Our family is getting ready to launch into our fifth trip to Uganda this summer. As many of you know, we are not only sending a team, but we are taking A LOT of baby formula with us. Here is the letter that my husband wrote about the trip. If you have any questions, we would love to chat. Here is the letter:
April 13, 2019
Dear Friends,
I wish I could take you with me. I would introduce you to a beautiful little girl named Halima. She has a contagious laugh and a tender heart that she sometimes keeps hidden, but it peeks out when she gets a hug or tries on a new dress. You would also meet Solomy, she is kind of like the mommy of a thousand kids. She knows their names and stories, she makes sure they get their medicine and checks in on them when they are sad or sick. The guy at the front of the bus is Martin. He is a junior high teacher that is so organized and kind. He is the guide that is entrusted with hosting and caring for visitors from America. Deborah will jump into your lap and when you get up she will hold your hand and give you a tour of her school even though she’s still working on her English. You will hear incredible live music and eat fresh bananas and mangos right off the tree. The Hands of Love schools are like college prep boarding schools, you will meet two of the top 5 brightest students in Uganda, and one of them, Winnie, will give you a message (or sing your song) to pass along to her sponsor mom when you get home. Just don’t name the goat, you might be eating it when the offer you a feast on the last day of your visit. When you worship with Pastor Elijah, you know God is with you, you can see his handywork all around you. You experience what it feels like to be the hands and feet of God. I wish you could come. It’s so hard to describe.
This summer we will be our 5th trip and we are bringing an amazing team this year. Terry is a pastor who loves to come alongside other pastors and show them how to preach the Word. Pastor Elijah has planted 273 rural churches among the villages along the northern edge of Lake Victoria. The pastors of these churches benefit so much from people like Terry who can travel to Uganda and share their education and experience. Craig is also a pastor and gifted preacher who specializes in counseling and balancing truth and grace in relationships. He will be teaching Biblical principles of peacemaking at the churches and schools. Mike K is an elder who sponsors several children along with his daughter Emily, who is a special education teacher in the public schools. They have both been to Uganda on previous trips and enjoy teaching at the schools and connecting with their kids. Mike G will be returning on his fourth tour of duty, the only extrovert on the team, with an unstoppable heart for keeping the kids safe and loved and bonding with Jael and Mellan, his sponsored son and daughter. Daniel and Kaitlyn, who are getting married at the end of May, will be just returning from their honeymoon when they board the plane to Uganda. Daniel, our most seasoned team member, will be responsible for ensuring all the sponsored kids feel the love in the gifts and letters from their parents in the states. Kaitlyn has a passion for engineering and design and will bring hands-on engineering to the classroom. Luke will be return for his second trip this year. He has been leading a formula-drive at his high school with the vision of bringing a year’s supply of baby formula to the baby house. His job is to build relationships with the kids through sports. Lisa will be traveling to Uganda for the first time with us. She is a college student and has a passion for the written word. She will be teaching high school students how to effectively communicate their stories in writing. I will lead the team, tell stories of my Creator, and get Halima’s tender heart to peek out with a big old hug from Daddy.
We would once again love your prayers and financial support. We are so thankful to all the people that enable us to go and share God’s love in Uganda. You may not be there physically, but you are with us.
Tax-deductible donations can be made out to Christ Community Church, 5293 South Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63126. (please include a note with our names on it instead of writing names on the memo line) Or donations can be made online with Hands of Love, click HERE.
Sincerely,
Dan, Daniel & Luke Rauch
