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 […]
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 […]
Compassion, Shaun Groves, and the Dominican Republic
As I wrote yesterday, I’ve been trying to learn a little about the Dominican Republic before leaving… tomorrow. Yikes. In my searching, I stumbled on these Compassion International videos with Shaun Groves. They’re six years old now, but I’m guessing not much has changed–except the children, one child at a time. You don’t have […]
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 […]
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 […]
