trust.

"For I know the plans I have for you," 

declares the LORD, 

"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, 

plans to give you hope and a future. "

Jeremiah 29:11

"Who am I ... and what is my people?"

Humbled.
Privileged.

Those have to be the two words that I use most often when I talk about a trip to Ethiopia.

I often find myself wondering why God has chosen to include me in the work He is doing in Ethiopia. It is very humbling to stand shoulder to shoulder with the ministry leaders we have partnered with in Ethiopia...amazingly gifted servants who are truly giving their lives to show impoverished children the love of Jesus Christ. Sometimes I feel like a "spiritual midget" when I hear their stories and see their faith (despite often difficult circumstances!)

I also find myself feeling so very, very privileged.....to go, to serve, to deliver donations, to put shoes on those little feet, to hug those sweet children, to encourage those beautiful women, to pray over those street children, to share Jesus all along the way.

In the course of my reading this week, I came across a passage that has grown to mean so much to me.

Its at the end of 1 Chronicles. When the people had brought their offerings for the soon-to-be-built temple. David begins to pray....and its the prayer of my heart when I think about offering myself to serve in Ethiopia.

"But who am I,

and what is my people,

that we should be able thus to offer willingly?

For all things come from you,

and of your own have we given you."

1 Chronicles 29:14

When I think about how the Lord has so graciously allowed me to play THIS role in His Kingdom. to meet THESE people. to serve THESE children.....I ask myself that question "Who am I?" And when I see my daughter and my brother and my friends...I ask myself that question "and what is my people?"....that we could offer to the Lord what has come from Him.

He has given us the opportunity.

He has provided the means.

He has introduced us to the children.

He has orchestrated the journey.

He has given so freely.....and we only give back what has come from His hand in the first place.

Humbled. Privileged.

Blessed.

Onesimus

In the past, I have returned from Ethiopia and failed miserably at sharing my experiences. I am not sure why that is. Except that maybe my attempts to share seem so inadequate.

I want this year to be different. I want to use my voice.

I almost titled this post "In No Particular Order" because this year I have decided not to try to recap our week in Ethiopia chronologically. I have decided to talk about what is on my heart at the moment.

And today....its these children. Its this moment.

We had the privilege of meeting these boys on their first day at Onesimus Child Development Center. The name Onesimus comes from the book of Philemon. Onesimus was an escaped slave that came to know Christ and in Philemon 11 it says "formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful." You can read more about Onesimus CDA here. One of the ministries Onesimus has is a drop-in center to street children in Addis Ababa (the capital of Ethiopia). There are an estimated 100,000 street children in Addis. Many of them are children who have either escaped slavery (eg. the textile mills) or escaped horrible home situations. They survive on the streets. Society does not see them as useful. Onesimus does.

On Tuesday afternoon, we were allowed the privilege of meeting a group of street children who were new to the drop-in center. If they continue to come to the drop-in center, they will receive food, counseling, support, clothing, opportunity....and, most importantly, the transforming love of Jesus Christ.

There are so many things about the picture above that bring tears to my eyes. I will just share a couple.

-Nega Meaza. Nega is the man standing beside me. He is translating my inadequate attempt to share the gospel message with this group of boys. Nega is the director of the drop-in center...and one of the most humble servants I have ever met in my life. To stand elbow to elbow with him, serving the same Savior, is an honor.

-The children. When I think about the stories. the lives. the trauma. the struggle. the roads that these boys have walked. [Lord, forgive me for ever complaining about anything.] They have a long road of recovery ahead. Nega shared with us that in each new group, over the months ahead, some will turn back to the streets. "Its all they know. Unless they receive Jesus Christ as their Savior, the addiction of the streets is too strong. They don't know how to receive love." Pray with me that EVERY one of the boys in this picture would receive Jesus Christ. Want to know what happens when they do? Go read about Desse!

-The team. I will share more about this team later. Suffice it to say here that this year's team was absolutely wonderful. So gifted. So loving. So kind. So flexible. So Christ-like. We prayed from the beginning that God would design this team. I believe with all my heart that He did just that. I am so grateful for this team.

