Our Journey To Life

"It's Morning Time, Mommy."

2011-09-02T00:44:00.000-07:00

Harrison is growing so fast. He is my last baby and I wish so much that I could wrap his brown as an Indian, cute-as-a-bug self up in my arms and make time stand still. I know these moments are fleeting and that the next time I turn around, he will be not so easy to pick up and squeeze like I do now.

He's a very independent li'l guy and wants nothing more than to be just like the big brothers he idolizes. Unlike the big brothers, though, he usually cries for his daddy at night time. Doug faithfully goes into their bedroom at bedtime and lays down with him until he falls asleep.

Still, very few nights pass that he doesn't stir in his sleep, wake up, and stumble through the darkness across the hall into our room. Even then, he is his daddy's boy. Doug probably has a permanent indention in his arm, where Harrison sleeps night after night for the past four years.

In the early morning as the sun and his daddy rise, he crawls across rumpled sheets to snuggle up tight with his momma. And it makes my heart smile. His soft, chubby arms wrap themselves around my neck and he scoots as close as he can get. He usually puts his little nose right up to mine and sometimes even shares his kisses with me before he rolls over the other direction and wraps my arm around his tummy and holds my hand just where he wants it.

He drifts back to sleep and typically enjoys another hour or so of snoozing soundly before he turns my direction again, flutters his eyes open as he grins and says, "It's morning time, Mommy". I need to record that voice. I wish I could record it in that very moment. It's soft and sweet and just precious.

The next fifteen minutes or so pass with lots of hugs and kissess, "I love you's", and giggles. We talk about what we'll eat for breakfast, all the fun things we will do today, what daddy might be doing at the office...or anything other little thing that comes to his mind. These moments, these gifts with him are so special. I'm not sure when he'll decide that he can sleep all night in his own bed. And I don't care. I love these moments...and I don't want them to end.

My Gifts

2011-09-02T00:14:00.000-07:00

Well...the summer has come and gone. It's flown by at lightening speed! We've had a great time and a lot has happened since I blogged last. However, the fact that time is flying past and so much is happening in so many different areas of life is telling me that it's time to slow down.

Several months ago, I heard about a book called One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I still haven't read it, but I know the gist. Slow down. Realize the gift of this moment that God has given you. Take notice. The moments are what we are going to remember....what my sons will remember. Be intentional about living. All these things I've been pondering lately as I've been writing some curriculum for a missions class I am going to teach this year at a homeschool co-op. Then I went to a parent meeting at that same co-op and this is the video they opened the meeting with....I think God is trying to tell me something. :)

So, I'm going to start writing about my gifts. The moments of our day that really matter. The small things that I will forget if I'm not intentional about remembering. And I'm going to try to get my camera back out and use it more often...like I did before life was so very busy. The moments that matter to me will probably not mean a hill of beans to anyone else, but that's ok. They are my gifts. Gifts He gave to me...because I'm His and He loves me.

Still Here

2011-06-03T14:36:00.000-07:00

Hello Blogland! Just checkin' in to let you know we are still here and doing well. Much has been happening here at the Widhalm house to keep us busy, as always. Thought I'd give you just a quick update about a few things around our house.

School - After a short stint in public school for Jackson and Carter, we have learned that homeschooling really serves our children and our family in a way that the school system cannot. I would never make judgements about what is or isn't right for another family or other children. Schooling is not a "one size fits all" matter, in my opinion. In our family, though, we have come to truly appreciate the opportunities and the lifestyle that homeschooling enables us to have. I'm happy to have all the boys back home with me and looking forward to new studies and activities in the fall.

We will continue in our math, history and literature studies over the summer, which will include various summer reading programs, classic read alouds, math memory work, history/geography of the middles ages, phonics and copy work. The boys are doing extremely well with their studies. I couldn't be happier both with our curriculum plan and their achievement.

Summer Fun! - Summer has officially began and we are enjoying its benefits tremendously! We paid a visit to Silver Dollar City yesterday and today we hung out with new homeschool friends at a backyard pool party. On the agenda next week is White Water and initiating the pool in our own backyard. Having so many fun things to do is a great motivation for getting our schoolwork and chores around the house finished!

Missions/Africa - Africa continues to have its place in our heads and hearts each day. It is never far from our thoughts. We are praying daily for our friends and the kids we love so much in Sierra Leone, as well as for God to give us opportunities to serve. Although we don't have definite plans of traveling back to Sierra Leone soon, we are able to Skype with the children we sponsor as well as another sibling group who is very close to our hearts on a monthly basis. It's such a joy to see their beautiful smiles in person, but it sure does make us "Africa-sick".

There is a possibility that I have an opportunity to travel to Guatemala to serve at an orphanage called Shadow of His Wings. I'm not sure whether or not that will come to fruition, but we are praying about it. It's not nearly as expensive as a trip to Sierra Leone is, but I love Sierra Leone so much that it's hard to make the choice to spend resources on airfare to someplace else. I know it would be another wonderful experience, though, so we'll see what God has in store.

I had a wonderful opportunity to serve the people of Joplin, MO, last weekend. What they have endured is beyond anything I can express in words. The photos on the internet and the news do not do it justice. However, even among the tremendous turmoil, God is at work. It's always amazing to me that when we put ourselves in a position to serve others, we receive such an incredible blessing of our own.

God is continually bringing people across our path who share our passion for orphans and other ministries. My heart is still being stirred and new thoughts and ideas are never ending. We continue to wait in prayer and be open to whatever He has for us.

I hope you are all enjoying the blessings of sunshine and summer as much as we are!

Peanut Butter, Bread & Water

2011-04-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

Gathering peanut butter jars from anyone who would donate and making trips to several different grocery stores in town to find the best peanut butter deal became an obsession in the weeks before we left. Tiffany is the "Coupon Queen", but there are not coupons for peanut butter. Find the deal, collectinhe g donations and mking the purcase was time consuming and sometimes even frustrating. We were SO blessed, though! God proved Himself faithful...AGAIN...and provided more than enough! He even gave us a surprise at the end of the packing by allowing us to check more suitcases for FREE than we expected. Yea, God!

All the prep work was for the kids and mothers who were waiting for a miracle at Ola During Children's Hospital.

Doug caught a power nap while we waited for the water and bread we needed

Tiffany and I with the nurses in the Nutrition Ward

Ola During Children's Hospital has a special place in my heart. I suppose because I have had to be in the hospital with my own children, it is just easy for me to have a heart and want to reach out to these moms and their babies.

A severely malnourished baby at Ola During.

The only way I can describe it in words, is to say that many of the children look just like the kids you see on the info-mercials on World Vision. You know the commercials I'm talking about....the ones that you glance at and then pick up the remote to change the channel because it is too hard to see. It is hard to see, but it is real. They are real children with real mothers, just like me.

Tiffany with one of the mom's in the Nutrition Ward

We were so touched by the families in the hospital last May that we wanted to go back to give what we could. If you've read about it in previous posts, you know that the hospital does not provide food for the patients or for the mothers in the ICU. Sounds crazy, doesn't it? Even when I think about it still, I just can't believe it. In the nutrition ward, they do give the babies Plumpy Nut, a nutrient dense peanut butter-like food. The mothers, though, have to take care of themselves.

We brought enough gift bags for each family both in the nutrition ward and the ICU to have one. In fact, we had plenty and even gave a bag to each of the nurses in both wards, too. Everyone that received one was very thankful to have them. In conditions like that, a jar of peanut butter and small loaf of bread is a huge blessing. Each bag had a packet of water, peanut butter, bread and a beanie baby.

There were four families that really stood out to me that day.

The first was a mom with a set of twins in the nutrition ward. One of them was healthy. The other was severely malnourished. The one that was sick was in terrible condition. She was so tiny and fragile, with no muscle to her little body at all. Tiffany and I sat with the mom and prayed that God would peace, comfort and healing, and that His will would be done. The mother seemed very thankful that we had taken time to just sit with her and care about her baby.

The twins.

Not far from the twins was a beautiful young mother with a sweet baby girl on her lap. The mom was absolutely beaming as she looked at me with sparkling eyes and a bright smile, holding the gift bag in her hand. She repeatedly told me, "Thank you" and asked for me to take a picture of her with her little girl. I wish so much that the language barrier was not quite as great and that I could've gotten to know more about her and her sweet little one.

As we were finishing up in the nutrition ward, I caught the eye of another mama. She motioned for me to come to her, so I did. She was trying to talk to me, and I understood the words "other country". I smiled and said, "Yes, we're from America". She kept making hand motions and pointing to her little boy, who was obviously not doing well at all. Finally, I got it. I said, "You mean you want me to take your baby to another country with me?" She gave me a big smile, nodded and said "Yes! Take him. Please take him."

This mother tried to get me to take her baby with me

I took a deep breath and told her that God had given her this child and that he wasn't mine. He belonged here with her, and I couldn't take him. She begged me. I looked her in the eye and told her that I would get into very big trouble if I took him, and that I was very sorry. It was heart wrenching.

Now, maybe she could've been thinking I'd pay her a good amount of money for him. But still. To be in a situation in life that there would be so much desperation that you would offer your child to a complete stranger, I can't imagine. What I do know, though, is that only but for the grace of God is it not me in that situation.

I met a young mom in the ICU that had a beautiful boy named Samuel. Samuel had been in the hospital for two months and was still not well. When we asked what was wrong with him, she didn't really have an answer...only described a symptom or two. The interesting thing about Samuel is that he was obviously from a Christian home. His mother had her Bible laying open in his crib. Samuel's head was laying on it. She was very happy to let us pray with her, and was excited to see her with her son on the back of my camera when I took her picture.

Samuel in his crib, laying on his mother's Bible

It was another time of realizing, again, that God has blessed us beyond measure. I don't know why, but He has and I'm so very thankful. The people of Sierra Leone endure things on a daily basis that you cannot imagine if you have not seen it for yourself. It's an amazing experience to be there and be able to give just a little and watch God use it for His glory. I highly recommend it. However, be warned: it's addictive!

On The Street With Pastor Daniel

2011-04-17T07:41:00.000-07:00

Monday evening, we met Pastor Daniel and ten of the children from The Covering at 6:00 GMT.* The ten kids were chosen because of their good behavior. We were all walking together into the community near the center to meet with people, pray for their needs and to give them a free Bible.

We were blessed to be able to take two cases of Bibles with us. I wish we could have taken more. We had a total of 40 to give away that evening. There were also many copies of the Book of Hope at the guesthouse which were left by some missionaries. We took everything we could fit in our four backpacks.

I'm sure we were quite a sight as we walked down the hill into the neighborhood nearby....ten local kids all dressed up in their finest and looking cheerful, the pastor, the social worker from the center, and 4 white people who were sweating profusely (definintely not looking my finest) and loaded down with backpacks full of books and magazines. LOL

It didn't take long for people to figure it out, though. Pastor Daniel has an amazing gift of being able to just walk right up to a stranger and start talking about Jesus. The first stop was a beauty "salon". There were a couple people sitting outside while just inside the little shack there was a lady getting her hair done. When the group stopped walking right in front of their business and Pastor started talking, everything was quiet and all eyes were fixed on the pastor.

The beauty salon

As he talked, others started to gather round. He shared the gospel with everyone standing within earshot. After the short mini-sermon, we asked if there was anything we could pray for on their behalf. The entire group (kids included) prayed for God's provision and protection on each person and their family. Pastor Daniel even led everyone who would, in a prayer of salvation! He was sure to let them all know he would be available to answer any questions they might have and to invite them to Sunday services at the center. They were all very interested and seemed excited that there was a place nearby they could worship.

Pastor leading a group in a prayer of salvation

When the discussions were over, we broke out the Bibles. There would be a similar reaction here in the States if you were handing out 100 dollar bills on the street. They were ELATED! We were only in that one spot for a few minutes, but it didn't take long to realize that we didn't have enough. We sent the guys back to restock the backpacks with more magazines.

Pastor Daniel led the kids along with Tiffany and I farther down into the village where we kept praying with people and offering them the Bibles and magazines we had. The Bibles were gone before we got to the 2nd or 3rd stop. People were running up to us asking for one and we kept giving until we had no more. There was an older lady that came back and followed me for a few feet, with a huge smile holding her new Bible next to her chest and just saying, "Thank you, thank you!" It was really an amazing experience.

The crowd starting to gather

The last stop was at the bottom of the hill in an area that was occupied by several small shacks and many people. By this time, all we had left were Books of Hope. Again, Pastor Daniel spoke about Jesus and then we prayed both for salvation and for God's blessing on His people. Word throughout the area spread quickly and before we knew it, there was a really large crowd gathered. Most of them were women and many, many children. After the prayer, we opened up our backpacks and all sorts of chaos broke loose.

Doug handing out Books of Hope

There were kids jumping and shouting, reaching and just trying to get hold of one of those magazines. We guessed that there was near 75 to 100 or so kids. Being the school teacher and having taken a few groups of kids on field trips, I was more than a little nervous about locating the ten kids that belonged to us and keeping an eye on them. It was extremely loud and people were everywhere. I tried to get a head count in the madness, but it was impossible. I think Pastor Daniel thought my preoccupation with the kids' safety was a little comical. Neither him nor the social worker on staff were in the least bit concerned.

After all the magazines here handed out and there was a huge mass of village kids standing with these books in their hands, looking at pictures of the life of Christ, Pastor told them to shout the name of Jesus on the count of 3. It was an amazing sound to hear...I hope I don't ever forget it. The kids were thrilled with their new books and it was a blessing just to see them smiling and so happy.

On our walk back to the center, we passed the beauty salon where we'd first stopped. Every person there was sitting with their Bibles open on their laps, smiling. They were looking at these Bibles Doug and I purchased for not more than $1 each like they were the biggest treasure they had. Just this one evening was worth all the time, planning, inconvenience and expense of our trip. It was all worth it. Every single penny...and I'd do it all over again. In fact, I'm certain that I will do it again.

I'm so glad to know that even though we were only there for a week, we left behind something that will affect their lives and give them hope for an eternity.

Out & About in Freetown

2011-04-13T07:40:00.000-07:00

On Monday, we hired a taxi driver to drive us around town for a while to do a little exploring on our own. Musa is a friend of Osseh's (who is trusted staff at the center) so we knew we'd be in good hands with him.

First stop was the beach at Lumley. There were fisherman on the beach pulling in their nets. It's quite a sight to see, so Musa pulled over so that we could get a closer look. He explained how the boat takes the net out and drops it. Then, it is pulled in by a team of men. They pull one side and then the other until the net is close enough to shore to close and bring in the fish.

When we got out, we were approached by one of the men who explained further and invited Rich and Doug to help pull the net in. The boys ran to help while Tiffany and I got out our cameras. It was alot of fun watching the guys...pulling those nets is apparently harder than it looks! :) It didn't take long for the Americans to give out. I asked Doug if he'd like to give up his job to fish every day, and it didn't take long to get a firm, "No!"

After we'd been there a while, another one of the fisherman came up to me and asked if we were having a good time. I smiled and said that we were really enjoying ourselves and thanked him. He was speaking English, but with a heavy accent and doing so rather quickly. I was having a hard time understanding exactly what he was saying, but it ended up with something about having food and drink together. I thought he was being really nice and inviting us to eat with them after the catch.

He could tell, though, by the look on my face that I wasn't really "getting it" so he approached Tiffany and started his conversation over. He wanted us to have food and drinks, all right! On US! LOL He wanted us to pay him and his crew since we got to enjoy ourselves and take pictures. That might not have been a problem, but there were more than a dozen of them - maybe closer to 20. Needless to say, we quickly gathered up our husbands and headed back to the taxi.

Next stop was Crown Bakery. We had eaten there before, so we knew what we were in for, and we were hoping to see chocolate donuts in the display case. We enjoyed a great lunch chatting with Musa. Doug and I shared an avocado sandwich and a chicken shawarma. They were both yummy! The shawarma is a wrap with chicken and a cucumber sauce. We were disappointed there were no donuts, though.

On our way back to the center, Musa pointed out the more important landmarks we were passing and drove us through Kroo Bay. Doug hadn't seen it before. He didn't get the full experience of actually getting out and walking into the village, but he definitely was able to see the devastating poverty. Musa also drove us by another slum that was built on a trash dump. There was no ground to be seen under these living quarters....just trash. Even though I had been before and knew the extent of the poverty, it was a painful reminder of just how blessed our nation has been.

It was a great day getting to know Musa and learning a little more about Freetown.

By the end of the day, we were anxious to get back to the guesthouse, though. Our plan was to go with Pastor Daniel and a few chosen kids for the evening into a nearby community to pray with people and give away some Bibles.

Sunday at The Covering

2011-04-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

One of the things I was most looking forward to on our trip, was being in church with the kids at The Covering. Watching them pray and worship is an experience I cannot describe to you in words. This group of children pray with emotion I've never witnessed and worship their God with abandon. It's absolutely beautiful..and humbling...and such an incredible example of the way we SHOULD worship.

We were so blessed by the beautiful music (accompanied only by about 3 boys drumming and the entire crowed clapping - no keyboard, strings, horns or choirs needed) and powerful message. Pastor Daniel is an amazing pastor that I'd be happy to sit under every week. He's an amazing man of God who does not beat around the bush or make things "pretty" - even for the children. He tells them straight up the way the Bible lays it out.

Several of them were baptized a few weeks ago. One of the points he made was that now that they had made a commitment to Christ, it was their responsibility to begin to minister to others. No excuses. If you have the luxury of Christ and eternity in heaven - you also have a responsibility. Period. Whether you are 9 or 90. You have Kingdom work to do.

I love that he is not playing games with them or entertaining them. It would be so easy to do. In many ways, it's what we do here in America. He's training them to be soldiers in the army of God. It's serious business. He even called one little guy out who was misbehaving and told him that he would not be able to participate in communion because his heart was not in good standing with his brother. Pastor Daniel rocks! He's an amazing vessel being used by God in the lives of many, many people. I'm so blessed we were able to spend some time with him this week.

The service was extra special Sunday, because the children who were baptized were being served their first communion. I didn't take pictures, because I didn't want to be disrespectful, but I wish I could show you the two lines of kids lined up holding their bread and "wine". It was just beautiful. Being there with them for such a special time in their spiritual lives was such a blessing.

Many, if not most, of these children were living in Muslim homes not much more than a year ago. The Raining Season has not only rescued them from homes that were not healthy or the lack of a home...but they're being rescued from an eternity without God. It's just incredible to see God working and how the lives of these children are being transformed. In fact, it's not only the lives of these children, but also the lives and hearts of many caregivers, staff and even American sponsors and travelers who are being changed from the inside out. I'm so glad we are part of it!

