Mercy for Mamas

When I was informed that there would be a mission team of women (and one very brave guy) coming to stay at the guest house for 10 days, I couldn’t wait to meet them. I was eager to hear their stories and see the impact they would have on the people they met on their journey. They rode into my life in a Japanese imported 20 passenger bus, who kindly informed everyone one within a mile radius when it was backing up or making a turn by announcing over the loud speaker, “Excuse me…this IS a bus”. While I was totally impressed by such a well spoken and cautious bus, I was even more impressed by the passengers that were on board. That’s why, when their fearless leader Melissa asked me if I’d like to join them on their trip to Jinja and Mbale, I eagerly accepted (I’ve never been one to pass up an opportunity for a long road trip on a crowded bus). While I could tell right away that I was going learn from and love these people, I was totally unprepared for all the all of the love, laughter and kind hearts I was about to encounter….never even saw it coming. 

I want to dedicate this post entirely to Mercy for Mamas—how/why it began, what their mission is and how this team of 10 women and 2 men (yes, we added a man along the way) changed my life forever, in the span of just one week.

First, a little back story how Mercy for Mamas came to be and what their mission is. The founder of Mercy for Mamas, Melissa, came to Uganda on a mission trip where she fell in love her daughter, a baby girl called Mercy. Mercy’s mother had passed away during childbirth, which is an all too common occurrence in Uganda (on average, more than 20 women die daily due to childbirth complications). It was during this time that Melissa learned of Mama Kits and decided they would be a great way to honor Mercy’s mother. Melissa came back to Uganda later to adopt Mercy and it was during this time that she began distributing these Mama Kits to pregnant women in the village. A Mama Kit contain all of the necessary supplies needed to ensure a safe and healthy delivery. I was able to witness the distribution of these Mama Kits to pregnant women in villages (as well as pregnant women on the side of the road) firsthand and am certain that they will save many, many lives. You can learn more about Mercy for Mamas and how you can help at  http://www.mercyformamas.com/ ….and I HIGHLY recommend that you do.

This is Melissa, the founder of Mercy for Mamas
and our fearless leader :-)  

Her dedication to helping the women of Uganda
knows no bounds. There is no telling how many lives she
has helped save by distributing Mama Kits.  

Melissa doing what she does best…showing love without condition

The Mercy for Mama’s team handing out Mama Kits

Handing out Mama Kits to women on the side of the road

Next, I need to tell you about my time with these amazing women and men that I had the privalege of spending a week with. This group of people love the Lord with all of their might, believe fiercly in their mission here in Uganda and changed the lives of everyone they encountered during their 10 days here—and I do mean everyone. I can personally attest to this fact. From the orphanges we visited, to the nights of encouragement for missionary women living in Uganda that the team hosted, to ministering to and feeding the people of a village in Mbale, I saw the impact they were having on everyone they met. And I felt, with great force, the impact they were having on me. Their selflessness and dedication completely filled my heart with joy and reminded me, time and time again, exactly why I’m here.

Now last, but certainly not least, I have to mention the 3 ladies who stole my heart in the back of that Japansese imported 20 passenger bus. Kerri, Becki and Kim—you have NO idea the impact you had on me. I will forever cherish my time with you all and know that I have found lifetime friends in each of you. Kim said it best, we are soul-sisters. I know I will see you all here again soon…and I am counting down the days until your return. I love you all so very much. I am so very blessed that I am able to carry you in my heart with me everywhere I go…JUST BLESSED.

This is Becki and I think this picture speaks for itself. 

Pretty Becki, again. She is a a fiercely dedicated mother, loyal friend
and a ridiculously talented musician. 

This picture describes Kim PERFECTLY.
She is filled with love, kindess and an intense desire to better the lives of others

This is also Kim, aka Katniss…
and yes, she did carry that bow and that drum through airport security.

This angel face is Kerri…holding a dead fish. 

Angel face Kerri again….this time kissing the fish that she just ate.
Don’t let these pictures fool you, her heart is selfless as well.

I know that I say this at least once in every post and I must sound like a broken record at this point, but there really aren’t words to adequately describe what I’m experiencing here in Uganda. There are times where my heart is so full of love and hope, that I feel it really might explode. My time with the Mercy for Mamas team was just another one of those ‘you had to be there’ experiences. I only hope that this post can give you all a little bit of insight into how amazing each and every one of these ladies are. Again, please make time to visit http://www.mercyformamas.com/. You will be glad you did. And ladies (and men) of the Mercy for Mamas team, please know that you have greatly touched my life and are forever in my heart.

All of my love and happiness, 

Bliss xxxx

**side note: We spent much of our time visiting orphanages in Kampala and Jinja, but I’m going to save all of those tales for another blog post.