current location. Other green pins are where I'll be headed next. Click on any of the pins to read more about who I plan to meet and/or support in each location.

where is joy

skin in the game

Joy Ames — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 14:54:56 +0000

Asking for help and support is not something that comes easy for me, especially when asking for money. I hadn't planned on doing so, but friends have been asking how they can give financially. One friend mentioned they felt like they were more invested in supporting me, both in prayer and keeping up with the trip when they have also supported financially - aka having skin in the game.

I have two non-profit organizations that I will be working with while abroad - in Uganda and Cambodia. Additionally, I'm asking for support more immediately for the church we partner with in Ethiopia. Unfortunately there is not a non-profit established for giving to the needs in Ethiopia, so any gifts given for that purpose will not be tax deductible.

Please read more on my SUPPORT page about each area and how you can help. From there, feel free to donate as you feel led. All three options will provide support directly to the people I visit and are not funds for my flights, accommodations, food, etc.

Learn More