Before we left Onesimus for the day, the staff prayed over these boys.

This photo moves me. To see the different postures. To wonder what paths brought them here. To want a rescue for ALL of them....every. single. one.

After we prayed, these boys walked out the gate and returned to the street for the night. To a child's world that I cannot fathom. Hopefully they will keep coming back until the day when their lives are forever transformed. Please join me in praying for that day.

"...that you might have him (Onesimus) back forever,

no longer as a slave but more than a slave,

as a beloved brother -

especially to me, but how much more to you,

both in the flesh and in the Lord."

Philemon 15-16

....Ethiopia....

I am excited (and a little frazzled!!) to be packing for another trip to Ethiopia! Erica and I (and 17 others) leave on Friday morning, with Hope for His Children. Chad and the boys will be staying back this time to handle things on the homefront.

The most common question I get is:

"What will you be doing there?"

The answer: showing (and telling, too) the love of Jesus Christ to orphaned, abandoned and impoverished children. We are partnered with some amazing Ethiopian organizations that are already using their many God-given gifts and skills to do just that....we will be coming alongside them to do whatever we can in the short time we are there. In the process, we will hopefully learn a bit more about what it means to live out the gospel.

Yes, we are taking a ton of much-needed supplies (school supplies, blankets, medical supplies, shoes, hygiene supplies, etc.)....but those things are all very secondary to the most important "things" we will be bringing: encouragement, hope, relationship, friendship, and the good news of Jesus Christ!

If you would like to follow along.....just click one of these links:

1) Our team blog "Changed 2012 - Ethiopia"

OR

2) Hope For His Children's Facebook page

I would SO appreciate your prayers as the team makes final preparations...as we serve in Ethiopia....and as Chad, Brock, Micah and Derek live 10 days with no woman in the house!!

My voice.

Ironic that I would post this today, on a day when I have no voice -- thanks to this little respiratory bug! (please spare me the "doctor, heal thyself" cracks!)

Except that I am not sure from God's perspective it's "ironic"....I think it is just perfect.

This post has been on the tips of my fingers for a couple of months now. But, I have been too chicken to write it. Today I guess I finally got the "nudge" it took to sit down and do it.

Over the last couple of months it has really begun to burden me that I am guilty of keeping God to myself too often. In His wonderful grace, God has done.....and IS doing....His work in my life. I see it. I know it. I love it. It's not always pretty. And it certainly is not always FUN. But, it is GOOD. HE IS GOOD.

And it's time to testify! :)

I have no idea what that will look like. My only prayer is that it is glorifying to God.

For fun, can I just share that God used David Crowder (you know him, right? the singer with all. that. hair.!?) to push the "GO" button? I have been putting some much-needed time on my treadmill with David Crowder blaring in my ears (mostly to drown out the sound of me gasping for air!!)......and today it was his version of the hymn "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing" that God used to convict me of my silence. Here's the first 2 stanzas:

"O for a thousand tongues to sing

My great Redeemer's praise,

The glories of my God and King,

The triumph of His grace!

My gracious Master and my God,

Assist me to proclaim,

To spread through all the earth abroad

The honors of Thy name."

That's my hope...to sing (or write) His praise.

And that's my prayer....that He will assist me in proclaiming!

Wouldn't it be fun if this means more blog posts about what God is doing in this life bowed down to Him?? Like I said, I have no idea what this will look like....I just know that until He gives me "a thousand tongues to sing" I should find some other ways to sing the glories of my God and King!!

I think I am getting my voice back. :)

Sometimes I wonder...

Derek has beautiful eyes. Big. Dark.

Every once in awhile I catch him looking off into the distance...staring into space...

It's not that my other children never do that. They do. But somehow it seems different. And it makes me wonder.

I catch myself wondering about his eyes.