I didn't take pictures of the service, but I did snap a few shots of the kids before and after. They were all dressed up and looking pretty. We tried to look as good as we could...but my hair and makeup wilted before I ever even walked in the door.

Sunday evening we were blessed to be able to go to an international service for people who are serving in various capacities in Sierra Leone. Some were missionaries and some worked for non-profit organizations. We met one young lady who is living very near Kroo Bay and working there each day serving that community by administering basic first aid. Another is working for an organization that sends her out to various places to work doing OT and PT with handicapped children. It was a great experience to meet different people from all over the world who are giving of themselves and serving in different ways.

Happy Birthday, Aunty Marie!

2011-04-10T06:32:00.000-07:00

Our first full day was Saturday, April 2nd, which was also Aunty Marie's birthday. Aunty Marie has a special place in our hearts. When Tiffany and I visited last May, she was caring for the babies in the baby room through the night. In a tiny room, with 2 cribs and a foam mattress on the floor, she cared for the twins we sponsor, Kadija and Kevin. She has a perfect personality for working with young children and she loves them with all her heart. Currently though, she cooks and takes care of laundry at the guest house, so we got to see her a lot on this trip.

We were excited to know before we traveled, that we would be there to celebrate her birthday. We purchased a few things for her before we left and planned to take her out for dinner to celebrate that evening. I explained to her that at my house, a girl gets what she wants for dinner on her birthday - so it was going to be her choice. She didn't quite know what to say, but eventually said she really liked to eat pizza.

The plan was to meet her at Mamba Point, a nice restaurant nearby, with a variety of choices on the menu. Later, we learned that she has only been to that restaurant one other time and she was a little unsure of whether or not she could even get in if she came in by herself.

We arrived before she did and set her gift basket at the head of the table, where she would be sitting. She was shocked to see that not only was she getting to eat dinner in a restaurant, but we had brought along gifts, as well. She could hardly speak! It was such a blessing to us to be able to pamper her for the evening and give her a birthday celebration that she has likely never had before.

We brought her a gift basket with all sorts of kitchen supplies....sponges, towels, washcloths, scrapers, cutting mats, a colander, hot pads, etc. The biggest surprise was an electric hand mixer!

We ordered pizza for everyone and even had a couple of sushi rolls! The Philadelphia roll is just as good in Africa as it is here! :) She had never tried sushi and it was a treat to watch her experience it for the first time. She preferred to separate the contents and eat them by themselves rather than all at once....and she LOVED the ginger.

Even though it was a celebration in her honor, she sat with her plate full in front of her and only picked at her food until we were finished eating. When we finished, she ate with enthusiasm and enjoyed her meal. I assumed that she must not have liked it, but rather, she was selflessly waiting for us to have all we wanted....she waited for the leftovers.

Later in the week, we got to help her prepare a meal for our day at the beach. She had to make a special trip to the market to buy food, and then worked hard to prepare a special meal for everyone who would be there. As Tiffany and I were helping her in the kitchen, she explained how joloffa rice was a meal they enjoyed only occasionally, usually at important holiday meals. And, because the kids all love chicken, she prepared one piece for each of us.

Marie with Kevin strapped on her back..bent over chopping veggies for our lunch

Tiffany stirring the beef stew for the rice on beach day.

This oversized mortar and pestal is what she used to mix the onion, pepper, tomato paste and spices for the stew.

Joloffa rice...cooked with tomato paste, onion, garlic, and pepper

Aunty Marie worked tirelessly all week long taking care of us at the guest house. She has the heart of a true servant, and I'm honored to have had the priviledge to get to know her.

Day 1

2011-04-02T18:25:00.000-07:00

These are just a few shots from today. We spent the majority of the day just hanging out with the kids at the center. It was a great time! We were welcomed with a sweet ceremony, lots of music and the most precious prayers you've ever heard!

By Air, Land and Sea!

2011-04-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

Well, we got here safe & sound and had a great time all along the way. We left home about 11:30 a.m. on Thursday morning. Jackson was at school, but Carter & Harrison were at our house with my sister.  Carter was sad when we left, but there were no tears.  I was thankful for that, although when we got in car and I looked to my left, Doug was the one about ready to turn the teary faucet on. Thankfully, the drive to the airport what a short one.

After a stop in Chicago, we were headed to Washington. I was concerned for Doug on the overseas flight, but we were SO blessed! We lucked out and got seats in the first row, so we all had extra leg room and a fairly comfortable place to sleep for the night on the plane. 10 hours and 45 minutes later, we landed in Accra, Ghana.   None of us had been in the Accra airport before, and we were pleasantly surprised at how nice it was. There was a wonderful airport employee who took great care of us, got our boarding passes for our next flight and made sure we were taken care of. By the time we got to Accra, Tiffany and I were nearly jumping for joy and counting down the minutes until touchdown in Freetown.   :)

We came in contact with a very interesting group of Chinese people in Accra. There were about 15 men in suits wearing NEON pink, blue and yellow baseball caps. It was a hilarious sight to see! They provided us great entertainment. lol

After a smooth flight into Freetown, we had an experience with a ferry boat that I truly cannot describe well enough with words. The water was rough and we had to board a water taxi by walking across the flimsiest dock I've ever seen. The wooden slats seemed to be just a few inches on top of the water and were riding the good-sized waves in a way that made it hard to stand up and walk.   We could only walk across one at a time and had to hold on for dear life to the man who was escorting us. Poor Rich nearly lost it and ended up in the water.

The real site was the Chinese men with the "colorful caps". LOL They were COMPLETELY overwhelmed with the water taxi. The walk on the dock must've caused a couple of them to be motion sick, because they just got sat down when they pulled out their barf bags and started using them. The four American on the boat (us) were busting a gut laughing at the entire situation. It was absoluetly hilarious!

When we arrived at the other side of the bay, yet another Chinese guy bit the dust. We were sitting at an oudoor waiting area, when to locals came carrying the poor Chinese dude up the ramp. He instructed them to lay him down on a table where he proceeded to flail around and looked like he could hyperventilate at any moment. There were five locals rubbing his hands, feet, head and one lady standing on the table top fanning him and pooring cold water all over him. It was quite a sight.

Eventually, we made our way to the guest house and met the single moms and their kiddos. Marie stayed late to make sure we had a good meal to eat before we went to bed....spaghetti, chicken, french fries and chocolate cake! It was yummy! We were thankful to be off the plane, off the boat and on dry land. :)

Just One More

2011-03-30T05:14:00.000-07:00

We have just one more day at home before we leave tomorrow afternoon for Sierra Leone. We are SO very excited to be going! I can't wait to see the kids again, and to see Doug's reaction to all the Lord has to show him through this trip.

However, we could really use your prayers. Here's a list of a few specific things you can be praying for over the next 10 days or so.

Safe travels. It is harder to leave the boys this time, because Doug & I are both going. Please pray that we arrive and return safe and sound.
Peace of mind. The kids are starting to get nervous and worried. Pray that God would bless them with peace and a give them a measure of happiness while we are away. I've had a lot of discussion with Carter about how God will take care of him even when I am not here, so please pray that God shows him in a way that would be clear and comforting to him.
Clear "way" & open hearts. Please pray that we would have clear opportunities to minister and share the Gospel while we are there, and that those individuals would have an open mind and heart toward us. Specifically, we will be spending some time at the Children's Hospital praying with families and giving gift bags. They will have some bread & peanut butter, along with the REAL "bread of life", a new Bible.
Wisdom & guidance. Please pray for Doug and I. We feel very strongly that the Lord is leading us further in our walk with Him and into something new for our lives. Through this trip, we are expecting to see some revelation about what that is. Pray that we would be open and willing to do WHATEVER He calls us to.

Thanks SO much for joining me on this journey!! Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated much more than you'll ever know. I'm expecting to be able to post fairly frequently about what we're doing. Lots of pictures to come...so stay tuned!

Countdown to Sierra Leone: 7 Days!

2011-03-23T17:03:00.000-07:00

Well, we are down to only a week until our departure and we are just SO excited!

Our flights have been rerouted, which has been a huge blessing. With the airline change, we have one more flight change, which I'm actually happy about since it will give us time to walk around again before we head across the Atlantic. We also get to take more luggage with us, which is just great! We were having a problem with the weight of the peanut butter and getting the other supplies in the bags that we needed to take. Praise God that He knew and took care of those details for us!

This past week has been busy. We left home last weekend to see Doug's parents and I decided to stay at my sister's house with kids. Doug is coming back to get us tomorrow. We've still got some packing and organizing to do before we go.

We are very excited to be going, but Doug and I have never left the boys like this before. Please pray for all of us. Harrison seems to be getting sick, which is not a good thing. He will struggle the most while we are gone. If he is sick, mommy being away will make it even worse - for him and for my sister. You can also pray for Kate, my sister. She is going to be staying with the boys and her hands will be full with my three and AnnaJo, too. Pray that God will give us all the peace we need to relax and enjoy this time, even though we will be separated.

Thanks so much to those of you who have helped provide peanut butter and prayed with us to this point. I appreciate your encouragement and prayers more than you know. You are such a blessing!

Made To Crave

2011-03-21T18:11:00.000-07:00

I have to tell you that I am not trying to lose weight this time without a little (a lot of) help. About a month ago, I decided to join a Bible study at my church. I'm new at the church and decided it would be a good way for me to get to know some ladies, mostly. The name of the study is Made To Crave by Lysa Terkeurst. I honestly didn't give the topic much thought. I've done Bible studies about weight loss before. I have tried EVERYTHING to lose weight and keep it off..I'm not even exaggerating. Well, everything except surgery, I guess.

At any rate, the study has been the reason I am giving this weight loss thing another try. And...I have to say that my perspective is completely different now. So, as I share what is happening on this part of my "journey to life", I'm sure I'll be referencing this book along the way. We are about 4 weeks into the study, and the last week or so has really changed my thinking.

Made To Crave isn't a weight loss plan. In fact, it really doesn't cover a food plan or way of eating at all. What it does do is make you think about what scripture has to say about food and allowing God to have control over everything in your life...including your diet and health. This is an excerpt that helped to think differently about my struggle.

But, what if this battle with food isn't the curse we've always thought it to be? What if it's actually the very thing, if brought under control, that can lead us to a better understanding of God? What if we could actually get to the place where we thanked God for letting us face this battle because of the rich treasures we discovered on the battlefield?
My friend E. Titus sums up with I am discovering as well:
When I get all caught up in how unfair it is that my friend is skinny and doesn't have to work at it, how she can eat what she wants when she wants, and how much it stinks that I can't be like her, I remind myself that God didn't make me to be her. You see, He knew even before I was born that I could easily allow food to be an idol in my life, that I would go to food, instead of to Him, to fulfill my needs. And in His great wisdom, He created my body so that it would experience the consequences of such a choice, so that I would continually be drawn back into his arms. He wants me to come to Him for fulfillment, emotional healing, comfort - and if I could go to food for that and never gain an ounce, well then, what would I need God for?

Hmm...God knew me before I was born. He knew what my struggles would be. He created me. He created me imperfect with issues, because He wanted me to learn to turn to Him. That includes my issues with food. He knew before I gained this weight that my true struggle isn't weight, it's trusting and leaning on Him instead of my own devices. My own devices, food in this case, are harmful to my size and my health. And, now I realize that He knows I can't do this on my own. And I realize that I can't. My own willpower isn't enough, and it's not supposed to be.

A New Discovery & Confession

2011-03-17T21:32:00.000-07:00

I've been pondering this post for a week or two now and I'm still not sure exactly where to begin. So, I'm going to just jump in and let my brain unravel a bit.

I've blogged so much about Sierra Leone and our new found passion or orphans and mission work, that it's easy for me just to write about SL or things related to a trip, fundraising or whatever. However, my intent when I started the blog was to just share my heart and the journey our family is on with the the LORD. We've definately realized that a true willingness to let God have everything in our lives is hard, but the most joyful experience we could've imagined.

In a lot of ways, we've come a long way in a couple of years. We've sold lots of our stuff, given as much or more away, reached out to the poor and needy both here and in Africa. We've sacrificed financially to make these mission trips possible. So...we are making progress. We're not "there" yet, but we are growing.

However, one of the areas of my life that I STILL struggle with and haven't truly been able to move myself out of is my weight. It's been a life-long issue that I am just plain ol' tired of battling and had just given up. As long as I can remember, I've felt fat. It began when I was in elementary school and continues on to this day. When I look back at pictures of myself in high school, I can't believe how great I looked. I was athletic and healthy and looked fabulous. The problem was, I didn't feel that way. I wasn't a size 4 and I wasn't happy.

Rollercoasters are not something I enjoy, even at an amusement park, but I've been on this dieting ride as long as I can remember. Confession: Today, I am heavier than I have ever been in my life. More than when I delivered my babies, even. Ugh. I decided a while back that I just didn't care anymore and it really didn't matter. I rationalized that as long as I was happy with myself, everything was just fine. After all, being happy with myself was always the issue. No matter what my size - I was never happy. So, why go through the hassle of losing the weight again when the weight loss really wasn't going to solve to make me happy? At least, I've learned that lesson. Weight loss does NOT equal happiness. I'm tired of feeling guilty, deprived, restricted, and like a failure...so why even try? That's where my head has been over the last year and a half or so.

The problem with that line of thinking is that it just didn't reconcile with my heart for God and wanting to *really* live out my faith in a real and tangible way. I tried for a while to just push it out of my head and ignore those small whispers of the Holy Spirit, but that just isn't working anymore.

I know that God's best for me isn't to be this size. It's not all about size. In fact...the size is only the result of the bigger problem. The true issue is health, fitness, and prevention. God's best for me is NOT heart problems or diabetes. And, in fact, if those health issues crop up (and likely, they will) I won't be able to be the wife, the mom or the missionary he's called me to be.

This battle really isn't about me at all anymore, actually. It's about surrendering an area of my life to Christ that I've never been able to give up before. An area that my enemy has won in the past, and used to keep me from fulfilling all the things I was created to do.

This week a shift in my thinking has happened and I pray that God continues to reveal Himself and His plan for me. Please help me pray that I will have the courage and strength to grow even closer to Christ as I seek to give Him everything, including my issues with food.

Because this is truly another part of Our Journey To Life and living out Matthew 10:39, I'm going to start blogging about it. I hope that the accountability to the blog will help me muster up some strength. And, I hope that if any of you who might be reading struggle with these same issues, that I might be an encouragement to you, too.

Concrete Christianity

2011-03-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

As we are really getting focused and preparing ourselves spiritually, mentally and physically for our trip to Sierra Leone in just a few weeks, God has continued to show Himself faithful. At every turn, we have confirmation that He is truly directing our steps and this trip is just exactly what He has for us right now. I can't begin to tell you how excited we are to board that plane!

Coincidentally (not really...God is awesome how he orchestrates details like this!) this upcoming week, the church we have been attending is having a missions conference. We heard two sermons from two pastors today with the same core message......We need to have "Concrete Christianity." Concrete versus abstract, that is. Christianity with some action behind the theory. Things that people can see and understand....in other words, concrete.

What started out, honestly, as a journey to a possible adoption has turned into so much more. This is about so much more than saving one child or even one sibling group to add to our family. This is about living out our faith.... Deciding what it is we REALLY believe in and putting action to the words we've spoken for so long.

I've been in church for a lifetime. Served in the church since I was a young child. Sang solos. Led praise and worship. Taught classes. Organized choirs. Directed children's ministries. Led women's Bible studies. These are all good things, don't get me wrong. I hope and pray that all my involvement in the local church all these years has been a blessing to those around me. However, right now I just don't feel like it's enough. I know it's not, in fact.

I've learned alot about the Bible over the years, but have I truly lived like I believe it? Regretfully...the answer is, "No, I haven't". But times, they are a changin'! And, thankfully, my God is full of grace and mercy and second chances!

So..in light of living out our faith, having "Concrete Christianity" and this weeks recent events, I was reminded of this scripture. (Thanks, Sis, for posting it!)

Luke 21:10-11 "Then He continued by saying to them, "Nation will rise agains nation, and kingdom against kingdom and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven." vs. 25-28 "And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

We were reminded in church today that the death toll in Japan is now 10,000 and will probably rise. How many of these people new Jesus? Their lives are over. In a blink of an eye, they are gone.

A young man lays flowers in front of the Japanese Embassy in Moscow in

honor of the lives lost in the earthquake this week.

Matthew 28:19-20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Doug and I are headed out to the nations. Yes, we are spreading God's love just by loving on those precious orphans of His. Yes, we are blessing a handful of people with some peanut butter and bread. Unfortunately, the peanut butter will be gone quickly and we will board a plan to return home in just 7 short days. However, the Word of God lasts forever and will not return void. We would be wasting an opportunity to share the Gospel if we didn't take advantage of our time in a nation that is at least half muslim. There are millions of people in Sierra Leone who need to know Jesus!

I know we have already asked for your help in providing peanut butter for the hospital, and I can't thank you enough. Still, I'm going to give you another opportunity to partner with us by providing funds for us to purchase Bibles. We'll take them with us and hand them out either at the hospital with the gift bags, or to the poor in the community where we will be staying. I found a source to buy cases of paperback New Testaments for just a little over $1 each. There are 100 Bibles in the case, so the total will be about $105. If you'd like to purchase one or all one hundred, we'd love for you to be involved if you feel led to do so. You can use the Donate button on the sidebar.

Please continue to pray that we would walk by faith and be led by the Holy Spirit as we prepare to go and do work that will add to His Kingdom.

Much Love,
Jodi

Hospital Project Update

2011-03-13T19:59:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you know that God has blessed us with plenty of peanut butter! I think that my boys thought we might be eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from now until forever as they started seeing jars and jars of it being carried into the house. hehehe

We are so thankful that you, our friends, and a local grocery store, Harter House, donated enough peanut butter that I am hopeful we'll be able to serve both the ICU and the Nutrition wards at the children's hospital in Freetown. If God changes our plans, for some reason, we'll be putting the gift bags together for the poor who live in the community where we will be staying. We know that whoever receives these gift bags will certainly be blessed by them. Thank you so much for helping!

God Is Providing!

2011-02-28T16:53:00.000-08:00

Stepping out in faith and watching God provide is an amazing experience! It's an exciting adventure and it's so great to watch things as He orchestrates all the details. I'm so thankful, that not much more than a day or so into our project to serve the children's hospital, I can already give you an update and let you know what is happening with our project for the children's hospital in Freetown.

God has already provided funding for our extra baggage that will be full of supplies going to The Covering, as well as the gift bags and Beanie Babies that we will use in our care packages. Yea!!

