2020

Yesterday I really began to understand the importance of having mentors in your life. Randy and I have so much on our plates right now that we've found ourselves more overwhelmed than excited about our move to Mexico. But yesterday we had the opportunity to sit down with Tony and Julie, a couple who have become so important to us. They were there for Randy during a very challenging period in his life, they encouraged him to go on the Camino where we met and fell in love, and they took us on our first visit to Sonshine Hacienda. We absolutely adore them and their entire family. They are the kind of people who make you feel at home as soon as you meet them. And, as little Rosie said while Tony was playing guitar last night, "My grandpa is so cool!" After an hour of just hanging out with the kids and catching up over a pitcher of Sangria, Tony turned serious. "I teared up when you called and said you were moving to San Felipe. You guys are an answer to our p...

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” –John 14:18 My husband Randy first mentioned moving to Mexico to volunteer full-time at a children’s home a little over two years ago. I had long since wanted to volunteer at an orphanage, but the idea of actually doing so seemed impractical, even for someone who loves doing the impractical as much as me. And because we weren’t in a position to make such a move, I didn’t devote much thought to it at the time. But early in 2016 we suddenly came into a position where we could make such a move. And now the question changed from “could we”, to “would we”? During a conversation with Eden Grace, Global Ministries director at Friends United Meeting, she stressed the importance of a “site visit” for individuals considering serving in the field – actually traveling to and seeing the place where you would be serving before making any commitments. While the children’s home in Mexico is not an FUM project, I valued Eden’s wisdom a...

One of the most important lessons we are learning in preparing for our move to Baja is to go with the flow. The culture there is so "easy." No one gets worked up about anything. Everything will come together in time. A way will be made. We've come to call it the "Baja Stop." People in Baja don't really stop at stop signs, they roll through them. So when you just roll through something... Baja Stop! It's fairly easy for us to meld into that lifestyle while we are in San Felipe. But as soon as we returned to the States, our minds suddenly looked like freeway traffic (going 80 mph only to have to slam on your breaks, swerve around the person who cut you off, and hit the gas again because it really does feel safer to go fast). It's completely exhausting. But we have a huge list of things to accomplish before our move in November, and that isn't much time. So we feel a bit forced into this crazy pace. Our main priority when we returned f...

Ever since Randy and I committed in our hearts to move to Mexico my bookshelf has started to fill with stories of missionaries, mission trips, Mexico, and how to help without hurting. This is the way I'm intentionally choosing to prepare for our move in November. " When Helping Hurts " is the only one I've made it all the way through so far, but I absolutely loved it! Initially when God put it on our hearts to help at the children's home in San Felipe we thought it only made sense for Randy to replace the cook who was leaving and for me to become a "mamá", providing an extra set of hands and relief for the other mamas who work so hard. But when we told the directors of the home that we felt called to come and help, they didn't mention any of these responsibilities. They mentioned lots of things that we hadn't even thought of, but not the ones we assumed we were best suited for. Why? Because those are positions that they want to fill with...

Life is always changing. Sometimes it feels like a long process, sometimes it happens in an instant, and other times it just sneaks right up on you. A year ago, Randy and I were in the middle of nowhere ( Pie Town, New Mexico ), 100 percent sure that it was our next move. His mom was told she only had 6 months to live , so our plan was to care for her in her final days. During our visit, I envisioned putting my office in the loft. And already anticipated being irritated by the television and phone calls and visitors below. Randy made up the plans to convert the garage into a master suite for us. We even picked out our flooring. I researched getting certified to teach at the local elementary school and Randy had scoped out the local diner where he planned to "sling hash." We were excited about the hiking and bouldering opportunities in the area and even bought special shoes. But as the months passed by, mom seemed to be as stubborn and healthy as ever. An...