Only He can give us the desires of our hearts.

I sit here today, amazed at this long.....yet actually very short journey. Just 6 short weeks ago I was given the opportunity to travel to Uganda this next month.

The plan seemed so far fetched, yet God said, "this is where I want you." So many details......so little time God. I tried hard to REASON with Him! That sounds so funny just typing it!

I remember telling God that I knew nothing about the people of Uganda. He reminded me that He and I had had this discussion a mere 4 years ago when I stumbled upon a child's photo from Vietnam. That's Faith, my daughter. And just as I know nothing about the people, His people, of Uganda, I knew nothing about His people of Vietnam. Yet, he said GO!

It's amazing to me, that without knowing all of God's plans for our families lives, I have always known that "this place" is not my home. America.......it's a wonderful, beautiful, blessed place full of rights and freedoms. But, God has told me to travel to lands out of my comfort zone........step out of my comfy bubble and simply LOVE.

While fund-raising for this amazing trip that we leave in about 10 days for,(OMG that is so sonn!! EEKS!) I stumbled upon a website called Sixty Feet.

This organization helps orphans that live in a place referred to as "M." This place is hidden.......no one speaks of it......some have just happened to stumble upon it, while in Uganda.
Here......is their story:

According to the most recent estimates, there are approximately 2.5 million orphans in Uganda, over a million of whom are a direct result of AIDS. Roughly 1 in 6 children in Uganda under the age of 17 is an orphan. Deep in the bush outside Kampala is a place where some of these abandoned, unloved and neglected children are kept. And this is where our story begins…

Not long ago a woman was on her way out of Kampala and drove past a dilapidated old sign that read “M”: Rehabilitation Center for Children. She was drawn to learn more about the place and so she turned down a long, winding dirt road until she came to the end. To her horror, she found rooms of children locked up, young kids chained to windows, and even a 10 day old, malnourished and living in her own urine. She saw hundreds of children with little food and no supervision.

The power of that moment could not be denied. The statistics and figures that Nathalie knew all too well now had a name and a face. The suffering was real and her first hand experience would change the course of her life and the lives of these children. A glorious story of redemption for these little ones began that day when Nathalie followed her inkling and wandered into “M”.

Eight thousand miles away, the ripple effects of Nathalie’s ministry made their way to the shores of America. When we heard about “M” our hearts were completely broken. Living amidst a sea of abundance and well cared for families, we could not begin to fathom the pain and suffering that these children endure on a daily basis. It was clear that God was calling us on a mission too.

In early 2010, some of the men on our team heard about this place and began to pray that God would send someone to help. They soon realized it was them God was sending. They decided that we should go and see how God was at work in the lives of these children, and how we might participate. And so we did.

What we learned was something we already knew but had not personally experienced so vividly. The heart of God is unquestionably devoted to caring for widows and orphans, for the poor and the marginalized, for the hungry and those who suffer injustice. This we knew. But experiencing God at work in this desperate environment made us realize that He was calling us to live out the Gospel and be devoted to His purposes in a way that was tangible, sacrificial and enduring.

It is an awesome and deeply humbling thing to have an encounter with the living God. Deep in the bush outside Kampala, we encountered Him at work and it changed our lives.

Sixty Feet was born out of a desire to participate in God’s work at “M”, to come along side those already involved in the lives of the children, to share the love of Jesus Christ in a meaningful way, and to care for orphans that are otherwise treated as common prisoners. In short, Sixty Feet is a response to the Gospel.

We are just regular people who responded to a call on our lives. We are submitted to the authority of Christ and to His will for this ministry. We exist for His glory and to serve His purposes as long as He would have us do so.

This is our story, and we pray that soon…. it may be your story too.

________________________________________________________________________________________

I have heard that the children here live in unfathomable conditions. They are strapped to beds, have little food, supervision, or basic needs met that you and I would consider to be "the norm."

This is a place that most, including myself, would never want to go! I'd like to turn my head, pretend this place doesn't exist, and go back to my merry little life in Missouri, AKA The land of the free and the home of the brave.

Yet, I found myself asking, almost pleading with God to take me there. Please let me go there! I MUST go there! Surely if even for only one day God....I could do something.......anything!?!?!?!

Today I have found out that we get to go to "M" while in Uganda. My heart nearly stopped beating as I read the email this morning. I know only He can give us our hearts desires.

I am humbled and blessed to be able to visit the children of "M" who have no mommies, no daddies, no shoes, no Veggie Tales movies, no lollipops.....NO NOTHING! NOTHING!

