2 weeks and counting!

I leave for Uganda in 2 WEEKS! I absolutely can't believe it. I feel like it was just about a week ago that Hannah and I decided to go to a informational meeting about internships announced in chapel. It didn't become real that I was actually going until about a month ago, even though I have been preparing for about 9 months. It was so amazing to go to Mark's office my last week of school and pick up my visa, malaria pills, and plane tickets. I feel like I have been talking about this internship for so long and it is finally here. I can't wait to see what God has in store.

So this is how it looks like things are going to go down: 

Mandy and I fly out of Atlanta on June 1 and go to Houston to meet up with Hannah, Jarron, Jake, and Tommy. Then we all fly together to Amsterdam, and on to Entebbe. Upon arrival in Kampala, we will be living with two missionary families on the same team. The boys will be living with Mark and Jamie Long, who are expecting their first child in September. Us girls will be living with Darla Bennett, a nurse who lives in the same duplex. For these first three weeks we will be getting involved with all of the ministries this team works with in and around Kampala. We will primarily be working with the youth, from babies up to teenagers. I am really excited about this part and I can't wait to connect with the young people of Kampala. After this we will begin traveling to some of the more rural villages in Jinja and Mbale located in eastern Uganda. I am thrilled to get to experience both urban and rural Uganda and look forward to connecting with the people and missionaries there as well. From there we will head toward Rwanda and make a pit stop in Mbarara on the 29th of June to meet Arinitwe Leya, who is the 7 year old little girl that I have sponsored through Compassion International for about a year now. This is one of the things I am most excited about. How many people get that kind of opportunity? I am very blessed. After that we will go to Rwanda to see all of the sites of the massive genocides. We get the opportunity to see the actual hotel from Hotel Rwanda, and though this is going to be extremely emotional, I know that it is something I need to see. We will do a survey trip while we are in Rwanda and see the incredible need for missionaries in that area. After that we will go back into Uganda and do some of the more touristy things like visiting a game park and rafting the Nile River. After we finish everything, we will fly out of Entebbe to Brussels, Belgium and then to Newark where we will part ways and I will come home to Atlanta on my birthday! July 10! My mom was very happy about that needless to say. 

I will be most likely updating my blog often and you can also follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/heidi_alise. I can't wait to share my experiences all along the way.

So there is the plan! I can't wait to begin this incredible adventure with God and I know He has lots of things to show me. He has already been so faithful in the preparation that I know He will continue to do so in the actual journey. How blessed I am to get to experience and show God's love in this way among the Ugandan people. Please continue to pray for safe travel and that God places people in our path that we can build relationships with and shower His love upon. Also pray for my family, friends, and boyfriend that they don't worry about me and that I don't get homesick missing them all too much. Though I get to be with my wonderful soulmate friend Hannah, I know I will be missing so many other important people in my life as well. 

I love you all and appreciate the prayers and support!

For His Glory, 

heidi alise

PS: i start taking my malaria medicine TOMORROW!