My Mother. Myanmar. Teddy Bears.

In recent months, I've seen seen the power that social networks have to bring people together and cause real, positive change.  So please allow me the chance to boost the signal for this very special opportunity in my life.

I love getting the chance to describe my mother to those who have never met her. I usually open with the statement: “If God was going to create a teddy bear, it would be exactly like my mother.” She’s tenderhearted, full of compassion, and there’s nothing quite like her hugs.

She’s been using all of those things in her career as a nurse. In fact, most of the children who grew up with me going to retreats or summer camps in the region simply know her as “Nurse Stephanie.” (This is true of children who grew up after me too. She kept volunteering long after I had grown up.)

Last fall, my mom told me that one of the things on her “bucket list” was going on a mission trip. She told me that it had long been a desire of her heart to use her nursing gifts to help women and children in a third world country. She asked me, “If the opportunity comes, would you go with me?” Without hesitation, my answer was yes.

Long story short: A few months after she shared this with me, she was asked to join a mission trip going to Myanmar in October of this year. The trip has a few components, but the most important one to me is that my mother is going to have the opportunity to serve as a nurse in every city we visit. And I will have the distinct honor to serve alongside her.

This trip itself is an answer to prayer, but I would be so grateful if you partnered with me in prayer for this trip: for the itinerary to run smoothly, for the women and children we are going to serve, for my mother as she journeys to a strange land for the first time, for the two of us to grow through this experience.

And here it is: I’m usually too self-reliant to ask, but would you consider partnering with my mother and me with your finances? The trip costs $3,000 per person and the bulk of the money is due by July 1st. Donations are tax-deductible and can be sent to to WWCM (World Class Cities Ministries) at 6499 Wesley Ln, Elkridge, MD 21075.  Please indicate "Stephanie Leake Mission" on your donation. Any resources that go above and beyond our traveling expenses will go toward supporting the orphanages we will visit while in Myanmar.

The awkward part aside… thank you for reading. I decided to post this on my blog simply because I wanted to share the news. So whether it’s through your thoughts and prayers, or though your finances (or both), thank you for helping me help my mom. I am really looking forward to introducing a whole new set of children to her teddy bear hugs.