Let me tell you the crazy story of how God sent two ladies from Ohio to the other side of the world with a team of strangers and a dumptruck load of faith.

It starts about 7 years ago when an Ugandan man, Ssemakula David, was seeking out help in a Backyard Meat Rabbit Facebook group, trying to save his hurt rabbits. Christina Banks Upchurch, who raises rabbits and is in the same Facebook group, is intrigued as she sees this man using rabbits to minister to his community, teaching kids skills, feeding them, finding sponsors for the most vulnerable, and most importantly telling them about Jesus. Rabbitseed Ngo is born and Christina was quickly a supporter. I came along a few years later, I also raise rabbits and enjoyed hearing the unique way David was using them to impact his village and the Kingdom of God. I started sponsoring a little boy named Juko and David added me to a group message he uses to communicate with his sponsors. I got videos of Juko, even the occasional live video call. I got to know David, and watched what God was doing in Uganda as it unfolded.

Years pass by, Juko and his mom moved away and David contacted me about a new boy he's been trying to find a sponsor for, our sweet boy Emma.

In November of 2021 I had this vivid dream. Christina and I were getting off a plane in Africa. We sit down to look over a map and itinerary of our trip and I realize how close we are to David and the kids we sponsor. In the dream we start trying to figure out how to spend a day with them while we're so close.

The very next morning Glorious Shoo visited City Hill Church to share what God's doing in Tanzania, the country just south of Uganda. There was even a potential 2023 Mission Trip in the works. I think to myself, "This is it! God's sending me on this trip!" I text Christina, I even get a chance to tell Glorious my dream and he tells me Kampala is a short 1 hour flight from where he is in Tanzania. This must be it.

You know what? It would have been quite a bit more comfortable to go with my church family, but it turned out that wasn't what God had in mind at all. To this day that trip is still in the planning phase (its going to be 🔥🔥 when God brings it to fruition though, I can't wait to see what He has in store!). God wanted a bolder display of faith from me.

March 6, 2023 rolled around. The sponsors in David's group message were discussing one of Rabbitseed's new partners: Go Overflow. Go Overflow was organizing a 2023 mission trip to visit several of their Ugandan partners, and, for the first time ever, Rabbitseed was on the itinerary. Many sponsors wished they could go, but most were unable. One sponsor, a man who shows incredible obedience with the gifts God gives him, says he'll sponsor two people from our group message if anyone can go. Christina saw the facebook messages before I did and she volunteered us. It was a bold move that I know she would not have made if it hadn't been for God sending the dream beforehand. She sent me the text below.

It was so surreal, my friends. I honestly couldn't wrap my mind around it. In faith, we renewed our passports. In faith, we looked up vaccines we'd need. I had moments of doubt where I thought, surely this is too good to be true. Surely, God wouldn't send ME of all people. But we showed up at the airport at the appointed time and GOD DID THE REST 🙌 He wrote a wild story that I probably won't shut up about for a long long LONG time.

We met a team of 15 strangers in London and traveled Uganda with them. We stood on 4 continents, ministered to Muslim polygamists about Biblical marriage, hugged and prayed with women Jesus rescued from human trafficking, held Emma's hand and wept with his mother, encouraged the doctors to whom God gave the gift of healing, broke bread with anointed leaders doing His work in Kampala and Kabale, and so much more. So much more and, my friends, HE'S NOT DONE YET.

I can't wait to see what God has in store for us in Uganda in 2024. THANK YOU to everyone who has generously partnered with us! 

Prior to our first mission, I couldn't fathom what I could possibly do or say to make any sort of meaningful impact to the Ugandans I'd meet.

I was told I'd use my testimony to make connections, but I was also told that we'd be working with girls who'd been prostituted by their families and boys starving in the slums. Jesus was walking with them through suffering my testimony never touches and I was doubtful it would yield a meaningful connection.

When I was asked to share my story at Hummingbird House God whispered that I already knew what to say. Years prior I'd shared a testimony about community at a women's breakfast, and apparently it was practice for this very moment.

I stood up and told them about my mother who walked a way when I was young and had very few answers for why when she returned. I told them about the anger I used to carry toward my parents for leaving me and at God for saying He had created me with a plan and a purpose but then not giving me to a mother who would stay and protect me. I told them about the time I heard God audibly respond to my audacious anger, He told me my parents had fallen short because they are flawed humans just like me, BUT He had taken care of me himself when they fell short. Which is better? The care of an imperfect human parent or the care of a perfect father in heaven? Then he showed me the faces of all the people He'd brought around me during the seasons my parents were absent. Nancy Greer who'd given me a car, Tom Ledford who'd taught me how to drive it, teachers who had fed me when I was hungry, a huge collection of friends and family through biology, marriage, and church who God wrapped around me. Ultimately the Lord helped me resolve my anger, I left it at the foot of the cross, and he taught me to forgive others the way He first forgave me.

I cried, they cried, and then we invited them to pray with our team. 3 girls lined up to pray with me, but first they wanted to tell me something. We struggled with the language barrier so one of them fetched Lutaaya, who was fluent in both languages. They asked Lutaaya to tell me that their mothers had each left them and they too are angry. They wanted me to pray that Jesus would do in their heart what he'd done in mine. 😭 All 4 of us prayed together as a group, then one on one with each girl. I can't describe it other than knock-you-to-your-knees-POWERFUL. Here we are, just girls from opposite sides of the planet coming before Jesus for one another, for our mothers, for freedom from our anger, for chains to be broken, for there to be no masters in our life aside from Jesus, and for freedom from generational curses. I have no doubt that spiritual battles were won in those moments.

Again, I'd suffer the stomach hex one thousand times over if it meant I'd be used by the Lord at the end of it.

I don't know if Nabasumba Christine, my friend on the otherside of the world, knows what she taught me on the day she invited me into her one room home.

I'd been sponsoring her youngest son, a $50/month contribution that provides him with access to education. This makes a huge impact on his life and his family. And I'd come with a few small presents, a bag of rice and a couple toys. 

Listen, I know its taboo to say it out right, but we're no where near rich according to American standards. God's had me in full time ministry with no mentionable income to add to Joe's for 7 years. Considering that, I thought we were giving pretty generously. I am a fool.

In this moment when Christine and Ema presented me with a wrapped gift full of treats, and fruit, and letters from her kids, and (my favorite) this mug, God showed me the truth of the situation. She had given me more than I had ever given her. 

She had given to ME this box full of gifts. I'm a person with a safety net, access to government welfare, and all the material wealth of living in a first world country. We really only have our pride to loose if faced with harder financial times, but she had given to me and she given from the top, the very best she had to offer. 

I had given to her out of my wealth, and she had given me all she had to live on.

"Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” Mark 12:41‭-‬44 

I was very literally humbled to tears.

Thank you Lord for continuing to break my heart for what breaks yours. Please continue to sharpen me, prune me, refine me. All I have is Yours.