As of this evening, we only need the following things for our care packages:

60 - 18 oz jars of peanut butter
$100 to purchase bread and water in country
$120 for a small monetary gift for each package

If you would be interested in helping provide either of these two things, please use the PayPal button on the right sidebar or contact me at jodiwidhalm at yahoo dot com.

Please Come Along With Us!

2011-02-27T06:40:00.000-08:00

Doug and I would love to invite you to be part of our journey to minister to the poor, the widow and the orphan in Sierra Leone! We are leaving here March 31st and will return April 9th. While in country, we will be spending lots of time at The Covering with the children and helping with odd jobs around the facility. We are also hoping to be able to make a trip to the children's hospital I told you about in the last post. We'd love for you to be involved with our mission and there are a number of ways you can do that.

A young boy abandoned at the hospital last year.
Hospital staff thought he was 4 or 5 years old.

1. Please pray for us. We, along with our friends Rich & Tiffany, will be leaving five children behind in the hands of very capable family members. Please pray for our health leading up to our departure and while we are away, safe travels, and for our children who will be without both parents for 10 days. Mostly, pray for God's will to be accomplished in Sierra Leone and in our hearts and lives.

2. Sponsor a Care Package for $5. Moms who have children admitted to the hospital are usually on their own and responsible for getting their own food (no cafeteria in this hospital) and sometimes even food for their sick babies. We will be giving one care package to each mom in the ICU and the Nutrition Ward. It will consist of a jar of peanut butter, loaf of bread, water, a small toy, and a couple of dollars. You can provide a care package for one family for just $5! This is a HUGE blessing to these mothers who are trying to care for their sick children. We'll put your name on the bags you sponsor and even a note of prayer or encouragement if you would like.

3. Donate peanut butter. We are hoping to be able to give a care package to each family in the ICU and the nutrition ward at the hospital. The packages will include one regular sized jar of peanut butter, a small loaf of bread, water, a small toy, and approximately $2-3 cash. If you live locally, I'll be happy to pick it up from you. To feed both wards, we will need 50-60 jars.

3. Donate gift bags. Small gift bags with handles would be ideal, but nothing fancy is required.

4. Buy bread & water. We will purchase the bread and water just before we arrive at the hospital. It will take approximately $100 to buy enough bread and water for both wards. You can help provide these things by using the Paypal donation button on the right sidebar.

5. Buy a T-Shirt. For $18, you can purchase a Simply Love - Sierra Leone T-shirt. The picture on the sidebar doesn't do it justice. You can help us spread the word by purchasing one for yourself or someone else. All proceeds from shirt sales thru March 4th will go toward providing care packages at Ola During.

6. Spread The Word. Even if you can't help right now financially - you can help us spread the word! Please re-post this, put links on your posts, share it with your FB friends and Twitter!

To make a donation or buy a shirt, use the links on the side bar. If you'd like to donate peanut butter or gift bags, contact me and I'll be happy to pick them up.

No matter what you choose to do to help out, THANK YOU! We appreciate your efforts to help us serve those who are the "least of these"!

2011-02-24T19:02:00.000-08:00

My last post was about the level of healthcare and service we have in American hospitals. Today I want to share with you what a children's hospital is like in Sierra Leone. The Raining Season has built a relationship with the Ola During Children's Hospital in Freetown, the capital city of Sierra Leone.

The team I traveled with last May was able to stop at the hospital and minister to the families there by feeding them, praying with them and holding their babies so the moms could get a much-needed break. It was a very emotional day that I'll never forget. Of all the sights and experiences I had in Sierra Leone, the hospital is the place that touched my heart the very most. I suppose because I have been in the hospital with my own son, I saw each of these kids and this place through the eyes of a mom.

To compare "apples to apples" so to speak, we'd need to compare it to one of the biggest children's hospitals in America. The moms who make it to this hospital have come to the best place Sierra Leone has to offer in children's health care. In fact, it is the only hospital dedicated to pediatrics in the country. The staff of doctors is only four. Available medicines and treatment plans are very limited. Even electricity is not reliable.

This is what mom see as they walk up to the building.

Imagine carrying your sick baby on your back for hours, maybe days and walking up to this. You would probably find a long line of women with their babies waiting to be evaluated. You might be able to stay or you might not, depending on how many people were there and how much room the hospital had. Healthcare for children under age five is now free, but the hospital is still lacking adequate staff and supplies.

If you were there because your baby is suffering from severe malnutrition and starvation, you would be taken into the ward shown in this short video. There would be a bed for you and your child, but no sheets. If you want sheets, you'll need to supply your own. There will be a special formula for your baby, but no food available to you. It would be up to you and the other mothers to arrange for the moms to have something to eat.

If you have a child sick with malaria, TB, pneumonia or another serious condition you would be taken to the ICU. The ICU looks very similar to the Nutrition Ward, except the beds have maybe a foot or two between them. What's different about the ICU is that the hospital doesn't even provide food for the patients. The pictures that follow were taken by TRS team members over the past year.

Please read the next post to find out what we are planning to do to help the families with children in this hospital. Doug and I are excited to be traveling to Sierra Leone with another couple at the end of March, and we'd love to invite you to be part of our journey!

Good Gifts

2011-02-22T10:41:00.000-08:00

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights,

who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

Have you ever had sick kids? I'm not talking about a little runny nose or pesky cough. I'm talking about an illness or condition severe enough to put them in the hospital.

Well, I hope you haven't, but I have. I've been with my own precious son in the hospital and I've sat with my younger brother MANY hours over the course of his life...not to mention various children of friends along the way. My son, Carter, has had two hospital stays of 2 or 3 days each. My brother, unfortunately, has spent more days in a hospital than I can count.

Children's Medical Center - Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children

Having sick kids is just so very stressful to the parents and to the whole family. We want to protect our kids, keep them safe at all times, shield them from the hurts of the world, from being sick and definately from anything that would be tragic or life threatening. Sometimes, though, we just can't help it. And it is so very hard. Hard to watch them cry. Hard to see their fevers spike as they lay limp and lethargic. Hard to hold them down while they are screaming in fear as blood is drawn or IVs are started. Being the mom of a sick child is so hard and it hurts.

St. Jude Research Hospital

Thank God, though, for the nurses who hold your hand and give you encouragement as you are trying to control the tears welling up in your eyes...and for the beautiful, clean facility that is just standing there waiting for you as you pull your vehicle into a parking garage because something about the looks of that building just make you feel a little more confident that things are going to be ok....and for the surgeon with years of experience and surgery room that is sparkling with clean medical equipment....for the cafeteria with a buffet of choices...for the playrooms, libraries and stacks of movies for entertainment to pass the long hours....for semi-private and private rooms....for donors who contribute to these organizations so that our children can benefit from everything that is available...and so much more.

Children's Hospital at University of Pittsburgh

You see, a hospital stay is extremely emotionally exhausting and difficult...no doubt about it. However, our sick children and their families have access to the best medical care in the world. This is a promotional video for the hospital where my brother was most recently.

If you don't want to watch the video, here's a short list of services offered in an extraordinary, beautifully designed and built facility. (If you watch the video, skip the bullets.)

Child Life Services that include: the ultimate playroom, library, educational materials, school room, social workers that will play and help your child deal with fear and anxiety caused from being away from home, teen lounge and access to a roof-top, outdoor garden complete with garden swings, walking paths, and even a pond with stepping stones you can walk across.
Ronald McDonald House for inpatient families that provides: a family room atmosphere decked out with beautiful leather furniture, a extra large flat screen tv, computer lab, kitchen where you can find free snacks and small meals, a refrigerator to store your food, coffee, tea, microwave, laundry rooms, showers, and a volunteer to answer any questions you might have or help you find other things you might need.
a beautiful cafeteria and atrium dining area...a full buffet of food choices from burgers & fries to roast beef & mashed potatoes, pizza, salad, sandwiches, fruit, soda and snacks. It's a mini-grocery store.
The Family Resource Center is a library of books and movies for your patient or waiting family to enjoy. There is free internet and computer access here, as well.
The Social Services Dept. is available to help your child deal emotionally with his/her hospital stay. They provide charts and materials to help your child create a schedule for each day, provide information about services offered in the community and make sure you are as comfortable and happy as possible during this difficult time.
Dining On Call offers room service for patients and parents. Three times each day, meals are delivered for the patient and a parent. A menu is provided and you get to choose whatever your rumbling tummy desires.
In Room "Fun"...a tv w/dvd and gaming. Plenty of satellite cartoon channels to choose from as well as age-appropriate closed circuit TV. You can bring movies from home or check them out at the Family Resource Center.
A chapel and chaplain to support and encourage
A gift shop
Beautiful artwork that adorns every wall and sculptures strategically placed for your enjoyment
A parking garage adjacent to the hospital with an enclosed bridge over the street that opens directly to the front desk, where you will receive your visitor's badge or admitting instructions.

It's a wonderful, incredible place that brings hope and encouragement to families during a very difficult time. There are so many more around the country that offer care at this level of service - and even beyond. The people who have spent hours to develop these programs, services, facilities and teams of doctors, nurses and staff are angels among us.

So..THANK YOU

Words aren't enough, but Thank You! Thank You, St. Louis Children's for being there for my friends and family when they needed you. Thank you for supporting and encouraging parents and putting smiles on children's faces even when they are hurting. Thank you, St. John's Hospital, for taking such good care of my own baby! Thank you for taking care of me while I was trying to take care of my son.

THANK YOU to all the thousands of people in this country to devote their lives to helping restore health to others, even while they sacrifice the time and attention their own families deserve and need from them.

And..Thank You, God, for putting me in this place and in this time where I have access to these wonderful blessings. Thank you for giving people the desire to study biology, the developments that have come from it and the knowledge and wisdom that years of study and practice bring. Thank you for providing the needed funding to build the facilities that are pictured in this blog and so many others like them. Every good gift is from You, and our access and level of health care is an incredible gift and blessing. Thank You. Amen

Here I am....Send Me!

2011-02-18T19:15:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 6:8 says....Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here I am, send me!"

It's kind of funny. Just a very few years ago after my second son, Carter, was born I was privileged to have a young lady live with us. She helped me with the house and with the boys while I ran a business and Doug worked. She felt very drawn into medical mission work at that time and was hoping to be a missionary some day. Specifically, she wanted to go to Africa. I thought she was nuts! I believe I even told her so. I think I vaguely remember telling her how crazy she was and that I would NEVER go to Africa. I should've known I would eat those words. LOL

So much has changed....mostly me and my heart, and I'm so thankful. My prayer for the past year and a half or so has been, "Here I am, send me!" I am so very honored that He has seen fit to send me right where I said I would never go....not once but TWICE..and hopefully more!

We are SO excited about another trip to Sierra Leone! Doug and I are going to go together this time, with another couple. We actually met Tiffany and Rich through their adoption blog and learned about Sierra Leone and The Raining Season from them. We have grown to be great friends and we are all so excited to be going back. Tiffany and Rich have both been once already. This will be Doug's first time, though, and I'm so excited to see how God is going to move his heart for His people there!

I'm SO excited to wrap my arms around these precious kiddos!

We'll be flying out on March 31st and returning April 9th. It was a little unexpected that we would be going so soon, but God completely made a way and worked out all the details. We are just thrilled!

Stay tuned, because we are working on putting together a project or two that you might be able to help out with, if you feel led to do so.

Oh...I forgot to address the question of whether or not we are bringing kids home in my last post. The honest truth is that I just don't know for certain. We have started the process of paperwork. Our homestudy is finished. Our hearts desire is that God would grow our family through an adoption from The Covering. The legal process in Sierra Leone is just not an easy one, though. No international adoption is easy, but there are many roadblocks in our way at this point. We are praying that God would move mountains in the government there and would open doors. God is in control, though. He is sovereign and His will in Sierra Leone and in our family will be done. We are just standing with our hands up saying, "Here we are. Send us!", and waiting to see where, exactly, that is.

He Funds What He Favors....

2011-02-18T18:16:00.000-08:00

AND HE FAVORS THE ORPHAN!

I know that since we've begun this journey to Africa and started the discussion and process of adoption, many have asked, "All this travel and international adoption is so expensive. Why would you want to do this? How can you do this? Are you going to bring kids home?" Well, my new answer is this (thanks to Suzanne)...He funds what He favors!

Since we have jumped into the mission field and adoption arena, I've seen it time and time again. When He calls you, He WILL provide. Story after story in family after family...all over the world. Miraculous things happen when you step out in faith. It's AMAZING! It's EXCITING! It's and ADVENTURE I want to be in the middle of!

He funds what he favors, and He favors the orphan. It's all over scripture. Here are just a few.

Hosea 14:3 "...In you, the orphan finds mercy."

Psalm 10:14 "...you have been the helper of the fatherless."

James 1:27 "Religion that is pure and faultless is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

Psalm 10:17-18 "O Lord, You hear the desire of the afflicted; You will strengthen their heart. You will incline you ear to do justice for the fatherless and the oppressed so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

Here is just one example...In a nutshell, it was Suzanne's birthday. Her BFF, Gwen, surprised her with this. She asked, in Suzanne's honor, for people to donate toward the adoption of a little girl. God is awesome! It's amazing to see Him work through people who are just willing to listen and follow. Incredible!

Carter's Birthday Book

2011-02-07T08:53:00.000-08:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Here's a recap of Carter's year. His 6th birthday was February 1st and I've been working on getting his book finished. I was hoping to have it here by his birthday, but no such luck.

Losing Our Lives

2010-12-20T22:28:00.000-08:00

I guess this is the time of year to look back and contemplate all that has happened over the past twelve months or so. As I logged in to the blog yesterday, for some reason I took an extra long look at the scripture I used as a reference on the header. As I took time to think about what that means to me, again, I couldn't help but take a look back over the last year or so.

Our journey this year is really difficult for me to even put into words. In our efforts to "lose our lives", we have found the greatest joy I could imagine. What started out more than a year and a half ago as what I thought would be a journey to adopting a baby has turned into something completely different and unexpected. I am in awe of God's hand in our lives and the way He has shown Himself faithful to us this year.

Widhalm Family Major Events in 2010 (in no particular order)

The Raining Season - About a year ago, we made this life changing discovery. We have been so very blessed by this organization and the children at The Covering.
Daniel Fast - I highly encourage you to pray about fasting - it changed our lives! I'm looking forward to another fast just after the first of the year. Check out the link for a great resource.
Mission trip to Sierra Leone - In 10 days, my perspective changed forever. Life will never be the same....thank the Lord.
Crazy Love by Franchis Chan
Radical by David Platt
Pagan Christianity by Barnes & Viola
The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns
A completed homestudy
An adoption law passed in Sierra Leone - Praying now for the ban to lift and for God to lead us in every step so that we fulfill His purpose for this family.
Garage sales & Craig's List postings galore- We have sold just about everything we can sell at this point. There are still a few things left in the kitchen I could probably get rid of, but that's about it. The next time we move, it's not going to take long because we don't have much stuff left! It's amazing how much better we feel and we don't even miss what's not here!
House For Sale - Even our house is for sale! Praying for God's will to be done.
Growing boys - The three greatest joys of life! They are growing and changing SO much and SO quickly! Praying that I will be a living example for them of the love of Christ being put into action. It's such a blessing to watch them learn who Jesus is and grow in their faith. Being their mom is the best thing that ever happened to me.
Family Worship - Family worship has changed this family from the inside out! I highly recommend Vodie Bauchum's book Family Driven Faith.
Liza had puppies - What an experience! We all loved them so much and we're so glad they all have wonderful homes.

Our lives look nothing like they did a year ago, and I'm so thankful. Oh, the house looks the same from the street, but everything on the inside of this family has changed. We have truly lost the lives we had just over a year ago, and found a new life full of amazing adventure.

When I really think about all that God has done, I am awestruck and speechless. It is nothing short of a miracle! It's an incredible place to be when you put yourself in a position to see Him moving mountains and performing miracles right before your eyes! I LOVE this life!

I wonder what He has in store for the next twelve months???? Can't wait to find out! For now, we are headed out to Bandera, TX, for the first family vacation we've had since Jackson was a baby. We are going to be at a dude ranch for a week - should be fun. I'll post pictures when we get back.

I hope you have a wonderfully blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

30 Days of Nothing: Update

2010-11-14T21:20:00.000-08:00

Just after the first of the month, we began a little project here in the Widhalm house to help us understand a few things about how it might feel to be among the world's poorest people. We've talked a lot about the fact that even though we are not rich by American standards, we are very rich compared to the world as a whole.

Honestly, it has been very hard to curtail our diet as much as I had planned or hoped. We visited my mom's house for about 3 days the first week, where we ate just like we always do at Nana's house. We've had company over for dinner, made a second trip back to Nana's and had an early Christmas celebration this weekend. So, in the area of food I have completely failed. This was not a good month for a huge change in our diet. I should've taken more time to plan before we dove in. Maybe next time.

We have accomplished a couple of the smaller projects I wanted to do. The first one was a laundry experiment. My boys routinely help with sorting dirty laundry and helping with the folding and putting away of clean clothes. However, after a short lesson and some research about what doing laundry looks like in the poorest of countries, we gave hand washing a try.

I ran some water in the bathtub and gave them each one pair of pants and one shirt to wash with a bar of soap. For the first little bit, they had fun and thought it was cool. That attitude didn't last too long, though. It was about 5 minutes or so before they started complaining of hurting hands and boredom. They kept scrubbing, though, until I thought they sort of had the idea. Then came the rinsing....which didn't bring nearly as much relief as they had hoped. It was quite a chore to get everything rinsed and rung out. Along the way, we talked about how many, many children do laundry all day instead of going to school so that they might earn enough money to help their family survive. Jackson did really ponder that for a while and seemed genuinely thankful that he didn't have to live that way.

Project number 2 was carrying water. We filled a 5 gallon bucket with water and explained how there are millions and millions of people who don't have a water source nearby and therefore are forced to carry water long distances for drinking, cooking and cleaning. Of course, with the bucket full neither of the boys could carry it. We emptied it out until Jackson could lift it and it was only about 1/3 full. We walked around our block having the boys take turns carrying. Jackson did fairly well but Carter really struggled. Half way around the block, Jackson was struggling, too, and our pace wasn't much faster than a snail's. We emptied out more water and by the time we finally made it back to the house, we had maybe 15-20% of a bucket. When I told Jackson he was going to have to make that trip another 8-10 times just so we could have water for the day, he nearly started to cry. Of course, we didn't make him but it was a good lesson, I think.

I took pictures that I hope to post soon. I'm having a little technical difficulty with my photo editing software.

