by jeannie | Sep 10, 2012 | buildingaboat |
Last summer we were blessed to spend part of our summer with Young Life in Central America capturing a little bit of what they do. I remembered that I sent this to some friends, but never actually posted online. This video was for the special purpose of thanking donors and supporters across North America and locally. I loved being able to spend time with these people at club, in their homes, and seeing how this community comes together on behalf of the families they serve. ...
by jeannie | Sep 6, 2012 | buildingaboat |
Elementary School is again in session. I’m reminded of how important our words are to our families and our kids as schedules and homework and “routine’ begin to threaten the freedom we felt over the summer. In just two weeks we begin our 5th Grade girls bible study, and already, I am hearing stories of these girls reaching out to new kids, or kids having a bad day, and I see their friendships being rooted in something that matters. It reminded me of last Spring, when these girls all got together after school, and filled balloons with messages of hope, love and encouragement. The excitement they had in releasing the balloons had everything to do with how much they loved being part of something that might speak life into someone that desperately needed it. After praying that the messages go directly to people that needed them, the girls rushed out, counted down from 3, and let them go! I love how in a world of cynicism (especially now in an election year) they are learning early how to choose between speaking life or joining the masses in criticism and negativity. I’m so hopeful for the school year and how some amazing parents are getting it right. Working together in community, and raising thoughtful kids. Let’s really see our kids; see all they can be. Speak life into them and they’ll learn to speak life into...
by jeannie | Jul 20, 2012 | buildingaboat, buildingaboat |
Here’s a few shots of an orphanage in Managua, Nicaragua. I stopped in to see if I could help out, and snapped a few shots while there. The Young Life Expedition team was there, and were doing a great job of loving on the babies and kids that live there. It was beautiful watching babies being held, fed and adored by each of these college...
by jeannie | Jul 14, 2012 | buildingaboat, buildingaboat |
This summer, while in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, we’ve met so many families living poured out lives for the sake of the Gospel. One thing that keeps standing out as we meet each new person is that the one valuable thing they have isn’t within themselves, but rather a complete surrender to Someone they happen to know well. Our Pastor back home wrote yesterday about the great purpose for each ordinary person, and as I read it I remembered how it seems a realization of our own brokenness happens oftentimes just before some of our biggest adventures in faith. He shared how he ran into old friends that are walking away from everything they worked for, everything they thought they ever wanted to make their lives about something more valuable. I feel blessed that God moves in the hearts of all of us. My prayer is that we’ll all learn to listen. Following costs each of us something different b/c our expectations and ideas are different , but we all gain the same thing. Hope in an eternal Truth that brings a freedom you can’t create, buy, or produce on your own. To get it, you search, question, fall, and learn to get back up. Then you learn to trust and to believe. You learn to jump into the unknown, and the adventure builds and builds until you’ve built such a story with the One that guides you that you have to share it. Spending time with the Rodgers family was a high point in our journey while here. Their story was one of longing to go, but...
by jeannie | Jul 5, 2012 | buildingaboat, buildingaboat |
Traveling on the Ticabus from Costa Rica is already slightly daunting, watching closely your bags, your children, your passports, and constantly checking to make sure they are all still with you. As you sit in the buses, you literally put all your bags at your feet, wrapping them around your legs and never in the upper bins at the advice of our Nica friends here. While traveling one day from Costa Rica headed back through a town called, Rivas, we were met by an American that currently lives here in Central America. Initially on the bus he takes the seat across the aisle from our Libby. It didn’t take long before an unsettling feeling was around us. He seemed unsafe although he looked perfectly normal. As we were approaching the border from Costa Rica where we all file out, get our passports stamped, and wait for a long time in the hot sun, I overheard a conversation in Spanish from this man on his phone. I understood enough to know he was speaking of children and money. Children and money. I thought to myself, “Not that, God.” I just kept listening and praying in my seat. I couldn’t be sure, but I felt a sense of danger. I always try to minimize things, and talk myself out of them. This is always my default. Could I have imagined or am I over-reacting? Did I misunderstand what I thought I heard? And all along, my hope is that I am dead wrong about this guy. We cross the border, and as we get back on the bus and...
