Serving with a Purpose

As I rocked Nate around 8pm last night (he refuses his crib from 8-10pm every night and only at that time) I was texting back and forth with another staff wife that is heading up our community garden for our church. At the last minute the family of one of our interns, Rachel, wanted to come this morning and volunteer their time and expertise in our garden. I was responsible for getting lunch together for a group of 10-15 farmers (that means 20-25 regular men and women...ha).

Rachel's brothers

Rachel's family was coming to volunteer as a way of celebrating her father's birthday who passed away four months ago. Rachel started interning with us after returning back home from doing missions overseas to be with her dad as he battled cancer. Our staff walked through the last few months of his life together and supported Rachel as best we knew how. Rachel's father went to be with the Lord just a few hours after our Nathaniel was born. It was an amazing thing as we sat in the quiet of the hospital room, adoring this precious new life the Lord had given us and then reading an email that Rachel had been saying her goodbyes to her father in those same moments.

So, it was with great joy that I prepared sloppy marios (an italian twist of the mid-west favorite sloppy joes), potato salad, baked beans and honey fruit salad for this amazing family. They are giving so much of their wonderful soil and manure, sweat and energy to be in our garden today. What a wonderful way to celebrate the memory of a wonderful man.

The women and children (ha - that sounds so stereotypical) weeded the many flower beds on the World Impact campus.

Rachel's mom

Rachel (right) and fellow missionary Maren.