mom bloggers are blogging for life

Guess what? Bloggers for Birth Kits is flying thanks to you! As of earlier today we've had nineteen blog posts helping to spread awareness, over 35 tweets getting the word out, and - most importantly - 190 birth kits donated! And that is only over a three-day period.

Wow.

There must be other women out there that agree that 1 in 7 women dying in childbirth is just. not. right.

Clean birth kits can be the difference between life and death for women in rural Papua New Guinea and other developing nations... and they cost $2.00 to make. Yes, I said $2.00.

Seriously, life is worth so much more than $2.00.

If you haven't yet jumped on board, it's not too late! Why not consider making or sponsoring a birth kit for a woman in a developing nation this Mothers Day? A $10 donation sponsors five kits!

Do it on behalf of your mom. Do it on behalf of your Granny. Do it for your daughters. Do it for yourself.

Blogging, giving, tweeting, facebooking... There are several ways you can get involved. They're all detailed here.

Here's a video explaining more, including how to actually put together a birth kit yourself. (Fast-forward to midway if you only want to hear the how-to segment.)



I really do believe that our collective voice can make a difference. Thank you for believing that with me!


Dear friends, have you exercised your voice yet? You are powerful and can help save lives. How about a creative and charitable Mothers Day gift for your mama? (Details here.) It's not too late to donate on her behalf (or on behalf of some other special lady in your life)... and it's not too late to blog for this great cause!

honoring moms with the gift of life,


P.S. Nearly a year after the Memos was born... I finally started a facebook fan page. Please "like" the Memos here... if you'd like! :)

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

give a mama LIFE this mothers day {my first vlog}

LADIES. You know it, I know it... it's Mothers Day is this weekend!!

This is only my second Mothers Day, I'm now pregnant with our second child, and I love my own mama so much... it's all got me thinking. Really thinking.

me (a few years ago) with my beautiful mama, grandma, and great-grandma

I love motherhood and would wish it upon any woman who desires it. I love hearing stories of healthy mamas and sweet, little healthy babies.

But we're not all that lucky.

In developing nations we still have huge issues with maternal and infant mortality. In fact, in rural Papua New Guinea 1 in 7 women die in childbirth.

I know, shocking. Right?

It's because of this that Bloggers for Birth Kits was born.

Why not consider making or sponsoring a birth kit for a woman in a developing nation this Mothers Day? (A $10 donation sponsors five kits!) Do it on behalf of your mom. Do it on behalf of Granny. Do it for your daughters. Do it for yourself.

There are several ways you can get involved. They're all detailed here.

If you want to hear me say hello, I've made my first vlog explaining things. Listen to the intro story if you'd like... or fast-forward to the middle to see step-by-step instructions for making your own birth kit. Please feel free to repost this video on your own blog or facebook (or send it through email) and help spread the word. I really do believe that our collective voice can make a difference!





Pssst, dear friends... things are getting really exciting around here! In 24 hours we've already had 8 other bloggers post about Bloggers for Birth Kits, 26 kits sponsored, and the tweets (#B4BirthKits) have started to roll in. Way to go bloggers!! Have you joined in yet? How about a creative and charitable Mothers Day gift for your mama?? (Details here.)


Update May 10, 2011: In six days we've had 637 kits donated/sponsored, 36 blog posts, lots and lots of links on facebook (I lost track at 200+), and tons of tweets. Well done ladies (and gentlemen)! You ARE making a difference by giving and by spreading the word about this important issue.

excited about giving life,


P.S. Nearly a year after the Memos was born... I finally started a facebook fan page. "Like" the Memos here... if you'd like! :)

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

bloggers for birth kits: help reduce maternal mortality

Every minute a women dies of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Ninety-nine percent of these deaths occur in developing nations.  For every woman who dies in childbirth, another 30 women incur injuries and infections, which are often preventable. (Source: World Health Organization.)

Chances are if you’re a mother reading this blog, you are not one of them. Most likely you delivered your baby safely and hygienically in a hospital, birth center, or possibly even at home under the expertise of an experienced midwife. (Unless you are Amy who delivered hers on the side of the road!)

No doubt you had access to doctors, nurses, midwives, and other medical professionals throughout your pregnancy, delivery, and postnatal care, as well as access to drugs and medication and surgical procedures when necessary.

But hundreds of thousands of mothers around the world aren’t as lucky as you.

