Synergy is all about short-term work (3-12 months), and while you may ask yourself ‘Is it worthwhile?’ Donna McDonald would not hesitate to answer ‘yes’. She recalls her experiences working with vulnerable children in Kampala, Uganda.

How do I sum up my year’s experience at Dwelling Places in a single article? With great difficulty. The verse ‘Be Still and Know that I am God’ was of great importance to me as I often had to learn to be still and recognise God in every situation.

I am thankful for being given the opportunity to serve our almighty God in the country of Uganda with the most adorable children and wonderful people.

I miss the calls of ‘Aunty Donna’ from the children as I walk along the road; I miss the hugs and smiles from the babies; I miss starting the day off praising and worshipping God with my colleagues; I miss visiting the homes of families who have nothing yet everything through their faith in Jesus their Saviour; I miss having worship with the children in Dwelling Places at the close of every day. And so my miss list goes on.

I am thankful for being given the opportunity to serve our almighty God in the country of Uganda…

In the West we depend on so much for our lives to run smoothly. Even simple things we probably don’t think about, like electricity, traffic lights and street lights.

But when all these things are stripped away, as many of them are in Uganda, what are you left with? Faith. To live in total dependence on God is very challenging (especially for those of us raised in the West) yet amazingly liberating and blessing-filled.

2009 is a big year for Dwelling Places as it is the end of the vision (...till every child has a chest to rest their head on and a place to call home...) for many of the children. Most of them were resettled back with their families or moved into independent living at the start of the year.

My heart is in Uganda and I would return in a heartbeat but I don’t know what the future holds for me. What I do know is that my Heavenly Father has a plan for me and it is my prayer that I will remain in His will come what may.