I would like to get in another project or two before the month is over, but I'm honestly not sure it will happen. A few things have come up that we are having to deal with that are a little higher on the priority scale. If not this month, we'll pick it up again later.

The Essa's Story

2010-11-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

Well, there is SO much going on here at the Widhalm house that I have not had time to post this month like I had intended. My plan was to share stories of orphans and adoption throughout the month and the month is nearly half over already! Oh well...that's still half of the month left.

I've posted this picture before and have talked about these kiddos alot, but I couldn't help but put them first on my list because they are just so special to me.....meet Muhame, Mamie, Jinnah and Sao Essa. I am reposting their story from Save The Orphan. They are currently living at The Covering in Sierra Leone, West Africa.

This is their intake picture the day they were left at the center almost a year ago.

The Covering had the honor to welcome a sibling group with 4 adorable children. Our social worker in Sierra Leone shares their story...

"Jinah & Sao Essa are twins, they are the siblings of Mohamed who is 4yrs and Mamie who is 3yrs old. There are eight children in their family and they are from Tongoh Village were there was a large scale of mining that was going on before the war. You can still see tremendous poverty in the village.

The children's mother died during child bearing of the twins two months ago as medical facilities are not available in their village. Their mother sufferedexcessive bleeding as they were trying to go with her to the big town for proper medical care. Now the father is left with the eight children and unable to farm any more because he has to take care of the twins with nobody to help him.

Two of the oldest kids were brought to Freetownafter the funeral and as of now, TRS does not know if they will be going to school. TRS came in contact with a nurse at the hospital where another TRS child was being treated. Since this case was out of Freetown [235mile away from Freetown] TRS contacted one of the elders that confirm it to us that the kids need assistance. TRS paid for their transportation and they arrived safely where we rescued the children from the nurse who was the contact person. The birth father and one relative came with the twins and the other 2 children. When the father entered The Covering he said, "My children have a future now."
In Sierra Leone, over 2000 women die each year during child birth. That is the worst statistic in the world! Can you imagine if in South Carolina, a state the same size of Sierra Leone, were to loose over 2000 women during child birth in one year? The people of the United States would be outraged and change would be made.

I think of the father of these 8 children and my heart breaks as I try and put myself into his shoes. It is incomprehensible to me. I am so grateful that TRS is able to rescue these 4 children and follow up with the other 4 siblings. They are now covered with hope and love at The Covering and the joy we will gain from their presence will be a blessing to us all.

I can tell you that these children have surely been a blessing to The Covering and a blessing to our family as well! They are currently still in need of sponsors to help ensure that there are enough staff at the center to care for them and that there is enough quality food to keep them healthy. Please leave me a comment or send an email if you are interested in helping us out.

A Bushel And A Peck

2010-11-04T20:21:00.000-07:00

A Bushel And A Peck has become one of my favorite blogs to follow. Lisa and her family are just amazing! She writes about her interacial family life with eleven kiddos - 3 adopted from Ethiopia. If you are considering adoption or interested in large families, I encourage you to hop over there and check out even just a fraction of the tremendous information she has in HIV+ orphans, reactive attachment disorder (RAD) and just the everyday occurences when you are raising children from hard places. With her permission, I'm re-posting one of her posts along with a video of her own adoptions. I chose one of her archived posts about HIV+ orphans, which is something I had not even considered when our process of research began. This post also has great info about what you can do to help, even if you aren't interested in adopting. I hope you'll be blessed and inspired!

WORLD AIDS DAY: 5 THINGS YOU CAN DO posted Friday, November 20, 2009

December 1st is World AIDS Day. My life has been turned upside down by AIDS and its devastating effects. In Ethiopia, I doubt there is a single person who is completely unaffected by HIV/AIDS. So often I am overwhelmed by this desperate crisis in our world and I wonder what on earth I can do? But here is the secret. Each one of us can make a difference – we can reach out and care about somebody whose life has been touched by HIV/AIDS.

Five Things You Can Do

1. Read: If you only have time to read one book, I recommend There Is No Me Without You: One Woman’s Odyssey to Rescue Her Country’s Children. Written by Melissa Fay Greene, an adoptive mother, the book tells the story of one Ethiopian woman who responded to the AIDS orphan crisis with practical compassion. It is a compelling and interesting read.

If you have time for two books, get 28: Stories of AIDS in Africa by Stephanie Nolen. My exposure to AIDS in Africa had been limited primarily to Ethiopia, but this book broadened my education by featuring a short story about twenty-eight different people across the continent and how AIDS has affected them. 28 will give you a quick education about HIV/AIDS in a captivating style.

A reader also recommended the book, Scared: A Novel on the Edge of the World, about orphans and AIDS in Swaziland. I have not read it yet, but after reading the reviews, I just added it to my Amazon cart.

2. Sponsor: For as little as $10.00 a month, you can provide care for an HIV+ orphan. ThroughCircle Embrace, a sponsorship program recently launched by From HIV to Home, you can join with others to create a Circle of sponsors for a child living with HIV/AIDS. Consider giving holiday gifts with a purpose by creating your own Circle. It is easy and only a click away.

3. Care: At the end of 2007, there were 11.7 million AIDS orphans in Africa alone. These are actual children, not just numbers. If the AIDS crisis seems remote to you, take a few moments to watchthis video of the children of AHOPE. If you want to get even more personal, watch my family’s videoof our Ethiopian adoption.

4. Shop with a purpose. The holidays will be here soon; this year purchase gifts that will benefit children with HIV/AIDS. In honor of World AIDS Day, From HIV to Home has a wonderful new necklace available. Make a donation of $50 or more and we will send one to you. I love the concept of embracing those with HIV/AIDS and the necklace looks great. All proceeds from this necklace go directly to the Circle Embrace Child Sponsorship Program.

Shop at the AHOPE Store which has everything from clothing and jewelry to aluminum water bottles.

I know both of these organizations personally, having previously volunteered for AHOPE, and currently working with From HIV to Home, and can confidently say that your donation will be put to good use.

World Vision is also an excellent organization offering gift-giving opportunities. You can give a gift to a child in the developing world in honor of your friend or family member. The options are endless, from two chickens ($25.00) to a sheep ($105.00).

5. Adopt: Consider adopting an HIV+ child. It isn’t as complicated as you might think. The last three years have seen an explosion in the number of families adopting HIV+ children. When we began the process, a handful of HIV+ children had been adopted from AHOPE, our daughters’ orphanage. Now, the children are finding families very quickly. For more information on HIV+ adoption, contact Adoption Advocates International.

Don’t wait until December 1st to wear a red ribbon. Do something today and when World AIDS Day arrives, you will be ready to tell somebody else what it is all about.

~Lisa

30 Days of Nothing

2010-11-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

As part of what we are doing in honor of National Adoption Month, the Widhalm family is going to observe 21 Days of Nothing. It started out to be 30, but considering that November is Thanksgiving and my children are still very young, we are going to start out with just three weeks instead of four. I considered that maybe we should wait for a month that isn't as busy, but I dont' think those exist. There is always something going on. Leading up to Thanksgiving and the Christmas holiday will be a good thing and I wanted to do it before the beginning of the year so that we might have some renewed focus. So, we are going to go ahead and do the best we can this month.

Here's what our plan is.....

In order to have a greater understanding (sort of..as best we can) of what types of things the very poorest people of the world and orphans in Africa might have to deal with, we are going to live as simply as possible from now up to Thanksgiving Day. This actually means we will have only 24 Days of Nothing.

Our meal plan will be very basic and repetitive. Very little meat, if any, will be included. Potatoes will be a staple and we will use mostly eggs for protein. We will not be driving thru or eating out at restaurants, with the exception of one meal that is an early Christmas celebration for extended family and is already planned and can't be moved. If there are any dessert type items, they will be homemade with what I already have on hand. No purchases like chocolate chips at the grocery store are allowed. Extra material things will have to wait or not be purchased at all. No books, toys, candy, new clothes, awards or surprises for any of us. We will choose two or three different outfits to wear for the duration of our experiment. All medical/dental appointments will be rescheduled if possible. Generally speaking, we are going to do without providing our "wants" and just take care of our "needs".

Once or twice each week, hopefully on Saturdays while Doug is home, we will do one or two special projects. We will....

Spend at least one day using no electricity.
Wash at least one load of clothing by hand in the bathtub.
Carry water from a neighbor's house down the street to use for one day.
Sleep at least one night on the floor in our clothes with no pillows or blankets.
One day we will eat only one meal.

I know that these adjustments we are making are still not even close to being reality for what the poorest people in our world have to live with. Hopefully, though, it will give us a renewed sense of blessing and appreciation for the great abundance we've been given and a stronger passion to serve the poor both locally and around the world.

I will blog about our experiences at least weekly, but I am going to restrict my computer usage as well. I am going to be posting or having guest posts to tell the individual stories of children waiting to be adopted or sponsored, as well as adoptive and foster families as often as possible throughout the month.

Throughout the month, we will be doing our family worship and Bible study around how we can serve the poor, the widow and the orphan. We'll also be in prayer for those groups of people as well. If we can pray for you, please leave a comment and let us know. We'd be honored to serve you and your family by lifting your needs in prayer!

National Adoption Awareness Month

2010-10-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

Why Love Orphans? from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

November is National Adoption Awareness Month and next Sunday has been deemed Orphan Sunday. I've been contemplating for a while now, just what exactly we could do in honor of this. I think I've come up with a few things. First, I want to share a list of resources I have become of aware of through our own research that might help you if you are contemplating adoption or if you are just in the beginning stages. Second, I want to share some great opportunities that are available to you as a way for you to reach out to orphaned children all over the world even if you are not interested in adopting. I am also going to share my journey through '30 Days of Nothing'.

The first couple of items are pretty easy.....just providing a list of links and some explanations for your perusal. The third, 30 Days of Nothing, is a challenge we are taking on so that we might possibly have even a little smidge of understanding (although it really isn't possible, I know) about how 95% of the world lives....many of whom are orphans. I think we will learn more about God and about ourselves through what will most definately be a huge challenge for us. Please keep us in your prayers. I'm sure we'll need them.

https://www.adoptioncouncil.org - National Council for Adoption

http://www.nationaladoptionawarenessmonth.com - National Adoption Month website

Prayers of Blessings

2010-10-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

We've realized lately that we are battling powers and principalities in a very real way and I've been feeling like we should be more diligent about praying God's blessings from scripture over the boys daily. These are two that I love.

Psalm 20
The blessing of the Lord be upon you, ____.
We bless you in the name of the Lord!
May the Lord answer you when you are in trouble.
May the name of our God protect you (v.1).
May the Lord Himself send you help from His people, and His angels;
May He rescue you by His limitless power (v. 2).
May He remember the prayer you've said and the promises you've made.
May He accept your love and your sacrifices (v. 3).
______, may the Lord give you the desires of your heart, and make all your plans succeed (v.4).
We will shout for joy when you are victorious!
We lift up our banner in the name of our God (vs. 5)!
Because it is in Jesus' name that we bless you.
Amen.

Numbers 6:24-26
The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.

Leave A Legacy

2010-10-29T10:15:00.000-07:00

This an older song I'm sure you've all heard, but it continues to be an inspiration and reminder to me of where my priorities are on a daily basis. What kind of legacy am I leaving for my sons? How do I speak to them...react to their mistakes.....encourage and build them up.....teach them the ways of the Lord? How do they view the decisions our family makes or how we spend our time? The list goes on. EVERYTHING we do, even the mundane tasks of motherhood like laundry and dishes, I need to do for the glory of God and so that my sons see a living example of what their heart and attitudes need to be. I want to leave a legacy of love and servanthood. Hope you enjoy.

Mission Trip Giveaway!

2010-10-25T06:44:00.000-07:00

Kari Gibson over at My Crazy Adoption is giving away not one, but TWO, mission trips to Ethiopia in February, 2011. If you've never been on a mission trip but have been wanting to go, now is your chance to take advantage of a great opportunity!

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know what a tremendous impact my first mission trip to Sierra Leone had on my life and the life of my husband and children. God is still working in me through that experience to strengthen my faith and learn to reach out to others in need - both in Africa and right here at home. What started out as a big heart for Africa and its beautiful people has grown into a big heart for children and the homeless right here in Greene County, MO. Doug and I are growing and changing daily, it seems, and it is such an exciting adventure to be on!

Kari's blog is all about being an adoptive mom, ministering to those in poverty and encouraging others on a daily basis. I have truly enjoyed following and have been blessed by all she pours into her bloggy ministry. I hope you check it out and be blessed!

Our "American Dream" is Gone

2010-10-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking lately about our journey over the last couple of years. We have had quite the transformation in our lives from being focused on achieving that perfect family, the right job, a great home...all the things that are part of the "American Dream" we grew up thinking is what we need to be striving for. It started with learning about a family friend who was adopting two young boys from Ethiopia, which led to a ton of research. I spent countless hours and sometimes didn't sleep the entire night while I was scouring the internet and reading books about world hunger, child trafficking and how even though I don't feel like it, I am in the most wealthy 5% of the human race.

Over the course of several months...now over a year...God brought us to a place of praying that He would break our hearts for what breaks His and recommitting our lives to Christ, where ever that may lead us. The American Dream for us is gone....and we are truly glad that it is.

Today, we are still at the place of surrender, but not yet knowing exactly where God will take us or what He has for us. Our prayer now is, "Here we are...send us". I'll not lie and tell you that it's a really comfortable place to be. It's filled with unknown factors and being completely dependent on God....it's not easy. Still, it is also filled with the most peace and contentment we have ever known.

So....our journey to this place has not happened over the course of a day or even a week or a month. It has taken time and sometimes I forget. When I get frustrated because there are so many around me who don't understand my heart and seem to be very complacent about all these issues that have become so dear to us, I need to remember where I started.

I do believe that part of what He has called us to is to raise awareness, educate and help people understand the need and find a place to serve. Proverbs 24:11-12 have become one of my life verses. It says this...

   Don't hesitate to step in and help.
If you say, "Hey, that's none of my business,"
   will that get you off the hook?
Someone is watching you closely, you know—
   Someone not impressed with weak excuses. (The Message)

You will not be held accountable for what you do not know. To hide in that fact, though, is cowardice and not the way of truth. I do know...and I will be held responsible for my reaction to that knowledge.

With an assumption that those who may read the next few posts may not know some of what I've learned over the past year, I am going to share it with you. Then, assuming you may feel led to do something or get involved but don't know where or how, I'm going to give you a few places you can start.

If you are already involved in serving those less fortunate than yourself, I'd love for you to comment and share how. It may be just what someone else needs to get started.

Crazy Love....what is it??

2010-10-17T20:17:00.000-07:00

I've been reading a lot over the past several months. There are a handful of books that have truly been life changing, and one of them is Crazy Love by Francis Chan. The others on my recent reading list have been: Radical by David Platt, Pagan Christianity by Barna & Viola, Family Driven Faith by Voddie Bauchum, and The Hole In Our Gospel by Richard Stearns, as well as The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog by Dr. Bruce Perry. They have all been great books that I have gleaned information and learned from in different ways.

Tonight, during a discussion about Chan's book, the main theme of the book (our love for God) came into question. How do we love God? If you aren't a very emotional type person and don't **feel** an overwhelming love for God, how do you explain it? If you don't feel that way, does that mean you don't love Him? If we don't feel like we love Him enough, how can we love Him more? How do you make your love for God grow??

Tough questions...

After the discussion, I was catching up on my blog reading and came across this video. It made me think about the questions of the discussion in a different light. The video is actually a commentary about loving adopted kids with attachment disorders, but I think it could be applied in a variety, maybe all. situations and relationships. What if we loved like the video is describing? Loved God that way....loved our spouses and kids (adopted or not) that way...our extended family...our friends and acquaintances? What if we loved people, in general, this way...regardless of who they are or where they lived or what their life circumstances are?

Ouch. I fail miserably at loving anybody like this...even my own sons whom I adore and would die for. Love is not rude...not touchy...not irritable...not jealous....not selfish or prideful.... If true love is really what 1 Corinthians 13 describes (and I believe that it is), then I am in need of a lot of forgiveness, grace and a lot of improvement.

It's a lofty goal, but I'm going to try. Love.....Crazy Love....the 1 Corinthians kind.

Now That You Have Seen...You Are Responsible...

2010-10-13T20:34:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 24:11-12
..".once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."

There are some songs that ring in my soul when I hear them and never stray too far away from my mind. I may not be thinking of them, but the words are buried in there to stay. When the tune pops up, I start singing without consciously knowing what comes next...but the words come without having to process the lyrics at all.

This song has been one of those in my life over the past year. Even more so, since I was at The Covering holding those precious children. The chorus echos in my mind almost daily.....

"Albertine" by Brooke Fraser
I am sitting still
I think of Angelique
her mothers voice over me
And the bullets in the wall where it fell silent
And on a thousandth hill, I think of Albertine
there in her eyes what I don't see with my own
rwanda

[CHORUS]
now that I have seen, I am responsible
Faith without deeds is dead
now that I have held you in my own arms, I cannot let go till you are

I am on a plane across a distant sea
But I carry you in me
and the dust on, the dust on, the dust on my feet
Rwanda

[CHORUS]

[BRIGDE]
I will tell the world, I will tell them where I've been
I will keep my word
I will tell them Albertine

[CHORUS]

I am on a stage, a thousand eyes on me
I will tell them, Albertine
I will tell them, Albertine

God continues to move and work in our lives. Many decisions are in the process of being made. Some within our control and some are not. We are praying that God's will be done in our lives so that we can serve more efficiently and effectively.

There are many possibilities of ministry turning in my head, and I am waiting on the Lord to provide the opportunity to walk through an open door. I know, though, that I am responsible and I will no longer live a life of dead faith, without serving those who are the most vulnerable.

Homeschool Lessons

2010-10-10T20:31:00.000-07:00

I don't often post about our homeschooling, although I am thinking that I will try to make it more of a habit. Most of you are aware that we homeschool. Some of you are thrilled....some of you are not so thrilled. I understand. It's ok.

I think there are still a lot of preconceived ideas about what homeschooling really is and is not. The unknown is always a little scary and sometimes brings anxiety, especially when it involves people you love. So, I think I'm going to start sharing some of our homeschooling lives here with you. It will serve more than one purpose, I hope. Hopefully, anyone reading will enjoy and learn from it...and I'm hoping it may also be a learning experience for the boys, especially Jackson.

Today, I thought I'd post a few lessons we've learned from and about homeschooling.

