Helms Happenings-Uganda Edition (Hilary Style)

 

Friends and Fam, 

I would like to first start off by saying thank you to each of you who have been faithfully following the story God is writing in our lives over the past two years! What a crazy amazing journey it has been so far! So many of your faces come to mind when I reflect on all the people that God has used to accomplish His work in our lives! Funny how almost two years ago we were certain that saying yes to adoption was the biggest leap of faith ever... little did we know the snowball affect it would have on our souls! God knew. I love that! Truly our journey to Isa is far bigger then we could have ever imagined! I love how one cautious, and even skeptical "YES" to God's call, has left us begging for more of His will in our lives! We are confident that God is equipping us, and growing us, and stretching us, for MORE! An upcoming trip to Uganda for me in February is just one more piece to this God-sized puzzle.

Joshua’s trip to Uganda back in July only confirmed the nudge we felt God was giving us to “GO” to Africa. He came home a changed man. He came home with a deeper passion for the people of Africa. He came home insistent that I go on this next trip! That being said, the business of every day life quickly seeped in after his return. It left me second-guessing whether or not I should go on this upcoming trip in February. Concerns that we would be too close to our referral for Isa have been wiped away with the slow down of movement on our wait list. Worries that we wouldn’t figure out the logistics of childcare for Jude with me gone have also been wiped away and are no longer an issue thanks to family willing to offer help. My other hesitations fears regarding the trip have been given a new perspective as God gently has reminded me that none of my fears are too big for Him to handle! He has cleared what I thought would be obvious roadblocks and paved a way for me to join this team! I have this unique window of opportunity before we bring Isa home to GO and experience for myself what Joshua was adamant I see with my own eyes, and hear with my own ears, and feel with my own heart. This is just another equipping opportunity for our family and the plans God has for us! I trust that God knew all along that I needed to be on this trip.

So, here is the gist of the trip…

I will be joining Preston Trail Community Church this February on their third trip to Uganda! While there, we will be visiting imprisoned children at remain centers (with Sixty Feet), hosting a conference and training Ugandan pastors and their wives (with HesedInternational), and we'll have the opportunity to love on some orphans at a couple local orphanages.

If you would like to know more about these incredible ministries we’ll be working with, check out their websites:

http://sixtyfeet.org/ (Near and dear to my heart!)

http://www.hesedinternational.org/ 

Here is how you how you can be part of the trip! (o;

First and foremost… PLEASE PRAY! Pray for our entire PTCC team, the ministries we’ll be working with, and safety over the entire trip! 

Second, prayerfully consider financially supporting me. (Yes, I know in the past year we have fundraised a mere $28k for our adoption and then $3,300 for Joshua’s trip, and now we’re tackling another $3050 in order for me to go! Uh hum, have I mentioned that Joshua is taking a group of graduated seniors to Ethiopia this summer?!... More on that later, wink wink! Trust me, I know this seems nuts! This is one of the fears/hesitations I talked about earlier, that God is assuring me He is big enough to handle!  He has always been faithful to fund His callings!)

We’ve each been asked to raise $3,050 total for the two-week trip (February 20th-March 2nd).

All donations are tax-deductible and can be made out to Preston Trail Community Church. Feel free to put my name on a sticky note and attach to the check, but please do NOT put my name in the memo for legal purposes. Please mail donations to our home at 8205 Sonnet Dr. McKinney, TX 75071, and we'll personally hand them over to the gal in charge. You can also give online through THIS LINK our church has set up. There is a section where you can "Choose the team member you are supporting" and my name is listed in that drop down section. Let me know if you have any questions! 

Here are our support raising goals/deadlines:

$200 God already provided! Wahoo!

Raise $1500 by 12/15

Raise $2200 by 1/15

Raise $2800 by 2/15

Balance of $3050 by 3/15

I am looking forward to how God will change the lives of those in Africa, our team and you as a supporter! Have I mentioned how grateful we are?!?! Seriously, THANK YOU for your support and prayers!

Much love, 

Hilary Helms