• teenagers

    i’ve always loved working with teenagers and have especially cherished the relationships i’ve been able to make with teens that are conquering cancer. they are not only discovering who they are as is normal in their developmental stage but they are thrown with what seem to be at times impossible challenges. with those challenges comes missing school, interrupting friendships, changes in appearance, etc. not to mention the fact that they are faced with a life threatening disease. i recently went to my ten year high school reunion, and although i had a very normal childhood with the most loving family and great friends that i fit in with at school,…

  • looking after the orphan

    jed and i completed our requirements to become licensed as a foster/adoptive family for children in the state foster care system! we had our home study this week and things became very real as we got an email the very next day from our case worker asking if we were ready to take a sibling group. wow, this whole thing became real very fast! because of some family commitments this summer, we won’t be taking calls for placements until august. that gives us a little time to decompress from the past four months of our certification process. as i thought this day couldn’t be here soon enough when we started…

  • the reality

    “Wa a va reponn yo: Sa m’ap di nou la a, se vre wi: chak fwa nou te fè sa pou yonn nan pi piti pami frè m’ yo, se pou mwen nou te fè li.” Matye 25:40 it’s been an eye opening transition back from Haiti. despite only being there for a week, i left heavy hearted and missing the country and people so much. there was a raw beauty that illuminated from that place. i still haven’t forgotten what it felt like to hold those sick children, to hold the hand of a fearful mother or the obvious burden most carried around so gracefully. i have felt guilty…

  • Is this Haiti?

    It’s hard to believe this photo was taken in Haiti after all of the devastation and horrible poverty I experienced this week. We were able to travel up the road to a beach resort and jump in the ocean before heading to the airport and it was absolutely beautiful and buzzing with the wealthy of Haiti. Despite the beauty and peace of the ocean, it was surreal knowing that Haitians were starving just miles down the road, they were terrified to go inside buildings, they were grieving their losses from the quake, they were resorting to violence to have their needs met….As I’m trying to process the week, I am…

  • Basic Needs

    These families really do not have anything. Most babies we see are without diapers and even clothes. So many of these babies lost their mothers in the earthquake and are now being taken care of by family members, friends, etc. People who are not able to breastfeed. These babies are severely malnourished and it is so frustrating to not be able to provide the most basic need for these families: food. Although I’m greatful our shelves are overflowing with medicine and medical supplies, the greatest need I’ve identified this far is baby formula. Friday clinic was hectic to say the least. I would say that 75% of the patients we…

  • Triage

    I feel like “Triage” would make a great medical show! You never know what’s going to come through those doors. As scary as that is, it is much worse in third world countries. We opened the clinic doors this morning to the 120 people the guards allowed in the gates. We hope to be able to allow more in tomorrow because the truth is that most make many sacrifices to make the journey to Mission of Hope and in the realm of health care, this is their only option. Most don’t have the luxury of popping in when a problem arises, they must wait until they can somehow make it…

  • Mission of Hope

    We just got back from church with the Haitians. They are such beautiful people and we praised God in unity, despite language differences…it was beautiful! I’m sure God smiles at the sound of his people uniting to praise Him. Today we tried to organize and orient ourselves to the clinic that opens it’s doors to hundreds of Haitians each day. We have no idea what to expect, but will be ready to triage and expedite emergency care if needed. We will also provide primary care for common but dangerous tropical diseases. The clinic has been closed over the weekend so we expect many people to be waiting at the gates…

  • The Road to Haiti

    I’m in Haiti! i’m feeling a rush of excitement for the possibilities this week, mainly to drench people in love, but also fear because I know the Lord plans to completely humble me and break me this week. Of course for HIS glory and as a result I will get to intimately become closer to Him…so in conclusion I guess I’m overwhelmed by joy. This photo is a shot from the airport, there are locals lining the streets, begging. The drive to Mission of Hope consisted of mountains of rubble, people everywhere in the streets, makeshift attempts to make any income by setting up shop on the streets selling anything…

  • heros

    we are surrounded by so many heros in our daily lives. i started realizing this in my job when i began walking through life with these kids fighting cancer. they really are my heros. i’ve told many of them this and i believe they believe it too. survivor or not, the fight they put up against such a terrible disease is noble and brave. secondly, in attending the funerals of my grandparents over the past years, i never realized how heroic they were. my grandfathers had military solutes at their funerals because of their service, rank and bravery and it reminded me of the truly amazing roots i come from.…

  • just still and present

    my opa (dad’s dad) passed away early tuesday morning, expectedly. my dad was able to be with him the hours preceding his death and just got to be by his side. i feel so thankful for opa that he was not alone at the time of his death and i respect my dad so much for having the courage to just be still and present during that time. i think that is the perfect picture of dying with dignity.