Meet Mauwa

When you are an adoptive mama, there is something in you that says "if a child doesn't have a parent. . .I can do it".  

This complicates sponsorship.  . .

I hadn't thought about it that much because I didn't know most of the details of 

Mauwa's life.  (remember Molly?, it IS the same girl!)  When we went to Nabakalu, I was abl

e to spend a few moments with Mauwa.  She is a VERY shy girl, and doesn't speak a ton of English which makes communication a little hard.  However, she LOVED th

at Greg had written her 5 times already and she really liked the family picture that I brought over.  I also had her sponsorship profile with me (to remember her last name) and she wanted to keep it.  It is unlikely that she has very many pictures of herself, so I'm sure that was a treat.

The hard part was talking to the leaders of Nabakalu and getting more of her story.  I knew that her mama had died just before our last visit in October, but didn't know anything else.  Norman told me that both of her parents had died from hiv/AIDS.  She now lives at the Home of Champions Orphanage.   

Uganda has an interesting law.  During school holidays (the months of May, September and January) all children who are living at schools or orphanages must return home.  This is to protect their heritage, their ties to their tribe/clan and to keep ownership rights to ancestral land.  They are supposed to go stay with some kind of extended family (there is always SOME family to be found in Uganda).  What makes it difficult is that the extended family doesn't always WANT the child to come back and often doesn't have the means to take care of the child when they do.  

This is what is breaking my heart for Mauwa.  They called Mauwa back to the orphanage for the time we were there, which thrilled her.  Why?  Because during holidays she has to go back to her village and live with her uncles.  Norman told me that she doesn't like this because they don't treat her well. . .and often don't feed her.  

I don't know what to do with this in my heart.  Here she is my responsibility to love and pray for. . that's what sponsorship is, right?  And she is hurting.  My heart aches for her.  Will you join me in praying for her safety?  Praying that she has enough food to eat?  Praying that God turns the hearts of those in her home village towards her?  As an adoptive mama, I just want to scoop her up and protect her from all of this, but I can't.  

Ogoloi

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Those who gave so that we could meet needs on the ground. . .I have no words but thank you. Here is a man who's life was touched. He hasn't been able to start his ARV's b/c he didn't have food in his system. The food YOU provided will enable him to start treatment soon. Thank you.

Russ, Angel, Tom, Lilly and GOD'S MOVEMENT

*edited with Angel's photos!

I have been a bad blogger lately! It's for good reason, though. . .I swear! Sometimes I fail to go back and blog what has gone on once a new week has begun. But this entire blog would be remiss if I failed to blog all of the wonderful things that God brought to pass this past week!

We had several visitors in town. . . .(drumroll please)
Russ and Angel!!!

They came to Fl for a kid-free vacation. . .(stop drooling and read on =) We got to meet for dinner on their way into town and sat and talked for 5 hours straight! Can I tell you I love these folks? If you don't know them, check out Angel's blog (if you are the one person who doesn't already read it!). They are also the brains behind Red Letters Campaign. Well. . .Angel is the personality and Russ is the brains. . hehe. Russ is wicked smart and Angel is a ball of energy on fire for God. They share a passion for the poor and for seeing believers lives transformed by Jesus as they follow Jesus' commands to feed, clothe and love on others. They are truly a joy to be around. We actually got a sitter (thanks Mom!!!) and went to the beach with them on Monday afternoon. We spent the entire afternoon and evening walking the beach, talking and dreaming. Seriously, words can't express how much we enjoy them. It's often hard to find a couple that you both really get along with. . .especially since Greg doesn't find friends online like I do. I think it always makes him a BIT nervous when I say that we are hanging out with someone he doesn't know well in real life. No reason to fear here. . .he and Russ hit it off immediately. We love them both dearly and are thankful for this friendship that has begun and that they are allowing us to be involved in this precious ministry that they have begun (with the help of their amazing friends back home).


The next crew to join us were Tom and Lilly Davis.

We planned months ago for Tom to come in for our church's launch of our sponsorship of Rapha Orphan Village (I'll tell you about that soon). Since Tom's speaking schedule is crazy this spring he has been trying to bring along a kid or two to different events. So, we had the joy of hosting not just Tom, but the precious Lilly Joy as well. What a doll! I am a sucker for 5 year old girls anyways, but she takes the cake. Tom and Lilly flew in late Wednesday night and spent the entire day at Disney on Thursday. Can I tell you how thankful I am for sweet friends who work there? A friend of mine (you know who you are! thanks!) was able to get Tom and Lilly park hoppers into Disney so they could enjoy Epcot's Disney Princess breakfast and a day at Magic Kingdom. It was a joy for us to get to bless Tom and Lilly in this way as we recognize how much sacrifice Tom's family makes for the kingdom by allowing him to travel the way he does to preach the good news and the opportunity to serve the world.

Speaking of awesome friends. . . .after a great morning on Friday with Tom speaking to a group of lay leaders from across Orlando. . .we headed to Sea World! Sea World is my favorite park because of how relaxing it is. Tom and I packed up his girl and my gang and headed down to Sea World to meet my sweet friends Jay and Carrie and their crew as well as the infamous Russ (Angel's foot hurt so she couldnt' join us =( What a fun and relaxing evening we had! Our kids all got along famously (we also had the Dunwell boys join us) and we all enjoyed Shamu, Sharks, Pets Ahoy and a leisurely dinner as well. . . interesting note: in the 4 families that were there, we had all adopted. . .China, Guatemala, Liberia and Russia represented!