DO YOU HEAR ME>???????? They have NOTHING!! I could scream it from the roof tops when people say, "Well, I would give, do, adopt, do more.....but I just can't afford it!

Don't you get it?????????? God doesn't call the EQUIPPED!!! He EQUIPS the called!!

He provides! He gives! He does! How can we sit around and do N*O*T*H*I*N*G???????

We must DO......ACT.....GET INVOLVED......and save that one little starfish, because of all of us did something......ANYTHING, there would be no more children dying because of a mosquito bite.....and no more orphans.

My heart aches to do more, love more, see more.

I pray for God's hands to hold us........and guide us while we carry out His plans for His children.

I am so blessed to he chose lil ole me to be His hands and feet.

Wow'ed

Sixty Feet....go check it out! http://sixtyfeet.org/

Bambi

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. We started making cheesecakes, cookies, cakes, and other baked goods in an effort to raise the $6,000 Kim and I need to travel to Uganda.

The amount of funds we needed to raise scared me.....ok, let's be honest, it engulfed me.

How could we do it? Where would the money come from? The list went on and on.

We posted on Facebook (yes FB, thanks for the FREE advertising)that we were selling baked goods. My inbox and wall lit up with people wanting to place their treat order.

We have now made over 60 cheesecakes, 12 dozen brownies, and too many cookies to even count.

Then, Nana (We LOVE you Nana!) said that she would make home-made girly dresses and give back all the payments received to our trip. The dress orders too, came flying in.......and in,,,,,,and in.... Oh Nana, what have you gotten yourself into?

Now, we are approximately $1,000 from reaching our $6,000 goal. I cannot even believe it!!!!

We have now made a new goal which is to raise more money than we need so that we can buy food and shoes for orphans while we're there. Many children in Uganda have never even owned a pair of shoes. Can you imagine? Take a look in your closet and count the number of pairs you have. I know I have way more than I need. Can you imagine NEVER having a single, solitary pair of shoes to wear??

Can we imagine sitting on the dirt floor, in a mud hut, eating the little amount of food we have, with our hands? No utensils are given.....no fancy place settings, not even a kitchen table to put those things on if they had them.

I'm sitting at my desk. I have a diet coke, a bag of twizzlers, and a slice of pizza in front of me. A candle is burning, vanilla spiced creme is the scent. It's warm here next to my heater. This is quite cozy.

Yet, half way around the world, the scene is different. In fact, it is the total opposite.

What if the lil guy above was yours??? Would you do everything in your power to save him??

I know I would.....I have been down that road three or four times, yes I counted correctly. So so hard it is to have your child half way across the world and another government, another piece of paper work says....JUST WAIT! Wait they say?? How does one do that??

Waiting is not something I'm good at, nor have I ever claimed to be. Not a good waiter to say the least.

And here I am again......waiting. We have 4 weeks until we leave for Uganda. I never thought I would be going to Africa......never! It's just so funny how we plan our lives and then God sets the stage for what He has planned for our lives.

And people call us crazy, ask why we're going to feed other countries when there are hungry people in America, they sometimes ridicule our crazy antics. I have heard so many times lately, "I could never do that!"

I promise, I am the farthest from what most would consider to be a strong person. Most days I whine just because I must remove the covers and get out of bed.

You could do it....................adopt...........mission work..............pray for God's forgotten treasures......Yep, I know you could.

I learned long ago that God does NOT call the equipped, He equips the called!!

Yep, Remember David and Goliath? As far as I remember, David wasn't a stout, muscley young man......but, God equipped him.

My heart has so many fears about going to Uganda.

I'm terrified of not being able to do enough. Two weeks really isn't that long at all. I often dream lately that I am being dragged onto a plane back to America. I don't want to leave and I keep saying, "But, my job isn't done yet.....I can't leave!"

What if that is truly what happens?

I have already contemplated how I could smuggle a few orphans back into the land of the free and the home of the brave.

No, I'm not kidding....how could I be? I truly have plotted out the whole scene.

Two babies or small children will fit in my large duffel bag. Everything goes off without a hitch until they put my duffel bag (orphans inside) through the x-ray machine. Cuz you know those dang machines would show bones!!!!UGHHHHHH! I haven't figured that part out yet and at this point, I'm even willing to show some cleavage if they let me bypass that machine with just a few of God's forgotten treasures.

