The Simple Things in Life...

A swimming pool. Pretty common thing, right? Almost everyone in the United States, by the time that they are 5 years old, has spent time in a swimming pool. Probably several times a year, in fact. Many people have them in their backyard, in their neighborhood, at their Country Club, at the condo they stay in while visiting the beach. There are indoor swimming pools, outdoor swimming pools, infinity pools, lap pools, Olympic-size pools – none of which really impress people here because we are so used to seeing them day in and day out. (…well…except for infinity pools, those are pretty amazing to look at!) Would you agree with all of this?!

Well let me tell you someone who would not agree with this. Hezron Ongode Aidi. Hezron is a native of Kenya who grew up as a sponsored child in Compassion International. His story of God's faithfulness, grace, and compassion in his life is truly amazing. When I went to Kenya back in February, I had the pleasure of meeting Hezron, an LDP student with a heart of gold. LDP stands for "Leadership Development Program" - this program is part of Compassion International and allows students to interview in order to be accepted into the program. Once in the program they are able to attend a university as well as participate in classes through Compassion on how to be a leader. Hezron, who grew up in the most poverty-stricken conditions, is now a college graduate with a Computer Science degree. Amazing! This summer, Graham and I have the privilege of traveling from event to event with Hezron so that he can share his story of how God used Compassion International to break the cycle of poverty in his life.

One of the first days that Hezron was in the United States, Graham and I were able to steal him away for the day and show him around Birmingham. We started the day by going to my dad's office so that Hezron could see not only what an American business office looks like, but especially all of the technilogical components in Dad's law firm. Hezron walked around constantly saying, "Oh my...oh my...oh my..." He is so amazed at how BIG everything is and how COLD everywhere is! Later that afternoon we asked Hezron if he wanted to go see a movie or go bowling, or what all he wanted to do. He hesitated for a while, but then finally said, "I think I would like to take a swim." Now let me just remind you that Birmingham went through a week in May where it was just cold - not swimming weather, that's for sure. He continued saying, "I have always wanted to get into a swimming pool. They look so pretty and I have only seen them in the movies." Graham and I looked at each other and there was no more question of what we were going to do that afternoon - Hezron was about to take his first dip into a swimming pool! Our neighborhood has a pool so we let Hezron borrow one of Graham's swimsuits and took off to the pool. I felt like such a mom - I was thrilled to witness Hezron experience this! He absolutely LOVED the pool!!! He splashed around and practiced his "swimming" the entire time. Graham and I asked him if he had ever swam before and he said, "Yes, but only in Lake Victoria, not a pool." Lake Victoria...not an answer you hear to that question very often around here! When he got out of the pool he started walking towards one of the chairs next to the pool...I asked him if he was done swimming and he said, "Yes, but now I need to bask. That is what you do when you get out of a pool, right? You bask?" So he proceeded to "lay out" for a while after swimming :) On our way back to the Student Life office that afternoon, Hezron looked at Graham and said, "What is the date today?" Graham told him and he said, "I am going to write that down in my journal because this is the best day of my life!"

Wow. A swimming pool - this memory will always stick out to Hezron as being one of the "best days of his life." Graham and I could not move past this. That night Graham and I went to a Coldplay concert with some friends of ours and yes, we had a blast, but at the same time we could not stop thinking about the fact that for us to be entertained we have to pay over $100, have lights, music, and incredible talent in front of us. And even still we find ourselves complaining that our seats are not close enough. Seriously?

I'm so thankful to Hezron for reminding me that it is the simple things in life that we should be thankful for...

Here are some pictures (and a video) from Hezron's experience in the pool, as well as our pictures from the Coldplay concert...

This is what we call, "basking" :)

At the Coldplay concert...

One of my favorite people... We were freeeezing...!!

Relax and Celebrate...

Work is in full swing as we are headed out on the road in TWO WEEKS. Wow...I cannot believe the summer is already here! Over the next couple of weeks Graham and I will be working to finish up all of the details necessary to prepare for our camps this summer. Although it is a fun time of the year as we are beginning to meet some people on our team, it is also a time of year that causes...well...Stress. So...in major need of some relaxation, Graham and I joined my family at my parent's lake house at Lake Martin this weekend. This is most definitely one of my very favorite places on earth. There's nothing like spending the day playing outside...on the boat, wave runner, grilling out, laying in the hammock, fishing...it's the best!

