HEADED TO UGANDA!!!!

It's official.  When I am not around children, I am not as happy.

Psalm 127:3-5 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

I am now 26 years old and my nurturing, adventuring, mothering side has fully revealed itself. : )

I am heading out on more missions!!!!! Thank you again to all of you who have supported me in every way in my missions to Mexico, Bolivia, Rwanda, and Cameroon, and now I am headed back to beautiful Africa. You who support me are my lifeblood, my angels, my saviors. THANK YOU!!!!! 

When I first returned from my trip to Harvest Children's Home in Cameroon this past February, I was miserable to wake up to a quiet house.  I missed being awoken by excited, energized children running about laughing, playing, singing and squealing at 5am.  I miss the sounds of chickens and goats, and the smell of fire as well, but that's a while other post right there.

Anyway, I am THRILLED to announce I am heading back to AFRICA!!!!!!!!!

First I am headed to UGANDA.  Then I am headed to RWANDA.  Then I am headed to TANZANIA.  Then I will be back in the states, planning a wedding (YAYYYY!!!) and teaching green art and gardening for an after-school ministry.(love it)

TRIP DETAILS:

I am traveling with my favorite non-profit, 

Orphans to Ambassadors

[ http://www.orphanstoambassadors.org/ ]  This organization implements sustainable technologies in orphanages around the world to vulnerable children in refugee affected areas.  My fiance is the project leader for this trip and he is AWESOME at his job.

KASESE, UGANDA-Fair Earth Children's Village

[Project Summary]

Fair Earth Children’s Village is an orphanage for abandoned and vulnerable children in Kasese, Uganda, a rural town in western Uganda, near the Democratic Republic of Congo border.  Fair Earth cares for 55 boys and girls.  Currently Fair Earth is addressing many needs by providing the following:  education and vocational programs, feeding, medical care, shelter and clothing to the children. Fair Earth is already practicing simple sustainable measures including a 5 acre vegetable garden they share with a sister NGO where they grow corn, sweet potatoes and fruit for the children.  Although they already understand the importance and practice of sustainable measures and efficient systems their current water source, supplied from the town is terribly expensive costing nearly $1,300 USD per year. We hope to provide them with an 8,000 liter rainwater harvesting system onto the children’s dormitory building to increase the children’s water access and security as well as preventing premature erosion to the dormitory buildings. Our project will increase their financial sustainability by greatly reducing their water expenses by approximately $700 - $1,000 USD per year.

Intended results

● Fair Earth Children’s Village  - The project will address and improve the living conditions of abandoned vulnerable children in Kasese, Uganda.  A rainwater harvesting system will give the children of Fair Earth increased access to water for bathing, cleaning and for the livestock.  Provide instruction for children and staff of orphanage to install, operate, and maintain the rainwater system.

● Kasese, Uganda – With the new rainwater harvesting system in place the orphanage will be a source of innovation and hope for community members and entrepreneurs to learn best practices and techniques for starting their own rainwater harvesting initiatives.

● Orphans to Ambassadors International – This organization will have a better understanding of the installation and operational intricacies of the sustainable technologies involved in this project.  By documenting lessons learned from this project, the overall knowledge of installation and operational requirements of each component will be enhanced and contribute to more streamlined project implementation in future projects.  

Then.... after Fair Earth, we are headed to

Rwamagana, RWANDA-Institute for Women's Excellence

IWE women's boarding school, (Institute for Women's Excellence) where we will be visiting to check on projects we did last May.  We implemented a Chicken Coop, 2 High efficiency Rocket Stoves, and we installed Rainwater Harvesting Systems on this campus.  We will be checking on our sustainability projects to see how they are working for the facility, and we will be discussing with the staff current and future needs, and discovering areas where they may need more projects in the future.  

