Crazy Adventures in the Life of a Redhead

At the farmer's market in Fort Atkinson, WI, with my mentor Seeds of Hope in Sullivan, WI, bringing the love of Jesus to inmates from the Jefferson County Jail September is already here and passing with furious rapidity. I cannot seem to grasp the speed, but I am keeping abreast with all my activities and work, sleeping occasionally when I manage to make it a priority—rarely is that the case. I am now leaving for Ecuador to continue studying agriculture. This summer has been an exploration into farming and agricultural practices, and I have never felt so fulfilled. I do believe that I have found the path down which God wants me to travel. I am invigorated and stimulated more than I have ever been, and I feel at peace with the unknown specifics of the future because I am certain of the trajectory. Always a dreamer and a goat-setter, I am confident that the opportunities and particularities of my future will unfold accordingly on my life’s timeline. More...

I had forgotten about the beauty and immensity of my own country before taking the opportunity to visit friends and family in the West. These wandering feet have taken me to more countries than states in the Union, so it seemed a fitting transition from abroad to back home in Wisconsin to check off a few more states I had been wanting to see, catching up with dear friends and family with whom I had not connected in a long while. Los Angeles LAX airport was the hub I chose for my Asian adventure, giving me a logical proximity to commence my western travels and to make my way eastward to Wisconsin.  Immediately following my arrival to the U.S. I took an eight-hour Amtrak ride to meet up with a dear friend from high school, who has been working in Folsom, CA, for nearly three years. I have been blessed to travel to see her several times since she moved out there, and I was no less excited this time around to share a weekend together.    Both loving t...

Finishing up our evening snack of noodles, sticky rice and sweet bean soup Three years ago I traveled to Vietnam as a tourist, and I left with an ambivalent impression of the country. This time around I returned to the country as the guest of my dear friends, redeeming my opinion of the country to the extent that I look forward to my next visit. What a difference being a guest makes! I stayed in the homes of my friends (two different homes and families) and visited their church communities and ate with their families and friends. I shared in the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection with them on Easter Sunday and was welcomed to be a part of their daily routines. My friend Kim and her parents, my first hosts I was blessed to have the chance to spend time with my friends and to see a more refreshing side of Vietnam. I prayed and read and ate a lot of good food, relaxing in the fellowship of my friends and their families (and bustling around on the back of...

My students found a waterfall near Abian, Nueva Vizcaya. If I did not know that I would be back again one day, I think these final moments in the Philippines would be much more difficult; however, Lord willing, I will be back in January 2015 for Come to the River, Happy Family’s annual leadership conference. (It will be skipping one year, so I have until 2015 to prepare for my next trip to Asia.) This place has been a place of learning, healing and meditation. I thank God that he brought me to this island country, taking me completely unawares by his love and provision in my life. God is great, and he is faithful to guide me, as I follow the path led by Jesus Christ. I have never felt this established before in my thoughts, in my plans and in my desires. I attribute this state of being to the time I have spent in the Philippines because I had the opportunity to look at myself pretty deeply and look at God quite profoundly, seeing where I fit in and what I must...

The children of the Bible school staff only liked me after I made a fish-lips face! In recent months, Myanmar has become much more open to the outside world. Within the last five months, the country has seen its first ATM machine, installed many wireless connections and expanded its economy to include goods from around the world. More significantly are the political progress and political opposition to the main power groups, semblance of democracy, open knowledge of government contracts with China and other trading partners and social exchange with incoming tourists and businessmen. Shwedagon marketplace, outside the large pagoda Foreigners are still prohibited from staying with the local population, but they are welcomed on all sides to participate in tourism and business activities. Only 15 years ago, foreigners were given only 3 days to be in the country (before that it was 24 hours and before that foreigners were completely restricted from entering Myanmar). Now I a...

I love the Cordillera Mountains that surround Baguio. Most likely I have used this alliterative phrase before in my posts, but the meaning of the phrase has deepened, as I make more and more “back to Baguio” trips. Over the past four years, I have returned to Baguio five times. My “happy family” is always pleased to greet me, and I feel at home within this city and inside of this Bible school. I do not feel the pull to remain long-term in the Philippines, but I gather that I will return “back to Baguio” every year or every other year, Lord willing, to maintain my interaction with such wonderful groups of Christians and timely and effective ministries: the Happy Family Bible Training Center and others around the Philippine islands.   "Your future is so bright that you better wear sunglasses!" Quote from Daniel McCarty When I think back to the start of my extensive traveling in 2009, I could never have imagined that the Philippines would find itself on the top ...