Comments on The Amazing Trips: namaste

Dude...send me a bracelet. I'll take a pictur...

2009-11-09T22:50:41.726-05:00

Dude...send me a bracelet. I'll take a picture of it at the Arctic Circle. :)

(P.S. I never knew I was poor, because we had lots of books and lanterns to read them by. I never ate a processed meat or "wonder" bread until I was pretty much in School and they forced us to eat them for lunch. Anyway, my parents made me feel rich, and now that I have lots of "stuff," I don't feel nearly as rich as I did when I was growing up. )

Perspective is easy to lose. Thanks for the remind...

2009-11-09T09:33:39.986-05:00

Perspective is easy to lose. Thanks for the reminder.

I grew up in Bangladesh. My grandmother's house had dirt floor and a tin roof. She was actually rather well off. If your sponsored child has those, they are of course still in need, but better off than the truly impoverished of B'desh.

I spent a year of my childhood living with my mother in the orphanage she ran in rural Bangladesh. Again, the children I lived with were poor, but not the poorest. The orphanage provided them with food, shelter, and vocational training. The truly poor were the families who slept in the fields and dug through the garbage to find something to eat, often finding nothing.

We can all do our part to make things a little better, and you do.

I think everyone understand your pain, you are ri...

2009-11-08T23:26:24.247-05:00

I think everyone understand your pain, you are right its not life or death that we are dealing with here in the USA like in other countries but still a persons problems are a persons problems and I would feel like you if thats all I was getting to see my kids too. Plans that don't work out, thats awful, yes IVF sent us for a long loop too. So even though your problems might feel petty when it comes to life and death I think we can all understand why you are so frusterated.

It's not the dirt floor or tin roof. It's ...

2009-11-08T22:34:48.018-05:00

It's not the dirt floor or tin roof. It's the lack of education, clean running water and health care. I should be doing more. Thanks for the info on Compassion International!

I think I'd take the internet over running water... it's a library on your lap.

$50 copay!! Are you kidding?! The most I've e...

2009-11-08T19:24:10.076-05:00

$50 copay!! Are you kidding?! The most I've ever paid is $30.00!! How 'bout I just send you a bracelet instead? I'm hoping to get the second batch sent out w/in the next few days...

While I know that you have running water now, I've actually seen a blog written by someone who doesn't. It's downright incredible to me that they have internet access but no sinks or indoor plumbing!

Priorities ... priorities...

MAN...I used to live in a little shack with no run...

2009-11-08T18:47:37.434-05:00

MAN...I used to live in a little shack with no running water and for insulation we used to gather sod and pack it real good around the sides of the house and on the roof in the summer...and uh, we had a dirt floor, until it got too cold, then we put that pink board stuff on the floor and it was warmer. Uh, and I'm 32, and I lived in AMERICA at the time!

I always find it funny when people don't know that people still live like that in our country. We still have entire villages up here in AK with NO RUNNING WATER or sewer. And kids (IN THE ARCTIC) who run around with no shoes on and look just as disheveled as those in the "3rd world countries."

But, don't worry about me, I'm "rich" now, cause I have a house on stilts (keeps the cold away) and running water and sewer and I can hunt my own food and wipe my own butt. (I had to throw that in there!)

Oh, and I'll be expecting my $50 co-pay for this therapy session!

:) Glad to see that God is putting you in your place. I am going through that RIGHT NOW!

(P.S. here in Kotzebue they won't give you the H1N1 flu shot unless your name is on "the list" and my name, nor my children's names are not on the "the list" so we don't get it unless we get on a plane 600 miles away and go to wal-greens for it. And, the CDC just sent out a report stating that in this region of AK over 70% of people have had the H1N1 flu already.)

Remind me about why I live here again!? haha. Oh yeah...cause its COOL!

we also have an child we sponsor, and it humbles m...

2009-11-07T15:52:45.411-05:00

we also have an child we sponsor, and it humbles me how she and her family have so little...but have so much happiness and love and togetherness.

I wrote a very whiny post on my blog a few months ago regarding not having the digital camera I wanted, and that night my husband and I watched "Slumdog Millionaire" and I immediately hit the delete button on my post. I think it's so easy to forget the blessings we DO have and not focus on what we don't.

I have had H1N1 since september and it has morphed into all sorts of secondary infections- and if i had not had access to antibiotics to fight those infections, i would probably be dead. my oldest daughter now has fallen sick...and i am so grateful we live 5 minutes from a highly rated hospital.

we are so fortunate. thank you for reminding me of that!

CI is a wonderful organization. My youth group gr...

2009-11-07T13:20:59.055-05:00

CI is a wonderful organization. My youth group growing up sponsored a young girl in Africa.

Glad to know that things are a bit brighter today. It's always a wonder how when we need perspective, God sees fit to provide us with a healthy dose of it.

I have been reading your blog for a while and I th...

2009-11-07T09:10:03.275-05:00

I have been reading your blog for a while and I think you are an amazing woman! Yes, there are a horrendous number of people who are suffering all over the world. Some suffer physically, others emotionally, some spiritually and others financially. You can't beat yourself up over all the ills in the world. You are one person. You are doing so much and are an example to your children and all your readers with donations,fundraisers and walks/runs to help others who suffer from disease and poverty. We can all do our parts in our own way to touch the lives of others for good. But that does not mean that you should feel guilty about enjoying your life with your family. You have had the privilege of having an education that you have worked hard to obtain and a family you struggled and prayed for and spent much money and anguish to conceive. Enjoy the fruits of your labor and keep on being you! Thanks for being the example that you are to me!

Nonna2trips

Jen, I am sending you a life jacket for your next...

2009-11-07T08:47:19.455-05:00

Jen, I am sending you a life jacket for your next hormonal tidal surge. Take up kickboxing. It will help you release some of the pressure.

XOXO AM