Here are some pictures of my heaven on earth :)...






It was a wonderful weekend and a very special time as my family was able to be together for a very important day....Mother's Day! This Mother's Day was particularly special because not only did I get to celebrate the blessing of my incredible mother, but this was also my first Mother's Day to celebrate my husband's mother and stepmother . These three women are so wonderful - they have been and continue to be an example to both Graham and myself. I am so thankful for the example they are to me in so many ways. What a blessing they are! Here are these beautiful women...




We are so blessed.

Algunos de mis memorias favoritas...

These are the sites that I miss more than words can express...






Anyone who knows me knows that I adore Los Mochis, Mexico. I believe it will always be my home away from home. Through all of my time spent there, I learned so much about myself in so many ways. God blessed me with some incredible and lasting friendships with natives of Los Mochis, as well as some pretty wonderful people all around the United States. I will forever be thankful for my time spent in Mexico. God used my time there and the people I met there to shape my self, my walk with Christ, and my faith in many, many ways. I long to return SOON! I can honestly say that many of my most favorite memories come from my time in Los Mochis and time with people I met there. For example...

One of the best moments of my entire wedding weekend was going to dinner the night before my rehearsal. I rode with my dad to meet my two favortie Los Mochis men, Marco and Abner Vallejo (two of the most amazing men that I know) for dinner at a Mexican restaraunt here in Birmingham. These two men have played such an important role in my life and have demonstrated the love of Christ to me in so many ways. I could not get married without them there and considered it such a blessing when they said that they would come read scripture at my wedding. We walked into the restaurant and right before I turned a corner, my dad said, "So there may be more people here than you were expecting..." I look up and see two large tables filled with my Mexican family! Marco's family, Abner's family, and my precious friend, Danitza, were all sitting IN BIRMINGHAM and had surprised me for my wedding! I have tears in my eyes as I write this and just think about it! It was the best wedding gift I could have asked for! Of course I started crying then...and later during dinner...and again before we left! I could not believe it! After getting over the initial shock of seeing everyone, I began drilling them on how they got to Birimingham, where they were staying, how they got to the restaraunt, etc. I soon learned that the AMAZING people in my parent's small group at Brook Hills had pulled their resources together to bring the Vallejos up to Birmingham, and house them for the weekend. I was speechless. They knew how special these people are to me and they knew just how much it would mean to have them at my wedding. Praise God for these people and their hearts! It was incredible :)

Changed...

This past fall I had the privilege of teaching a Personal Development class for ladies who are in the process of receiving their GED. M-Power Ministries, here in Birmingham, began a Christian Womens Job Corps program a couple of years ago...and after lots of hard work, training, and preparation, M-Power held its first CWJC graduation this week! Six ladies, ages 23 and up, worked diligently over the past year learning how to read, comprehend, set goals, schedule, manage their time wisely, accept change, be a better parent, respect themselves, and most importantly, these ladies spent the past year learning who Christ is and who they are in Him. What a joy and privilege it was to get to know these ladies, hear their stories, and watch them grow over the course of this year. My eyes were opened in so may ways through conversations with them and helped remind me of just how blessed my life has been. I cannot even begin to tell you how proud I was of these ladies as they walked down the aisle, dressed in cap and gown, knowing that they were experiencing what each of them called their first accomplishment. Throughout the graduation ceremony, each of the ladies had the chance to give a speech about what M-Power and the CWJC means to them. As I sat there and listened to them to talk about how far they have come over the past year - spiritually, personally, emotionally, academically - I was overwhelmed at the amazing grace and faithfulness of our Lord. What He has brought them through is truly unbelievable.

Marilyn, Jovanda, Sharon, Wanda, Danielle, and Tamika are changed women and are now not only my friends, but also my sisters in Christ. Praise God for His faithfulness!

The weekend before the graduation, these 6 ladies, their mentors, and their teachers all went on a retreat to Camp Dawson. What an experience that was!!!! I was able to lead them in a painting activity - it was a blast! I love painting and trying to be somewhat creative, so it was fun getting to share that with these ladies.

Now I cannot talk about M-Power without mentioning my amazing mother. She has worked so hard over the past couple of years and dedicated the majority of her time to pulling the CWJC together. She has impacted the lives of not only these ladies...but the 8 others who were in the program this year as well. I am beyond proud of her and so thankful for the example she has been to me!

