Last week, Axia’s Content Director met with Karen Maximos to discuss her work with Life With Purpose Uganda and its sister organization, Life With Purpose Foundation.
Karen Maximos has been working for the past seven years with the Coptic Orthodox Church in Uganda through the nonprofits Life With Purpose Uganda and its sister organization, Life With Purpose Foundation in the U.S. (which she helped found!). We asked her to share with us what first brought her to this work in Uganda, and why it continues to be a vital part of her life today.
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Axia Women: Karen, could you tell us a bit about why you first started taking trips to Uganda?
Karen: “Uganda has become such a huge part of my life, and so there are so many intricate sectors to it. But I’ll start from where I started. I am by trade a graphic designer and animator. I double majored in college.
“While I was in college, I would hear about people doing missionary work, and it sounded so fun and lovely. I loved serving in the church. Our bishop, Bishop [now Metropolitan] Youssef, of the Southern United States Diocese, usually takes a group trip every year. When I graduated university in 2019, he was going to take a group to visit Uganda. That was going to be my graduation gift, going on that trip.
“My last year of university was one of the hardest years of my life. It was the deepest and the only pit of depression I’ve ever been in - thank God. It was a really dark year for me.
“On the plane to Uganda, I was journaling and praying for the first time in a long while. I didn’t feel ready for this trip, and I didn’t feel like I had anything to give, and so I was just praying to be able to meet God there. I asked God: ‘Just show me Your grace for a little bit on this trip, because I have nothing to offer anyone else.’
“God answered my prayer. I really did get to see Him: I got to see Him in the people there, and I got to see Him in so many miraculous circumstances and interactions. I don't feel like I played a big role in the mission trip itself. But I felt like God was filling me. And so Uganda became a river or a stream of grace for me, in more ways than I could have ever imagined.
Registration for our new Writing Workshop Series Ink & Faith is Open!
Are you a writer, aspire to be a writer, or just love to write? Are you looking to connect with other women or improve your craft? If so, we hope you will join us at this series of writing workshops featuring the voices of Orthodox women.
Substack paid subscribers get 5% off all events!
Workshops
Sherry Shenoda: Truth at a Slant: What Makes a Poem?
September 13, 7pm Eastern
Phoebe Farag Mikhail: Creative Ways to Research Your Nonfiction Book
September 17, 7pm Eastern
Katherine Bolger Hyde: Faith in Fiction
September 20, 7pm Eastern
Phoebe Farag Mikhail: Writing Your Nonfiction Book Proposal
September 24, 7pm Eastern
Elissa Bjeletich Davis: Writing About the Saints
September 27, 7pm Eastern
Brandi Willis Schreiber and Amber Schley Iragui: Writing for Children
October 4, 7pm Eastern
Nicole Lyon Roccas: The Christian Life as Poetry (details coming soon!)
August 30, 7pm Eastern
Or, sign up for all seven and receive a significant discount!
Writers of all levels are welcome. We hope you will join us!
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