I didn't know my boys nearly as well as I thought. Becoming their primary teacher has given me a much better understanding of not only what they can accomplish academically, but also about how they feel about things and how they feel about themselves. We have time to talk now...about all sorts of things. Not only am I present for lessons, I am also present as they are forming friendships and interacting with others. Because I'm aware of what is going on, I am more able to help them if they need me. Even though 2 years ago, I was teaching just down the hallway from Jackson's 1st grade classroom, I'm ashamed to say that I was too busy with my job and our busy lifestyle to be able to keep up with his class, too.

Because we have the opportunity to do formal lessons year round and 24/7, we can enjoy taking the opportunity to participate in fun activities most anytime we want. We can participate during the daytime in programs with the conservation dept, the park board, community theater, art museum, etc....or just enjoy the sunshine on a fall day instead of being cooped up inside. Schooling year round also alleviates the "summer lag" felt by lots of kids with a traditional school year.

I am no longer concerned (if I ever was) that socializing these kiddos is a problem. These boys are involved with one activity or another every day of the week. They can recruit playmates anywhere they are at, and it doesn't matter their age. I love that Jackson is considerate of younger kids and he doesn't think twice about asking an older boy to play, either. He's comfortable and happy to be with anyone - not just 3rd graders. Carter is coming right along, too...and he has a great role model in his older brother.

I love that our family is a stronger unit because we homeschool. I'm not saying that you have to homeschool to have a strong family, please don't misunderstand. I am saying, however, that for us....we function better as a family now than when we were so busy trying to keep up the pace of school, work, sports, church, etc. There was a lot of stress associated with that busy schedule that we just don't have anymore. Instead, we have time to focus on each other and take care of each other. When we are all fed and happy - academic achievement is a much easier task to accomplish.

The school bus comes early. We are glad nobody has to be on it. Instead, we are sitting together at the table enjoying a good breakfast together. Only two mornings a week, we have to be somewhere by 9:00.

Doing math in your pajamas doesn't change the fact that you are still doing math. :) It doesn't happen real often, but it does happen. It doesn't make one bit of difference.

The newest "thing" in education (or anything for that matter) isn't always the best thing. The one room schoolhouse was pretty efficient in many ways and there are many famous and very successful people in our country's history that were schooled at home. My 3 year old is sitting at the table with us when he wants to and you would be amazed at what is learning! Jackson LOVES being able to teach his brothers, which is the highest form of learning he can participate in. Carter gets the best of both worlds...teaching Harrison and soaking up great information with Jackson.

I'd rather my kids produce a small amount of work that has little to no errors than stack of papers filled with inaccuracies. We are taking a very different approach to language arts than our public school counterparts. Traditional - classical - old fashioned. That's us. We like it that way.

I'll be posting about our schedule, our curriculum, and hopefully I'll convince Jackson to post a thing or two, as well. If you have any questions - feel free to ask!

Help Bring Kevin Home!

2010-10-08T20:45:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine, Tiffany Johnson, is working to bring home a beautiful son from Sierra Leone. She is having a FaceBook blitz today by asking people to donate as little as $10 or $15 and/or by posting the following as their FB status for the next 24 hours.
You can just copy and paste this line into your FB status....easy!

BRING KEVIN HOME http://www.giveforward.com/bring-home-kevin

You can donate by clicking on the link. Anything helps!

James 1:27 says that true religion is caring for the orphan and the widow. I know that not everyone feels "called" to adopt children into their family. However, I DO believe that we ALL have been called to be the hands and feet of Jesus to these children who are helpless and alone. If you don't feel led to adopt, then there is really no excuse for not reaching out to these children in some way. There are many, many ways to help and supporting people who are trying to adopt is one of them.

You have an opportunity to be a part of providing a precious little boy a loving forever family....please pray about it and then do what you believe God is leading you to do.

‎"...once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."
Proverbs 24:12

All About Him

2010-09-16T19:33:00.000-07:00

This was posted by Amy at Building The Blocks. It was so encouraging to me, that I thought you might like it, too.

All about Him

When it's all about Him and not about me- I can live on little and give much.

When it's all about Him and not about me- I can adopt many and love more.

When it's all about Him and not about me- I can care less about pleasing others and care much about pleasing Him.

When it's all about Him and not about me- I can love without expecting to be loved back.

When it's all about Him and not about me- I can open my home and my heart regardless of our differences.
When it's all about Him and not about me- I can let go of my plans- knowing His are always better.

When it's all about Him and not about me- I care less about how my hair looks and care lots about how my heart looks.

When it's all about Him and not about me- I can have peace during the unknowns- trusting He does know.

When it's all about Him and not about me- I worry less about the risk and more about just surrendering.

When it's all about Him and not about me- I allow myself to be vulnerable, knowing my experiences can help someone else.

When it's all about Him and not about me- I can be content in my circumstances knowing Heallowed them to be.

When it's all about Him and not about me- I can be assured success- regardless of the outcome.
He must become greater; I must become less. John 3:30

Happy Birthday, Harrison!!!

2010-09-05T22:32:00.000-07:00

My baby turned 3 today. He had a great day, complete with Nana and the Papas, a few good friends, lots of Thomas the Tank Engine gifts and even a swim. He was just thrilled. For more than a week now, he's been blurting out, "My durday comin' up!" or he's ask, "My durday comin' up?" and when you would say, "Yes!" he lit up like a Christmas tree and would dance around singing, "Oh ye-ah...Oh ye-ah!"

He really is a big boy now, and has changed so much even in the last few months. From potty training to sleeping in his own bed (with his brothers, of course) to DIVING into the pool just like the big boys....he is one step behind them but follows their every move. He absolutely adores Jackson and Carter, and let me warn you that you should not even think about getting rough with them. Harrison has their back already!

I just love this age SO very much, and I have to admit that I'm a little sad that it is slipping by so quickly. I know all to well that before I know it, he will be riding a big boy bike and going to sleepovers. Tonight, I just want to make time stop for a while so I can hold all three of them just a little longer. I can't, though, so instead I am going to try to purpose every day to treasure every moment - even the hard ones. They are all three the greatest joys of my life...incredible blessings that I can't imagine being without.

Sometimes this homeschooling lifestyle seems overwhelming and I think that maybe it's time for them to go to school now...mostly for my own benefit. In many ways, it would be easier for me to send them. Days like today make me remember that I don't want to miss anything - and I certainly don't want to hand them over to a stranger for 8 hours everyday. These are MY blessings....and I want to be the one with the memories of "the lightbulb going off" when they realize they can read or multiply. I went to college, spent lots of time and money to be able to have that experience with kids....I sure don't want to miss it with my own.

Harrison is already counting and identifying some letters. It's amazing to see him soak everything up as he sits at the table with us while I'm teaching the big boys. I'm anxious to watch him learn and grow and see all that God has in store for him.

Here are a few (several, actually) of my favorite pictures of my littlest man....

The last picture of me pre-Harrison. L&D couldn't have been easier. If you have

horror stories about child birth - you probably don't want to hear mine.

Jackson (5) and Carter (2 1/2) getting their first glimpse of baby brother.

And here he is....Harrison Lynn Widhalm

Loved by all, but especially Nana.

6 weeks, taken by Brandi Trosclair, of Lifes Portraits

Tribute to the binky!

Big brothers are special!

"Did I tell you that I LOVE my big brother?"

"Cheese!"

Love that face!

Silver Dollar City

"I'm 2 now!"

Such a big helper!

"I just LOVE these guys!"

The cutest karate kid ever!

"I HATE my new sweater and I DON'T want to be here!

My mom made me do this....DON'T mess with me!"

"What!? It's Carter's birthday and I don't get to blow out the candles??"

Three-wheelin' in the snow!

Waiting patiently to color Easter eggs.

My budding scientist

The ornery eyes...

"If Jackson's on the team, you get me, too."

It must be cool if Carter's doin' it!

"I love me some dirt!"

"It's so hard to be a fan of all these ball players.

At least the fans get to share the snacks after the game!"

Carter, Carter, Carter...

2010-09-04T20:39:00.000-07:00

Oh boy - You are gonna LOVE this! I'm not sure what it is about this kiddo, but he sure is somethin' else. He's generally smiling, with the twinkliest blue eyes I've ever seen and doing something ALL the time to make someone laugh. I think he's the one that brings the life to this house. Not that everyone else is completely boring....but Carter definately keeps us on our toes. Here's the latest....

History: We've never had a cat. My sister used to have two and Carter was deathly afraid of them for a while. She's down to one now, that is friendly and Carter and Jackson have fallen in love. They've decided that we can give up the last puppy (which we were going to keep for ourselves) if we can have a cat instead. Of course, the Dad of the house is completely against any such crazy thing. Oh...the puppy is leaving, that's ok with him. The cat idea, though, that's a "no-go". This cat idea has been rolling around in his head for the last week or so - since we spent a couple of days at my sister's house.

A Couple Days Ago: Jackson and Carter are returning a dog to a neighbor's house. I go out to see if they are on their way home, and Jackson is carrying an orange and white striped cat back with him. He's nearly skipping, he's so happy and just thrilled with himself that he's rescued an orphan that needs a home. It was a stray he picked up along the way and decided this would be the cat they would keep in lieu of the puppy. Jackson carried it in the house, and Doug required its immediate removal. I tried to tell them that their Dad wasn't going to be happy..but ya know, they had to see for themselves.

Last Night (Friday): The kids and I arrive home around 8:30 from Silver Dollar City. The striped cat was in our garage. Of course, this meant that the cat must already love us and want to stay here. Again, Doug required the removal of said cat. The boys were not happy, but distracted by the fact that they were spending the night with a friend. We got packed and headed to the sleepover.

This Afternoon - 4:00 ish: Doug, Harrison and I drive into the garage from running errands. As I'm walking through the garage, I hear a cat meowing....not a happy meow, either. Following the sound, I head over to the corner where there is a stack of coolers. I figure the cat must be stuck behind there or something and can't get out. I see no cat, but still hear it and look down to find a cooler upside down. Apparently, the cat is inside. Hmmm....interesting. Well, as you might guess the cat found inside that cooler did, indeed, have orange and white stripes. Doug came to help and I asked him if he thought the boys would've put that cat in there. "No. They wouldn't have done that. The cat was probably just jumping around and tipped it over and got stuck.", he says. I figured he was probably right. The boys really liked that cat and I know they wouldn't have hurt it. I was just glad the boys weren't here to see it in our garage again.

This Evening - 7:30 ish: The whole family arrives home from the sleepover and doing some birthday shopping. We unload the van and Carter follows me inside to the kitchen. "Have you seen the big, blue cooler?", he asks.
I raise my eyebrows, try to hide the grin creeping over my face and ask, "What? The blue cooler?"

"Yeah, you know...the big blue one. Do you know where it is? I need it." He's completely innocent looking and isn't showing any signs of distress at all.

"Nope. I haven't seen it. Why are you so interested in it, Carter?"

"Oh, nothing really. I just like the color. Blue's my favorite." He's starting to get a little animated now..flipping his hands up like 'whatever'. "Oh, nevermind. I don't really need it.", as he walks out the back door to the garage and starts looking. Doug had hosed it out and set it in the front yard to dry. Carter couldn't see it from where he was standing. He's looking, but trying to be nonchalant about it.

"Really? Well, you sure seemed interested."

Now, really throwing both hands up, starting to grin and flash the eyes he says, "Oh, I don't need it all. Just forget about it. It's nothin'." He walks to the back of the van and out into the driveway and I follow him and point out that the cooler is right there in the yard. He flashes his eyes me and walks toward it, bends over to get a good look and then stands straight up and says, "Well, where'd that orange cat go?!" He's grinning and so nervous that he starts to snicker but tries not to.

"Carter, did you put that cat in that cooler?"

Without hesitating for even a second, he covers his mouth with both hands, starts to giggle and says, "Yeah, I did. But where'd it go?" I told him I didn't know and that he had done something really mean to that poor kitty, since it couldn't breathe inside that cooler. He stood straight up, got really serious and asked if it was dead. When I explain that it wasn't, he relaxed and got the grin back. He threw his arms around again and said, "Well, you never told me that before! I didn't know he wouldn't be ok with the lid shut!"

I asked him if he had put that cat in there all by himself or if Jackson helped him and he stood up, smiled a big, happy smile and said, "Nope! I did it AAALL by myself!" Honest to goodness, he was truly proud of himself and didn't even consider that he might not be in as much trouble if Jackson took part of the blame.

I wish I'd had my camera - the look on his face was priceless. You gotta love him! Well...I'm sure the cat doesn't, but I sure do!

I'm Missing Africa!

2010-08-20T22:31:00.000-07:00

I miss the sound of this little drum playing!

I'm so excited for my friend, Tiffany, and her husband, Rich. He is headed to Sierra Leone in just a couple of weeks to spend some time helping at The Covering. I can't wait to hear all about his trip! How the kids are doing now...what's going on...what the new buildings are like....and, of course, to see pictures of everyone! I SO wish I could go, too!

God is amazing, though, and as I look back on my own experience in Sierra Leone and the emotional journey it's been since I've been home, I think I'm finally beginning to be able to relax again, rest and be content in knowing that I am right where God wants me to be. Home. With my family. Being a mom to the three wonderful blessings He has given me already.

My three blessings with their Papa Rod.

It's really taken a while for me to get here. I can't believe what just one week in a world so different from my own can do to a girl. We left on May 17th and returned on the 27th. It's taken almost three months for me to feel somewhat "normal" again in my own home.

Don't get me wrong - nothing will ever be the same...the "normal" I once knew is gone forever. I'm in love with Africa and, in particular, a group of 80+ kids that live at a place called The Covering. Four of those children, the ones we sponsor, I feel a particular responsibility for. We will always be a part of their lives. I'm looking forward to watching them grow and change and getting to know them - even if it has to be from across the ocean.

"Our" kiddos in Africa - Mamie & Muhamed

And the twins, Geraldine & Gerald

Until now, though, I've been restless and a little out of sorts about what it is I am supposed to do with this new love of mine. I still don't know all that we will do, honestly, but the uneasiness isn't as prevailing anymore.

God sure has opened our eyes in the past several months. I'm so very thankful and will be forever grateful. It has changed everything about us. The way we look at the world. Our own lives. The inconveniences we face occasionally. The way we parent. The way we shop. The way we eat. Everything.

I do know that mission work will forever be a part of our lives now. Our sons will participate as they are old enough. They will grow up seeing and knowing about the poverty in the world and how it affects so many. I pray that God will shape their hearts and help them to be compassionate to all people and willing to make sacrifices for others.

I do miss it, and I'm looking forward to going back again. Hopefully soon. We are hoping to be able to travel back together in February. We are praying about it and are waiting patiently to see what God has in in store. Whatever it is, it will be for His glory and I'll be excited to play my part.

Kids waving to us at Grafton Refugee Camp.

2010-08-20T21:50:00.000-07:00

It's been a very interesting week... Decisions made, others being pondered and prayed over and lots of great things to look forward to!

Summer is almost over, and the back-to-school pictures of kids with new clothes & backpacks are being posted like crazy on Facebook. The big yellow bus will be rolling through our neighborhood next week for the first time this school year. And even though my boys won't be getting on that bus, it does bring back the long lost routine that I've been missing these past couple of weeks. Our new schedule, which includes school time for Jackson and Carter as well as "Tot School" for Harrison is on the fridge. I've still got to get our other organization tools done next, primarily chore and incentive charts in the works. Starting Monday, it is Back-To-School at "Widhalm Academy" and I'm really looking forward to it! Our new school room isn't quite going to be finished, but we'll make do with what we have until the contractor is back to finish up the basement floor and we can move everything else in and get settled.

The walls are painted and furniture moved it, but that's about it so far.

Still need to get the dry erase board and wall decor hung. The closet

is going to serve as storage for teacher references and a cozy place to read.

The floor is going to be stained shortly. We'll add a few other things after that.

We considered putting the boys in public school this year. After lots of prayer and discussion, we just didn't feel peaceful about going that direction right now. I'm so thankful that as parents we have the freedom to choose what is best for our kids and our families.

2010-08-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted, not because there's nothing going on. Ha! I can't imagine that every being the case in this household! In fact, there has been a lot going on both here with our family, with our friends, and in Sierra Leone, too!

Here are a few updates....

The Widhalms
We are doing well. The biggest news in our house today is that Harrison has started pee peeing in the potty! We (mostly I) am SO excited!! He is such a big boy and he LOVES doing things that his big brothers do, but I was beginning to wonder if he was ever going to realize that his big brothers don't wear diapers!

As of today, the puppies have all found wonderful homes. We did have one placement that didn't work out, but I'm so happy that she is going to live with my BFF in West Plains! I couldn't be happier. Buster is staying here with us and the boys are loving it. It was a little hard for them to see all the others go, but they did a great job.

Our house is on the market. We are hoping to sell the house and possibly find something a little further out of town with a few acres for the boys to run around on. We'll see, though, what God has in store.

I'm heading to my first appointment today with a holistic nutritionist. I'm really excited to see what he has to say and I'll tell you all about it. A few of my friends have been seeing him and have had great results and learned a lot about how to manage their bodies holistically. We've been so busy, that we've been eating out WAY more than we should, which has put our traditional eating habits to the wayside. I think today's appointment will help get us back on track.

Doug and I have decided to make a trip back to Sierra Leone in February. By then, the kids at The Covering will be in a new building and we'll be helping to make improvements to that facility as well as helping with the construction of a new soccer field. I will be announcing our next project soon related to the trip.....so stay tuned! I'm really excited about it and I think you will be, too! You won't want to miss it!

Friends
My best friend, Tracy's, son got married a couple weeks ago. I just can't believe it!! How did this happen? He's not my son, but Tracy and I are like sisters. We've been best friends since kindergarten and her family is like my own. Seeing Brett get married was just CRAZY! I had the strangest mix of emotions....I feel like it was a milestone in my life even though he's not mine. I am very happy for Brett and Katie, though. They are sweet "kids" and excited about their new life together.

Another friend of mine and her husband got back from a trip to Zambia last week. We went to West Plains last Sunday to hear all about it. God is SO awesome! They had an amazing journey and were able to make a lot of progress in the acquisition of a piece of land and finding a building to be used for a Christian school and feeding program there. They were even able to share the gospel in a village that had NEVER heard about Jesus before! Their hearts and lives are changed forever......and that's a good thing! It will be exciting to see how God works through them in Zambia!

Sierra Leone
A lot has happened in SL and with "our" kids at The Covering in the last few days.

