A Journey of A Thousand Miles Begins With a Single Step

I'm moving to Uganda!  Those very words fill me with excitement, anticipation, trepidation, and an overwhelming sense that I am in way over my head, but not over God's.  As I stand at the crux of a new phase of life, I will need people to join in and support me in a variety of ways as I begin this new journey.  

I used to think that God didn’t use ordinary people. Or that if He did, it was only for ordinary things. I have learned over the years that God can and does use ordinary people in extraordinary ways right in the middle of their everyday mundane. I learned to find peace in this. To see Him working in myself and others as I sat at my desk or walked down my street and said hello to neighbours. In and through this I have also learned that sometimes God asks us to leave our comfort zones.

In 2009 I went to Haiti on my first project with Engineering Ministries International (eMi). God began to slowly change my heart and open my eyes to the ways He could use my skills as a water and sanitation engineer to help others and make the world a little bit better. Eleven projects later I stand amazed at how much I have learned and how much I have yet to learn. I have felt the Lord calling me to make this fulltime for the last few years and I have reached a point of willingness and surrender. I have seen and I really believe in the importance of the work eMi does. Now is the time, and I am in the process of joining staff as a civil engineer at the eMi Uganda office for a three year commitment.  

A 3D Rendering for a Primary School Campus I helped design in Uganda

And as I ponder and contemplate the enormity of this God sized endeavour I stand with arms high and heart abandoned and a newfound reliance on God. This process and the paradox of this major life change has reminded me of the importance of prayer. On waiting and relying on the Father. Would you commit to pray? Not just once, but regularly as I prepare to leave Canada and as I live in Uganda for the next few years. Up until this point, I have self-funded all my eMi projects. Although it sometimes took careful planning ahead, self-funding my projects gave me a sense of independence.  Now I stand at a cross roads as God asks me to humbly ask His people to become part of this journey and help make this work possible. I will be employed with eMi as a support based missionary which means I need people who believe in the work I'll be doing to financially support my living expenses.  That may sound like a crazy notion, it does to me too, but it allows the eMi budget to remain focused on the work they are doing rather than paying staff salaries, and it provides an opportunity for the people who love me to invest in the ministry I'll be doing in Uganda. God is showing me how to see and believe that sacrifice stuns in all its costly loveliness. Would you consider using this as an opportunity to invest in the Lord’s ministry by partnering financially? Donations are tax deductible. If you are considering becoming a financial partner, please consider joining as soon as possible rather than waiting until I leave, as I need to have start-up costs for training and set up in Uganda raised as well as my monthly budget committed before I can leave to start this mission. Donations given between now and the time I leave (hopefully by the end of the year) will go into my start up fund and help make sure I don't have to delay my departure. 

Prayer Requests

·     Courage –As I say goodbye to my life in Canada and follow God’s leading into a journey that is bigger than myself and   beyond what I can do on my own.

·      Wisdom- As I live cross culturally and practice engineering in a much different context.

·       Peace- As I begin a new life in another part of the world.

Partner in the journey

If you would like to partner financially you can do so with a monthly or one time tax deductible donation in one of three ways.

·  By direct deposit monthly by filling out this form, writing my name in section 2 and mailing it to the address on the form.

· By credit card donation online at http://emicanada.org/donate.shtml For monthly donations, scroll down to Donate Monthly. For one time donations, click on the Donate button, and enter my name in the purpose field.

·  By sending a cheque made out to EMI Canada, along with this pledge form with my name written in the space for "volunteer name".
    If you are in the US Click Here and select Staff and then my name.

EMI from Halle Project on Vimeo.

A Video of one of my projects