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unexpected unexpected

Orphan Care

Orphan Care

The Mudroom: When Compassion Is Exhausting

I’m over at The Mudroom trying to put into words my experience with compassion fatigue, how to combat it, and …

Melanie DaleOctober 20, 2016, 12:20 pmOctober 20, 2016 0
Orphan Care

When Your Two Friends Hit It Off

You know when your worlds blend? Like when your friend from school and your friend from work meet each other …

Melanie DaleSeptember 30, 2016, 10:05 amSeptember 30, 2016 0
Orphan Care, Parenting, Sponsorship, Uganda

I Love You to Africa and Back

One day you wake up and realize you have a middle schooler. About two seconds ago you were in a …

Melanie DaleJune 26, 2016, 8:14 amJune 26, 2016 3
Faith, Sponsorship, Uganda

This is not about Syrian refugees

If your newsfeed is anything like mine, it’s filled with people posting about refugees. Should they or shouldn’t they be …

Melanie DaleNovember 18, 2015, 10:26 amNovember 18, 2015 6
Orphan Care, Sponsorship, Uganda

Words Are Powerful

This morning while my kids crunched cereal and worked on getting their eyelids open enough to get on the bus, …

Melanie DaleAugust 17, 2015, 6:36 amAugust 17, 2015 7
Favorites, Orphan Care, Sponsorship, Uganda

Why We Have to Talk About Our Periods

A couple weeks ago I had the sex talk with Ana.  I told her, “You’re about to start fifth grade, …

Melanie DaleAugust 10, 2015, 6:19 amMarch 29, 2016 12
Adoption, Orphan Care, Relationships

Mobilizing Moms at CAFO Summit 2015

Are you attending the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO) Summit this year?  If so, I’m leading a workshop and I’d …

Melanie DaleFebruary 24, 2015, 9:24 amFebruary 24, 2015 0
Orphan Care, Sponsorship, Uganda

This Post Will Make You Grin

I 100% guarantee that this post will make you grin.  Even the Grinchiest Grinch cannot watch this video with smiling. …

Melanie DaleNovember 14, 2014, 2:15 pmNovember 14, 2014 3
Orphan Care, Sponsorship, Uganda

Missions and Boobs: A Group Project Inspired by the Internet

What led you to this blog?  Did you click on a link from Facebook or google something that offered you …

Melanie DaleOctober 7, 2014, 6:50 amMarch 29, 2016 12
Adoption, Ethiopia, Parenting

Throwback Thursday – Bringing Evie Home From Ethiopia

For Throwback Thursday, I want to show you a video that most of you probably haven’t seen, bringing Evie home …

Melanie DaleAugust 20, 2014, 10:18 pmAugust 20, 2014 5
Orphan Care, Sponsorship, Uganda

Prevention Isn’t Sexy

Everyone responds in a crisis.  When something bad happens, we follow and share and send money and pray and feel …

Melanie DaleAugust 19, 2014, 11:25 amAugust 19, 2014 9
Faith, Orphan Care

Jen Hatmaker INTERRUPTED and Why We’re Really BFF

Okay, people, we need to talk about Jen Hatmaker.  We must.  We get to. The first time I ever heard …

Melanie DaleAugust 13, 2014, 7:25 pmAugust 13, 2014 12
Adoption, Parenting, Sponsorship

Fresh Air and an Adoption Update

So…a lot’s happened this week.  Rich Stearns told Religion News Service that World Vision had lost “less than 5,000” sponsors …

Melanie DaleMarch 28, 2014, 8:05 amMarch 28, 2014 6
Sponsorship

World Vision, Gay Marriage, and Breaking Off Sponsorship

These are kids reading sponsor mail at our Children’s HopeChest CarePoint in Uganda.  The girl in the middle is Miriam, …

Melanie DaleMarch 25, 2014, 10:40 amMarch 25, 2014 58
Parenting, Uganda

Showering with My Dog

This is how I ended up showering with my dog. My struggles with the morning routine and getting all of …

Melanie DaleFebruary 24, 2014, 11:33 amFebruary 24, 2014 3
Adoption, Orphan Care, Uganda

My Little Church, My Big Church

Every week, we meet with a few other families in a living room.  This is my little church.  My little …

Melanie DaleDecember 18, 2013, 10:24 amDecember 18, 2013 8
Adoption, Orphan Care, Sponsorship

Brave Girls

I’ve been thinking about brave girls.  Last week was International Day of the Girl and also last week Evie and …

Melanie DaleOctober 15, 2013, 8:35 pmOctober 15, 2013 4
Hosting, Orphan Care

Deep Loving Means Deep Aching

About a week ago I did period math and realized that the height of my PMS would coincide with A– …

Melanie DaleAugust 5, 2013, 10:11 pmAugust 5, 2013 4
Hosting, Orphan Care

Mel-ah-NEE-ah

(Thank you for your grace with my constant hosting posting.  I have so many posts about other topics rattling through …

Melanie DaleJuly 18, 2013, 10:27 pmJuly 18, 2013 3
Hosting, Orphan Care

Speaking of Awkward…

This afternoon, A– and I baked a cake together.  She decorated it with frosting and sprinkles, and I wrote her …

Melanie DaleJuly 10, 2013, 10:51 pmJuly 10, 2013 8
Hosting, Orphan Care

The Hills Are Alive

Picture in your mind the most exuberant puppy you’ve ever seen, racing around the yard, rolling in leaves, running circles …

Melanie DaleJuly 9, 2013, 9:34 pmJuly 9, 2013 3
Hosting, Orphan Care

I’m Unprepared For How Good This Is

That’s Elena the bear in on our first hug.  I didn’t want the hug to end and now I have …

Melanie DaleJuly 8, 2013, 10:50 pmJuly 8, 2013 10
Hosting, Orphan Care

We Chose Her

The sign says pree-vyet, an informal hello in Russian.  Sometimes I wish we could upload programs into our brains like …

Melanie DaleJuly 8, 2013, 12:00 amJuly 8, 2013 10
10 Things, Ethiopia, Orphan Care, Sponsorship, Uganda

10 Things You Need to Know Before Going on a Mission Trip

Summer is approaching and we’re heading into Mission Trip Season.  I’ve been on some, I’ve lead a few, and if …

Melanie DaleMay 13, 2013, 11:25 amApril 6, 2019 104

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