The organization that my husband and I volunteer for (YWAM Medical Ships) regularly sends teams of volunteer doctors, dentists, optometrists, ophthalmologists, nurses, midwives, educators, and other volunteers to address the needs of the poor in Papua New Guinea. (This is where Ryan is now.) We provide dental services, eyeglasses, cataract surgeries, vaccines, primary health care, education, and other crucial services to those who most need it.

{my friend and coworker, jennifer perry, distributes birth kits to women in rural papua new guinea.}

We have campaigns going all over the world to gather toothbrushes, toothpaste, eyeglasses, and other medical supplies… but we are running desperately low on birthing kits.

This is where you come in.

Bloggers for Birth Kits is a simple initiative from the Mommyhood Memos to rally bloggers to reach out and help other moms in Papua New Guinea. These moms may live in a different nation to you, speak another language, look a little different, or have a very different lifestyle… but they are mothers with the same heart. Mothers who desire to deliver healthy, happy babies just as we do. (The idea was born out of this post: Four Healthy Mamas, Four Healthy Babies as well as the positive feedback I got from other bloggers in the comments, emails, and tweets that ensued.)

Because in rural Papua New Guinea... 1 in 7 women die in childbirth and that rate is simply unacceptable.


There are plenty of resources in the world to help these mothers and babies... they just need to be collected and redistributed.

So why not consider giving back from what you’ve received in order to help another mom deliver her own baby safely?

It’s so easy to make a difference. Here’s a few ways that you can get involved:

1. Make a birth kit of your own and send it to us. We will distribute it within the poorest regions of Papua New Guinea through the YWAM Medical Ship. (Instructions on assembly below.) Mail your kit to: 
    Bloggers for Birth Kits c/o Adriel Booker
    YWAM Ships
    PO Box 6221
    Townsville, QLD 4810
    Australia

2. Make a donation to YWAM Medical Ships designating Bloggers for Birth Kits in the comments section and we will assemble/distribute a kit on your behalf. $10 can provide five mums and babies with kits. All funds go directly toward supplies and distribution.

3. Blog about this initiative and rally others to join in the cause.

4. Display the Bloggers for Birth Kits badge on your blog. 

<a href="http://themommyhoodmemos.blogspot.com/2011/05/bloggers-for-birth-kits-help-reduce.html" target="_blank"><img alt="The Mommyhood Memos Bloggers for Birth Kits" src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m223/adrielmc/bloggersforbirthkitslogo125.jpg" /></a>

5. Share this post with others. Tweet this post using the hashtag #B4BirthKits, link to this post on your facebook, or email this post to friends and family, church and social groups that you think might be interested in getting involved.

How to make a birth kit:


According to the Birthing Kit Foundation birth kits are very simple, containing six basic items:

• 1 plastic sheet (approximately 1m x 1m or 1 yard x 1 yard) – for a clean birthing surface; to prevent mother and child from coming into contact with the floor or ground
• 1 bar of soap – for clean hands; to prevent the birth attendant from transmitting germs to mother and baby; for cleaning the stump to prevent infection
• 1 pair of plastic gloves – for clean hands; to prevent the birth attendant from transmitting germs to mother and baby
• 1 sterile scalpel blade – for a clean cut of the umbilical cord
• 3 cords/pieces of strong string (24cm or 10 inches long) – for clean ties for the umbilical cord (with an extra string included just-in-case); to prevent bleeding from the umbilical cord from mother and baby
• 5 gauze squares – to wipe secretions from the baby’s eyes and mothers perineum

If you’d like to assemble one yourself, it’s simple. Just gather the above items, prepare a clean surface, wash your hands thoroughly, and assemble the items into a normal sized ziplock bag. The idea is that the kits are small enough to pack in large quantities (space is incredibly limited on our ship) and simple enough to not deter women who are accustomed to very little medical services and who often are illiterate.

Since I am not purchasing supplies in bulk, my kit cost me a total of $3.10 to make at home – still a very minimal price for the chance at life! 


This vlog is a demonstration of how to put a birthing kit together. (Listen to the story at the beginning, or fast-forward to the middle for step-by-step instructions for assembling a kit yourself.)

Dear friends, please let me know if you’d like to participate. Leave me a comment below (include any questions that you have) and make sure that I have your email address. Let’s get started immediately!

in support of moms everywhere,



Update May 10, 2011: In six days we've had 637 kits donated/sponsored, 37 blog posts, 200+ links on facebook (I lost track after that), and tons of tweets. Absolutely incredible. Well done ladies (and gentlemen)! You ARE making a difference by giving and by spreading the word. Thank you.


