Lent and 40 Days

This year for Lent I decided to give up sweets. I thought it would be a good idea.

Reason #1. I have a major sweet tooth.
Reason #2. I have a major sweet tooth.
Reason #3. Lent is supposed to be an exercise of sacrifice to remind us of the sacrifices Jesus made for us.

Well, I don't know if anything magical has happened yet.
To be completely honest, I am wondering if it was a waste to attempt giving up sweets in this season.
If I should be focusing more on what I need to do, and not what I need to not do.
If I'm losing the reason for the season by focusing my thoughts on something that is ultimately so inconsequential. I won't have anything to show for it. I might not cause people to give a second thought.
I haven't experienced any major revelations yet...
...but I'm going to keep on keeping on for the next month...



In other news, we're in the middle of the 40 Days of Prayer!
But don't worry, if you missed it you still have time to get involved!

Here you can see George speak on the importance of this project:





And here you can get a copy of our prayer outline:

http://www.handsatwork.org/storage/newsletters/2014/nl02-14/40DaysofPrayer_2014.pdf



The 40 Days of Prayer are really a very special time. I experienced them last year on Africa soil: I was in South Africa for kick off and in Zambia for the 2nd half. You learn so much about people when you pray with them. There are amazing, intangible lessons you might not even be aware of at the time. When I think back on the prayers at lunch time in the chapel in South Africa in contrast with the early morning prayers in the Service Center in Kitwe, the memories are so different and yet so uniformly important. This year, being on American soil and separated from the other Hands Advocates by distance, it is amazing to feel united through technology. Sharing our prayers and reflections to each other. We are slowly knitting ourselves together as the family God hoped we would become.

Winter is drawing to a close and spring is hovering on the horizon.
It's a new year with fresh possibilities and challenges. Recently, I've been thinking about money. Not in the obsessive, all consuming way. In the general way when things just come to mind. I'm not one of those people who has a favorite vice. I go through phases. Sometimes it's gummy candy, sometimes it's chocolate, or baked goods or ice cream. Before lent, ice cream was the big ticket. (Which is weird, because it was freezing! but nevertheless...) So I just kept thinking: if I go to the store and buy Ben and Jerry's ice cream, it is $3.88 for one container. (See that? I didn't even need to look that price up! That is the recent state of my relationship with Ben and Jerry's!) If I eat a little over one container a week, say five containers in a month that is $19.40 and that is enough to support one child for a month! I'm not an obsessive ice cream consumer, but if I get on an ice cream kick I could easily spend $20/month on ice cream. I love ice cream but, as previously stated, I need to reign in my sweet tooth and I need to recognize the needs of others as swiftly as I recognize the wants of myself. Ice cream is great, but it is gone in a matter of minutes. Support for our kids in Africa could change their lives forever.

I'll still indulge my sweet tooth, but I'll do it after filling a need for someone else.
Maybe instead of reigning in my sweet tooth, I need to unleash generosity on others.
Like George said, we need to saturate our lives with prayer. They will transform us, and our world.
Maybe one day I'll have such a generous heart that I'll be sweet even without my sweet tooth.

Landslide

I was driving home from work today and  Fleetwood Mac's 'Landslide' came on the radio.





Friday night in the dark and dreary cold of winter but to me it was as if the clouds had parted and the sun was shining bright. It was a moment. One of those moments where everything falls into place exactly as it should and things just click. But let me backtrack for minute...

After leaving my home church, the shock-waves in my life began to settle. I began to dig in to my new normal. New church, new Sunday school class, new ladies Bible study, and a new home group. I also have had the immense privilege to get to know possibly the cutest couple known to mankind: they are not only Christians with an amazing gift of hospitality, but they have amazing love for Jesus Christ and His work in their lives! With new relationships being formed all the time, and relationships with friends from home and friends in Africa getting stronger, I feel stronger. I'm finally breathing again. Not the shallow, sharp breaths I would draw throughout those weeks when it was all I could do to get by, but deep, full breaths that fill you entirely and make everything feel new. Fresh. The best kind of breaths. But when you begin to feel strengthened within the Lord, He reminds you to let go of lingering dead weight.

