Why Bother? Because This Will Make a Difference

     My husband and I had an incredible opportunity this past January. We were able to host a student from Ukraine in our home during his winter break from school. He attends a small boarding school for orphans near Poltava Region, Kobelyaky 39200, Ukraine.      We discussed foster parenting in the past. We could never agree if the timing was right. It seemed to me that we were waiting for the perfect time, to have what would seem to be enough money, or a secure enough job, or enough time. It felt like we would need to be perfect in order to even attempt to care for a child that may have experienced extreme amounts of brokenness in their lives. It appeared we would never be enough so the discussion got shelved.

     Then I saw a story about a little boy, well, he was thirteen, and still hoping for a forever family. So I brought up the subject again. This could work, this might be ideal, as my husband really wasn't keen on the idea of caring for little children. But the timing seemed off again, as my husband was scheduled for surgery toward the end of the year. Again, the end of the conversation.

     It was toward the end of December when I was scrolling through Facebook when I saw a brief notice posted by a friend of mine. She was looking for host families for some students that would be coming over from Ukraine for two weeks. Now, here was a possibility. This was as short term commitment. Two weeks wasn't too long. It would be a way to test ourselves, to see if we really have what it takes to "parent" or care for a child. They were the perfect age, 14-16. If it goes well, we will be encourages to try to do more, if not, well,, it is only two weeks, surely we all would survive the two weeks.

     We went through the interview, we made our commitment, and then the nesting began in earnest. We have had an extra room for years, just never outfitted it in any way. I rushed about, buying a bed, sheets, towels, anything else we might need. We were pretty sure a young man would be staying with us, but it still was such a guess as to what sheets to get, what patterns, what colors, what fabric. We wanted him to feel welcome at every moment. We researched foods, what to get to make him feel at home. The Nutella was by far the best choice!

     And then the weather. It had to be one of the worst storms of the winter when the children and their chaperons were trying to get here. There were delays and plenty of worry. And then suddenly he was here. I could only imagine how he must feel. I was so nervous, but he had traveled thousands of miles with the trust that someone would be here to happily greet him and safely welcome him in to their home. I had made a large poster with a greeting in Ukraine, for when we thought we would meet at the airport. Turns out our meeting place was a local McDonald's as the last part of the trip was by car instead of plane. I brought the sign anyway, to welcome him to town. And then we were on our own, in the car, heading home, me and this magnificent boy, neither of us able to speak the others language.

     All I can say is, I am glad to live right now. We had borrowed a phone from my husband's parents and it had a translate app on it that was incredible. You could speak your own language into it-and then pick the language to translate to and it would print and verbalize the translation. I would say with 85% accuracy and this allowed us to begin to connect.

     My husband was still working, so I showed our young man to his room, where the bathroom was, how to work the shower and faucets, where he could find his supply of snacks and water. I gave him the gifts we had bought and wrapped, our fake tree still being up as we thought its lights made the house more festive and inviting, and the huge stocking of candy and treats we had for him. 

     And then, what to do. We sat and smiles at each other. And then it occurred to me, one of my dreams had always been to have a child to read to, especially now that I am published, to read one of my own stories to. So I explained that I had written some books for younger children, bit would he like to hear one anyway? He was enthused. So we read through "Green Goo." And the humor did translate fairly well, in part due to Trey Chavez' fabulous pictures. 

     The two weeks went way too fast. It seemed like he had just arrived and it was already time to think about sending him home. We were able to do many fun things, go to museums, go to stores, and my husband took him to several local college basketball games. We had meet our families, go to family dinners and outings, and just spend time hanging out. That was one of the main objectives to provide the opportunity to interact with family and friends and give the child the feeling of what loving, healthy relationships look like.

     From him we learned about trust and courage, about following a dream. He shared with us that it had always been his dream to come visit America and he never imagined it would be possible or that strangers would treat him and the others so kindly. We were shown that we all have so much love we can share and that sharing will make a difference.

