One of the most difficult parts of ministry is that you don't always get to see the fruit of your work. Especially when you work with children. And especially in Romania. The kids' lives can be so tumultuous and unpredictable- you can pour into a child for years, and then one day they are gone, without warning, and...

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Memories of my childhood always evoke happiness and contentment.  The playhouse my dad built for me.  Summers spent at the beach. Camping in Yosemite.  All of these memories take me back to a different time when I was filled with joy because I was truly and wholly loved, and secure in that love. When I talk to our...

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 New parents always talk about how indescribable it it the first time they see their new child. It's beautiful, moving, and so full of love. You can't know what it's like until you experience it for yourself. I feel like that when I try to describe what it feels like to love, and be loved by these children....

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So our Sunday/Monday looked something like this. 7:30- 12:00 Church. 12:00-1:30 Drive to San Clemente to drop off cars at in-law's house. 1:30-3:15 Drive to LAX. 3:15-5:00 Check in, baggage drop off,  security, walk to terminal 5:00pm-4:00am LAX to Amsterdam 4:00 to 4:30 Sprint from plane to connecting flight in an adjacent terminal 4:30 to 5:00 Board plane...

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The countdown is on!  10 days until we leave for Romania! Things I can't wait to see... 1)  the obvious 2) the awesome staff members who care for these kids daily 3) different modes of transportation 4) being able to visit Dracula's decapitated head anytime you want supposedly it's buried in this church you guys 5)  grocery stores...

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He was found in an alley as a toddler.  He didn't know his own name.  They said he would never learn to read, so they never tried to teach him. Her mom dropped her off and said she would be back soon to get her. That was 12 years ago. They said he was "retarded" and had to...

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When I compare kids who grow up in families to kids who grow up in institutions, there are actually more similarities than you would think.  All kids want the attention of the adults in their lives. They want to show you a cool trick that they learned to do with the soccer ball. And as they get older,...

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If I'm honest I don't think I knew anything about Romania until I met Haley. I take that back. I knew one thing. Romania produced one of the most awkward yet endearing NBA players of all time. The 7'7" Gheorghe Muresan. My only real memory of him was a ridiculous mock cologne commercial he made for snickers. At...

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When people ask you what you do, or what you used to do, you get some interesting looks when you say "missionary."  Their minds either go straight to images of Mother Teresa, or knocking on doors like a salesman.  Neither is accurate.  So I've stopped telling people my "title" and just tell them what I actually did.  Taught...

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We are going back.  We just got back, but we are going back, too.  Going back implies a homecoming.  Or home-going.  Whenever you leave somewhere, you say, "I'm going back."  The back home is implied. When you have two homes, you are always going back.  Which is strange, because you can't go back when you just got back.  But going back is...

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