PJ-Did you know?

PJ-
Did you know your red truck with your license plate that said BigPoppy always made me smile?  And that our kids loved parking next to you every Sunday?
Did you know that I appreciated every time we sent out an update while we were in Zambia-you were the first to respond?
Did you know that one Sunday when you admitted that you had wronged your wife and you publicly asked for forgiveness-that I had never seen a Pastor do that?  And it touched my soul?
Did you know that even though it embarrassed Mickey that you would tell everyone that he was firefighter of the year, that deep down Mickey loved that you were proud of him?
Did you know that it took one visit to AFC-one time to hear you preach, and we have never looked back?
Did you know what it meant to us when we didn't end up adopting and you responded with such love and grace and understanding?
Did you know that we loved your grammatical errors?
Did you know you made the Bible come alive and make sense for me?  After attending church my whole life-it finally clicked when I started coming to AFC and hearing you preach?
Did you know that your simple encouragement to Mickey and help in getting him a scholarship to Luther Rice has resulted in a deepened faith and a stronger testimony to many?
Did you know that your immediate support of AgriHope helped us believe we could actually start a non-profit and help people know Jesus through farming?
Did you know we just plain looked forward to spending any amount of time with you?
Did you know our marriage probably wouldn't have lasted if it hadn't been for several different message from you over the years?  There were many Sundays where we came in arguing and left in peace?
Did you know how much fun it was to watch you sing with abandon in the front row each Sunday? It brought a smile to face each time.
Did you know I appreciated when you took the time to read my blog and tell me what you liked about it?
Did you know it was an honor to serve on the missions team with you and see your heart for missions?
Did you know our family loves you?

I could go on and on with things I wish I would have communicated with you, but I hope you knew what you meant to us, what you did for us.  The coolest thing about all of this too, is if you did know, if I would have told you to your face, you would have said, "Praise God".  You knew that the many reasons people loved you wasn't because of you, but of Jesus living inside of you.  Glory, glory Pastor John…you are missed greatly.  We will do our best to care and love your precious Jude.

I Get To Be This Boys Mom

The title of this blog is about my son Evan and it is how I feel.  He turns 6 tomorrow.  I don't ever stop thanking God for allowing me to be his mom-for giving me 6 full years with him and hopefully, many more years to come.  I was having a conversation the other day with someone about sons and daughters.  We were discussing how fun it is to have a daughter, because you get to do girly things and have that special connection.  But when the conversation turned to our sons, all we could say was there is just something about a son that just tugs at a momma's heart strings.  This boy has my heart and I am glad I don't have to share him yet.  Even as I write this tonight, he is calling me from bed.  I went up and said, "what do you need?"  He responds, "well, I just love you."  I said, "I know you do bud, but I love you more."  His response, "No, because I love you more than earth, space, heaven, everything counts, so that means more".  Melt my heart.  You better believe I am holding onto these years where I am the apple of his eye and somehow the one he is going to marry. Haha…
Anyways, here is a bit about my lil guy.  He is a reader.  Wow.  Reminds me of myself as a kid as he can frequently be found with a book and wants to check out a hundred books from the library and when we get home, he sits for hours and reads them all.  He is a great eater-loves tacos, pizza, broccoli, mandarin oranges, ice cream, smoothies, pears.  Such a trooper about all his food allergies-I don't know how he does it.  I think I would complain if I were him, but he just goes along with it.  We are praying one day he will grow out of most, if not all of them!  He has the best laugh in the world.  Most people know it is him even when he is not in the room. Loves Wild Kratts.  Possibly even a little bit obsessed.  (He is learning so much though and knows about animals I have never heard of!)  The kid would be obsessed with video games if we would ever let him play anything-but we just haven't allowed too much since he is a kid that can get into a zone and lose touch with reality.  (So we are not against video games, we just feel it is best for this particular child right now!)  He is a great big brother who takes care of Alea with so much love.  He is also quite the boss of her, but for the most part, looks out for her best interest.  He has been in a kindergarten boy gymnastics class this year and has gotten so strong.  I love watching him learn all the different skills and challenge himself.  We are homeschooling this year, and not lying, he is a terrific student.  We don't have many arguments and his favorite part of the day is Bible time.  The only book that truly captivates him.  Love it.  He likes to wrestle with daddy, but runs to me when eventually he gets hurt.  A busy boy-is happiest when we have things going on and full schedules.  Has a heart that beats strongly for others, likes to make others happy, and will be the first to check on a friend if they are hurt or left out.  Enjoys movies.  Favorite things to play are Legos, Magnatiles, Pokemon, board games, and with his sets of different animal figurines.  Loves the snow and being outside in general.  It was hard to ever get him to come inside when living in Africa.  I could keep going, but suffice to say he is a special dude.  How I get to be his mom, I don't know, but I will take it.  Here are a few pics of Ev-from little babe tip now:

