My family and I traveled to Jinja, in 2015 on a mission trip, to serve an organization called Sole Hope. We made several lasting friendships while we were there, including other missionaries and local Ugandan people. 

I left Uganda a changed person. We all came home different. It's hard to put into words, unless you have experienced a trip like this, but to see God work in the people you're serving, as well as your own heart, is truly humbling. I knew I wanted to do something, anything, to help the people we traveled so far to serve, but I didn't know how. Ultimately it wasn't the right time. In November 2020, I reached out to a few missionaries as well as some of the Ugandan friends that I had kept in touch with all of these years. I explained that I still had a strong desire to DO something there but wasn't sure what.  I wanted a purpose behind the mission. A ministry that would be legacy-changing for the local people. 

I later learned the staggering statistics of forced marriage for young girls in Uganda.

Eight out of 10 girls will be forced to marry before their 18th birthday! Most to older men, offering a dowry, who have been with multiple partners and are usually HIV+, then passing it along to his child bride. 75% of these girls will end up infected. These girls are forced to have as many children as possible. Many die in childbirth.

Once we started making regular visits to the village, we realized that the young girls were not being educated. If there are funds in the home, the boys get to attend school. The girls are made to work in the fields. We jumped into action immediately and started raising funds for scholarships to get these girls into school. 

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The mission of the ministry is to provide hope and skills for the future for marginalized young girls in Uganda.
I can't describe how God has moved all of the puzzle pieces, perfectly into place, to begin Stirring Hope.