Last entry I likened myself to a clay pot that is being reformed all the time; today I feel like a rock climber. I have trained for the task and I have an idea of what I might be capable of. I know my goal and the endurance it will require. I am excited at the challenges that lie ahead, yet I am stuck. Paralyzed by the deadweight that remains in my pack. I long to move forward, but it longs to hold me back.

I am constantly surrounded by two worlds. I have all the physical reminders of my past life. The safe, comfortable life. Favorite books, programs for events I have attended, school notes and other 'useful' items. Some items I have let go; others I am not ready to let go of. Others still, I feel obligated to keep. Because they were gifts, because I could/should/would use them or, worse still, because I am expected to use them. These things are juxtaposed with my other world: my African world. Things tangible and intangible alike. With my awareness that my possessions do not ensure or enhance my life, and that they unremarkable and replaceable. Empty things that remain in contrast with my irreplaceable friendships. I have been blessed with friends who have seen my ugliest parts and yet still see the hand of God in my life. Friends who remind me to stop looking at the darkness in the valley and instead look for the light over the hills. Friends who make me appreciate their friendship and inspire me to be a better friend. I am truly blessed.

So here I sit. Literally. If you really know me, you know I spend 90% of my free time sitting on the floor, but moving on... I sit surrounded by the things I should do, reminders of a life everyone always assumed I would live. Things that have weight, and it's a heavy weight. The weight of missed opportunities, unmet expectations and constantly falling short. The truth is that I still find some sense of identity in these items, and, whether or not I want to admit it, they also play into my perception of self worth. I went from being a super involved kid in high school to being a hardworking college student. At one point I was working three part time jobs and taking a full class schedule. After graduation, one of my part time jobs turned into a full time job. I never missed a beat and never took a break. Never taking a break meant never taking the time to examine my perception of self, identity and self worth. After spending time in Africa, I see my room full of things that don't add value to my life and do not actually implicate my self worth in anyway - even if I once thought they did.

These feelings, like these physical possessions, keep me stuck. They urge me forward, but without kinetic energy to get things moving, I remain transfixed. But I still hear the call, and have the desire to answer. From Marc Damour's post on the Hands at Work page, to ladies Bible study where we just read chapter 3 of Having a Mary Spirit by Joanna Weaver - a chapter that is all about our battle against the flesh, and finally to moving forward within Hands US and the Communications team in South Africa with the hope of intentionally telling our story and effectively sharing the heart of Hands within the US... Then the lyrics of Stevie Nicks hit me like a speeding train:

"Well, I've been afraid of changing
 'Cause I've built my life around you
 But time makes you bolder
 Even children get older
 And I'm getting older too"

That line. ''Cause I've built my life around you.' What a heavy thing. Only I am the 'you'. I have built a life around myself. It's like ice that melts into water. The molecules are actually further apart when they are frozen, but when they are liquid the molecules become more compact. My comfortable life has compacted; the molecules in my identity are so close-knit that there is barely any room for God to move in my life. In order to keep my current situation intact, because it is comfortable and it is what I know, I have been holding onto things. Desperately clinging to two worlds, while I am on the verge of ripping apart. It is impossible to hold onto two worlds. Useful things are not useful if they are not used. Most importantly, I cannot hang on to the person I was while I am striving to become the person God intends me to be. If I try to keep my life intact as it currently is, I will never make it to the top of the climb. The weight will simply be too much to bear. (I honestly wasn't suave enough to plan the Landslide lyrics reference coinciding with my rock climbing reference - that was either inspired writing or a happy accident! so don't give me the credit, but I must say it is a nice touch!) I cannot be afraid of change, I must welcome and embrace it, trusting in God all the while. After all, I have let go of so much and it has been worth every moment of indecision and strife. All the tears and heartbreak have been justified by His holy name. And, like the song says, I am getting bolder. Overcoming the challenges and feeling stronger on the other side has made me bold about my faith and willing to share how God is working in my life. Through all the exciting changes and challenges, one thing is clear:

"He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John 3:30 [ HCSB]

I have tomorrow off, it is thankfully a quiet Saturday, I have no formal plans and I am optimistic that I will be able to  at least climb a few steps higher on the rock. Denying another piece of myself to make room for growth in Christ.

