Amazing Grace

Often, when we read or talk about the 35 million people who are being oppressed in some form of slavery, it becomes overwhelming and seems impossible to do anything about. In these times it is helpful to draw inspiration from those who have gone before and done impossible things. One of our favorite inspirers is William Wilberforce.

William Wilberforce was instrumental in ending the slave trade in England. He was a member of Parliament and campaigned for the abolition of the slave trade for 18 years before seeing it accomplished. His tireless work changed millions of lives for the better, and should be an inspiration to us all.

If you're interested in learning more about his life and work for the abolition of the slave trade, you should check out the book Amazing Grace by Eric Metaxas. It is Wilberforce's biography and gives good insight into his struggle against those who thought the slave trade would never be defeated. A movie, based on the book, was made in 2006, starring Ioan Gruffudd and Benedict Cumberbatch. Both are excellent! The title comes from Wilberforce's relationship with John Newton, the writer of the hymn Amazing Grace. John Newton was a slave ship captain who, after converting to Christianity, gave up his ships and repented of his involvement in the slave trade. He then became a member of the clergy, and Wilberforce was part of his church as a young boy. Newton relayed stories of the atrocities of the slave trade to Wilberforce and helped convince him to continue the fight in Parliament to bring about its abolition. Consequently, the song was a favorite of Wilberforce's.

William Wilberforce also gave one of my very favorite quotes regarding the slave trade: "You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you did not know." This quote really gripped me as I was learning more about the various forms of slavery that exist in the world today. There are steps that can be taken, and are being taken every day by brave abolitionists, to help end modern slavery. We can no longer be neutral about oppression and violence. Our family is choosing to take action by joining the work of an influential organization that is fighting slavery head-on. What will you do?

Happy Birthday, Mom!

A Letter to My Mom on Her Birthday

To my first teacher: Thank you for teaching me that life is bigger than our little town, and that I could be anything and do anything I wanted. For instilling in all of us a passion for learning and a compassion for others. For sharing your sense of adventure and love for other cultures. For pointing me to Jesus through every circumstance, especially the difficult ones that were painful and didn't make any sense to my young mind.

To my biggest supporter and fan: Thank you for coming to every ball game, cheerleading event, track meet, and academic competition to cheer for me, even though my performance was rarely remarkable. For saying yes when I decided, as a teenager, that I wanted to go to Boston and Australia in the same summer, without you. For being excited for me when I chose to study abroad for a semester, and coming to visit me so I could be with family on Thanksgiving. For celebrating me when I got accepted to medical school, and loving me when I decided I didn't want to finish. For hugging me when I finally chose to be a teacher, so that maybe I can influence and encourage students as much as you do.

To the best grandma: Thank you for showing me how to love my kids without condition. For encouraging me as a mom, even when I know I'm messing it up. For baby-sitting so that I can maintain a level of sanity and enjoy some kid-free time with my husband. For adoring my kids and giving them the same love and support that you gave to us (along with a lot of free stuff).

And, above all, thank you for taking on our passion for IJM, even though it wasn't on your radar previously. For saying "I'm so proud of you," when I told you we were moving your grandbabies to the other side of the world. For reading and investigating more about oppression and violence against the poor because you knew it was important to us. For coming to every church we spoke at to hear more about IJM, give emotional support, and help wrangle the children. For hosting a fundraising event at your house on our behalf. For becoming an advocate for our mission and sharing it with all your people, too.

We can't thank you enough for everything that you do for, with, and because of us. I hope I am half the mother you are, and if I am I know it will be because of your example, love, and support. Happy birthday, and may you know how very much you are loved this year!

Immunizations, Packing, and Visas.....Oh My!

Things have been getting real around here (and a bit crazy!) as we're heading into the home stretch in preparations for Thailand. This month we are working on three big things: immunizations, packing up our house, and applying for visas.

We had our first round of immunizations today. Unfortunately, we have to drive to Indianapolis to get most of our vaccines because they are not commonly used and can be rather expensive. The upside is that we got to visit with some friends today, who live near the immunization clinic, that we haven't seen in a long time! We'll make two more trips to Indy to finish up our vaccines before leaving at the end of June.