Can't wait to see these lovely girls again!!!
Next, we are headed to

Nazareti Center, Ngara, Tanzania
[Project Summary]
Nazareti Center is an orphanage for abandoned and vulnerable street children in Ngara, Tanzania, a rural town called Ngara in Northwestern Tanzania, near the Rwanda and Burundi border. Nazareti is an all boys orphanage and cares for 28 boys. Ngara, Tanzania was a hosting site for refugee populations in the past two decades.  Refugee affected areas like that of Ngara, Tanzania experience a higher than normal rate of street children (orphans) from overflowing refugee camps plagued with an abundant number of children orphaned due to violence in conflict 
zones.  These children migrate to the streets of nearby villages and towns to seek a better life where some end up in locally or internationally run orphanages.  

Due to the typical remoteness of refugee-affected areas, these orphanages are underfunded and over utilized, most are unable to operate at a level more appealing than life on the streets.  These orphanages are presented with a unique problem that goes unnoticed and understudied.  This high number of street children affects the community in ways such as higher petty theft,  increased child drug use, and child related sex trafficking.  For example, in Kibondo, Tanzania,  children were migrating to the verandas of local houses to sleep at night for fear of being attacked by wildlife at night.  

Most street children are shunned from the local villages and are viewed as a nuisance instead of an opportunity.  A unique opportunity exists in refugee-affected areas, where resource depletion and environmental degradation has plagued these refugee hosting communities since the arrival of refugee camps.  These areas are more interested and committed to sustainability than most major cities due to the direct and drastic impact environmental degradation had/has on their community.  Couple this with students trained in sustainable development practices and renewable energy technologies and you have an opportunity for a true grassroots movement that empowers orphaned children and initiates environmental preservation.

Currently Nazareti is addressing many needs by providing the following:  education through local school sponsorships and vocational programs, feeding, medical care, shelter and clothing to the children. Nazareti is already practicing simple sustainable measures as a result of the Orphans to Ambassadors project with them in June 2011.  Now Nazareti Center has a major rainwater harvesting system in place along with 2 fuel efficient rocket cooking stoves.  Although they already understand the importance and practice of sustainable measures and efficient systems their current rainwater system needs to be expanded to accommodate for their water needs. We hope to expand their current rainwater harvesting system onto the administrative and meeting buildings to increase the children’s water access and security as well as preventing premature erosion to these buildings, recently constructed in 2006.  Our project will increase their financial sustainability by greatly reducing their water expenses. 


● Nazareti Center – The projects will address and improve the living conditions of abandoned vulnerable street children in Ngara, Tanzania.   An expanded rainwater harvesting system will give the children of Nazareti Center increased access to water for bathing, cleaning and for their livestock.  Orphans to Ambassadors will provide instruction for children and staff of orphanage to install, operate, and maintain the system and lead activities for the children while teaching sustainability education lessons.

● Ngara, Tanzania – With the expanded rainwater harvesting system in place the orphanage will be a source of innovation and hope for community members and entrepreneurs to learn best practices and techniques for starting their own solar power initiatives.

● Orphans to Ambassadors International –  This organization will have a better understanding of the installation and operational intricacies of the sustainable technologies involved in this project.  By documenting lessons learned from this project, the overall knowledge of installation and operational requirements of each component will be enhanced and contribute to more streamlined project implementation in future projects.

My Contributions to this trip:

• Photography and Video documentation at Fair Earth, IWE boarding school, Nazareti Center, and any other orphanages or children's homes(potential future projects) we may visit on the trip.
• Sustainability Education Curriculum I will be teaching sustainability lessons to the children at Fair Earth children's home about what sustainability is, our projects and how to care for them, and how sustainability is important to their daily lives. 
• Team Member As a member of the Orphans to Ambassadors team I will be working with the team and locals on construction and implementation of our projects, as well as any other needs that arise on the trip. 
• LOVE Let's face it, love is my biggest contribution.  I most definitely will fall head over heels for these vulnerable children (as I always do) and love them with all of my heart for as long as I can.  It is important to me that they know they are important and loved, and deserving of the opportunities we present to them in our work.   

please consider supporting me in this journey!!!!!  Every penny makes a difference, not only in my life, but in countless others who will be affected by our work!  

support me here:(http://www.gofundme.com/3qntrk)
please share with all of your friends, family, and networks!! THANK YOU!!!! Have a BLESSED DAY!! : )

Childhood Reading Destash!

