Be a YES MOM!

When my two younger boys were 12 and 14, they ran inside one hot summer days and asked, “Mom…it’s so hot outside! Can we see if it’s hot enough to cook an egg on the sidewalk?” The practical side of me started to say no, but then I caught...

A Boy Named Ombeni

His eyes sparkled. He smiled ear to ear. When we told him we were friends of his sponsor (she’s a Hearts at Home mom) and that we had come to visit him and bring him gifts, he lit up. Ombeni is 17 years old. He lived in a mud and stick house in a small...

I cried at the sight…

We pulled up by the church we were to visit.  Immediately, over 40 women, all with a baby in their arms or on their back, cheered loudly and ran out the door to greet us warmly. We are heroes to them because we represent the help they’ve been given during their...

Where your letters go…

Letters. They are a core component of the Compassion sponsor/child relationship. When we visited Theresia on Saturday, she had a 9×12 manila envelope, damp from the stick and mud home she lived in, full of every letter and every picture we sent her over the...

Our Day with the Maasai Tribe

His name is Topiko. His sponsor is Keli. Two hearts knit together through child sponsorship. Two lives changed forever. Keli decided to sponsor Topiko at a Hearts at Home conference. Her family has prayed for him, written to him, and sponsored him for just $38 a...

Church in Tanzania

Yesterday we went to church in Tanzania.  No, let me rephase that….we went to CHUUUUUURCH!  This folks know how to celebrate God! Here’s a brief video of what we experienced: Church in Tanzania We also had to say goodbye to Theresia.  That broke my heart,...

A Hope and a Future

She’s a beautiful woman now. When we began sponsoring her, we believed in her possibility and we hoped for her future. Today hope and a future are reality. Theresia, now 22, is changing her world. Where do I even begin to share about all that has transpired...

I’d like for you to meet…

We chose her because we figured someday she’d be a mom. That’s only appropriate for a bunch of leaders in a mom ministry, right? While many of our families sponsor children, seven years ago, the Hearts at Home team decided to pool our resources and sponsor...

Love in Guatemala

While you’re reading this, I’m likely on an airplane somewhere between Europe and Africa. I’m sure my contacts have dried out and my teeth are feeling a bit furry…but I digress. When I went to El Salvador 5 years ago, Debbie followed the trip...

I’m not ready…

As I shared with you last week, I have the opportunity to travel to Tanzania with Compassion, International. I’m leaving today. I’m not ready. I’m not ready to leave my family. I’m not ready for 20 hours on an airplane. Even more than that, I...

Ultimate Blog Party Day 2 Giveaway

If you’re here for the first time from the Ultimate Blog Party, welcome!  I blog regularly about faith, family, parenting, marriage, and more!  Stay around for a little while and find all the goodies on my blog.  Don’t miss the free downloads I have, too,...

Best of 2010: Parenting Strategies That Work

Mark and I have been working with our teenage sons this year on the concept of “freedoms.”  We recently sat down with the boys and had a discussion about how we use our time.  We discussed three categories that our activities fall into:Things we...

Best of 2010: Homemade Freezer Cookies

I have a confession to make.  If there’s sugar in the house, I have no self-control.  Seriously…I’ve learned that the only way to stay true to a healthy diet is to keep sweet treats out of the house.But I don’t want to deprive my kids...

Some gifts left to give…

I shared these thoughts in the Hearts at Home eNews last week and I don’t usually repeat myself from the eNews to the blog. However, I thought this message is important enough to repeat for the handful of you who receive both publications and to share them with...