Figs for a Cause

My friend Skipper and her husband are leading a trip to Egypt this November to work with Habitat for Humanity. The traveling group is all married couples, going to help improve some of the substandard housing in the Nile Valley region. Skipper and I went to work with Habitat in Egypt in 2009 and when she got home, her husband loved her stories so much he began to pray that they could go back one day together.

That time is near. Skipper & Preston are doing a bunch of creative things to help fundraise for their trip overseas. It costs about $2700 a person (but part of that money goes towards actually donating to Habitat to make the loans for the houses they will help build). One brainstorm Skipper had last week, as we were picking figs from my tree, was to make fig preserves to sell.

After an hour of picking we had one giant bucket of fresh figs. That night, Skipper worked her kitchen magic and made jar after jar fresh fig preserves. She came back to my house 4 days later and picked 3 more buckets full of figs to work with. Wendy & her climbed our tree to pluck every last ripe fig in 100 degree heat.

Skipper has so far cooked around 30 jars of the goods, and is selling it for $10 a jar. All the money is going towards her trip fundraising. I bought a jar and it is to die for... so yummy!!!!!

So, if you are reading this and want to purchase some, you can email her at skipper.mcwithey@yahoo.com

(pictured here, Skipper and our team standing on the roof we just built for a family in a small village in Upper Egypt.)

Holy Cow! (An Indian Adventure)

In 2005, Andy & I traveled to India 3 months after the tsunami hit. We had already planned the trip to go and work with 2 orphanages in the state of Orissa through Austin non-profit, The Miracle Foundation (TMF) before the big wave. But after the tragedy, we asked to extend our trip to be able to go down to the tsunami affected region and see how TMF was meeting the needs of the devastated community.

During the first leg of our travels we were with a team of a dozen Americans who were serving alongside us. And someone brought HOLY COW: An Indian Adventure to read. The book was passed around to multiple readers, read aloud over dinner and break times, and the whole group was constantly finding release in the laughter that this book provoked. I cannot tell you if this book is as funny to someone who has never traveled to India, but to us it was affirmation that our thoughts about how crazy this country was were not, well, crazy.
The author (a native Aussie) recounted her tales of living in India for 2 years (following a fiance who was on work assignment in the country) and her constant confrontation with the diversity and chaos that makes this country so wonderful & terrible all at the same time. When we were there, I cried almost every night in our hotel room talking to Andy about the difficulty of this land. I hated it. Yet it still drew me in. By the time we were on the airplane returning to the States, I turned to Andy and confessed: "I hope God never calls me back to this country, but if He did, I would go." Andy was dumbfounded. And here I am, 5 years later, and I feel the stir to return nudging me.

In the opening pages of Holy Cow, the author shares a similar story. She had traveled around India 10 years prior with a girlfriend, and in the preface she describes her final moments at the airport as she left: "I break into a run, push onto the plane and sink into my seat. As we take off I give smog-swirled New Delhi the finger. 'Good-bye and good-riddance, India. I hate you and I'm never, never ever coming back.'" (p.3) And yet she did.

Some passages I found myself near tears with laughter as she paints the "colorful" picture of locals in the midst of everyday Indian life (including burping, drawn-out calls for chaaaaaaaaai, and the uniquely Indian head-wobble which says yes, no, and maybe all wrapped into one). Some passages I was near tears from the pain and inner conflict I felt at her portrait of the poor, the beggars, the sick that pepper every roadside in every city (including modern day lepers, burying the dead by placing them in the river, and passing never-ending slums in the heart of every city).

She explains it well when she writes, that its pointless to try and "figure out" India. "India is beyond statement, for anything you say, the opposite is also true. It's rich and poor, spiritual and material, cruel and kind, angry but peaceful, ugly and beautiful, and smart but stupid. It's all the extremes. India defies understanding... My confinement here is different-- I'm trapped by heat and by a never-ending series of juxtapositions... What's more, India's extremes are endlessly confronting." (p. 107). This is so true!

If you (a Westerner) have ever been to India, this book will make you feel normal for all the frustrations and love affairs you had in your mind while there. If you've never been to India-- but want to go-- this book will help you capture a glimpse of the wonderful, terrible confusion that lies ahead. No matter how hard I try, India will not leave my heart. And I would whole-heartedly tell anyone to travel there. Go. See it. Experience it. Love it. Hate it. And go back.

Oh ya, and read this book! It's a perfect travelogue to be your companion to a foreign land.

West Texas Vacation

In The Beginning... from The Austin Stone on Vimeo.

We just returned home from a Texas-sized road trip to Marfa, Texas. Its near Big Bend country and we did a lot of scenic drives to drink up the nature. There were so much jaw-dropping beauty we were pulling over ever few bends in the road to take pics.

