Love Shared from Past Year-long Interns
The James Place is thousands of miles away, but is something I think about everyday. Love, laughter, kindness, and service occur there everyday. Toddlers explore, preschoolers learn, and women work hard to provide for every need there.
When you walk into the James place, you immediately see a place that has become a safe haven and a home for so many. Kids have started their time there at the age of 6 months and have ended up graduating from preschool with a full educational life ahead of them. Women enter the gates searching for not only a job, but also acceptance and unconditional love. What they receive and then give back to those around them is a testament to the teachings and love of Jesus. The James Place plays a pivotal part in keeping families together in Jinja.
Courtney Erickson, Former Intern
The James Place is a special place. A place where I walk through the gates and take a deep breath. A place where people in the community can walk through the gates and take a deep breath. They will be listened to, seen, and loved despite their circumstance. To me, the James Place means opportunity. HEAL offers women the opportunity to pull themselves up and find hope. They do this through education (for women and children), sustainable trades, and job opportunities. After living at The James Place for a year I became more and more impressed with the way the staff, artisans, and children truly loved and cared for each other. They stood in the gaps for each other and carried each other when it seemed impossible to keep going. HEAL gives women and children the tools to be sustainable and feel empowered while doing so. People leave The James Place able to help themselves and help others as well in turn. I love The James Place for the opportunities it has provided me to learn to love others well and join hands and walk alongside others through trial and triumph.