My mother brought over a box of books from my childhood.  This particular box was 90% a collection of The Babysitters Club Little Sister series. How weird that I had over 50 of these books but had forgotten they existed?! I clung to the books and was desperate to save them for my future daughters.  



But the more I thought about these books and the more I clung to their memories and their sweet little covers with hearts and my name scribbled allover the inside, I realized that I do not have any daughters, and I may not ever.  I hope to someday have tons of children running around on a farm someday, some biological and some adopted, but right now, in the present, I don't have any.  

I'm not even married yet!  Let's plan a wedding on a non-existing budget first.  I began to think of how much the books had meant to me, and how I was never going to read them again, unless reading them to a child.  I thought of the children in Cameroon, Rwanda, Bolivia, and Mexico I had met on mission Trips, who didn't own a single book.  I decided I would let them go. 

And seeing how I have started a little art/vintage store on etsy, that needed some new items on its shelves, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.  I had been wanting to start a "Literature" section in my store.  And here was my chance! Some of my books are from the 80's and some from the early 90's. I even found a few from the 50's.  Most are in good condition, and most have my signature scrawled in them! Lots of them have creases, and this doesn't make me feel like I was a sloppy kid destroying everything in my path, it makes me remember reading and rereading my favorite stories again and again cherishing the words on the pages and the visuals in my mind.  



I love that most of my books have moral stories and educational lessons that are still with me today.  It's time for me to pass those on.  I mean, who didn't love the Berenstain Bears?  The New Girl in Town, and The Female Fullback were definitely favorites of mine with traces of romance, equal rights, feminism, and love written all over them. : )  

I am going to post all of these books in my store at low prices, and any that don't sell, I plan to drop them off in a neighborhood I've been to that houses many refugee children from Nepal and Burma, along with some clothes, toys and handmade jewelry.  

I'm thrilled and excited at the idea of my books becoming someone else's. : )

LET'S SPREAD THE LOVE YALL!!

Books are for sale at:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/BeautifulPursuit?ref=si_shop
(and check back because I will be posting new books and items regularly!)

Bolivia Mission 2011 Journals Continued

For a while I was posting old journals of my travels, mainly in Bolivia with Children's Impact Network, http://cinonline.org/ and I thought I would pick up where I left off, in 2011.




7.4.11

I loved devotions today.  I really need to be more thankful that God has made me the way I am.  Thank you God.  I love you.  
positives-flexible, spontaneous, passionate, willing to learn, adventurous, adaptable, considerate.
negatives-jealousy, depressive, negative, easily frustrated.
Today work sanding the ceiling was difficult but I know that you helped me the whole way through.  I really need to keep Jeanine in my prayers, I was scared when she fell off the ladder, and I pray for her healing.  She is really brave and I feel a good connection with her.  I like her and Terry's relationship.  Of course Sidewalk Evangelism was wonderful.  I really love all those beautiful children.  Gosh, they are so beautiful Lord!  Thank you for creating them.  It was great to her Julie telling stories about her and Gary finding God together.  I really want to marry Jacob, Lord please lead me the right way Dios!!!

 




7.5.11

Today was great and interesting.  Devotions were good, I didn't expect to think of Brett or to cry.  I'm saying a prayer for him now, that you be with him and keep him strong and smart.  He needs you.  We all do.  Work was great today, I adored doing the dental work flouride treatment with the boys.  I love them all so much.  And digging the holes was great too, thank you for the strength, and thank you for the beauty and pleasure of manual labor.  Thank you for the team.  I really enjoyed sidewalk sunday school those babies are so beautiful and the scenery was absolutely heavenly!

