Why I Didn't Want to Join Pinterest!

I am an information junkie!  There, I said it!  Seriously, I will research stuff until it's dark outside!  I just love information.  I also am an aspiring Martha Stewart!  In the past few months I have received more Pinterest invitations than I knew what to do with!  I did not need another time stealer.  But friends pushed me, and insisted that I would LOVE it!  Well guess what?  I joined and I'm hooked!  I've Repinned and Liked so many things and that if I got off of Pinterest long enough, I MIGHT just have time to try one of the projects or recipes….seriously!

So today I was checking on the newest popular pins and it gets really quiet…REALLY QUIET!  What did I find?

So thank you Pinterest for being so stinking cool that my child goes unsupervised (sarcasm attached)!  Now I just need to figure out how to get lotion out of my sofa…hmmm, maybe I can find some ideas on Pinterest, LOL!

Spiritual Gifts

I believe that we are all called to be Senders and Goers.  As Christ followers, we are all given a Spiritual Gift that God ordained in us.  You may call it your passion, your calling, your talents or skills, something you are really good at, or you may not even know what yours it.  Think about what breaks your heart.  What is it that you could go on and on about?  Ask your friends and family.

The following scripture shows that whether your gift is compassion, teaching, healing, leadership, giving or one of the many others, you are a vital part of the whole body of believers.




Unity and Diversity in the Body
 ¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by^[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

 ¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

 ²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

 ²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸ And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues^[d]? Do all interpret? ³¹ Now eagerly desire the greater gifts.

Spiritual Gifts are facinating, to me at least!  I have been praying for my July Uganda Team that God brings all the gifts on my team that we need to accomplish something GREAT for Him!  It is amazing watching my team fill up with the exact people I neeed with with skills that I don't have.  He knows.  It is truly a miraculous thing to watch!  

We are all call to be Senders or Goers.  Some of us can't send, some of us can't go.  But we all can send those who can, and go for those who can't!  So if you are a Goer, check out our July Uganda Trip.  If you are a Sender, help sponsor someone who is going or go to Visiting Orphans give page and donate to our team!  Enter Elisa Hyman Uganda 2011, and that donation will go towards our team!  

If you can't tell, Missions is the thing that gets me going!  It's what breaks my heart!  It's what I can't stop talking about!  It's my gift!  

Two Years Ago...

Two years ago I had cried my eyes out with joy as I held my daughter and learned how to be her mommy.  She was such a fragile little girl with no hair.  I remember getting off of the plane and our friends wondering if we really brought her home from Africa because of her fair skin.

Today, I still cry with joy as I remember the journey that led us to Marley. She is a tough girl who wrestles with her big brother…and can hold her own!  She has a head full of curly hair that I LOVE to braid!  And she has blended perfectly in our colorful family.

Two years ago, Miles finally became the big brother we had been talking about for over three years.  He held her carefully and made silly faces waiting for her to laugh at him.

Today, Miles is still careful with her and still makes silly faces.  He also gets frustrated with his baby sister beating him up.  They tickle each other and scream when they get mad.  Today, they are brother and sister!

Two years ago, this little Ethiopian princess joined our family and her life was forever changed.  The language, the smells, the food and the routines were all different from what she knew.  She studied us.  She was hesitant to get too close.

Today, she knows no different.  She knows that somehow "Ethiopia" and "Marley" go together, and when we say who is from Ethiopia she says, "Me!"  She imitates us and wants to be as close as she can get to her forever family!

Two years ago seems so distant from today.

The Mission Your on Makes You a Missionary

I have never really thought of myself as a missionary, although I am.  I am on a mission to achieve great things for the Kingdom of God.  Or at least I am striving to.  I have a deep deep passion for many things.  Some might say I have a soft heart for those in need, but I see it as a God given calling.  It as if He put that ache in me to want to do something about it.

I love this video!


What makes your heart break and your fists clenge?

Whoooo Hoooo!!!

Y'all read about my love hate relationship I have with extreme couponing.  I saw both sides last night at the midnight walgreens sale, but…all I have right now is a LOVE LOVE LOVE relationship with it!

Walgreens is, by far, my favorite place to coupon.  They lure you in with phenomenal deals, expecting you the consumer to buy other items while you are there for the "free" ones.  Extreme couponers know these marketing ploys and only buy the deals of the week and save tremendous amounts of money.