Baby boy

Loved that tiny little snowsuit!

Almost 2 years old.

MagnaTiles creation

Finished his first kindergarten math book!

Snow time!

Oreo Ice Cream cake with grandparents!

And there you have it, a little glimpse into the boy I get to raise…excited to celebrate him tomorrow!!!

  

Musical Monday-"Christmas Is"

Back to my fave singer, Francesca Battistelli.  So love this song-it captures all the craziness of Christmas, yet unravels it all down to the real meaning.  I love all the fun things there are to do around Christmas time and the special moments and memories made, but I love even more that the Most High came down as a babe born to live so we could have an example and to save us through His death.
What a beautiful thing to celebrate!!!

"Christmas is all of these fun things for sure,

But Christmas is really oh so much more,

It's good news of hope for the whole world because,

Christmas is Jesus."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aA1Tk1wYzw

Musical Monday: "It is Well"

I know, I promised more blogging, and I haven't delivered.  The whole morning sickness is so much better, but then the hubby got busy farming and left for Zambia.  Blogging is the last thing on my mind when I fall into bed at 10 o'clock at night.  Yes, 10.  I am pretty lame.  But then I came across this song and just had to share it.  This is a song that I hope will resonate with you as it has with me.
Many people are just shocked when I share about how we didn't have running water for 2 months.  And I am not going to lie, it was tough.  We were very blessed to have a well in our yard, but life sure changed for us those two months.  You want to flush your toilet, oh yeah, that takes pretty much a full bucket of water.  It was hard work and frustrating, and we only endured it for two months.  That is the reality for the majority of the Zambians we lived by and worked with. The hubs is there now and they are in the same situation this year as the river is dry and rainy season has not come yet.  This is just one example of a small hardship we faced in the last year.  And I say small, because now I can look back and see that I made it big, while God was there the whole time, providing for my needs and teaching me lessons I needed to learn.  For that, I am just so incredibly grateful.  I can't even put into words how thankful I am for the time I got to live in Zambia.  The greatest lesson I learned this year and boy, did I need to learn it is expressed in this song: "It is Well" by Kristene DeMarco.  It is a new song combined with an old hymn.  The lesson is the belief that no matter what, God is powerful, good, and I can trust in Him.  And when you believe in that, it is well with your soul.

"Through it all, through it all,

my eyes are on you, 

it is well with me".

Even this week, as I woke up, went to the bathroom and saw a considerable amount of blood, and consequently visiting my OB and waiting for the nurse to find that little heartbeat-while I was sad, I knew that if I had lost the baby, there was a peace that overwhelmed me and an understanding deep in my soul that this would not change who God is.  Thankfully, they found the heartbeat and later on in an ultrasound, they found baby was just fine.
None of this is to say I have this all figured out-God is always at work and I need and desire Him to be.  Praising God tonight for the peace that only comes from Him.  I pray that you will accept the peace He offers into your life.  Worship with this song tonight if you have a few minutes-truly beautiful and words that I just keep repeating throughout my day.