Note: Photos courtesy of YWAM Medical Ship's I Want to Live campaign in Papua New Guinea. 

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

going at it alone

Since becoming a mom, I have never had more respect or admiration for single moms and military wives. How these women manage to parent their children, run their households, earn a reasonable income (especially in the case of single moms), and maintain their sanity and well-being without the support of a loving husband is beyond me.

I'm completely baffled.

Obviously, the grace is there. Obviously there is a strength in women that lurks below the sometimes seemingly vulnerable surface. And obviously we are capable of far more than we often give ourselves credit for.

That being said--as much as I admire and respect these women who are going at it alone (all or most of the time)--I never want to join their ranks.

Being a mom on your own is hard. H.A.R.D.

despite missing ryan, levi and i had a
lovely easter together with friends

I've just passed the half-way mark of Ryan being away for nearly a month. I was glad to see him board a plane to Papua New Guinea where he would join teams of volunteer medical and aid workers on our organization's Medical Ship. Knowing that he's helping bring services and education to those who need it most is wonderful and satisfying. I whole-heartedly believe that it's a privilege to be able to serve others in this way, and if it weren't for the malaria risks associated with pregnancy (potential miscarriage or stillbirth to unborn babies), Levi and I would be right there along with him.

So yes, we are glad--and proud--to have Ryan away representing our family like this.

But I'd be joking if I said that having my husband sail up rivers into remote areas and villages of PNG is all fun and games. It's not.

Not for him... or for me.

To serve is always a sacrifice which must be weighed. It looks different for those who are going as well as those who are left behind. And for us, the sacrifices associated with this outreach are worth it.

photo source: ywam medical ship

But the fact remains that it's hard going at it alone.

Levi and I are doing fine. Of course we miss Ryan terribly--our incredibly kind-hearted husband and hands-on dad--but we will see him soon enough.

In the meantime, I'm seeing how tough I am and how resourceful I can be. I'm having a small taste of a new kind of perseverance and learning a tiny bit about life for the women who are my heros:

Single moms and military wives.

Seriously, these women should all be given medals.

Being a mom is an incredible joy and honor that I would wish for anyone who desires to be one. But it's also a tough gig in the best of times. And it's even tougher when your support system is stripped back to the minimum.

Recently a friend of mine asked me why I thought it was such a big deal to have my husband gone for a month. "What's so hard about it?" she earnestly asked me.

I almost fell off my chair. (Especially considering she is a mom herself.)

I guess we each have different standards and measuring sticks to determine what is difficult and what is not... and I'm ok with that. No need to get into comparisons. But let's just say I have a million answers to that question. In fact, I'd be tempted to ask the question in return: "What's not hard about having my husband away for so long?!"

But I knew she meant well and was just trying to lend a listening ear.

Like I said, Levi and I (and bubs) are doing well. (I can certainly feel the grace factor!) But that doesn't mean we aren't counting down the days until our family is reunited.

In the meantime, single moms and military wives - I salute you! You are amazing and your children should be so proud of you. (Same goes for single dads and military husbands.)

Dear friends, have you ever had a time where you've been a mom going at it alone? Maybe for a long time or maybe just for a "short" time like me? What did you find the hardest and how did you cope?

glad to usually not be alone,


P.S. Do you have any friends who are single moms or military wives? When is the last time you offered some form of support to them or told them how much you admire all they do for their families?

Are you an expecting mom? Have you linked-up yet?

Join the Bloggin' Babes and Babies of 2011.

{"Easter" with Casey}

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

little teachers: the priceless easter gypsy

Meet my little gypsy friend from Cairo:

I spent most of 2006 living in Cairo, Egypt with the non-profit I work for. I look back on that year as one of the best years of my life. Literally.

During the lead-up to Easter, I was amazed at how this Christian holiday was celebrated in this largely Muslim nation. (You may or may not know, but there are 12+ million Christians in Egypt - a small but significant minority.)

Outside of every church (especially the Coptic Orthodox churches) were people of all ages selling flowers, decorations, and other beautiful hand-made wares and gifts. People came out of the woodwork to collect woven baskets and crosses made of palm leaves. Everywhere you turned were bright flowers and smiling eyes preparing for the celebration of this significant religious holiday.

This little gypsy girl captured my imagination and a piece of my heart as I met her on Palm Sunday (the week before Easter). Her big eyes, her curly hair, her adorable freckles and crooked smile... the small trail of snot stretching from her nose to her naturally shiny, pink lips. She was just perfect, beautiful and perfect.