Anyway, it reminded me of this awesome video our church did to kick off our current Genesis sermon series. The video was filmed in the same area we vacationed in, so it's all the gorgeous views we kept enjoying... so happy vacation on your computer from watching this video!

Valentine's Movie: OUTSOURCED

Andy & I watched Outsourced, the movie, tonight for a our Valentine's date. It got on our Netflix cue in memory of our trip to India the first year of our marriage. We probably laughed more than you would if you've never been... but the movie was delightful.

The laugh-out-load quote of the night was "You know what India stands for? I'll Never Do It Again." We laughed cuz that was what we said to each other often during our stay. But somehow, India gets under your skin. And by our plane ride home, we both looked at each other and said: "I think we'll be back someday after all."

Haiti Here I Come

I am headed out in the morning for Haiti. There is a team that has been there for the past week from Visiting Orphans (the same org I'm traveling with). They've welcomed tons of new kids and shared some amazing stories!

* One little girl who arrived by flight to the orphanage from PAP in a full body cast with all the care instructions and removal instructions written on the cast! And the words: God loves you.

* One little one boy with a broken femur, also in a full body cast, but upon Xraying him our team saw that his broken bone was never set!

* One of the team members was hit by a speeding motorcycle and survived with just a few scrapes & bruises!

I won't be online while I'm out there. But will return with plenty of good stories for yall. I collected 100 pounds worth of medical supplies and clothes to take down for the kids. A big thanks to everyone who donated just from watching my Facebook posts. I'm not taking a camera-- no room-- so if someone else gets pictures I'll post those too.

PRAYERS for the kids would be appreciated! I'm sure they are still in shock, scared, out of sorts, possibly in pain (if recovering from injuries), and (if newly orphaned) sad. They are transitioning to a new city, a new living space, new friends, new authority figures, new... new... new. So, keep praying for their sweet little hearts to adjust well and to feel the comfort of our GREAT COMFORTER, Jesus Christ.

Team in Haiti Before Me

Just wanted to let any of you know-- those who are following my trip to Haiti next week-- that the Executive Director for Visiting Orphans already got down to Haiti. She is posting some great updates on her blog. Today she posted a short video of one of the rescued orphans who'd had her leg amputated. And the girl is smiling, knowing she's being cared for.

If you want to Friend Request her on Facebook, her status' are impactful too. Find Amanda Clark Lawrence.

My Haiti Response

Well friends, through a strange (and only God-orchestrated) chain of events, I am headed to Haiti on Feb 1st for a week to help resettle orphaned children from Port-au-Prince to a different (existing) orphanage in another part of the country. I know very little about what the story is, except that there was an orphanage in PAP that collapsed during the earthquake and they are moving those children. But additionally, the orphanage director is going around to PAP hospitals and seeing if there are any children who lost their families that need to also find a new home.

I am traveling with Visiting Orphans. I am friends with their Executive Director Amanda (her blog here) and we literally reconnected like last week for the first time in years (God has plans, people!). A lot of people on the team are medically trained, and then there's people like me who's sole job is to just love on those kids, with the love that CHRIST has for them.

I received a "NEEDS LIST" over email today for medical supplies I can bring down (see below). But I also think if I could bring down some NEW underwear (ages 3-16) and some arts/crafts supplies that would help. If you live in Austin and want to deliver any of these things to me before Sunday, email me or comment for my new address. But if you would rather just donate money for supplies to be purchased, you can do that at the Visiting Orphans website (just denote Haiti).

Medical Supplies Needed

- IV Tubing also needed

- Antibiotics (as much as possible)

- Antibiotic Ointment

- Children's Motrin

- Children's Tylenol

- Triaminic Syrup for Cold and Cough

- Automatic Blood Pressure pumps with cuffs for Children and Adults

- Stethoscopes

- Audi-Scopes with disposable covers

- Eye Drops for Conjunctivitis

- Keflex

- Ringworm Medicine

- Scabies Treatment/Ointment

- Anti-fungal cream

- sutur kits

- Epi Pens

- Benadryl

- Disposable Bed Pads

- Disposable Needle Container for used needles

- AccuCheck to check blood sugar levels

- 4 x 4 dressings

- dressings and bandages

- Gauze - sterile, pre-medicated, non-stick

- Medical Tape (basic)

- Butterflies Bandaids

- bandaids

- petroleum dressing

- digital thermometers (10)

- Plastic Gloves (All sizes and Both Sterile and Unsterile)

- IV Tape

- IV Butterflies

- 4-8 IV Stands

- Pediatric Growth Charts

- Pediatric Hospital Gowns

- One Full Pediatric Exam Room Set Up

"It Started With A Sewing Machine"

This summer I stopped in Southern Sudan for a few days to visit my childhood best friend. Her & her husband had started a non-profit called Seed Effect to help fight poverty in this devastated country. They wanted me to come and see the work that had begun... it was truly powerful! God is at work to provide for the poor. Just a few weeks ago, a team visited and shot video footage to portray the story, not just in words, but with visuals. Below is the end result.