Fleetwood Mac. "Landslide." Fleetwood Mac. Reprise, 1975.

One.

At this time last year I was on African soil, getting settled in at the Village.

After two days of travel, I had been picked up at the airport by Marj and George. I had a chance to get settled in my room and take a shower before Marj offered me lunch and a walk around the HUB to see where everything is. This may or may not have been an incentive to keep me awake and my jet lag at bay ;-)

I remember being on sensory overload, going through the motions of putting my things away in my new home. I remember relishing the water in the shower after two+ days of travel. I remember my prayers. My fervent, urgent prayers. Prayers that included my immediate feelings of culture shock to wrestling with God's direction for my life. A year later, my life is essentially exactly the same. (Minus the temperature difference!)

Today, despite being in my home, I feel I am living life as a visitor. An outsider.

Today I am cleaning out my closet. Technically it's mostly cleaned out and I just have to wash and box things for charity. I went shopping last night. It was the first time in a long time. I don't relish the idea of spending money on clothes, but I had clothes I wasn't wearing that I just didn't want to part with. I'm not sure why honestly, it was various sentimental reasons I suppose. When I brought home my haul (total of 7 items) it was easy to let go of the pile I had discarded. Out with the old, the unworn and unusued, and in with the new. I'm also letting go of another pile of books. I'm a visitor in my former life. I'm not the same, and my life isn't either. Holding on to things for the next ten years won't make a difference. So I am packing up my old life to make room for my new life. New responsibilities at work, a new church family, a new women's Bible study (yes!!!), and a new heart.

These last two months have been tough. They have been painful and they have been worth it! If our lives are as lumps of clay on a potter's wheel where God is the potter, I am really being reshaped! I took ceramics in college. I was horrible at it, especially the potter's wheel unit! I remember the concepts, the intentions and the tools. If I'm a clay pot, I'm not really sure what I looked like two months ago... but I know what the process felt like. For one month, mid-November thru mid-December, it felt like He used a wire clay cutter to cut the excess away. It was painful, the act of letting go. Then He began to reshape what was left with a wooden rib. He really applied pressure so that I could be formed into something stronger. Something I wasn't sure I could be. This week He is cleaning out the inside. He is taking the rib up and down the inside of the vessel, of my heart, to get rid of anything that shouldn't be there and reshape what is left.

So today I let go of things that shouldn't still be here, and make room for what could be here. Remembering lessons that I've learned in Africa and that I am continuing to learn here at home.

A Different Kindof Year and A Different Kindof Post

So, some of you, and by 'you' I mean all the Americans out there who happen to be residing in western Pennsylvania, might have heard a rumor. Except it's only a rumor if it's not true... always getting caught up in technicalities. But I digress...

My home church, where I have gone my entire life, is officially no longer my home.

That doesn't mean I don't love and care about all of you.
That doesn't mean that I hate you, or wish you any ill-will.

It means God is doing things in my life.
It means that I've been called to unfamiliar territory and new adventures.
It means that I've finally listened.

This has been something I have wrestled with for quiet some time.
I was content to keep wrestling.
Until I found something more important to wrestle with.

I'm the same as you, but I've experienced difference experiences.
I've been dealt a different hand.
I don't know if I will ever get married or have my own biological children.

And I don't care.
Afterall, I already have over 100 children of my own.

Children that are growing, that need new clothes, and want a cellphone.
A cellphone that doesn't work, just so they can play with it and pretend.
Children that have so much energy I want to pull out my hair,
all while making me smile and see the world through new eyes.

Children that have experienced terrible things. Death, loss, heartache and hunger.
Children that have been forgotten.

I would gladly give my life if it meant that these children would be remembered.
That someone would care enough to put the needs of these children ahead of their own wants.

I've been called to a new season, and a new church.
A church I hope will help me grow in my faith, and help me be a better advocate for my kids.
If I don't share my stories, how will anyone know them?
How will anyone love them?

"Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: 

to look after orphans and widows in their distress 

and to keep oneself unstained by the world." 

