I feel like there are a THOUSAND things I could write...things that have happened recently, ways that my eyes are being opened to the crazy needs in Wichita, Kansas, awesome ways that God has shown me His direction in the past few months (and can hardly wait to share!), complete joy and excitement at ways God is working around this desperate world...

But, right now I just wanted to share some awesomeness from the book I'm currently reading called, When Helping Hurts, by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert.  It. is. incredible. I am going through it so slow just because there is so much to soak in, think about, pray about, underline, and dwell on. If you are a Christian who ministers in any capacity, "full-time"(getting paid) or just in your normal life, in your hometown or overseas,  you need to read this book. It will challenge you mindset and heart on how you look at needy people, what we think our part is as believers, what the need truly is, ways that we hurt others while trying to help, and practical ways to truly help others and ourselves.

"Many..have focused on evangelism to save people's souls but have sometimes neglected to 'make disciples of all nations.' Converts need to be trained in a biblical worldview that understands the implications of Christ's lordship for all of life and that seeks to answer the question: If Christ is Lord of all, how do we do farming, business, government, family, art, etc., to the glory of God?
Failure to include this 'all of life' element into the gospel has been devastating to the Majority World."

"While poor people mention having a lack of material things, they tend to describe their condition in far more psychological and social terms than our North American audiences...in terms of shame, inferiority, powerlessness, humiliation, fear, hopelessness, depression, and voicelessness. North American  audiences tend to emphasize a lack of material things such as food, money, clean water, medicine, housing, etc..this mismatch between outsiders' perceptions of poverty and the perceptions of poor people themselves can have devastating consequences for poverty alleviation efforts."

"The problem goes well beyond the material dimension, so the solution must go beyond the material as well."  

This is just barely scraping the surface of what this book is about but I hope that it peaks your interest and you can pick it up..or borrow it from me if I ever finish:)

blueberry picking with a friend

family time!

I hope you all are having a wonderful summer so far! Mine so far has included: cooking with/for the girls at the Children's Home, house/garden sitting, talking on the phone with almost all of the kids at A Place of Hope:), blueberry picking, a family reunion, teaching Sunday school, a bad sunburn, watching adorable babies, and hopefully some traveling! I'm looking forward to sharing what God is doing in my life on a more              

  personal level, soon!

Look how big Kosi (one of the twins) and "baby" Joy are!