Surrendering All

KATIE DAVIS

Ah, to be 20 again! For those of you who, like me, are rapidly approaching those middle years (ahem, 40 is looming awfully close!), it may be slightly challenging to recall the youthful vigor and enthusiam of 20: the time when life was carefree, we sported our rose-colored glasses, and we felt entitled to it all.

Last November, I had the privilege of meeting a 20-year-old young lady from Brentwood, Tennessee, who, by all worldly indications, should be obsessed with sorority functions, the latest Uggs boots, and maintaining a perfect manicure. If you are not be familiar with the Volunteer state, Brentwood is an affluent suburb south of the Nashville metropolitan area, and the home to many notable residents, including Dolly Parton, CeCe Winans, and Dave Ramsey, to name just a few.

Scott and I were attending an annual adoption fundraising event in Nashville and sat across from Katie during the main banquet. I was struck by her maturity and tenderness of heart. She was an obsessed young lady alright, but rather than being preoccupied with all of the material trappings that so readily tempt privileged young Americans (and old alike!), Katie was consumed with a passion for the people of Uganda. In particular, her heart had been won over by a group of Ugandan children.

In December of 2006, at the age of 18, Katie traveled to Uganda for the first time. Seized with an immediate love for the Ugandan people and culture, Katie knew that she would never be the same again; her heart had been captured! Katie met Pastor Isaac Wagaba, who entreated her to come teach kindergarten at his orphanage in Buziika, called Canaan Children's Transit Center.

Katie returned to Uganda in the summer of 2007, to teach kindergarten at Canaan. Walking the children home from class each day, she was shocked to observe the significant number of school-aged children sitting idly on the side of the road or working in the fields. Very few government-operated public schools exist in Uganda, and there were none in the area where Katie was working. Most schools are privately run and therefore, require fees for attendance. Because of the extreme poverty in Uganda, many children are simply unable to afford schooling.

Feeling prompted to do something about the situation, Katie initiated a child sponsorship program, matching orphaned children who cannot afford schooling with sponsors in the US (now called Amazima Ministries). For a mere $300.00 per year, sponsors send these children to school and provide school supplies, 2 hot meals each day, and all necessary minor medical care. While Katie originally hoped to match 40 children through the sponsorship program, 150 had enrolled by January 2008. By the grace of God, in December 2008, the sponsorship program had successfully sent all 150 children to school for a full year and provided them with life's essentials.

Every Friday after school, the 150 children in the program, in addition to others from the village, come to Katie's home in Uganda for fellowship, a hot meal, baths, and Bible study led by a Ugandan employee. The children sing praises to the Lord until late at night and then fall asleep covering the floor of Katie's house. In the morning, they are fed a hot breakfast and sent home re-energized.

Amazima also strives to provide the children with spiritual growth. While the children are attending school, two Ugandan Amazima employees spend time in the six villages where the children in the program live, holding Bible studies and spiritual growth activities with the families and guardians of the children. Each child in the program is also visited by a social worker once every two weeks for a home visit to ensure that they are getting proper care and thriving in their home environment.

Katie has been back in Tennessee for a few months, but will be returning to what she warmly calls her "home in Uganda" on January 19th. Her goals for 2009 include enrolling another 50 children into the school program, in addition to the 150 already participating.

You can read all about Katie's adventures in Uganda, sponsor a child, and see many more photos of her children on her blog.

Think you're too young to make a difference? Think again! Katie Davis is transforming lives, both physically and spiritually, in Buziika, Uganda. And in the process, her own life has been changed.