-James 1:27[HCSB]

'Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, 

for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."'

  -Matthew 19:14[NIV]

God has radically changed my life in these past twelve months.

I hate to say that, because I feel like that has become such a cliche - but, alas, it is true.

My world has been rocked in areas that I didn't even realize was possible.

So far I'm rolling with the punches. Adapting and growing.

I'm ready for a new phase and new adventures. New friends and new challenges.

Thankfully I have found a church that will make me feel more 'at home.'

Almost like being in Africa, just on the wrong side of the pond.

I am always missing Africa.

Always waiting for the day that I will be called back.

My heart is missing a huge piece...

But I still have a heart! And you're in it!

Whether we talk often or rarely, I probably think of you more often than it would seem

and admire you more often than you realize.

I'll be praying for all of the good things I know God has planned for your lives.

I hope you will do the same.

The Great Movie Debate

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;

old things have passed away, and look, new things have come."

-2 Corinthians 5:17

On Black Friday I had been ordering some movies for my nephews.  I had asked what they wanted for Christmas and there weren't too many things. Not on the list that was passed onto me, anyway. So I wanted to get them a few movies that I knew they wanted and would enjoy. Of course there was also a significant sale, being Black Friday, so I ordered a few titles I wanted but might not have bought otherwise. 

One of the movies was something I had seen. Years ago, maybe even a decade. At the time I watched it with my Sunday School class at Church. There was discussion of the overall themes of the movie. About how we respond to and treat others, how we deal with situations beyond our control, and always holding onto hope. When I was in Africa I remember two people talking about it, and how they thought it was a great movie. These inspecific, fleeting memories were all I had to associate with the movie so I bought it, hoping for the best. I hoped in vain.

I won't go as far to say that it's a bad movie. The movie itself was well done. It had the ideal casting of characters, amazing camera work, and it just came together well. But inspite of myself, due to the language and sexual content, I couldn't appreciate the movie as entertainment. It didn't make me feel good. Not that 'feel good' is the goal but this movie was one that left me with a pit in my stomach and certainly not feeling entertaied. I was so displeased with the movie that even the overall positives themes were lost in the wake of my gut reaction. I know, I know. There are things in life that are bad; they happen and sometimes they happen to good people. Terrible things happen - but I can watch the news or listen to the circumstances of people I have met. I don't need to watch a fictional movie to see terrible things in a larger than life, glorified way. This is really a matter of personal preference. I feel a conviction to be more mindful of the things I watch, read, or listen to. Sometimes it is so easy to become overly absorbed in this temporal world. I want to set my focus on other things. On helping others, and always on remembering that this is not my home. 

I've been thinking a lot about 2 Corinthians Chapter 5[HCSB]:

Our Future after Death

For we know that if our temporary, earthly dwelling is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands. ² Indeed, we groan in this body, desiring to put on our dwelling from heaven, ³ since, when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. ⁴ Indeed, we groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that mortality may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ And the One who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment.
⁶ So, we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. ⁷ For we walk by faith, not by sight, ⁸ and we are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹ Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the tribunal of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or worthless.
¹¹ Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord, we seek to persuade people. We are completely open before God, and I hope we are completely open to your consciences as well. ¹² We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who take pride in the outward appearance rather than in the heart. ¹³ For if we are out of our mind, it is for God; if we have a sound mind, it is for you. ¹⁴ For Christ’s love compels us, since we have reached this conclusion: If One died for all, then all died. ¹⁵ And He died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the One who died for them and was raised.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

¹⁶ From now on, then, we do not know anyone in a purely human way. Even if we have known Christ in a purely human way, yet now we no longer know Him in this way. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. ¹⁸ Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us. ²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” ²¹ He made the One who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Again, this post might not be for everyone. Maybe not now, maybe not ever. But it is based on a thought that has settled in my heart, nagging me until I pay it proper attention. I'll draw attention to verse 20, it says: Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.”

That, to me, is huge. "Be reconciled to God." So what exactly does that mean? I like to know exactly what I'm signing up for, or what the specific expectations might be. You can find what Merriam-Webster says here or what the Oxford Dictionary says here. Personally, I prefer the wording of the Oxford Dictionary in this case.

