Day 5: Mommy on a Mission

Wanted to take a second right off the bat to thank all of you who stepped up to say "We wanna help get Adesse outta the dump!" I am a skeptic and pessimist by nature sometimes it seems - and today was a very encouraging day for me. You guys are awesome! I mean not only were people jumping to help - they were moving fast so we could welcome Laura at the airport with that surprise! I had people go out of their way to drop support off in places I would be today, other people throwing checks in the mail, etc... so anyways - thank you so much! So not only will we be able to get her in boarding school for the next year - it looks like we might be able to make a more long term commitment. I am going to be seeking out as many details as I can - and as usual - I'll share 'em all with you guys... thanks for being in this with us.

TODAY
Today was a quiet day for communication from Laura. There were logistical mixups so their original plan of painting at the Six Bear Essentials didn't happen. All I heard from Laura was that it didn't happen but then the mom of that family sent me a message on Facebook explaining that there had been some confusion and the supplies weren't there for the team. She felt really bad about it - but God has His hand in everything and surely there was a reason for it. And the cool thing about Africa - and something our good friend Alysia emailed me tonight - is that

every touch and glance given to another from the outpouring of Christ is sufficient to heal their broken hearts and draw the to the love of the Father.

SO TRUE. And I rest assured in that - knowing that whatever they did and wherever they went - they were Christ to people they encountered. Thank you Alysia for those wise, wise words.

VISITING BRIGHTON
With the down time - it seems Laura was able to go a little earlier in the day to visit Brighton's grave. I can't even explain to you how much I wish i could have been there with her. Truthfully though - maybe this was the way God wanted it. Laura has done a better job of healing than I have. I have come to terms with and kind of accept it as a wound my heart isn't going to heal from. I would have been a mess. I prayed for her all morning knowing that was where she was headed. At 8:40 AM, I received a text that said

"Went to B's grave. Picture faded. Took awhile to find. Emotionally overwhelming. I love you."

A little later in the day I got some more texts from her saying she had gotten some great pics of his grave - so it sounds like she had a great visit - I am sure God was there with her as was at least one of her teammates that I know of. I am so proud to be married to this woman - doing seemingly impossible things like visiting our son's burial site in a crowded cemetery 8,000 miles away in Ethiopia. God is indeed giving her the spiritual, mental and physical strength we've been praying for.

IN-COUNTRY FRIENDS
We have some friends - well - we haven't fully met them yet but I call them friends - they graduated from high school with my older sister and are from my hometown - and last year they packed up their awesome family and moved to Ethiopia. CRAZY LOVE!! Anyways - we have stalked their blogs and followed their journey and I reached out to them to let them know Laura would be in-country and would LOVE to meet them. They came to her tonight. Her text said "Met the Shannons. very nice!" I am excited to hear how that meeting went because what they have done - committed to time in country - is something we have not taken off the table and we are very open to it. So I am hoping she picked their brains over it...

THE PEACE THAT PASSES UNDERSTANDING
In re-reading yesterdays email, I realized it was kind of gloomy. I mean - it was 100% truthful but that stuff can sometimes be overwhelming. And I did indeed forget to share one super important thing Laura said to me on the phone. she said, "Tymm - these kids are HAPPY! They have JOY! They know PEACE!" And having been twice to two different spots in Africa I know exactly what she is talking about. In the midst of unexplainable, indescribable, unimaginable poverty - there is a joy that we simply don't see here. There is a peace that comes with truly relying on God for all things - not just going to Him when the going gets rough. See the going doesn't GET rough in Africa - the going IS rough in Africa. They know God. They sing TO God. We tend to sing ABOUT God. Bottom line is this - they have a peace that passes understanding. Down in their hearts. They have a clearer, unobstructed channel to our father than we do here in the states. And that is the source behind this seemingly out of place joy. I just didn't want to NOT share that - I wanted everyone supporting us to know that even though things are "emotionally overwhelming" there is a WHOLE LOT OF GOOD going on there. 9 times out of 10 - the mission team walks away blessed FAR more than the folks they worked with. Rest assured - Africa may not be able to compete with our stuff - but they very well may have us beat in the joy department.



HOME FRONT
We had another great day. We started it off with a daddy-daughter breakfast at Chick-Fil-A. That was a blast. She thought she was so special... and well, she is.

