Ethiopia update– bags and long johns! November 2, 2009

Well, the baggage drama didn’t end in the US, unfortunately. However, the medicines were finally released recently, and the team is back on track!

News from our in-country partners:

“Things are going really well for them. Even without getting the meds from the airport until today, they were able to do two clinics this weekend. They did one at an organization called Hope For Children, which works with streetkids and orphaned and vulnerable children, and one yesterday at Strong Hearts, a new organization set up in a leprosy community where absolute poverty and despair are the norm. Both of those organizations are EXTREMELY grateful and would love to keep in touch with you guys. Just a few weeks ago, the local staff of Strong Hearts had been praying for a medical team to come out to help their kids, and the next day they received the email about Doma. God knew what was up, clearly.

They are a day “behind,” but have the meds and are doing really well being flexible and rolling with some plan changes. They’ll drive south to Arba Minch tomorrow, which is about 10 hours, but is functional, and then do three days of clinics in some villages. They’re all ready to go with their fleece and long johns, which they’ll appreciate on the mountains.

They’ll give you the stories, but I did really want to emphasize how grateful everyone is that they’re here. It was a rush to organize things, but it’s so clear that God’s been working things out for quite awhile to make this happen. Glad I could partner with you guys on this one!”

Thanks to the team’s friends, family, and doma supporters for making this trip happen! Can’t wait to hear of the specific stories of the people they are interacting with! I get chills just thinking about it!

Ethiopia team off! Team up! October 30, 2009

After a brief encounter with airport police paging Amber over the loudspeaker, the team was off to Ethiopia! (Some of the medicine was in ’suspicious’ packaging’– which warranted a ’show me your papers’ incident… haha).

I’ll be sure to keep you posted whenever I hear from Amber. As part of their itinerary, they would be walking several (cold) miles up a mountain (with heavy medical equipment and medicine) to reach a small village… So I’m not sure how much access they’ll have to internet or texting. Want to be involved, but don’t necessarily want to walk up a mountain while jet-lagging? Read on…

Doma is officially beginning registration for our “Team Up 4 Orphans” walking/running team fundraiser. Going into the holidays is a great time to sign up for Doma’s official running team. It helps to keep the focus off of the over-indulgences that permeate our November and December– and gives us a reason to think about orphaned children as we train every day! Team Up’s team coach, Lisa Rainsberger (Weidenbach), is the champion of marathons worldwide (including the Boston marathon– and even one in Japan!)– and can be your personal running/walking coach starting today! Visit teamup4orphans.org to read about the event and our coach– and to register! All money raised will go toward programs (food, clothing, bible studies, maternal care, etc.) for the children that Doma serves. Some proceeds can even go toward YOUR future international trip with Doma. Contact our Team Up Director to find out more: Jennifer@teamup4orphans.org.

I hope to see you all at the Capital City half marathon in May!

Pray for our Ethiopia team today! The last medical trip served hundreds and hundreds of orphaned children, and laid the foundation for critical long term relationships with them. Peace to You!

We’re Home! October 22, 2009

Well, we’ve been home for 1.5 weeks, and I’m still getting up before dawn every morning.  This is the FIRST night that Sadie actually slept like she did pre-departure.  Part of it could be jet lag, part of it could be getting used to our new home.  (Yes, we spent the first week home packing up our apartment and moving boxes).  For those of you not in the loop– we moved from Colorado without selling our CO or Virginia homes- and voluntarily put most of our ’stuff’ in basement storage.  Now we are finally getting settled into our permanent home here in Columbus.  We left for Ukraine unsure whether closing was going to happen- and came home to find that 1) We did indeed have a new house as of Oct. 11th and 2) the apartment we were renting was re-rented out to someone else starting Nov. 1.    Oh- and did I mention the impeccable timing of our lease:purchase offer on our Colorado home starting Oct. 9th? (Our Virginia home sold in June..)

