I want to introduce you to a very special family—the Thengezas. The oldest girl in the bright pink shirt is Marita. She’s twenty-six and takes care of all her siblings through temp jobs, washing clothes, and cleaning houses. She is doing everything she can, but she simply cannot provide enough for all eight siblings on…
I grew up believing in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, looking forward every year to the presents and the candy they would bring. Christmas and Easter were the two most wonderful days of the year in my house and how I learned to believe in things I couldn’t see. I never heard about Jesus…
(I wrote this five years ago, but it seems to be relevant today, so…) Ah, the season of scares! It’s upon us. Whether you love Halloween or pretend it doesn’t exist, much of the world is preparing for something frightening at this time of year. If you look up the history of Halloween, you’ll find…
I first wrote this in 2012—back when two spaces after a period was standard—so I feel confident that it will be either new to you or at least forgotten. With summer here and gardening season upon us, I thought it might be appropriate to share an updated version, hoping that it speaks to you on…
Let’s talk about forgiveness—or, in this case, lack of forgiveness and how it weighs us down. I’m writing a memoir and have wrestled with this topic over recent years as part of that project, because who wants to read three hundred pages of unresolved issues? Let me share with you what I’ve learned—and am learning. First…
My kitchen is overrun with fruit flies. I have vinegar traps set, but they seem to serve more as refueling stations for the tiny pests to congregate and laugh at me—and to make more fruit flies. Our daughter-in-law walks around with one of those racket-shaped bug zappers, lighting the house up with satisfying little electrical…
A few years ago, tragedy struck repeatedly, as John’s brother died from a fentanyl overdose, Snoden, our Malawian HUGS for Tomorrow co-founder, lost his brother in a violent flood, and a university student where John worked lost her brother in a car accident. Each event was shocking, and, together, they all felt eerily spaced, as…
I absolutely love critters. Insects and creepy crawlies fascinate me. I probably should have been an entomologist or a herpetologist. My husband, on the other hand, is not as smitten with the bug world and has accused me a few times over the years of not being sensitive to those around me who do not…
I promised a friend I would make this post. She’s like a lot of other people I know, quietly grieving the choices our kids have made. I warn you this is not light-hearted, but maybe it’s time to go deeper with our spiritual discussions because, even though the Christian community is the best community on…
(Photo: The workers prepare the foundation for the long-awaited pavilion/chapel.) Here we are, a quarter of the way through 2025, and that little group of kids we started feeding in 2018 has grown into a pre-K through fifth-grade school. We’re building the sixth grade now to be ready for next year, and the pavilion, where…