Meron got her hair done by one of her teachers and when I got to her classroom the whole class (kids and teachers) yelled "Surprise!" It was so cute... I am so thankful for the awesome staff at her school! Going WAY beyond their job description - these guys are so supportive. After school we rushed home and changed clothes (she got to rock the new mommy flip-flops) and we went to meet some of our very best friends and biggest supporters at their neighborhood pool. We had pizza, brownies, watermelon and Meron went under water several times. So thankful for friends like these. Keeping an eye on Meron - taking her to the potty. Even the small things like that were so welcome - I tell you - i TOTALLY feel for the single parents out there! God bless all of them!!

The MOMMY VIDEO was another big hit - she was trying to converse with Laura - at one point yelling "Mommy! Mommy!" trying to get her attention. And tonight's mommy bag grab was sidewalk chalk - we'll take it to Arkansas with us and she'll love it!



Was hoping to make it the entire time mommy was gone with no blood - alas, we managed to make it 5 days. Meron did a nice Pete Rose slide across the parking lot and scraped both knees pretty good. Mr. Mark hooked her up with neosporin and band-aids which she talked about the whole way home. We did soap and water cleaning and new neosporin and new band-aids when we got home. It called for a 15 minute couch session - she said "I want to snuggle" - how the heck do you ever say no to that?

Work has had me burning the candle at both ends which makes for little sleep with me still wanting to spend time with Meron (top priority) and get everything done. A lot of hours went to my 9-5 this week (which was nowhere near a 9-5 on the hour thing...) so I am really looking forward to hitting the road and visiting family.

THANKS again for all of the prayer support. We are feeling them. I love that God is so enormous that our little prayers from right here can be heard and felt simultaneously halfway across the globe. We love all of you guys and couldn't be doing any of this without you.

Day 4: Mommy on a Mission

Disclaimer, heads up, warning or whatever ya wanna call it: if you are on our email list - you likely got this - it's pretty much the same thing (with hopefully some editing - I saw many typos in the already sent email and that drives me insane!)

So today i got a text around 11:30 AM our time that said "Are you around? Can I call you?"

Uh... YES! I hadn't spoken to Laura since Friday morning... truthfully - that's the longest time since we have been married that we have not spoken - I mean we have texted and google chatted - so we've been in touch - but it's weird for two people who still let each other know they made it to work and dropped off Meron okay to go that long. Sappy? Mushy? Weird? Maybe... but it's us. So needless to say i was excited to hear her voice and I got some great updates...

KORAH DUMP
Today the team headed out to help with a summer school program for the children who live in a dump in the Korah region of Addis. I didn't know it then, but Laura informed that we had actually been to this region when we visited the Leprosy hospital while we were there to bring home Meron. i remember very vividly what we drove through and I understand it a little bit more now knowing that it was this region.

So - Laura was pretty emotional on the phone with me as she told me about her day and I feverishly took notes. Okay - let's just be honest and truthful - cuz that's what we strive to be - she was bawling her eyes out and so was I. This stuff just kills us. Kills us.

She first told me a little bit more about yesterday and how she felt like God just gave her this incredible opportunity to hold and love on a baby that was about the same age Brighton was. She said she felt like He gave her that because she didn't have that opportunity with our son. The tears started right about here and didn't end even after we hung up... I could tell this really got to her - really took up shop in her heart mind and soul and likely isn't leaving anytime soon. I can still hear her right now, through tears saying to me "What is going to happen to that baby Tymm?" I think we all know what will likely happen to that baby - and she and I talked about that but like I told her - that baby got to know God's love before she makes it to be in His presence. And she did that by experiencing God through Laura. That's a pretty big deal in our books. I told Amanda - the executive director of Visiting orphans about this today and her words summed it up nicely. She said: "Oh my... that is SO SO SO powerful. The loss of that baby who has no parents being replaced by the love of your wife through the loss of her own child..."

Go God.

Next she told me about some house to house ministering they did. She said at one house they were in a 3x5 room praying over a woman who is HIV+ and had just lost her husband last month to HIV. She has 3 kids. A house the size of my desk. And a mountain of pain sitting right on her chest. Laura said the woman just sobbed and sobbed and sobbed while they prayed for God's mercies and comfort. I am pretty sure most of us here don't even know how to wrap our heads around that. I know I don't and have found myself praying a LOT today for that woman and the others in the dump around her.

Next up - a 12 year old girl named Adesse (probably killing that spelling). Whatever she did - she STOLE Laura's heart in a big gigantic way. Laura was really, really moved by this girl and I am sure if there was a way that she'd be coming home with her. She lives, eats, sleeps in the dump. Spends her days there. So Laura said to me "We have to raise $700 to sponsor her for a year of boarding school." I said "Heck yeah... let's do that." It will get her out of the dump into better living condition as well as get her education. That is SO important.