At midnight last night, Walgreens Black Friday sales started.  I had studied their add about a week or two before and collected the neccessary coupons to make my transactions practically free.  And here is my loot!!!


ALL FOR  $6.14, and a savings of $411.81!!!!  This includes a $14 bottle of wine, two packages of Huggies Slip On diapers, three Revelon lip glosses,  two Venus razor start up kits and much much more!

If you are not familiar with Walgreens, you MUST educate yourself…or don't…and leave all the deals for me…lol!  I planned out 12 transactions at two different Walgreens stores and spent a total of $35.54 cash and I still have $15 Register Rewards (Walgreens Cash), and 12 free Redbox coupons!  When I take the value of the Register Rewards and the Redbox coupons, I spent $6.14 cash on all of this GREAT stuff!

WIN A MISSON TRIP!

This is for real!  My girl Kari with My Crazy Adoption is partnering up with Visiting Orphans to give away a mission trip!  For every T-Shirt that you buy you get an entry into a drawing for a FREE mission trip!

What a great way to give and get at the same time!  And yes…I have a shameless plug!  I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN MY JULY 2012 UGANDA TEAM!!!!

So head on over here to get your T-Shirt and get entered in the drawing for a FREE mission trip!

My Babies

I have some pretty cute kids!  I love them dearly and am very thankful that I am a mom to not just one, but two earthly angels.  

Miles just turned seven…seven!  I can't believe I have a child that old!  He is such a sweet boy and is going to make an amazing man, husband and father one day.  He still likes to cuddle with us and wants me to hold him when he has had a bad day.  I LOVE IT!

Marley…well she's just a big ham!  For one, she KNOWS she's cute, and uses it to her advantage.  She just learned how to say Paweeeeeeaaaassseeee, when she wants something really really bad.  I'm sure the eye batting will be coming next.  When she is not playing mommy with her baby dolls, she is dressing up in her tutu's and jewlery!  A very fashionable and loving mommy she will make one day.

It just amazes me that in just a few weeks, we will be celebrating our Family Day!  On November 29th, Marley will have been home for two years!  

Adoption is such an amazing thing.  In the beginning, it is exciting, challenging, frustrating, painful.  Then is becomes exciting again, and then challenging, frustrating and painful all over again.  But once they are home and they are yours, all the difficult times just seem to fade away, and become a distant memory. 

For us, after two years, the topic of adoption mostly only comes up when someone else brings it up.  It's not that we are avoiding the topic, it's just that it's not as important of a topic anymore.  Marley is our daughter.  Yes, she came to us through adoption, and we celebrate that.  But she is our daughter, just as Miles is our son.  We forget a lot of times that she was not born of my body.  

Adoption will forever be a part of our family and a part of Marley's "story."  But it will not define WHO Marley is, just how she came to us.  We talk about Ethiopia often.  It's so amazing how a two year old can begin to learn her story at such a young age.  She points to the many many Africa t-shirts we have and says "me!"  I love it!  And we celebrate it!  

I love my two babies.  One born of the body, and one born of the heart.  

Extreme Couponing

I have a love hate relationship with extreme couponing…the show! I have been a couponer for many years now. Because of TLC's Extreme Couponing, I have sparked an interest in jumping up my game and dabbling in a little of extreme couponing myself.

 I have learned that I will NEVER EVER pay for toothpaste, body wash, deodorant, pasta and over the counter medications again! And I will never pay over a dollar for paper towels, toilet paper, many canned goods, household cleaners and more! Basically, I am not impressed until I have saved over 50% of my bill at check out.

 So thank you TLC for bringing me this show to help me to learn how to step it up! I LOVE extreme couponing! What I don't love it the flack a lot of couponers are getting in response to this TV show. I have been accused of stuffing my paper with extra coupons before checking out. I have been told I can not use coupons that are in Spanish. I have been limited to only using 4 of the same coupon per transaction. I have watched some of my favorite stores change their coupon policy…all because of this TV show.

 It is giving couponers a bad name! Everyone thinks we are shelf clearing, hoarding, neurotic ladies that would give the birthrights of our next born for that $2.00 Olay Body Wash coupon. Okay, so maybe some of us are a little neurotic! But, we are not all shelf clearing hoarders, so please stop treating us like we are…hah!