     We hope to be able to share that love with our student one last time, our Ukrainian child. He graduates from his school at the end of May. Technically, he is now considered an adult. Since he has aged out of their care system, being as he will be 17 in October, he is not eligible for adoption. He will be given a grant to attend trade school in the fall. He is eligible for one more trip to America, and that is what we are hoping to be able to do for him. We hope he is able to come stay with us for five weeks this summer. Five weeks to encourage him on his life journey, to show him that he is able to make choices to have the good life he wants to have, that it is within his abilities to some day own his own business if he wants to, to have his own family if he wants to, or to travel the world when he finishes trade school, that he does not have to live under a label chosen by others, and that he can create his own strong adult identity.

     Yes, we will want to take him to the beach, to cook-outs, to travel our beautiful state some more, but we also want him to experience more of every day home life within a large extended group of family and friends. Part of our dream is now to be able to do simple things like go to a picnic and fireworks with him on the 4th of July.

     Yes, there will be expenses involved. Yes, my husband and I are working extra hours and saving toward this. There will be fundraisers and there are fundraising pages for the group that we are involved with as a host family. Please consider following the link and the possibility in sharing this journey with us. It is because we have been so loved by family and friends that we are able to take that love and share it with others. I am so very grateful for that!
    The link will lead you to a funding page. It has been set up to help ALL the host families with the travel expense for the children. Please consider if you might be able to contribute. Every dollar is a huge help.
Summer Hosting Program

     Here are some pictures of the families and students so you can better see who all you will be assisting.

     

Rattled

     There wasn't really time to think. All I had time to do was say out loud exactly what I was thinking, "What does he think he's doing?" to my friend that was seated next to me in my car. My best friend and I, in my tiny little car, waiting to exit from one of two driveways at a small local restaurant, were at a standstill as traffic  charged by this sunny, cold day.
     I was waiting for the big truck to drive by, so I could pull out behind him, make a quick left down a side street and bring my husband his Greek salad for lunch while he worked from home. The truck didn't have its signal on and it didn't appear to be slowing down, and then suddenly it was heading straight for me, us, my car.
     And then he veered to the side, to the embankment in the middle of the two drives, and it was as if he thought he could drive over the large decorative cement lawn sculptures that were half buried under dingy mounds of snow.
     And suddenly the truck was stopped, good and stuck, mounted up on a giant mushroom sculpture. I slowly backed my car into the lot-as I couldn't get around him to the street. I rolled down my window-to call out to him as he got out of the truck and stumbled around among parked cars. Not one soul came out of the restaurant to be witness to this drama.
    "Are you all right?," I called out.
    "I guess we need to stay, since we witnessed this," my friend whispered.
    I get out of my car as the thin young man claws at another truck, trying to open its locked door.
    "That's not you truck. Are you okay?" I ask again. He stumbles about, in a daze.
    "I couldn't see. I feel dizzy. I think I have low blood sugar," he slurs as he slumps to his knees.
    "I'm calling 9-1-1. It's cold, you can't stay out here. (He is only wearing a sweatshirt and it is 9 degrees Fahrenheit outside) We need to get you inside," I say as I try to coax him off the ground. My friend comes to help me lift him up. I make the call and the dispatcher assures me that help is on the way.
     We get him back into the passenger seat of the truck he was driving, he sits hunched over as he picks up his cracked smart phone and calls someone from his family, to tell them about the truck.
     Minutes later the police, ambulance, and fire crews all arrive. I tell them what we saw and then we leave.
     Did I do the right thing? Was he having a health emergency? Did he just fall asleep at the wheel and realized that he would be in big trouble for what had happened to a truck that obviously was not his? I will never know. I am just glad that help was there so quickly when it was needed. I hope he ends up being okay and that this moment in time becomes a long ago distant memory for us both one day.