So here's my challenge to anybody out there still reading (I know, this is a long one)... let's raise that money. $700 is nothing to us. We know it. you know it. i know it. I would like nothing more than to show up at the airport to pick up Laura holding an envelope with that sponsorship money. Who is with me? We can do this - well - truthfully - we're GONNA do it... the question is who is gonna do it with me?

She also met a 102 year old man in the dump. I think that is just the coolest - i think the juxtaposition of the 2-month old and the 102 year old man is just something incredible. Oh to be able to read the mind of that man and see what he has seen over 102 years in Ethiopia. He's a definite anomaly because he is about twice the average life span there. Pretty amazing when you think of it. God can do whatever He wants. No Doubt...

Later they actually went back and visited the same Leprosy hospital we visited (and where we bought most of our items we brought home). Laura said the exact same man was working the loom up front - she asked the translator to tell him she had been there two years ago - apparently he has been at the hospital for 50 years. Pretty cool - I loved that place. The people were amazing.

SOME FUNNIES
She shared a few stories from last night with me - they have down time in the evenings and are able to go out and enjoy the local area. I guess her and a few teammates went looking for coffee (it was created in Ethiopia and for Laura - this is like a pilgrimage to the holy land!). They found a spot down the street but they said they were out of coffee - when they said "okay, no problem we'll find another spot" the man said "no, no, no - stay we'll find some for you" - like Heather, one of Lara's teammates said - "Gotta love Ethiopians!" apparently the coffee they were served turned their teeth black and Chris - one of the team leaders said "uh... whats in my mouth?" and I guess it was a bug. Can't wait for pictures - I think they got some!

After leaving there they spotted some street kids roasting corn for sale on the corner - they all enthusiastically approached them and said they wanted to buy some from all of them - Heather (this is her 4th VO trip) told Laura "it is so good!" - they got the corn, bit in, and it was HARD AS A ROCK. Her words were "felt like it had been roasting since last Monday!"

It's encouraging, to me at least, to know that in the midst of everything they are doing, surrounded by what they are surrounded by, God loves them so much that He gives them some time to escape it and have a little fun.



HOME FRONT
Things are good here. Meron has been an angel. Last night's bedtime was... uh, interesting... but tonight was the polar opposite. I told her that if she behaved tonight we could have breakfast together before I took her to school. She usually has breakfast at school so it will be a fun treat (for both of us!). That one little mention of that made bedtime a BREEZE. No whining. No stall tactics. 3 songs, two kisses, a prayer from me, a prayer from her and the door shut. I have the monitor right beside me and she hasn't made a peep. Nice...

When she watched Laura's video tonight it was awesome! On this one Laura was asking her a lot of questions and pausing and Meron was answering back and smiling so big! Thanks Sandra for this idea - these have been a HUGE hit. It's precious to watch her watch the video - I wish i could show it. And the "special treat" from the Mommy Bag tonight was Toy Story book - a HUGE hit for her because she is loving some Toy Story right now. Tomorrow we get to swim with some friends and then one more day of school and work before we head out to visit family.

OHHH!! And the best part - her school knows where Laura is - and today they told me when I picked her up - "Kaleisha said if you bring in her comb and hair bands she will do her hair for you." Can you say "AWESOME" - I am gonna wait and have her do it thursday after we swim. Thank you God for that glorious blessing!

TOMORROW
Tomorrow Laura and team head to paint a school building a serve a dinner to the local community where a family ministry is located. We're excited about this one because this family that has just up and moved over there is one we have been watching and they are so inspiring. Pretty cool and I am excited to hear about it.

Also - I think Laura has found a ride to the cemetery where Brighton is and she is trying to go tomorrow. Please, please pray for this time. One of her teammates is going with her so she won't be alone - my heart ACHES to be there with her.

Please continue to pray for safety and strength. They need it - your prayers have been felt both there and here and we are extremely grateful.

Day 3: Mommy on a Mission

I got to Instant Message with Laura for about 5 minutes today. She had an AMAZING day - emotional, but awesome in every way.

MOTHER THERESA HIV ORPHANAGE
Today the team spent the day at the Mother Theresa HIV Orphanage. Laura's words exactly were "Babe it was tough. it was really, really, tough."