Lilly spent the night on Friday night because the guys (tom and greg) had an early golf game. This was a blast for the kiddos because I'm pretty sure my Brayden has a bit of a crush. He kept hugging Lilly. . .too cute! I packed up the kids and did a Chick Fil A breakfast and a morning at the pool. Our first swim of the season! whohoo! (though I did get mean comments on FB from people who live in the Tundra!).

Lilly kept saying, "I don't have to wear a coat here!" We had a blast and finished up just in time to meet the guys for a quick change and out for lunch to meet. . . .Russ and Angel on their way OUT of town. Pastor Jon and Christie met up with us too! After Russ and Angel's favorite Gluten-Free Pizza (I couldn't even tell the difference!), we headed to church for our launch weekend.
Angel's caption for this photo: Russ and Brandi plotting to take over the world. haha. I tease that I'm not allowed to talk to Russ on the phone. . .because I'll never sleep again. . yes, we'll take over the world but I'll just be exhausted! haha
An impromptu dance party at Uno's.

What a blessing our church is to us. You should have seen our church take on responsibility for these precious kiddos. We have built it up over the past month and this body was READY for the challenge. And let me tell you. . Tom brought the challenge. He did a great job preaching the word and sharing God's heart for the world. . . . and our folks answered the call!

ALL 52 children were SPONSORED!!!! AND a waiting list of 13 families!!!

That's what I'm talking about! Not only that, but every family was SUPER excited about me going to Uganda in 3 weeks to see their kids. A full on letter writing campaign is starting. Families that weren't able to sponsor at this time are also writing kids. We are getting a list of all of the teachers names and starting a campaign of encouragement to pair them up with families that will love, pray for and write to them as well!!! God is GOOD. Many of my friends just sat and wept through the service. I am so thankful for people upon whom God has laid this burden. I rejoice with their tears because we share a common bond!

So. . .that's my excuse for no blogging. . .good enough? hehe. This week is just as crazy. Today we have our Easter Party at the Rescue Mission and Saturday morning is our Spring Fling, a community event at our church where we expect 1500+ people and I'm in charge. . yeah. . I may be certifiable!

PS Russ, Angel and Tom all have way better pictures of our weekend, but I've been waiting and waiting on THEM to blog it so I could steal the pictures. . .couldn't wait any longer! So, check their sites later. . .you may see more fun pictures! I know Tom got some good group shots and Angel has our beach pictures! Thanks guys for a wonderful week! We love the friendships God has provided in both of your families. Can't wait to spend time with the Weir kiddos and meet the rest of the Davis clan too (if Lilly is any indication, I really can't wait!)

Full Circle Vision

I love seeing God connect the dots. Times that you think are isolated that God later connects to other things to show you greater aspects of His character. This weekend was one of those times.

Along with getting to hang out with my awesome sister-in-law, Laura and her hubby Slim, we had an AMAZING weekend with our great friends, Jamin and Vicki. They are our college roommates. . .both of them! NO we didn't live with them as a couple. . .Jamin was Greg's roommate and Vicki was one of mine! So, as you can imagine, reconnecting with them is always great fun. And this weekend was for a great purpose too. . .

Summit Church, Naples was launching their sponsorship of Nabakalu Home of Champions Orphanage in Bugiri, Uganda!!! Whohoo! We were so glad that Jamin was able to join us on our trip in October and this was the culmination of that trip. Can I tell you what a blessing it is to see visions come to fruition? AMAZING!!! Seeing the children who we had spent time with in Uganda be chosen by Summit families to be sponsored and loved leaves me almost speechless (almost!) What a beautiful thing it was.

Even more amazing is that Summit Church, Naples is a new church plant of the larger Summit Church in the University area. Right now, the Naples campuses has approx 250 in attendance at their best service. Oh yeah, and did I tell you that the orphanage they are sponsoring is 102 children????? That seems practically impossible for a church of that size, doesn't it?

We recognized all weekend that this would be a God-sized task. Jamin, along with Vicki and the leadership of their church, had prayerfully considered this and were confident that this was where God was leading their body. Saturday night, after the cookout was over and the kiddos were all in bed (they have 3 gorgeous girls ranging from 3 weeks to 4 years!) we decided to spend time praying over the children to be sponsored. What a joy! I love friends that you can stop everything with and just enter the presence of Jesus together. In fact, I do believe that we need to do that more often! It was such a joy to listen to Jamin and Vicki's heart for these orphans, especially Vicki's. She didn't come with us on this trip and hadn't seen these children face to face but is every bit as passionate about them as the rest of us. She was a blast to spend time with, sharing our hearts for orphans and the lost and our struggles with living in this world.

Jamin had dedicated their whole service on Sunday morning to Mission Uganda. We spent time in worship singing songs like "Our God is the God who SAVES" that just prepared us to join God where He is at work across the globe. Then, Jamin preached on

1 John 3:16-18: "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? ¹⁸Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth"

His message points were that Jesus sacrificed it all for us, we are to lovingly lay down our lives for others and that love must reveal itself in actions. He challenged us especially with verse 17 and about having hearts of compassion. You may remember that this is something the Lord has really been teaching me. Well, Jamin brought it up another notch. He said that the word compassion didn't just mean "to suffer with" but the words were to give a word picture of our intestines. Literally that compassion means "to suffer in the gut". Wow! Do I feel like I've been punched in the gut for others? That kind of care. . . .that's the kind HE was looking for in verse 17!