I’ve spent this last week reflecting on the God-appointments that happened while we were there- and am ridiculously amazed by what was accomplished in the 9 short days we were there!  We visited 12 infant homes, baby hospitals, HIV and school-age orphanages.  12!

Of those places, it is very obvious where doma will be able to support visions the director already has for the orphanage.  Other placed, the relationship will be a lot slower.  And some places, I am struggling to see if a long-term relationship should even be considered. Here are some of the highlights and obvious God-appointments:

1)  Vera, the director of Vortzel babyhouse has been trying to keep families of children with special needs together.  This last year, she held a conference for parents of children with Down Syndrome who had abandoned their children to her orphanage.  She was able to give them some very practical training on how to care for their child… and many of the children were reunited with their parents!

Her plea to doma:  “Please send me a team of Special Educators, SLP’s, PT’s, and OT’s to train my teachers who spend all day with the children.  Our therapists visit each class only a few hours each week, but it is the teachers who are working morning, noon, and night with them.  They have no education at all, and are severely underpaid for the work they do”.

For those of you who may not know this, when I lived in Columbus in 2002, I was the coordinator of a preschool for children with special needs.  We had over 100 children, ages 2-5, who were enrolled in our school.  Dozens more, aged 0-5 received services from our therapists.  It was there that I realized the importance of EARLY INTERVENTION in the lives of children.  (Sound familiar?  It’s doma’s mission statement!)  This type of trip to an orphanage full of special needs preschoolers would bring everything full circle!  Reuniting families, helping to train teachers, truly giving orphaned children the early intervention they need for a better quality of life!  Who’s on board?  What a great partnership with this babyhouse!  We are currently assembling a team for Summer 2010.

2)  Natalya, the director of a babyhouse with over 120 infants and toddlers, expressed her concern for the mothers of these children.  She mentioned that so many of them just need a little boost- but that she was powerless by the government to help anyone except the babies.  After much discussion, I found out that her plan was to house the moms at the orphanage, so that the babies would not be separated from their moms.  And while she is able to work with the babies, she needed an outside support organization to care for the moms!  (Does that sound familiar to you? That’s what doma does!)  The Ukraine government has had an idea for years to support moms, but there are no programs in place.  Currently, she has the space for 4 moms– and she has 4 moms who would enroll in the program right away and be reunited with their child who is at the orphanage.  The mom and baby would live together.  Mom could receive job training, education, etc.  while the orphanage caregivers watch the baby.  But mom would be responsible for taking care of herself and baby (cooking, cleaning, etc.)- and would also be the primary caregiver.   To launch this program, the space is available and renovated for four moms, but we would need to outfit it with basic apartment-style furniture and kitchen supplies.  This is approximately $1300 per mom.  Then, of course, there is the ongoing support necessary for mom, which would be approximately  $180 per month.  (Similar to our Russia Young Mothers program, except the moms would not be living independently).  The orphanage director also encouraged visits and letters from their American friends.  4 moms have already requested assistance!  We just need the doma providers to step forward to help reunite these families.  If this works well, she has the space for 24 moms or families in a separate building, which would need to be renovated.  What a dream!

3) We visited a hospital for HIV positive infants and toddlers.  The chief medical officer, Natalya, was very proud of the ‘Western’ trainings she does with the moms.  Her greatest need is extra staff to work specifically with these patients and their families.  A nurse at this hospital makes approximately 90 USD, which is way below the standard of living in and around Donestk.  (It costs more than that to rent a shared apartment space).  If doma could provide for housing for these nurses, she knows she could find the willing nursing graduates who would love to work with the families of children who are HIV positive- and the ‘abandoned infants’ room’ (it was devastating to go in and see these precious babies, younger than Sadie– knowing that their future is in the hands of the orphanage system).   Doma is looking into renting some space at Donestk Christian University for four nurses.

(Another crazy story- two of us showed up at Donestk Christian University’s Administrative Director’s home for tea, and he came in and said he would be unable to join us for another 20 minutes, but would we like to meet with the Director of the school?!  Of course– he is one of the most respected Christian leaders in Ukraine right now– and we had a blast with him!)