She said she had the opportunity to feed a 2-month old who is HIV positive. She sat and held her for an hour - just rocking her and whispering God's promises to her and God's love for her into her ears. She said she was a sobbing wreck - but that God used it to help heal some deep, deep hurt she still had around Brighton and his death. Her words to me were this, "I wish somebody could have held and rocked Brighton." I like to believe someone did.

She said (as we both knew) the people have been amazing - they got to share lunch leftovers with some street kids and I think the city is bringing back so many sweet memories for her. I can speak from experience - that place feels so much like home to us - weird - maybe because our family grew there and planted some permanent roots as well - regardless of the reason - she feels great to be there...

HOME FRONT
Everything is great here! Tonight's video got some HUGE smiles from Meron. Laura sang a Camp Hoffman original that we always sing around here ("Doodle Bop") and Meron was smiling so big and singing along. She got so excited she yelled "I LOVE YOU MOMMY!" twice to the video.

The "Mommy Bag" treat was a pair of flip-flops and she pretty much flip-flopped for them! I had to break the bad news that no, she couldn't wear them to bed. Night night was a little bit of a challenge tonight - she tried every single stall tactic in the book - at which point I made her say "I am using stall tactics" - which was a bad parenting move on my part because that just made me laugh out loud (it was pretty cute) and then she started giggling and we were back to square one.

We eventually made it and all is quiet on the home front now.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONTINUED PRAYERS FOR LAURA! I will update as I get more info from her.

Seeing God

Sometimes I think we humans are too quick to write off things - we try to explain away everything that happens and in that process - we likely miss so much of God. I know I have done it and still do it all the time.

But every now and then something happens that just doesn't sit right or sends the chills flying down your spine so fast that you can't do anything but know it was God. Meron and her balloon from God story was one of those times.

She cornered me in her closet and hit me with another one Sunday morning.

First, I should say that Laura and I haven't really ever used the actual word "adoption" that much with Meron. I mean we talk to her all the time about how God made our family, and how He chose her and us to be a family, etc, etc, etc. We've used the term loosely, not really emphasizing anything around it. Honestly, I can't tell you the last time I used it with her.

So Sunday, while I am in her closet pathetically trying to dress her as good as her mom does - she comes running in and says:

"Brighton! Baby Brighton! My brother!

I love it when she mentions Brighton in her prayers and stuff but she really hasn't come up to me and ever said anything about him without us already talking about him. She was so chipper and happy. It was adorable. I said "We love him, don't we?" She said:

"Yes! We love him!

I was having trouble finding a top to match the shorts I had in my hand so that likely would have been the end of the conversation except for the fact the she continued with this:

"He needed to be adopted."

Huh? Her use of the word "adopted" stopped me in my tracks. Things just went from adorable to a little freaky. I said "What'd you say baby?" She re-stated:

"He needed to be adopted. He needed to be fed and loved."

At this point I am thinking Laura must have had some giant conversation with her around this and not shared this with me. Not like her, but what else explains it? I was done trying to find matching clothes - now I was kneeling down at her eye level and I said "Sweetie, come here... who told you that?" She came walking over, looked me dead in the eyes, didn't miss a beat and said:

"God."

Chills. Down the spine. Hair on the arms getting prickly. I stood back up, tussled her hair and tried to pretend like that was completely normal. Chatting with Laura today I shared it and she confirmed that she hasn't had some conversation with her.

The rest of the day I was bugged out... but I started thinking - why does that bug me out? I have prayed... I mean I have PRAYED like crazy for Meron's heart to be receptive to hearing God, I have asked Him to send the Holy Spirit to her at the earliest age he would, that she would start to be molded and shaped and to know Him WAY before I did in my life. I have asked for all of this - and yet it freaks me out when I see it play out before my eyes.

God is real people. Really real. And if the last 3 years of my life hadn't cemented that into my head - my 2.5 year old daughter cornering me in the closet to tell me matter-of-factly what God has told her has just driven it straight home.

Trusting in Him a little more today...

Day 2: Mommy on a Mission

After a LONG trip I finally heard from Laura late this afternoon. They had made it and were headed to get some rest. Tons of prayers for rest for this team as they are doing a lot while they are there.

As for here at Camp Hoffman - we survived another day without our glue. Laura did two things that are helping out a TON. First - we recorded a video for every day that Laura is gone. I play it for Meron in the evening and we eventually end up watching them like 15x. She loves them. The second thing is she put together a "Mommy Bag." It's a gift bag with a little cheap gift for every day. Meron get's to reach in every day and pull something out. As the bag gets lighter - we know we're getting closer to mommy being back. Again - Meron loves it. So far she has pulled chap stick and a Buzz Lightyear paddle ball. Pure heaven for her...

