One month to go...

Friends & Family-

We hope everyone is having a wonderful summer.  It has been wonderful getting to see many of you and spend time catching up on everything in your lives.   As you all know, our family is planning on leaving in August to spend the majority of our next year in Uganda, Africa being involved in mission work.    We believe that this is the next step we are meant to take in our journey in life and expect it to be a year full of both incredible experiences mixed with many challenges.  The past 10 months have been spent researching, talking, and planning and now we are excited to begin our adventure in exactly one month as we will be flying out from Denver on August 18th. 

We will be working alongside an organization "Come, Let's Dance (CLD)," which is based in Steamboat Springs.  We will be living in the small village of Nansana which is located about 15 minutes outside the capital city of Kampala.  CLD has a small Christian school that approximately 95 children attend, ages preschool - 7th grade.  Avery and Henry will be attending this school, and Troy and I will have opportunities to work with the Ugandan teachers in curriculum planning, leadership and classroom assistance.  CLD also has a small medical clinic staffed with a nurse, a 20 acre farm where young men can complete an agricultural training program, a craft training program "Thread of Life"  for women to learn income generating skills,  and they also are involved in outreach to the slum areas that surround Kampala.  While our exact role in all of these support systems is not exactly defined, we are excited to spend time learning and helping in all facets of this work. 

So many of you have already been so helpful in more ways than we can count - with your thoughts and prayers, conversations, cleaning and packing help, moral support and much more.  We already owe you a debt of gratitude for all you have done.  But, we are writing with one more request.  While our family has been extensively budgeting and planning financially this past year to prepare for this year of service, we have also been encouraged in several of our planning conversations with individuals to provide an opportunity for friends and family to support us on our journey.   We have set a fundraising goal of $4,000 as this would cover one month of our expenses while we are away, which is primarily CLD fees for our housing and meals and our private healthcare and insurance costs.   Upon our return in June 2013, we will be starting over looking for new jobs in whatever capacity this next year leads us. 

If you would like to support us financially, you can either donate online or via mail.  All donations are tax-deductible as CLD is a 501c3 non-profit organization.  Upon receipt of your donation, you will be mailed a receipt by CLD for your tax purposes.  Troy and I will also receive a record of your contribution.

1.  Donate online:  http://www.comeletsdance.org/donate

Put "For Greenwood Family" in the Comments field of your donation

2.  Check/Visa/MasterCard by mail

Print donation card, indicate "For Greenwood Family" and mail check/credit card information to:

            Come Let's Dance, P.O Box 770172  Steamboat Springs, CO  80477

We also understand that many of you may not be in a position to support our work financially, and that is why we are asking for your continued thoughts and prayers as well.    These will mean just as much to us over the next year as we will be far away from our comforts of home and you as our support network of friends and family that we feel so blessed to have in our daily lives and have come to rely on so greatly. 

We will be living in a house owned by CLD which has internet access, so we will be relying on email and Skype to stay in touch.  We have also started a blog to chronicle our experiences if you would like to check in.  We would love to hear from you!  All of our contact information is included below.  The time difference between Denver and Uganda is 9 hours.

Words cannot express how much your support means to our family.  We feel so privileged to be able to have this opportunity that we believe will be life changing for our family and we hope that we can always be there to support you and your family in the life experiences that lie ahead for you.

Blessings-

Heather, Troy, Avery and Henry