A Story With A Moral

In a couple of months I am planning on travelling to Uganda to teach in a school or work in an orphanage - I am not quite sure yet what I will be doing. I have been busily researching different organisations working in Uganda to find one that will be a good match for me to work with.

As part of this process, I put a volunteer profile up on a website which connects volunteers to organisations and vice versa. I received a few messages from organisations trying to contact me to come and volunteer with them, but I realised that I could not open the messages unless I paid for a membership on the website (which I did not want to do). I wondered if perhaps I should pay the membership to be able to read my messages, I was so torn over it that I gave my dad a call and asked him! He suggested that I just wait for a little bit and see what else comes up before paying. I followed his advice.

The very next day I was checking my facebook account and I had a new message from a person in Uganda, the director of an organisation which ran a school and orphanage. He explained that he had found my profile on the volunteer site, had messaged me on that site, but had also found me on Facebook. I was very happy that he had found me on Facebook so that I could be in contact with him without needing to pay on the volunteer site!

He asked me to come and volunteer with them teaching English and helping in the orphanage. I said that I had a lot of questions, but that I would consider his offer. He patiently answered all the questions that I asked him. I am a very savvy and discerning traveler, I was not going to sign up without doing all my homework about this organisation. I did a lot of web research on the organisation and I was not fully satisfied with the information I received - the only things I could find about the organisation and the work they did was on their own website and Facebook page - there was no mention of it anywhere else.

I asked if I could be put in contact with a former or current foreign volunteer - I had a lot of questions which only a volunteer would be able to answer (including about the authenticity of the entire organisation!). He said it was a good idea and told me that he would get one of the volunteers to email me. A couple of days passed, then out of the blue I received an email from a so-called American volunteer called 'Lori'. I almost burst out laughing as I read it, it was obviously written by the director!

It was hilariously written and included sentences which a Western would never use, and were completely uncharacteristic for an American, such as: "greetings to you from Uganda, am called Lori from USA". Note that it doesn't even say 'I am called' (which we would never say anyway), it just says 'am called'.

'Lori' spoke high praise of the organisation (and of the director, surprise surprise!) saying: "am so excited that am able reach out and care for many people and am believing this to be my best experience in life ever!"

I found it absolutely hilarious that the director would think that he could fool me. I almost felt sorry for him, and whatever he was hiding. I wrote back to 'Lori' and straight out said that I knew it was fraudulent, that I was not deceived, and to never attempt to contact me again. I haven't heard from him since. I did get a good laugh out of it and no harm was done.

The moral of the story is: Do not try to fool me!! I have a sharp mind and I am not easily misled! haha.

So it is back to the drawing board on finding an organisation in Uganda, but I remain unconcerned, I will find one in plenty of time - I trust the Lord Jesus - He will direct my paths and bring me the right opportunities!