4)  A young woman who grew up in a private, Christian orphanage, was living a beautiful life with her husband and 3 small children, when her husband died unexpectedly.   The orphanage that raised her is asking for doma assistance to help her as she transitions into single motherhood.  It is very, very uncommon in Ukraine for widows with children to remarry– and she isn’t even 30 years old yet!  In the next few weeks, I will learn more about how doma can support her family during this difficult time.  The local church has stepped in to do some creative emergency care- but nothing that is sustainable (especially her housing situation).   I’ll keep you posted!  Please let me know if you are interested in hearing more about this as I get more info.

Also, with all of these ConnectionPoints, if you aren’t able to financially give or visit personally, please pick a project to pray for consistently.  I’d be happy to get you a fact sheet about the program and the participants. Or perhaps you’d just like to write to one of our young moms to encourage her.   Another creative option would be to run or walk the May, 2010 Capital City half marathon in our official charity team, (teamup4orphans.org).  Perhaps you know 50 people who would give $50 to these amazing moms and children, and you could commit to joining our team, whether or not you’ve ever run before!  Our coach is Lisa Rainsberger, winner of the Boston Marathon!   More on that to come later this week.

Ok- my kids are asking for toast this morning…  time to start the mom portion of my day.  Please continue to stay posted.  I have a ton of prayer requests for our Ethiopia team that leaves on Wednesday.  And please email me if you are interested in hearing more about any of these programs for moms and babies as I am beginning to write up some new project proposals.  Thanks for your prayers and support for this trip!  It was very, very fruitful.  Now, if only we can shake our jet lag so that I can unpack more boxes…

cold feet October 6, 2009

Tonight I sit in my warm duvet covered featherbed in a new hotel in Kremenchuk.  Last night, as you may have heard, we arrived at the camp (10 miles from Chernobyl!) to find out that the village of Ivankiv was without electricity ‘temporarily’.  Since we arrived right around sunset, we had to decide whether or not we would stay– or find a plan ‘b’.  Google (which worked on Dan’s iphone)- while the electricity (and heat!) did not– told us that the night would bring almost a full moon, along with 44 chilling fahrenheit degrees.   We were given sleeping blankets and matches– and had a cozy night of cards and home-cooked pelmeni (ravioli) by the light of candles and flashlights taped to the wall.  (Thank you, Dasha, our 16 year old translator– so brilliant!)  Amazingly enough- we had plenty of heat to keep our feet warm and toasty all through the night.

Our 6:00am departure had us scurrying through suitcases (in the dark) and on the road to Kremenchuk for a babyhouse visit.  After a formal tour (which included dozens of new ‘renovations’ and ‘murals), we sat with the director to talk about young mother programs.  She assured us this was in the plans– and asked us for a donation to ‘renovate’.   The tour revealed room after room of equipment and renovations– and 77 children with a low LOW quality of life.  Babies lying in cribs… paralyzed children without wheelchairs, toddlers rocking themselves to sleep during naptime.  Small playpens appeared unused, while a 6 month old with a head the size of a basketball- with open sores- laid in agony.  Just pure agony.  And our requests (and eyes) begged to play with and pick up the babies while she waved us off.  We cast vision for young mothers, while she smiled and said yes, but then abruptly left the room when I told her we would have to get official stamps of approval prior to donating.  She escorted us straight to the bus while our team stood by with puppets and balloons and joy and love to share with the children… and she continued to talk about renovations.  I excitedly shared the vision to send PT, OT, and SLP trainers for her teachers– since that was a HUGE need addressed by a previous babyhouse…while she curtly said, ‘interesting’– and then swiftly led me to the bathroom that needed new tile.    And as I saw a blind little boy lying in the crib smile up in glee when Dan started speaking to him– I KNEW that we were there with a purpose.  Even if for just a few moments, a small tour, to remind us and them and the caregivers that they are created in the image of God- with a plan and a purpose and an intimate and personal love that maybe they have never tangibly felt before.

