Sweet Mariela.

I'm a girl who considers the idea of vacations to include things like hotels and room service, and I wouldn't mind a spa on premises, if we're getting technical.

Granted, I never went on vacation anywhere that actually had a spa on the premises, but in my mind it seemed like something I would enjoy.

A lot.

So I probably wouldn't be the first one to come to mind when people think missionary. And to be honest it was never on my radar growing up simply because it wasn't something I was exposed to. I remember Fr. Nash, whom my family loved, leaving to go to Africa and become a missionary when I was younger, but all I really knew about it was that he was leaving and we threw him a party and I would miss him not stopping by the house.

The limited sight of a child, you know.

It never affected my life until I was in college and my Aunt Janella, who worked at the college I attended and whom I treasured, decided to learn a new language and travel to Bolivia to serve the people.

It overwhelmed me to think of all she was leaving. It overwhelmed me to imagine the things she would see and the conditions in which she would learn to live. And it overwhelmed me with pride to know she was willing to do that – no, was excited to do that – simply because she felt called.

What overwhelmed me the most was that my eyes were finally opened up to a world beyond my doors. To a world of poverty and need and conditions about which my mind was oblivious. And because I got to hear the stories from Janella's perspective, I learned that these were not just faces and statistics on the evening news.

Bolivia was filled with mothers and fathers and brothers and sisters who love just like we love. Who hurt just like we hurt. And who hope for things that we take for granted in the simplest of moments.

After that, although time made it very clear my life would never allow it, I would wonder if that would ever be my calling. If I would ever have the chance to go and be the hands and feet of Christ in that way. If I would ever kneel down and face a child on a dirt road and gaze into eyes that were filled with a story far beyond their years. If I would ever be able to help.

So you can imagine what came over me when Matthew sent me the videos of him meeting my sweet Mariela, the girl he and Jessica allowed me to choose for them to sponsor in my name. I chose her picture, her story. I wrote her a letter and sent her photos and Jessica helped me shop for gifts for her in preparation for Matthew's mission trip.

My heart was already full of prayers for her and excitement over corresponding with her.

But then I saw her sweet smile.

Her shy nature.

The way she took in my story and felt the words in an understanding beyond her years.

The way she looked at the camera when she realized that's where I was, seeing her.

This child has already changed me more than I will ever affect her, I'm sure of it. Because now my world stretches beyond these walls all the way to Bolivia.

{Mariela's message to me}

{Matthew first meeting Mariela}

If you want to help a community better support each other, a family learn trades to earn income, a child to go to school and have the chance to educate themselves into a better future, consider looking into World Vision. They not only help communities, they set the goal of only having to be in a community for 15 years… at which time the community can run all the services for themselves. It's not just helping a child, it's providing a future for an entire village and the generations that will come.

Because not all of us can go be missionaries.

But that doesn't mean we aren't called to a mission.

Family.

Some really amazing things happened on Monday - I got to meet family I have been dying to see.

I got to know Jessica and Matthew around the time their Elias was born, and these beautiful people came to me, opened their hearts and let me be a part of their family. We call, we Skype, we text. We share our good times and our rough times. They've seen me on camera without makeup and barely talking, and they love me like I'm peppy and easily heard.

They love the way I love. With everything they are. And when you're hit with that kind of acceptance you are never the same.

I'm not the same.

On Monday, Jessica walked right through my door and hugged me, and it felt to me like she just finally came home. I don't know how else to explain it.

And THESE TWO. Oh my soul, these two sweet babies that I've been loving through a screen on the computer. They pulled up in the parking lot and Elias' Nana pulled him out of the car seat… I waved from the window and he put his hand over his mouth as if to say, "She's real!" and I melted. I got hugs and kisses from the cutest boy and then snuggled sweet Adeline.

My own personal version of heaven.

I'm going to get more pictures from Jessica and promise I'll do a post to bombard you with every photo there is to show… but right now I want to introduce you to some other family I got to see on Monday.

This is my sweet Mariela. And I love her with all my heart, too.

