For those of you that have received our wedding invitation already, you may notice that on our registry cards right below where our gift registries are listed, it says something about how donations may be made to St. Michael's Kitamba Primary School in Kampala, Uganda. Here's a little bit more info about the school and why it's listed:St Michael's Kitamba Primary School is located four hours north of Kampala, Uganda. This is a poor rural farming area in the hill area of Uganda. The school consists of 50 girls and 10 boys, only two children own a pair of shoes, the other children come to school barefoot. These children have many needs, but despite them all, they believe that they are doing fine. Their attitude is pure and beautiful. They do not know that they are needy, they believe that is what life should be. Many of these children are orphaned due to the AIDS epidemic and civil wars. Many are raised by other family members or strangers. The average life expectancy in Uganda is 36. Family members sell fruits and vegetables to raise money for school fees which average $150-210 per child for the school year. The children receive one meal per day while at the school consisting of posho (grits), beans and rice and receive a notebook and pencils.
Matt and I want every part of our wedding to be a reflection of who we are. We wanted our passions, our personalities, our interests and our loved ones to be included in this special day where the two of us become one. And as so, I couldn't imagine not including some type of humanitarian effort into that day. Africa, more specifically the orphans of Africa, have always been a passion and huge part of my heart since I was young. Matt has one of the biggest hearts of anyone I know and shares this similar passion with me. Both of us hope that one day God will allow us to include some of these forgotten ones in our family. Adoption has definitely been a topic of conversation in our family planning talks :)
The church I attend has been presented with an amazing opportunity of going over to Uganda to help out a couple orphanages there. St. Michael's is one of those orphanages and is located in such a rural part of Uganda that no one at the school has ever even seen a white person! (I wish I could be there to see the looks on their faces when a group of gringos arrive!) Amazing! A group from Life Church will be going over the beginning of September not to spread a religion, but to present the real and raw love of Jesus in a practical way. Not only will they be providing these schools with practical supplies like clothes, school supplies and money, but they will be letting the children know that there is a God out there who is real and loves them! They will be letting them know they matter to someone and that their dreams and hurts are not forgotten! What a powerful and amazing opportunity! I'm more than slightly jealous that I couldn't be joining them.
If you would like to join with Matt and I in this cause, donations and/or checks may be made to Life Church. Please be sure to specify Uganda Missions.
We will have a donation table set up at the reception. Or, any donation can be sent to Life Church at 3818 West 4700 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84118. If you have any further questions, you may also call Life Church at 801.968.3715 or visit http://www.lifechurchutah.com/ .
Thanks for visiting us again and sharing in our enthusiasm about our BIG day! We can't wait to see you at the wedding! :)
Sister of the Bride...need I say more?? Not very many people are blessed to have the type of relationship with their sister like I have with mine. Rebecca has been my role model since the moment I was born! She's even the one who named me! Even though there's 6 1/2 years between us, you would never know it! We finish each other's sentences and have the amazing ability to read each other's thoughts. Put us together in a game of Taboo and I promise, you don't stand a chance! Rebecca has not only been my older sister, but a best friend.
Whitney and I have been friends since we were 13, and best friends since high school! Whitney has been one of those friends that every girl wishes they had. The second I needed anything, whether it was a ride to school, a listening ear or a good boy bashing session (back in the high school days of course!), she was always there with a cup of coffee in hand! Her and I have gotten ourselves in and out of trouble together way too many times to count, have way too many inside jokes and far too many funny stories to tell (most of which no one else finds as funny!)! She was there helping at my proposal and I couldn't imagine having my wedding without her standing by my side! :)
As well as growing up with a close family, I was also blessed to grow up with a very close extended family! The closest comparison would be "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." That's right....we had it all: food, food, 10 conversations going on at the same time, women in the kitchen, men at the grill, women in your business, opinions, food, plenty of love, laughter and the thing that brought us all together: FOOD! Haha! I had tons of cousins, so there was always someone to play with! Manda and I were the same age and best buddies growing up. Our moms always put us in matching outfits and had our pictures taken together! We had dreams of owning our own veterinary clinic and even wrote our own cookbook! (Which never made it to the publishers...who knew no one needed a recipe for making peanut butter sandwiches?!) Even though Amanda and her family moved away from Utah when we were young, we managed to stay close and for the first time in about 18 years, we'll be living in the same state again! WAHOO!!! So not only will I have a family member with me in Oklahoma, but also a very close friend! Double bonus. This girl is the real deal.
Mountains! Not only beautiful scenery, but killer workouts! Trail running will forever remain my favorite exercise routine!
Meet Cuddles. We've been best friends for 10 years. All the old sayings about a girl and her horse were probably written because of me and her! Seriously, I've never met a person that understands me as well as my horse ever has. She helped get me through the crazy teenage years and kept me out of trouble (and away from boys! I think that's why my parents bought her...hehe :) ) Her favorite past times include eating, pooping, eating, flirting with the horse next door, going on unsupervised adventures through the neighborhood (while i'm chasing her in my bath robe and towel on my head!), and stealing my peanut butter sandwiches. We sometimes call her Mr. Ed because she flaps her lips when she's curious about things. I LOVE HER!!! Enough said.
This is Mandi. She's two and my favorite running buddy! She enjoys swimming, laying in mud puddles, belly rubs, rolling in smelly things, eating smelly things and giving me kisses afterwards! She always manages to make me smile! Love her so much! :) XOXOXO
