Introducing 3 of the members of "Team Esther"!

This is an introduction to 3 of the 6 members of TEAM ESTHER. There is a group of 6 people going to get Esther and bring her home. While they are in Uganda they are going to be doing many other things as well. They have big plans to build a rocket stove for Redeemer House Orphanage, and build a basketball hoop for the kids, plant a garden, and distribute 600 lbs of awesome donations to Redeemer House and 4 other orphanages. They will also participate and help Amazima ministries which has a feeding program, that feeds hundreds of children!!

This is "Rocky"....His name is Tyler Rockwood, but we all call him Rocky. This kid is AWESOME!!! His willingness to go on the spur of a moment and go to Africa and serve orphans in pretty rough conditions is REMARKABLE!!! Most 17 year old boys would not be interested in anything less than a vacation with lots of wild adventure and being served, NOT SERVING!!! This kid is one of those amazing special guys that just seems to "GET IT" from a very young age, and realizes the world does not revolve around him and it is fun and adventurous to take your Spring Break and every dime you've ever had and go SERVE! Rocky is a kid that is compassionate and fun loving. Rocky has a pretty new relationship with the Lord, but he is solid and he is seeking the Lord daily. Rocky took a major step of faith in so many ways to even go on this trip....he did not have a passport or the funds, but he believed God wanted him to go, and he committed. He has received his passport...YIPPEE and he is still praying about the funds, but he has faith that God will provide. We are so excited for this kid and not to mention he is a close buddy to Kole and they are just going to have a roaring good time building some things for the orphanage and playing with the kids. Rocky is also very talented with his music, and you can bet Uganda is going to LOVE that.



Let me introduce you to Dani!!! Dani is the "mama" of the group. She has a heart for kids from Powell Butte to Africa. Dani also said "YES" to going on the spur of a moment. Dani just got back from another mission trip to Africa just a few short months ago. She prayed about the possibility of going and everything came together in 24 hrs.!!! I think that would be a YES from God. Dani is going to be Esther's surrogate mommy, and she will also be a "Mother Hen" to all the other kids that are going...including Lashae, Kole, and Rocky. I just prayed the Lord would provide a "Mom" that would do things like a mom would do, and would watch fro things that a mom watches for, and God came through in a big way!!! Dani will not ONLY be the "mama" of the group, but she is the Children's Church Leader at our church, so she will be Esther's teacher at church. It just doesn't get any better than that in my opinion. Dani, is a dear friend from Bible Study for many years, and she is just RADICAL for Jesus!!! This team and the children they are going to serve will be sooo blessed by her!




This is the McKinnon family! Mark is the only one from the family that is physically going to Africa this time, but as us families and wives know...the whole family is involved in the mission. When you are sending your loved ones you are sending a big part of yourself, so this whole big wonderful family is going, but Mark is the only one with a ticket this time. Mark is a man of God, he is a family man, and he is TENDER hearted for children. I'm praying for Mark because he is going to be awesome in Africa, he will love it and they will love him there, but he will also be broken hearted. The need is so great, and Mark is a man that helps and serves and loves with his whole heart, and it will be hard to not bring 2.3 million orphans home!!! Mark and Casey have a heart for adoption and it has been a seed that was planted in their hearts many years ago, and they are feeling now is the time the Lord is opening the doors and it is time to step out in faith and see just who God may have planned to become a McKinnon!!!! That will be one lucky kid is all I'm sayin'!!! Charlie is EXTRA excited to have Mark on this trip for so many reasons; he respects Mark, they are friends and they have so much in common. It will be nice to have another man on the trip, and Charlie is hoping Mark can keep up with him in the bawling department....hehe....Charlie started crying buckets of tears in Uganda last year, and the flow of tears has not stopped, he is hoping ANOTHER MAN can be a real man with him and just cry like a man.
(This is really just my take on Charlie's new tender heart........he takes his tears like a real man, and I know Mark will too.)