You know, I felt that punched in the gut feeling when I was in Nabakalu. You may remember Molly. She was the 13 year old girl who had recently lost her mama and ended up sobbing on my lap. The problem is that it was, for me, a one time punch in the gut. Yet, Jesus has revealed over and over that His compassions are new every morning. Compassion for Him isn't a one time action, but a continuing way of life. I have thought of this many times since that meeting with Molly. I have wished that I could live in relationship with her in a deeper way.

Saturday, God revealed to Greg and I how we could take that punch in the gut compassion and live it out in real action. While we were going through the children's profiles, Vicki and I found Molly! Ok, so I apparently didn't understand her Ugandan accent and her real name is Mauwa, but we found her. Immediately, I knew. Greg and I will now join Summit Church, Naples in the sponsorship of Nabakalu. We have chosen Mauwa as our sponsored child!!! How cool is that? Isn't God soooooo good??!!! (PS Yes, we will still sponsor kiddos from Rapha with our church on April 4/5).

Jamin had asked us to share something in service and we didn't even realize how well all of that would work together and how much the Lord would be revealing His plans to US and not just Summit Naples that day!

Following service we saw over 80 children get sponsored!!!! They have another 20 kids to go and were bringing those profiles to their college group this week. We have no doubts that God has done a GREAT work in Summit Church, Naples this week by taking a fairly small church and using it to sponsor a huge orphanage! Thanks to God's people who stepped up to the challenge!! Continue to pray for the children still needing sponsors and the sponsors who just chose their children. This also helped me in our upcoming trip to Uganda. It helped me to realize again and again that we put God in a box. He is showing us just how much He can use smaller churches. . .He doesn't need there to be 1000 people in a church to get an orphanage sponsored! There are churches across our nation banding together to sponsor orphanages or stepping up to the plate to sponsor WAY more kids than you would ever think possible. He is GOOD!!!

PS We still have another spot open if your church would like to be represented on the April trip, leaving 6 weeks from yesterday!

Mourning A Fatherless Moses and Our Call

I'm going to miss Moses. He died yesterday. Ok, not really yesterday, but yesterday in my reading and finishing of the book of Deuteronomy! He was an amazing, unlikely leader. . .

He was born during a time of crisis. His mom fought to give him life and had to send him away, praying for life. So much like many women across the world who send their children to orphanages, praying for life to be provided. He was found by an Egyptian princess!

No wonder I like him, he was a TRANSRACIAL ADOPTEE!!! I LOVE God's word and how it speaks to our world today and specifically to my family!

Not only a transracial adoptee but one who ended up in power over his people then used it to free them! Moses may have felt so out of place in his world. . .a Hebrew raised in the palaces of the Pharoah who was enslaving his people. And yet, it is in this difficult mix God raised up a leader. He calls MOSES to lead his people. Moses felt so unworthy. . .he wasn't even a great public speaker and felt so inadequate and yet God used him. Do you need to stop a minute and take that in?! I do.

One thing that is interesting to me in particular as I dwell on Moses' fatherless state is the truth that God used him to speak to the people. A truth about the responsibility of God's people to care for the fatherless among them. Remember, Moses got his word from the Lord and then went out to the people to share it with them. I wonder (and can't wait to ask Moses) how often he just wept when God spoke truths like, "He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. " (Deut 10:18) Can you imagine how that spoke to Moses' personal life and heart? Then, he got to be a part of God's delivery of that very message to his people!

This "taking care of orphans" thing is not just my passion, it's a calling by God on all of our lives. Now, that will look different for each of us. . .some may adopt, while others sponsor a child and still others develop relationships with the fatherless in their church or neighborhood. I'm not telling you HOW to do it, just that it's a command of God and not just a good idea! Simply read Deuteronomy and you'll see it throughout the whole book. At least 10 times, it is mentioned as a command of the people to give of themselves, their crops, their tithes, their advocacy.

In fact, one of the strongest statements comes in Deuteronomy 27 where the Lord is listing out regulations and speaking simply that "cursed is the man who. . ." This is a list of the worst of the worst. I mean, things I don't want to write here (because my google ads choose based on my word choices!). And, tucked among these commands is "Cursed is the man who withholds justice from the alien, the fatherless or the widow". He takes this seriously! This is right after his stance on cursed is the man who tricks blind people on the road, is incestual with his daughter and who sleeps with his mother in law! Yes, he takes the concept of justice for the fatherless that seriously.

What do we do with that? My question to take to the Lord is "how would I be withholding justice for the fatherless?" or even how am I not living out the laws of giving of myself for the fatherless, the widow and the alien (read stranger or sojourner other places). Remember, it's not about what the answer looks like in your life compared to mine or anyone else's! It's about asking the question and being ready for the answers.

In fact, you can start now. . . begin to pray for the fatherless of Uganda. Specifically, the fatherless who are ministered to by Bethesda Int'l at Rapha Village Orphanage, Rapha Village School and the other children who are ministered to by this amazing group of Ugandan believers. They are in crisis. 357 children with no money for school or food right now. Begin praying for provision and ask God how He might use you. Stay tuned because we will (surprise!) be announcing a way to get involved on Monday. Check Tom Davis' blog as well as mine and others (and hopefully join us in adding it to yours) on Monday for more details!

Let's live God's call. Let's be Jesus' hands and feet to our world. . .and be changed in the process. Moses, I'll miss you. . . but this leads us easily into the first chapter of Joshua and "Be strong and very courageous! Be careful to obey all the law my servand Moses gave you; do not turn to the right or left, that you may be sucessful wherever you go" (Josh 1:7)

An EASY way to make a difference!