A lease has been signed for a new building for the kids to move into, which is desperately needed. Funds are being raised now to take care of the year-long commitment. They now have about 85 kiddos there, which is a handful more than when we were there in May. All those kids living on 2 floors with 2 bathrooms and 2 schoolrooms. You can imagine how crowded and hard that would be! They really NEED that new building! If you'd like to partner with The Raining Season in being able to help, let me know or visit their website.

Gerald and Geraldine, the twins, have both been moved from the hospital back to The Covering. They have gained weight and are doing much better. Please continue to pray with me that their recovery continues!

Like I said above, Doug & I will be returning to SL in February to help with projects around the center and to love on some sweet kiddos! I'm excited to them all again! Please pray that we are able to secure babysitters, funds and supplies to take with us!

What An Inspiration!

2010-07-29T20:59:00.000-07:00

I'm reposting this from Building The Blocks. It was so great, I had to share. Addisyn is just 14 and has a heart for God..and for orphans. It's so important that my sons see Doug & I living out our faith, so that they'll be able to live out theirs. Hope you enjoy and are inspired to reach out to someone who needs you. Jodi

Kids helping kids in Ethiopia

Have you ever had a time in your life when you knew you had reached a turning point? Where you knew things were going to be different- that YOU were going to be different. That is what happened to me when I was 9 years old.

My name is Addisyn and I am about to turn 15 years old. This is my moms blog but she asked me to share part of my story with you.

When I was 9 years old we adopted my sister, Aleigha, from Guatemala. My parents had asked my brothers and I how we felt about adopting a baby and we were all on board. What I didn't know though at the time was how adopting a child would change my entire family- and my entire life.

When you are 9 years old it's pretty important to you that you are like every one else. It's pretty important to you that you fit in. I remember wanting to dress like my friends, talk like my friends and do the same thing as my friends. Adopting my baby sister changed my being like everyone else. When she entered our family we no long 'looked' like everyone else. When we went out in public people stared at us or asked questions. We were no longer just an ordinary family- we were now a multi racial, adoptive family with five children (who many people considered a large family). It was sort of hard for me to pretend I was just like everyone else anymore- because God had called our family to be different.

What I didn't know then was how God would use this experience to mold me into becoming who I am today. What I didn't know was that God would use our experience to create a passion for the least of these. What I didn't know then was how glad I would be that He did.

Going against the norm isn't always an easy thing to do. Actually sometimes it's downright hard. While God has blessed me with many supportive friends- we still do things differently than a lot of other families. Different isn't bad- it's just different and most kids my age just want to fit in. I'm okay with not fitting in. I'm okay with just being who I am. I may not win any popularity contests- but at least I definitley don't struggle with trying to figure out who I am .

Because of our adoptions, I have had the opportunity to go to Guatemala and work at Eagles Nest Orphanage and also travel to Ethiopia this past March to bring home my baby sister, Havyn. I loved Ethiopia before I even set foot there and that love only doubled when I did. My favorite part of being in Ethiopia was getting to spend the day with missionaries Gary and Peggy Ifft. Gary took us to Adami Tulu Preschool in Ziway, Ethiopia and I am pretty sure I left a piece of my heart there. I have a quote hanging on my bedroom wall that reads "When you walk with God, you always reach your destination."

I had reached mine.

Being at the preschool that day also made me realize how much I had been taking for granted. I no longer wanted to just claim to be a Christian- I wanted to LIVE as a Christian. Instead of just memorizing the verses in the bible- I wanted to put them into action. I knew that I couldn't return home and go on with my life the way it had been. I couldn't open my closet door and see 12 pairs of shoes in there without thinking about those left behind with none. I couldn't go into the mall with friends and spent $15 on yet another t-shirt knowing that $15 would have fed 5 children at the preschool for a month. I couldn't just be a regular American teenage girl anymore- I was different.

And different, I am realizing, is a good thing.

Last Tuesday families in Ziway, Ethiopia lined up to sign their children up for preschool. Over 50 children came- and there were only 30 openings. Such a huge need! Each child enrolled will need a school uniform. The cost for boys is $6.20- which includes pants, shirt, a vest, their book bag and supplies. The cost for girls is $5.83 which includes a skirt, shirt, vest, their book bag and supplies. The monthly fee for a child to attend is 25 Birr ($1.84). Yes, you read that right- $1.84 A MONTH is all it cost. You and I probably spend more than that on chewing gum and yet some children are too poor to even pay that.

Soon, children all over America will go 'school shopping' with their parents. Shoes, clothes, socks, and supplies will be thrown into their carts without much thought. And one thing I can guarantee you is that it will cost you far more than $6.20.

My challenge for you is to talk to your child. Tell them. Teach them. They won't know unless you do- I didn't. Teach them something far more important than what they will learn the entire year at school. Challenge them to go without one of those items thrown into your cart and instead send that money to Lifesong for Orphans and for Adami Tulu preschool. Show them how to think of others. Help them develop a heart for giving. Show them how to think outside of their own wants. Teach them to make their lives count. Develop in them an awareness for others. Teach them how to care.

More than anything in this world I would love to sit in my desk at school this year, love for your child to sit at their desk this year, knowing across the world, in Ethiopia, another child is getting the same privilege as we are because you and I chose to care enough to do something about it.

Will you please help me? Will you please help your child help another? Even if you can just give enough for one child to have a uniform and a book bag, that is huge to that one child.

Today, you can choose to live a life that is bigger than you. Today you can reach far beyond your ordinary existence. Help educate a child. Give them a chance. Change their life.

They changed mine, now it's time for me to do the same for them.

Please feel free to post this on your blogs, facebook, or yell it from the rooftop of your child's school. ;0) Thank you so much for spreading the word.

GREAT News!

2010-07-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let those of you who are praying know the latest updates from Sierra Leone....

1. Geraldine is being admitted today to a private hospital that is primarly used for treating internationals and UN workers. It is private and very expensive, but Erica says that it is much more comparable to an American hospital. She spent some time there yesterday, apparently, and says that the nurses and doctors are wonderful with the kids and she feels Geraldine will get the medicine and care there that she needs. Woo hoo!

2. A doctor from the private hospital has agreed to come to the center and train the workers in the nursery at The Covering so that they have more information about how to give the babies the best care possible. This will be a huge blessing both to the babies and the workers. They are such SWEET ladies and so open to whatever knowledge and help you give. They truly want to do the very best they can for all the kids - they love them very much. Yea!

3. Erica and Tina are signing new leases today on two buildings that are side by side. They will have 6 classrooms instead of 2, 8 bathrooms instead of 2, rooms for visiting mission teams, space for pregnant teens, a separate space for babies and toddlers to play safely, and I'm sure more that I don't know. I'm so excited! They needed this SO very badly. Praise God! They are stepping out in faith, though, as we still need to raise several thousand more dollars by the end of August. They've got "Faith Like Potatoes"! (If you haven't seen that movie - it's a good one!) Please pray that God will provide for His kids at The Covering!

God is SO good! I know that this trip has been exhausting and hard for Erica and Tina both, but I'm confident that God has used them in ways they didn't even expect. I'm so glad for the kids at The Covering - who got some extra love and attention this week and will have a new place to live soon, for the kids who are sick - they got medical help they deserve, for all the orphans of Sierra Leone - they have 2 very strong women who love them and are advocating for them. There is no telling what God is going to do through The Raining Season and The Covering, but watching it all happening and being able to be part of it is an amazing place to be!

It's such a happy day! Thank you so much for all your prayers and encouragement!

Please Pray.....

2010-07-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

I just posted the post below and then checked my email to find a message from Erica. I'm so glad I just posted that scripture, because I am really needing it now.

Geraldine has TB. This is treatable in the States, but still very contagious and a serious disease. Even here it takes many months and many different medications. If it diagnosed early, the prognosis is good. If not, it can be harder for the medication to work and the disease can attack other organs. It can be fatal.

In Sierra Leone, it is very serious. At this time, there is a shortage of TB medicine and they are rationing. Erica and Tina are going to visit a private hospital tomorrow to see if there are meds available to treat her there. If there are, then she'll move to that hospital. If not, I'm not sure what the options might be.

TB is very contagious and I have no idea how long she has had it. She sleeps in the same bed with her brother, and in a very small room with another baby and toddler as well as her caregivers. Everyone will be tested. Please pray that God has protected them and no one else is sick. Pray that medication would be available to treat her, or better still that God would heal her!

She is such a precious baby...I would love to be there to hold her. Thank God, though, that Cari and the other caregivers at The Covering are there to be with her at the hospital to make sure that her needs are met. Pray for them too. I know it's exhausting to sit up 24 hrs a day with a sick baby. A hospital stay here in the states is not comfortable or fun, but a hospital experience in Sierra Leone is completely different and a much bigger challenge. Pray that God would give them energy, patience, grace and wisdom. They are truly saving her life!

2010-07-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

“I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip, he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you, the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm, he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.” Psalm 121

I read this scripture today, as part of Renee's post at Be His Hands & Feet. This is comforting to me as I claim it for "our" kiddos at The Covering who are sick and in need of healing. I spent such a short time with them in May, and yet I an honestly say that I love them like crazy. I have to remember that as much as I wish I could scoop them all up and bring them home, take all their hurts and fears away, both physically and emotionally....they are the Lord's...not mine.

"I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper and not to harm you...to give you hope and a future." Jer 29:11

He knows them. He created them. He has a plan for them...a plan to prosper and not to harm them, to give them hope and a future. It's so hard for me to understand why the reality of this world is what it is. Today, I'm just trying to rest in knowing God IS sovereign. He knows and I don't have to. This is His plan, His work...not mine. I'm not in charge and I don't make the decisions... I'm just trying to obey His call on my life and say 'Yes' when the opportunity is given. The rest is up to Him.

I have gotten word from Erica, who is in Sierra Leone now, that there will be no medical visas. I don't know all the details, but I know God does.

There is good news today, though. I also got word from Erica that Gerald is doing very well after a few days in the hospital! Praise God! He's gained weight and is alert - even sitting up on his own!!! Woo hoo! I can't tell you how big of an improvement that is since I saw him in May. I'm so excited and so thankful that God chose to meet those needs for Gerald in this way! I've been told that he'll go back to The Covering sometime this week.

A couple of days ago, I received news from Cari that Geraldine had been admitted to a 'Theraputic Nutrition Center'. She was on a 3-hr feeding schedule of a special formula from Unicef and Plumpy Nut. I'm anxious to hear what the latest news is. Erica was going to try to get to the hospital today for a visit.

I'm so very thankful that the twins made it to The Covering and for all the wonderful care they have from committed staff and caregivers there. Even what we in America would call horrendous circumstances, these men and women have more love and compassion than I have ever seen. In fact, with all my heart I believe that in many ways, Sierra Leonians are far better off than we are, even though many would argue that because of our material possessions this is a crazy statement.

The people of Sierra Leone have a faith like I've never witnessed before in my life. They trust God for EVERYTHING...because they have to. Even in what Americans would consider extreme poverty, they are full of joy. Their smiles are radiant. The caregivers and staff at The Covering are full of the love of Christ and proclaim it all day long! They rejoice in every blessing they are given and see goodness everywhere. They were such a blessing to me during my travels, to watch them pour out everything they have for the orphan they have helped rescue. They are amazing people! I pray that I am even half the person that Pastor Daniel, Aunty Marie, Aunty Esther, Aunty Sara, Quami, Osseh, Fatmata & Foday, and all the rest of them are. I wish I knew and could remember all their names. They are incredibly amazing and I feel honored to have had the opportunity to meet them and spend even just a little time there getting to know them.

Knowing that the twins are in the hands of such wonderfully loving and hard working people make it easier for me to rest and have peace of mind. I would have loved for the twins to be here with me, so that I could take care of them, but I know that they have an entire staff who loves and adores them and will do whatever it takes to make sure they are ok. My heart hurts a little because they are not coming home with me, but I'm so thankful they are right where God wants them to be. They are His. He has a plan. I'm thankful for the willingness of the staff at The Covering to be part of it, and I'm praying that God will bring another opportunity for us to serve His sweet children.

Puppies: 11 Weeks

2010-07-23T13:44:00.000-07:00

The puppies are doing really great and are growing fast! We have only two more who are able to go to new homes, Belle and Arial. The rest have been placed with wonderful new families, who are excited to have them.

Lucy is going to the Chicago area and will be trained to work with Alzheimer's patients as a therapy dog. Lady went to a great home in West Plains, MO, where she has two very happy young boys to play with. Moose found a home with a young couple here in Springfield and has already taken his first long car ride with his new owners, to Memphis. Princess is staying in the family, with my little brother, and we are keeping Buster for our own boys.

Belle and Arial are both great puppies! They are not the last to be picked because there is something wrong. We honestly didn't have one puppy in the litter that was not a great pick. Unfortunately, though, someone has to be first and someone has to be last. Here are a few pictures of Belle and Arial. You can also see them at various stages by following the other links on our website. www.servantsheartlabradoodles.com

Look What Can Happen....

2010-07-22T20:07:00.000-07:00

Look what can happen when just ONE person steps out and follows what God calls her to do! Katie Davis is in her early 20's as is changing the lives of thousands. She has one of the most inspiring stories I've ever heard. Watch the video and check out her story at Amazima Ministries.

We are still praying for the twins in Sierra Leone. Please pray with us! Geraldine is in a "theraputic feeding center" at one of the hospitals where she is being given a special formula from Unicef and Plumpy Nut every 3 hours. Hopefully, she will begin to gain weight and show improvement quickly. She is also seeing a specialist tomorrow that will give us some more information about another situation that needs to be addressed. Please keep her in your prayers. I haven't heard an update on Gerald. Erica and Tina are on their way now and will arrive tomorrow. I'm sure that after they've gotten there and had time to make some assessments, we'll know more. Thank you for seeking God's favor for the twins! They were created by Him for a purpose, just like all of us are. I'm praying they live to fulfill it!

Urgent Prayer Request

2010-07-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone-

Please help me pray for the twins we sponsor at The Covering in Sierra Leone. I haven't really blogged about much of the details with our sponsorship and how it came about, but this is the story in a nutshell.....

For those of you who don't know, God really began speaking to my heart over a year ago about Africa and the many children there who are dying from preventable diseases like malnurishment and malaria. Then started speaking to my heart about twins. It sounded so crazy I never even told anyone, but he was putting twins on my heart last November/December.

Through an odd set of "coincidences" I came across Tiffany Johnson's blog. Someone I had never met...didn't know at all. Well, I sure can't say that now! I know her pretty well, even it's only been 7 months since we first met. Through Tiff's blog, I found The Raining Season. When I clicked on the link, the first think I saw was a picture of the twins and their siblings who had just come to live at The Covering. Click here to see what I saw that day.

My heart leapt and I knew that I had found the place I was supposed to be. I couldn't believe it! We decided right away to sponsor all 4 siblings and thus began our relationship with TRS. We didn't know then a whole lot about TRS, but we knew that God brought brought them to us and decided just to follow Him and trust that He would take care of it all. After spending a week at The Covering, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that these children are mine to take care of as best I can, whether that is by adoption or just supporting them at The Covering. And here's where I need your prayers.....

Erica called me this morning and wanted to speak to me about the twins. She had to leave a message, but I knew it wasn't good if she was calling me. I knew when we were there that they were very sick and not doing well. Those of us who travelled, know what the available medical care is like.

I was hoping that after Cari arrived in SL and they had seen the "good doctor", that they would improve. That just isn't happening. In fact, both the babies are in the hospital now. Gerald is so malnurished, his bones so brittle that he has broken a foot. Geraldine is running a fever (again) and although, thankfully, Cari has taken her to a Mercy Ship to be evaluated...it does not look good. They have referred her to the very same children's hospital we visited on our trip. I am so heartsick for her, I can hardly stand it. The thought of the babies being in those horrible conditions is just almost unbearable.

Erica and Tina are leaving on Thursday to go back to SL. After they get there, they are going to see about getting the twins medical visas to come to the States for medical care. We are all afraid of what the outcome might be if they don't find a medical professional who knows how to help them. I am hoping and praying that I can find someone fairly close to Springfield who will treat them so that they can stay with us.

Please, Please pray with me that God will move mountains in the Embassy while Tina and Erica are there! Pray that we will find a doctor and hosptial willing to take care of them here. Pray that God would take care of all the details...and that He would protect and heal those babies!

Please also spread the word and ask any of your TRS-related or prayer warrior friends to join us! I will keep you posted as I know more. You can keep up with me on FB or just follow here.

Thank you SO much!!

Passing It On....

2010-07-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

I was going to post today, but I read this from Amy at Building The Blocks and thought I'd pass it along. It's a good one, I hope you'll hop over and read it!

Puppy Video

2010-07-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

This is a video I made last night of several different clips and photos of our puppies over the last few weeks. We've had a great time raising them! They are 10 weeks old now, though, and ready for their new homes.

Australian Labradoodles were originally bred by Wally Conran, in Australia, back in the 80's. He was a breeder of labrador retrievers that were used for service work. He received a request from a couple in Hawaii whose wife needed a service dog but the husband was allergic to dogs. They needed something that would fit both their needs. His first attempt was a Standard Poodle, but it wasn't a match. After that, he started crossing the Poodle with the Labrador. It took him a couple of years and a few generations of puppies to find one that worked, but he was finally successful. In order to test before he actually trained and sent a dog to Hawaii, he sent many dander and saliva samples to be tested. From that point, the breed was further developed and top quality lines of Spaniel were added to get a specific type of coat. All of this work was done in Australia.

The multi-gen Australian Labradoodle is the Doodle that began the Doodle craze across the globe. They are EXCELLENT animals that are smart and easily trained. Liza, our female, is from a line of dogs trained for therapy work. I've been wanting to take this up with her, as well, but haven't found time to do it yet. She could also be trained to do agility trials - she's very athletic. She was potty trained in about 3 days and hasn't had an accident in the house since then. She so smart that sometimes I think she understands us when we are talking. Seriously. Other Aussie Doodle characteristics are:

Non-shedding/hypo-allergenic coats
Wonderful for asthmatic owners (our Carter is an asthma kiddo)
GREAT with kids and other pets
Easily trained
Eager to please

These are not just any ol' labradoodle. Be careful if you are in the market for a Doodle. They are not all equal. Any "breeder"/"puppy miller" can cross a lab and a poodle and call it a labradoodle. You will be sorely disappointed if you mistakenly ended up with one of these. Be sure that you are looking at multi-gen Aussie puppies from quality lines.

