Dear Family and Friends,
July 1st I will start a year-long internship working for my dream organization, SafeWorldNexus, in Bristol, Tennessee. I don't think God could have placed me with a better organization! SafeWorldNexus' mission is to establish community health/hygiene, provide clean water, and take care of vulnerable children. "Nexus" means "link" or "a means of connection". SafeWorldNexus links people who NEED help to people who CAN help. Currently SafeWorldNexus is working in Bulyaake Parish in central Uganda. The parish is composed of 8 villages of about 10,000 people. Before SafeWorldNexus got there, children would walk MILES with GALLONS of water on their heads, to take back to their families. This water would easily be contaminated with disease. Now there are 4 clean water wells in the community. (With more on the way!) The impact of this is huge! So much more is going on though! SafeWorldNexus has started a church and plans on an orphanage next. What I love about SafeWorldNexus is they are committed to these specific people and return multiple times a year, bringing medical teams and delivering THOUSANDS of mosquito nets to help fight malaria. They're just living out what Jesus said was the second greatest commandment, to love your neighbor as yourself.
The other thing I love about SafeWorldNexus is there are no rules, no bureaucratic hoops to jump through. When the earthquake hit Haiti, they were there six days later. Now SafeWorldNexus is loving these neighbors in the Caribbean. A plan is underway to develop a home for children with disabilities that provides medical care, advocacy, education and life skills. With a disabled brother I'm well familiar with the difficulties disabled children/adults have in the U.S.- the richest country in the world. I can not imagine the condition these Haitian children are in...
July 1st I will start a year-long internship working for my dream organization, SafeWorldNexus, in Bristol, Tennessee. I don't think God could have placed me with a better organization! SafeWorldNexus' mission is to establish community health/hygiene, provide clean water, and take care of vulnerable children. "Nexus" means "link" or "a means of connection". SafeWorldNexus links people who NEED help to people who CAN help. Currently SafeWorldNexus is working in Bulyaake Parish in central Uganda. The parish is composed of 8 villages of about 10,000 people. Before SafeWorldNexus got there, children would walk MILES with GALLONS of water on their heads, to take back to their families. This water would easily be contaminated with disease. Now there are 4 clean water wells in the community. (With more on the way!) The impact of this is huge! So much more is going on though! SafeWorldNexus has started a church and plans on an orphanage next. What I love about SafeWorldNexus is they are committed to these specific people and return multiple times a year, bringing medical teams and delivering THOUSANDS of mosquito nets to help fight malaria. They're just living out what Jesus said was the second greatest commandment, to love your neighbor as yourself.
The other thing I love about SafeWorldNexus is there are no rules, no bureaucratic hoops to jump through. When the earthquake hit Haiti, they were there six days later. Now SafeWorldNexus is loving these neighbors in the Caribbean. A plan is underway to develop a home for children with disabilities that provides medical care, advocacy, education and life skills. With a disabled brother I'm well familiar with the difficulties disabled children/adults have in the U.S.- the richest country in the world. I can not imagine the condition these Haitian children are in...
But I'm going to try. I'm NOT going to try to think about something else. I'm NOT going to pretend they're not there. Because they are. All these people are God's children as much as we are and they need our help.
At SafeWorldNexus I will be using my major in Media Arts (Yay! Bonus points for using my major!) to produce videos, photos, etc. to help bring attention to our neighbors in need. In September I will take a trip with SafeWorldNexus to Uganda to distribute mosquito nets and get footage. I know it will be a life changing experience and I can not wait to share it with you. It is such a blessing to be given this opportunity to work with people who put no limits on what God can do. SafeWorldNexus will be providing housing and any work-related transportation, but this is an UNPAID internship. With my free-time in Bristol I will be working part-time, but this will not cover all my bills. I am asking you to help me in raising about $15,000 to live off in the next year, and get me to Uganda. Will you please help?
To Donate Electronically:
-Go to www.safeworldnexus.com/give
-At the beginning of the first paragraph click the red words that say "This link".
-At the very bottom of the drop down menu select "2011 Internship".
-A second drop down menu will then appear. Select "Katherine Hodges".
-Then you can fill in your amount and billing information.
To Donate by Mail, send a check to:
SafeWorldNexus
516 Holston Ave Ste 204
Bristol, TN 37620
-Make check payable to SafeWorldNexus and write "Katherine Hodges" on the "Memo" line.
I can not thank you enough. I know God will use your gift, and my time to do AMAZING things. Our Heavenly Father says in Isaiah 55:9-11:
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
God is BIG. Pray for BIG things!