You guys already know this. . but if not. . .I am heading to Uganda, East Africa on April 28th! I will be leading a trip for Children's HopeChest. This trip is for pastors and church leaders who may want to have their congregation sponsor an ENTIRE orphanage! We already have 4 churches committed with 3 more considering the trip. Our trip will consist of visiting orphanages, orphan care points and an area of N. Uganda with over 1,000 children living on their own in what are called Child Headed Households. Our prayer is that 400-700 children will be sponsored through this one trip. Please pray with me as we make our final preparations and travel.

I have an opportunity for you! (surprise, surprise, right?!) With this economy, I have talked to many who's hearts are breaking because their giving has just HAD to go down. They want to give more and more, however, are finding their personal budgets strained. This trip provides a unique giving opportunity. POINTS. We want to be able to offer scholarships to the pastors traveling as many would not be able to take the trip without them. Thankfully, with this economy the number of points needed for int'l travel has gone down as well! We can fly a pastor to Uganda for as little as 80,000 points.
**Just as an FYI, if this pastor sponsors an orphanage of 100 children (and about 95% of the pastors that travel DO sign up) this would translate into $40,800 of donations to the orphans of Uganda in the FIRST YEAR! Getting these pastors to Uganda is a definite investment in the kingdom.

Do you have points that you might want to donate? This is a great way to give more without stressing an already tight budget!!! We can use the following types of points:
AMERICAN EXPRESS DELTA NORTHWEST CONTINENTAL (though this is a bit tricky and costs just a tad. . which we would cover)

If you have ANY points you want to donate, please contact me. (leave a comment or email me at brandi (at) kidslake (dot) org Any amount will help since we can combine the points into one account!

Thank you SO much for considering this unique opportunity to get involved in an amazing work of God in Uganda, East Africa. I have used photos of little ones who are awaiting a church to sponsor them. . .the pastor you help may be the one who makes the difference! I can't wait to update you later on all of the children who's lives will be changed as a result of your faithful giving if you feel so led!

Aprons for Africa Auction!!!!

We are having our first AUCTION!!!! Are you ready?

My mother in law is so awesome. . .go check out her new site Aprons for Africa. She is selling homemade, one of a kind, hand sewn by her, beautiful aprons all to raise money for Africa. Currently, the money is going to a pastoral scholarship to help a pastor get to Uganda. . and thus, sponsor a whole orphanage. YES, your purchase of one of her aprons can help sponsor a whole orphanage! That's not even a stretch, people. On our last trip, we had 3 pastors. 2 of them were sponsored through a partial scholarship. EVERY SINGLE CHURCH represented on that trip sponsored an orphanage!

She was going to do an etsy store. . but the orders are coming in faster than she can make them so we will wait for a bit to do that! For now. . .I will promote her through online auctions of her amazing aprons.

Let the bidding begin. . .bidding starts at $20 and your check will be made out directly to Children's HopeChest so this is a great gift! They'll even come with an Aprons for Africa tag that tells what your gift has done, since they make GREAT gifts!!! Please check this out and bid by leaving a comment. The auction will end at 10 pm on Wednesday night! I'll announce the winning bid on Wednesday night and you can send me (or HopeChest) your check for the winning amount, knowing that you have won an AMAZING apron and changed lives in the process!

PS Tell others!!! Please go blog about this!
PSS: If you don't know how to comment (and thus, bid): simply click on the "0 comments" text that you see below the text. Write your bid amount in the text box that comes up (you'll have to scroll down to see the blank text box). Click the circle next to "name/url" Type your name (no need to provide a url). Click Publish Comment.

Check this baby out. . .come on, girls. . .let's make a difference through APRONS for Africa

Helping HAITI as CHILDREN

Today was a big day for TWO reasons:

First, we held our second Playdate with a Purpose our purpose is the 2nd big thing of the day

Second, we kicked off our NEW KIDSLAKE PROJECT!!

BOWLS AND SPOONS FOR HAITI!!!

We are raising money for New Missions in Haiti to provide metal bowls and spoons for children. While my husband was there in December, they literally saw kids take bowls of rice and pour them onto their backpacks and eat the rice with their dirty hands because they didn't have the proper utensils.

So, today we did our playdate with a purpose to each teach the kids about Haiti and raise some money!

The idea behind Playdates with a Purpose is that all moms are looking for something fun to do with their kids! So, we decided to use the usual playdate and give it a twist. We meet at a local park and all the moms bring their bag lunch. We provide 2 things: 1. A game/activity used to teach the kids about our project, 2. a Craft to take home as a teaching tool.

This month's focus was Bowls and Spoons for Haiti. Every child brought $5 as their "offering" at the end. We played at the park for a while and then began our activity. I sat all of the children down on the playground and told them I had a snack for them. I asked Addison (the oldest child present) to come up for his rice. "Where is your bowl, Addison?" I asked. He, of course had no bowl and spoon. . .so I spooned the rice into his hands. We continued on with each child. Then, we talked about how hard this would be and how dangerous if your hands were really dirty. We also talked about how sad you would be if this was your only meal and you were dropping most of it on the ground!

Brooke then provided the craft. We made the CUTEST placemats with foam bowls and spoons on them. Then, the kids added pictures of children in Haiti, a map of Haiti and a sign saying, "pray for Haiti".

