This update is a bit late getting out but I have been tying up some loose ends. Before I address this Africa business, I first want to talk about “here”. I have been home now for about 2 months. In that time I have started to settle in and find what my life looks like back in the western culture. I have a job as a “brand ambassador” at a faith based boutique called, “Altar’d State”. My co-workers are great and I love the company I now work for. Their saying is, “stand out for good”. They are a mission minded company who I can proudly go as far as to say they built a school in Peru and sponsor kids there. I have also started attending a church called, “compelled”. It’s also a culture that is hungry to get involved in the world around them. This church is a group of people who have a hunger to know the Lord more. My time at home has also been spent with my family and pouring into them and vice versa. The Lord has revealed to me even before I had stepped foot in the States again that this would be a time that I would disciple my nieces. Saying that, the Lord has blown my away with His intentionality to detail offering a plethora of opportunities to speak life into my oldest niece. To share truth as well as confirm things spoken to her in the Spirit. My time at home has been full of challenges, good days, and bad days. It’s been crazy and mundane. Basically, I’ve had all the feels.
I know you’re all waiting to hear about me moving to Africa. Well that’s a bit of an exaggeration, I will be living in Uganda for 3.5 months though. I will be partnering with my best friend and co-founder of a Christian organization, “Bridge of Hope”. I will be heading out on August 13th and getting back into the States on Dec. 2nd. “How did this come up?”, you might ask. As most of you know I launched with a new squad in January. Before I met this squad, the idea arose from my mentor at my final debrief (my month 11). She first said it lightly joking and then it start to all started to come together. D Squad would be having there final debrief in Uganda, Africa. In fact Uganda is the country my best friend Amanda has set up her base and is launching her first team ever to host a kids camp in August. That is also the month she gets married to her fiancé. My time in Uganda will be spent doing ministry such as helping run a Kids camp, working in an orphanage for the majority of my time, and of course sharing the gospel where ever I go as I build friendships with the locals. I will be living with a friend of Amanda’s and her fiancé. They are a cute little family with a fierce heart to serve the Lord. They are local to Kampala, Uganda and are fluent speakers of Luganda and speak English.
I bought my ticket and am currently learning Luganda to be able to speak with whoever the Lord puts in front of me. Again, in total I will be staying in Uganda for a duration of 3.5 months. I will end my time in Uganda with D squad at their final debrief. I will be there to help them process the last 11 months of their race and send them home prepared to re-enter as smoothly as possible.
Why I am writing this blog: The Lord has laid this on my heart to serve alongside others in Uganda but He’s not asking me to do this alone. I believe without a shadow of a doubt He is asking you or someone you might know to partner with Him. He wants to take you out of your comfort zone and ask you to trust Him. He wants you to pray BIG PRAYERS!!! I need to support raise $4,000 to make this trip run smoothly. I’m asking you to please prayerfully consider partnering with The Lord and what He’s doing in Uganda. I know things in Uganda spiritually are being shifted and He is sending His people to Harvest. The last month for D-squad might have an ATL month (ask the lord). That means, Uganda will have close to 40 some missionaries all over the country bringing kingdom to the Ugandan people.
How can you partner will me and my mission to reach and complete the work the Lord has given me to do? First and foremost is PRAYER!!!!! I can’t say enough how important prayer is, but the Lord moves mountains y’all!!!! Pray BIG PRAYERS!! Second, you can donate to help me get there by writing a check to Tina and Ted Vanlandeghem and in the memo line write: “rooted families” as well as my name, “Dana Karpinski”. You can send the check to 7001 Taylor ave. Temperance MI 48182. That’s for any tax-deductible donations. If you would like to just send directly to me which still goes to the same place just isn’t tax deductible, you can go to my paypal: https://paypal.me/danakarpinski
In comparison, to how much I was able to raise last year. I know we can make this goal! Last year God made a testament and grew my faith. I had to raise $17,417 dollars and in the first four weeks I raised $4,000 dollars. I know God will provide all that is needed to make this happen. I’ll leave you with this: Mark 16:15 “And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” Would you like to partner with God and what He’s doing in Uganda?
