Looks like we made it!!

We made it!! We are here in beautiful Mbale, Uganda. It was just as I remembered it. It feels just like coming home! The great thing is that it was a little rainy and nice and cool today! A first for me!

The flights went well, no delays, no problems. The entire team came together in London - all 9 of us. Tomorrow we will go to Covenant School to see all of our precious kiddos and give lots and lots of hugs!! Thank you all for your prayers. All is well and safe and good here in Uganda! God has answered every prayer so far and has provided us with everything we need to serve His precious people!

Much Love!

,Brandi

P.S. - I love you Loren and Luke and Tony!!!!!

Uganda is upon us!

Well, it's here! It's time, once again for a new IChooseYou team to journey to Uganda. Team one will depart this Saturday, 5/21, team two will arrive two weeks later and some will remain in Uganda the entire 4 weeks. We are full of excitement and anticipation over what God is going to do in Namatala through this trip. He has given us a clear vision of what His will is for the Karamojong tribe in Namatala. Through reaching these people with the love of Jesus Christ, He can and will change the entire culture of Uganda, reconciling them back to Himself. He chose them and they are a Holy people, He treasures them! What a privilege it is to watch God work through the children, the future generation of Uganda! We are all humbled and honored to be a part of God's work there! Wow!

With this being said, we thank you all so, so much for your support and your prayers. We could not do any of this without you. IChooseYou is a huge team effort, from the child sponsors to our financial supporters, to our prayer partners, you are all so important to us! We ask you now, to specifically lift each of us up in prayer while we are gone.  The team is specifically asking for prayers for confidence, wisdom, energy, strength, good health, travel mercies, safety, unity, peace, courage, compassion and love for these precious people! We believe that God has already gone before us and prepared hearts and paved the way. His angels are there, waiting for us and Jesus Himself is ready for us to arrive and "grab onto His robe". We pray for salvations, for healing, for education, for the sewing business and the pig farm to flourish, and for fun, loving times to abound!! As the Word of God is taught, we pray for open minds and open hearts. When His Word goes out, it does not return void! As we step out in faith, we have an unspeakable confidence because our hope is not in our efforts, but in Christ alone and His Mighty Power!

We plan to update this blog while on our trip so please follow along. I know it gives peace to many to hear from us! Keep in mind, the internet connection is not so great in our hotel. It is hit or miss, so be patient - we will blog when we can.

We love you all! Grace & Peace to you!

In His Service,

The Team:
Becky
Ted
Brandi
Darby
Micah
Josh
Kyla
Laurie
Linda
Callie
Haley
Becca
Taylor

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, "Here I am. Send me!" - Isaiah 6:8

There is so much going on!!!

Greetings!...HAPPY SPRING!!!
WOW....can you believe that it is the last week in March??!!  Where does the time go!!

We have our team together and we are getting ready to go...less then 2 months we will be on the ground in Namatala, Uganda!!  We have so much to do and we need your help!!

First, if you are sponsoring a child will you send me a letter and a picture of yourself and your family.  The kids really love getting this from you...it helps them put a face and some sweet words with the love that they receive from you on a monthly basis.  I know it takes time but please do this....think of how it feels when you get a letter in the mail or even a message from a special person on facebook or an e-mail....come on, sit down and write a little something to YOUR CHILD!!!! Send it to me...Becky Ball, IChooseYou,  P.O. Box 1357, Wimberley, TX  78676.  It would be great to have this by May 10....thank you so much.

Next....the 2011 Team is having a Fundraiser Dinner and you are invited!!!  So please come and join us!!

IChooseYou Fundraiser Dinner

Where:  Cypress Creek Church
When:  Saturday, April 30, 2011
Time:  6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Cost:  $15.00 per person
Tickets are available at the Cypress Creek Church office...see Darby or you can contact Brandi Silva, Josh Burleson, Micah Burleson, Kyla Donner, Callie Eacret, Lauri Bunch, Linda Bueltel, Ted  Ball or Becky Ball...or email me at ichooseyouministries@gmail.com .