I think the kids really got it today. They talked about how their hearts were sad because of the kids without bowls and spoons and how they wanted to do a Hot Chocolate Stand to raise some more money!

So, there is your challenge: raise, earn or save money with your children for BOWLS AND SPOONS FOR HAITI this month! $5 buys metal bowls and spoons!
**here is the question: I have waited to post this to get pictures from New Missions. They are super busy and haven't gotten back to me. . .should I extend this project for another month or just have it be a short notice month? What works best for your family?

Uganda in Video!!!!

An awesome high school guy, Bobby, went on our trip who is an aspiring videographer. He put together this AMAZING video. It's long, so it's chopped into 3 parts on youtube. I'm going to post them here separately. . only because I thought you guys might have comments as you went along! I'm dying to hear what you think! Please use this as a springboard to pray for the people of Uganda and the HopeChest ministry there. Pray for churches to come on our vision trips, pray for finances for those trips, pray for finances for the launch fund (expenses associated with starting up), pray for wisdom as they hire staff and pray for grace, mercy and peace for the children affected. Pray also that God might prepare the hearts of the people throughout the world who's lives He will change through the children of Uganda. Enjoy

Part 2

Part 3

Provision

The truth is that I have not had to lean on God's provision (financially speaking) a lot in my life. I was too young to really remember my parents struggling years. I have heard stories and know the stories of provision, but certainly don't remember it. Since then, I have basically been married. Greg and I worked until we had children and since then Greg's job has provided for us. With him on commission and buying into a business, certainly there has been uncertainty at times.. . .but never the prospect of no food.

Now, I believe God is teaching me about provision. While I have enough money to feed my family, I do NOT have enough money to feed all of the children of Uganda and Liberia. I do not have the money to fund any of the amazing projects that we come across. So, I wait. I wait on God's provision. and, it's hard! When you really care about something, someone or even a group of someone's, your heart is broken by their need. I take their hunger, their lack of healthcare and clean water to heart. It breaks me. It burdens my heart. I want to provide for these children like my own. and I can't. Oh yes, I can do my part and save the money we do have. . .but without God's provision and HIM calling others to get involved, it's just not enough. This leaves me feeling lacking, uncertain and quite frankly scared at times.

I know that He is sovereign and that He owns a cattle on a thousand hills. Yet, I also know that we live in a sinful world. . .could He be calling and people aren't listening? Could I not be listening to Him closely enough to know who I should tell about the need? Is it His plan for their needs to go unmet?

I was listening to Chris Tomlin's "My Deliverer" last night and it struck me hard. He sings about when times are tough, "YOU are my deliverer" when the needs compound, I go to YOU and YOU are the only one who meets them. I was convicted. So often, when I see need I try to meet it. When the needs overwhelm me, I try harder. I buckle down and write more people. Instead, so often I need to realize that HE wants me to get out of His way. Yes, He may choose to use me in a small way. . but it's not about me, it's about HIM meeting the needs of HIS precious children. HE will be their Deliverer. I must stand in that truth. I must wait patiently for HIS provision, for HIS movement. It is not easy. To love the least means to love those going without and to hurt for them deeply. It also means that I get to sit on the sidelines and watch God provide in miraculous ways.

Vacations? A Ugandan Perspective

We had a fabulous Thanks and Giving PlayDate, a wonderful NEW holiday called "Feastavus", a relaxing Thanksgiving Day and a CRAZY up all night, shop but don't really spend any money Black Friday (from 12-4 am!). . .but, alas, I'll wait till I have great pictures to share those thoughts! For now, I want to share something that was on my friend Katie's blog. She is the one who moved to Uganda and adopted from Liberia. I met up with her in Uganda, so you guys heard about her and saw pics of her and her sweet kids. She is now settled in Uganda and blogging. I encourage you to check it out. This story is about her trip to Uganda and her conversation with a Ugandan man named Peter. Peter grew up in Uganda, went away to college in NYC and is returning to his home country now. . . .Here is Katie's recounting of an impactful conversation they had:

"One of his topics of discussion was how Americans spend their money. Now, just as a word of warning, I do not write any of this as a judgment on anyone, nor did Peter speak of these issues in judgment or bitterness towards people. He spoke in love and out of his longing to understand. I also do not write this in anyway to guilt anyone, not even myself. I am sharing this because it has challenged my heart and caused me to think.While Peter was in NYC he was befriended by many American families that are now his life long friends. But what he wondered about…What he sat up at night pondering about….was……How does an American spend $10,000 (could be way more or much less) on a weekend vacation? Or a family vacation? He had heard story after story of families’ vacations to the Caribbean, S. America, Europe, or where ever and he picked up on the cost of such trips. He sat through power point slides shows in people’s dining rooms while sipping tea, and flipped through photo album after photo album of beautiful landscapes and sun drenched smiling faces. And he wondered……Did they not know? Were they not aware of the suffering in other countries? Did they not know about all the AIDS orphans unable to afford ARV’s? Were they not aware of the famines? Had they not heard about the starvation and the displaced people groups living in refugee camps? Did they miss the news of thousands of children dying from malaria? Were they not informed about the lack of clean drinking water for so many of their brothers and sisters? Did they not know? Were they not told? Because surely if they knew, they would do something about it,…. right? Surely they would not turn their backs on them? Could not mere ten American dollars save the life of a child who does not have a mosquito net? Couldn’t a few hundred dollars help change the lives of many? Peter truly believed that these people must really not know. His heart is comforted in believing this. Because surely Americans, surely we wouldn’t choose to let people suffer and starve while we para-sail in the Caribbean, feast on buffets, and sip margaritas on exotic beaches.
Would we?
Would I?
...it's something to think about. Its interesting how other cultures perceive our choices and our lifestyles (the other thing he spoke about was how people love their pets better than they love other people). Part of the reason I share this is not because I think family vacations are wrong, but because I think it helps us see into our own culture. One thing Jeff and I learned in some of our mission's training is that before you can be a student of other cultures, you need to be a student of your own. These are wise words and it's helped me to see and consider how others see our culture - and view me for that matter. Check out the following website http://www.globalrichlist.com/. Though we were not surprised, Jeff and I fell out of our chairs, when we saw where we fit in the worlds economy"