With Derek I often wonder what those eyes saw before he saw us. I wonder what made them cry before it was "boo-boos", and sibling rivalry, and going upstairs for naptime. I wonder if those eyes ever had to hunt for a morsel of food. I wonder it those eyes ever searched for water. I wonder who was the first to look deep into those eyes. I wonder what it was like for him to have known someone else's eyes and then not to see them again. I wonder.

We don't know much about Derek's first year of life. We know he was very, very small when he came into the first orphanage. As a pediatrician I wonder what his first year's growth curve would have looked like. As a mom I wonder how often he was hungry.

I will be honest. I wish I was there from the beginning. I wish I could have been the first set of eyes he bonded with. I wish I didn't have to wonder what his eyes saw and his ears heard. I wish I had some sort of control over that. I wish God would have ordained it that Derek would be adopted into our family when he was just a day old. (Derek was still very young. I know that.) But sometimes I wonder why I couldn't have been his mom even sooner.

Today I read this blog post from Katie (who, by the way, humbles me with every single blog post!) and was so encouraged. Especially by this part (in reference to one of her adopted daughters):

But I know that is not how God intended it.

He did not choose me for those moments, He chose me for these. I entered motherhood through a different door, and I get a different kind of stretch marks.

I believe that this is how He has loved us and I do not pretend to know why. But I know that He who did not spare His own Son will also graciously give us all things we need, and so I cling to believing this is for good.

I believe that He held her all the years that I didn’t. I believe that He stood beside her in the line for porridge that the UN workers passed out, and I believe that He clasped her hand as she made the long journey from Arua to Masaka without her first momma, and I believe that she leaned her head into His shoulder as she fell asleep on hard dirt floor...

I love that! What a fresh reminder of God's love and care for each of us.

Every. Single. Moment. :)

Surely you have heard???

about the famine? about the horn of Africa? about Somalia, Ethiopia, and more? about the children dying of starvation?

Sometimes (MANY times) I catch myself wondering.....

-what is happening right now? right this very moment? NOW, as I lay here in my comfy bed. which children are passing away in this moment? what are their names? how old are they? are they alone?

-what can I do to REALLY make a difference? it's so BIG. so complex.

-how will this affect our friends (and Hope For His Children's ministry partner in Ethiopia), Peter and Elza? and the children we minister to together? and their families? as food prices rise and the value of the Birr falls? as families in the countryside send their children...out of total desperation....to the city?

-what about Derek? He was born in southern Ethiopia. I can't help but wonder. His village? His birthfamily? And, of course, I often wonder what this would have meant for him?

-how horrible must it be as a mother to have your child crying for food and water....and have absolutely nothing to offer? what would that do to a mom?

I don't pretend to know what YOU should do about it....I am not even sure what all I should be doing about it. Clearly I have more questions than answers......but will you join me in praying for wisdom that results in action?

We have learned first-hand from ministering in Ethiopia that you really CAN make a difference!!

If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one.

-Mother Teresa

Happy July 2nd!

I have posted only 5 times since LAST July 2nd.

Sad, isn't it?!

I probably THINK about posting at least 5 times a week. And at least once a week I think "I really should start blogging again, I miss that...."

But July 2nd really makes me want to post. One nice thing about only posting 5 times in a year, is that you can just scroll right down a couple of posts to last year's and read all about WHY July 2nd makes me want to post....

why July 2nd makes me want to SING.

why July 2nd makes me want to DANCE, and PRAISE, and PRAY, and CELEBRATE!

Summary:

*Micah was placed in our arms FOREVER....July 2, 2006...the four of us becoming five.

*We laid eyes on Derek for the first time EVER in a photo....July 2, 2009....the five of us becoming six.

More than anything, July 2nd is a day that I step back and MARVEL at God's design for our family....His mysterious ways and His perfect plan. I would have never imagined this. It is SO much better than what I would have imagined!!

I am humbled. I am thankful. We are blessed.