So as the director got cold feet to work with us as soon as she knew it would require accountability– And as we got cold feet standing in the freezing cold crib room for kids with special needs– And as doma allowed her to escort us to the bus quickly, reacting in horror and wondering if we should even go through with our final visits and meetings–  we knew that we were there just for a moment to touch the head and the hands and the feet of those who were cold- and sick- and laying in urine??… Even if the one entrusted to care for these children was only concerned about the next wall mural she could paint with donated money.

What a day.  What a challenge… to address deep rooted thoughts and fears and judgments of a culture foreign to your own.  Thank God for those who have huge hearts and a deep love for the children in their homes.  4 out of 5 positive visits isn’t so bad.  Number 5 is just going to take some time and patience– but I’m sure we will get there.

Next stop, Donetsk– The shipment is to meet us tomorrow night so that we can distribute to 4 babyhouses and one HIV positive baby hospital.  I’ll keep you posted if I can! Pray for safe travels for CBN, who is donating the truck and driver so generously.  It took 5 nonprofits to make this happen– let’s pray the impact is long-term!

Peace-

Julie (and the doma team)

come along on Doma’s first trip to Ukraine September 30, 2009

This is Dan writing you this morning… Julie and I, along with our 3 month old beauty, Sadie, are heading to Ukraine on Thursday for Doma’s first trip to Eastern Europe since we began our ministry last year.  Of course, Julie and I have been to that part of the world more than a dozen times in the past with other organizations.

Please subscribe to this blog, Dan’s blog, follow Dan on twitter, and keep your eyes and ears out for updates from the field.  Pass this along to friends and family who would enjoy joining the journey as well.  There’s bound to be an adventure awaiting us (think Russian prisons, caviar, bathhouses, soccer, and the chance to see the light of God’s love fill a room!)

Friends, or should I say comrades, of Doma are joining us.  The team is…

Jennifer Cameron is a vital part of the Doma team.  She started and operates a ministry called Into the Field, which provides marketing, logistics, and event planning services to ministries and non-profits.  She and Julie connected shortly after we moved to Columbus and they’ve been teaming up ever since (follow the link to check out Doma’s charity running team?  Wanna run?)

Tiffany Crawford is a young and strong attorney who is known to get fashion compliments from judges.  She and Julie attended Regent Law together, she and her husband were in our young couples small group, Embrace, for a time.  She has two men in her life: one really tall, and one kinda short (he is only 2 yrs. old after all – give him time).

Matt Croskey is a new friend of ours.  We met him and his family, Georgeann, Grace and Jack before he knew that I was the new minister at his church.  Luckily after finding that out, they still agreed to be our friends.  He’s a Captain in the Air Force, a Buckeyes fan, and inferior to me in the game of cornhole.

Jerry Kaufman is Doma’s board VP, and a high school friend of mine (we met when he was a jock and I was a hippie).  He met his wife at my wedding.  Jerry is a scholar and a gentleman… well… his better half is clearly…

Amber Kaufman is Doma’s medical director, and a high school friend of mine who met her husband at my wedding.  Amber is a Nurse Practitioner and has served medical needs in India and Uganda, as well as in Orlando where she and Jerry live and regularly visit Mickey Mouse and his cronies.

Megan Lindsey is Doma’s board secretary and also a Regent Law grad with Julie and Tiffany.  We have traveled the world with Megan – France in the summer of 2005, Russia in the spring of 2007, Uganda in the spring of 2009, and now Ukraine.  How does she find time to be an attorney and mediator in Michigan with all of this globe-trotting?

Tracy Miller is a Texan exiled in Chicago… or a Chicagoan who happens to be from Texas.  She lives in that great city with her very talented husband, an artist who is on exhibit now at the Ukrainian Museum of Modern Art in Chicago.  Coincidence?  I think not.