Being a part of the CWJC is such an incredibly rewarding opportunity. If you are interested in volunteering with them, or with the Christian Mens Job Corps, let me know and I'll be happy to get you some more information :)

Quick update...Melanie is doing well with her pregnancy. Thank you so much for all of you who continue to ask about her and be updated on her progress. Please continue to pray for her health as she has had a rough few weeks... Her first trimester will be over soon...I know she is ready!

Announcement...

I AM GOING TO BE AN AUNT!!!!!

Melanie and Reynolds found out about two months ago that they are expecting a precious little one in November :) I could not be more excited and cannot wait to love on this child! What a BLESSING!!!

Live Love...

"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." -John 13:35

For the past month, Graham and I have been traveling from Charlotte, NC to Atlanta, GA to Oklahoma City, OK witnessing thousands of teenagers come to know the truth in this verse. Student Life's spring conference this year was based on the theme, Live Love. For eleven weeks, a production and customer service team from Student Life traveled all around the country hosting conference events each weekend. Every three conferences, a different event director and event coordinator would lead the team in these events. Graham and I were able to lead the team in the last three conference events not only for this year, but for good, as this is Student Life's last year to do the spring conference. What a fun time this was! All three weekends were wonderful - but I have to say that getting to see one of my best friends, Lauryn Lane, in Atlanta was a definite highlight :) The conference events were led by Francis Chan, Stuart Hall, JR Vasser, and Kristian Stanfill. These men have been blessed with the incredible gift of sharing the Word of God in such an amazing and effective way. It was a blessing to be able to serve alongside them during this time!

If you have not heard Kristian Stanfill before, I strongly encourage you to check his music out. He and the guys in his band are some of the most genuine and solid guys I have seen lead worship. Nothing they do from stage is about themselves, but soley about the Lord - I believe that anyone who has been led in worship by them would agree with this statement. Take some time to visit his website...it will be worth it! www.kristianstafill.com

There is nothing more powerful and moving for me than to stand in a room full of teenagers worshiping the Lord. Being able to do this week in and week out is an incredible experience and the exact reason that I love my job. It is my prayer that every student that comes to a Student Life event will walk away understanding more about who they are in Christ, and for this event in particular, understanding what it means to truly live out God's greatest commandment: to Love.

Each week I was blessed with the opportunity to share about Compassion International. Seeing how this is already my heartbeat, it was such a joy and privilege to be able to tell thousands of people about an opportunity for them to live love by sponsoring a child through Compassion. If you do not sponsor a child through Compassion, I strongly encouarge you to look into this opportunity. After seeing it first hand, I can tell you with 110% confidence that Compassion International is truly living out the Gospel. There are over 5,000 references in the Bible to caring for widows and orphans. This is not an option for followers of Christ - this is the Gospel. Compassion is making it possible for people all over the world to live love in the life of a child who is living in poverty. For just $32 a month Compassion is providing children with food, clothes, healthcare, education, Christian development, and most importantly, the hope that can only come from Jesus Christ alone. $32...though it may seem to be a sacrifice for us to give this money up each month because we will not be able to eat out as much, drink as much Starbucks, go to a movie, or whatever else we do with our money...it really is not a sacrifice when you think about the fact that it can provide life for a child. You can read more about it at...www.compassion.com. Please do :)

Some pictures from the Live Love Conference...

Kristian leading worship...

AT2AP (All Things To All People) - Student Life's drama team - performing "The Red Man Group"

Room full of teenagers in Atlanta...

The Live Love set...

Compassion International...

Graham, myself, and 8 others from our office recently returned from a trip to Nairobi, Kenya with Student Life and Compassion International. Student Life partners with a ministry called Compassion International. Compassion is a child-sponsorship ministry, based out of Colorado Springs, that exists to end the cycle of poverty around the world. I know the stigmas that often go along with "child sponsorship programs" and the questions of how legit they are. You can throw all of that out with Compassion - they are the real deal. Each year Compassion takes the Event Directors and Event Coordinators at Student Life on a trip to one of their projects around the world. In previous years, they have been to Honduras, Tanzania, Uganda, the Philippines, Haiti, and now Kenya. The goal of these trips are to give us the opportunity to see how Compassion works, and have a first-hand experience with the projects. Graham was on the Uganda and Philippines trips, but this was my first hands-on experience with Compassion. It was incredible.