Happy July 2nd. :)

Ethiopia Mission Trip Video

Ethiopia - post #1 - "The Team"

One of my prayers from the very beginning, was that GOD would "assemble" our team....and He did just that! 23 people. ages 2 to 63 years old. from Indiana, Illinois, and Oregon. 12 female. 11 male. 1 VERY afraid to fly! :)

When people ask me about my "highlights" of the trip, my first one starts way before we boarded our first plane! In the months leading up to the trip we served a meal to the homeless, we studied the book Radical and we packed over 1,400 pounds of donations into plastic tubs. I love the fact that this team started to become a "team" before the trip even began!

When we met up in Amsterdam with the 2 Oregon members, and our team was all together for the first time, I stood in amazement at what God had done....and as the week progressed I was so thankful for all the different personalities and gifts that God had pulled together. This team was amazing.

At the risk of sounding like a "proud parent", here are some of the things I appreciated so much about this group of very special people:
- they were bold enough to go.
- they were flexible....an absolute MUST in Africa!
- they did not complain (well, at least within my earshot!!)
- they were fun. even those 4 men who were affectionately known as the dough-boys!
- they laughed. HARD.
- they cried. OFTEN.
- they showed gratefulness to the Ethiopians who try so hard to please.
- they showed all sorts of kindness to our friends Peter, Elizabeth, and Ephrem.
- they loved the children. OH HOW THEY LOVED THOSE CHILDREN WELL!!!
- they love Jesus. and they showed Jesus.

Because we LOVE the Rensink family....

...and the Rensinks LOVE the Steelers!! :)

"Quarterly" Update ???!!!

I am not even sure WHERE to start!
I want to just jump right in and start posting about our trip to Ethiopia....but that seems weird, since my last post was OCTOBER!?!?

So, catching up....

In NOVEMBER, Chad had a HUGE career change. Enter: Timmons Feed and Farm Supply, Inc. We believe that this business opportunity is a gift straight from the hands of God....and we will be careful to give Him all the glory as it grows to its full potential!! :)


In DECEMBER, my father....Howard Leedy.....passed away after a long struggle with Parkinson's. How do you post about that? I will just say that I am PRIVILEGED to have had THIS man for a dad!!! the life lessons he taught by example...the lives he impacted...the joy he brought.... most people could live 175 years and not live half the life my dad did. I am proud. I am blessed. and I miss him.




In JANUARY.....Ethiopia.



And that is where I will start to pick up the story....soon. :)

Break Me Down

Well, what a little blog-break that was....yes??!!
But, I am back. And maybe I will even update with some pictures soon! :)
For today, I wanted to share something that Erica asked me to read. It was written by Mike Donehey, the lead singer for Tenth Avenue North (currently her favorite group).

And, in case you wonder what Mike Donehey looks like....here is a photo of him "up close and personal." We were at a Tenth Avenue North concert a couple of weeks ago and God was so very, very, VERY kind to bless my daughter by directing Mike to walk back through the audience, climb up a post, work his way along the catwalk we were standing on....AND STOP DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ERICA!! :) How fun is God??!!!

This is Mike...

And here are Erica and her friends (Madi and Genny) watching in complete amazement....


OK.
Here's Mike....

Come, let us return to the LORD.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.”
-Hosea 6:1

Excuse me, what?!!
Who has torn us?
Who has injured us?
The Lord?!!!
Wait a second there Hosea, didn’t you mean to say Satan has torn us?
Or maybe bad people?
You sure that’s not a typo or something?

Personally, I think one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to reconcile in my head
and my heart is this idea that a loving, merciful, compassionate God
would hurt me.
And not on accident either, but purposefully and willfully.
God will unapologetically tear me into pieces so that He can heal me.
And you.
Strange huh?

And I suppose it isn’t so terribly surprising coming from a prophet who was made
to marry a harlot. If anyone would know something about being hurt by the
Lord it would be him right?
I don’t know if you know the story, but
I mean, just put yourself in his place for a second.
There you are. The man. The dude. You’re the prophet over all of Israel, and
you’ve been keeping yourself pure, praying every day for the woman that God will
give to you and then He finally speaks, but its not at all what you were hoping for.