It is Well by Kristen DeMarco
 

Grander earth has quaked before
Moved by the sound of His voice
Seas that are shaken and stirred
Can be calmed and broken for my regard
Through it all, through it all
My eyes are on You
Through it all, through it all
It is well
Through it all, through it all
My eyes are on You
It is well with me
Far be it from me to not believe
Even when my eyes can’t see
And this mountain that’s in front of me
Will be thrown into the midst of the sea
So let go my soul and trust in Him
The waves and wind still know His name
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well, it is well with my soul 

Everything I Never Knew I Always Wanted

Everything I never knew I always wanted in a daughter is exactly what God gave me in my Alea.  She turned 4 today and I want time to stop.  Like freeze, don't let her grow anymore or change, please!!! She is actually saying now that she doesn't want to turn 4 because I think she has heard me say so many times, "Wam I going to do when you turn 4?" and "Can you please just stay little forever?"  Don't get me wrong, she still wants a birthday complete with presents and cake, just doesn't want to be 4 and big.  I wonder if I should go with her logic and tell her it is okay to do this.  :)
I think back to when I found out I was pregnant with her and to be honest, I was not thrilled about it.  I had a one year old and was working and getting my masters and she was just plain not part of my plan. Wow, am I thankful life did not work out the way I planned, but rather God's plan.  He lavished upon me this gift of a daughter.  She brings me such pure happiness and adds this fun, crazy element to our family that was needed by all of us.  I kept thinking about how to describe her to those who don't know her well or see her much, and it is honestly hard to put into words.  She fits in no box.  I about died of embarrassment the other day when her gymnastics teacher asked me after class, "Does she have hearing problems?"  I said "No, she really doesn't and I am sorry that you have to say her name 10 times to get her attention.  She is not being rude, she is just in her own little world."  Haha...  Mickey and I will try to talk with her at the dinner table and then we will look at each other and just say, where is she right now?  But here is the craziest thing about her-when you least expect it, you better believe she is listening and taking it in.  She will tell me facts about a story that I was working on with Ev while she is playing iPad or I will be talking to my mom on the phone and she is playing with Ev and she will ask me about something I said later.  Seriously freaks me out sometimes and I am learning to be careful what I talk about whenever she is around!  This girls' heart beats deeply for others.  Like does not want anyone to be sad and will do anything to make them feel better.  She is also a little momma-always has a baby doll with her.  Very into coloring right now as she has figured out how to draw people and balloons. She loves her hot pink blanket, really the only thing she has to sleep with.  Adores her big brother, does not like when he is gone at all.  Loves Wild Kratts.  Has great ability to build in a logical way.  Would sleep in as she takes a while to go to bed at night, but big bro doesn't really allow that.  Scared of the dark.  Hates being cold. Loves cheese, bread, and sweets.  And I could go on and on-she has so many little quirks and is definitely her own little person with her own ideas!
We are excited to see what this age will bring, but not sure if anything will top her 3 year old year...not too many 4 year olds can say they have lived on a different continent, been on an African safari, seen one of the 7 natural wonders of the world, made her national television debut, and visited two other continents besides Africa! (Europe and Asia)  No matter what life brings this year though, every day is fun, exciting, and beautiful with her.  I am praising God for her today and everyday.

What a pose...

Don't want to smile anymore for pictures Mom.

Loves flying in the air with Daddy.

This was supposed to be a sweet kiss but she went full open mouth and surprised Daddy.

Sweetie pie.

Good-bye 3 year old Alea!  How will you change in this next year???

Why have I not been blogging???

I will give you 3 good reasons:

Our oldest born on January 21st, 2009

Our second born on November 12th, 2010

Our 3rd due on May 14th, 2015

Yes, we are excited to announce we are going to add a little babe to our family in May.  If you would have told me this would be happening one year ago, I would have laughed. I am still giggling over it now!  This year has been a year that the pride, self-reliance, and thinking that I can plan out my life has been stripped of me.  And for that I am grateful, God's ways are so much higher than mine. 

I will get back to blogging more regularly now-this first trimester had me down for the count, but finally feeling a bit more energy and not so nauseous.  The other 2 have had me on my toes too, with homeschooling and all the fun fall activities we missed last year, but we are getting into a better rhythm.  God has been teaching me so much the past few months and I am excited to share it with you.  Hope you have a lovely Sunday...

