2020

Because we were having so much fun hiking the Redwoods, we left California late on Saturday afternoon and rolled in to Portland, Oregon, around midnight. While there was much to see in between, we rushed to get to Portland so we could go to church with Randy's brother and sister-in-law the next morning. Roy and Suzanne were enjoying a neighborhood progressive dinner while waiting up for us, so we all mutually agreed to go to the late (11:30 a.m.) service the next morning. I was so glad we were able to make it to church. Many of you know that I’ve been claiming a “ word of the year ” for the past 5 years. This year’s word is “fierce.” While I no longer dislike the word like I did in the beginning, I haven’t exactly owned it either. So I was thrilled when the band started playing a song I’d never heard of – one called “ Fierce ” – that was all about the fierce nature of God’s love for us. (Apparently I've been living under a rock – or in Mexico – because this song came ou...

Lufkin, Texas, to Corbin, Kentucky. This was our "touristy" leg of the journey. Every good road trip needs one. While driving north on 59 from Houston toward Arkansas, we noticed a billboard advertising the "Home of the Chick-o-Stick" in Lufkin, Texas. Randy loves this candy, so we immediately decided we needed to stop. The GPS took us 20 minutes out of the way but eventually we landed outside the warehouse we were looking for. At one end of the building a door was labeled "Candy Kitchen." We entered and were met with a tiny area filled with candy. We tried to buy souveniers -- t-shirts, bumper stickers, whatever -- but there were none to be had. We were there during lunch break so we couldn't get a factory tour either. But we loaded up on candy and were satisfied. Most tourist stops are like this aren't they -- meant to make you feel good for a moment but not really dramatic or life changing. And yet you leave with a good story and a me...

Observations so far from our road trip: Baja is slow. California is fast. Arizona is hot. New Mexico is cold. Texas is windy.  And big. By big, I mean that we never manage to spend less than a week in Texas. This time it was nearly 12 days. Our first stop was right over the border in El Paso, where we went to my cousin (first cousin once removed, to be exact) Cyndi's house. She treated us to lunch at Kiki's , where we had some delicious Mexican food, followed by a drive to a scenic overlook where we stood at the end of the Rocky Mountains. (Epic!) While we were out running around, Jovi was enjoying Cyndi's beautiful backyard -- a nice change from the backseat of the car! Three-and-a-half years ago Randy, Jovi and I made a similar journey, in reverse order, moving Jovi and me from Ohio to California. Randy and I had met 6 months before in Spain and knew we wanted to be together forever. Texas was a long and memorable part of that move, too. One of ou...

On Easter Sunday, Randy and I said our goodbyes to the kids and staff at Sonshine Hacienda. We went to the early morning church service (in English), and then said our goodbyes to the kids before they left for the later Spanish service. A couple of the girls were crying, but nothing serious. And then I hugged my 9-year-old boy, who for the past 6 months has been asking if we will adopt him. As he snuggled into my arms for what could be the last time, he broke down into full-blown sobs. It absolutely wrecked me. There was nothing I could do but say “Te amo mijo”, I love you my son, and put him on the bus with 24 other kids we may or may not see again.  Our plan was to leave while the kids were at church. But nothing really went according to plan that day. They got out of church early, and packing and cleaning was taking us longer than we’d planned, so when they ran into the hacienda a few hours later we were still there. We sat down and had lunch with them and thankfu...

We're nearing the end of Lent and while I'm sad that I've gotten too busy to devote more energy to learning about and sharing these organizations with you, I remember that God called me to GIVE and as long as I am doing that I am being faithful. So here's another digest for you, days 31, 32, and 33. I'm so close to getting my 40 donations of $40 to 40 organizations in before Easter Sunday! If you have last minute suggestions for my final 7 donations, PLEASE send them my way! 40-40-40 ... Day 31: Sugartree Ministries Sugartree Ministries is located in Wilmington, Ohio. Their vision is to reach the poor, broken, lonely & addicted. Their ministries include "Your Father's Kitchen", a soup kitchen and food bank, and "Joe's Java", a coffee shop that brings in live music to raise funds and generate a sense of community. You might remember when Rachel Ray visited Sugartree Ministries in 2009. DHL had just shut down in Wilmington, ...

Any time we have anything "extra" (clothes and food, for example) or expired (food, meds, etc.) which we can't legally keep at the children's home, we take them to an organization here in San Felipe called "Volunteers Without Limits." Volunteers Without Limits was formed when two existing organizations joined together: the San Felipe Food Bank and an organization that supported families with children and adults with disabilities. Since some of the work was being duplicated -- providing food for families with special needs, for example -- it only made sense for the two to combine. The organization now provides food (both prepared food for the elderly and sick, and bags of food for families to prepare themselves), wheelchairs/walkers/canes/crutches, etc., hearing aids, oxygen tanks, medication, daily wellness checks for the elderly, blankets and clothes and air conditioners to local families, diapers, prosthetic limbs, etc. It is supported through do...

Day 20! I'm half-way through this 40-40-40 Lenten adventure, and nearly $900 in. On this half-way mark, I'm excited to focus on an organization that is just getting off the ground close to "home" in Ohio. Why? Because at the end of these 40 days that is where Randy and I are headed! We'll be looking for opportunities to serve (to keep ourselves from missing our Baja kids!), and this one definitely feels like a worthy cause. Special thanks to Hannah (Bethany Seminary student and part-time pastor at Xenia Friends Church) for sharing the story of Bridges of Hope. SIMON KENTON: BRIDGES OF HOPE By Hannah Mullikin Lutz After several years of working to secure funding and to purchase a building, Simon Kenton Bridges of Hope was finally able to open its doors in December of 2017 to those experiencing homelessness in Xenia, Ohio. For the first time since 2015, single men and women, as well as those who might have been on the waiting list for the small, ...

Peter Benchley is the inspiration for today's donation. Who was Peter Benchley? Everyone knows him, even if they don't know his name. Peter Benchley was a speechwriter for President Lyndon Johnson. Peter Benchley was the first host of Shark Week. Peter Benchley wrote "Jaws". And Peter Benchley later became an advocate for environmental preservation, regretting the fact that he was famous for making one of God's creatures a villain rather than a victim. I just finished reading another of Peter Benchley's novels, " The Girl of the Sea of Cortez ." It's about a girl, Paloma, who lives in Baja, and whose father taught her to love the sea. After her father dies, Paloma struggles to fit in with her family, her community, society as a whole. While her mother would rather she help with housework, Paloma would rather go diving. While her brother sees fish as a means to a profit, Paloma sees them as an essential part of God's creation. Benchl...