God: “Hosea.”
Hosea: “Yeah Lord?”
God: “It’s time.”
Hosea: “Ahhhh Yeaaahhh! That’s what I was hoping you were gonna say.
Time for a wife right Lord?”
God: “Yes Hosea, it’s time for a wife.”
Hosea: “Ooohh, I can’t wait!!! Just tell me though God, is she hot and holy?
Cuz you know, I’ve been keeping myself pure, and I just know you’re gonna
reward me with a wife that’s hot and holy. That’s all I’m asking for because,
hey, that’s what I deserve right?”
God: “Well, not exactly. I don’t think she’s quite what you had in mind.”
Hosea: “Wait, what? .....Oh… I see! She’s even hotter and holier than I thought!
Oh yeah Lord, I know how you work!
God: “Well, no.”
Hosea: “What you mean, no?”
God: “Hosea, I don’t know how to tell you this, well, of course I know how to tell you this,
I’m God, it’s just, well….she’s a prostitute.”
Hosea: “prosti-what?”
God: “Prostitute. Whore. Lady of the Night.”
Hosea: No, no, I know what it is, but a PROSTITUTE!!!
God: Yeah, I know that’s not what you were planning, but its what I was planning, so you’re
gonna marry her.
Hosea: “I’m gonna do what?”
God: “you’re gonna marry her, but then of course, she’ll cheat on you, and sell herself
so you’ll have to go buy her back.”
Hosea: “Go what?”
“Yeah, you’re going to forgive her and buy her back and when she cheats on you again
and has children with other lovers you’re going to love them and take her back again.”
Hosea: “Come again?”
God: “you’re going to love her kids and take her back.”

Long awkward silence

Hosea: “What’s her name?”
God: “Gomer.”
Hosea: “Oh Come on!!!”

Now I apologize if you’re name is Gomer, but you do have to admit,
it’s a rather unfortunate name, and an even more unfortunate situation.
But the Bible records that it did happen.
Maybe not exactly like that, but God did tell Hosea to marry an adulterous wife.
And the reason that the Lord supplies in Hosea 3
Is that their marriage was to show us how he loves his people.
He loves his people like an adulterous wife.

And the story is so insanely beautiful when you see it from that angle,
but when you look at it from Hosea’s angle it’s just plain crazy.
Think about what you’d say if your pastor got up in front of the congregation and
announced that he was about to marry a whore. What would your response be?
Now, I’m not suggesting that every one go out and marry someone from the local
street corner, but I am saying that it is evident that God will do whatever He has to do
to bring you to a place where all you want is Him.

He’ll break you, He’ll hurt you, He’ll ruin your plans, and He’ll tear you into pieces,
and He’ll do it all out of a perfect holy love.
And look, I know that sounds crazy, but think about it for a moment.
A lot of people want to use God to give them something other than Himself.
If we’re honest, we’ll admit that we all do it on some level.
For instance, we don’t have sex until we’re married, because then God owes us a virgin.
We give 10% of our income to a church, because then God owes us prosperity and wealth.
We pray and pray and pray, and then God owes it to us to answer and give us what we want.
And in all those cases, Jesus is no longer the end, but simply a means to something else.

You’ve got to see that in Hosea’s case, or perhaps in the case
of that one friend of yours who thinks marriage is the goal of their existence.
Don’t laugh. It might be you.
But if you think about it, It would actually be unloving of God to go
and make our marriage perfect and make that person fulfill our every hope and dream.
Why?
Because that person will die.
That marriage will end, and if your whole life and existence and joy depends on another
human being, you will inevitably be in for heartache.
Just read the Twilight series (it’s true. I’ve read it, though I’m not proud of it)
and see how the heroine Bella, how her entire life falls apart when her vampire
lover leaves her. Put simply, If our joy rests entirely upon human love or
vampire love, or any other kind of earthly love for that matter,
then one day, our joy will be destroyed.
Is this making sense?

