Hard to believe it’s been five years since the first Compassion Bloggers landed in Uganda. We didn’t even have a name back then – let alone a website of our own.

Back then I was one of the bloggers tasked with putting Compassion International’s ministry into words every night. Now it’s my privilege to lead these blogging trips along with my friend Brianne (We just call her Bri).

We’re celebrating 5 years of blogging for Compassion with a trip to Uganda – where it all began. Want to join us? Go here and tell us about yourself.

This isn’t a mission trip.

We’ll be traveling to Uganda as online journalists – asking great questions, listening intently, writing the stories of the children Compassion serves. We won’t build, teach, or dig anything. But that doesn’t mean it’s an easy trip.

Bloggers who travel with us often remark that it’s the hardest writing they’ve ever done. Every day you will walk a mile or two, see things that will break your heart, and ingest massive amounts of information…while jet-lagged. And then the hard work begins: putting your experience into words.

You need not apply if…

You need not apply if you’re afraid to travel – this is a long flight on a big plane and then a short flight on a little bitty one.

Skip this trip if you don’t like meeting new people and having new experiences – you’ll have a roommate, bounce around the country with strangers who should become your friends, and there’s no telling what you’ll eat.

And please don’t apply if you’re too grown up to make a fool of yourself for the amusement of the children (and the rest of us) – you might be asked to participate in a relay in which you spell your name with your backside (It’s happened).

But if you’re willing to get on a plane, explore a new culture, learn about Compassion’s ministry, and stare at your screen late into the night (or early morning) until the words come…you should totally give it a shot.