Our Vintage Christmas Sponsors!

What’s a Vintage Christmas Party? 

Old fashion fun, delicious treats and sharing in friendship with some of our favorite people!   A chocolate fountain, home baked goodies, Christmas carols sung to the sound of an accordion, cute and tacky Christmas fashion, and the debut of our 2013 Embrace Compassion Promo video! 

Need I say, it is going to be a grand time?

Such a generous Christmas spirit has started with our business sponsors…we couldn’t do it without them!

Immix Law Group

Bridges Financial & Realty Group

Landmark Professional Mortgage Company

US Tax Services

Fisher Roofing

Clackamas River Plumbing

Passion can be Overwhelming

What I am speaking of, Overwhelming Passion, is one that never leaves your soul.  It is a love that is birthed deep inside and oozes out through all you do.  When it truly takes hold, when love overwhelms your very being,  it can’t be shaken or broken of left outside. 

It shows up as tenderness in tough situations, it looks like patience and kindness with inconveniences and sometimes it can be perceived as generosity when there is lack.  I know I want more of it and I want it more often.  I believe it is what drives me to ask, “What can I do to make a difference?”  It propels me to take action toward compassion.  It saturates me with a desire to make a difference.  An Overwhelming Passion for the people is what gives me the desire to rally my friends around me.  I know I can’t do it alone, yet I can’t walk away. 

Passion consumes me for clean water, it consumes me for classrooms and teachers, and consumes me with a hope for the people that surpasses all understanding.

A classroom in our village and water jugs.

My 14.1oz Stove…Pure Delight!

What’s the big deal about cooking?  Why not just the old fashion way with firewood?  Don’t they have electric stoves?  Can’t you just take food with you?

I know it shouldn’t seem like it would be that complicated, but it is one of the details that has consumed my mind searching for a solution.  There are a number of reasons why I have been concerned regarding cooking for this extended trip, but also for the possibility of leaving an alternative cooking source for Alex’s mom who is elderly.  Wood and trees are scarce in the village.  Children and women have to carry wood often stacked high on their back for very long distances.  Some people become designated “wood carriers” as a profession.  Often these “people” are very young girls.  As a result, their bodies don’t develop well and it causes a multitude of complications including but not limited to difficulty having babies themselves and can cause them to die or tear inside.  Gathering wood also takes a tremendous amount of time and keeps them out of school sometimes.

When I travel, I don’t want to be a burden to the families.  I already know that I will probably bring hardship in some way.  I hope I will bring more good than bad, and thinking through as many possible scenarios or difficulties ahead of time has been a very important goal of mine.  So, needless to say, cooking has been one of them. 

I have been searching for an alternate food cooking source for mama after I leave.  Her eyes are quite terrible, and Alex believes the constant smoke continues to damage them.  What if we could provide her with a tiny compact stove that would eliminate her or the grandkids having to carry wood and eliminate the awful smoke.  I believe it is worth a try.  If we pilot such a program, maybe we could pass on the knowledge and the hope to other mud huts in the village.  We could start something that would stop the trees being taken down prematurely and damaging the ecosystem because the trees are not replanted, it could potentially break the acceptable torture of young girls carry loads so much heavier than their tiny frames can handle and it could minimize damage done by constant smoke in the eyes and especially for the elderly.  Just maybe…I would like to try.

As far as electricity, this village, some 14 hours outside of the capitol city does not yet have electricity for everyone, especially those in the surrounding valley.  And for me, I want to live with the people, not run off to my suitcase for every meal searching for an energy bar.  Besides, 40 days of energy bars is just a little too much for the best of such and I certainly would rather pack my suitcase with treasures that will help the people, not sustain my inability to connect over a simple meal.

So tonight, I am very excited about my little treasured stove that I found that will burn kerosene that can be purchased where be buy automobile gas.  I think it is less than 1 pound.  Glorious!  We shall see!

Anticipation of the Journey

Fall is in the air and the holidays are just around the corner.  Life moves so quickly.  I am in awe that it is that time again to prepare for what has become an annual adventure.  I am filled and nearly bursting at the seams with anticipation.  This visit will be unique to the others.  It lends itself to be complicated.  Messy. Extreme.  Delicate.

 Thinking of the trip can bring some doubt, fear and even misunderstandings.  I am rattled to the core with what I believe God is leading me to do.  40 days.  I can hardly even say the words.  Yes, leaving my family, traveling across the world and staying in the remote village where God took us as a family just over two years ago.  No power, no bathrooms, only the running water of a hand dug well that we assisted the people in digging a little over a year ago.  I will not count the privilege of being in that place until my feet hit the soil, but if God allows, I will be staying with mamma in her beautiful mud hut.

So many questions are swirling.  Only God can take my inadequacies, my doubt, my insecurities and bring peace, joy, contentment, clarity and hope.  We have to be careful who we share with because we don’t want to bring disappointment to those who are watching.  What if it won’t all come together as planned?  Will we bring more harm or hurt than good?  I am choosing to leave my feelings and emotions aside and take one faith step in front of the other.  I am preparing to go.  I am preparing to love.  I am preparing to be blessed by the people I am visiting.  Only God. Only Me. One step at a time.