Of course, marriage is just one example.
Money. Security. Fame. Obedience. Sex. Drugs. Worship Music.
If our hope is set in anything but the living person of Christ, then we’re just setting ourselves
up for failure. And so God, in his infinite and everlasting love, will do whatever He has to do
to break, bend and conform his people’s hearts to Him.
He will no longer be the means to some other end, but the end Himself.
Like a surgeon who has to cut you open,
so God must tear us apart to create in us a new heart.
A heart that is obsessed with Him alone.
But unlike a doctor, He doesn’t just use a knife. He uses the most bizarre people,
circumstances, and tragedies to change our hearts until they only treasure Him.

He will break us down.
And it will be painful, scary, and altogether beautiful.
Friends, if the Lord is tearing down your world today,
if all the walls on your so carefully constructed plans are caving in on themselves,
then ask Him in faith, God, are you my treasure?
And if you find the answer is no, then ask Him to bring it on.
Break out the scalpel. Tear down the walls. Let loose the storms.
Ask Him to do whatever He has to do, until you can proclaim with the psalmist,
“Whom have in heaven but you,
and earth has nothing I desire besides you.”
(Psalm 73)

All this world is fading away anyway right?
Then take heart.
This life is not about succeeding.
It’s not about changing the world.
It’s not about living with purpose, or leaving a legacy
or making the maximum impact with your life.
It’s actually not even about living your life for God.
Did you hear me?
Don’t live your life for God.

Live your life because God.

Because He has loved us, redeemed us, and because He is all that our hearts are longing for.
It’s no longer about what you do with your life at all, because He is your life.
May He do whatever it takes to open our eyes to see that.
He is the means and He is the end. And everything in between is from his hand.
It can be terrifying at times, I know, but its worth it.
Believe me, and I guess more importantly believe Him.
It’s worth it.

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing
with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
-Romans 8:18

““Come, let us return to the LORD.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.

2 After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will restore us,
that we may live in his presence.

3 Let us acknowledge the LORD;
let us press on to acknowledge him.
As surely as the sun rises,
he will appear;
he will come to us like the winter rains,
like the spring rains that water the earth.”
-Hosea 6:1-3

"....his name is Dereje...."

..."his name is Dereje...."
..."he is thirteen months old...."
..."he weighs about 14 pounds..."

The first week of July is a memorable week for the Timmons family.

Specifically, JULY 2nd.

In the last 4 years two events have happened on July 2nd that have turned our family upside down....in a VERY good way.

4 years ago on this day we arrived at Hannah's Hope Orphanage in Guatemala City, Guatemala to gather our third child into our arms forever. In adoption lingo it's called "Gotcha Day".....but anyone who has experienced one will tell you that title is vastly inadequate!!

And then 3 years later. Last year. 2009. JULY 2nd.....

We received a phone call that simultaneously thrilled, excited, scared, baffled, shocked and amazed us.

I have never described the details of that day on this blog. But it is a day I will never forget....a day that I pray will bring glory to God for what it did to our family. For the path that led up to it. For the step of faith required after it. And certainly for the miracle it ushered into our family.

Our caseworker from All God's Children called. It was early in the afternoon and I was shopping at Walmart. ((Because where else would you NOT want to be when you get a phone call like that?!?!))

The first sentence out of her mouth was "I have a little boy in Ethiopia that I would like to talk you about." The next few minutes are a blur. I scrambled to find a pen and a piece of paper in my purse. I scribbled down details as she gave them. 13 months. 14 pounds. So small. Malnutrition. Sitting up. Not walking. Developmental delay. Adjusting well. Loves to cuddle into the nanny's chest. Quiet.

She told us to talk about it. Pray about it. She would email pictures.
I called Chad, rushed through the checkout to get home, pulled up the pictures for Chad and I to see.
And this was our first glimpse of him:



I don't remember much about the rest of the day....talking to friends and family....discussing health concerns the international pediatrician raised....praying....praying....praying....celebrating.