We have less than one month left in our house! Packing up all our belongings is going slowly, but we are hopeful that the rest of May will be a little slower and will allow us to do more. (Wishful thinking?? Probably.) I'm a pretty organized person and like things to be packed, and boxes labeled, in a logical order. It will likely come down to me just throwing things in boxes the last few days before we move, but until then I am trying to do things in an organized fashion so that when we come back in a year, we don't have to rifle through every box to find the one thing we need.

Finally, it is time to apply for visas. There is a lot of paperwork involved in this, especially since there are five of us and most of us cannot sign for themselves. We have started the process but have not officially mailed in our applications yet. Our goal is to get them sent in by the end of the month, then hopefully receive our visas mid-June.

These may not seem like big things (in fact, as I'm typing this I'm thinking, "Why does all this seem so stressful?"), but in combination with the school year ending, my job wrapping up for the year, and preparing for my orientation in D.C. at the beginning of June, we often have trouble fitting everything in. (Plus, you know, all the normal-life stuff that goes along with raising and feeding three children.) We are trying to rest in the knowledge that everything that needs to happen will happen, one way or the other, and that we just need to keep plugging along. And maybe relax a little, too.

Preach

For two Sundays in April, we had the privilege of visiting two local churches to talk about IJM's work and what our part will be with the Thailand office. It was great to meet lots of new people and reconnect with some familiar faces. Scott also gave the sermon at both churches, and he did a wonderful job! If you would like to listen to his sermon from United Methodist Temple, you can do that here. (The sermon starts around 12:20.)

Before talking about our work with IJM, we played an introductory video at each church we have visited. If you're curious about what, specifically, IJM does, this is a good brief introduction. Their YouTube channel also has several videos that relay stories of survivors that are really moving. Below is the brief (less than 2 minutes!) introductory video:

SOLD

Great news--we sold our house! Pending some details, we should close the week of June 13th. This is a huge blessing, since we won't have to move to another location for very long before leaving for Thailand. We had several showings, but these buyers were perfect for us!

It is definitely bittersweet. We have lived in this house longer than any other place in our marriage. We brought all three of our kids home to this house. We have a lot of great memories here and have loved living in this neighborhood surrounded by some awesome people. However, it is a huge relief to not have the sale of our house looming over our heads while we finish our preparations for Thailand. It's also nice to not have to keep cleaning the house every couple of days for a showing. We'll cherish our memories, but are looking forward to making new ones in Thailand soon!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

It's official--we bought our plane tickets this week! Our official leave date is June 27. We were fortunate to catch a dip in flight prices, so we didn't pay as much as we had anticipated. It's starting to feel real now that we have just over two months to go!

Last week we visited Faith Southern Baptist in Clay City, where Scott preached and I shared about International Justice Mission. They welcomed us with open arms and generously gave to our fundraising effort. On Sunday we'll be visiting United Methodist Temple in Terre Haute. This is our last church visit, so if you'd been hoping to hear more about our work in Thailand come see us this week! We'd also love to talk with you in person over dinner or coffee about International Justice Mission and the important work they are doing around the world.

The next items on our to-do list are immunizations and visas. Fun! Hope to see as many of you as we can before June 27th!

The Locust Effect

We first heard about International Justice Mission several years ago through one of our favorite artists, Sara Groves. We didn't know much about the specifics of their work, but knew that they worked with victims of trafficking and other forms of injustice. Once we heard about a fellowship opportunity with IJM, we started to research more on how they go about seeking justice for these victims.

Gary Haugen, the founder of IJM, released a new book last year called The Locust Effect, which we read last summer. It's a good but intense read, detailing why there is such a great need in many countries to strengthen justice systems, and why so many people are still living in poverty even though billions of dollars have been donated globally. The locust effect refers to the ability of a swarm of locusts to devour everything in their path. Similarly, unchecked violence can destroy a family and send them right back into the cycle of poverty, despite any charity they may have received previously.

Each of the churches we are visiting will be receiving a copy of The Locust Effect for their libraries. We highly recommend reading this book if you're drawn to global justice issues.