Chapter 1: The Story Begins...

"See that at no time I forget your presence. I don't ask you to bless what I have decided to do, but give me the grace to discover and to live what you have dreamed for me." - Michel Quoist

Five years ago, the story of my life took an interesting turn: I discovered that Africa holds a piece of my heart. When I boarded a plane for South Africa in 2006, little did I know that some of my greatest joys would be waiting for me on the other side of the Atlantic. I have prayed for the past five years to return and use my counseling skills and background. During this time, I learned that God gives us amazing desires and dreams, and then asks us to trust that He will fulfill those in His time, for His purposes. This isn't just about my story; it's about the invitation to play a part in God's story.

And God is faithful, because He has invited me to go back to Africa and play a part in the work He is doing in Uganda. Over the past three decades, this country has been war-torn because of a terrorist group called the Lord's Resistance Army (you may be familiar with this tragic situation from the documentary Invisible Children). Communities have been destroyed; families were killed and countless orphans and widows were left with nowhere to go and no one to go to. Beginning in 2005, Children of the Nations (COTN) established a ministry in Uganda with the hopes of rebuilding and restoring the lives of Ugandan families. My home church, Flood Church, has partnered with COTN for the past four years and was recently asked to bring a team to Uganda to facilitate a marriage and family conference.

So, on August 6, 2011, I have the opportunity to board that plane again! I was asked to co-lead a team of fifteen whose purpose is to spend a little over two weeks in Lira, Uganda, strengthening marriages and families through:

a) Organizing and running a conference for married and engaged couples, and single mothers,

b) Equipping local counselors to better respond to family issues,

c) Training local leaders to lead future conferences, and

d) Offer therapy to couples, single parents and children.

But this isn't just my story or God's story; it's about our story. Even though my team may be the ones physically traveling to Uganda, I believe that God has a greater invitation to all of us in the work He is doing in this country. With humility and sincerity, I would ask you to consider the way in which God is inviting you to play a part in this work. You can see the different options in the "Join the Journey" section on the right.

Thank you for taking the time to consider how you can partner with me on this journey. My prayer is that God would unite us together to be a part of the work He is doing in Uganda...for that will be a story worth sharing.

Much love,

Alair