Navy Wife

I LOVE my Sailor, that's no secret!  I love him almost as much as I love being a navy wife.  I grew up as a Navy Brat, and know no other way of life! We live in a town where we are one of about 10 active duty Navy families. It has made me realize that I have enjoyed civilian life for over three years now.  Our time is coming to an end!  We will be transfering next summer and I need to start thinking more of life on base!

You know you're a Navy Wife if…

• You understand the phrase "your wife doesn't come with your sea bag." 
• Your kids think that the random Sailor in uniform at the commissary is thier Daddy!
• You still haven't taken the stickers off of your furniture from your last move two years ago!
• You can unpack a house and have everything in place 48 hours after your belongings are delivered
• You need a translator to talk to your civilian friends, because they have no idea what DFAS, LES, NEX, BAH, PSD, PCS, and duty mean.
• You mark time in duty stations, not years.
• You might have an MRE in your garage!
• You've learned to sleep through the sounds of planes, helicopters, foghorns and jets.
• Someone with a machine gun asks to see your ID before you enter the "gated community."
• You can leave your kids with the wife next door, after just meeting her yesterday.
• Your husbands clothes are still folded the way he learned in Boot Camp!
• Everyone in your family was born in a different state or country.
• Your drivers licence, licence plates and current state of residence are all different.
• You know that inspection means you won't be seeing much of your hubby.
• Your dining table is filled with the CMC, CO and SOY for Thanksgiving!
• You know who the above are!
• Sometimes you can't stand the life, but can't imagine it any other way

Faith and Works

A few years ago I wrote down John 2:14-17 on a post it note.  Just yesterday I found this little piece of paper and looked up the scripture to see why I had wrote these verses down.  Now I remember.

¹⁴My friends, what good is it to say you have faith, when you don't do anything to show that you really do have faith? Can that kind of faith save you? ¹⁵If you know someone who doesn't have any clothes or food, ¹⁶you shouldn't just say, "I hope all goes well for you. I hope you will be warm and have plenty to eat." What good is it to say this, unless you do something to help? ¹⁷Faith that doesn't lead us to do good deeds is all alone and dead!

Many, many times I have been guilty of claiming to have faith and to be a Christian, but lacked the deeds to follow it!  I have seen hungry people asking for food, and said "God Bless," or even worse, judged them by wondering if they truly did have a need. I have claimed to have faith and then worried myself to death, only proving that I had everything but faith.  I have seen the needs of friends and said, "I'll pray for you," only to forget.  

I have also seen the need of the faces of orphans and loved them until they could take no more.  I have fed the hungry.  I have prayed over the sick and oppressed.  I have seen a need, and had ENORMOUS faith that God would provide a way…and He did!

I am on a journey, and I am not perfect!  But I pray that God uses this scripture to strengthen me and you to become doers.  To become servers.  To become givers.  To become goers and senders!  

 

Join Me in Uganda 7/21/12

I'm leading a mission trip back to Uganda, to love on the many many orphans I met this past summer.  I would LOVE for you to join me!  Head on over to Visiting Orphans and scroll down to the July 21-August 1, 2012 trip, and get signed up!

Click HERE to learn more about who we will be serving and loving on and to see the video I made of last summers trip!

Amaye

On my way home from Uganda this past summer, I decided to stay a few days in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Addis Ababa was a lay over city on our flight back to the states and it is also very near to the birth place of our daughter.  There was no way that I could just sit there in the airport without getting out and exploring…and search for my daughter's birthmother.  

The last time I had been in Ethiopia, Brandon and I were busy with our Embassy appointment and getting to know our six month old baby.  We had created a long list of questions a letter and a photo album for the woman who brought our baby into this world.  We drove the almost hour drive to a village outside of Addis Ababa.  We didn't speak a word to each other because we were both overwhelmed at the opportunity to get to meet Marley's Amaye (Amharic for mother).  All I wanted was a picture of us together so that Marley would have a picture of both of her mothers.  When we entered the little orphanage where she was taken at 12 days old, there seemed to be confusion.  As if they had no idea that we were coming.  Our agencies staff argued with the orphanage staff for a few minutes and then looked at us and said, "Sorry, no here."  

What?!  What do you mean she's not here!  "Sorry,  no here" is all she could say in her broken English.  We toured and video taped every room in the orphanage, but all I wanted to do was get back to the guesthouse and cry.  How would I get answered questions for my daughter?  Would the woman that gave her life know how much I loved her?  And I don't have the picture that I've dreamed of for years!  

