"Finding your feet on a wonderful road..."

Ah...the beach...the sunshine, the refreshingly cool water, the warm breeze...you just can't go wrong...one of the wonderful things about Ongole is its close proximity to the Indian Ocean where one can go to relax and enjoy a short break from the craziness of India. A real treat for our kids is when we have the opportunity to take them to the beach to play and forget about all the worries of the world. So when we were given the chance to take my schoolgirls to the beach for the day, Caroline and I jumped on it! We found everyone some Indian beach dress code appropriate clothes (dress and pants), loaded up the car, and set out for the day with windows down and singing songs at the top of our lungs. If only I could find the words to describe the smiles that were on the girls' faces as we drove along, knowing that once we reached our destination they would be able to laugh and play in the ocean... Stacy and Zinnia As soon as we stepped out of the car, several of them to...

I've been thinking about you lately, What I'm thinking is that you're crazy, But I love to watch you dance... There's a couple in the corner, They've been watching you for hours. Envious of your fame, Like your laughter, Its contagious, when it has a name... You are fearless when it comes to Lighting up a room. I can love and I can hate,  And I know how to hesitate, So teach me how to move... -Alli Rogers, Fearless Just finished listening to this song multiple times after spending time with my girls tonight. As it came on my iTunes shuffle, I couldn't help but smile and laugh as I thought about those silly little girls dancing around. We turned up the Telugu Vacation Bible Schools songs on the TV, and we danced and danced. And I'm still smiling about it an hour later. The joy all over their faces makes my heart sing. I'm realizing that as they would look at me and ask me to dance with them in the midst of all my h...

"I praise you because I am wonderfully made!" Psalm 139:14 It's a verse that we teach to kids hoping that they know they are perfect. A verse that I learned when I was little. A verse that I've heard a million times. But though I have heard it time and time again, I couldn't help but tear up at hearing them say it. When our team started thinking about what Bible verse to teach the SCH kids during English camp, no one disagreed that Psalm 139:14 should be it. For kids who have been given up because of their physical or mental disabilities, there's nothing better for them to know. As we planned, all I could think about was what a perfect verse for kids who are just that: perfect. When you first meet the SCH kids, it would be easy to notice some of their disabilities, but when you get to know them, all that fades away and you recognize just how amazing they are. God certainly made them wonderful. He stitched them together and knew their lives before th...

It's funny as I sit here and look back at my past posts on here, several of them begin with something similar to: "Well, where do I even begin?" And so, here I am again, wondering what to even begin to write... I guess I could start with the fact that I am currently sitting on a couch in Ongole... The thought blows my mind as the reality of it sinks in. The last two months seem like a blur. This morning, I sat with my journal and God and tried to process life a little, and I was in awe of how I'm back here. May and June were crazy but wonderful months; filled with Heath's undergrad graduation, my grad school graduation, Heath and Kelsey's wedding (Yay!!), and...India?? When I left here about 14 months ago, I had no idea what the future held. I left with a broken heart wondering how I could survive with the possibility of never seeing these silly and beloved faces again... All I could cling to was God's promise that He had good and perfect plan...

After being home for home for almost four months, where do I even begin? I guess I would start with the faces in the photo above. The beautiful faces of children who were once forgotten but now are so dearly loved. Look at their smiles, stare into their eyes and see the joy that comes from knowing you are loved. As most of you know, from January 2012 to April 2012, I had the privilege to love on these children and see their beautiful smiles firsthand. Looking back at this blog I'm reminded once again of just how special each of them is. Just the thought of these faces still brings tears of joy to my eyes as I remember their smiles, giggles, and hugs and my heart aches to have them back in my arms again. Since returning to the States, I have struggled with sharing about my experience at Sarah's Covenant Homes in Ongole, India and what my role is now in their ministry. When I was there, it was so evident, but since I left, it became a little more unclear. As I ...

Little kids are just funny, ya know? You just never know what they're going to do. But you can always count on them bringing a smile to your face.  Here at the girls' home, we have three little girls that never fail to make me smile: Genevieve, Esther, and Zinnia These girls have such an innocence and joy about them that can't be missed. Everyday they attend preschool at a local school in the morning and then they come home at lunchtime for an afternoon abounding in whatever adventures their imaginations can come up with. They're such curious and creative little ones that never cease to amaze me in what they find to do. Some days its coloring or playing with clay or drawing on a Magnadoodle; some days its bumper cars with our laundry baskets; some days its "helping" by taking the clean laundry off the clothesline and "washing" it in a bucket of water that my air conditioner drips into or even "cleaning" the ...