Into the World

     Today I want to share about my sister-in-law, her husband, their daughter, and what they are about to do. In about a day-they will be traveling far from home to go help care for and teach children in an orphanage in another country. This is another amazing reality to me because of the compassion and courage they are using to prompt their choices. I am always awestruck when people are willing to leave the comfort of the security of home to go and help others, especially children. I have asked them to share about their journey, so the following is what they have to say about it.
     I first asked my sister-in-law, Mindy, to give some background on herself and explain where they are going and what this trip is about.
     Mindy:I have my BA in Cross Cultural Studies. I currently teach elementary music in two rural (two roomed) schoolhouses, grade k-8. I enjoy music, writing, reading, and photography. My goal/dream is to work full time with people from other cultures and to share the love of Jesus with them.
Mindy teaches piano lessons, teaches music in schools, is a worship/music minister/leader, has 4 growing children, and is a volunteer in more groups and activities than I can count. She will be bringing a lot of experience in caring and teaching children with her when she goes to the orphanage.
Mindy:We are going to an orphanage in San Marcos, Guatemala. We'll be there for one week. We leave on October 15th. We will be doing light construction, tiling, painting, and playing with the kids. I may have the opportunity to do some music activities with the kids.
Not only will they be caring for and teaching the kids-they will be doing practical, physical work to help make the day to day lives of the children better.
Mindy:We are going on this trip because our hearts are on the mission field. We have wanted to go on a missions trip for a very long time. We majored in missions in college with the intention of becoming full time missionaries. That opportunity hasn't yet presented itself, so for now, we are going on short term trips. We love kids and are very excited about going to work at an orphanage.
Both Mindy and her husband Mark are teachers at heart, they will be well suited to this experience. Their daughter Emily, a student herself-a senior in high school-has already been teaching and leading children at home and while at summer camp. Emily has already felt the call on her heart for several years-to teach, care for and lead children through the mission field.
Mindy:As an aside note, we met an amazing couple about two months ago who are canoeing all through and around North America for 1000 days. They have done a lot of humanitarian work around the world, and when they found out about our trip, they gave us some money to use for the orphans. We will write about how we paid it forward for their blog. Another friend paid it forward, and that will go towards buying some clothes for the kids. It's great to pay it forward!
To me, this experience shows how Mindy and Mark and their family are about the business of living what they believe while being about the business of their lives, even while vacationing in their home state.
Mindy:What do we hope to learn? We hope to have a deeper and clearer understanding of what God wants us to do. We hope to know how missions will fit into our lives.
It will be exciting to hear all about their trip when they return!
Mark:Just to add some bio background about me. I grew up on a corn/soybean farm in Minnesota. I love to play the trombone wherever I can (church, community bands, symphonies and pit orchestras) and enjoy remodeling, landscaping and camping. When I had just graduated from high school, I went on a missions trip to Mexico City and while on that trip felt compelled by God to go to the mission field. My journey began by shifting gears from giving up my initial dream to farm and went to North Central Bible College instead. I graduated from North Central with a Bachelor of Science degree in Cross-Cultural Studies. Mindy and I met at North Central and became good friends on a missions trip together to Guyana. One of the pastors there in Guyana looked at the both of us among the others on the team and said, "I want those two...they need to be together." The rest is history. I youth pastored for three years in Trenton, MO at First Assembly of God. Then pastored for almost seven years in Lake City, MI at the Assembly of God church there. And have since then been pastoring in Ionia at First Assembly of God for the last 11 years as well as substitute teaching in the area schools. I have been in the ministry now for 20 years. My life-long dream ever since I felt the call of God on my life has been to minister to people from other cultures and to show them the love of Christ and introduce them to Christ. I would have to ditto everything else Mindy said as she communicated our heart so well.
I am very excited for what this fabulous family is about to do. Hoping all the best for them as they travel and share their caring hearts with others. I look forward to learning more about their experiences when they return!

Interview with Morgan Shafer

     Every now and then-I like to do interviews on my blog-especially with people that are doing something unusual-or something I have never thought about trying-or doing something I would have been afraid to do.
     The other night I was fortunate to do an interview with a young lady that is doing something I never would have dared to do at her age. Here are some questions I presented Morgan Shafer with and her answers.

1. How did you hear about the Miss Pre-Teen GR Competition? I received a letter in the mail inviting me to attend.

2. What made you decide to enter the contest? To boost my self confidence.

3. So-I am sure you are at an age where people have started asking you what you want to do when you are all grown up---what are your ideas right now about this? There are a couple things, I would like to be a clothes designer and hair stylist.

4. What do you like to do for fun? I like to do my hair, and do crafts, and experiments.

5. What is your favorite subject in school? What grade are you in right now? I'm in 6th grade and my favorite subject is math. I LOVE math!