That recounted conversation has stuck with me. . .but it hit closer to home when reading Erin's blog. It's easy to read the above and think, "oh my, he's right. I can't believe how SOME people spend their money." Instead, we should each look to ourselves. I love how Erin doesn't have a ton of money. . certainly doesn't spend frivilously at all. . but keeps asking the question of the Lord. Ponder this. . .let me know your thoughts.

Staying Warm can be VERY hard without Blankets

As you know, a major earthquake hit the Sichuan Province in China in May. This earthquake killed over 50,000 people and left man more homeless. Save the Children says that, "3 million infants, children and teens have been among the worst affected". This was a disaster of immense porportions. School buildings, orphanages and small village towns were completely destroyed along with hospitals and office buildings.

As you can imagine, recovering from a disaster that destroys EVERYTHING you own is not easy. However, if you are living at or below the poverty level. . .it becomes nearly impossible. Today, many children and families remain homeless. Many others are lfet without basic necessities. And. . .it's getting colder by the day. Winter is fast approaching with overnight temps already at freezing. Children remain without blankets.

Doesn't that just break your hearts? As you tuck your children into bed covered up with multiple blankets in a home that has heat, can you remember these children? Would you like to do something?

KidsLake's project for the rest of this year is. . .

BLANKETS FOR CHINA!!!

For $10, you can provide a warm blanket for a child that needs it!

Not only can you meet a need for a precious one, but you can teach your precious ones in the process! Use this opportunity when you put your children to bed and snuggle them up, to teach them about children who do not have what they do. Teach them to pray for the children who are cold that night. Teach them to be thankful for the blankets they have. . especially during this season! Then, help them to do something!

• Allow them to ask for a blanket for Christmas and forgo a toy in favor of supplying a child with a blankie!


• Have a hot chocolate stand in your neighborhood to raise money!


• Have them do chores to earn money. . .possibly making beds!


• Forgo a fast food lunch or dinner and have pb&j at home and donate the money

Whatever you do, get creative and involve your kiddos. Help them expand their vision of our world by teaching them about the children of China. Help them be a part of the solutions!

Go now to KidsLake for more ideas on how to help your kids earn, raise or save money to buy

Blankets for China!

PS: We'll have a paypal button on this site and the kidslake site soon! Feel free to blog about this. . let's spread the word!

Win a Trip to Africa!

I just copied part of the message from Tom Davis' blog. Beliefnet and Children's HopeChest have linked their respective organizations for the month of November to raise money for orphans, generate conversation about poverty, and give away a trip to Africa. Details Here.
All month, Beliefnet and Children's HopeChest are encouraging people to donate through a charity badge. They would like to raise $500/day. People can also enter a contest (whether they donate or not) to win a free trip to Africa. Sometime in 2009, the winner will accompany Tom Davis on a HopeChest Vision Trip in Africa. (Hopefully with US to UGANDA!) All details can be found by clicking here. They need your help. Please get the word out via your blogs, load the charity badge onto your site (the code is found here), email your friends, and sound the horn however you can.

I encourage you all to go the button below and donate. The goal is to raise $500 a day. Go and give any amount. If everyone gives something it will make a huge difference in many live's.

This is one of my favorite quotes by Mother Teresa.
It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish. Mother Teresa

The Story of Two Girls a Half a World Apart

I just finished an amazing book, The House on Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper. It made me laugh, cry, ache and most of all. . .think.

The stories of two women are running through my head. One of them, has a story that I do not know. I know her name. I know the 2 paragraphs I have written about her. Everything else is left to my imagination. Reading this book has left me wondering about her story.

Her name is Rita, this much I know. She was born in Nimba County in 1982 and sometime during the war, made her way down to Monrovia to live in an IDP Camp (Internally Displaced Persons). She grew up during the war. She was born a year and a half after the coup that put Doe in leadership. As she was turning 7, Charles Taylor's rebel group entered through her county ready to take the country by force. What did she see? Were her parents able to protect their little girl's innocence? Did she grow up in fear? From the ages of 7-21 there was war surrounding her. Brutal, tribal, bloody war that ripped the country apart. Droves upon droves of Liberians fled the country, escaping to any country that would have them. Many of those that were left fled to the capital city, Monrovia.

