5 days!

Hi everyone!

I will be leaving for my trip in less than a week - on Saturday, May 28! I am so excited, but I'm also definitely nervous about the entire thing. We will spend 4 days training in CT before flying into Uganda. I am stoked for team bonding/learning/etc during training, but I'm even more excited for the part about actually going to Uganda! Please be praying for my last few days in NC - that I would use them how God wants me to use them. I have a couple requests in particular:

• Other students on my trip are still raising money! Please pray that we would have peace in God's financial plans - because we know He knows what He's doing; it's just not always easy to see.
• That I would be able to be well rested for this trip. I've had a lot of issues with getting enough sleep and being really fatigued in college, and I really want this trip to be a time when I can have enough strength and energy to serve God fully! Please pray that I would be able to recharge during these last days at home and be completely ready to dive in when I get to Uganda.
• That God would be preparing our hearts and that we would have no pride in ourselves or in our abilities. I pray this is a time for all of us to learn about Jesus' humility. I pray we can live this out every day (even when we return) and that we can learn about living selflessly during this trip.

I will have no internet access during my time overseas, so I won't be giving updates. However, the directors of the project will be able to post once a week from the states about what's going on. The blog can be found here. Please check it out! Also, feel free to contact anyone in my family (via Facebook, email, phone, etc) to check out what's going on.

I will probably post on here once more before leaving, but I just want to reiterate how grateful I am to everyone who has supported me - whether through prayer, financial contribution, or a kind word of encouragement. It has meant the world to me, and I cannot wait to see what God will do. I am confident that He will teach me so much.

In His love,

Camille

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.

1 Peter 1:3-4

25 days and counting!

Dear friends and family,

The date of departure is getting closer and closer. I'll be leaving on May 28 - and while that still seems so far away, I know it will be here before I know it! I'm in my last week of classes, and I wanted to take a minute to post about all the different things that have been going on.

• I actually went over my fundraising goal thanks to all the amazing and kind families who supported me! Many of the other interns on the trip are having difficulty reaching their goals, and the extra money I've raised will go to help them.

• 3 shots later, I'm officially vaccinated against Rabies. In case anyone wanted to know. (It was rather painful, but I feel like I'm ready for anything now.)

• Over the past several weeks there has been some violence in Uganda. In Kampala, several peaceful political protests were violently shut down by police. There have also been several riots because of the rising food prices. You can read more about the situation here. Our team leaders in the states are in contact with our leaders in Uganda. Please pray for the safety of all our brothers and sisters in Uganda, and please pray that our trip would be able to go through without problems. Right now our trip is still a go, but there is always the possibility that the violence could worsen, canceling our trip. So please pray!
  

• In March, I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting Andrea Nix-Fine, a Colby graduate and film maker. In 2007, Andrea and her husband made War/Dance, an Academy Award-nominated documentary about children and music in Northern Uganda. I highly recommend the film for anyone who'd like to understand a little bit more about Uganda and its history. You can find more information about the film at their website - Fine Films.

• I was also able to meet Emmanuel Jal, a Sudanese rapper and former child soldier; he came to perform at Colby on April 1st (during our freak snowstorm). He has an amazing story to tell, and he's doing it through my favorite medium: music. Read more about him here. And check out one of his songs here!

Well, that's all my news for now. Please don't hesitate to contact me with thoughts or questions - crgross[at]colby[dot]edu

In Him,
Camille

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:5