Rockin' my world

So, I've been reading this book called "there's no me without you". If you don't know about it, just spend 5 minutes with me and you will. This book is rockin' my world. I knew it would. Part of the reason I hadn't read it before. But now that I am, I can't put it down. Yet, I force myself to close the book - sometimes because I need to get off my couch and sometimes because I just can't take anymore of the truth that reveals itself through the words on the pages. I'm maybe 2/3 the way through the book. If I could comfortablly lay in one spot and read all day, I would have finished it the day I opened it. It's that good. But it's heart wrenching too. I just read about a little boy who stands and watches the gate, waiting for someone to come in and be his momma. Four year old kid literally waiting all day for a momma to come claim him. Finally the perfect lady shows up. She's vibrant, the perfect age, has her own car. She's perfect for him. So he greets her and sticks close to her side. She leaves and the boy understands that she's going home to her husband to discuss adopting him. The woman returns and the boy is elated. Can you imagine his excitement? The woman he's been waiting for has come to claim him. Finally a momma for him. Yet she leaves with a girl and until the moment she backs out of the driveway, he thinks he's going with her. My explanation of the story doesn't do justice. You'd have to read the book but I can give you the basic idea. Why do I share this story? Because it broke my heart. I was sad for the little boy. And then it broke my heart again and I almost couldn't swallow the truth as I began to grasp it. I was in Ethiopia. I saw orphan children. Some of them called me "momma". I hugged them and rocked them. I prayed over them and told them their momma was coming. I had them in my lap, playing with my hair. And then I left. Emptiness. Did I give them a false hope? Did they think I was coming back to be their momma? Those kids, I'm sure, are trained to understand that the white people will come, hug them, and take them home. And that does happen. But was I the woman they talked about in the book who held a kids hand, sat by his side, pinched his cute cheeks and then walked out of the orphanage with another child on my hip? Wow. I'm going back to Ethiopia in less than two months. I expect to be busy while I'm there. And when I'm not busy working on some project, I planned to be busy loving on children, kicking a soccer ball, holding hands with the girls, just loving on the kids. But how many of those kids spend their days wondering if they'll ever have a momma to love them? Or a daddy to teach them how to work with their hands? Sometimes we are well intentioned but our intentions don't do well for those who interact with us. I don't want to be that person. I want to be used as God's hands and feet to bring love and hope, not hurt and heartache. I sure hope I have a better grip of this before we go to Ethiopia. I certainly do look forward to loving on the kids and women I interact with!

Needs Upated

Those fundraising meters on the side. They need updated. But it's late. My contacts are irritated. My laptop is running low on battery. And I'm too lazy to get up to grab my external hard drive or plug for my computer. [edited to add: when I plugged my laptop in, I thought I might as well sit down and update the meters. It only takes 5 minutes. Plus, that would allow my phone to charge for 5 minutes - enough to text a friend who turned 31 today] I will say that we've been blessed beyond measure. Well, I guess most of it's measurable (as in dollars), but it does go beyond that. Thanks to those of you who've given on our behalf. Truly it's for the children and women in Ethiopia, not for us. But we know that we're blessed and look forward to being a blessing in return. We have raised/saved almost all of our travel fund. And we're just over half of the seed money! Isn't that awesome! I can't wait to see FOVC in action... 7 weeeeeeeeks! And then bring it back to you guys to share.... Speaking of which, does anyone have a flip camera I can borrow? How about a GPS unit? Anyone willing to hang out with my kiddos for an evening while we're gone? I need to get that lined up too. I'm hoping some friends will stay with them here or they can stay at my moms. If they stay with mom, I'd love it if people would take them for the evening since my mom has them ALL day for daycare. Anyway, heading to bed now... [okay, now I really am heading to bed. Phsyical Therapy at 715am. Woo!]

Fundraising Meters

So, I went to update the fundraising meters on my side-bar. I had updated my spreadsheet and added a column to compare with has been committed to us in funds with what we/Lory have actually received to date. I had been showing the amount that people have committed to us. As of right now, I'm only going to show the amount that has come in. Because we technically don't have that money and maybe shouldn't count on it. Hopefully that will help some visually see that we'd love for them to send their gift in if they haven't. Overall we're doing really well with our financing. We're totally thankful for our friends and family who've sacrificed on our behalf and the behalf of FOVC. If you've told me you would like to partner with us, please get a check sent ASAP. The details of where checks can be mailed is towards the top, just below the picture/border. Thanks :)

Planning While I Work

For those of you who don't know, I work in conservation of our natural resources with private landowners. That includes everything from tillage operations between crops, to designing grazing systems, to drawing and coloring pictures with a really fancy computer system, to writing federal contracts, to refilling the toilet paper roll. Okay, okay, I don't really do that last one but that's because it takes a scientist to figure that thing out. Anyway, when I was hired, I was expected to spend half of my time in the field planning, laying out practices and checking them out after installation. Because we have an awesome technical staff, and because we have lots of programs to implement, I spend the majority of my time in the office. When I do go to the field, it's usually crummy weather. Like yesterday.

Strong winds with spitting rain was the weather I got to work outside in. I wasn't dressed for field work but have a change of clothes at the office just in case. I was ready all except that extra pair of gloves I took home last Friday. While out in the field, my boss and I were laying out contour buffer strips. As we worked through the field, I had plenty of time to try to keep my hands warm and let my mind wander. Using a simple hand level, we were able to lay out a contour line. It's likely confusing but trust me that it's important and very valuable. Farming on the contour can make a huge difference. As we worked through a fairly sandy soil (which I imagine I'll see in Ethiopia), on a steep slope, you can imagine that with 30" of rain each year, that sand is going to move down the hill.

That got me thinking, how is the topography in Shanto and surrounding areas? Is it fairly flat? Is it 20% plus slopes? I wonder how helpful it would be to bring my hand level along. What are the soils really like? And then, because I had plenty of time to wonder, I tried to think of other tools that I don't use often enough that would be helpful to take with me. A measuring tape? Some canisters to bring soils home for my soil scientist friends to tell me about??? Is it legal to bring soils home and have them sent to a testing lab for evaluation?

Oh, the things I have yet to learn about Ethiopia!

We have Tickets

I received our flight itenerary today. Yipee! We're leaving on the 31st. It's a direct flight from DC to Ethiopia. Direct flight is good. Lengthy time in the airplane seats well test my ADD, I mean, my patience. So, I know when we're leaving and returning. Looking forward to knowing how our days will look while in Ethiopia!

There's No Me Without You

It stinks being stuck on the couch when the weather is beautiful outside and I'd love to be working outside.  On the plus side, I did pick up a book that I'm quite interested in.  I had read the first few pages of There's No Me Without You earlier this week.  I'm about half way through the book now and having a hard time  putting it down.  I would love to share with you about the book but I think I wouldn't do it justice.  So, just go to your local library and borrow it, or ask them to get it for you.  As you might imagine, after my kids go to bed, I'll be grabbing my book back up!

Thank You

We are overwhelmed by your generosity. Thank you for partnering with Friends of Orphans and Vulnerable Children's Crops for Widows project. Your donation towards the seed money will be used wisely.