What am I up to...

Those who know me well enough know that since 2005 I always have something broiling in my pot. Sometimes you find out right away, sometimes last minute, sometimes months after it happens, or sometimes never. My friend Joy and Deanne can attest to that.

Well this time I don’t have to wait with my announcement since it doesn't concern my adoption drama. I like to humbly announce that I am going on a mission trip to Ethiopia next April. My sweet friend has allowed me to let her join her and the team.

I am thrilled beyond pieces. I really, really am. Lots of money to raise, and I am kinda doing it on my own here on the West Coast since I will be joining the team on the East Coast. When you are a working mom its not that easy to do things because of little vacation times. My vacation time is not too bad at the moment though and I should have enough where I can have time to do that, go somewhere for my 25th wedding anniversary and hopefully go on a family vacation. All in one year. The only people that have to suffer again are my folks in Germany but the calling is much stronger to go to ET. So Germany, once again, no visits in 2010. Sorry. When I think over the years how much I have visited and how much they have visited I hope that they would just have a chance to come here. Not that I am trying to be spiteful but it is what it is. The orphans and those in need come first.

Since I became a believer back in 2004 (yeah it took me that long), I have felt an immediate calling for international short term missions (I would do long term but hubby is not there with me). I still remember that overwhelming feeling in my heart and the holy spirit being right there with me telling me what it is. Since than, missions have never left my soul. Over the years I have only been able to go on 2 “real” mission trips because of all my failed adoptions holding me back in money and vacation time. But now that my babies are home I can get back to the things I feel I need to do most.

I am blessed to have a husband that understands how much I need this to be God’s hand and feed and he is supporting me. I think he mostly likes the changes he is seeing after each trip of how much more humble I have become and how much less I am of this world. So stay tuned.

Guatemala 2006

Me and my beloved Juan Antonia. The boy to my right kept following me around. He is in so many pics. Our amazing translators
Me and Thelma
The last night there. We had a huge party for all the kids.
I have to say I was the toddler momma. Nobody really wanted to be bothered with them too much because they were extremely poopy all the time. So every day we got to the orphanage, I ran up to the baby room and just brought them downstairs to be loved on "with poopy diapers". And the girl sitting to my right was Maria Fernanda. She was so possessive over me. And Carlitos on the left was a giant baby boy. Too huge really for an orphan baby.

NEW ORLEANS (4 mo after hurricane Katrina)

A moment of true sadness. The times we weren't working which was rare was when the reality sat in as to what has happened to the people in NE.

The really sad thing was that people truly last everything. That washing machine and everything in the house had to be thrown away. All of it because it all sat in water forever and now was contaminated.

That is truly what was left of the houses of the ones we were able to save. Some of them had to be torn down completely.