When did they leave Nimba? What was life like there? The trek during wartime to Monrovia was not an easy one. The journey was plagued by rebel soldiers drugged up, blood thirsty and waiting for girls of any age to come along. They likely made the journey in pieces, by foot primarily, sleeping where they could with friends, family or strangers that would lend their floor. All of this to be safe from the fighting "up-country" by living in an IDP camp. . . never to return to their former life. With all of this strife, it is no wonder that no one in her family received an adequate education. This meant no way to support themselves but through the handouts of friends and strangers. (the picture below is an IDP camp in Liberia)

The other woman swimming in my head is me. I was born just a year and a half before Rita in a hospital room in Mansfield, Ohio. I moved as well, but for a different reason. My dad got a new job right after my baby sister was born. We moved into a modest (by US standards) home that would have been a mansion to Rita. We grew up, us 3 girls, in a happy family with little cares to weigh us down. We were homeschooled to spend more time with our Daddy and spent weeks on the road. However, our travels took us to Courtyards where we made new friends and swam every day. We grew up carefree and happy, playing with dolls making up dances and singing at the top of our lungs. Our biggest worries were over who got to use the phone first and which friends' house we were spending the night at. I didn't even know where Liberia was, but I knew of Africa. I would listen in awe when missionaries spoke and devoured the words of missionary biographies. I would tell my parents that I was going to be a missionary one day and go to Africa. My heart ached for the poor, but little did I know that halfway across the world was a little girl whose heart would be forever connected to mine. A girl just 1 year younger than myself, growing up in a world that I couldn't even fathom. I wasn't even allowed to watch movies that contained as much violence as this little girl most likely witnessed. And yet, we would be joined by one little boy.

My last bit of information of Rita Davis is of her living in one room, with her mother and toddler son and pregnant again. This, with no way to support themselves. And so she chose life. She gave life to her son, by giving him up. . .to me. Forever, I will be grateful for giving this boy life. Forever, I will choose to love him as my son. Forever, I will remember Rita. I wish I knew her story, instead of just piecing together other people's stories and knowing her's is similar. I love this woman, though we've never spent an evening together. I cry for what she has gone through up until now. I know that I must do what I can to help Liberia. . .because maybe, just maybe I will be helping my son's mother, his brother or sister, his aunts or uncles.

Lounging in Style

Lounging in STYLE! We made it safely to Newark. . .probably an 8th of our journey completed. . but don't tell Greg! Did you know that if you pay for anything on your ticket with a platinum american express that it gets you into "club level" for most airlines? Well, my dad did! He told us about this for Liberia and so we used Amex to pay for our taxes and were able to use the nice club lounge when we got back to America. We have another hour before take off to Amerstdam, then a 3 hour layover before take off to Uganda. Yep, another 16 hours in flight!!! We will arrive in Uganda around 8ish Uganda time (which is 1 pm EST) Oh my, that's 22 hours from now. . .I'm pretty thankful that I packed that Simply Sleep to knock me out for some of this next flight!

We are enjoying the free food, free wifi and plug ins and free drinks at the President's Club for now. . .here are Jon and I, already flipping open our laptops to blog! Greg didn't want his picture taken because his mouth was full (no joke!) PS I know my face looks fat, but hey self portraits are hard to do on an iPhone!

Pro-Life War?

I have read a few thought provoking posts recently about being "pro-life"and what that means beyond abortion. The point many of them were bringing up had to do with our war in Iraq and how sending our servicemen to Iraq doesn't seem to be pro-life. This got me to really thinking. . .are we being hypocritical here?
I believe that our war HAS been a pro-life war. Let me explain:

Secret police, torture, murders, targeted assasinations, chemical weapons, and the destruction of wetlands (more specifically, the destruction of the food sources of rival groups) were some of the methods Saddam Hussein used to maintain control in Iraq. (according to the Commission for Human Rights) Read that again. . . and remember your outrage when you first learned of Darfur. Right now, many of us are a part of Save Darfur and other groups to beg our gov't to do more to change the GENOCIDE that is happening in Darfur. However, America has proven that they just don't care. You see, this VERY same thing happened all throughout Iraq under the direction of Sadaam.

In 1988, he ran a campaign called the Al-Anfal Campaign which systematically murdered over 50,000 people. Many of them women and children who were executed enmasse. In 1991, he decided to squash uprisings and had over 100,000 people murdered. In 1994, they introduced SEVERE punishments, including amputation for citizens speaking out. This continued UNTIL he was removed from power. When our guys came in, mass graves were found. Can you imagine that for a moment? Mass Graves.

My brother in law was a marine for many years. He was stationed in CA when we went to visit him. At that time, manyof the guys in his neighborhood on the base had just arrived home from Iraq. We sat down to dinner and they told us their feelings about the war. One soldier's recollection will never leave me. He said that he too wondered about the war. . .before he got there. One of the first days that they rolled into "town" in their tanks, he got down from the tank because there was a little girl in front of them. As soon as he climbed down, that little girl RAN to him, clung to his leg and cried over and over with a smile and tears "thank you, thank you". The adults around him explained that she was thanking him that they now felt safe for the first time.

This war IS pro-life. Yes, many of our men have been lost. Over 4,000 so far. 4,000 lives that were precious. 4,000 men and women that chose to sacrifice their lives for others. That others may live and have freedom. That little ones just like yours and mine can live without the fear that their village or family will be viciously murdered by their own gov't because their parents wanted freedom. These men and women sacrificed their lives so that others may live. HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of lives have been saved. . .in Iraq alone! I truly believe that had we NOT gone into Iraq. . we would have been held responsible by the Lord. It was a moral obligation to rescue the oppressed. . no make that a BIBLICAL mandate to rescue the oppressed!

Note: I really wish that President Bush had listed THIS as the reason we went to war! While I am sure that Sadaam did have Weapons of Mass Destruction at some point. . .I mean, come on, he sure used weapons like that on his own people! And, we know what kind of leaky borders surround Iraq, so it sure wasn't hard to get them out. . .but, really. . .I wish he had just said, "I think Sadaam is a real threat to us. . but MORE than that, he is killing his own and we MUST do something!"

