Dearest Nduta, Have you ever heard of the Dominican Republic? It’s a country that shares an island with the country of Haiti just south of the United States in the Caribbean Sea. Compassion invited me to go there last week on one of their trips and write some stories about what I saw. I […]
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What Happens When Sponsor Meets Child
I woke up yesterday after only two hours of sleep. I’d been up until 5 a.m. trying to find words to tell you about Tuesday… about hanging out with the sweet moms and babes who are served by Compassion’s Child Survival Program, about sharing a meal with them, about winding our way across roughly paved streets and uneven, disintegrating […]
Why We Can’t Stay in Our Corner of the Forest
The night before I left my comfortable corner, I ran to Family Dollar. In less than half an hour I’d tossed $100 worth of gifts in my cart, enough to fill a large suitcase that I could carry to the poor children and their families in the Dominican Republic. But what I’ve learned yet again is that in […]
How to Spoon Hope
She greets us at the door with shy hugs. The kids leave and return with plastic lawn chairs to supplement the tattered gold sofa. She wants us to sit. There are no windows, so we strain to see, strain to hear her heart through the rhythm of the rain as it pulses on the corrugated tin roof, crescendos and […]
To Know Their Names
I’ve been working out of my quart-size baggie since getting back from Haiti last month so I didn’t have to rethink and repack it. Today I’ll add a little more moisturizer and a little more foundation to the mini travel containers and set out my malaria med to start tomorrow. Friday I’ll say goodbye […]
Compassion International: The Wait is Over
“My friends have all received their sponsors, so my heart feels sad because I don’t yet have a sponsor of my own.” This video moved me to tears. I hope I’m not totally puddled when I get to share the stories of face-to-face meetings. In January, I’ll pack my camera and my laptop when I […]
Wow! Thanks! Help!
“Would you mind responding to me and including your personal email address? I have a very exciting opportunity I would love to share with you.” I stare at the email that came through this blog. It’s not spam. My heart thuds a little. Okay, it thumps hard. What? An exciting opportunity? Who’s not interested in […]
in which I sign on for #31days and why I’m not linking up
Dennis stuck his head in the door. “Put your shoes on and come out here.” I slipped on a pair of Keens and rolled up my p.j. bottoms and followed him out to where the dogs were playing–in a clearing. I gasped. There’d been a chainsaw massacre while we were gone yesterday. Dennis had asked […]
