Friday, July 30, 2010

Summer Love and Festivals

Finally the sun is back and it is supposed to be hot again tomorrow. I'm happy.
Ok, so summer is also festival time and we have a festival here called Kieswerk Open Air. It's the best location ever and so much fun. They show movies every night throughout a whole week. On top of that there's food stands and a band playing and an art show. It's awesome.
I only had my cell phone with me, but the photos turned out ok.
This area has been one of my favorite places to bike recently. It's so open and calm and natural and beautiful.
This is where the festival is at. The sky was beautiful yesterday. It is such a cool area and the screen is huge.

That is an extremely old house that they use as an art room and exhibition room now. The art show was really cool and was called Crossing Borders.
Ok, so that trailer was one of my favorite things of the festival because they sold coffee and crepe and this really nice couple own it. I mean... I would love to travel in such a thing for a summer and see things.
Me and my lovely roomate and best friend right before the movie started!

I love summer!

xoxo

Ramona

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Explore Dream Discover

So yesterday I found this quote ant thought it was so awesome!
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." ~Mark Twain

Let's get out of the boat, let's sail to distant seas and explore the unown, dream of things beyond imagination and discover that God is surely fulfilling dreams and making the impossible possible... see how extraordinary things will happen!

xoxo

Ramona

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Summer days

It is summer, like seriously summer and I have decided to take on a lighter note throughout the next couple of weeks. This means whatever fun, summerly, fresh will come my way I will post. For me summer is so light and natural and fun and I love summer nights. I think they are amazing, when everything cools down and you can hear the crickets chirr and you can see the stars and it is still warm and nice out. It's one of my favourite things ever.

So today I am starting with a picture that I adore. It so speaks from my heart... I love trees so the combination of this picture is simply awesome! Go enjoy!



Anyways, always love your comments! Enjoy your summer!

xoxo

Ramona

Friday, July 23, 2010

26

So, here I am on my 26th birthday. The last couple of weeks have been such a journey as I didn't want any presents this year and instead raise money for a project in Uganda. Not all the money is in yet and so I have decided to give you another week to donate money. Just contact me for all the details.
So, here I am... 26 years old and not feeling it at all. I mean seriously.... how do you feel with that age...

As I am thinking back on this year I am in awe of what God has done, where He brought me, how He blessed me. I have an amazing family that I am so thankful for and I never take it for granted. I have the most awesome friends who I never want to do life without. These are covenant relationships. And I have a church that is a home, a place where I feel safe. I am so happy and content where I am yet eager to grow, to reach out for more. I have dreams for this coming year and am excited to see where God is going to take me.
Today my verse of the day (always have verse of the day) was out of Luke 6:38 "Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back." I was so excited to read this today.
As I look back 5 years from now I can see what all happened, how I grew and developed and became the person I am today and then I look 1 year to 5 years from now and I am excited because I know there is so much more out there.

Anyways, just wanted to write this blog to share a little from my heart, what I am feeling today and give you another chance to pray and think about if you should give something for my cause in Uganda.

xoxo

Ramona

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Weekly Update 5: Countdown to my Birthday

Only 2 more days until my Birthday! I am so looking forward to packing a package of 3000 AUD to send to Uganda. I mean how awesome will that be.
Just this morning as I was praying I thought about it again and prayed for people to open their hearts. I thought about how blessed I am here, how protected I grew up what God gave me. It made me cry because I do not want to keep it for myself. I want to give and give of what I have. I want this one girl who will get a new nose or ears or mouth to be blessed. I mean just imagine it. You give a little of what you have and what you can give and somebody else in this world will receive so much more from it! That amazes me. I am in awe about how much we can do when we join our hands and connect.

So with this post I just want to lay it on your hearts again to pray and think about how much or if you want to give for Be her Dignity.

To get more info on my project please also visit:

Weekly Update 1: Nancy's Story
Weekly Update 2: Facts about Uganda
Weekly Update 3: The Story of Watoto
Weekly Update 4: Restoring Dignity

xoxo

Ramona

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Weekly Update 4: Restoring Dignity

I am sitting here and have been thinking about tortured women in Uganda the whole day, praying for them, praying for the fundraising I am doing that I will impact lives.

When I read Psalm 139 I read about how God thinks of us, that He created us before the beginning of the earth, He formed us in our mother's womb. His thoughts about us are good thoughts.
Yet mankind in search for power is destroying people from the inside and outside. This is the case in Uganda, where where little kids are abducted into the army, broken, destroyed and made dependent. We can honor those who managed to escape and applaud their bravery. What these kids go through is of no imagination for us. We cannot and will not ever be able to imagine or really deeply understand the pain they went through.
Many of the girls who are sheltered by Watoto Ministries suffer from facial disfigurement. Their ears, noses or lips have been cut off as a punishment for fleeing the army. Often times these tortures are performed by other kid soldiers.

