HAPPY 11th BIRTHDAY CAMERON !!

Cameron chose to celebrate his birthday at Wavehouse San Diego.  He went on the BIG wave pool this year...

Tess learning to surf the wavepool...she did great!
The big boys...Bennett and Jacob
Cameron surfing the flowrider wave...

Grabbing a bite before jumping in the waves!!
The big wave pool...
The birthday  boy's mom and dad...WE LOVE YOU CAMS!!
Cameron and his BFF's Charlie and Danny...Happy Birthday!!

ying and yang

A church in Ethiopia supported by the coffee company we buy our coffee through...GOBENA COFFEE.  
Our new pool being built...

I guess part of being on this journey is being able to balance and process all that we are learning about those in need...without being plagued by guilt in our daily life!!

We are doing great raising our $ for the well through Charity Water...we are selling our coffee to raise $ for Tess's orphange...we have secured our dates for our mission trip to work at Acacia Village, Addis Ababa for April 2010...we have just sent in our application to volunteer at FAM (family assistance ministries) locally...we continue to support Acacia Village monthly...we sponsor many kids through World Vision...

AND we have begun to build a pool...

 I feel a bit guilty about the amount of money it costs to build a pool (even though our pool plans are dated 2006-we have been saving up for years!!) Jeff and I had many conversations about whether to put that $ into a pool or into Acacia Village,Ethiopia...We decided to continue to live our lives here while working dilligently for those with less...but still, the guilt...

a favorite quote...

Tess's first soccer game...

Bennett's prayer...

Bennett (#15) and some friends say a prayer in the end zone during their Friday night game...prayers were answered...Tritons won!!!

"Small is the new BIG"

I read this article in OPRAH magazine and it really struck a chord with me.."small is the new big".  The article was about how small things can make a big difference...I couldn't agree more!  How funny that the article would come out right after Jeff and I decided to do our well project through WATERCHARITY. Such a small thing yet it can have such a BIG impact on the families who will have access to clean water!  

This is a photo of our sweet friend DOROTHY...whose small works have had BIG results!! At 70 plus years old, she makes trips to South Africa-alone- to help orphaned street kids.  She has taken guns and glue out of these kids hands and put a bible in their hands instead.  She has a home for 40 street boys in South Africa that she has set up and funds through her own efforts. She hired 3 adults to run it so she can come back to the US to fundraise and then goes back to her "boys".  Her stories are AMAZING!!  She says she can go into unstable areas alone and help these boys and men because she is unthreatening!!  They have never seen a white woman with long white hair!! She said "they think I am some kind of angel-HAHA"  Little does she know she is!!  She is a one woman powerhouse in a sweet little old lady body.  One person can make such a big differnce.  Jeff and Marco have agreed to support her program by matching all her fundraising efforts.  She said in 20 years of fundraising no one has ever offered her that!  I feel so blessed that our company is in a position to do that!!!So now our small jesture can have a big impact too...

SMALL NEVER FELT SO BIG!!!

SUZIE HOMEMAKER...

Tess is the official "EGG BREAKER" in the Jonas household...she loves to cook and asks everyday to cook or bake...I have to say no most of the time because our waistlines will not survive the cookie overload!!

Christine had asked me to teach her to knit before heading back to college...once Tess saw that she had to know all there was to know about knitting...she is working on her first scarf...

This is Cameron's scarf , who also was intrigued and has been knitting with us but refused to be photographed while knitting...such a boy!!

Tess loves all things domestic!  She always wants to cook and bake with me. She says when she 

has kids they are going to bake cookies EVERYDAY!!  Yikes...I hope her home comes with a treadmill ...

charity water...

Jeff and I are giving up our birthdays this year...we are asking for you to join us...please go to

this link to join us in our effort to build a well in Ethiopia...we need to raise $5000!! Here we go!!

Thanks

OXO Liz

http://www.mycharitywater.org/p/profile?

member_id=4764

Good Morning MOM!!

This morning I got up to 2 of my sweet kids( Bennett and Tess) each greeting me with a BIG "good morning mom, I'm so happy to see you"  Just beaming...but for such different reasons...It made me really stop to think about the different life experience they each are having...Bennett is so excited because he got his drivers license Wed. and his truck yesterday (A VERY big deal to a little boy whose first word was truck and didn't want anything as a gift if it didn't come with wheels)First thing he said was "I'm so happy, thanks mom, I love you!!  I'll be outside washing my truck!!" The BEST gift he could ever get!!

 And then Tess came in and gave me a kiss and said " Good Morning mom, I'm so happy, I love you, you are the best mom!"  Her BEST gift ever is having a mother!! Can you even imagine that!  Even I take that for granted now since it's been so long...but she doesn't.  She beams everytime she sees me and runs over for a hug and kiss EVERYTIME!

2 very different gifts...2 very happy kids...GOD is amazing in his blessings!!

Courageous Faith

I keep thinking about the sermon that Pastor Roger gave this past Sunday...He called it "Courageous Faith".  Most things make me think of Tess and our journey,the kids left behind,my calling to do more,  and Stephne and Harry's everyday reality in Soddo...that's what I call courageous faith!!  

We learned this about Courageous Faith...

1. It brings life...we brought a better life to Tess through our faith...Stephne and Harry bring it everyday to the hundreds of kids and people they help...

2.It takes risks...that speaks for itself...the journey we are on is all about faith and risk...think about the missionaries on the front line helping these kids...they risk their own family everyday!