It is powerful.

It is a God-inspired endeavor... and God is completing the work.

It is a simple, tangible way to combat poverty in this world.



I beg you, be a part of The Seed Effect and change not just one life, but an entire community!

Sudan Event in Austin This Week

My good friends Missy & Dave are coming to Austin! After my trip to Sudan this summer, Andy and I felt compelled to pitch in and spread awareness about the issues that are affecting the southern part of the country. Both spiritual and physical poverty are everywhere. And Missy & Dave are trying to do something about it. So we invited them to come tell their story to my friends living in Austin.

YOU'RE INVITED, if you live in Austin, to join us THIS THURSDAY (Aug 27) at Mercury Hall at 7pm.

We'd love to have as many people there to hear about what's currently happening in Sudan, and how Seed Effect (Missy & Dave's microfinance company) is working to alleviate poverty while at the same time spreading the gospel!

Andy & I are excited about the work God is doing among the poor in Sudan and we want YOU to have the chance to participate... Don't you want to impact poverty?

Turkey T-shirts For Sale!

Andy & the band are going to Turkey in September... and to help raise money to cover costs, we are selling T-SHIRTS! The text says "God loves Türkiye" (which is the Turkish spelling of Turkey) and the crescent & star above the wording is from their flag. The design is printed on American Apparel shirts. Cost is $20 each.
If you are interested in buying a T-shirt, shoot me an email a t x a n n a @ g m a i l . c o m with the following info:

QUANTITY:
COLOR: (red or black)
SIZE:

Orders need to be received by MONDAY, August 10th.

3 Short Videos from Ethiopia

Here's a video of the waitress serving our dinner the first night in country (Injera & Wot):


Here is a video from a Cultural Dinner Show we attended where they performed local & traditional dances. Using their shoulders is the most common dance move:


Here is a video from the church service we attending while in Ethiopia at Beza International Church (this is from the worship time):

Ethiopia in Pictures

A photo-blog post of my travels in Ethiopia...

Melissa, Shara, and Camilla evaluate (apprehensively) our first night's dinner before digging in: traditional Ethiopian food of Injera & Wot.
The kids at Kids Club showing off their Jesus & Zacchaeus drawings.
These two boys from Kids Club were my little boyfriends.
I spent most of my time at Kids Club with the teens who couldn't decide whether to like me or think I was weird.
Melissa enticing a little girl into her arms for some T.L.C.
During lunch at Kids Club, when I sat too close to these girls they would scoot over (I think they thought I would try to share their food).
Making plates of peanut butter & honey sandwiches, bananas, and fruit punch for Kids Club lunch.
Women from the mountain side who came to the parenting class.
This is an 11 yr old X-prostitute we met at the transitional home for women trying to escape prostitution. (that is not her baby)
At the home for X-prostitutes, some of the women shared their very hard stories with us. Although my effort did not compare, I shared my photo album from home so we could have a sense of knowing each other.
This photo hangs on the wall of the prostitute transitional housing. There are about 15 girls living in the house as they get job skill training to be nurses, hair stylists, computer techs, etc.
The group of women from the prostitution transitional home we visited. They glowed with praise for Jesus for rescuing them from their pasts!
This is Birukti and two of the Street Boys that she sponsors. One night during our trip, we joined her on their weekly dinner date (her and about 20 Street Boys that she cares for go out to dinner once a week-- she treats them to a feast!).
The boys crowd around some of the women on our team for a group picture at the end of dinner. At first they were unsure of us but by the end we were all buddies.
Because many of the Street Boys didn't speak English, we got creative in order to bond with them... above: Shara plays "thumb wars." And below: I played the "sneaky slap" game.

The team leader for the weaving project shows me a bag of the days work, lots of spun cotton.
The ladies here are spinning cotton in order to make fabric. A "small group" from the church we worked with had the idea to create this job opportunity for the women who otherwise would haul 85 pounds of timber down from the mountains on their backs.
One woman tried to teach me how to spin the yarn. I was terrible at it, but she enjoyed laughing at me.
This is a photo of one what the yarn-spinning-women used to do. It would take all day to gather the wood and walk it down the mountainside, for 50 CENTS a day.
When we visited homes on the mountainside, we met some of the children of those with HIV/AIDS.
This is the doorway into a small 10 home "compound" community on the mountainside, which HIV/AIDS families live and grow small crops of food to eat.
Inside the "compound" doorway, there are 3 buildings like this, with several one-room homes in each building. This is 3 different families' front doors.
These are 2 ladies whose homes we visited on the mountainside. On the left is a married woman who's husband is in his final weeks (she too is infected). On the right is a 23 yr old widow who also lost her child (all to the same disease she also has).