AgriHope-Here we Go!!! Join us!

Woohoo!!! 501C3 tax status for AgriHope confirmed.  Super excited and surprised our government came through with this so quickly.  You might be asking yourself, what does that even mean?  Well, for a non-profit to be able to give tax deductions for any donations given, we needed this tax i.d. number.  This means we can start raising funds and you can get a tax-deductible receipt! It is the little things that get me excited. :) So, now, why should you choose to give AgriHope money? What will we do with the money?  This post is designed to answer those questions in a brief way.

1st question, why should you give? Because your money can make a monumental difference in the war on hunger. It really can.  Have you ever been hungry?  If you are even thinking about saying, yes, stop right there.  We are not talking about the pang you may feel if you didn't get lunch at your usual time. The type of hunger we are referring to here is the type that causes: inability to concentrate, no energy, extremely susceptible to illness, and no desire or motivation to do anything, loss of all hope.  Most of the people we worked with in Zambia that will be receiving our help through these funds have this type of hunger.  *There were kids that were 10 years old that weighed the same as my 5 year old son.* I don't know about you, but that is not okay with me.  These kids have no energy to learn.  And the cycle of poverty continues.  Our organization is going to combat this problem in a new, more efficient, and more sustainable way. We stand against poverty, hunger, and also charity/aid. We are for development, discipleship, responsibility and sustainability. The problem is real folks.  I know before I left for Africa, it seemed just so impossible that people actually die from hunger or hunger related causes, but it actually happens.  How can we let this happen, especially as we live in the land of the plenty?  We can't, and you can help and we need your help. 

2nd question, what will your money be used for?
It's a fair question to ask of anyone asking you for money. People are worried some executive from America will be getting all the money (that definitely isn't happening-ha!), or it isn’t being spent on what it was intended, or that the kids they are supposed to benefit don’t even exist. These are all logical questions. So we wanted to tell you exactly where and how the money will be spent.

We have 3 major areas of expenses right now: Supplies, Logistics, and Salaries. 
Supplies include things like seed, fertilizer, fencing, concrete, spray, tools, food, etc. to make our program work. These are essentially the nuts and bolts of what we do. Its the same type of stuff that a farmer buys to make his farm work.
Logistics include things like fuel, insurance, fixing our old vehicle, and flights to make sure things are going smoothly. This is sort of the grease that helps everything run smoothy. It helps us to get where we need to be, when we need to be there.
Salaries include paying Chimbaza Mbewe his modest salary, getting him some training, and making sure he has the ability to communicate with a phone and computer. Chimbaza is paid poorly, something we want to change soon. He has been willing to sacrifice his comforts while we have a shoestring budget to make an impact in the world. We currently take no salary in the USA. It is all volunteer.

Our budget is streamlined and our work is effective. We work hard to stretch the resources given to us.
We have figured all this will cost around $24,000 per year. Any more that we get will help us to reach more schools and more people with the Farming God's way technology and the message of hope.  Hope for this life and the next. And truth be told, we thought about staying there more long term but in the end, we want every dime to go towards the problem of hunger right now and we feel confident we have a worker right now that can do the work that needs to be done.   Please think about it, pray about it, ask us questions about it, let us know if there is a church or group we can come speak to, or if you have an idea for how we can fundraise, please let us know.  Lastly, just know that with every dollar you give, we can run feeding programs in 2 schools(hundreds of kids getting a meal every day as well as learning the farming practices to bring to their fields at home), train the students and people in surrounding areas how to farm better, work to eradicate malaria in rural areas, improve school attendance, improve education quality in these schools, disciple and equip the next generation of leaders, and restore hope to thousands. We hope you will join us in this awesome work!!!  
Here is the link to donate-every bit helps, there is no amount to small.  Help us reach our goal of $24,000!
Give Donations Here!!!

And if you haven't liked our Facebook page, please do!  This will keep you in the loop of all the latest from AgriHope!
Facebook-AgriHope

Thanks,
Mickey and Mandey Kinzenbaw