A letter

To my sweet friends and family,

As you may or may not know, I took my first trip to Uganda this March on a short-term mission trip with my church. While there, I fell in love with this breathtaking country with these beautiful people so full of joy, but also of brokenness. Brokenness partly caused by a war twenty-plus years long, leaving 2 million people displaced and thousands murdered. As a result of the war, Congolese women were and still are being sex trafficked in to Uganda and little girls as young as 6 fall victim to child prostitution. This 20-year war may never end, and these women and children may never know life apart from suffering, but they can know their Creator. 

That's where Zion Project comes in. In a nutshell, Zion Project's purpose is "to walk alongside these women and children as they heal and start their lives again. We are called to love. To love the poor, the outcast, the unloved. To fight against injustice and to spread peace. So we do it, because we’re supposed to. But also because we were made to. And because we love our jobs. Because every day we get to love on a woman or child and see them grow into a more amazing person, and that is reward enough.” To learn more about Zion Project, please visit www.zionproject.org.

I will be traveling to Gulu, Uganda to work in the Rescue Home at Zion Project as a long-term missionary. I have committed for a year but am prepared to be in it for the long haul! It houses 18 girls ages 5-14 who have been victims of child exploitation, abuse, and neglect. They are provided a loving home, education, medical care and a Kingdom-centered environment where they can thrive and learn who they are in their Heavenly Father. My time there will be spent tutoring, counseling, loving on the girls, and spending time in the surrounding communities.

The ways Zion Project serves

•    Help survivors of the sex trade industry heal through counseling and discipleship.

·   Empower these women through alternative employment, such as tailoring and jewelry design.

•    Rescue and protect children at risk of sexual exploitation in our rescue home.

•    Educate the community in an effort to break the cycle through outreach and prayer.

'Why is God calling you to Uganda?' you may ask. Luke 12:48 says: "From everyone who has been given much, much has been demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." I have been given so much. I truly believe that every life matters. I believe in stopping for the one. That I was created to love the way Christ loved us. That I can love each and every person He places in front of me because we are all His children. I believe every single person on this earth deserves to be loved and to know His love. And I have the opportunity to do that in His calling me to Uganda.

Here’s where you come in…

"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good…for the body does not consist of one member but of many." (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 12)

You know you are in a God-centered dream when it is literally impossible for you to complete it in and of yourself. I would be honored if you would join me on this journey! I am asking that you would partner with me in accomplishing this goal in one of two ways:

Pray – If you will commit to praying for me, pray that God will provide for me more than I could ever ask or imagine; for a hedge of protection in my travels to, during, and from Uganda; for a steadfast connection and dependence on Him; and for a heart that grows more like His every day to pour His love on the women and children.

Give – My overall cost to live in Uganda for one year is roughly $12,000. If you will prayerfully commit to supporting financially, you can give:

One time gift through my church

(Tax-deductible donations can be made out to Aletheia Church with a sticky note with my name on it- please don’t write my name in the memo): *

Aletheia Church

P.O. Box 2637

Harrisonburg, VA 22801          

http://www.aletheiachurch.com/give

(If you choose to give online PLEASE e-mail me at hhuebner9@gmail.com so I can identify your gifts for me specifically- there are many donations made to the church and I will need to specify which are going to my fund)

           

*Donations made through my church are being accepted until December 15, 2012. Donations sent after that date must be sent to my PayPal account or to my home address.

One time gift directly to me:

PayPal to hhuebner9@gmail.com

or:    Hailey Huebner

        166 New York Ave.

        Harrisonburg, Virginia 22801

Monthly gift 

(PayPal account- these donations are not tax deductible)

Send to hhuebner9@gmail.com

I would absolutely love to sit down over a cup of coffee and chat with you about any questions or concerns you may have regarding Uganda, Zion Project, or my role there! Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope you will join me on this adventure. 

With bundles of love,

Hailey