So let me think about what happened today with the team.  I think they are all great, but I really started to break down.  I constantly felt overlooked and unappreciated, and cannot take chronic bossiness and demands.  Please help me to learn from these difficulties and learn to love harder.  I haven't cried that hard in a LONG time.  Maybe years.  I think I am breaking for you Lord.  Please fill my heart with extra love and patience and understanding so I can have peace.  I think I need to remember you and your son and your love every time I feel unwanted.  You are my one and eternal true love.  Thank you Dios.  I am having mixed feelings about Jake. I feel that separation is doable and I love him so much.  I want to marry him.  Terri and Jeanine are so beautiful.  I love them so.  I can only pray and hope to have a God centered, totally organic, non-artificial love like theirs.  I love Jacob Daniel Hanks.  I don't even know how to act right now or what to do when I finally get to see him again.  Thank you God for all the wonderful people you have put in my life.  Please be with my family.  Let them all feel you and know that you and I both love them endlessly.  Lord please be with Jacob and his team.  I miss them and love them.  My love is in Africa and I adore him.  Gracias Dios.  
Love Always, Your daughter,
Stephanie Mauvlyn Braun

A Beautiful Surprise. Angels!!

          I just had the privilege of attending the first day of the IGNITE JUSTICE conference 2013, at Forest Hill Church, I went on Thursday afternoon to set up,(after staying up until about 4am the night before working on a poster and display items for our table) then that evening I went to the community meal for The Grove Church to fellowship with beloved members and to promote Neighborhood After school Ministries(NAM) http://thegrovecharlotte.org/youth/neighborhood-afterschool-ministries/  for this upcoming semester(I still need more gardening and green art students if you know anyone interested! http://www.facebook.com/events/515491638471261/?ref=22 ) .  That evening I stayed up working on etsy items and promoting NAM and my store, and promoting fundraising efforts(Set up a Gofundme page!!)  for this Cameroon trip which is in      5 days!  (oh my goodness, breathe!) Anyway, I ended up only sleeping 30minutes.  The conference was wonderful and inspirational it was like being at a ministry fair and church and so many wonderful awesome people and organizations were there! My top three favorites:

*ALARM African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries 
http://alarm-inc.org/
~Special connection to these guys, Michele Dudley, who was the brains and beauty behind the whole conference (besides God) hooked us up with ALARM, who hosted us(02A) in Rwanda May 2012 and had IWE-Institute for Women's Excellence, where we did the sustainability projects(rainwater harvesting, chicken coop, rocket stoves)

*SILENT IMAGES
http://silentimages.org/
~Special connection to David Johnson and Silent Images, I met him in college speaking for our organization after I had joined STAND (A Student led anti genocide coalition) and then after I became president of the organization, I had him speak on several occasions and he was more than inspirational every single time.  

*SAMARITANS FEET
http://www.samaritansfeet.org/
~I just love what they do.

and of course
*Orphans To Ambassadors who I and Jake were representing! 
http://www.orphanstoambassadors.org/
and heading to Cameroon with in 5DAYS!

Anyway, so that day at the conference I was so inspired and talking to a lot of people there was great because repeatedly discussing what we do, why we do it, why I'm excited to be going on another trip so soon, my passions, my desire to go back and check in on the past projects, all really revved me up to go on this project, and re-affirmed my purpose to be doing this work!  Its not always easy to communicate your heart and life passions to others verbally, but we did our best, and met a lot of amazing people!  

We didn't win any of the three grant awards, but great organizations did, so still a success. 