We've decided not to have any more puppies after these are placed, for a couple of reasons. Primarily, because we feel we want to be free to do as much mission work as possible. It's hard to travel when their is a litter of puppies at home. We were hoping puppy sales would help fund our mission work, but we continue to have more and more travel opportunities arise and want to be able to go whenever God leads. The economy has also made it more difficult to place these gorgeous babies. The going rate for an Aussie Doodle is $2500. The larger breeders say they are still getting that price, but we haven't had any takers, and we honestly feel that our puppies are being raised in a better environment than a large breeder. All this means we are very negotiable in the price we are willing to take and it is to our buyers' benefit! It's really is a great opportunity for someone to get a high quality pet at a great price. Let us know if you have any questions.

www.servantsheartlabradoodles.com

Meet Musa....

2010-07-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

Isn't he precious?! Here is Musa's story.....

Musa Salam
Age 6 yrs
Born on the 10^th of October 2003.

Their father died in a boat accident on the 8 of September 2009 when he was traveling from the village to Freetown to sell the crops which he has harvested from the farm and he is the bread winner in the home. The mother now goes with the kids to the farm were they will stay till late in the evening when they will come home to sleep and if this is continue then the kids will have no future.

Can you imagine? There was a time that I didn't want to. A time when I turned the channel when the ads about things like World Vision came up on the television screen. I didn't want to know...didn't want to see...didn't want to have to deal with the emotions it created. Then, God got a hold of me.

He put some of these pieces of scripture in front of me....

James 1:27 "For religion that God our Father considers pure and faultless is this: to look after widows and orphans in their distress..."

Proverbs 24:12 "...once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act."

Matthew 25:31-46 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Now, I look at pictures like Musa's and see the eyes of my own sons.  I read stories like his and try to

imagine what it must be like to be his mother...to love your children with all  your heart and know that

you can't provide for them and have to give them away.  What is like to be Musa?  To be given to strangers at the age of 6, after losing your father, being torn away from everything you've ever known.  Musa is a little older than my Carter and a little younger than my Jackson.  I can't imagine..... and I wonder why it isn't me.  Why am I here - in this place and time - instead of in Africa or some other 3rd world country where life is so devastating and hard?

The only answer I have is that I am here so that I can do something for those who aren't.  I know...and I'm responsible.  I'll be judged for my actions and my response.  Our family has chosen to act...what will you do?

If you are interested in sponsoring Musa, please leave me a comment or email me.  For only $30/month, you can provide his medical sponsorship that will ensure he and the rest of the children at The Covering have medical care they need so desperately.

Meet Bintu....

2010-07-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

Bintu

UPDATE - BINTU HAS BEEN SPONSORED!! THANK YOU, HOLLY!!!!

The picture above was taken the day that Bintu was brought to The Covering by her grandmother. This is her intake story....

Bintu kamara was born on the 3rd of October, 2003. She is almost 7 years old with six brothers and sisters. The father died in November 2006 in Kono. He was a laborer in the diamond mining area but later forced out of Kono in Sierra Leone by the rebels and went to the neighboring country of Guinea were he and the wife stayed together in a refugee camp. It was during that time at the refugee camp they gave birth to Bintu.

The father started getting ill in the refugee camp and was later brought back to Kono for further treatment but it was too late and he passed away.

The mother who is a petty trader and also a gardener is unable to take care of her children. Bintu was brought to Freetown by one of her aunts who was looking for an orphanage to take care of Bintu. They showed up at our doorstep...This picture was taken of her right outside the gate...she had traveled all the way...barefoot.

Here is a picture of what Bintu looks like today, after living at The Covering. What a difference!

Unfortunately, Bintu is not fully sponsored. For $20 a month, you could be one of the people who help make life at The Covering possible for her. You'll receive pictures of her and updates every few months. You'll be able to send her letters, small gifts and would even be able to talk to her via Skype or go visit her in person, if you choose! She'll know that she has another family across the ocean who loves and cares for her....it will make a HUGE impact in her life! Please pray for Bintu and be open-hearted about how God would use you to help meet her needs. Leave me a comment or email me if you are interested in sponsoring her.

Help Save Just One!

2010-07-14T07:21:00.000-07:00

The Covering Home for Children from Tina S on Vimeo.

The video above was taken in February at The Covering in Sierra Leone, West Africa. If you've been following this blog, you know that I visited The Covering myself in May. It's truly an incredible place!

The Covering is a new facility, only having been open since September of 2009. However, it is already full to beyond capacity with over 80 children. I can tell you from seeing it myself, that these children are receiving love, encouragement and the basic necessities of life like they have never experienced before. Every day, they are being taught about Jesus and they are so thankful for what He has done in their lives.

The boy in the video who gives his testimony is Sam. Sam was rescued from a horribly abusive orphanage last fall, just as The Covering was opening. Sam is around 14 years old. He's such blessing....a young man who was introduced to Christ and who will make a huge difference in this world. He's very bright, articulate, has more courage than you could imagine, and he is a great leader. I'm so thankful he is at The Covering! I can't imagine him being in the horrible conditions he was rescued from! Each child has his/her own story, just like Sam.

Our family sponsors the Essa siblings...Mamie, Muhammed, Jinnah & Sao. It has been such a blessing to be part of their lives! We know that our contributions each month are sent to ensure that these four kiddos have a safe place to live, medical attention they need, food, and an education. We've been able to send them gifts and receive updated pictures of them every few months. And, of course, I had an amazing opportunity to travel to meet them in person.... it was life-changing! As they get older, we'll be able to Skype with them so that we can truly be part of their family. They have photo albums of our family (that I hand delivered) and they know that we love them and are praying for them every day. We truly feel like they are "our" kids. We will continue to show them love and support them in whatever way we can. In the video, you can see Mamie in a yellow dress standing at the top of a set of steps and Muhammed is in a blue tropical shirt dancing. They are just precious and I can't tell you how much I love them! This is what sponsorship for The Raining Season is.

These are "our" kids, Mamie & Muhammed - aren't they precious!!

And "our" twins, Gerald & Geraldine - sweet babies!

The Covering is run totally on sponsorships. They are raising over 80 children who were once living in poverty that I cannot describe to you in words. Sponsorships provide the food, water, electricity, clothing, building, beds, mosquito nets, shoes, teacher and caregiver salaries, doctor appointments, dentist appointments, books, school supplies.....EVERYTHING. Without sponsorships, The Covering would not be able to operate. These kids would be back on the streets in their tattered and torn clothes, with nothing to eat let alone an education.

There are approximately 12 kids at The Covering who are not fully sponsored at this time. I'm going to introduce you to two of them and I hope that you'll pray about sponsoring them. James 1:27 says this....."Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

To whom much is given, much is expected. We are so blessed! Please consider looking after these orphans!

Help Bring Kevin Home!

2010-07-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

In May when I travelled to Sierra Leone, a good friend of mine, Tiffany Johnson went, too. Actually...our friendship is completely due to Kevin and their efforts to adopt him....it's a funny story, that I'll share in my next post.

Tiffany and her husband, Rich, are trying to adopt Kevin from The Covering, in Sierra Leone. It will be a long, hard battle and will take several trips to Sierra Leone for this process to come to completion. It's a complicated mess, but Tiffany's family is part of a small group of people who are working to try to open up adoption in Sierra Leone...hoping that it will not only rescue a few children, but make adoption a viable option for the orphans of SL who have no place else to go.

SO...the Johnson's are selling T-shirts in order to help fund their adoption and travel expenses. She is actually hosting a giveaway that you can enter HERE if you read this in the next couple of hours. If not, please head on over to her blog, check out the shirts and consider buying one to help bring Kevin home. It's also a great conversation starter and a way to educate people you come in contact with about the orphan crisis.

Here's a few pictures of Tiffany and Kevin while we were at The Covering...he is such a CUTIE! It was so awesome to get to see him in person and I'm so anxious for him to come home!

This is a picture of the first time she saw him. The workers handed him right over to her...in the middle of the hallway so I couldn't get a good shot from the front. We were both a blubbering, crying mess!

Isn't he just precious!?

St. Jude's Backed Out

2010-07-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

My previous post was about a little boy names Suwaju, who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. You can read the first post below.

The update at this time is that St. Jude's has backed out of their agreement to treat him. TRS and its supporters are currently looking for a facility that will agree to take his case. Without an agreement from a hospital, he will not be granted a visa. If you have any contacts with any oncologists, especially pediatric ones, please email me. We are working hard to try to find a medical facility first, as well as a family that would be in the area of said facility to open their home to him through the duration of his treatment.

I can't tell you exactly what God's will is for Suwaju's life, but please pray for him. He will need strength, courage and God's grace to see him through...whatever the outcome of this situation is.

Suwaju

2010-07-09T05:47:00.000-07:00

Suwaju is the name of a boy at The Covering, in Sierra Leone. I met him when I travelled there in May. The first day we arrived and were introduced to him, he had a huge, swollen jaw. Really huge....softball size, at least. He was very conscious of it and turned his face when he was spoken to, trying to hide it as best he could.

Thinking that he had a nasty abcess, his sponsor who was with us, worked to try to get him an appointment with a dentist. That took a few days, but by the middle of the week, he had been seen. They said his tooth was so badly infected that they couldn't do anything with it until the infection got better. So, he was put on some antibiotics and told to come back in a few days.

I can't remember exactly the order of events that took place, but needless to say that when we left, the issue was still a concern. After we returned home, we received word that after more trips to the dentist and then being referred to a doctor, he had a broken jaw. Amazing. This sweet boy had been living with a broken jaw and not even complaining about it!

It hurt. No doubt about that. But, rather than cry or complain about it (because, honestly, he probably knew they couldn't do anything for him, anyway) he just went on about his day.

Well, we've been home over a month now, and we just got news that Suwaju has been diagnosed with cancer. In the States, it's treatable. In Sierra Leone, it's a death sentence. My heart is broken.....again.

The Raining Season has been in contact with St. Jude's. They have agreed to treat him for free if we can get him here. A family has already come forward and volunteered to keep him and see him through his treatment. TRS is trying to get a medical visa for him to be able to come, but the government officials are suspicious of anyone trying to take children out of the country. They are afraid he'll be sold or that someone intends to keep him here, apparently.

My heart is broken for him. He is sick, needs help and will die if he doesn't get it. We have what he needs and yet, it's not a "done deal" that we can give it to him, even though we are willing. He's a beautiful boy who has strength and resolve that many adults do not possess. Still, he is a young boy with cancer....without a mommy to hold him and reassure him.

What he does have are 79 brothers and sisters who do love him, but will lose him if he doesn't get help. He has a staff of workers and caregivers that love him, also. He came from a village called Shenge, where one or both of his parents died in a ferry accident. The village lost around 200 adults that day, which left them with too many children to feed and not enough adults to provide. More than 30 kids from Shenge live at The Covering now.

I have no idea how this situation will end, but I'm praying that God's would move the hearts of the government officials and the people at the embassy so that Suwaju at least has a chance at life. If not, he will die in an orphanage....with 80 other precious kids watching.

Breakfast Menu

2010-07-04T22:09:00.000-07:00

I spent a little time this afternoon perusing blogs and cookbooks and came up with this weekly breakfast menu. I'm quite positive that my kiddos are going to have a few issues, but I'm hoping that the "there are starving kids in Afria and I don't want to hear you complaining" speech will prevail. LOL Seriously though, since I've been back home from Sierra Leone, I'm a completely different parent....but that's another post.

I'm positive the kids, Jackson primarily, will have issues with a few things, but I'm going to plan on holding fast at least for a few weeks to see if I can persuade them. Nothing is horrible or anything they will completely hate, it just isn't what they are used to having.

The menu is grain free, except for Monday and Saturday, which will be a treat. Pancakes are the boys' all-time favorite breakfast, so I included it and I'm going to use it for bribery, if needed. I'll make them from scratch with organic flour - 1/2 all-purpose and 1/2 whole wheat. According to WAP, grains need to be soaked, so I'm going to try to figure that out at some point.

Monday
Eggs - Pastured and purchased from a local farm
Toast - Ezekiel for now, homemade sourdough or soaked later
Butter - Purchased at grocery for now, hopefully local, grassfed or homemade later
Honey - Local, raw
Fruit - Whatever is in season or organic frozen
Milk - Raw, purchased locally

Tuesday
Grain-free blueberry muffins with butter
Eggs
Milk

Wednesday
Yogurt - Homemade from raw milk purchased locally
Vanilla & Honey to flavor yogurt
Fruit
Grain-free granola

Thursday
No-crust veggie fritatta
Fruit
Milk

Friday
Nutty fruit cereal
Milk

Saturday
Pancakes - made from scratch w/organic flour & aluminum-free baking powder, local honey, coconut oil
Pure Maple Syrup
Butter
Eggs
Milk

Sunday
Yogurt
Fruit
Grain-free granola

I found these recipes on Organic & Thrifty via The Healthy Home Economist and also from Those Who Hunger. There are a few more breakfast recipes I want to try, but I think we'll try to adjust to these first before I bring on another batch.

Jodi & Sally

2010-07-03T18:17:00.000-07:00

Sally Fallon, that is, the author of Nurishing Traditions, The cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats.

My own history in regard to my diet is such that I have done almost every diet known to modern America. Weight Watchers, South Beach, Blood Type, Cabbage Soup, Atkins, to name a few just off the top of my head. Then there was one (I can't even remember the name) where I went in several times each week, had to pee on a stick, ate almost nothing and had to buy powdered packets of supplements to use in preparing the small amount of stuff I was allowed to eat. That doesn't even count all the goofy things I did with friends in high school and college. And then there are the "tried and true" habits of calorie counting, carb counting, sugar counting, point counting and all other types of mathematical analysis of food consumption. Years.... beginning when I was in elementary school. And...with no lasting success. Oh, I've lost weight - don't get me wrong. Hundred of pounds over the years....but THEY'RE BAA-AACK!

I weigh more now than I have ever weighed in my life and I am SICK TO DEATH of dieting, doing all the hard work, only for it to return. Ugh. I'm not dieting. It doesn't work for me.

A couple years ago, my sister's doctor gave her a lot of information regarding an anti-inflammatory diet. Part of that information was a website to the Weston A Price Foundation. I read some of it, thought it was a little weird for me, and went on about my business.

Fast forward to a few months ago.

Now that we are homeschooling and have made connections in various HS circles, I've had quite a few diet related conversations with different HSing moms. Not that HS moms are any different than the rest...except they tend to be a little more willing to think and live "outside the box" than the average bear. There, in conversation at some point, came up Weston A Price (WAP). It sounded familiar to me, but took me a while to make the connection to what my sister's OB has told her about long before.

I'm not going to go into great detail about the WAP lifestyle (and it truly is a lifestyle - not a short term "diet"), but suffice it to say that it really makes a lot of sense to me now. If you want to learn more about it, here's the link.

Weston A. Price Foundation

Doug and I have dabbled with it here and there and have realized that we feel so much better when we are following it (even though we've never followed ALL their practices). It's really coming together at a time when we are evaluating other areas of our lives as well.

In general, in all areas of our lives, we have sacrificed so much quality of life for convenience and modern technology. We've bought into the idea that having a lifestyle of more/bigger/faster is better. The truth, I believe, is that "more and faster" is killing us - emotionally, spiritually and physically. We've developed technologies and products just because someone had an idea, and haven't really stopped to think, "Why are we doing this?" It's just an assumption that because we CAN, we SHOULD. I disagree. Just because we can...doesn't mean it the right thing to do.

So, we are evaluating a lot of our habits, and trying to compare them to what the Bible has to say about how we live our lives. Everything from the way we eat to how we worship, how we raise our kids, spend our money and our time. Up until now, we've just done what every American does...even Christian Americans...without thinking much about it. Striving for that 'American Dream'..being a good citizen, successful in careers and in our family, blah blah. The 'American Dream' isn't good enough for me anymore.

SO...Today, the Widhalm family is jumping on the Weston A Price bandwagon. We'll be praying as we go and looking into what God has to say about what we eat, as well. I think, though, it is a good choice in that we will be eating what God has provided versus the chemical-laiden junk we've been eating.

We will be adding habits and foods that are traditional. No more processed junk in the pantry. Our plates will look pretty simple (which is the way Jackson likes it, anyway). We'll be raising our own when we can, buying locally, and organically if we can't get local. I'll be making a lot more things from scratch. Yogurt, cheese and bread-making are all on the horizon. It's not going to be easy and it's going to take time to organize and get it all straight. The biggest hurdle for me will be ignoring the drive-thru and giving up meals at the restaurant. I'm sure we'll make mistakes and even occasionally dangle our feet off the wagon and get them muddy...we may even fall off if we hit a bump. But, we'll get back on and learn from our mistakes.

So, move over Julie & Julia....here come Jodi & Sally! I'm going to be posting about what's going on in our kitchen and how everyone reacts. We are going to be trying new recipes and techniques from the WAP "Bible/Cookbook" (referenced in the first paragraph) and it could be quite a ride!

Puppy Love

2010-06-27T16:06:00.000-07:00

Liza's puppies are 7 weeks old now and getting cuter each day! They've have been to the vet for checkups and had their first shots. The doctor says they are doing great and all the ladies at the office were carrying them around like babies while we were there. They each weighed in at about 4 1/2 pounds, except for Moose - he's 6 pounds!

Our "kennel" (although we don't really have a kennel - these puppies are raised in our home, one litter at a time) name is Servant's Heart because of the great disposition of Aussie Doodles, and also because we are using funds from puppy sales to support our ministry to orphans. These are Puppies With A Purpose!

Check out our website at www.servantsheartlabradoodles.com for more information about the history of Australian Labradoodles and adoption.

Arial

Belle

Buster

Lady

Lucy

Moose

Princess

Now What?

2010-06-24T13:06:00.000-07:00

"Now what?"....It's a question I ask myself alot now. Now that I've seen the harshness and brutal reality of a 3rd world country like Sierra Leone...now that I've stepped out of my comfort zone and have seen the truth about how I've been living....now what? What do I do now?

The truth is I don't know what the answer is, but I know my trip to Africa was just the beginning of a longer journey. Just one piece in a puzzle that is as big as a lifetime.

I've decided that from now on, though, instead of focusing on all the things I don't know, I will focus on what I do know. Here are a few things I do know for certain....

1. God is THE Creator and He loves us. The Creator of all things. He knew each person on this earth before they were even in their mother's womb.....including the orphans, the widows, and the oppressed all over the globe. He knows EACH ONE....just as He knows me. He loves them just as He loves me. There is no difference.

2. God has a plan and a purpose. One of my favorite scripture verses is Jeramiah 29:11. It's a popular one that you find on plaques and framed in stores...."I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper and not to harm you...plans to give you hope and a future." I have claimed this scripture during the hardest times in my life and it has brought me comfort and peace, knowing that He does have a plan and that ALL things work together for good. Now, I'm claiming this scripture for others... for children at The Covering, and the millions of children who are still in horrible places...hungry, naked and alone. He created them and He has a plan. It's not my place to know why or to figure it all out.