Yes, Listen.....IN THE NAME OF JESUS........TO SAVE ORPHANS I would show cleavage!

Please pray for us as we grow closer to leaving on this adventure that God has planned for us.

We are so close to our goal.................and we pray we surpass that goal.

The other day Kim posted on her facebook wall: "God is so good and Merciful. He knows our needs before we need them and to see him fulfill them is such a Blessing. I am humbled." Oh how truthful is that statement!!

So happy you have decided to join us in this crazy thing we call life. Please continue to pray for us as we prepare for the adventure of a lifetime.

Below is a map from Missouri to Kampala, Uganda. Not that far to travel right????

Many Blessings,
Bambi

Below is a letter that I sent out as an invite to our auction and benefit dinner.

UGANDA MISSION’S TRIP BENEFIT DINNER/AUCTION

Who is Invited: You, your family, and anyone else that has a heart for Jesus,orphans, and the mission work that He asks us to do
What: BBQ dinner (pulled pork and smoked ribs) Silent Auction and Raffle, Family/Child Photography, Adult Game of Basketball (Get your game face on!), Worship Music, and GREAT times with new and old friends
When: Saturday, February 26th, 2011, 6 p.m.-whenever the fun stops
Where: Immanuel Lutheran School Gym
1500 Lipper
Higginsville, MO 64037
Why: My heart aches for a people I have never met, thousands of miles away. I do not understand God’s plans, nor am I meant to. I do know, however, that He told me to trust in Him and go where He leads me.
Myself, my sister, and 20 other women from around the world are traveling to Uganda from April 4th-16th, 2011. We will be working with the African Hearts Ministry that bring children off of the streets to feed and clothe them. Yes, these children are living on the streets, even as young as age 2 or 3. These children have no one to care for them as their parents and loved ones have all died from the AIDS epidemic, starvation, and poverty. If you gave them a bar of soap to shower with, they would sell it to buy food.

Imagine having no shoes, no food, and, no Mom or Dad to tell you everything is going to be all right. This IS their reality.!This IS every day for them! This IS their life!

We will also be working with a feeding program in Ssenge Village in Uganda to feed handicapped people of all ages. These people drag themselves (literally) from miles away just to have the chance to receive a free meal.
This is where our journey begins and I hope you follow where God has lead us. I have a blog that I have and will continue to journal my adventures, including pictures. The web address is http://3trucksand2hairbows.blogspot.com/. OVER for 2nd page -------->


I ask that you please RSVP as soon as possible to Bambi at heart1054@hotmail.com or by calling me at (816) 565-0867. We want to ensure we have plenty of food and that everyone gets a full belly.

Below is a list of SOME of the items that will be in our silent auction and raffle.

We will be having many “themed” baskets in the silent auction. Here are a few samples to give you an idea of what we will be featuring.

Family basket: family themed DVD, popcorn, 2 kinds of candy, 2 Large pizzas from Pizza Hut
Girly Basket: Hairbows, Dress up attire, nail polish, make-up, and silly bands
Boy Basket: boy’s house slippers, bag of army men, kite, sour candy, $10 Sonic Gift Card
Pampered Chef Basket: This one is full of goodies but you have to come to find out what this basket holds! We can’t give all our secrets away!
Movie Night Basket 4 movie passes to the Lexington Cannonball 6 theater, popcorn, Nerds ropes, Twizzlers, and a 6 pack of soda
Date Night Basket: Dinner for two at Las Carrates (Lexington or Higginsville), Bottle of wine (Shipped in from a donator in Italy, NO FOOLIN!), home-made dessert, FREE childcare for the evening (at Bambi’shouse, 12000 Hwy O, Lexington)
Cookies & Milk Party Basket: 6 dozen assorted, home-made cookies and 1 gallon of milk (stored in the frig while you have dinner and shop)
Also, we will be auctioning: Gourmet Cheesecakes, home-made cookies, Dinner for 4 at McDonalds, hand-made frilly tu-tus, 5-6 course meal at the home of Barry Pruitt in Blue Springs, Missouri, OOEY GOOEY Chocolate gift cert.and MUCH, MUCH more!!

We hope to see you there!
Bambi Rockhold and Kim Hughes
(address for donations if you are unable to attend) PO Box 234, Lexington, MO 64067
my cell (816) 565-0867

Oodles of sugar

I can even begin to explain what our God has done to help us raise the needed funds to get to Uganda and love on those beautiful orphans.