Today - I learned 3 new things.


#1. - Laura is incredibly good at doing Meron's hair.
Not that I did terrible or anything - but I did get to experience first hand what its like and I realize how time consuming it could be if you weren't as good as Laura obviously is. I think I did okay today but the whole thing stresses me out. It's worth noting that Meron is a SUPER TROOPER when it comes to it though. She sits perfect for me and lets me struggle for as long as I need to.


#2. - Laura has instilled great public restroom rules for Meron.
At church every Sunday, Laura always takes Meron to the restroom right before dropping her off at her class. Meron is getting great with it. She pretty much can hold it through class and we've had zero accidents. Well - no mommy this morning meant I had to do that duty. So we're wrapping up and Meron says that she wants to flush. I say "no problem" as I am pulling back up big girl panties and already looking for hand sanitizer. I tell her to go ahead and do it and she says:

"No daddy - with my foot like mommy showed me..."

She made me pick her up so she could flush the toilet with her foot instead of her hand. Way to go Laura! I love that foot-flushing has already been put in place!


#3. - Grilled cheese is harder than it looks and sounds...
I asked Meron what she wanted for lunch today. She said "Grilled cheese samwich." "Sure thing" I yelled with all the outward confidence I could muster as my insides were panicking. Laura is the grilled cheese master. I am in trouble! One call to my sister (voicemail) and several Google searches later and we were set. I burned the first one pretty bad but the second one was nothing short of a work of art. Meron devoured it.

Outside of that we hung out, took a great nap, played in the sprinkler with our friends, went to the grocery store and stayed up late together. It was fun.

Please keep praying for Laura - for her heart to shine through and for her to be an incredible tool for God. If ya have any leftover prayers - we'll take 'em here on the home-front!

Day 1: Mommy on a Mission

We got up early today and drove mommy to the airport. The day she's been prepping for now for a long time had finally arrived. She was flying out to start her trip to Ethiopia and Uganda. She'll be spending the next two weeks between those two countries with Visiting Orphans. We love this organization - they do exactly what their name says - they visit orphans. Awesome bunch of people!


Laura met up with a few of her teammates who were also in Atlanta and they flew up to DC together. Meron tried to act all shy but I now know what it was - she was feeling sad and didn't know what to do with that feeling. She cried a little in the car when we left but we ended up having a great day. She is insanely proud of her mommy (you should have heard her pray tonight) but at the same time - she misses her already just like I do!


As of this writing, Laura and her team were 1,975 miles in to the first leg of their trip (short fuel stop in Rome). We're gonna do our best to try and keep this updated - at least with her itinerary and then anything we may hear from her. Your prayers, as usual, are greatly appreciated.

Oh yeah - and ya might wanna say one for Meron. Cuz it's 2 weeks of daddy doing her hair!

Mommy and Meron Time

Laura flies out bright and early tomorrow on her way back to Africa. She is going to Ethiopia and Uganda with Visiting Orphans to love on some kids. Cuz that's what we're supposed to do!

The hardest part of this is without a doubt leaving her girl here for 2 weeks - with me! GULP! Mommy and Meron were able to grab some alone time tonight and God gave Laura exactly what she needed. A peaceful, loving evening with her. We've been talking up the trip a lot so Meron knows what's up - but lately she has been NUTS at bedtime. Well - last night's prayer from Meron went like this:

"God, Mommy go to Africa. Please keep her safe. Jesus name. Amen."

And tonight when she said she wanted to pray - she closed her eyes and said:

"God... Thank you Mommy for going to Africa. Jesus name. Amen."

Sweetest. Thing. Ever.

God - I am not gonna get all wordy on ya - those prayers of Merons? That's the prayer on my heart too. We trust in You...

Faith Without Deeds...

I love that Meron is learning at an early age how important it is to give. To give of our time. To give of our money. To give from our hearts and to give because God has given us so much.


It absolutely warms my heart to hear her every time we pass formula in any store. She points at it and then says (loudly - shes never quiet!):

"For the babies in Africa!"

I love that it is an absolutely normal thing for her and that it isn't seen as something special - it's just what we do.


I love that tonight as we packed up over 750 bottles worth of formula she was fighting to get in there and pack it. Insistent on helping.

And I love that afterwards - while we waited for a special friend to drive all the way to our house to get it and carry it to Christie, a special mule who is going to carry it to Uganda for us - Meron asked mommy to "walk to the park" with her (which is Meronese for "walking in circles through the kitchen and living room").