3. It stand firm against opposition...when I think about how many people questioned our adoption...especially my own mom!! the 3 years we waited for our daughter...the countless "maybe it 's not meant to be"...we need to stand firm against the opposition if we know we are doing the right thing

4.It overcomes hardships...having courageous faith helps overcome the inevitable hardships that are part of life...especially when you go outside the comfort zone...hardships abound!!

As we plan our mission trip for next year I am comforted by the notion of courageous faith...God has put us on this path and so he will meet us with this courageous faith to help us through...I am not by nature a very courageous person...do not let that stop you!!

BACK TO SCHOOL...

What a differnce a year makes...this year Tess gets to go to school speaking english!!
We were thrilled to find out that Tess's best little friend Paige is in her class this year again!!
We decided to walk to school for the first day...the kids were both excited and a little nervous...it was cute to watch.
Dad didn't have a meeting until 9 so he was able to walk with us to school since school starts at 7:45!!!  No more sleeping in...booohooo

our college girl...

Christine is back at school and loving it.  She has a great roomate this year and is really excited about her classes.  She is a journalism major and started French classes this year to get ready for her junior year abroad...IN PARIS!! Can you say road trip!! or I should say air trip!! haha

We really miss her around the house but we talk everyday and follow her blog so it's not so bad...OX  love you neener!!

Friday night lights...

Bennett's first Varsity football game at SCHS!!  We on 21-14!!
Bennett asked if they could say a prayer after the game and the coach said yes.  The coach said in 20 something years of coaching he had never had a player ask to say a prayer!! We are so proud of Bennett...what a great young man he is becoming!!
Bennett and cousin Jacob...I know Grandma Ann is watching and smiling down on her boys!!!
Cameron and Jason were the water boys for the game.  They had so much fun and loved being down on the field!! GOOD JOB MINI TRITONS!!

It's official...football season has begun!  Bennett had his first Varsity game Friday night.  He and 5 other sophmores are starting on Varsity, which is a big deal in football, I guess...The boys did great and SCHS had it's first WIN!!  It was a really fun game to watch!  GO TRITONS!!

James 4:17

"Anyone,  then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." James 4 :17

It's like I said...once you know,  you can't not help the plight of these kids...how can you pretend you haven't seen...

Keep thinking about Harry and Stephne...

These are photos off the Bowers blog...much needed supplies arrive in Soddo!  Stephne said she cried!!
the marketplace after a fire...it is so dry there...
more marketplace pics after the fire...
The opening of the medical clinic...

...Harry is from Ohio and Stephne is from South Africa.  They were on a mission trip in Ethiopia when they ran into -BY COINCIDENCE!!- the founders of CWA, Tomilee and Bob, who were there to close the orphanages in the south because they had no one to run them...COINCIDENCE...I think not!!  They agreed on the spot to move their family from Ohio to Soddo Ethiopia (3 years ago) to run the orpahnages in the south.  What a lesson for us all to be open to what God has instore for us...

Harry told us they have electricity 3 days a week on a good week...this means no refridge since power is unreliable...this means no meat or dairy can be stored.  They live mostly off the veggies they grow themselves!!  They have 2 children that help them with the ethiopian children they take in...wow!! wow!! and double wow!!  Can you imagine your 12 year old caring for and leading groups of kids in lessons from the bible??

I am working on a list of their immediate needs which I will post and ask you to mail to me or drop off if possible.  We will be organizing supplies to them so they can better care for these babies, children and care givers.  I knew there was a reason that we were called to Ethiopia instead of China...God had a plan for Jeff and I to come alongside all these amazing people we are meeting and help these beautiful kids...

AWE INSPIRING is an understaement!!!

Louis called a couple of months ago to ask if we would host another dinner for CWA on Aug 27th. The timing was not great for us because we had friends visitng from Portugal for 10 days and we would be arriving that afternoon from our ranch in Utah...but as he went on to explain that it was Stephne and Harry who would be the guests( she runs 3 of the CWA  orphanages in Ethiopia (including the one Tess came from, and they remembered each other!! and Harry is a Dr. with MMI a  NGO medical organization like Doctors without borders).  So of course we said we would be thrilled to have them over.  Louis also invited a lovely couple that are in the process of adopting a little boy from CWA and live near by...

And so began one of the most amazing, intersting, inspirational evenings I've ever had!!  The work that Stephne and Harry do is beyond heroic.  They live in Soddo with their 2 kids (adopted from Russia).  Stephne and an Ethiopian gentleman (forgot his name) basically rescue children and  newborns from death everyday!!  And Harry runs the medical clinic and eye clinic in Soddo.

A beautiful example that she gave was that last thanksgiving instead of a turkey on their table, they had 4 Ethiopian newborns that had been found that week...(1 was the child of a 13 year old girl that gave birth and bled to death!)...the stories captured every part of my being and really has planted a seed in me ... I will without a doubt go stay with them and help with these babies.  She said mostly she needs people to "hold and love on" the babies.  They had photos to go along with each of the babies stories...just amazing...I can't put it into words how powerful it was.

It was so touching that she and Tess remembered each other.  This beautiful woman helped love and take care of Tess and many others just like her until these kids can be loved by a family of their own...

They let us know that their needs are many...I will be sending them supplies directly to the Soddo medical clinic if you are interested in joining me please let me know...if anyone cares to follow their story their blog is...www.thebowersinafrica.blog.com