I live and serve Jesus here in Uganda. I visited in July 2010, went back and sold everything I owned, and got back on a plane in December to move here permanently. On that visit in July I met my husband though I didn't know it at the time. We have since married and have a big, beautiful family that God has blessed us with through birth, adoption and fostering. We bought a 1994 van almost 5 years ago and at 400,000 km it has been leaving us stranded in unsafe places for a couple years now. I called a meeting last night and handed over the fundraising to our children. Not really thinking they would take it on but more so to get the courage myself do a fundraiser. I can raise funds all day for our church, primary school {350 students}, children's home {20 foster children}, clinic {that serves the 4,600 we minister to}, and our leadership and discipleship academy {pastor training} but when it comes to something our family will also benefit from, I hate asking for help.
Here is the convo, typed out with their accents:
Me: Guys, you know the van is out. It's been leaving Daddy stranded almost daily. We need a new one and I'm tired of raising funds. I'm turning it over to y'all.
Godfrey: What ees tha meaning of fundraising?
Me: You need to come up with a way to get money for the van. So what are your ideas?
Ritah: I can make cupcakes. I lahv to make cupcakes.
Viola: Ritah can make ha cupcakes and we sell them.
Godfrey: But we have no eentanet. I will need a phone and eentanet. We can sell theem for 10,000 shillings {$3}.
Me: But we only have like 1 cake mix. That's not enough.
Godfrey: So we have to do thees. But, Mahm, ah you serious?
Me: YES. I've been doing the fundraising for 5 YEARS. Your turn.
Godfrey: But fa us, we have no capeetal.
Ritah: I like to bake. I can make cupcakes.
Me: I know but how will you have enough?
Godfrey: Ahh, Mahm, you ah the only one who can do eet.
Ritah: How ah you talking selling? Hand to hand or online?
Brian: Ahhhh, how can you do that?
Godfrey: There ees no way to sell online because you can note put eet een they-ah.
Viola: How about she designs and then takes a picture and then puts theem on Facebook?
Me: Yeah but what will that do?
Viola: Then eef he or she appreciates, then they can help us get a van.
Godfrey: Mahm, eet can be possible? For her to sell theem on the line? So she ees going to sell them on the line and they geeve the money and you say to them, "Thank you for buying but you get nothing." How can that even wahk?
Brian: Good point. How can Ritah transport her cupcakes to US? I think for that, she needs preservateeves.
Me: So what is the solution? What if we sell a cupcake that someone pays for but doesn't really get?
Brian: Are there people een thees world who do such things? That's note right.
Ritah: YES. After selling eet we can eat for them.
And just like THAT, they had an idea. I put this out on Facebook and immediately got a response!!! They have no idea about the financial part. They baked a couple dozen cupcakes with a whole lot of faith that they would bring in what we needed to buy a safe, reliable vehicle.
I can't wait to see what God does and how He grows our children's faith even deeper. thank you for being a part of a story that they will be able to tell with great joy, while testifying to the goodness of our Savior!
Godfrey suggested $3 each so we will stick with that but give what you can. buy as many as you want! you won't find any fat or gluten or sugar in our cupcakes. they.are.divine. we will post pictures of them eating them as the funds come in!
Would you buy one of their "virtual cupcakes" and support them in their first fundraising effort?
More info: compassinmyheart.blogspot.com