She was part of a gypsy family--a people often looked down on by other Egyptians--and yet even despite her initial shyness she met me with confidence, warmth, and joy in her eyes.

Precious gypsy princess showed me her woven treasures and reminded me that there are treasures within all of us - even those normally looked down on by other segments of society - and that every treasure is just that: exquisite, priceless, and beautiful.

Although we spoke different languages and exchanged no words beyond my fumbling hello, thank you, and goodbye in Arabic, I think of her every Easter season and remember that...

There are treasures all around me, 

if only I'm willing to open my eyes for them.

Dear friends, what life lessons have you learned from Little Teachers lately? Any that are specific to the Easter season?

treasure hunting,


p.s. This post is part of a series - All the Children of the World: Little Teachers - where I feature a photo of a precious little one that I've met during my volunteer work in developing nations over the last 11 years, as well as what I've learned about life and parenting through meeting them.

{Also linking in with the Community Writing Project on Mother Inferior.}

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Are you pregnant? Link up with the Bloggin' Babes and Babies of 2011.

Share your creativity and Easter inspiration by submitting your Easter card to our Easter card linky (closing April 21).

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

little teachers: toddlers in tiaras and afro babies

I met this gorgeous little girl when I was on an outreach in the Solomon Islands several years ago. It was my first time in the nation and I had a lot to learn about the people and the culture.

Although the expression I captured makes her look like a sad little girl, she wasn't. She was simply lovely and it didn't take much for my heart to melt as she charmed me.

I was so captured by her beauty - those deep brown eyes and her perfect little features.

But I couldn't believe she had blonde hair. I thought to myself, "What kind of a parent living in an incredibly poor village spends money on bleaching the hair of such a young child?" It made me angry to think that these little ones had such limited access to health care and education and basic necessities and yet someone deemed it appropriate to spend money on bleaching her beautiful little fro.

Besides, didn't they know she was already perfect? Perfect "as-is"?

What I didn't know then is that her hair was naturally blonde and that many children and adults from her people group are born with dark skin and blonde hair. It really is stunning and I had never seen anything like it before.

When I found out the truth I was so convicted of being judgmental. Here I was, a guest in this nation, jumping to conclusions about someone else's parenting based solely on the appearance of their child.

Shame on me.

Admittedly it's hard not to do this when I come from a culture that has "toddlers in tiaras" and other questionable practices like that. I look at preschool-aged girls with full make-up and clothing that is sexy-beyond-their-years and I automatically form opinions about what their mothers are like. (Not saying that it's right of me to do so... just that it's extremely hard not to in these types of scenarios.)

In the case of this sort of childhood pageantry, my view of the parents is almost automatically formed by looking at the child.

But it just doesn't translate cross-culturally. This beautiful little blonde girl taught me a lesson: don't assume, don't judge, don't jump to conclusions.

It's the age old antic - don't judge a book by it's cover.

I'm thankful for this little teacher and the lesson she taught me by accident. I try to remember her when I see children from other cultures (even in my own home town) that dress or act in ways I don't understand.

Children need our respect, our love, our kindness, and our acceptance no matter how similar or different they are to our own. And yes, even toddlers in tiaras. They are children too - precious and infinitely valuable, regardless of the decisions their parents make for them. They deserve nothing less.

And as much as I love children, I'm determined to be less judgmental toward their parents too. I want to discover their stories, what motivates them, why they make the decisions they do. Parents - all parents - need the support of other parents.

Children, parents, all people... Every man, woman, and child deserves our best effort at suspending judgement and valuing them for who they are.

Dear friends, have you caught yourself making judgements about other parents by something that you see in their child but haven't yet taken the time to try and understand? (Or can you think of a situation where you deliberately made a choice to NOT judge a book by it's cover?) What have the children in your life taught you lately?

humbled,


p.s. This post is part of a new series - All the Children of the World: Little Teachers - where I feature a photo of a precious little one that I've met during my volunteer work in developing nations, as well as what I learned about life and parenting through meeting them.

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
do not reproduce without written permission

little teachers: laugh loud

I'm venturing into new territory here.

You may or may not know that with my work I do a lot of travel, especially into developing nations. I've been doing outreaches for the last 10+ years, both as a single person and now together with my husband and family. (I'm a big believer in family volunteerism and teaching our kids how to serve others while they're still young.)

We teach, we advocate, we do relief work. We volunteer in schools, orphanages, clinics, and churches. We help refugees, the poor, and those in need of care. We're no heroes... we just love, give what we've received, and know that it is an absolute privilege to do so.