6hours into this awesome conference, I was a zombie.  30minutes of sleep does not work.  I remember thinking, "Why am I doing this? I thought this was only for college?, Apparently this lifestyle can just continue after college if you just set it up that way?" and at probably 5am I was thinking to myself, I just long to jog or read a book or meditate with no long todo list or deadlines looming over me like a dark angry cloud!  And I promised myself I would take better care of myself before the trip! (5days) So after those 6hours of conferencing, I shuffled out to the care and laid down where I took a disheveled hungry nap in the backseat, leaving Jacob to run the table for an hour alone.(I know, I know, I'm not proud of it!)  After an hour, I woke up desperately having to use the bathroom, and when I tried to get out of the car, Jacob's weirdo Lexus locked me inside, beeped at me, and I was trapped!!!! with the keys!!! How does this even happen?! I remember hating that moment and looking around desperately for a cup, a jar, anything but there was nothing and I thought, how can I pee in my pants while napping at a conference and how could Jacob ever consider marrying me?! So a few minutes and panicked texts later Jake came and freed me and I helped run the table for another hour. 

Then we ran a ton of errands getting more supplies for the conference, Staples, Target, probably some other places I don't remember, and then by the time we were driving home I hadn't been able to eat all day and Jake suggested a $5dollar Big Deal Pizza from Dominos.  Sure, Let's do it I said.  It was one of the BEST. PIZZAS. IVE. EVER. HAD. and I scarfed down many, many, pieces loving every minute of it.  I woke up at 6am spewing and hurling and napping on the bathroom floor.  I was like wow, I really set myself up for this!  By not taking care of myself whatsoever.  By pretending I'm a robot of production and not a human being who needs nourishment in so many ways.  

So I could not attend the second day of the conference, but at 2drove to Claremont for dads birthday, where I forgot his presents and my shoes and cried about it in loud scream-sobs (My shoes were in the backseat the whole time, we didn't realize this until the next night when we returned home and after I ended up wearing old cross country sneakers from high school around everywhere) For dads birthday we went to a lovely antique store( I adored it, but I got sick there several times) and then a Mexican Restaurant (yum..)  We played Scrabble, it was my absolute worst game in history(I also couldn't add for some reason and destroyed the scoresheet), but I have to say that no matter how sick I was, being with my soul mate and family was my favorite place to be, even in my miserable state!!!  So anyway, slept, woke up to pancakes and my wonderful family the next day, was a brat to Jacob all day because my stomach was in such horrible pain I couldn't even stand up straight (I had food poisoning if I forgot to mention that this whole time) ate lunch with Jacobs awesome daddy and then went home.  Passed out for several hours and then just out of curiosity checked the Gofundme page and I had raised... FIVE HUNDRED SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS!!! What?! There's no way!!! I scrolled down the list of loving supporters and cried.
ALEX & KATIE WOLPERT
JEFFERY HANKS (DADDY IN LAW! wait, wait.. not yet. too eager....wayyy too eager!)
HALLIE WHITE (JAKES NANA!)
SUSAN MIKHAIL
DEBRA HARWELL-BRAUN AND STEVE BRAUN (MADRE &PADRE!!!)
DANA FRADY
These beautiful people said wonderful things to me and were so loving and supportive I was shocked and totally re-inspired.  It feels so good to know that people believe in me!! It makes my trip so much more important to me and it makes me feel even more passionate about making as big a difference as I can while there.  Thank you guys, You are sweet angels, And the biggest thanks to the MOST HIGH for placing these supportive angels in my life to uplift me and guide me through my travels.  It's hard to breathe knowing how much we are really loved and cherished, each and every one of us.  Every body heaving, aching moment of that sickness was nothing compared to the intensity I felt from these gifts and inspiration!!! Thanks GOD!!!!! 

http://www.gofundme.com/1toctc

Cameroon Trip GOFUNDME Page!

http://www.gofundme.com/1toctc

Transition from Wilderness to Complete Servitude!

So I haven't blogged on here in forever, and would love to blog about my adventures with youth in the wilderness all year long, but there's no time!  Maybe later, but as of right now, I am juggling starting my own art business, setting up for a conference, and promoting an after school ministry program I will be teaching in February.  Not to mention I never finished totally moving, my stuff is still disorganized... oh yeah and, I'm leaving for Cameroon in EIGHT DAYS and haven't finished fundraising! HELP!