Recently, many things have changed regarding the Uganda trip including, My sister (who is now going to Uganda too) WOOT WOOT, a change of hearts for the people that we needed to support this mission,(which we needed BIG time) and the Faith that we now have knowing that God IS going to get us to Uganda.

I wholeheartedly believe that if God asks you to do something, He will help you get there. Didn't say it would be an easy task!! OH BABY NO I I didn't! But, He will get us there.

So, we have started making gourmet cheesecakes, cookies, and cakes to help raise the funds needed.



We are also hosting a benefit dinner/auction on February 26th at 6 pm in the Immanuel Lutheran School Gym to raise some funds needed for travel.

ANY...................DONATION...................Will get you a fabulous BBQ meal and a wonderfully fun evening.

WILL YOU BE THERE???? Please email me at heart1054@hotmail.com to RSVP! We want to make sure we have plenty of food to feed everyone!!

So, here we are.....6 weeks to raise a total of $6,000!!

We are praying BIG time for a BIG turnout at our dinner and auction and many many COOKIE ORDERS!!

Let me know if you would like to place your order today!!

Many Blessings,

Bambi

I cannot even begin to tell you the excitement that God has put in my heart to go and serve a people that I know little about.

I would compare this with both of our adoption adventures. People asked, Why China? Why Vietnam?

My reply....because that's where my children are. That's where God told us to go.

God whispered just a few simple word to my heart, Go,Love, Do!

My heart and soul is preparing for my next adventure, in Uganda.

It's so funny because once God showed me His plan for this missions trip, I was asked.....How can you get off of work for 2 weeks? How will your husband care for your children all alone while you are gone? How will you___________?????

God told me to go......I knew the details would work themselves out and they have.

I have known for quite awhile that 'this place" is NOT my home. I live in America but, I do not feel at home.

Where is my home you might ask? Well, I am not sure yet. China? Vietnam? Uganda? Korea? I don't know but, I do know that in God's timing, this will one day be revealed to me.

To say that God has asked me to TRUST Him lately is an understatement.

He has asked, nudged, pushed me to get rid of my "stuff." Not all materialistic "stuff" because some is emotional, mental, physical. This task that I am undertaking is not easy. It's HARD work, but if it was easy...it wouldn't mean as much.

God asked me recently to give up something that is so very dear to my heart. I cannot exactly tell you what this is yet, as God is still whispering to me regarding this treasure.But, I know He asked to me because I plainly said, "Well, I could NEVER do that, Wow, this person did "this" but not me God, Wow, that would take HUGE faith, Glad God didn't ask me to do anything CRAZY like that."

And


then


He


did


ask

ME!

I thought maybe God dialed incorrectly. You know....OOPS, wrong number! Yep, not so much!

God has the digits to our hearts and he speaks words that only we can understand, comprehend, and take in.

For the first time in my life God has asked me to fast. Not an easy fast like, "OK GOD, I will give up LIVER...., but just for YOU"...wink wink!

It something that I like....ALOT, but God said, refrain, and I have, only with His help.

Spiritual fasting is not just about giving up food or other items, but it is about feeding the spirit through our obedience to God.

Joel 2:12 ". . . turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and
with weeping, and with mourning."

More to tell later.

Bambi

ABUNDANTLY BLESSED!

Today, God has said YES, I CHOSE YOU................to Go to Uganda!

I have been blessed abundatly today.

Will give more exact details tomorrow, but for now wanted to thank God for His provisions.

I AM SO EXCITED I WILL NEVER SLEEP!

EEEEEKS!!
Bambi

Listen, Follow, GO!

God is calling me.

Uganda is calling me.

The very breath I breathe is truly not my own, I belong to Him!

God has called me to Uganda to love on the poor and the orphaned. I have no idea where the money for this trip, this mission, will come from, but He does!!

Today, I am turning this "mission" over to God. I am headed to Uganda for 2 weeks in April. I have six weeks to raise $3,000. I have $100 that's due today, $1800 that's due on March 1st, and $1200 that's due on March 15th.
If you should choose to make a donation, I know God will truly bless you.

You may send a secure donation through pay pal by clicking the button above or you may mail any donations to The River Church, 860 Plymouth Drive, Durango, CO 81301.

You will need to add a note that says for: "Bambi Rockhold, April, 2011 Uganda trip."

I know God will make a way for me to get to Uganda.
Should you have any questions, you may email me at heart1054@hotmail.com or call me at (816) 565-0867.

Blessed Beyond Measure,
Bambi