A family's journey as they travel the USA to help others
Stephanie's brother and sister in-law just had their first baby. It's a boy! They live in Oregon so we are looking forward to meeting the little guy later this year. To say "congratulations," we wrote them a letter and included a gift card. We wish we were nearby and could bring them a few meals. That was the best thing anyone did for us right after each of our girls were … [Read more...]
October 2 is our World Vision sponsored child's birthday. He lives in Zimbabwe so it takes the mail a bit longer to get to him. World Vision always sends us a pre-made birthday card that we are invited to sign and mail back. The card is then delivered to our sponsored child for his birthday. In addition to signing the pre-made card, Kayla and Olivia worked on two special homemade … [Read more...]
Today, the four of us visited a medical facility that provides "quality health care to the uninsured." It looked just like any other doctor's office, but one thing was different - it is free! The Clinic was founded in 2002 with a goal to provide necessary medical treatment to people that do not have health insurance. Patients are asked to pay "what they can afford." Sometime that means they … [Read more...]
Congratulations to Annie from OR - this week’s featured giver and prize winner (gift certificate for Four at The Old Spaghetti Factory). Annie’s story: I don’t necessarily like to say what “I” give. I feel very privileged that I was given the vision and the passion to bless families who have babies born too early to survive. Whether a miscarriage or a baby born at 25 weeks … [Read more...]
***We have committed to give our family rest each Sunday. Read more here. … [Read more...]
We were coming back from a day in NYC with friends who live in New Jersey and pulled into a gas station for fuel and a restroom break. A man driving a Toyota Camry stalled his car less than a 100 yards from the pumps. He had completely run out of gas. I saw one of the fuel station employees walking over to the vehicle so I followed. The car was on a slope so I new they needed more man … [Read more...]
A friend called me this morning with questions about his computer. He recently started using Apple's OSX and wasn't sure how to sync his MP3 player to iTunes or burn his music from his existing music collection. I walked him through each step. Sometimes we forget that skills that seem second nature to us can be a big help to someone else. … [Read more...]
Last week we added two new sponsors to our RV. ParkGrades.com - "Offers the largest, most accurate directory of city parks in the United States. Before ParkGrades, you might have been able to look at a map and see if any parks were nearby. But you wouldn't know if the park is what you're looking for -- if it's clean, if there's a view, if it has both a basketball court and a tot lot, or a … [Read more...]
The campground where we are staying has a family center. It is a favorite place for our girls. Inside, there is a section just for kids. It has toys, puzzles, and books specifically for younger children. Today, we picked out some of the girls' books that are no longer on their most-liked list and donated them to the family center. … [Read more...]
Up until now, we have only volunteered with, toured, and interviewed non-profit organizations. We have learned from people who are serving children, the elderly, the hungry, and even prisoners. We have asked questions about funding and management. We have evaluated the impact of each organization and what it takes to serve their cliental. Beginning on day #151, we will be expanding our … [Read more...]
As we drive across America, we get to see many different places. Out of our windows we've passed swamps, mountains, and beaches. Some have been uninviting; others breathtaking. Every so often Kayla will look out her window and shout, "Daddy! Mommy! look! Isn't that beautiful?" She is right - America is beautiful and we are blessed to be able to enjoy it. As a family, we try to … [Read more...]
This afternoon, I went on a tour at a non-profit behavioral healthcare organization that offers a wide range of services for children 3-years-old through senior adults. It was founded in 1952 by a group of Mennonite men who chose public service instead of joining the battlefields of WWII. They discovered how horrible living conditions were for people in psychiatric institutions and they … [Read more...]
Congratulations to Marlena - this week’s featured giver and prize winner (gift certificate for Four at The Old Spaghetti Factory). Marlena’s story: Our neighbor was diagnosed with ALS about one year ago. She has lost her ability to talk and misses interacting with our two toddlers. We bring her and her husband treats and send them pictures of the kids. Her husband says that it … [Read more...]
***We have committed to give our family rest each Sunday. Read more here. … [Read more...]
I talk to my parents on the phone often. I call them and they call me. They never seem to tire of hearing my voice or wanting to know how our family is. They enjoy talking to me, to Stephanie, and - of course - their grandkids. Today, I called my mom. Like always, she was excited to talk. She asked how we liked our campground, where we would go to church tomorrow, and when I would be going back … [Read more...]
Up until now, we have only volunteered with, toured, and interviewed non-profit organizations. We have learned from people who are serving children, the elderly, the hungry, and even prisoners. We have asked questions about funding and management. … [Read More...]
Did you know that 60% of people that live in nursing homes never receive visitors? Or that 1 in five adults in Austin can't read well enough to fill out a job application? Neither did I...until today when I met with Patsy Woods Martin, the … [Read More...]
