Watoto baby shower

I have long been a person who is passionate about poverty and injustice and those who know me in person will know that I have previously organised fundraising events for a school in a slum in Kenya and for a trip to Uganda that my mother and some others went on a couple of years ago to do trauma work with former child soldiers. Well I am a woman on a mission again!!!!

In the past week I have read 2 books about Africa. One was "Frida" about a woman who survived the genocide in Rwanda after watching her whole family murdered in front of eyes, and one called "girl soldier" about Grace Akollo who was abducted and forced to be a soldier in Uganda but eventually escaped. I have another book beside my bed that's next to read called "warrior princess" about an Aids orphan in Zambia. I knew they would all be hard reading but they jumped out at me last time I was at Koorong and I felt really challenged to pick them up.

So after all this reading that left me very emotional I have been pondering my role in the world. The plans I always had for myself included finishing my degree (originally teaching, but then community development which I may still get to finish once my kids aren't quite so small), and I was going to then use this piece of paper as a way to help people in the poorest places overseas. This plan has never eventuated and I've spent the last couple of days feeling a bit lost in my sense of purpose as I'm turning 35 in a few days and was feeling like I was getting old without achieving anything that I'd wanted to do in life. God has since kicked me up the butt (with the help of some friends as well) and reminded me that His plans may look different to mine, but His plans are perfect and whether I ever end up travelling to Africa or not He has placed it on my heart for a reason and I can show His love in many, many ways I would never have thought of.

So I am excited about organising a 'watoto baby shower'. I need absolutely nothing for this baby that's due in 6 weeks (unless they were wrong about it being a girl, in which case non pink clothes might be a good idea). We have all the clothes we used for Bethany, the bath, bouncer, change table etc, and we have bought the things we did need which were a bassinet, another car seat and a pram that fits 2 bubbas in it. So rather than anyone buying a gift for our bubba when it's born I have a list of what they need for 2 new oprhanges opening in Uganda and am asking people to buy something from that list for babies who have nothing instead. This is being organised by my new church (who are big enough to organise a shipping container to Uganda!)and I am excited at being able to be a part of something going on there already that fits in so beautifully with where I'm at in life at the moment.

I was going to copy and paste the info about the homes for the babies that was already written out to promote these baby showers but the computer wont let me do it whch is very frustrating!! Basically they are opening 2 new homes for babies in Uganda this year, one up North in Gulu and one further south. The babies that come into their care have mostly been abandoned and are found on doorsteps, in rubbish dumps and even in pit latrines!! I am so looking forward to meeting my baby soon and just the thought of these precious little ones with no-one to love them breaks my heart! This is not just a chance to help with physical needs for these babies but to also pray for them and to celebrate their lives and show that they are not forgotten by God!

So the plan is to try and tell as many people as I can and collect gifts over the next few weeks rather than host an actual shower on a specific date which to be honest I don't think I have the energy for right now. They need pretty much everything and there is a specific list of what they need and some things require specific brands or colours because of conditions over there. Everything needs to be collected before June 30th (I'll need it before then in order to get it all to the church by that date) and they are asking each baby shower to give $100 towards the shipping costs, so I am asking people to put $5 with their gift to help towards that. Everything needs to be brand new and in its packaging.

If you would like to help out then please email me at carolyn075@bigpond.com and I can send you an email with the registry list attached. I hope you can help me bless these precious little ones as I get ready to welcome my own little one into the world :-)