Kevin Palys and I met when we played on the same rec soccer team as undergrads at Valpo, Los Matadores.  He’s married to an MD who happens to be Jerry’s sister.  You can see that Doma is a family affair.  He is a broadcast engineer with CBS and owner and manager of PettingZoo Pictures, an independent film company based in LA.

Julie and I round out this rag-tag bunch.  We’re looking forward to a great 10 days coming face to face with a beautiful culture and the children who inhabit it.

together we can change the lives of Ukrainian orphans September 23, 2009

Doma means ‘home’ in several Eastern and Central European languages. Dan and I started Doma last year to embrace and empower vulnerable children and families around the world through prevention, intervention, and long-term care.

We are working to provide vulnerable and orphaned children with primary education in Uganda, as well as establishing prenatal and early childhood care centers there to combat the high infant and maternal mortality rates. We are working with young mothers in Russia, orphaned girls who themselves have become pregnant. We are working with homeless teenagers in Columbus, Ohio, helping them avoid the pitfalls of forced prostitution and human trafficking. We do all of this because we believe that the love and grace of God, the care and compassion of Christ, and the power and presence of the Holy Spirit calls the homeless home. If you’d like to know more about Doma, you can visit the website at domaconnection.org.

I’m writing today about a specific ministry effort. Dan and I are going to Ukraine together next Thursday.

We will be leading a team of 10 people, distributing about $20,000 in aid and supplies to more than 12 babyhouses and orphanages

We will be establishing long-term relationships for more ministry in the years to come.

And we will be documenting all of this with a filmmaker to share the story of abandoned children in Ukraine and draw more awareness and attention to this global issue.

Every year, 2,000 babies are abandoned in Ukraine’s maternity hospitals. These children grow up with little opportunity for social, emotional, physical, and spiritual development. We want to change that! And we want you to be a part of it because we believe that God is a Father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5-6), and that when we visit the orphan in their distress, we are in fact worshiping God through that act (James 1:27).

Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to Doma.  In order for this trip to be successful, DOMA NEEDS TO RAISE AN ADDITIONAL $1000 THIS WEEK!!!

Please consider making a gift of $25, $50, $100, or even $500 toward this mission. You can make checks payable to Doma and mail to PO Box 21987, Columbus, OH 43221. If you prefer to give online, click here.

I am committed to this because I believe that care and compassion is more contagious than disease and despair.  Be contagious.  Visit the orphan in his or her distress.

riots and miracles September 17, 2009

This week I am praying for miracles and against riots.  Doma is scheduled to send a medical team to Uganda in late October/early November– but the US Dept of State has issued a travel warning until Nov. 10th due to the riots and arrests and unrest.  The situation has stabilized…for now.  There is still the potential for backlash against the 600 arrests– (450 were charged) and or for things to escalate without warning.   Among those arrested is the  Mityana town councillor as a potential leader of the riots. Mityana is a beautiful town that doma  visited and hosted a free medical clinic for the village and children of LOCH (Little Ones of Christ Home).  This upcoming trip was scheduled to host 2 clinics in villages where we anticipate launching a prenatal and early childhood care center.  Particularly challenging about postponing this trip means we are also postponing an opportunity to visit and inspect a local clinic we were hoping to purchase to house the center.  It was offered to doma for $13,000– and we were hoping to make a decision about it next month.  This may be delayed if our team is unable to go.  Pray for wisdom and discernment as doma leadership might have to postpone this trip.

Also, another team is headed to The Ukraine on October 1st. Over $20,000 in infant supplies and baby bouncer seats have been donated and are on their way to Ukraine as we speak.  The shipment is scheduled to arrive on October 1st– but is expected to remain in customs for over 3 weeks!  Eek! Our plan was to deliver this shipment as we make significant connections with orphanage directors, staff, other local nonprofits, and government officials.  I am praying for a MIRACLE when we arrive!  And if the shipment is not released miraculously, then I pray for another group of travelers (and a trip leader) to step forward eagerly to distribute these items in the spring.  (Along with the necessary funds required to store the shipment for several months while another trip is planned).  Let me know if you’re interested in getting on that email list!  (julie@domaconnection.org)  Now that we will most likely be traveling to the orphanages and babyhouses without gifts in hand, we will also have to raise an additional $500-$1000 to purchase and/or transport infant and toddler supplies once we get there.