The first day we went to an HIV/AIDS project with the Kikuyu tribe. We were presented with a drama by children in the Compassion program, as well as testimonies from ladies who are now HIV positive. These ladies have begun a support group in their community that not only supports and encourages women who are HIV positive, but also encourages women and men to be tested for HIV. It is rampant in Africa - I could not believe the statistics I heard. One area that we went to, it was believed that 1 out of every 5 people are HIV positive. Compassion is working to increase awareness and educate people in these communities of HIV/AIDS and methods of prevention. The amazing thing about this project was to see the joy in the faces of these beautiful people and the hope that they have in Jesus Christ. The women that we met had several things in common, but the main one was that they did not find out that they were HIV positive, until their husbands died from AIDS. It is very common for men to have many wives in these communities, which is why the spread of HIV is so rampant. These women did not dwell on the fact that they were victims, though. They recognized that this is the hand of cards they have been dealt and they have chosen to step out and encourage others to find the same hope in life that they have found in Jesus Christ. There are so many stigmas that go along with being HIV positive - this was something that these women talked about so much - but the courage that they have to break free from those stigmas in order to educate and help others in their same shoes blew me away. I will never forget this day - it was so special to me for so many reasons. Here are some pictures from this day:

The HIV/AIDS support group:

Agnes, a lady from the support group, who invited Graham and I to visit her home:

The second day we visited a project with the Masai Tribe. The Masai are the brightest, most vibrant people I have ever come across. Not only in their dress (which you can see from the pictures) but in their eyes, voices, and precious personalities. When I have always thought of Africa, these are the people I have pictured. Bright clothes, bright beads, the stretched earlobes, long necks, shaved heads - absolutely beautiful. This was such a fun day and so insightful. I love learning about other cultures - it has always fascinated me so much - the Masai culture definitely did the same. Fascinating. Men have up to 20 wives, women do everything including fetching water, building the homes, cooking, cleaning, taking care of the children. Children are often married off by their families by the time they are 14- this is indicated by lots of bright, beaded necklaces and rings around the necks of these precious little girls. Houses are made of cow dung, sticks, and grass, and the doors of the houses are only about 4 feet tall. On the way to our home visit for this project, I saw what looked like a dog being cooked over a fire...a feeling ran through me that it just might be our lunch for the day. I was wrong about one thing...it was a goat, not a dog. I was right about the other...it was lunch. Graham quickly informed me that the goat we were watching cook would be the same goat that we would later eat! What an experience! They brought the goat in for lunch - legs, head, everything still attached. No worries - a few hits with a Masai man's knife, while on the lunch table, and you are served your portion of goat. Although we joked about it and found the experience a memorable one in so many ways, the fact that these wonderful people had sacrificed one of their goat's for us, truly was so generous and kind of them. It was a wonderful day :) Here are some pictures:

Lunch...

The Masai women sang for hours...literally...just like this:

The third day we visited the Methare Valley Slums. This is the second largest slum area in Kenya, and the most dangerous in all of Kenya. As we were driving through the area to get to the Compassion project, I could not believe what I was seeing. Shack on top of shack on top of shack. Space issues is what causes the tension and danger in the Methare Valley. I clearly see why. Raw sewage, trash, chickens, goats, dogs, dirty water, children - all in the same area. The water that runs through the dirt, filled with sewage, is the same water that is used for cooking, drinking, bathing, and washing clothes. It runs into a big river at the back of the slum area...when we walked up to this river the smell was incredibly overwhelming, but more than that was the sight of children swimming in this river. Children with the biggest and brightest smiles I have ever seen. They know no different. Fighting back tears this day was near impossible. This was the day I was able to meet the little girl that Melanie and Reynolds sponsor, Esther. What a PRECIOUS little girl - I loved every second with her and her mom! Mel and Reynolds had sent a bag filled with toys, clothes, crayons/coloring books, bubbles, dolls, socks, a jump rope - all of which Esther was thrilled to receive :)

With Amy and Leigh - the other two Event Coordinators that went:

Esther :)
The Methare Valley Slums:

The last two days of our trip were spent at the Masa Mara game park, located in South Kenya, right on the border of Tanzania. We went on an evening safari and early morning through afternoon safari. Amazing!! Here are some pictures of what we saw: