A Little Help, Please

In mid-April I shared with you about my upcoming missions trip to Ethiopia.   While there we will be working at the Ajuja orphanage, working on the facility itself.  The team that just returned installed a playground and did a lot of painting.  We will be finishing up any loose ends on those projects.

The staff at Ajuja has specifically asked us to teach them how to care for the babies and children in their care.   They need someone to teach them how to best meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of  so many little ones in their care.  Interestingly enough, the team for this trip was assembled before that request was delivered to us.   The team that was specifically asked to go on this trip are all women, with a passion for children.   It looks like God has a plan working here!

Additionally, we’ll be working on programs to educate the locals on the prevention of malaria.  Sadly, one of the children in our FIG program passed away recently from malaria.  He was only two.  Such a preventable tragedy.

We will be sharing God’s love, and His word through tangible acts.  Goats and cows to feed a family, a house with a roof and  care packages for orphans.

What can you do to help?  Well, you can come to Ethiopia with us and fight mosquitoes and build shacks that pass for houses.  Or you can help to send me and the team with the supplies we need for this part of our mission.

If each of my site members (between this blog and my other blog, Learning Curve) would give just $15.82 it would cover the airline travel.  If each member gave $20 we could also buy several goats and cows, providing a family with fresh milk products for food and a potential income for selling those products.   Imagine what could be done with less money than it costs for a family of 4 to eat at McDonalds!

Your tax deductible donation can be made, simply by clicking on the PayPal link below.

If you would prefer to donate via check, you can do so by making the check out to Project Hopeful.  Email me directly for mailing instructions.

As always, with any outreach at home or abroad, your prayers are most valuable to us.  Please pray for our protection, peace over our families and for God to use us as only He can!

10 Years Later

Ten years ago today I lay in a hospital bed after suffering through almost 72 hours of a botched induction.  The last five of those hours were spent in hard labor, with no epidural.  Yes pushing for 5 hours.   The doctor informed us that Olivia was stuck, and that no matter what he did, he would “damage” her.  So he wanted to “wait and see”.

My wonderful Christian nurse was called out to go into an emergency c-section with another woman.  God instantly prompted me to start praying for the other mother and child, and so I lay there praying out loud for this stranger.  My new nurse scolded me “You need to worry about yourself and your baby, you’re in trouble.”  Yet I knew, that this other woman, whom I had never met, was going into surgery to save her child and she needed prayers.   Between contractions, and through clinched teeth I prayed for that woman and baby from the very depths of my being.

Suddenly something changed.  Whatever obstacle had been in the way had moved and the doctor announced “we’re about to have a baby”.   After just a few minutes of obedient prayer for a stranger, Olivia had popped loose and was entering the world.  Then just as quickly the doctor said “whatever you do, DON’T PUSH!”   The cord had wrapped tightly around Olivia’s neck, not once, but twice.  She was blue and silent when she arrived.  

Then God Himself breathed life into her and she began to wail.  Goodness how she wailed.  For the first 6 weeks of her life she did nothing but wail.  At one point I looked at my husband and said “I can’t do this the rest of my life.” 

Today Olivia turned 10.  She’s quiet, and thoughtful.  I can’t imagine what life would be like without her.  I barely remember what it was like before she was born.  She’s taught me a lot of things in these 10 years, far more than I’ve taught her.   She is my hardest fought battle, she is my greatest victory.

Repotting Those Herbs

The days are getting warmer here in Virginia.  In fact, we’ve had a few days in the 90’s already, and its only April.  This does not bode well for a comfortable summer.   Even though the temperatures have climbed well above average, I’m wise enough to know that we are bound to have at least one more frost before it’s all said and done.  Typically May 15 is the “magic day” after which all frosts are forbidden….as I jinx us all.

I’ve told you about my plans for a container herb garden on my front porch.  I bought my little herb plants and have been keeping them cozy in our sun porch for a couple of weeks.  I’ve even moved them outside on warm days to start getting them used to the sun, but they come in at night.

This past week I noticed my stevia plant just suddenly wilted all up.  I watered it and the majority of the water ran straight through the little black pot it came in.  Thankfully, it had perked back up by the next morning.  However, the thought of the poor little root bound plants dying made me skip ahead in my herb gardening a bit.   I repotted everything.

I picked a hodgepodge of planters.  The metal ones with the flowers and butterflies on them are from the Dollar Tree.  My sister-in-law bought me the bright blue ones with the goldfish.   The big white one with the flowers was home to another plant that moved to a larger container.  I picked up the little red “washtub” looking pot at the Dollar Tree as well.  There’s also a tall silver pot that I picked up from the Goodwill Store for 75 cents.  It’s from Ikea, and very heavy.   I had the husband drill drain hole sin the bottoms of all the metal pots.

Once I got everything potted, I moved it all out of the kitchen and onto the sun porch where they’ll get lots of sunshine as they prepare to transition outside.  I can tell they are growing now that they have a little more “leg room”.

Do you see that clear plastic lid a the back left side of the table?  That is the girls little mini greenhouse.  They planted marigolds in there.   They are coming along nicely.  The amount of moisture these little plants create in this little project is amazing!

I figured while I was at it I’d also repot Olivia’s little spider plant and it’s babies.  She’s planted this thing in a paper cup at VBS when she was 3.  I can’t believe it’s lived all these years with such neglect.

My poor little kitchen was filthy by the time I finished working on repotting everything.  I somehow even got potting soil in the sugar bowl.

Have you been working on your garden projects yet?

Ethiopia Bound

In recent months I’ve shared information with you about Project Hopeful Awassa and the great need for, Families In the Gap (FIG) workers and of course medical and financial needs for the region.

Awassa

Project Hopeful Awassa currently has a team in Ethiopia  sharing the gospel of Jesus while delivering several hundred pounds of shoes, purchasing cows and goats and building a playground for the beautiful orphaned children in Ajuuja.

Things are happening fast in Awassa.  God is opening doors, meeting needs and creating amazing opportunities where there seems to be only despair.   Equally as fast, this past week I was asked to go to Awassa in July…yes, July as in not quite 2 and a half months away.

This trip will serve a dual purpose (or more).  First, it will serve as a vision casting mission for the church plant that we’re working with here locally.   While there we will specifically be praying for God’s wisdom and direction on what the ministry’s next step will be in this region, and then we’ll bring that vision back to our church plant and get those folks involved.  We will also be spending time loving on the children and workers at Ajuuja, working on  labor intensive projects at the orphanage, buying and delivering cows and goats to local families and checking on our FIG families in the region. 

Because this opportunity has presented itself, with such a tight timeframe, there is LOTS to be done in a short amount of time.  My updated passport is on the way.  I’m attempting to find child care for my own girls while I’m gone, and of course there are finances needed for the trip.

If you would like to make a TAX DEDUCTIBLE donation to help me get to Ethiopia (and back home, home is good) you can either click on the donate button in the upper right hand corner of my blog, or you can click here.   If you would like to donate by check, please email me and we’ll make arrangements for that.   If you are unable to financially support me on this trip, don’t feel as though you can’t be a part of what’s happening, you can be in prayer for us, and that will be GREATLY appreciated!

Organic Outreach for Families–Book Review

This past week I’ve been reading Organic Outreach for Families by Kevin G. Harney and Sherry Harney.  I’m thinking one of my pastors has been reading the same book because he pointed out a lot of the same things on Sunday.  I’ll have to ask him if it was coincidence.

In Organic Outreach for Families Pastor Harney and his wife Sherry share from their own life experiences of ways to engage in your children’s lives, the community and the world.  One of my absolute FAVORITE quotes from this book is:

Something is very wrong if we reach our neighbors with the love of Jesus but our children feel forgotten and marginalized.  We have confused priorities if we invest more time in our church than we do in our own children.  Our first priority as parents is to love, teach and lead our children toward an authentic and life-changing relationship with the Savior.

The Harney's discuss five ways you can  share your faith with others:

• Reaching your own children with the message of Jesus
• Sharing God’s grace with your extended family
• Raising your children to be beacons of light in their schools and in the neighborhood
• Opening the doors of your home to make it attractive and welcoming
• Shining the light of grace into your broader community

Some of the suggestions for outreach are as simple as coaching your kids sports teams, or being the snack mom. I can personally attest that this one works. Some of the most meaningful relationships we have in our town were forged on the baseball field!

If you are looking for simple ways to reach out to people, this book is a great launching pad.  The ideas are easy to incorporate into your everyday life.  You may already be doing some of these things and not even realize it’s outreach.

 

^{I received a copy of this book free of charge from Thomas Nelson Publishing for review purposes.  I received no other compensation for my review, now was I required to write a positive review.}

Spring in the Garden

I’m way behind on my spring gardening work.   In my defense, the sudden snow storms in late March, and early April haven’t helped.  Just this past week we had snow, sleet and freezing rain and then boom, 70 degrees the next day!  Every time I think it’s safe to start working outside the weather goes all wonky on me.

Last week, I was able to get out into the side flower beds and get all the of leaves and leftover foliage from last fall.  It took me a total of 3 hours and 18, yes EIGHTEEN, black trash bags full of leaves to get my tulip and iris gardens looking like this.

On the opposite side of the house I have a long flower bed that houses my peonies, red hot pokers, irises, hyacinths,  and random flowers that pop up when I throw seeds out there in mid-May.

I’ve wanted and herb garden forever.  I don’t know what makes me want herbs so.  This is THE year.  I’ve decided to turn our front porch (nobody uses that entrance) into my container herb garden.  Here’s what it looked like to start with.  Before you know it, it will be full of culinary and medicinal herbs. 

It’s still too early here to put my herb plants outside.  However I did purchase parsley, pineapple sage, chocolate mint, lavender, thyme, cilantro, stevia, chives, lemon balm and rosemary plants this week.  

This cute little bakers rack has been hiding in my basement for years.  I’m not sure where it came from to be honest.  It was dull and rusted, so I decided to liven it up with some bright spray paint.

I’ll put this to the right of the front door and put some flower boxes on the shelves to house some edible flowers.

Finally, the girls and I did a little recycle style gardening.  We used an egg crate and a cake cover to make a miniature greenhouse for marigolds.  After we watered the soil thoroughly, we placed the lid on top and Lindsey put the little greenhouse outside in the sun.  Once the marigolds  are big enough, they’ll be planted in the vegetable garden to ward off bugs.

I also purchased horseradish root, ginger root, garlic and red onion sets. Those have been planted in one of my small back yard gardens.  We also planted spinach, lettuces and beets this week.  I can hardly wait for things to start sprouting!

Have you started any gardening yet?

Skewed Logic

We had our first real snow of the year this week.  It started late on Tuesday evening, snowed into Wednesday midday and left us with around 20 inches of heavy, wet snow.  Some nearby areas received close to 30 inches of the white fluff.  The fact that it was a heavy and wet snow (as opposed to a light fluffy one) caused for tree damage and power outages.  It was still fun to play in.

Then a ding-dong on Facebook had to go and mess it all up.  This person, a Christian no less posted a nasty comment….

“So I hope all of you people who wished for snow are happy now.  Obviously you aren’t the ones without electricity.  The only people who enjoy this mess are stay at home moms and people who work from home, so I hope you’re proud of yourselves.   Well those of us who have to risk our lives to go to work don’t appreciate it.  Neither do those who have been injured and killed during this storm….” 

SERIOUSLY!

She then when on to say that people who enjoy the snow should be real happy knowing that some gal was injured when a tree fell on her and broke her back and some other bones.

SERIOUSLY?

Now, come on folks.   Lets be real here, you may not like snow, but to blame others for the fact that it happened, because they had wished for snow?  Now that’s just a bit nuts.   But to get your panties in enough of a wad to post such a thing is just stupid.  Yes, stupid.

The real issue is that this person works 1.5 hours away from home, across a mountain.  She's done so for years, of her own choosing.  Perhaps, instead of making ridiculous posts one should take some proactive steps.  For example:

1. Move closer to work.
2. Get a job closer to home.
3. Buy a 4X4 and learn to drive in the snow.
4. Prepare to be stranded at work in bad weather, take an overnight bag with you.

Really when you post stupid things on Facebook, expect people to call you out on it.   Then be grown up enough to realized gee that was dumb, or delete those who don’t agree with you and make them the bad guy (yep, I was deleted).

But what I really want to know, is why are people, Christians included, so in need of someone to blame for everything?    If I burn your house down, then yeah you should blame me.  If I enjoy a good snow storm, that I have no control over, and you get mad….well, you can’t fix stupid.