On Saturday, Dec. 13, the Elizabeth Room at The Marriage Hub, 18 N. Market St., Elizabethtown, will fill with the warmth of Christmas. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Milandila - a local nonprofit partnering with village communities in Uganda - will host its Christmas Fundraising Event, a celebration with a purpose that reaches across continents.

"Come and be encouraged!" said Shannon Medich, Milandila's director of partnership development. "It's a casual setting, free and a drop-in. It's family-friendly, or you could come and not know anyone and still leave smiling. When you hear stories of lives being transformed by Christ, you will want to be part of what God is doing."

The event will feature Christmas cookies and coffee, along with a lunch available for purchase from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Each lunch will feature a pulled pork or chicken sandwich, a side dish, chips and a beverage. Handcrafted Ugandan items will be for sale, and a holiday dessert auction, hosted by auctioneer Dave Conley of Rentzel's Auctions in Mount Wolf, will begin at 1 p.m. Attendees may bid on more than 50 desserts to benefit the organization's expansion efforts.

People from Community Bible Church in Marietta and Elizabethtown Alliance Church will provide the desserts.

"There are about 25 bakers offering one or two desserts each. Each one is a masterpiece!" Medich said. "(There will be) incredible layer cakes, black raspberry pie, cinnamon rolls, pecan pie, trays of assorted Christmas cookies, almond cake with chocolate ganache icing, carrot cake with cream cheese icing, a chocolate cake with raspberry filling - frosted with chocolate icing, lemon cream cheese dump cake, whoopie pie cake, angel food cake and dozens and dozens more!"

All proceeds will directly benefit the event's goal of raising $108,730 for a ministry expansion project and associated operating costs.

At 12:30 p.m., missionaries James and Morgan Tumwesiigye will share stories from Milandila Community Missions, the nonprofit they founded after moving to Uganda in 2021. The organization's name, taken from the Baganda tribe, means "root, foundation or beginning." It's a fitting description for a ministry committed to building relationships and supporting vulnerable mothers.

Milandila's Family Center serves pregnant and postpartum women in the Luwero District, providing medical care, prenatal and postnatal classes, lactation education, life-skills training and ongoing support. The program already serves more than 100 mothers, with five to 10 new women arriving each week.

This year's event marks the second time Milandila is bringing its work to life through a festive Christmas gathering. The idea began last year when the Tumwesiigyes were returning to Pennsylvania for the holidays.

"There are so many supporters who want to meet with them, so we thought it would be wonderful to have a time where everyone could hear an update on what God is doing in Uganda," Medich said. "Because it was so close to Christmas, we thought of embracing the holiday season to offer handcrafted Christmas ornaments and Nativity sets that they brought with them from Uganda. And we thought of the auction because what a fun way to raise money while providing something everyone needs - baked goods at Christmas!"

Milandila is now expanding its Family Center into one of Uganda's only Women's and Babies' Hospitals, a project that will dramatically increase access to safe birth options and maternal education.

"We are a small nonprofit, and by God's grace, we are making big impacts," Medich said. "We believe that intentional building of relationships is one of the most effective ways to evangelize. When we take the time to know people - who they are, what they do, why they believe what they believe - we can share the Gospel in authentic and meaningful ways."

Attendees at the Christmas event will be encouraged to support this expansion and Milandila's frontline Gospel work. And for those who feel called to do more than give financially, Milandila also welcomes volunteer mission teams every February and June.

"If you have a heart to learn more or get involved, don't hesitate to drop in," Medich encouraged. "There is always room for one more in Great Commission work, and there is always an exciting way to be involved. God has gifted each one of us in different ways but called each of us to know Him and make Him known. Join us and figure out how you can best plug in."

The event is free to attend, and no tickets or reservations are necessary. People with limited mobility and the elderly should reserve on-site parking. Ample parking will also be available at adjacent businesses as well as on-street parking in the blocks surrounding the location. To reserve parking or learn more about the organization, visit http://www.milandila.org or contact Medich at smedich@milandila.org or 717-514-4356.