TNL to Come Let's Dance - October 2009

Family & Friends,

We have the opportunity to travel with a team from The Next Level Church to Uganda in October 2009. The team will be working alongside a grassroots non-profit organization called Come, Let's Dance. The Next Level Church has sent both teams and individuals to Uganda to work with CLD over the past few years and TNL has had the opportunity to host visits from Come, Let's Dance when they are visiting the USA. The team is a continuation of the ongoing relationship between TNL and Come, Let's Dance.

Come, Let's Dance was founded by Shane Gilbert in 2005. Shane is a native Coloradan who grew up in Steamboat Springs. Here is a brief explanation of what Come Let’s Dance is in doing in Uganda.

"Come Let’s Dance exists to empower and inspire African children and their communities through the hands-on implementation of education, medical care, family style living, personalized relief, and the creation of self-sustaining agricultural and business ventures. By empowering at-risk African youth and their communities, we enable a generation of leaders who will take the hand of their Africa and dance into a stable, hopeful future."

The team traveling to Uganda is six people who have a desire to support CLD and experience firsthand the both the challenge and beauty of Uganda. The team is Jason & Jenna Meyer, Greg & Lauren Owen, Jared Mackey, and Matt Paulsen. Our purpose is to encourage the staff of Come, Let's Dance. Daily life for our friends who live and work in Uganda can be disheartening at times. We want to offer assurance that they are not alone in the work they are doing. The majority of our time with Come, Let's Dance will be spent working with them on two ongoing projects:

1. The Farm – CLD purchased land in 2007 to create a self-sustaining agricultural and livestock center. The design and plans were completed last year by Engineering Ministries International and include fish ponds, poultry houses, and housing for workers and staff. The long-term goal of the farm is to generate income and provide a basis for a variety of micro-business ventures. One of the initial aspects of infrastructure needed is a tree line to protect the land from intruders. The team from TNL plans to fund this project and work with CLD to plant the trees while we are there.

2. Village Outreach – many of the Ugandan CLD staff have come from neighboring villages outside of Kampala. We will be working with one of the Ugandan CLD staff for a 2-day community outreach that includes relief projects, delivery of essential resources, assessment of needs and future development, and a village wide celebration meal.

You can read more about both the Farm and Village Outreach online at www.comeletsdance.org.

As we prepare and travel to Uganda we ask for your prayers for our team:
- For the staff of CLD (Shane, Julie, Morgan, Jeremy, Ryan, and Jennie) to be encouraged by our visit
- That our hearts to be motivated by compassion and love for the people of Uganda
- For our safety and health as we travel in an unstable environment
- That God would be honored as we work, learn, and live with CLD and those in Uganda we meet

Your support of the financial cost of this team is also appreciated. The total cost for our team is $17,000 which includes project funds for the CLD Farm improvements ($2,000) and the Village Outreach ($1,000). As a team we have personally contributed the initial $7,800. We need to raise $9,200 for the additional costs of the team and provide financial and tangible resources to CLD. All financial support should be sent to The Next Level Church, c/o Uganda Team. All support is tax deductible. Your partnership is vital as we seek to communicate the hope and love of Christ to those in Uganda.

Our hope is for this experience to be a catalyst of growth and encouragement not only for ourselves and those we work with in Uganda, but for you as well. We plan to provide updates on this blog - www.friendsofuganda.blogspot.com.

Thank you for partnering with us in this journey.

The TNL Uganda Team
Jason, Jenna, Greg, Lauren, Matt, and Jared