While Jess was here showing off her babes to me, Matthew is in Bolivia for World Vision. And a few months ago, around my birthday, he and Jess called to tell me they wanted to do something special. They wanted to let me choose a child to sponsor in the village Matthew was going to visit.

And my heart chose Mariela. This beautiful 10-year-old girl, who comes from a big family with two brothers and six sisters, is now going to be helped because of Matthew and Jessica's choice to sponsor her with World Vision.

According to World Vision, the program will help provide Mariela and her community with school supplies and new classrooms, as well as clean water and ongoing medical care, improved nutrition and hygiene. Her mom will learn job skills that will help them increase their family income and raise the standard of living, and through Christian witness she will have a chance to know the love and grace of God.

And she's going to know she is loved and cared for, by God and by me, because I'm going to write to her and remind her all the time.

Mariela loves to draw and play with dolls, just like every other ten year old… but she faces hardships that no ten year olds I know could imagine. This is a gift to me as much as it is to Mariela, and if you have it in your heart – if you've felt that nudge to do more – follow Matthew's journey to Bolivia and consider sponsoring a child, too.

It's a choice I know you'll never regret.

You can't have too much family to love.

Busting with Happy!

Right now, as you're reading this, I am in pure bliss.

Busting. At. The. Seams.

Out of my mind excited and happy.

How can I predict this? Because you'll be reading it on Monday. And on Monday, these people will be in my condo:

 

Ok, Jessica won't be here twice… she's not magical… but she *is* coming with Elias and Adeline just to see me!!!

Can you believe it? I still can't.

They haven't even come yet and I can already tell you we've had a fabulous time, because that's just who Jess is. And can you stand those little faces? I'm going to hug Jess and plop Elias up in bed to play cars with me and hold Miss Adeline and be in heaven for a couple of hours.

All of this is possible because Jessica is staying with her parents in Wisconsin and – get this – her parents are both driving all the way here with Jess and the kids. So I get to see them, too!

It's like Christmas up in here. :)

I'm going to try to be up early enough to get on some mascara because I have a feeling a few cameras may be brought out… and I promise to show you the pictures and tell you all about it.

But, as you may have noticed, Jess' husband Matthew is missing from this scenario. I'm so bummed to not be seeing him, but am really excited about where he is. While his family is here, Matthew is on a trip to Bolivia for World Vision. I'm going to be telling you all about that in the next few weeks, too, because I have a couple of special connections to his trip.

For now, while I'm busy playing and hugging and holding babies, be sure to go over to his site or check in on the page that will be updating all the posts of the bloggers while they are there: http://blog.worldvision.org/forbloggers/bolivia/

Hope you all have a great day… I know I am!!! :)

Please Let This Break Your Heart: Part 2

Yes, I’m posting twice today.

Here’s the thing… The Pioneer Woman is having her 4th anniversary of blogging celebration this week. She is giving away Nikon cameras and Kitchen Aid mixers and iPads.

Yes, I’m entering for all of them.

But the truth of the matter is, I already won her greatest gift. She chose me to correspond with one of the older children that she has paid to sponsor through Compassion. I get to hear from Tsegaye and how he is doing in school and at home… I get to read his words as he now understands that God loves him and provides for him. He is grateful in his circumstances. I have learned so much from him.

When I look at the amazing work World Vision is doing, it makes me want to do more. It makes me want to post twice in one day so you can read these words from Matthew. Words that are hard to read, to apply to our own lives, to imagine a parent ever having to think.

But they do. They live in the world he describes, and we can help them replace these questions with life giving ones. Matthew had the suggestion that if you can’t afford to sponsor a child yourself, maybe you could sponsor with a group of friends. Maybe you can help a child and their family with extended members of your own family.

We’re asking you to read this. And think about it. And pray about it. Because their reality is something we can’t even imagine.

This is a picture of the slum in Santo Domingo.

The slum. Look at it. Smell it. Feel it. Can you taste it?

What would YOU do if you’d been born here? In the slum? In the Santo Domingo slum? What would you do?

