(This is adapted from a letter I mailed out to previous mission trip partners and other contacts.)
Dear Friends,
As most of you know, I have been on a variety of foreign mission trips over the years. Most of these were with LEAMIS International Ministries, which stopped doing that type of team-based, short-term trip about a decade ago.
Then, in 2022, I went to Uganda with Raise The Roof Academy. RTRA is an amazing school in a rural area, helping to use the power of education to improve the lives and prospects of the people in that region. It was founded by Rev. David and Marlene Ssebulime.
Each summer, RTRA organizes a volunteer trip to coincide with an event called Rhino Kids Camp. During this week, several different activities and ministries take place, and the American volunteers have a variety of different options to get involved.
- RTRA is not in its normal school session at that time, so Rhino Kids Camp functions as a sort of Vacation Bible School, and some volunteers are active in leading programs and activities with the kids.
- Several of the school’s classrooms are transformed into temporary medical and dental clinics. For the first two days of the week, they treat RTRA students, but after that they open their doors to the community at large, many of whom have no regular access to medical care. The clinics are staffed by both Ugandan and (if available) American medical volunteers.
- Women’s and men’s spiritual development workshops are held during the week.
- There is also an option for those who are comfortable with carpentry or construction, such as working on one of RTRA’s campus buildings, constructing desks or tables, or some similar task.
- As part of the Kids Camp, backpacks containing school supplies and personal items are given to each child. One day during the week, the American volunteers help to pack each individual backpack with supplies, some of which we’ve helped transport to Uganda in checked baggage.
In 2022, I spent a couple of days holding a flashlight in the dental clinic, so that the dentist could see into a patient’s mouth to perform dental work. I attended the men’s workshop as well, and gave a brief testimony.
The RTRA trip was one of the best mission trip experiences I’ve ever had. RTRA is an outstanding organization, one with real potential to have major, long-term impact.
On one day of the trip, each volunteer gets the opportunity to have lunch in a private home — and, in that part of the world, a “private home” is a two-room shack. In 2022, it was just me and a translator. It was an unforgettable experience.
I was so thrilled by the RTRA trip that, a month or two after returning home, I began sponsoring an RTRA student through the school’s monthly donation program. I correspond with C. several times a year. If I return to Uganda, I will get the opportunity to meet him in person.
I knew I wanted to return to RTRA someday, and toward the end of June, every time I opened Facebook, I would see a) memories of my 2022 trip, and b) posts from some of the friends I made that year who were on this year’s trip.
This year, something clicked; I felt a call to return to Uganda in the summer of 2026. I’ve started a regimen of walking in hopes of dropping some pounds and gaining some energy between now and then.
Many of you receiving this letter have been more than generous in supporting my previous trips, and I want you to know how much I appreciate it. I am writing today to see if you would be interested in supporting my return to Uganda next year.
Depending on variables like air fare, the estimated amount I’ll have to pay to RTRA for the trip will be in the range of $3,500. That’s my primary concern; I will also have some personal expenses on top of that, but I should be able to cover those myself. Any contribution, no matter what size, would be appreciated. You may give directly, in the name of my trip, to RTRA, a registered, incorporated 501(c)3 not-for-profit agency, which is important from a tax deduction standpoint. (See RTRA’s Charity Navigator listing here.)
We will have an optional trip to a safari park or something similar, but that is a separate cost and I would not ask my supporters to pay for that expense, since it’s not directly related to the mission work. The safari is a brief trip to a scenic wildlife area either right before or right after the work week, depending on our flight schedule. Team members who choose not to sign up for the safari remain in Kampala, Uganda’s capital city, and see the sights there.
I would humbly ask you to consider whether you might be able to support this 2026 trip, at any level.
How to give
You may give online, at www.raisetheroofacademy.org/donate . Click on the button for “one-time donation.” On the next page, choose “mission trip support” from the drop-down menu and put my name in the memo line to ensure that I get credit for the donation. You may also Venmo the funds to @RaiseTheRoofAcademy, again including my name in the memo line.
If you give directly to RTRA, please drop me a line and let me know. RTRA will give me a periodic update of donations, but for my own record-keeping I’d like to hear about it as soon as possible, and that way I can also thank you promptly.
If you would like to personally hand me a donation, that’s fine, too; make your check out to Raise The Roof Academy to ensure that it’s tax deductible. Any checks made out to me, at this point, I will just deposit and forward the money to RTRA. That’s fine for me, but it means you won’t be able to take credit for the donation on your taxes (for those of you who itemize your charitable contributions). Once I’ve met my obligations to RTRA, if someone feels led to help with personal expenses, we can talk about it at that time. I’m not looking for that, but once or twice in the past someone has been led to do that.
I do not make this request lightly, and I know that economic conditions have been challenging as of late. Any amount you want to give would be appreciated. If you can’t give at this time, but would like to stay in the loop with updates and reminders so that you might give later, that’s fine as well. Let me know either way. I solicit your prayers whether or not you’re able to contribute financially.
I would also be happy to speak to any sort of Sunday School class, club, group, or what have you about the trip.
Thank you so much for your time, consideration and support.
In mission,
John I. Carney