We are raising money to take supplies with us on our 2011 Trip to Namatala, Uganda...such as...backpacks, medical supplies, (we have had someone donate the money to buy the children's school shoes!), school supplies, and also (after we get there) buy mosquito nets, possibly mats to sleep on, vegetable seeds, paint to paint the outside of the school, and other things that might be needed.  Also, we will spend a day (each team) at a baby orphanage that is very poor.  We like to take flour, sugar and beans to them and if we have or can get some medical supplies and/or mosquito nets, then that too is a great need.  So, this is what the Fundraiser Dinner is for.

The food is being donated by TEXAS ROADHOUSE IN SAN MARCOS...THANK YOU TEXAS ROADHOUSE....You Rock!!!


Besides dinner, we will have a silent auction, we will have IChooseYou T-Shirts for sale, items that our IChooseYou ladies have made, lots of pictures and hopefully live music....it will be a night of fun, fellowship and a time to get to know other IChooseYou family members.

 Invite your friends to come so they can learn about IChooseYou!!!

One more thing....We ask for your prayers while we are gone...prayers for safety, for good health, for safety and health for our family members that we leave here and for us to follow what the Lord has for us to do while we are there.  As I have said from the beginning of IChooseYou...it belongs to the Lord.  This is His work and we are just following His lead.
"Who will I send as a messenger to my people?  Who will go?"  And I said, "Lord, I'll go!  Send me."  Isaiah 6:8
Also, pray for the Ugandan people to see Jesus through us...it is so not about us, it is all about Jesus!!
Members of the team are as follow:
Becky Ball
Ted Ball
Darby Burleson
Brandi Silva
Josh Burleson
Micah Burleson
Kyla Donnor
Lauri Bunch
Linda Bueltel
Callie Eacret
Becca Willett
Taylor Van Duinen

We need your prayers and we thank you for your prayers!!!!!

SEND ME YOUR LETTERS AND PICTURES!!!

HOPE TO SEE YOU ON SATURDAY, APRIL 30!!!!!!

Thank all of you so much for being a part of IChooseYou.  What you are doing monthly for the children in Namatala, Uganda is truly life changing.  YOU ARE A BLESSING!!!!!

Praying God's sweet blessings to each of you,

Becky

For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God.
Of all the people on earth, God has chosen you to be His own special treasure.
                                                                     Deuteronomy 7:6

Meet Musa

I would like for you to meet Musa, better known as YumYum.  This first picture was taken within the first year of IChooseYou.  YumYum had been in school for 3 months and was still a little shy.  The second picture was taken the following year and needless to say he is no longer a shy little boy.  Two of our team members, Taylor Campbell and Julie Mac Gray gave him the sun glasses to put on and taught him the "gang" sign....he is such a little mess....we all love him....he is so fun.
Musa, YumYum will be 10 years old this year.  When Momma Aida chose him to be an IChooseYou child he had to learn that he did not have to go through the "rubbish" piles to find food.  Momma Aida tells the story that one day a friend of hers called her to tell her that "one of her kids" (in a school uniform) was going through the rubbish piles and was not in school.  Momma Aida went to see who it was...it was Musa, YumYum.  He was scared when he saw Momma Aida because he thought that he was in trouble and that he was going to be punished. She sat down with him and told him to look at her face.  She asked him if he thought she looked angry.  He shook his head, "no".  She then told YumYum that she loved him and that he no longer had to get his food from the "rubbish", that he was now an IChooseYou child and that he would be fed at school and at home, that he would not go hungry again.  Also, that he could go to school and learn so that he could grow up to be a man that works and takes care of his family.  YumYum has not gone back to the "rubbish pile" again.  He has gone from the unsmiling, hopeless, shy little boy to the happy, fun, laughing little boy that is full of hope.
We can't wait to go see Musa, YumYum....wonder what he is up to now....we will report on him when we get back from our upcoming trip in May.
If you would like to help Musa or any of the IChooseYou children...go to IChooseYou.net and sign up to sponsor a child...make a difference in a child's life!!!

Uganda trip Fundraising Garage Sale!!

Don't miss a BIG fundraising Garage Sale (benefitting the upcoming Uganda trip in May) !!

Saturday, March 12th
8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
19 Serenade Circle (in Woodcreek North)
Wimberley, TX

News from IChooseYou

Hello to Everyone from the IChooseYou Texas Office!!

