When you think of going on vacation you think of places like, Cancun Mexico, The Caribbean, Tahiti or Europe. The possibilities are endless. Not for 17 year Old Samantha “Sammi” Stotts. Sammi finished her junior year of high school in June of 2012 and instead of hanging out with friends at the mall or finding an exotic vacation retreat during her school break; Sammi caught a plane to Uganda, Africa – on a mission trip with Believer’s World Outreach. Sammi fundraised, worked and saved for her mission throughout the year. Sammi visited the “Amani Baby Cottage” in Jinja, Africa. The children in the orphanage were sent there because their families faced insurmountable challenges of poverty and diseases such as AIDS and HIV infections. Sammi shared that she did not feel like she was in a third world country until reaching the village of Kikondo after a beautiful boat ride filled with exotic plants and views through Lake Victoria. The village had homes made of sticks and mud, no clean water and people wearing torn clothes. “It was so insane to me how different these villages were.” Said Sammi. Sammi’s vacation was spent making new friends, helping to set up medical clinics seeing over 250 patients with health concerns such as Malaria, AIDS and HIV. “They have never seen what they look like because they don’t own mirrors; how crazy is that?” Sammi spent the day snapping pictures of the children and then sharing those pictures with them. “They were ecstatic; they laughed and screamed with joy.” A donation made by Serving Hands International and the owners of A-1 Self Storage to Believer’s World Outreach helped purchase medicine, clothing and supplies for the very needy children Sammi met on her trip. “It was an incredible experience and opportunity and I’m grateful that I got to experience it.” Sounds like this “vacation” was one Sammi will never forget. Participation in the mission trip was made possible thanks to the support of A1 Self Storage and generous donors like you!