And so because of this work that I so deeply adore, I've been to many, many nations all over the planet. Literally.

But my favorite place in all the world to be is Asia. Anywhere in Asia. It's a land that makes my heart burst.

One of the things that delights me to no end is going for long walks on my days off wandering through cities or villages and photographing the people that I meet. I could spend days on end doing this.... walking, connecting, capturing, recording.

And since the Memos is all about motherhood and parenting and children, I thought it fitting to introduce you to some of the very special children in my life. Hence my new series that I will post now and then - All the Children of the World: Little Teachers.

These beautiful littles don't "belong" to me. In fact, often I can't even recall their names.

But always I will remember their faces, the moments we shared together, and the ways they impacted my life.

Each one of them is beyond precious.

Allow me to introduce you to some boys I met in Pontianak, Indonesia (on the island of Borneo).

{buddies in borneo - 2008}

Although nowhere near my best on a technical level, this photo remains one of my all time favorites so I thought it fitting to kick off this new series with it.

These boys loved having their photo taken. No doubt it was their grand debut on the international stage and they didn't waste a moment of it.

They splashed, they ran, they danced, and they hollered. They closed their eyes, threw their heads back, and unabashedly roared with laughter.

I love the color and movement and emotion in this photo and how it captures the pure abandon with which they were enjoying the moment.

Every time I see it I'm reminded to play hard, laugh loud, and hold somebody's hand.

Dear friends, what have the Little Teachers in your life taught you or reminded you to do lately?

smiling wide,

adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2011
 do not reproduce without written permission

four healthy mamas and four healthy babies... and many not so lucky

Last year three of my friends and I all planned to have our babies naturally with the assistance of a midwife through our local birthing center. All four of us ended up needing to be transferred to the hospital and having medical interventions for four difference sets of reasons.

As difficult as it was in each case, we emerged with four healthy mothers and four healthy babies.

I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if we did not have access to the amazing health care that is available to us in Australia.

What if we had labored—just a two-hour plane trip away—in the neighboring nation of Papua New Guinea?

Would we still have four healthy mamas with us today?

And would those four healthy mamas still have four healthy babies?

Imagine this scenario:

“The floors are crowded with women waiting to have their babies, or cradling the ones they have just delivered, because there are not enough beds. In the delivery room, flimsy curtains afford no privacy or dignity. The toilet is a bucket by the bed. The vinyl mattresses where they labour are worn through, soiled foam bursting through the cracks." (Source: A mother's life, by Jo Chandler, The Age, September 7, 2009.)

{Mothers in PNG sit on the floor after delivery due to a lack of hospital beds. Photo credit: Jason South}

That is part of the reason why my husband and I have been volunteering with an organization called YWAM for the last 10 years... Because knowing that 1 in 7 women in rural PNG die in childbirth is just not acceptable… Because the resources are out there and just need some redistribution... Because we believe that willing people (both skilled and unskilled) can make a difference—very practically—in other peoples lives.

As we work to reduce infant and maternal mortality rates in Papua New Guinea (as a part of the Millennium Development Goals), we reach out into neighboring nations to bring primary health care, dentistry, optometry, and mother and child health care.

Here is a personal story (first published here) from one of our volunteers—RN/Midwife Jenny Sutherland—in August of this year:

Yesterday we were halfway through our morning clinic when word came that a woman in a neighbouring village had given birth to one twin, but the second was not coming.  A small team of us arrived there with some difficulty, as we climbed up slippery logs and made our way into an incredibly poverty-stricken shack, where this labouring woman was on a bamboo floor, upon which we had to choose our steps wisely or fall through.

She had not a thing under her and her newborn baby girl was semi-wrapped in a dirty looking cloth nappy. The umbilical cord tied was tied with bamboo, but the baby was looking well. The woman had been pushing since the morning before, with Twin 1 born at 1am. When we arrived the unclamped cord was hanging out.  Due to finding it difficult to find a fetal heartbeat on the unborn twin and given the mother's deteriorated condition, we decided to transport her to a local clinic, not certain whether either of them would live through this.

We carried the woman on a stretcher through calf-deep mud and onto the Zodiac (which is used to carry patients to and from the YWAM Medical Ship).  The voyage took 4 hours and despite the difficulties, this woman never whimpered once.  Frightened and exhausted, she had seemingly no interest in the baby she had birthed and had not fed her yet.  We encouraged her to feed the baby girl on the journey though, and to our delight she had a great feed and slept the rest of the trip, sheltered by some donated birthing kit bunny rugs, a cloth nappy and the strong arms of one of our manly engineers whose heart was taken for this baby girl!