After being back in the states for a few months, a friend of mine recommended an investigator.  We hired a man in Ethiopia to locate her and translate a letter we wrote and answers some questions.   It was amazing seeing her face for the first time…what a resemblance!  She answered all the questions we had and received all of the letter and pictures.  But I still didn't have a picture of us together!  

When I finished serving with my mission team and we got off the the plane in Addis Ababa, I went through immigration, picked up my luggage and found a man holding a sign with my name on it.  Melke, a driver many American friends of mine had used, waited with a huge grin.  He knew many of my adoptive family friends and that set me at ease. It was night time and he drove me to Melkam Guesthouse, where Brandon and I stayed when we picked up Marley.  I gave him the phone number the investigator had given me for Marley's birthmother and he dialed it.  My heart was pounding out of my chest!  Disconnected!  Oh no!  He dropped me off and said we would try again in the morning.  All night I feared that I had made this trip for no reason.  Would I ever get to take a picture with her?  

The next morning, he drove up and told me, "Elisa, I have good news!  She wants to meet you!"  Ahhhhhh!  Really?!  Was this really going to happen?  Well yes, it did!  I got to meet the woman who carried my child in her womb.  The woman who loved her so much that she realized that she could not provide for her and allowed her to be adopted.  The woman that gave me so much! 

Melke talked to her on the phone and she told us to meet her by a bank.  We sat there for about 30 minutes. It felt like hours.  We were waiting for a woman to walk up and find an Ethiopian man and Ferengi (white person) together.  I had seen a picture of her, but would I really recognize her?  Melke got out of the car and went up to ask a woman if she was the one.  She nodded yes and I jumped out of the car and into her arms!  What an amazing experience!  We held each other and cried.  There was this unspoken bond we shared, like we had been long lost sisters!   She marveled over Marley's pictures, kissing each one, all while hugging my neck with her free arm.  And guess what?  I finally got that picture!

An Awesome way to Fundraise!

Visiting Orphans is excited to announce our Go. Be. Love t-shirts for sale now  www.visitingorphans.org/store !

ALSO, our Store Merchandise can now be used for fundraising for your adoption or mission trip!!!  We want to make every way possible for you to easily raise your money for your mission trip to visit orphans or for completing an adoption to help bring an orphan home to their forever family.

It’s easy! All your donors have to do is:

1.        Visit our online store (www.visitingorphans.org/store - please make this a live link so that if you click on Store it takes you there), featuring shirts, belts, necklaces, bracelets, earrings and passport covers.

2.       Select an item for purchase.

3.       Designate the name of who they’d like a portion of their donation to benefit. 

If you are an adoptive parent or a missionary with another agency and would like to take advantage of this opportunity, or if you have any additional questions, please just let us know at store@visitingorphans.org. We can fill you in on the details! 

Big News!

After my recent trip to Uganda this past June, I felt an enormous calling to mission work.  I've prayed and felt that over the next six years that leading short term mission trips would be the best way to prepare our family for long term missionary work.  I say six years because Brandon has six years left in the Navy until retirement.
A few weeks ago, Brandon and I attended Visiting Orphans leader training.  What a powerful weekend that was!  Just this week, I was asked to lead a trip to Uganda next summer!  I'm sure you know I said YES!  If you have ever had a desire to serve and love on the orphans in Uganda, PLEASE join me!
My team will be traveling from July 21-August 1, 2012.  We will be working with Sixty Feet, Canaan's Children's Home, Return Ministries and Amazima Ministries.
This is going to be an amazing trip and an unforgetable experience!  If this trip sounds like it's for you, go get signed up to join our team HERE!  I'd love to have you join our team!

Live from Financial Peace Plaza

Brandon and I recently traveled to Nashville for Visiting Orphans Leader training.  It was                      A M A Z I N G!   I hope to start leading teams sometime next year! More on that a little later.  

While in the area, we visited Dave Ramsey's Studio!  What a neat place, and what an awesome opportunity!  It was the weekend, so there was no Dave, but still amazing!

Early in our marriage, we paid about $60,000 in debt over the course of about three years.  We love Dave Ramsey and live by his principles!  

This is the Good Life!

During the past year, I prayed and fundraised more than I ever have, to accomplish a calling.  I had felt God tugging on my heart for missions for a very long time.  I took a leap of faith and God came through and so did you!  My friends and family supported my mission trip in huge ways.  I was blown away by the amount of support, and I am forever thankful for it!