6. What is your favorite book? Favorite TV Show? Favorite movie? My favorite book is Judy Moody and the not bummer summer, favorite TV show is once upon a time, and favorite Movie is Wolverine. 7. Where would you like to go on a vacation someday? I would love to go to Paris some day. 8. What are some of your favorite things to do? I like to go to baseball games, and play piano, and of course I love shopping!

9. If you could change one thing in the word, what would that be? I would like to make it so no one went hungry, so everyone had enough food.

10. What things frighten you? I am phobic about bats and spiders getting in my house. We just had a bat in our house! Luckily I wasn't home! But clowns freak me out! Also coyotes and spiders!

11. What will be activities that you will have to do for the competition? Will you have to do interviews? Is there a talent portion? Please tell us all about the contest itself. I had one interview already, that's how I was chosen to compete. I believe I will have another interview, casual wear and formal wear competition and I will have to answer a question they choose. There is not a talent or bathing suit competition any longer.

12. What advice would you give to anyone else that might be thinking of entering a competition like this? Be yourself and remember if you don't make it into the competition it doesn't mean you are not good enough, because you are! Its just one judges opinion and don't let that discourage you!!!!!

13. What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream? Favorite cookie? Favorite food? Ice cream- cookie dough, cookie- Monster cookie, food-Pizza.

14. What would you like people to know about you, about your goals and dreams? I am very shy but once you get to know me I open up. I love music singing and dancing! I will never give up on my dreams and goals! Thank you for taking the time to interview me! Sooooo cool!!!!?

I really enjoyed getting to know more about Morgan and her dreams and goals and what she enjoys in life. Her mom has also set up a page to help Morgan raise money for the competition-as there are a few fees that they will need assistance with and some other essentials for competing. Please consider following the link below to learn more about that.

 
http://www.gofundme.com/morganshafer

Thank you, Morgan! Bon chance! Good luck!

Inspired to Give Away

     I have been blessed in so many ways, by so many people that have shared with me and encouraged me along my life journey. I have also had an abundance of help on my path to becoming a published author. So many people have assisted and inspired me.
     Some of the main people that have helped me have been my family. I was always taught to write what you know. I find so many incidents in life can inspire a story, or a plot point or a character. Many of my family members have been the inspiration for my writings.
     Many years ago, eight and a half to be exact, I was about to be married. Our niece was 9 and a half and our flower girl. She was poised, charming, and cute as could be in her lovely dress. She was already beginning to explore her talents and the things she enjoyed doing-singing, dancing, and theater. she was a natural as a flower girl.
     At our rehearsal dinner, someone made a stray comment about how everyone better watch out or the sweet little girl might become a diva one day. She had no clue what that meant and it was not an easy concept to explain.
     I took that little snippet and rolled it around in my brain for months. It later became "Emily Cat's Tale" and was my second storybook that I had digitally published.
     That little girl is now 18. And as a way to thank her for being an inspiration in so many ways to her friends and family-my publisher, MeeGenius.com, and I are giving away free downloads of this storybook through Sunday evening August 31st. Please follow the link for your free download of "Emily Cat's Tale."

