Journey to Uganda :: The Owen’s Adoption Story

I took a job with a small church in Auburn my last semester of college as their Communication Intern. I was supposed to be doing their PR, and helping in the office. Little did I know, their youth minister would leave suddenly, right before my first day of work. I was asked by the pastor if I ‘wanted dibs’ on the youth…

This was not what I signed up for, but I saw it as a GREAT opportunity to pour into those kids. I remember how important youth group was to me growing up, and I wanted these kids to know that someone cared about them. It was a chance to teach them everything I wish I’d known in middle school and high school, and to give them a bigger world view.

She was shy but smart. She was quiet but she had a lot to say! She was talented, kind, and compassionate….a student you’re blessed to have in your group.

When I shared the Invisible Children video with the youth, she was one of those who was truly touched by the plight of the children in Uganda. When I talked about their “Displace Me” event, she wanted to go. “Displace Me” was an awareness raising event happening in big cities around the US. Demonstrators made a statement as they voluntarily subjected themselves to simulated displacement camps for the night. They slept in a cardboard box and had only crackers and water for dinner. They wrote letters to their senators and raised money to send a child to school in Uganda. Unfortunately, it was impossible for me to take a bunch of 14 year olds to Atlanta to an event like that….

But I think it was Janie who said, “Let’s just do it here!”

The church wouldn’t sponsor the event, so it was up to me to prepare. Janie’s awesome parents stepped in to help, and let us use their front yard as a ‘displacement camp’. Only 4 of us showed up – me, Janie, Janie’s little brother Matthew, and Maddie (another girl from youth group) but we were undeterred. We made our ‘Displace Me’ shirts and signs to go up in the yard. Then we set out to knock on every door in the neighborhood to tell them about the cause.

That night we raised $300, enough money to send a child to school in Uganda for a year through Invisible Children’s Legacy Scholarship program!

We spent the night in our cardboard box (with Janie’s Dad and brother in a tent behind us). We wrote letters to our senators by flashlight, and talked about what it must be like for children in Uganda. We reflected on how little they have, and how much we have to give. We went to sleep changed.

The Owen Family became dear friends of mine that semester. Joel, Melanie, Janie, & Matthew became my cheerleaders, prayer warriors, and supporters. They helped me go on my first trip to Africa, and listened to how it changed my life when I came home. They were my very first monthly supporters when I came on staff at AIM as a full-time missionary. They were there to listen to my stories again when I came home from India. They were also there to rejoice with me when I shared the news of mine and Rusty’s courtship!

The Owens are a compassionate family. They care about the important things in life; their relationship with God, their family, and what is on the inside of a person. They are loyal and supportive. They give all they can give and welcome strangers into their home as friends.

They’ve been praying for a long time about adopting, and discussed it with me back in 2007 after my first trip to Africa. Since then they had a chance to host a few members of a Ugandan Children’s Choir and made up their minds to indeed adopt from….

They’ve been working on this process for over a year now and they are getting closer and closer to the day they will meet their children! They are adopting two young children (a brother and sister). At this time I can’t reveal their names or ages online, but please be in prayer for them! God knows who they are and where they are.

When I asked how they felt about it all, they said:

There have been some bumps along this journey recently, setbacks and changes from the government, etc. That’s why I’m writing today – to ask you to PRAY! The Owens have worked so hard to get to this point – home studies, fingerprints, interviews, applications, etc. Now if everything goes according to plan, they could go to Uganda to get their children in 4 – 6 weeks!

Please lift up this precious family in your prayers. Pray for peace as they wait. Pray for God to prepare the hearts of their new children to come home. Pray for God to protect their little ones and to provide for their every need. And above all, PRAY for God to have His hand on all the paperwork, government requirements, court decisions, etc…