Awareness in Africa

  I recently returned from a 2-week trip to Gabon, Africa in partnership with a church from New York and one from Paris, France.  Our team of 17 was able to develop relationships and bring much-needed help and support.  We spent one week in the capital city of Libreville, helping build a new home for […]

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It’s About Control…….and an Invitation

  Let’s face it we are living in a desert that can claim us at any moment. We just don’t have any real control over the outcomes of our lives. I have also come to the conclusion that desire and control are at the root of all human sorrow. When we can not have or […]

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Namaste

When I went searching for the translation of the word “Namaste”; a word I used repeatedly a year ago while volunteering and traveling across Nepal, I came across the definition that Mohandas Gandhi offered Einstein in response to a letter of inquiry Albert sent him after seeing silent TV footage of the hands in prayer […]

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Moving and Shaking

October was all about moving; mind, body, soul and physical locations. It was an everyday flat out session with boxes, auctioneers, relocation trucks, hurricanes and misplaced remorse. It was a time where friends stepped in and made sure I was eating and that no bed sheets had been forged into hangman loops. There was no […]

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The Incomperable Lady Di

Diane hails from Whales, is a semi-retired trauma care nurse and was, as are so many seekers, moved by something unknown to pack up a suitcase full of medical supplies and fly it, along with herself to Ethiopia. She wanted to volunteer somewhere in Africa and the reports about the relative safety of this country […]

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No Easy “Feet”…Inspiration for the New Year

When I got on the phone with Ana Trnovec the day following her return to Slovenia after walking over 800 kilometers along the Camino de Santiago in support of Orchid I asked her about her feet because she had sent me an email with three days left of walking informing me that they were badly […]

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Being Fair can mean getting the short end of the material stick

One of my daily goals and challenges is trying to remain “fair” in everything I do. It’s no easy task; trust me. We all have different definitions of what it means to be fair. For me there is only one litmus test. I need to first imagine myself in the other persons shoes and think […]

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Sincerity is when appearance and reality are exactly the same

I’ve often asked myself if I am in fact sincere in all the things I say and do on a day to day basis. Have I walked the talk or have I instead made a misstep or two along the way. I have to admit that I have stumbled but I can recognize when I […]

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“Buna dabo naw” – “Coffee is our bread!”

For the 150 Million Americans consuming an average of 3 cups of coffee a day, I think one could say it is the liquid bread of life here in America. Coffee is the ‘Ethiopian way’ and literally the bread and medicine of life for the hospice clients of Strong Hearts Ethiopia. This community roasts, bags, […]

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It doesn’t matter who we are…We can change the world

A picture is worth a thousand words! This picture was taken of a bulletin board at Strong Hearts Academy Ethiopia, created by a group of 5-6 year old students. Strong Hearts provides an education to over 70 students who each day have the largest smiles, and most contagious laughs, yet live amongst what we in […]

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