Introducing Team Legacy Uganda 2015!

TEAM LEGACY UGANDA ~ 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

It is such a priviledge to make you aware of an incredible opportunity that God has provided for us in the near future. During this summer (July 26-August 2), we (Stacie & Heather) will be joining Tim and Donna Borruel in ministering to the students and staff of Legacy Uganda again!  We will be bringing over school supplies, helping in the the classrooms, building relationships with the students, working with/ encouraging/ training the teachers, providing curriculum oversight, and taking a plethora of photos to bring back to make you all feel like you were a part of the trip. 

“Why Uganda?” you may be asking.  Well, Uganda is considered one of the top three poorest nations in the world, with 52% living on less than $1.25 a day.  Most families live in mud huts without running water.  In conditions such as these, the future of the children who live there is bleak.  Uganda’s children are in desperate need of improved educational opportunities to help them escape the cycle of poverty and open up a brighter future.  Which is why, Legacy Christian Academy Uganda opened its doors to provide the poverty stricken children of this country with an opportunity to pursue dreams and a future. Through the excellent academic program, the students are not only taught how to read and write in English but are also taught moral character and the hope of the Gospel.

If you would like to partner with us in this endeavor, we would ask that you, first and foremost, join us in praying for the trip that: God will be glorified, the Legacy Uganda staff will be encouraged and display teachable hearts, and the lives of the children will be forever impacted by the Gospel.  Also, if God so lays it upon your heart, we could also really use financial support as well (plane flights, meals, housing, school supplies, and transportation can get quite costly).  All donations are tax deductible, and checks can be made out to “Legacy Christian Academy” with “Uganda Trip” as the memo line.  You can then either drop the check off at the front office, or mail it to: 27680 Dickason Dr., Valencia, CA 91355. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.  Our prayer is that we leave the children of Uganda not only with a better education, but that we will leave a legacy in their lives that will last for eternity. We are so thankful that you are apart of our lives!

With much joy and excitement,
Stacie and Heather Zorichak

Legacy Uganda Trip 2013: The Rest of the Trip...

Here is the long awaited blog of the remainder of our trip (beginning with Day #3 ~ Thursday)...

Today we began our day at Legacy.  Despite the extremely long walks that some of them make, the students start flooding through the SOS gates almost an hour before school starts because they are so excited to be there.

From visiting the homes that these kids come from as well as the school they used to go to….

It’s not hard to see why going to Legacy is the highlight of these kids’ day.

Once they get to school, they students know to go brush their teeth first thing.  For most of them, this is their first time having a toothbrush, learning about hygiene, and experiencing running water.   

To show respect for the Legacy classrooms and help keep them clean, the students take their shoes off at the door…

They are then welcomed inside by their wonderful, kind, dynamic, loving, and highly talented teachers…

The beautiful learning environment that Legacy has created for these students is phenomenal!  

We spent the morning watching the students pour diligently over their assignments…

And then after that, we had some fun playing with the kids and taking photos with the kids before they lined up for chapel…

As some of the students lined up, we noticed some fun costumes and knew we were in for a real treat…

The Legacy Uganda choir (under the direction of Esther - a professional Gospel singer) sang and danced their way even deeper into our hearts…

After a word of prayer,

 we had some songs of our own, 

 and a time to share God’s word.

 For dinner that evening, we were welcomed into the homes of some of the Legacy families for a time of feasting and fellowship.  Without electricity and refrigeration, these moms spent the entire day preparing for our arrival.

On Friday, my group spent the morning to evangelism at a couple of the local schools.  Mike led us in singing some songs, then I gave my testimony, the rest of the team participated in a skit that helped illustrate the Gospel message, and Adam tied it all together with a vibrant and powerful message.

 

These kids don’t usually get any kind of affection at home, so they revel in being able to sit close to you or hold your hand.  Being surrounded by so much love at once was pure joy.

 
 It was hard to leave as the kids were sad to see us go and even ran after the car…

On our way home, we stopped by a nearby village for lunch and had such a blast playing with the street kids while we waited on our food…

 

 

In the remaining days and hours before our departure on Sunday afternoon, many of us were also able to:

Ride on the back of a “boda boda”...

 Be encouraged by a village Bible Study with Bekah…

And be there for Celebration Sunday as SOS’s church celebrated it’s 4^th anniversary…

Hundreds of people showed up!  We tried to run a children’s church for the kids, but trying to organize hundreds of kids of all ages who do not speak your language is way harder than herding cats lol…

We gave it our best effort, and then just had fun watching them play and trying to prevent any major injuries…

 After church, SOS provides a meal – this line is specifically for the children only…

 

Following the meal we were able to watch different members of the church share their testimonies and get baptized.  Five of them even shared about how they came to know the Lord solely through one of Bekah’s Bible Studies.  

The impact that SOS and the missionaries involved in SOS are having on the lives of people and the village at large, is incomprehensible.  It was a joy and a blessing to be able to experience this time of harvest along with them.  

 And then we rushed out to grab a few last minute souvenirs and a quick team photo before dashing off to catch our flight…

 And while they say a picture is worth a thousand words (and between the pictures and words I have posted here, I’d say we are easily approaching the million mark ;-)  What pictures can’t fully capture is the infectious joy and overwhelming love we experienced while we were there.  I know that I can speak for everyone on the team when I say that we all left little pieces of our heart in Uganda when we departed…