meet team 8!

Team 8 leader Natalie is just about ready to head to Uganda. Not far behind her will be the other members of this awesome group. They will be carrying over 450 pounds of art supplies, medical supplies, gifts, clothing, games, school supplies, soccer balls, frisbees and more - all to make the holidays a fun and memorable experience for the 180 kids at St. Mary Kevin.

The team is made mostly of returning volunteers, which says so much about how profound these connections are.

Holly and Anna Cobb were part of Team 6. They had such an amazing time that they have convinced the rest of their family to join them on the journey this year. Alan, Gus and Wyatt will soon get to meet the special children they've heard so much about from Holly and Anna for the past two years. This will make for a truly unique family volunteer vacation, just as the Soslands experienced last year at this time. CTT is lucky to have the support of families like these!

Suzanne Garr will be making her FOURTH trip to St. Mary Kevin! Suzanne was smitten by the kids the minute she walked onto the grounds back in 2010. Thanks to letter writing, Facebook and Skype she has maintained close relationships with many of them. They love her dearly and can't wait to see her again. Suzanne is an important and active member of the CTT family. She sponsors two children in secondary school and led Team 6. Her enthusiasm and compassion is contagious. We look forward to hearing all about Spirit Day this year, Suzanne!

New board member Dawn Taylor will be making her third trip to SMK. Her traveling companion and fellow volunteer will be daughter Emily, who will be visiting for the second time. These girls are counting the days til they can get their arms around the kids, all of whom will be ecstatic to see them again. It means so much to our kids that their friends from American do not forget about them and do return.

The fearless leader of Team 8, Natalie Boten, is eager to get this party started! She's been planning for months and has some great surprises in store for the kids this year. She has promised to submit blog posts regularly so all of us can keep track of the team's experiences. Since we can't stow away in their duffel bags, this will have to do. Natalie will be landing on Ugandan soil for the third time, and she can hardly wait!

Safe travels and good luck to Team 8. You're a fantastic group - each of you has something very special to offer the kids. We'll hear more about those things as your blog posts roll in.

There will be a big old love-fest starting up pretty soon in Kajjansi, Uganda.