I want you to know that by supporting my mission trip to Uganda, you have had a piece in something much larger than a trip to love on orphans.  First, every ministry we served at, received a monetary donation.  I was even able to give above and beyond, which was a huge blessing, as many ministries work with so little.  We also were able to bring hundreds of pounds of requested donations, such as medical supplies, clothes, shoes, sports and game equipment and much more.  Because you all gave so generously, I was able to as well.  There were a few times I slipped very very poor mothers money and they bowed down at my feet.  It broke me.  I wasn't so great to be bowed down to. God made it happen, thru you!

I have been home for two months now.  The experience I had was unforgettable, in fact it has given me much more than I was able to give.  It gave me my calling, something I have been searching for for a long time.  The feeling I had, to finally know what I was put on this earth to do, is undescribable!

Brandon and I will be attending the Visiting Orphan's Leader Training this fall and plan to attend or lead one mission trip a year for the next six years.  By that time, Brandon will be retiring from the Navy, and we hope to go into missions full time.  We don't know what that will look like yet, we just know that this trip confirmed a lot for us.  I could see my family living there.  I could see my children growing up with the children there.  I could see my husband and me serving together…there.

If you have ever felt the desire to go on a mission trip…GO!  If  you have no desire, that's okay…GIVE, and help others go!   I would love for everyone of you to join me on a trip someday!  I look forward to seeing what God leads me to next!

Again, thank you for the prayers and financial support!

This is the Good Life! from elisa hyman on Vimeo.

Miles - First Grade

Miles was a bit nervous last night when thinking about starting first grade.  He told me that he would be shy to meet his new class.  Shy?  My child?

This morning he woke up at 6:30 a.m. and was fully dressed with his backpack on!  An hour and a half early!  I don't think he is nervous now!  I can't wait to hear how it went!  My baby is growing up so fast!

Family Reunion

Brandon's side of the family has a reunion about every other year.  This was Marley's first one!

 It was so much fun showing her off!  The kids had a great time playing with thier cousins!

I also have the most amazing and beautiful mother in law ever!  I'm so proud to call her my friend!  And she did give me the most amazing man in my life, my sweet Brandon!

Dads, Do The Little Things

This is Brandon again, I hope all is well.  I have a public service announcement for the dads!  First of all, I am very thankful for my family, and I absolutely enjoy being a father.  One thing I don't want to forget as a father is my role as a husband.  In my opinion, I think that an important part of fatherhood is how our children perceive us in our role as husbands to their mothers.  I know talked a little about this a little in the past, but now I want to drive it home.  This is for the FELLAS.  Back when Elisa and I were engaged,  a very wise man I know once told me that "The little things I did to get her, I had to do to keep her".  To me, I thought it was simple and great advice.  It made sense.  I have tried to ensure I follow this direction as best as possible, and after more than 10 years of marriage I think it has been well worth the effort.  My wife is happy, our marriage is healthy, and my kids do take notice.

Guys, this is just a friendly reminder to tell you to not get lazy in your marriage or relationships.  If you opened doors, brought her flowers, wrote her little love notes, and held her hand back when you were courting her (yes I said courting), then continue doing those things.  If you have gotten too comfortable and it has been awhile since you have done those types of things, then I want to encourage you to start again.  She may look at you funny at first, but do it anyway.  These little things help make her happy, these little things help make her feel secure.  These little things can help keep marriages healthy.

If you have not taken her on a date in awhile, then YOU need to call the babysitter yourself and schedule a date.  Take her somewhere new, or at least different than the norm…….don't go to the same place you always go to, make an adventure of it.  The point is to get you out of your comfort zone.  Elisa and I have kind of made it a point to try a new place every time we go on a date, and it is fun.  We can't afford to go on dates as often as we'd like (babysitters can get expensive!), but when have yet to run out of new places to go.  Try doing something with her that SHE likes to do.  Take her to a play, or to a movie/concert that she would enjoy.  If you show that you are willing to compromise, it should result in a win-win for all.  Remember, it is the little things.

Also, help in the house.  Wash dishes, or clothes, or both once in awhile.  Help with the kids evening routine, give her a break.  As a father, I am happy that my kids see me doing these types of things and helping my wife.  As they grow older, I want them to see that being a team is healthy for a relationship, and that "compromise" is one of the magic words of marriage.  So later on, if my son or daughter decides to marry, they will have a good template to follow and hopefully not become selfish, lazy or stagnate in their own marriages.  As a father, wouldn't you want the same thing for your kids?  So let's get back to doing the little things, because no matter how little they seem to you it can indeed make a difference.