And now a year later.




July 2nd.
A day we are especially thankful...a day we sing praises to the Sovereign God who has woven it all together....a day we rejoice over the plans that were laid for this family before time began.

SUMMER FUN!

Sorry for the lack of posting lately, we've been quite busy since summer has started !!

I should go back and do some birthday updates (Brock #16!!, Erica #13!!! and Derek #2!!), but that will take some work going back through some pictures....

For today, Erica agreed to upload a couple pictures from the last week or two...

There is nothing like beautiful, country sunset after a long, hard summer rain !! We have had some pretty hard thunderstorms this past week. BUT, God has brought with them a couple of awesome rainbows and some fun splashing in the (huge) puddles!!

Derek loves the water! He LOVED getting splashed by Brock and Erica.

Unfortunately, Micah broke his arm at Hope Fest!! He was playing in one of the inflatable jumpy houses and apparently landed wrong! :) It's a minor fracture and he'll be out of the cast in just a couple of weeks.

Erica is really becoming quite the photographer lately! Check out a couple of her flower pictures...I LOVE the second one (with the sunset in the background!)

"Consider how the lillies grow.
They do not labor or spin.
Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor
was dressed like one of these."
Psalm 12:27

HOPE Fest Highlights

Our first HOPE Fest was a success!! The HOPE Ride was rained out (although we still had a little "People's Choice" voting for the Bike Show). The weather cleared in time for the hog roast, festival and concert. We are so grateful to all those who helped. AND we are definitely looking forward to next year's "2nd Annual HOPE Ride and HOPE Fest" in early June!!! :)

Here's some highlights:

HOPE Fest 2010!!!

We would LOVE for you to join us at HOPE Fest today!!
If you can't make it.....would you be so kind as to pray...
May God be glorified. and children rescued. all in Jesus' name.

:)

HOPE Fest - June 5, 2010...Come join us!!

Mission Trip Fundraiser T-shirts!!

In case you haven't heard....we are planning a mission trip to Ethiopia sponsored by Hope For His Children. You can check out all the details on the mission trip blog: Changed.2011.

The shirts are $20 (plus $2 shipping) and are available in sizes: Mens M, L, XL, XXL -- Womens S, M, L, XL -- Youth S, M, L

FRONT:

BACK:

To order a t-shirt, just send me an email or use the paypal button in the sidebar! (Note: The women's sizes run small!)

Thursdays: Rice and Oatmeal Night

For over a year now...since returning from our first trip to Ethiopia....my meal planning for Thursday nights has been quite simple. Rice. Oatmeal. or sometimes both.

The idea wasn't mine.
But as soon as I heard Dave (the leader of our mission trip to Ethiopia last January) mention that his family made a habit of eating rice or oatmeal once a week as a time set aside to pray for/talk about world hunger, I was determined to give it a try.

And I am glad we did.

At first I thought it would be a flop. I was afraid that my older kids might revolt. Or that we would "fizzle out" after a couple of months.

Instead, we seem to be gaining steam.
Now, on most Thursday evenings, we eat our rice/oatmeal and do any combination of the following:
- PRAY for Laura, Wakuma, Sudharani, and Hindafta (our sponsored children through World Vision and Compassion International)
- READ letters from our sponsored children (if they arrive during the week, I put them in our binder and save them for Thursday)
- WRITE letters to our sponsored children (not every week, but WAY more than we have ever done before!)
- LEARN about the hardships of poverty and hunger around the world (often looking at statistics, etc. in Operation World)



Please know that this is a "work in progress" for our family.
I realized early-on that I needed to come to the table with realistic expectations (ie. that we would not necessarily have a super-in-depth-life-changing-revelational-earth-shattering-moment every week). Some dinners are filled with engaging discussion. Some are not. I never know when we sit down which way it will go.

What I DO know is that I am thankful Dave shared this idea with Chad and I.
And, I am thankful that my family seems to have embraced it as a SMALL way to have an ongoing awareness of some very BIG issues!!