Q&A

Since we are finally taking off for Uganda, we want to answer some questions we’ve been getting from folks recently. 

We LOVE chatting with you all and answering your questions about this crazy adventure, so keep them coming!

Be sure and read to the end to get the answer to the most frequently asked question, and if you have a question that isn’t answered here, reply to this email or find us on social media and ask away.

Question: How long will you be gone?

Answer: Until God tells us to move on. We plan to come home for a couple months to rest, visit family and friends, and raise more support after 2 years, however, we have every intention of returning to Uganda after that to continue serving orphaned and vulnerable kids.

Question: Do you have to get visas to live in Uganda?

Answer: Yes. Jared has been approved for a 3-year work permit and Kimberly and the kiddos will be issued 3-year entry passes based on Jared’s work permit.

Question: How long does it take to get to Uganda?

Answer: Between 1 to 2 days, depending on the airline and itinerary. The total travel time is 25 hours including layovers.

Question: How are you getting all your stuff to Uganda?

Answer: Back in April, we either sold or gave away all of our furniture and items we wouldn’t need in Uganda. That left us with 20 large totes (pictured below) of our clothes, toys, homeschool materials, and other personal items we didn’t want to part with. Those will fly with us as checked luggage since we get 3 free checked items each.

Question: What will you do for furniture in Uganda?

Answer: Fortunately, we have a cultural insider, Patrick, who has been preparing our home since early this year. He has helped us purchase, and set up almost all our furniture, so we’ll arrive to a cozy, mostly furnished home.

Question: Did you all have to get a bunch of shots?

Answer: Yes, we sure did!

Question: Will we be able to communicate with you after you move?

Answer: Yes! We will have internet in our home and will be able to communicate via social media, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and (for those with iPhones) iMessage and Facetime. Once we get settled and start our phone service there, we’ll give everyone our new phone numbers so you can call or message us on WhatsApp. If you don’t already have WhatsApp and want to be able to call us in Uganda, go ahead and download it on your phone’s app store. Also, we’ll still send our regular monthly newsletter to keep everyone updated on what’s going on in our lives.

Question: When can we come visit you?

Answer: Few things will bring us more joy than to have our family and friends visit us in Uganda! However, we respectfully ask that anyone who wants to visit please wait until we’ve had adequate time to settle in and adjust to Ugandan life. If you are seriously interested in visiting in the future, please let us know well in advance so we can plan a visit that will be both meaningful and rewarding for you and the Ugandans we will be working with.

And … The Most Frequently Asked Question:

Question: Why are you taking your 5 small children to live in a developing country?!!!

Answer: This is a very valid question, and we are always careful to answer it in a humble and loving way.

To be honest, we have asked ourselves this question many times. Every time we entertain the question though, we ultimately come to the same conclusion as to why we’re asking ourselves this. We believe FEAR is ultimately at the root of the question. Our fear for their safety, health, emotional well-being, education, etc. all roll up into this one question.

Recently though, we’ve come to realize that Father God loves our children infinitely more than we do. And He, without a doubt, called our family to GO. So many details, events, financial blessings, and confirmations have occurred that completely defy all human (or Western Church) logic. Things that seem illogical and impractical to us humans, are the very things God often uses to position us for kingdom purposes.

For us to say no to what/where He is calling us to out of fear of the unknown is to say yes to letting fear write our story. God is love, right? (I John 4:8) There is no fear in love and when you allow love to write your story, there is no limit to what He can do through you. And that’s where we want to be – right in the center of His love.