http://www.meegenius.com/store/coupon/redeem/emily18

You Never Know

     You never know what might happen, for better or for worse. That is one reason why I generally never give up, even when a situation is overwhelming and I am certain I might lose or fail. There have been so many of these moments.Moments where you begin to doubt your sanity, doubt the veracity of your dreams, whether you are better off just quitting. Sometimes that is the case. You do need to quit. To save yourself or someone else from pain, to regain your own identity.
     This was not one of those times. 2011 was a milestone year for me in so many ways. I had surgery on my foot to correct an old injury I had acquired in my years of working in automobile production. I had scar tissue and a damaged toe from when a co-worker ran over my foot with a cooling buck cart. The cooling buck is where the headliner sits after it is pulled from the form press-before it is tossed into the marriage press and the fabric is adhered. The headliner is what goes in the ceiling/roof of your car.
     It should have been simple surgery, but I had an adverse reaction to some of the medicines used and my foot didn't heal for weeks. Didn't help that I was standing on it 8-10 hours a day at work. Massive infection was followed by massive amounts of antibiotics as we worked to make sure that I would keep that toe.
     Antibiotics are an amazing thing-but they can have side effects-and that brought about my kidney issues, which brought about two more surgeries. This was also my first experience with general anesthesia. Being a cowardly type of person, this was not an easy experience for me. I was fortunate to have fabulous nurses that carefully explained each step to me and helped me deal with my fears, so I wouldn't make my own circumstances more difficult.
     And this also happened to be the year when I decided it was all or nothing, that I would put all my spare time and efforts into chasing my writing dreams, and if nothing came of it, then it was time to let go of these dreams and move on.
     And did I mention that I somehow thought it was a good idea to switch jobs for the first time in 15 years? And that I picked a company that was trying to produce a new type of product, a lithium ion car battery, and that I knew nothing about this concept or process?
     By November, I was still not sure where I stood with my dreams. I had a screenplay that was a semi-finalist n a contest. I had written a well received essay. But I still had doubts. I also was facing my 3rd surgery of the year. I was tired, body, mind, soul, weary.
     And there it was. I was on  a Facebook page for NPR's Three Minute Fiction and saw a link to an Author Challenge Contest through a digital based children's storybook publisher, MeeGenius. They were still accepting stories.
     This was one of my dreams, publishing a children's storybook. The contest was almost done. I was so tired. But, I was ready. I had worked for years, sometimes never sharing a word of what I worked on with anyone else. But I had put in the time. I had ideas written down. I could re-work and edit.
     The doubts crept in and said their ugly things. I shouted them down in my mind. I know I am not the best, the brightest, or the fastest. But I put in the practice, the work, and the effort. I am ready I silently shouted. Quite often it is the person that doesn't give up that wins the race. That was what I told myself, over and over.
     I submitted my story. It made it through the first round. It was paired with a brilliant illustrator. It made it through the second round. It charged through the third round.It didn't take first place, but it made the top 5 in the country. It earned a publishing contract. On my birthday in 2012 I received one of the greatest gifts ever when I was told that it would be digitally published.
     This has led to my being able to publish two more storybooks and to speaking/reading engagements. This has brought so much happiness and fulfillment to my life.
     But even more exciting to me, my publisher is having another Author Challenge Contest. It is time for someone else to give it their best effort and see if their dream will come true. I hope you consider entering this because you never know!

Please follow this link for more information on the contest:
http://blog.meegenius.com/2014/05/27/the-meegenius-author-challenge-2014/
   
Also-please see my interview on my publisher's blog
http://blog.meegenius.com/2014/05/28/author-questionnaire-terri-rowe-2/

Inspiring Art

     So often we just drift through our days and don't really notice all the little delights that are right before us. Fortunately, I have had some great teachers, friends, and family that have taught me to pay attention to even small daily details, that it is in these where I will find happiness to sustain me through whatever difficulties I encounter.

     The other night I was at the local brew pub with some of my friends and one of them gave a picture to me and my brother. It was a piece she had been working on as an example for her class she was teaching. My brother was able to take that piece, cut it, frame it, and create two fabulous pictures from the one original picture so now we both have art work from our dear friend to hang on our wall.

     I was excited to have this picture, It is an illustration where my friend was teaching certain concepts to her class, the first class she has ever taught. She took a piece of pizza and personified it-gave it feeling, emotion, made it into a comic book character.

     I was thrilled to rush home with my newly framed picture to hang it on the wall by a painting another friend of mine did several years back. Happily, both of these artists are friends of each other as well as being my friend. I put Anna Lisa's pizza on the wall next to Dennis' picture of the driver traveling down the country road. 

    The two pieces go well together in my mind for what they represent-new beginnings. Anna Lisa's is from her first professional teaching experience. Dennis' piece was used in a post card for his first art show from when he finally broke the shackles of the factory we both had toiled in. He lead the way, chasing after his creative dreams, using his true talents. It was years before I was able to break forth, following suit, and chasing my own dreams as a writer and college graduate.

    I am so very fortunate to have original artwork from my friends to share in my home with all who visit me. Their work will inspire me to keep working for my own goals and dreams, to keep sharing my talents and stories.