Two points that stuck out to me are 1) the point is to be in agreement 2) even when you don't want to be. That is huge. In our lives, so often it seems that our world is made up of water and our relationship with God is made up of oil. Oil and water do not mix. They are not compatible. We try and try to saturate our lives with God, but so quickly we lose the goodness of God. The moment we stop being diligent it slips away, pushed out by the water of the world. Of course, as any salad-lover knows, an emulsifier can solve this problem with ease. Like egg yolks, lemon juice, or mustard. Or in this case, the Holy Spirit. 

Still with me? Sorry about the massive tangent, I'm an abstract random learner so sometimes I must admit it seems to take forever for me to get where I'm going...sheesh! The point of this particular tale is that I have made so many changes in the last year. Some I saw coming, some came out of the proverbial 'nowhere.' This year I want to welcome them all and embrace the process, clinging to where the Holy Spirit might move me. Exciting things are happening in my life! When it comes to the bits about 'just me', first and foremost, I will be putting the rest of my DVD collection to the test. See? You made it, it happened: we're back to square one!

Hands Family Recap

Belated Merry Christmas!!!

Now that I've been sidelined with a cold and pink eye managed to sit still for more than five minutes, it is probably about time that I recap my last few months here in America.

Working full time, it can be so easy to become focused on the task at hand and not on the bigger picture. In October the Hands USA Family had our first Advocates Family reunion. I had only met a handful of the people in attendance, and those people for only a very short time. It was amazing to be able to take time to get to know them, foster relationships with each other and hear updates from George about what is going on in the field - with our kids, and our amazing volunteers and staff. There were 24 people, or so, in attendance and it was amazing and re-energizing to spend time in fellowship with each other. There are pockets in the country where multiple Advocates live and can support each other, but there are also regions with only one family or one lone advocate. I am one of those loners. We all keep in contact via email, facebook, texting - and in November we had our first Advocates Skype session! Still, it is lonely work - being a world away from the people we are fighting for and hours away from the people standing by our side fighting the same fight.

It was a blessed weekend. Things kicked off on Friday. As it happened, Lauren, Sara, and I all landed within an hour of each other and we were followed shortly by Brooke and George. So I met Lauren and Sara at the airport first and got a chance to chat with them while we waited for Brooke and George's flight to land. We had lunch and discussed some Hands business. As the newbie of the group I was just there because my flight happened to line up, so I just took it all in. It's amazing to see the hearts of everyone and how their lives have really been transformed by the work we do. Not to much later Craig, whom I had met briefly is South Africa, picked us up from O'Hare and drove us to Kenosha. Once we were dropped off at Ruth and Andy's house, where we would be for the weekend, Ruth had already set up everything for the weekend. Her family was going to the high school football game, so Brooke, Sara and I hung out at the house prepping for the sessions the next day and eating food brought to us by people we had never met! Chloe, another Advocate, was unable to attend the weekend because she was sick but she is the person to  know! She had so many people bringing us food to eat the next day, it was unbelievable - what a blessing!

That Saturday was amazing. Jed and his parents had arrived to Ruth and Andy's late the night before, so they were there for breakfast. After that, people just kept coming. Some I knew via Facebook and email, while others were completely new to me. After grabbing a quick breakfast with everyone, our morning began as they do in Africa - praying together. Right away we got to the heart of our weekend and prayed about the injustice that faces our children. Right away the tears began as God broke our hearts for these children all over again. Once the prayer was finished and the criers (myself included!) had dried our eyes, we got into our first session. It was an easy one: introducing ourselves to the group! Lauren had made this really cool prezi presentation to highlight where we are from across the United States. We had been asked to submit photos prior to the weekend and when your photo popped up on the map it was your turn to tell your story. Once we knew each other a little better, we turned it over to George. Anytime George speaks its truly amazing how he speaks the heart of God. The Advocates all have different levels of familiarity with Hands; some of our Advocates were in the first group of volunteers SEVEN years ago and a lot has changed in those seven years! George gave an overview of the current country profiles for the eight countries we serve in, and highlighted our key staff members from each country. This was, for lack of a better world, brutal.