He is continuing to reveal His plan for our family, and I am so thankful. Each day brings another prayer, another person across our paths, another conversation. Each day it is more clear that we are NOT to be still, to keep quiet about what we've witnessed. We will walk forward, one step at a time, following Him as He leads....even when we don't know the destination.

3. James 1:27 - Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

We will continue to look after orphans and reach out to widows, to the poor and oppressed. We will keep our eyes and our family life focused on Christ.

We have come in contact with others who are on fire for God and missions around the globe. Our hearts and minds are open to whatever or where ever God leads us next. For now, we are rearranging our lives in order to have less debt and less responsibilities so that we are more flexible both physically and financially.

Please pray for us as we get our house ready to put on the market and try to find ways both to save and earn money in order to both payoff debt and continue to give and travel, as God leads.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support in my first journey to Sierra Leone! It has changed my heart and my life forever, and I'm so very grateful. God is truly amazing!

Please continue to pray for the twins, Gerald and Geraldine. We sponsor them, along with their older brother and sister. The twins were sick when I was in Sierra Leone, and they are not well now. I have learned that they have been seen by a Lebanese doctor, instead of the normal clinic that the children are taken to. However, I don't know what the diagnosis was or how they are doing. Pray that God would hold them in the palm of His hand and keep them safe until they can get the medical help they need.

Sierra Leone: Kroo Bay

2010-06-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

On Monday, we spent some time at The Covering playing with the kids. We also had a meeting set up with the Chief and other leaders of Kroo Bay, a village within Freetown. One minute we were in a decent part of downtown, where things looked the same as every place else we'd seen. The next minute, we were heading down a hill looking out over the tops of thousands of shacks.

They were right next to each other, creating a mosaic of tin, cardboard, tarps and anything else that could be used as a covering for shelter. It was right on a bay and built on top of a trash dump. They were literally living on top of garbage.

There were days in Sierra Leone that I thought things could just not possibly get any worse. At first, I thought the orphanage was just terrible. The kids were beautiful and clean, clothed and fed. Still, I couldn't imagine being a mom who was forced to give up a child due to circumstances out of my control and I couldn't fathom my own sons growing up in an orphanage with 80 kids and no mom. It got worse....at the hospital. The children's hospital was such a horrific experience. Dying children and babies. Mom's - even the one who refused to give her child water - loved their babies enough to stand outside in long lines, waiting and hoping that they could get in...hoping that they would find hope in this desperate place that had virtually nothing to offer. I knew then that it couldn't get any worse than this.

Oh, but I was so wrong. It did get worse....in Kroo Bay.

The sight of this place was unthinkable. Nothing could be worse than this, I thought. When the car door opened, the smell hit me like a brick wall in the face....the smell was, indeed, worse than the sight. A stench of rotting garbage, waste from humans and animals..all in stagnant, muddy water. My stomach turned and I prayed as I walked down a tiny little walkway that I would be able to breathe without throwing up. I tried to clamp my mouth shut tight so that none of the millions of flies could get in. On both sides of this walkway, not more than a couple feet to my right and leftt, were moms sitting out on the ground or on stools staring at this long line of white people heading to the center of their village.

Then I remembered that I needed to keep my reaction to this place in check. I honestly wasn't sure what my face must've looked like - I was just trying to keep from being sick. I wondered if these ladies could tell how I was feeling and what they must've thought of me. So, I lifted my head and tried to look them in the eye with a smile. Once I was able to shift my mind from the smell to the people, my heart broke again for this community.

How could this be real? Why are they living like this? How does this happen in our world today?

We were led to a clearing among the shacks, where there was an open "field" of mud and 2 soccer goals. The purpose of our visit was to deliver soccer balls to the kids here. One of the boys who went with us and his class at school had collected them for this purpose. Kroo Bay, as we found out, has a soccer league. Here in this field, we met with the Chief and other leaders of the community for a formal ceremony, of sorts.

The Chief wore a native suit and sat in a chair while the rest of the crowd stood gathered around. They opened the ceremony with both a Christian and Muslim prayer. Quami spoke on behalf of The Raining Season and introduced Erica, the co-founder. She told the leaders how much we are concerned about the people of Kroo Bay and want to reach out to help them and their children, even in some small way. Their leaders spoke and introduced the Chief before the balls were formally handed to the coaches of each of the teams in the league.

Kroo Bay is a village of 16,000 people. The citizens of Kroo Bay fled to Freetown when their villages in the provinces were being raided during the war. Of 16,000 people, they estimate that there are at least 3,000 - 4,000 orphaned children living there, maybe more.

Soccer is very important to them. They know that if they can raise up talented soccer players, they might have a way out of the poverty and a path to opportunity. They understand that their children are their future and their hope. The adults and children were thrilled to have new balls.

After the ceremony, we were allowed to take pictures and video of the kids playing around and of the village itself. We promised that the pictures we took would not be used to exploit their poverty, but to bring awareness to their situation so that we might be able to continue to come and bring relief when we are able.

I only had my video camera with me that day. I haven't had time to get it all put together, but this post has been written for almost a week now. I'm going to go ahead and post it and then I'll put the video up. Hopefully, by Monday or Tuesday.

For now, you can follow this link and see a video that is a recap of our trip. It's about 20 minutes long, but worth every minute! Give it some time to load before you play, so you won't be interrupted. Hope you enjoy.....oh, and if you're like me, you might wanna grab a box of Kleenex before you start. :)

Puppies: 5 Weeks

2010-06-09T09:41:00.000-07:00

Well, even though we've tried not to, we named all the puppies. It was just easier to do it. Trying to keep them all straight is just so much easier when there is a name to associate. So, here they are at 5 weeks.

Buster

Lady

Bella

Lucy

Moose

Princess

Arial

Please help us spread the word! Australian Labradoodles are just amazing animals. Great for families! Non-shedding/hypo-allergenic coats, intelligent and easy to train, great for therapy work, and known for their wonderful temperments. These puppies were born in our bedroom and are being raised there. They are loved on daily by our entire family and a few of the kids from the neighborhood, too!

Check out our website at www.servantsheartlabradoodles.com for more information. These are "Puppies For A Purpose"! The sale of these puppies and any future litters will benefit our mission work for orphans in Africa.

Sierra Leone: Church In Africa

2010-06-09T07:36:00.000-07:00

I had been looking so forward to going to church in Africa! It was an amazing experience that I'll never forget. Of course, picture taking in church isn't very conducive to worship, so we left the cameras in the car. Qwami did snap a few shots for us, but I haven't gotten them from him yet. Hopefully I will one of these days.

I learned so much from that service. Not so much from the sermon, but from listening to and seeing just what being in church and worshipping truly mean to these people. Service was held in a building that looked like it had either sustained some damage at one point or another...or was a new construction. I couldn't figure out which. Or maybe not - I don't know - it was hard to tell. Windows with a few bars but no glass, old folding chairs, one old keyboard and a set of old accoustic drums, a choir of 15-20, kids IN the service, and truly happy people.

These people didn't show up out of obligation. They were not "bumps on a log". They came in their very best - with SMILES on their faces! They were JOYFUL and THANKFUL - and you could tell just by looking at them! We sat over an hour in a hot, humid (no AC or even fans for these folks!) building...listening to beautiful, heartfelt testimonies...listening to a crowd of people sing OVER the "band" (what an amazing sound!)....listening to a sermon given from the heart of a pastor who truly loves his people.

And, hang on for this, they collected an offering at least FOUR different times - maybe five - IN FRONT of the whole church. Nope, I didn't see one person roll an eye! No one looked disgusted or put out to have to give and keep on giving. In a 3rd world country, mind you, where I'm sure some of these people probably didn't really have much, if anything "extra" to give. Row by row...every time....they stood smiling and singing, walking to the front to add more to the Kingdom by giving what they had. AMAZING! How would that go over here in the good 'ole USA?

This was not a comfortable church service...no AC, no drama, no performances, no lights, no video screens, no production team, no children's department, no nursery, no comfy seats, no one fussing about the color of the carpet becuase there was none, no fancy stained glass....just people who love the Lord enough to want to come and be together in worship. And it was amazing!

Church has actually been one of the hardest things to come home to. The first time I walked back into the building where we've been attending, I was physically sick to my stomach. I wasn't sure if I'd make it through the service or not. Honestly, I wanted to turn around and walk right back out, but my kids would've never understood that, so I stayed. It wasn't good, though.

I cried almost the entire service and just felt ashamed and guilty. Ashamed for being so selfish, ashamed and maybe a little afraid for our churches and even our entire country and what our society has done to worship over the years, guilty of investing our money in huge buildings with so many trivial luxuries, for years spent being entertained and entertaining others.....so much money invested into things that aren't lasting. Even our churches are greedy and selfish. They want bigger buildings - more people - bigger programs - fancy outreach events...bigger shows to wow the crowds....anything to impress and try to bribe people to come....it all costs MILLIONS of dollars. 75 cents will buy 2 dozen packs of water in Sierra Leone, $40 for a bag of rice that will last a small family at least a month. Yet our churches - people who say they are Christ followers - spend millions and millions of dollars on frivolous things we don't even need and let people starve and die. The churches of our nation have bought into the gimick of more is better. Even when the Bible speaks of how hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of Heaven - we've ignored it, justifying our actions along the way.

There are people all over the world DYING because they have no food or even half-way decent medical care, but the so-called "Christians" of this country sit and feast upon everything we can get our hands on - usually complaining even while the feast continues! I can't imagine this is the church God wanted.

Yes, we give to mission programs. Our churches send their checks each month to a select group of missionaries they've approved for one reason or another.. some meager amount that allows them to put the check in the box by "Missions". Still...compared to what we are "feasting" on...what we are giving is nothing. Not that God can't use 5 fish to feed a crowd. Those 5 fish were all that there was, though...given freely and without care to what was left for himself. That's generally not exactly the kind of giving we do here in America.

There are people dying. Literally dying, because they have so little. I'm positive that Jesus would not be investing in building programs and fancy facilities when he could've fed and clothed people. We need to wake up and get real about what the Bible really says. I fear that millions of people who believe they are going to make Heaven, may not.

Do we REALLY believe what the Bible says? Are we REALLY living it out? Are we sitting on the fence, enjoying one foot in and one foot out? Are we hoping to make Heaven by the skin or our teeth or do we want to hear, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."? Are we really willing to take up our cross and follow Him?

I don't know the answers for you, but I know what my answers are. It's all or nothing....and I choose all!

I don't know exactly what that is going to mean for my family and I. Don't know what all the details will look like in the months and years to come. We are praying about it, though, and I'm excited to see all the God has for us and the changes that are on the horizon!

Church in Africa

Sierra Leone: Unpacking Supplies

2010-06-08T22:30:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a very busy day. We headed out in the morning to see a couple of prospective new properties for The Covering. With 80 children, the building they are using now is overflowing and more space is needed - after just 9 months being in operation.

We saw a wonderful piece of property that is so much nicer than what they have now. The compound has a 3 level home with a kitchen on each floor. There are bathrooms in each bedroom and it is set up almost perfectly for what is needed. There is another building where TRS could house workers, parents of children, travelers, etc. It had a large garage/storage building, flat play space that could be a great playground, pavement for a basketball court and even space that could be used for a garden. And...maybe my favorite part is that it is just down the road from a university. Across the road is the field the university uses from track and soccer playing. Just think of all the possibilities!

Of course, the fee for this property is much more than what they are currently paying. We are praying that God's will be done in this situation and that some how, they would be able to find funding or another property that would meet their needs.

When we finally got to the center, we began unpacking the 30+ bags of supplies we brought. Everything from bandaids to books, shoes and clothing, and gifts for each of the kids from their sponsors. A group of supporters in Tennessee saw to it that each child got a new stuffed animal with a bracelet that had their name on it. They were so excited! It was so cute to watch them stuff the animals down the back of their shirts....just the way African mommas carry their babies!

Kids and animals!

Each child also got a special gift from their sponsor. Individually, we pulled each child to the side and they got a chance to open their present. Most received a gift plus a small photo album of their American family. They really do feel like these people are their family. All the workers at the center call the sponsors "mommies and daddies". One of the caregivers asked if I was Mamie and Muhammed's Momma. I said, "Uh...not really. I'm their sponsor." "Oh yeah. You are the Mommy, then!" she said. What could I say to that? "Ok! I'm the Mommy!"

It was such a joy to see the kids with their gifts. For some of them, it was the first toy they'd ever had. Before I left Springfield, I shopped long and hard to find a black baby doll for Mamie. I just felt like every girl needed a babydoll and I sure couldn't take a little African girl a white baby. It was a harder task than I expected, but it paid off! She lit up like a Christmas tree when I gave her that baby! After she held it for a while, she took me by the hand and said, "Show my Aunty!" She led me to her room, where she proudly showed her new baby to her caregivers, before she put her baby to sleep on her pillow. Later in the day, we went back to check on the baby to make sure she was safe and sound. So sweet!

Before I had the chance to give Muhammed his gifts, he came to me saying, "Auto cars, Aunty. Auto cars." He had seen the Hot Wheels that the other boys were getting and wanted his own. Well, I had brought him a bright blue car that was quite a bit larger than the Hot Wheels, plus a few Hot Wheels, too. I don't think anything would have made him happier. His eyes lit up and danced! Baby and cars - $35.00. Smiling orphans in Africa - PRICELESS!!

Mamie and her baby (she like the cars, too!)

Muhammed and his cars

We were also able to give the baby caregivers the gift of new diapers! Wow, did we make their day! No more diaper pins for them. Nice, soft cloth diapers with adjustable covers! They were just thrilled when Tiffany and I showed them how to use them. Wish I'd gotten a picture of their faces.

There was a lot of singing, dancing and just having fun with the kids that day. They are all so beautiful. I can't imagine their lives before they came to The Covering. And even still, The Covering is still an orphanage.....heaven compared to where they came from.....but no place that I'd want my own sons to be. They are safe, fed and clothed there. And - don't get me wrong - they are so thankful for all they have. But it's heartbreaking to know them personally, love them, hold them in your arms and know that they still don't have a mom to tuck them in at night or kiss their owies when they fall down. No one to give them that individual attention that every child needs.

It's been so much harder to come home than I ever imagined. I haven't blogged for a few days, because I've just been too depressed to do much of anything. I find myself sometimes just in a daze thinking about Mamie and Muhammed or Safienatu and wondering about what they must be doing. It's been almost paralyzing at times. I missed my own boys so much while I was there, and now I miss Africa.

I prayed for God to break my heart for what broke His, and He did. I should've thought more about that before I prayed it. Being broken hearted hurts.

Some of the kids playing with a preschool toy. They were amazed!

I loved watching them play their drums!

I just LOVE this girl!

On A Lighter Note....

2010-06-04T06:22:00.000-07:00

Carter has been my entertainment for the past couple of days. He never fails to bring smiles and laughter when he enters the room, and sometimes even when he doesn't...

A couple days ago, I was in the kitchen and hear yelling and the slamming of doors down the hallway. Carter is fearing for his safety and Harrison is laughing. When I told them to stop slamming doors lest someone's fingers be smashed, Carter replies, "He's been in the bathroom, Mommy! He's got the plunger and he's tryin' to plunge me! He's gonna plunge me, Momma!"

Yesterday, just before we were getting ready to leave for a T-ball game, Carter comes to me naked, with wet hair and holding the hair dryer. He asked me to dry his hair so he could get ready to go. When I inquired why is hair was wet, he said, "I had to get it wet so that it wasn't sticking up anymore." Hmmm....all this as I was also noticing he had pieces of freshly cut hair on his shoulders. "Well, alright. But, did you cut your hair, too?" "Yep. I think I'm gonna need the mohawk glue, Mom."

He is sunshine in this house, even on a rainy day!

Sierra Leone: Maternal Mortality

2010-06-03T16:12:00.000-07:00

I'm jumping ahead of the day-by-day story, but I got an email from Erica this morning and I wanted to share the information. I'll set it up for you....

As we were sitting in the airport in Freetown, Sierra Leone, waiting for our departure there was an Asian lady sitting in front of me. Members of our team were sitting all around here and at some point, she inquired about our group and why we were in Sierra Leone. After a brief explanation of our effort to bring supplies and help at The Covering and in the community, she shared with us that she is a freelance photographer.

She was doing a piece on the maternal mortality rate in Sierra Leone, hoping to raise awareness to the plight of Sierra Leonean women. She had been at the very same hospital we visited earlier in the week. We were probably there at the same time and just didn't know it.

She was at the hospital photographing women in the maternity ward. She was very kind and interesting to speak with. We already knew the maternal mortality rate was very high. She gave us the statistic of 1 in every 8 women die during childbirth. We had 8 women on our team who were mothers. Statistically speaking, if we lived in Sierra Leone, one of would not be alive today.

Anyway....some contact information was exchanged and she sent Erica a link to her website so that we could see her photographs. They are astonishing, to say the least. She has done work in the Congo, Afghanistan and Israel, winning awards along the way. Here is the link to her website. I hope you'll take a look and have a better understanding of the lives of the people in Sierra Leone.

Jean Chung Photography Go to the Portfolios tab and you will see the Sierra Leone link.

Sierra Leone: The Beach

2010-06-03T08:46:00.000-07:00

After being at the children's hospital and refugee camp on Thursday, we took a break on Friday and headed to the beach with 80 kids! TRS rented a huge charter bus and brought all the kids and caregivers to a beautiful beach to enjoy the day.

It was such a great day! We got rained on for a little while early in the day, but it was actually a huge blessing. The rain and cloudy skies cooled things off and it was wonderful. Warm enough for the kids to play in the water and enjoy the sunshine, but cool enough too be comfortable.

The beach at River No. 2 was beautiful. White sand, cute adorondack chairs and tables painted bright blue and red and grass huts to get in out of the rain. There was a restaurant there, where our team had a lunch of lobster, rice and mango...all served up in a larger pavillion just off to one side of the area where the kids were playing. It was gorgeous and a another day I probably won't ever forget.

The kids had a wonderful time just getting to relax, play around and be "normal" kids. They all have different stories, but they have all been through so much and lost so much...their family and their childhoods. It was a great blessing to see them running in wide open spaces, splashing and playing in the water and just loving life!

Playing football in the rain

Caps to protect their braids from the water

Sweet girls

Lunch - the lobsters were really giant crawdads, but still good!

Happy face!

Betty, isn't she beautiful!

Splashing and havin' fun!

Too funny!!

Zainab....a cutie patootie!