We hosted dinner at our house on Friday. Suzanne made an amazing chicken with green beans and mashed potatoes.

Who came to dinner?

Four Ugandan priests (including our pastor & parochial vicar) and a couple friend of ours.

Originally, our pastor had asked if maybe we could host up to twenty, but as the invites all went out with less than a week’s notice, most people couldn’t come.

But the couple of friends and the four priests were there, and we had a wonderful dinner and conversation.

The real reason for the evening

The real reason was that the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Mbarara in Uganda has given permission and asked for help in forming a Foundation here in the United States to help rally support and raise funds for key projects across the Archdiocese.

The permission was given and the process was started earlier this year. I was asked to sit on the Board of Directors, along with a few other friends here.

One of those friends got us started as the initial President, but needed to step down.

So the real reason for dinner was to try to convince Suzanne (or one of us) to step up and help lead the continued formation and the start of the work of the Foundation.

Who?

I say “to try to convince Suzanne” because we had signals leading into the night that that was the intent.

But we talked, and we knew that Suzanne’s skills to offer are more in the strengths she brings to her day job – helping organize an event or design an appeal.

As we sat and watched Father Charles, one of the priests, whose job is to help mobilize resources for the University the Archdiocese runs in Mbarara, present on the needs and the opportunity, I felt a tug and heard a whisper…

“You start things. This is what you do.”

And when the video presentation was zooming in on a photo of the University building, I heard, “This is going to be part of your legacy.”

Yes

Suzanne and I both agreed and said that I could be the person to help with this, and that we’d lean in together to assist.

So as our guests left dinner on Friday, I had been tapped (and said yes to being) the next President of the Foundation.

One of our other friends who was there at dinner joked with me on Sunday that I’m a bobblehead whose head only moves up and down. 🤣

But I think there’s something deeper and more meaningful behind this “Yes”.

More to come

We have some basic steps to complete, like securing 501(c)(3) status so that donations can be claimed as tax-deductible, and setting up basic digital properties, branding, and processes.

But in the coming weeks, as things take shape, I can’t wait to share more, and maybe even to ask you to help the people of Uganda.

Initial projects will likely include things like:

• Helping fund student support at the University
• A well for reliable water at the University
• Other wells and water needs around the Archdiocese, including at schools and medical centers
• Other physical needs at churches, schools, and medical centers
• A bus for the University
• And much, much more…

I’ll share more soon, but in the meantime, please – most importantly – start to join me in prayer for the mission of the Foundation supporting the Archdiocese of Mbarara and its people.

If you have ideas, I’m all ears!