Just wanted to give you an update on what all is going on...

• Morris and Aida were here in January!  We visited with them in Houston on January 22 where we attended the Grace International Dinner with Mike and Mary Thrasher.  We enjoy this with the Thrasher's and Morris and Aida each year.
• Morris and Aida were in Wimberley for about 10 days this year.  They spent a day with Ted and I while they were here.  They updated us on the children...which all are doing well in school.  They have had to deal with many of the children coming down with malaria but because of the generous donations that we had received the children did get the medical attention that was needed. We also made some plans for our upcoming trip in May/June....it's going to be a full trip...so much needs to be done.
• Darby was able to come over and spend some time with Morris and Aida.  Darby and Aida made plans for the ladies and their sewing projects.  They are learning so much and are so excited about working!!!  Darby raised money to hire a teacher to work with the ladies to teach them how to read and write!!!!  Is that wonderful or what!  
• People who were/are interested in going to Uganda gathered that evening to get to know Morris and Aida and hear from them what is happening with IChooseYou and how God is blessing the work and the families in Namatala.  Our time with them was wonderful....too short but what a blessing!

• We are having problems with the pig farm.  I'm not really sure what all is going on....of course it has to do with money....feeding the pigs (cost have gone up) and paying the workers.  I am still learning that we see things so differently then they do in Uganda....I would appreciate the prayers for this venture.  If any of you know someone that has a heart for starting businesses in 3rd world countries and/or knows anything about pigs....please send them my way....I am way out of my league!!

• Our next trip to Uganda will be in May...we are taking 2 teams this year.  Here are some prayer requests that we would love to have you join us in praying for:

1.  Health and safety for our 41 IChooseYou children and their families

2.  Wisdom in selecting 9 additional children...should we add more at this time and if so which ones.

3.  The ladies sewing club....how and where to sell their goods.

4.  The pig farm....wisdom, understanding and good communication with the men, healthy pigs, workers and funds.

5.  The team that is going this year....as they raise their money for the trip, for their health and safety as they prepare to go.  

6.  For possible fundraisers...we need to raise money for 50 backpacks (about $500.00) and for food to feed all 41 IChooseYou families one day that we are there (around 200 people and the cost is around $600.00) and for new school shoes 50 children x 20.00 per child ($1000.00)...it all adds up fast!!  We would like to paint the outside of the school....would like to take food to a Baby Orphanage and we would like to set up a small wound care clinic....so all in all we are looking at raising around $3,500.00 to $4,000.00!!!  

I am sure that I have left something out of the prayer requests but if you would just pray for the trip and the families in general that would be wonderful...thank you in advance for your prayers.

Sponsors and Donors, thank you so much for being a part of what God is doing through IChooseYou...you are making such a difference in the lives of these children....they have a hope and a future because of your love and care.  Some of them are alive because of your love and care....times are hard here but in comparison we have so, so much and we have so, so much to give and you are!!!!  Thank you and bless you.

I will try to update the blog again soon...when we know when the fundraisers are, etc.  

Blessings to each on of you,

Becky

www.ichooseyou.net  ...  spread the word....sponsor a child....make a difference in the life of a child!!!!

2011

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!


I hope everyone has had a wonderful CHRISTmas and your New Year has started out with many blessings!!


I believe that 2011 will be an amazing year for IChooseYou...and we praise God for all that He has done these past two years.  As I was reading this morning...in Genesis 1:27..."God created human beings in his own image.  In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."  WOW, He created you and me in his image....he created all of our children and all of our IChooseYou children and their families in his image...He created EVERYONE in his image.  We know this, we have read this over and over again....but this morning it hit me just how much he loves me, loves you, loves our IChooseYou kiddos and loves everyone that HE CREATED!!!   Being created in his image also means that we are to be like him, be the hands and feet of Christ and I know that he smiles when he sees how each of you and your commitment to IChooseYou is "being like Him".  He puts in our heart the desire to help those that are in need...He puts in our heart to "to be the change that you want the world to be".  I am so blessed to be in this ministry with each and everyone of you.  Hang on for a wonderful and blessed 2011!!


Becky


Stepping out in faith is giving God the opportunity to be God.