But God still loves these girls even though their dignity has been destroyed.

I am so thankful for the life I have and where God placed me and blessed me with this amazing family, church, friends, there is nothing alike. Yet I do not want to keep it for myself. I want to give of my love, my community, my church, my blessing and my money and do anything possible to make something possible for people in the worst conditions.
I decided to take on a journey of fundraising in order to pay for a surgery for one of these disfigured girls. A surgery to change her life. I want to be part of restoring her dignity on the outside and inside again.
But I cannot do it on my own. I need you. I need us to join hands, to join hearts, to connect and reach out. I need your prayers and finances to make a surgery possible. I want to appeal to your heart and dearly ask you to consider giving for this very important cause. I am currently at 40% of funding and still have 9 days to go. I am convinced through faith that the whole amount of 2100 € will be donated and that I will be able to send a package to Uganda and restore dignity upon a beautiful girl. Beautiful because she was created by the Creator who saw her and who takes great delight in her with gladness. With His love he will calm all her fears. He will rejoice over her with joyful songs (Zeph. 3:17).

My heart reaches out to each and everyone reading this. If you feel compelled to give, please contact me so I can give you all the details.

Thank you very much.

I love you

xoxo

Ramona

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Weekly Update 3: The Story of Watoto

Hello, good day,

this is already my third update concerning my fundraising for my birthday gift to Watoto Ministries.
I am super excited to announce today that 25% of funding has already come in. So, thank you to everybody who already gave.
If you're interested in giving or want to know more about my cause, please visit my posts:
Be Her Dignity
Weekly Update 1: Nancy's Story
Weekly Update 2: Facts about Uganda

For in depth information and ways of giving please leave a comment with your email adress and I will send you the things needed.

For this week I chose to share a video with you which shows Watoto's story, how they minister and gives you some really good background information.

Enjoy!

xoxo
Ramona


Wednesday, July 7, 2010

If I were...

As most of you know I love watching So you think you can dance. I love how dance is such a great artform to transport emotions, statements, stories and can bring you to other places.
This is why I want to use one of the routines to make a statement. This routine represents or shows how many women/men live in abusive relationships. Yet the people around them might not know. I want you to watch this video and encourage you to keep your eyes open. Where can you help?
Also with this I want to make you aware of the thousands of slaves traded in the world for sexual services at the moment. Human trafficking is the 2nd largest crime in the world today. The A21 Campaign, situated in Greece are trying to reach out and make a difference. Please start being aware of what is going on around and about you. Inform and educate yourself, keep your eyes open, pray and then through campaigns like that one life after another will be rescued and changed.

With these words... enjoy the video:



Also stay tuned for my update about the fundraising for Be her dignity which will be released tomorrow.

xoxo

Ramona

Friday, July 2, 2010

Weekly Update 2: Facts about Uganda

Hello, good day,
yet another week has passed and I am super thankful for the funding which is already coming in. Thank you so much!
This week I want to share a few statistics about Africa and Uganda with you to give you an insight of the country, its needs and backgrounds.

Uganda was once a Britsh colony and through them setting boundaries many very different political systems and cultures were grouped together. This led to unstabilities and ultimately to war and the dying of approximately 300,000 people between 1971 and 1979 and another 100,000 people between 1980 and 1985.
Since the 1990s Uganda is a demoractic republic, yet problems have not been solved at all. Many guerilla groups were formed, one of them the LRA (Lord's Resistance Army) under the control of Joseph Kony.
In raging against the government and civilians they have abducted more than 20,000 children for the last 23 years. Not only are these children forced into being soldiers, but they are made addicted to drugs, they are raped and treated the most brutal way imaginable.
They often force 7 year old girls into forced marriages, but you can also simply call it raping girls. They often also cut off parts of the solidier's bodies as punishment, like noses, lips, hands, ears.
In 2005 the UNO called the LRA the most brutal rebell group of the world yet the news of the brutal acts often do not even reach our press releases.

An international warrant against Joseph Kony has been issued, but it is really hard to find him as until 2000 nobody even knew how Joseph Kony looked like as there were no pictures. Because of the power he has Ugandan army is even afraid of him.

In the northafrican town Gulu dozens of humanitarian organisations are stationed such as Watoto trying to help those who are rescued. They are so very important because the war in Uganda has been called the most neglected humanitarian emergency in the world today.

In addition to these problems come the problems of Aids and poverty in Uganda.
This is why we have to stand up and make a difference. This is why I chose to give dignity back to one of these girls rescued from the LRA. This is why we join our hands together and reach them out.

Be a part of something big, be a part of making a difference. If you are interested in giving, please contact me and I will send you all the necessary information.

xoxo

Ramona

More Information and links:
Hände und Köpfe abgehackt - article of the German newspaper Die Sueddeutsche (german only)
The World Factbook - facts and statistics about Uganda
UNICEF - information about Uganda
Invisible Children - The History of the War

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