This is a sample of traditional Ethiopian food.

Ethiopia Invented Coffee

Ethiopians say that coffee was invented in their country. They are proud of coffee and brew it strong! Here is the process of making Ethiopian coffee (backwards, sorry the pics uploaded in reverse order). And fun fact: they serve fresh popcorn with their coffee.
After boiling the water & grinds they pour them into your cup. Then, as an American, you might fill at least half your cup with milk to cut the PUNCH Ethiopian coffee has.
Once you grind up the coffee beans, you add them to a pot of water and boil it.
After you roast the coffee beans, you them grind up by hand. They hold these sticks and smash them into the little wooden pot until the beans are just powder.
Once you pick the coffee beans from the tree, you roast them over a hot flame until they turn from light to dark brown.
This is a coffee tree. The red & yellow berries are the "beans". When they turn red they're ready to be picked and cooked.

Sudan in Pictures

A photo-blog from my trip to Southern Sudan for all you who think I am too wordy! :)
This is the border between Southern Sudan and Uganda. I had to go into the "immigration office" (4ft x 4ft room) to register my entry.
This man is a tailor in Kajo Keji. He hopes to apply for one of the small biz loans so that he can pay to be trained on a machine he already owns that makes patterned sweaters (like on the magazine covers).
This is one of the local brewers and her child. She hopes to get trained in another trade because she doesn't like the alcoholism that results from her biz. But for now, it's the only way she can make the money she needs to pay for her kids' school fees.
All the full time workers in Sudan this summer. Missy is working on the micro-loan biz & starting the internet cafe. John is starting a Sudanese "Celebrate Recovery." Will is digging wells. Heather is Missy & Dave's full time worker on the ground (the liason between the American side of the biz and the Sudanese side of the biz). Holly is working with the local women's minister and helping John with the women who attend Celebrate Recovery.
This is Cecilia. She makes soap. She hopes to get a micro-loan to buy a bicycle so she can make more deliveries to buyers in the village (right now she mostly walks door to door).
Some children ran to the road to greet us as we walked the village.
A UN Refugee Camp just north of the Sudanese-Ugandan border. When we drove by I could see them sorting bags of grain in a giant warehouse.
This is the UNHCR tents that are given to those repatriating back to Sudan from the refugee camps. When the refugees return home, they are given a tent and a bag of grain to help get them back on their feet.
While walking the village one day, I got to meet one of the Chiefs. I asked his name, but he said to just call him "Chief."
This is Rose, the women's minister. She travels through Kajo Keji and all the neighboring towns & villages on this motorbike meeting in the homes of all the women to pray with them & do Bible studies together.
When you walk from one home to another, you have to stay on the worn paths because they haven't finished clearing the fields of landmines.
The roads are still littered with gun shell casings from the war.
This is an example of an uncleared landmine. The people mark them with red sticks so that you know not to step there.
This is the family who's house I stayed at in Sudan. Gloria & her two children Tommy (girl), and Mike (boy). Her husband Kaya is on staff with e3 Partners.
These are typical homes in the area I was in. Called tookals (i made up the spelling).
This is the first class of tailors in the Vocational School. They are being trained for several months in how to sew and then hope to get micro-loans to start their own sewing businesses.
This is the sewing sample poster on the wall of the vocational school classroom.
These are the sewing machines in the vocational school classroom.
This is the local market in Kajo Keji, where Missy & Dave hope to meet future clients who need micro-loans to better their small businesses.
This was the market diagram that Missy made as she mapped out the various sellers and what they sell (market research).
Missy & Heather & Kenneth interview a candidate for the Internet Cafe Manager position. They hired him!
Missy checks the final product of the electrician installing the wiring at the internet cafe (which will all be run off of solar panels and generators-- no electrical grid in Kajo Keji).
Missy meeting with the carpenter who was contracted to make the desks/tables for the Internet Cafe.
Missy gets measurements for glass to finish the windows to the Micro-Loan Office.
Missy buying the paint for the Internet Cafe & Micro-Loan Office.
This is Kenneth. He is the Director of Micro-Finance for Missy & Dave in Sudan.
Here is the building that houses the Vocational School, the Internet Cafe, and the Micro-Loan Office. You can see the solar panels atop the roof, and the satelitte dish where we'll get internet from.