As a people. . . we have turned our eyes and ears from the suffering. Complaining that we don't want to sacrifice for others, but only for our own protection. This is why our President can't jump into Darfur and help. . .the American people just won't have it. Heck, the news proclaims "hallelujah" when a hurricane dodges the state of Florida and rams Haiti or Mexico instead. What kind of a people are we? Oh Lord, change our hearts. May we seek justice for the oppressed, even at our own expense!

So, if you ask me if the pro-life issue is a larger one. . .I agree! We must fight and protect life at all times and for all people. Thank you to our military men and women who fought and made a difference in the lives of sweet Iraqi children who can now grow up to desire freedom. . .and with the expansion of the Christian church in Iraq, just may find Jesus.

Compassion from Jesus (thoughts on Luke 7)

I've been slacking a bit in writing real stuff here. I know that I get to writing and end up with the LONGEST blogs, which I think just annoy people! ha ha But, it is my journal and I do plan on printing all of this out (has anyone used blurb?) to keep. . so, bear with me over the next few days. I plan on writing a few posts that are wandering around in my brain. . .one on what I've been learning through the Old Testament, Tom's point about whether or not adoption solves anything, the pull of the status of Moms and a couple other things! For now. . more thoughts on compassion.
(This is the picture they used for the slide introducing me. . my friend Whitney does the slides and photoshopped this to represent me. . funny huh?!)
This month, our service were designed a bit differently at church. We went with a panel discussion in which our Pastor invited 3 different people each weekend to study the passage and discuss it as a group on Sundays. This weekend, I got to be a part of the discussions on Luke 7:11-17. I LOVED this. I really love doing research and then spending time discussing like this. I actually picked this weekend of the month because the theme was compassion. God had started a work in me a few months ago after reading Fields about compassion and what that means.

In this passage, Jesus comes across a weeping widow whose only son had just died. He stops the woman, tells her not to cry and then raises her son from the dead and hands him back to his mother. Here are just a few of our discussion points and things that stuck out to me. (take a sec to read the passage before reading this!)

1. This was the first of 3 times that Jesus rose people from the dead and LUKE is the one who wrote about this. . .interesting since Luke was a doctor, so he was very specific about details and raising someone from the dead would have been something he would have checked out. . this adds even more validity

2. This woman was a widow, whose ONLY son was dying. One thing to note is that this may have conjured up images of his own mom, whose husband died early and who would have a son die a gruesome death soon. Remember that a widow has no options. A woman in those days couldn't own property or provide for herself in any way, so she relied on her husband. When her husband died, her children would be the ones to provide. If your children died too, you were basically screwed. It was up to random kindness from the community from there on out. This widow represents utter hopelessness and despair.

3. The sweetest thing we noticed is how Jesus tells her not to cry. This just shows us how sweet Jesus is. He knows that her tears will be unnecessary in a few minutes as He's going to raise the guy from the dead. . but he still takes her tears seriously. He cherishes her. I love this about the Lord and His compassion for us. . .remembering that compassion is about suffering with someone. I love that Emmanuel (God with us) stops to suffer with this woman for a moment before performing a miracle and giving her back her son. How precious? How Intimate? Oh if that doesn't invoke praise, I don't know what does!

4. He was interruptable. Is this a word? You see, the walk Jesus had just taken from Capernum to Nain was about a 25 mile walk. All day they had been walking. Can you imagine how tired they were? Here he had been walking with a crowd of people, most likely teaching along the way. Tired. . .spent. . .ready to be done with the day. And yet, as he approached the city gate, another crowd approached and Jesus stopped, took the time to comfort and to minister to her needs. I wonder how many in his crowd thought, "come ON, Jesus, let's get on with this. . I'm hungry, thirsty and tired. . let's move on". How many times do I see need and walk by? Especially when I'm tired or spent. . .when I have a crowd around me especially. How wonderful of Jesus and how convicting of me.

5. Compassion is about care and obedience. Jesus felt with people. He loved them and cared for them , their hearts and their pain. However, he didn't heal everyone. This is a hard concept. In that 25 mile walk, how many graveyards did he pass? How many lepers did he contact and not heal. This is a hard concept. My friend, Theresa, who was on the panel this week said that her first impression of the passage was annoyance (I love her honesty) because why did Jesus even let her son die, knowing that he'd raise him from the dead a few days later. She said that if she were Jesus, she'd want to walk around healing every person possible in the 33 short years of life. And yet, Jesus didn't. He waited, He listened to God and He obeyed. So often, our definition of compassion is about relieving suffering. This isn't always the case. . sometimes, we won't be able to do anything to relieve a person's suffering, but can comfort them, offer our presence and more. Often, we choose to guard our hearts and not offer compassion b/c we can't fix it anyways so why get involved? Instead, how about we follow Jesus' model and care and offer compassion. . and sometimes act in obedience. Always caring. . always listening to how God might choose to use us. . .always obeying whatever He calls us to, whether it be a large or small act.

I LOVE how a simple 6 verses can touch my life. How a snippet of Jesus' life can touch my very soul. How my Jesus can teach me more in His interactions with a weeping widow than I could have learned through 25 books. Oh Jesus, thank you. May I live in the compassion you have shown me. May I offer that same compassion to others. May I SEE them throughout my day to day that they may SEE you!