Picker Point
  • Living Radically
  • August27th

    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

    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

  • 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

  • June9th

    God’s Grace

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


    Last night, I watched True Grit for the third time, this time sharing the experience with my brother Allan and sister-in-law Lindsay. I knew Allan was going to love it, so I couldn’t wait to watch it with him. It’s a beautiful story, and yet quite humorous at the same time. The book is even better.
    Read More | Comments

  • March22nd

    Funded.

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


    Our God is so good.

    Since October we have been praying, asking God to bring the money and the people together to make this Adami Tulu project happen. At times I was confident it would come together; other times I was scared to death. I was often overcome with a thought I’ve had several times before in the last few years . . . “The money, the money, how on earth will we get the money.”
    Read More | Comments

  • March11th

    Adami Tulu Update

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

    We are excited to share that yesterday we reached our goal of raising $7,000 for the Adami Tulu School! It is amazing how quickly God has brought this money together and how He is providing for these precious children. However, we’re not done yet. While $7,000 was our own personal goal, the real goal is $35,000. We’re working with a team of people to raise this money, and as of today we have raised just over $23,000.

    Here’s the breakdown for the use of the money, if you’re interested: Read More | Comments

  • February9th

    Created for Care

    Author: Mary Beth | Posted in: Adoption, Living Radically, Spiritual

    We just got back from a week in Georgia. We had a great visit with Casey’s family, even though I didn’t take a single picture, and then I had the wonderful opportunity to spend the weekend at the Created for Care Retreat.

    The instant I heard about the retreat last fall, I knew this was for me. A special weekend for adoptive moms sounded like exactly what I needed. It’s no secret that the last six months have been quite challenging for us. I felt like I was living my life in a dry, lonely place, and just the thought of a retreat with other women on this same road was like water to my soul.
    Read More | Comments

  • January31st

    Our Adami Tulu fundraising team is working to raise money for the Adami Tulu School Building project in Ethiopia. We’re all hosting several Super Bowl Parties across the country this Sunday. You can join us at one of the events, or you can just make a pledge from the comfort of your own couch!
    Read More | Comments

  • January12th

    Valentine’s Day Giveaway!

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

    We are very excited to announce our first fundraiser for our Adami Tulu project: another Aspen Giveaway!

    Our Aunt and Uncle have, once again, generously donated a stay at their timeshare. The winner of this giveaway will win a free stay at the Hyatt Grand Aspen.

    Read More | Comments