Would you stay? Would you runaway? Would you have a choice to stay or runaway?

Would YOU know your father? Your mother? Would you trust your father or mother? Would you? COULD you?

Would you try to run away? Over and over again? Would you TRY to run away?

Would you knock your girlfriend up and then leave? Leave HER to raise your baby alone. Would you do that?

You wouldn’t do that, would you?

Would you sell drugs? Would you USE drugs? Would you use your children to sell drugs in hopes that it would buy YOU more drugs?

Would you find community in the company of gang members? Yep, I used the word “community.” Would gang members be your friends? Would violence define your relationships?

Would you use FEAR to get people to talk to you? To like you? To do things for you?

Would you sell your body?

Would YOU sell your body?

Would you sell YOUR body?

Would you sell YOUR child’s body? Would you? Would you have a choice?

What if your babies needed food?

Would you sell your child’s body?

What if your husband left you with six kids?

Would you sell your child’s body?

What if you had HIV and no way to get medication? Would…

YOU?

Sell your child’s body?

Not for thrill. Not for extra cash. But to survive. Would YOU SELL YOUR CHILD’S BODY?

Would you lose everything in a flood? Would you return to the slum after the flood? What if you didn’t know any different? Would YOU return?

Again and again and again? Would you?

YOU?!

Would you save somebody if you could? Would YOU? Save somebody? Would you?

Poverty asks a lot of questions. Few answers.

How would YOU answer?

World Vision needs your help. Together we can stop poverty from asking the questions.Would you click this link to help?

Would YOU?

Please Let This Break Your Heart

Have you guys been following Jessica’s and Matthew’s blogs this week? I have. And they have broken my heart over, and over, and over again.

In a good way.

In that way that makes me realize I have such first world problems. I’m struggling with how to maneuver my laptop on my bed so I can type with less pain. But to struggle with that, it means I have a home, electricity, a bed and a computer. I am so overwhelmingly blessed to have such problems. Jess and Matthew are in the Dominican Republic this week, blogging for World Vision, and I can feel in their words that they have been changed. I am so proud they are my friends and that they are so obedient to the urging in their hearts to look beyond themselves and serve.

As Jessica has said, she simply wants to teach their son Elias to love God and love people. She is absolutely teaching him by example this week.

I had a hard time choosing a post of theirs to put on here for you to read today, so when you finish, go click on their names at the top of this post and read all they have written. And let it break your heart so it has room to fit in the children of the Dominican Republic.

A Mother's Story

It is hard for me to know where to begin.

The impact World Vision has on communities is astounding.

They provide means of generating an income.

They provide medical care.

They provide educational opportunities.

They provide hope for the future.

They provide love.

I have so many stories to share, but as a mother, this is one that really struck me, and I feel lead to share it with you tonight.

World Vision helped to provide the materials necessary for a small community to build stable housing and sanitation facilities. They took extremely unsafe homes that were made of dilapidated boards and built new homes like this:

We were welcomed into one of these homes by a single-mother named Olga. She is the mother of seven children ranging from ages 4-21. Five of her children are sponsored through World Vision.

She has lived in the small community her whole life. She told us that before World Vision came, the community was like a garbage dump.

A garbage dump. 

Her family lived on the street.

But because of World Vision, she now lives in a safe, structurally sound home. She sells fruits and vegetables in a small stand on the side of the road to make an income and provide for her family.

Thanks to World Vision's child sponsorship program, her children have access to medical care. She said that her daughter was once very sick, but because of World Vision, doctors were able to find the treatment she needed.
Can you imagine caring for seven children, while living on the street?

What would you do when it rained?

How would you feel safe?

Thankfully, Olga feels safe now. Her children are sheltered. They have access to medical care.

World Vision gave this mother and her children hope.

And hearing her story gave me hope too.

Will you give hope to a mother like Olga and sponsor a child through World Vision? Child sponsorship doesn't stop with the child. Its impact spreads to families and communities. $35 a month is nothing to most Americans. I spend that on going out to lunch a few times a month. But that small amount can literally save a child - a family - from so much suffering.