(I’m raising awareness/money for Lemonade International by running the 2011 Chicago Marathon. You can help education and feed the children of La Limonada by donating here). About a year and a half ago a friend of mine, Katie Nolan, was lost on Mt. Hood. She and her two friends who were hiking with her died on the mountain as they were caught in a storm. While I had not talked with Katie for about a year or so (last I saw her was at a wedding) she had been a good friend of ours. She and my wife played volleyball together and she was an integral part of the formation of our church community just as we were getting our feet wet with what it...Read More →
Category: Lemonade International
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August 26, 2011
Why I’m Running The Chicago Marathon
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January 3, 2011
I am Joining the Lemonade International Board
It was with a deep sense of humility that I can announce that I have officially joined the board of Lemonade International. Lemonade International exists to “educate and empower the people of the largest urban slum in Central America, La Limonada.” La Limonada is known to have the 4th highest murder rate in the world. There is a saying in Guatemala City that “even Santa Claus doesn’t visit La Limonada.” I have shared with a few Guatemalan friends from here in the States that we visited there last summer and their response was “and you are not dead?!” By all accounts La Limonada is a hopeless place. But, by God’s account, it is a place where He is making beauty out of ashes. A Guatemalan...Read More →
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July 31, 2010
La Limonada – Tattooed On Our Hearts
I always love it when you meet someone and from that point on your life takes a difference course than you could have ever expected. About a year ago, at an IdeaCamp conference I was introduced to a young looking, old man named Bill Cummings (I seriously had no clue he was in his 40′s, I thought he was 33 at most!). I had heard that the director of Lemonade International was at the conference and I really was looking forward to meeting him. Lemonade International focuses on educating and empowering people in the largest urban slum in Central America – La Limonada in Guatemala City. Since one of our soon to be four children is adopted from Guatemala, we instantly connected. La Limonada, a...Read More →
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June 23, 2010
La Limonada – Day 2
Today was our second full day in La Limonada with Lemonade International. We continue to talk about how we don’t have categories in our brain for what we are experiencing. I feel completely in the middle of a fog and I don’t know what’s on the other side. It’s a good fog though. You might call it a God-fog. I’m into making up words so that works for me. I have no clue where this trip will lead and I’m not really trying to figure it out. I think I’ll let God do his thing… There is one practical way you can help with a very specific need: Today I learned that the teachers are in danger of not being paid this month. Of course,...Read More →
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June 22, 2010
La Limonada – Day 1
Today was our first day in La Limonada. The picture above is from the top of the ravine where we visited with a family who had lost their home in the recent storms. They are now living in a communal shelter where they share a 9ft. by 4ft. space with three other families. I’ve seen poverty in my day. I’ve been to Africa twice and have seen desperate conditions there. But, this is different for some reason. I’ve never seen anything like this and I don’t have a category to place today’s experience. We talked tonight about what we “offer” and came to realize we can’t offer much more than our presence and maybe a hug. We can’t fix this. But we can be present...Read More →
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June 21, 2010
Lemonade International
Last fall I was at The Idea Camp conference in Washington D.C. While I was there I learned that there was some guy representing an organization from Guatemala called Lemonade International. Since our second son is adopted from there, and we had a desire to serve that country, I sought him out as quickly as possible. Little did I know that Bill Cummings and I would hit it off so well. Fast forward 8 months later and here I am sitting in the Lemonade House in Guatemala City. Tomorrow we will meet the people who live in the community of La Limonada. We have a long week ahead of us and we’re not totally sure what God is going to do with us and those...Read More →