When you tell someone that you have been to Africa with a non-profit organization in orphan care they almost always respond with a comment about what an amazing experience it must have been and what kindof sacrifices you must have made. Once you meet the people working with us on the ground, our reaction couldn't be more different. It is an amazing, blessing experience, but the sacrifices we make are so trivial in comparison to the locals. As George updated us about what is going on in the field in each of our countries, he highlighted the personal battles our staff are faced with. Hands at Work wants to form relationships first, and inspire change second. We must know in our hearts our workers, our volunteers and our children - by name. We must know their stories, their heartbreak, and their dreams. We give them a voice. When you go to the field with our workers, they are such strong pillars on the outside. It is easy to forget that they too were once broken children. They try so hard to be strong for their communities that they don't always show their vulnerable side. George has the distinct privilege of knowing them, and knowing them so well that he knows their darkest secrets. He told us stories of men being mocked in the communities they grew up in, who had to fight to be taken seriously. He told us stories of workers who were repeatedly interrogated and beaten by the police because they do not trust our work. He told us stories of workers who had their cars confiscated. He told the story of my dear friend, whom I met in my last week in South Africa, who was teaching 200 children by himself when Hands found him and offered to help. His school children would walk for up to two hours just for the chance to sit in a crowded room where by the grace of God he managed to teach 13 different classes. Just unimaginable, heartbreaking sacrifices.  Sacrifices made by amazing, amazing workers who willingly take these sacrifices because anyone of them would put their lives on the line before allowing any of the international volunteers to be put into a compromising position. To say that we make sacrifices is a joke. It is a cruel disservice to the heart of these dedicated workers. Needless to say, as George spoke there were lots of tears. And we prayed again, and there were more tears. I cannot even find words to do justice to describing the way my heart breaks when I think about it.

This was our first Hands US Advocate event, so after a quick break, we broke into groups to discuss the role of Advocates and how to be a better Advocate. Then Brooke highlighted some of the materials we have at our disposal to spread the vision of Hands to our churches and our communities. We wrapped up with Sara, from Queens, NY,  sharing her story and how Hands has impacted her life. [I had not met Sara prior to the Hands Advocate weekend, but she went to South Africa in 2011 and also served in Kitwe, Zambia where I spent four weeks so that was a cool connection!] There were a few things that had been planned that didn't happen, but as in Africa, we build the plane while we fly... We certainly made the most of our time together, but we did take a quick time out to take some group photos!

Hands strives to continually "build the wall" referencing Nehemiah 2, where Nehemiah inspects the wall around Jerusalem. We want to build walls of protection around each other and around our children, so at this event we each got our own bricks to symbolize the bricks we want and need to keep our walls strong.

After our mini photo session, those of us who could stay around went out to dinner with each other to spend more time just bettering our relationships with each other. That night Sara and I caught up with Ruth and Andy and relaxed while watching some classic TV shows before bed.

Sunday morning we were up and on our way to Racine to worship at Grace, Craig and Brenda's church, where George was speaking. Their church is much larger than my home church, and going to a different church and seeing how they worship is always a great experience! After spending some time at their Hands table, where they were offering information and also raising support for our kids, we were off. We grabbed lunch at a sub shop and then loaded up for the airport. Well, we were driving to the Brat Stop to catch the shuttle to the airport but even though we were early the shuttle was still too early for us! So we raced off to Chicago and got to the airport in time. My flight was first, so after saying our goodbyes and thanks to Ruth and Wanda, Sara and Michelle saw me off. Security wasn't too bad, although I couldn't fit my brick into my bag so I got a few strange looks walking in O'Hare on my way to the gate.

It was an unforgettably, immensely wonderful and blessed weekend! I am so thankful for all of the Hands Family I have had the chance to meet from all over the globe: We are willing, God is faithful and I am so excited to see where He leads us next!

True Love, pt 2

 Years after our small town community was shocked by his accident, by the loss of the Ian everyone knew, and heartbreak for Larissa, now there is more press on Ian and Larissa than ever. Here is a feature on their story from people.com


http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20750899,00.html