Visit domaconnection.org to donate via check.

Thank you for praying with us regarding these challenging situations that doma is facing!  Either way- I know that God can work through any situation– and I expect great things to happen on both trips.

Now I am off to purchase infant and toddler supplies for a visit with my very close friends from the DC area this weekend… We will be housing 6 infants and toddlers (ranging in age from 3 months to 5 years)– an expectant mommy (not me!) and her hubby… all in a 1000 square foot, 3 bedroom, 1 bath apartment in Columbus.  Whew!  Yes, we are crazy! And we love every minute of it!

Child and Forced Labor- Our Responsibility? September 13, 2009

In 2005, Congress mandated the Department of Labor to compile a list of goods produced by forced labor or child labor. Its release will now enable consumers and shareholders to apply leverage to fight slavery worldwide. The analysis conducted by the DOL’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) found a total of 122 goods produced with forced labor, child labor, or both in 58 countries. (Quoted from polarisproject.org).

As I read this headline, I felt empowered! Yes, finally, I can do something about this! I mean, I know vaguely about bananas and fair trade coffee, and blood diamonds. I’ve even sent people links to help inform them about these types of inhumane practices. I concentrated in Human Rights law while in law school– and know that these injustices exist and should be stopped. And I know that I should be raising awareness. And now… yes, now… I can point people to a list! A concrete research study that will prove our irresponsible consumer habits, and give us a LIST of which items to boycott. (Anyone remember the proctor and gamble and Disney boycotts Southern Baptists participated in back in the early 90’s?)

Well… I’ll let you read all 194 pages in this report so you can be empowered to NOT be a part of forced or child labor. And for those of you who won’t read it, I’ll sum it up– everything from cotton to bricks to toys to pornography to ‘garments’ to sisal (????) to gold.  (The actual list is only a few pages long…)   And for those of you who are skeptics– we’re not just talking about children helping to pick a few tomatoes from the garden on the weekends (which my children do…)– we’re talking about children under 15 who are in vulnerable and hazardous conditions. Situations that defy accepted and defined international standards of labor. Situations that are horrendous– which would disgust and turn our stomachs if described to us in detail.

Yet we consume and consume and consume. What if I were to know the story behind each item in my house that was produced through child or forced labor? What if I were to look into the eyes of each person who was humiliated, exploited, exposed– for the sake of my ‘garment’.

I don’t feel empowered. I feel overwhelmed. I have no clue where to start making changes in my consumption so that the rights of others are respected. I can’t NOT consume. Can I really put time into learning about every product I want to buy? That would make my 1 hour Target trip a 40 hour research project. It’s not like there’s an app for that!

I pray though that my eyes are opened. That I am mindful of my purchases, of my habits, of my selfish ability to turn a blind eye. I pray that others who are passionate about seeing Human Rights respected will continue to put time into helping the consumer be responsible. (Perhaps someone will create an app??) It’s not an easy task, but now that we are aware, surely we have some responsibility to protect our fellow humans…

Please post any helpful, practical links you may know of.

CLICK HERE FOR A LINK TO THE PDF:

http://www.dol.gov/ILAB/programs/ocft/tvpra.htm

SEE BELOW FOR SOME OF THE TEXT:

As a nation and as members of the global community, we reject the proposition that it is
acceptable to pursue economic gain through the forced labor of other human beings or the
exploitation of children in the workplace. However, we are aware that these problems remain
widespread in today’s global economy. Indeed, we face these problems in our own country.
The International Labor Organization estimates that over 12 million persons worldwide are
working in some form of forced labor or bondage and that more than 200 million children are at
work, many in hazardous forms of labor. The most vulnerable persons – including women,
indigenous groups, and migrants – are the most likely to fall into these exploitive situations and
the current global economic crisis has only exacerbated their vulnerability.
Most Americans and most consumers in the world market would not choose to purchase goods
known to be produced by exploited children or forced laborers ­ at any price. Likewise, most
American companies would prefer that their global suppliers respect workers’ and children’s
fundamental rights and provide their employees with working conditions that meet acceptable
local standards. However, to translate these values and preferences into day­to­day purchasing
decisions, firms and consumers need reliable information about the labor conditions under
which goods are produced. In 2005, Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection
Reauthorization Act, directing the Secretary of Labor and the Department of Labor’s Bureau of
International Labor Affairs (ILAB) to compile “a list of goods that ILAB has reason to believe
were produced using forced labor or child labor” in order to provide consumers and firms with
this type of information.
This report presents that list of goods.

A new word for prostitution: Victim June 29, 2009

A new word for prostitution:  Victim

This is a great article in the Columbus Dispatch about Human Trafficking.  For those of you who aren’t from Columbus, Hilliard is the typical suburban America.  Development after development on old farmland– plazas interspersed between, a few churches, and mostly homogenous.   This is the ’safe’ America that we often think is sheltered from front page newsworthy stories.

doma has been exploring a relationship with a Columbus Human Trafficking shelter.  Each night, the director sees homeless minors tossed out into the street by a local day shelter– and she knows that early intervention is key.   The young women the director works with, some just 19 years old, could have escaped years of abuse, exploitation, and horrors, if only someone got to them sooner.   A study conducted from this day shelter on 180 of these Columbus youth, places 73% as caucasian,  1/3 of them female, and all of them at risk for being trafficked.   doma’s mission is to intervene early in the lives of these homeless youth, to prevent them from falling victim to Human Trafficking/Prostitution.  Stay posted as this partnership takes shape in the next few months.

Fall Trip Announcement! June 1, 2009

Trip #1: AFRICA-  October 29th – November 10th

WakaWaka, Uganda

We will be sending a team to serve an entire village for an extended time.   The village is remote and beautiful—and the people are full of warmth and hospitality. It’s like walking onto the set of ‘National Geographic.’ There was an overwhelming response when we visited for one day in March, so we would like to concentrate our efforts on this one village for the entire trip. This team will spend time with the orphaned children and families in the village. This would be a great trip for medical professionals AND non-medical professionals.  The medical team will be providing direct care, as well as health education for those who visit the clinic.  There will be plenty to do for people of any age and profession! We also hope to lay the foundation in this village for our first prenatal care center.  We will also visit an existing clinic that is for sale and that has asked for help– to see if this is a location that doma would like to invest in.

email:  amber@domaconnection.org for more information about this trip.

Trip #2: UKRAINE-  October 1-11

Kiev and Donetsk

doma will send a team to babyhouses and orphanages in Ukraine to determine long term partnerships. This trip is where you will be ‘forging the way’ for our doma Ukraine connection points. Dan and I will BOTH be going on this one!!!  We will have the responsibility of distributing over 1,000 baby bouncer seats and even more clothes and supplies to babyhouses and hospitals. Along with this aid, we will bring the message of doma — that is, that early intervention in the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children will lead to the prevention of future emotional, spiritual, and physical crises in their lives. This trip will be busy with infants, young children, and will be focused on establishing relationships with orphanage directors and caretakers. (I’ll even have my infant with me on this one!)

email Julie@domaconnection.org for more information about this trip.

Trip #3:  AFRICA-  end of September, flexible dates

Uganda

This trip is for the adventurous spirit! Led by a fun young missionary who spends 3 months out of each year in Uganda. you will surely have a great time while extending the love of Christ to others in need. A local orphanage and school will host the team for several days—and you will help with projects around the school, which may include lifting, pouring, building, painting…and of course, getting to know the children and youth at the school. This would also be a great trip for young adults who are considering full time ministry to Africa. You can even extend your trip to spend more time with a few local missionaries in orphanages, elementary schools, or infant houses.

email Julie@domaconnection.org for more information about this trip.