We arrived at the clinic and were amazed to hear the healthy heart beat of the unborn baby. After bringing on labour again, with one push, out came a healthy baby girl! The labouring mum finally smiled - her life saved and two sweet baby girls safe in her arms.

Dear friends, have you ever stopped to think about the fact that we are blessed with incredible health care facilities and trained professionals, unlike so many women throughout developing nations? Is your birth story one that may have turned out differently if it weren’t for the resources available to you? When's the last time you stopped and gave thanks that you and your baby are simply alive?

counting my blessings,



P.S. If you’d like to know more about our work and how you can get involved in making a difference to the people of Papua New Guinea and beyond, please check out YWAM Medical Ships or email me.

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adriel booker | the mommyhood memos | 2010 
do not reproduce without written permission

ahoy matey: getting your kids involved in volunteerism

My husband and I have a firm belief that children should grow up knowing what it means to reach out to and serve others – particularly the poor and needy. Although Levi is certainly not at an age yet where he can comprehend something like this, we want him to be involved in volunteerism from the get go… so that this will be something he naturally learns and grows into.

We believe that as we model this in our family he will see that it’s not only good and right, but also lots of fun and so fulfilling! And of course we hope that someday, it will be his own convictions that motivate and drive him to extend himself and help others, and that he’ll find his own unique expression for it.

Recently we had the opportunity get a little taste of life on the high seas as we bunked in on YWAM’s Medical Ship. YWAM is the organization that we are full-time volunteers with, though most of our work as a couple is centered on training young people in leadership and volunteerism. Normally our work keeps us on the land, but it was so much fun to see first hand the ins and outs of how our field staff live as they travel on the ship into places like Papua New Guinea to provide health care to those in need (primarily optometry and dentistry and primary health care).

Our little sailing trip took us up the coast of Queensland and lasted only a night and a day… but in a few weeks the ship will take off to PNG for outreach and medical work, which will be ongoing throughout the next 5+ years. As a family we are working in Australia to aid in this happening… but that doesn’t mean we won’t jump at the chance to join them in PNG when the opportunity arises. (Perhaps later this year or next??)

If you’re interested in more, please take a minute to check out this news report that just did a feature on us:

And now for a bit about how the sail went with little bubby…

Basically in a nutshell, it was fantastic!

It was a nice sail – fairly uneventful, which is a good thing—no doubt—when you’re out on the ocean! We all stayed well (thankfully no sea sickness!) and we were given a single cabin to bunk into, which was awesome. It was tiny, tiny, tiny… but compared to where many of the single staff were staying, we had a deluxe suite! Levi and I shared a bed and Ryan spread out a mattress on the floor.

Levi had the best sleep he’s had in ages. (Thank you rolling waves and rocking ship!) And despite being on the floor, Ryan also had the best sleep he’s had in a while (thanks to Levi not waking up nearly as much as he had been the week before – woohoo!). And me? Well, not so good... I was too afraid of rolling over on Levi or him getting smothered by my pillow or blankets so I slept very lightly and fitfully all night. (No co-sleeping on a regular basis for this little family!)

But, in saying all that… it was amazing! Our time was so much more than just about the sleeping arrangements (though I know you’ll love these photos of our little space). We got to spend some quality time with some of the ship crew and get to know them more. We got to see first hand how our “field staff” will be living (which means we’ll better be able to support from our base in Australia). And we got to have a little adventure together as a family. (We so hope that Levi can grow up with outreach as a normal part of his life – and not just on special occasions.)

(This photo used courtesy of YWAM Ships.)

Oh, I should also mention here that throughout the Australian tour we’ve gathered literally thousands of pairs of eye glasses and raised thousands of dollars for the work among the poor in PNG. It’s such a delight to see the dream of lives being touched through care and compassion coming true in such a tangible way. (Please contact me if you’d like to get involved by donating some of your used spectacles or sunnies!)

We feel so honored to be a part of this incredible work, even if ours is a small part.

Dear mommy friends, we all want our kids to grow up unselfishly and learn how to lend a hand to those in need… So how do you get your kids involved in reaching out into your community and beyond? I’d love to hear some more ideas – let’s inspire each other!

P.S. Not sure how to fix the edge of those videos from being cut off... sorry about that!

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