A Special Day for Miles

Miles had been talking to us for over a year about asking Jesus into his heart.  The bible tells us that when we ask Jesus into our lives and accept that He was the only Son of God and died for our sins, that He saves us.  Miles knew this story very well.  We promised to raise him in a Christian home, and at his baby dedication, I dreamed of the day Miles would make the decision himself.

He did that about two months ago.  Brandon prayed the prayer with him…and I got out the camera!  With proud Mama tears, I hugged and kissed him and told him this was the best decision he would ever make!

Today, Miles was baptized, just as all believers were in the bible. He was dunked!  I cried happy tears today!

MILES BAPTISM from elisa hyman on Vimeo.

Balungi (Ugandan for Beautiful)

I started this journey in an attempt to find beauty myself.  Inner Beauty that is. I had always been drawn to missionary type people and often wondered how my own life would play a part in serving others.  This past month, I went on my first mission trip to Uganda, Africa.  I had traveled to Ethiopia the year before to bring our daughter home, but this time my trip was dedicated to loving the sweet children of Uganda that couldn't be adopted.
You probably recall my post that challenged you all to donate hair goodies for these little princesses.  I was blown away by the amount of donations that you sent it!  It was the most amazing thing to go to my mail box daily and have boxes and boxes of very well packed and well thought out donations!  You all sent in over 4,000 headbands, flowers and bows, thousands and thousands of barrettes and beads, and so much more!  Everywhere we went, we crowned princess after princess!  The girls were so excited that most times, when it came time to pass out the goodies, we got ambushed!  Only a few injuries resulted, so no need to be alarmed!
You can read all about my journey to Uganda, here.  I went on a trip through Visiting Orphans, who organize trips all over the world! I would LOVE to talk to anyone that is considering one!  I truly think everyone should go on at least one in their lifetime!  To learn more about the children and ministries of my trip and the children that you brought beauty to, you can find out more on their websites.

• Sixty Feet ministers to the children's prisons of Uganda
• Canaan's Children's Home
• Amazima is the famous Katie Davis' ministry
• My Father's House
• Return Ministries
• Amani Baby Cottage

Most of the girls in Uganda do not have hair, so the headbands were a very extra special treat!  The girls that did have hair were so excited to get it all dolled up by this Mzungu, Ugandan for White person.  My team and I loved on too many children to count and we were able to make the already beautiful girls shine thanks to your generous donations!  

Since my trip, I have felt a strong desire to go back annually and to train to lead my own teams of short term missionaries.  I hope that by sharing this experience, that you will be compelled to help again in the future, or even join me one day!  Thanks again for you admirable compassion!

Balungi from elisa hyman on Vimeo.

Uganda Day 9 Return Ministries

We headed back on the three hour drive to Kampala at about 10:00 a.m..  I got motion sickness for the first time, nothing too bad, but I did get to sit at the front of the bus!  We went straight to Return Ministries.  The children were all sitting in chairs, as if they had been waiting for hours.  They actually had been, due to a communication error of the staff.  But we jumped right back into missionary mode and jumped off that bus with our donations in hand and ready to love and sing!


After I found my donation bag filled with all the hair goodies, I headed out to find a baby to hold!  For most of the trip, I had ben bonding with the older children, which is right where I needed to be.  But today, I needed a little one to snuggle.  Many little ones were already being loved on…and then I found Gloria!  She seemed to be around two years old, the same age as my baby back home.  I took her under the canopy tent and started loving on her…and of course her hair too!  She just laid on my chest, sucking on her fingers.  I so needed that!

The girls were so excited so excited to have hair pretties, especially the beads and barrettes. Pastor Samuel, the director of Return Ministries, has a daughter and his wife Sarah, was so happy that I had barrettes and beads.  She said she had  been looking all over the place for such stuff!  I was so happy to be able to give those items out.  A big thanks to all who donated!

When we got back to the Adonai Guest House, we got to unpack and eat an amazing dinner of lasagna and garlic bread!  Moses and Betty, from Sixty Feet were there.  And Pastor Samuel and his wife Sarah, from Return Ministries were there with their daughter Pearl.  She is only 7 months old and has to weight 30 pounds!  Such a sweet girl!