RWANDA 02A TRIP MAY 2012!

SO THERE'S A LOT GOING ON!  I would love to elaborate on all of these things later, and REALLY need to make time for more writing in 2013, but for now, here is my support letter I sent out in my Christmas cards, with a few tidbits about my life and the upcoming trip! Whew!

Thanks for reading, I'm off to mail some thank you cards, and ship some art that was purchased from  my new store, (YAY!) Then buy dad a Birthday present, Set up for the Ignite Justice Conference at Forest Hill for 02A, go buy some Orange Juice at Trader Joes (I'm totally getting some roasted seaweed while I'm there, YUM!), then go to The Grove Church Community Meal to try to promote the Neighborhood After school Ministries Registration before it's too late, and do an activity with the kids.... I haven't planned the activity yet...

Anyway, here's the letter, EIGHT DAYS!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!  I WISH YOU PEACE AND COMFORT THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

Hi!  I wanted to write you and update you on what God is calling me to do in my life!  After several months of prayer, I left my job at the wilderness treatment center to pursue more ministry.  I am planning to return to Africa on another Orphans To Ambassadors trip, January 18^th through February 8^th, to Fundong, Cameroon.  We will be implementing 3sustainable solutions to the Harvest Children’s Home, an orphanage of 56 boys and girls.

Our team consists of Jacob Hanks, my soul mate, Orphans to Ambassadors project leader and first part-time employee, Michael Lowe, Engineers without borders rocket stove expert, and myself.  All three of us did identical projects in Rwanda in May so although with different variables I think we will make an excellent team and the projects will go smoothly and efficiently!

My last trip with Orphans to Ambassadors was supremely rewarding in so many ways!  We did the same three projects in Rwanda as we will be doing in Cameroon: chicken coops, rainwater harvesting systems and rocket stoves, at a boarding school of over 400 girls.  We got to teach the girls about sustainability and our projects, show them how to do construction work, dance, play, and talk with them, and worship with them at their church service!  I really bonded with the girls as well as the staff, and some masonry workers in the local community that helped out.  I felt God’s presence every day there and I felt that the work we were doing was meaningful to the girls and community! 

For now I am volunteering, gift-wrapping at the mall every day fundraising for Orphans to Ambassadors 2013 project budget, and in my tiny bit of spare time I will be working on starting my online shop at: beautiful pursuit.etsy.com where I will be selling different types of art God has inspired me to create! I am thrilled to be going back to Africa with such a wonderful organization, and I am excited to see what other ministry opportunities will arise for me this upcoming year!

I strongly believe that there are two kinds of missionaries, those that go and those that send them, the trip wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of others. Even small gifts multiplied by many will get me there to fulfill the calling. I took a risk in leaving a job with a steady income to follow Jesus, and now I am responsible for raising $1700 to cover the cost of the flight and visa.  I am more than confident he will provide!

I ask that you prayerfully consider partnering with me in this ministry opportunity.  First, I ask for your prayer support. Second, I ask that you consider giving a financial gift of any size. If you decide to give financially (your gift is tax-deductible), checks can be written out to:  Orphans to Ambassadors International; 126 SW 148^th Street     Suite C100-26     Seattle, WA   98166. (Please write Stephanie Braun in the memo line.) Or go to www.Orphanstoambassadors.org to make an on-line donation with a credit or debit card through PayPal.

I trust that God will work through this team, and that we will greatly impact as well as be impacted by, the individuals we serve.  I appreciate your support!

There are no orphans of God! Blessings and Peace!

Stephanie Mauvlyn Braun

stephaniemauvlynbraun@gmail.com

828-291-6467

"Beautiful words fill my mind. I am speaking of royal things. My tongue is like the pen of a skilled writer." *psalms 45:1 ;)