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  • September19th

    Ask 5 for 5

    Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Living Radically

    As many of you know, the famine is still raging in East Africa. And even though it’s tempting to donate a little money and then look the other way, I really believe that God calls us to to be steadfast in our prayers and support for those that are hurting. Please take the time to read the following post from Sarah Lenssen. I love it when ordinary people make a difference!

    Guest Blogger: Sarah Lenssen from #Ask5for5

    Family photos by Mike Fiechtner Photography

    Thank you Mary Beth and nearly 150 other bloggers from around the world for allowing me to share a story with you today, during Social Media Week. Read More | Comments

  • September15th

    Adami Tulu In My Heart

    Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Adami Tulu


    “Adami Tulu” means “cactus hill,” and there literally is a huge hill covered in cacti right in the middle of town. You can see it from everywhere in town, and the school is no exception.

    We asked Solomon, our translator and good, good friend, if there was a path to climb it. “Of course,” he said, “I’ve climbed it many times.” So one afternoon, when we were tired of painting, a few of us decided to climb Adami Tulu. It ended up being one of my favorite times during the trip. Read More | Comments

  • September11th

    Where Were You?

    Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Living Radically

    Ten years ago today I was walking into chapel on a beautiful September morning at Harding University. The summer heat was beginning to fade and the sky was clear and bright. I was a junior English major, engaged to my true love, and busily planning a wedding for the end of the year.

    As I was walking in the side door of the Benson Auditorium, I heard two guys in front of me discussing the news. “Did you hear about the plane that flew into a building in New York?” one asked the other. “Yeah, it’s unbelievable.”
    Read More | Comments

  • September2nd

    Caleb in Africa

    Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Adami Tulu, Living Radically, Travel

    Many of you have asked me to write more about our trip, and I’m planning on it.  But my heart is still processing all that we saw and did, so it’s hard to know exactly what to write about.  In the meantime, I thought I would answer another popular question:  How did Caleb do?
    Read More | Comments

  • August27th

    Just A Little Bit More, Part II

    Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Adami Tulu, Living Radically, Spiritual

    Read the first part of this post here.

    That night Aaron formulated a plan. We would all contribute to cover the boy’s expenses at school, and then we would beg Gary and Peggy to accept one more student. Tuition for the school year is about $21 per student, which is still too expensive for most families to afford, so many are allowed to attend for free, but the actual expense to cover each student is about $176 per year. We easily gathered the $176 from our group, and Aaron determined to do his best the next day.

    The next morning, our team gathered for breakfast, and we each shared how we had been impacted by the trip so far. Aaron reminded us of a famous quote made by the extremely wealthy Howard Hughes. When asked, “How much money is enough?” Hughes had replied, “Just a little bit more.” Aaron urged us to apply the same philosophy to our war on poverty and the orphan problem. “When we’re asked how much more we can do in our efforts to change the world, our answer must be ‘just a little bit more.’ And that’s the way I feel about this little boy. Yes, the problem is huge, but we can help him, we can do just a little bit more.“

    Read More | Comments

  • August26th

    Just A Little Bit More, Part I

    Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Adami Tulu, Living Radically, Spiritual

    We’re back from a most amazing trip to Adami Tulu, Ethiopia. There’s so much to share and tell, which I hope to do in the coming weeks as I process and unpack all that we experienced. But there’s one story which must be shared right now. This story, and the surrounding events, became our theme for the week. And it was clear that God had brought us together for this work.

    New School Building

    We spent the mornings hosting a Children’s Church in Adami Tulu (I’ll share more on that in another post), and each afternoon we went to the Adami Tulu school to paint the new building. On Wednesday afternoon, a few of us had taken a break from painting to walk around the school grounds and discuss future projects. As we were breaking up, Cacey Klein and I noticed a few kids hanging around the fence behind the school. Kids had been hanging out there and calling to us every afternoon; usually we would just wave, or holler “Selam” as we continued our work, but for some reason we were drawn to these kids. “Let’s go invite them to Children’s Church tomorrow,” I suggested to Cacey. She agreed, so we grabbed our faithful friend and driver, Tsegaw, to translate for us. Read More | Comments

  • August4th

    Betasab Day

    Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Adoption

    This time of year is special to us because it’s when we celebrate the way that God has brought our family together. On Saturday, we’re celebrating our annual “Betasab Day.” Betasab means “family” in Amharic, and we believe that the work God has done in our family is so amazing that it deserves a holiday every year.

    July 24 marked two years since we first met our precious Josiah, and August 6 will mark one year since Evelyn walked into our arms. I love looking at their pre-family pictures and comparing them to their sweet, happy faces that I see every day.

    But just a couple thoughts before I share the pictures with you: Read More | Comments

  • July19th

    Will You Share Your Lunch?

    Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Living Radically


    I’ve continued to think and pray over the drought in Africa for the last several days. It seems that the story is finally making the news here in the U.S., for which I’m very grateful.

    I know that most people can’t help but feel compassionate toward the millions who are suffering right now. But moving from compassion to action is often difficult, especially when the problem is overwhelmingly huge and feels far away. Not everyone has the ability to write big checks at a moment’s notice, but I want to encourage you that God can do great things with just a little; even $5, $10, $20 can make a difference.

    I keep thinking about the little boy who gave what he had in John 6. He shared his lunch Read More | Comments

  • July14th

    Enough

    Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Living Radically


    If you follow me on twitter or facebook, you’re probably aware of my concern over the current drought and possible famine in the Horn of Africa. The story has barely made the news coverage at all, so don’t be surprised if you haven’t heard.

    There are an estimated 10 million people suffering from Read More | Comments

  • June29th

    My Daddy

    Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Home Life & Family

    My daddy is 3 years old.
    My daddy’s name is Casey.
    My daddy weighs 15 years pounds and is 3 feet tall. (He insisted on 15 years pounds.)
    My daddy has black hair and brown eyes. Read More | Comments

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