And while walking she had this to say to her mommy:

"You're going to Africa! To feed the babies!"

"God loves the babies in Africa."

"God loves me."

I love that her heart seems to be absorbing whats happening around her. We pray every single night for a receptive heart and for the Holy Spirit to work in her at a young age. God so faithfully answers prayers and we are watching it happen.


Faith without deeds is dead Meron. And the last thing we ever want to model for you is a dead faith.

God - help us continue to behave in the way you meant for us to - the way we were built to - and to always be cautious of the little eyes sitting by - waiting to copy us.

My Cutie and My Hottie

It's easy to count your blessings when they show up every day looking like this.

I am one blessed guy... and eternally grateful.

Beating The Heat

There's only one way to conquer this heat in GA - and it involves swimming suits, dope sunglasses, great neighbors with a pool and water. Meron had all those ingredients tonight and had a blast! Thanks Chrissy, Allison, Ryan and Katlyn!

Summer in Georgia...

Is just WAY. TOO. HOT.

Is it almost October?

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there putting in work.

I am blessed beyond belief to be the dad to some pretty cool kids - and one more on the way!

Brighton - my love for you knows no bounds. Your life changed lives - and it hasn't stopped or let up at all. I dream of the day when we'll run together. I can't wait...

Meron - I love you "big much!" and you make me want to try as hard as I can every single day! Your joy is contagious and infectious - and I have caught it and re-catch it every single time I look in to your eyes.

LH3 - you hve a special place in my heart and I can't wait to celebrate the next father's day with you!

Much thanks to God for hooking me up with children that make the work of "daddy" so much fun!

Where Oh Where is the Air?

It's been a hot week in GA. And this train ain't got no AC... but that can't stop Meron and her buddy Milo from playing. No sir-ee...

These Little Lights of Mine...

They shine so bright! No matter what the day brings - when it ends with these 2 it is BRIGHT!

Thank you mommy and Meron for letting your light shine like you do... it's like a sunbeam for my soul!

Who Needs a Pool?

Big storm was supposed to come through - 60 mph winds and hail - we didn't see that but we did get some hard rain and we did what we like to do in the rain - we played in it! Good times!

Friends and Formula

Meron's good buddy Sheridan came over tonight with a big bag full of formula! Thanks Sheridan for the pleasant surprise!

You can help out too - visit Brighton Their World to learn more!

Guitar Hero

Meron jumped up on the fireplace and said "Where's my kittar?" So we handed her the Guitar Hero controller and she jammed for a while... future worship leader? Hair band maybe? Who knows...

All In The Family

Today we celebrate our Family Day. 2 years ago we were in Ethiopia being handed the most amazing, precious gift ever from an amazing, caring, loving God.

It blows my mind to look back at last year and the year before and see how much we have grown both up and together. I love our family and wouldn't change a thing about it.

God... you're good. Real good. And I am forever grateful

Flashback: Origin of Big Eyes

Just in case you read our post on Big Eyes and thought it was something we taught her - here's proof from 2 years ago that God gave her those eyes... She actually taught us the art of "big eyes."

Hot Humid Hugs

We spent some time at the park today. It was HOT. It was HUMID. It was Georgia in June. But never too hot or humid for hugs.

No Time Soon!

No way Meron! Just the idea of it makes me paranoid...

Washing of the Feet

Old Fashioned Foot Washing - Meron Style!

Covered With Love

We want to take a second to introduce you to one of the many big blessings we have in our life. Judy has supported us both prayerfully and financially every single month since Brighton Their World started last year!

She was also the inspiration behind our new Covered With Love program that will be sending handmade blankets and clothing to orphans across the globe! Watch for more information on this soon or contact us if you are interested in learning more.

God has taken hold of her heart and broken it for the orphans in this world - and she has been a willing and obedient servant for Him.

Judy - THANK YOU SO MUCH for all you do for these children in His name!

Girl's Club

Meron hanging out with some of her favorite girls in the world - Aunt Connie, Mommy, Granny (and Ginger too!)

Aqua Boogie

Meron spent Memorial Day afternoon with some of her best friends getting their "aqua boogie" on at their neighborhood pool!

Meron had a blast and it was pretty clear - none of them wanted to leave! Thanks guys for the invite to hang out and get wet!

Infinite Bubbles

Granny's House + Infinite Bubble Gun = Pure Joy!

Thanks granny for letting us soak your house from top to bottom in bubble juice!

Granny's Hat

I think Granny needs a Yankees hat!!