Week 26: Lately

Song of the Week: I'm in a Hurry by Alabama

We've been busy the past couple of months, and I guess this blog has fallen to the side. I'm back and ready to fill you in on what's been happening lately.....

We added sewing to the list of enrichment activities. I LOVE to sew, and think it will be a great skill to teach our girls.

We spoke to the local Rotary Club and even got our pictures in the paper.

We saw a bear.

We are currently working with a grant writer to file all the necessary paperwork to apply for a long list of grants. Keep your fingers crossed.

We started volunteering with a local charity, Life Source. They salvage food and distribute it to local families in need. We are excited about the relationship we are building with them, and can't wait for our girls to get involved.

We are currently working out the details to have several work weekends throughout the winter. Will let you know when we've set the dates.

We are excited to introduce the newest member of the Camp Yona team, Moe. Moe is the Director of Snuggling. In his spare time he loves to fetch tennis balls, coordinate games of hide-and-seek, eat hotdogs, and play with squeak toys.

Week 24 & 25: Vietnam

Song of the Week: One Day by Matisyahu

Drew and I had the pleasure of spending the past two weeks in Vietnam with a ROW team of six; where we met inspiring people, dodged chaotic traffic, dined on delicious dishes, listened to heartbreaking stories, celebrated successes, absorbed the breathtaking countryside, and sang and danced with beautiful children.

The team was able to spend several days with the staff of Children of Vietnam, who have recently started a Empowering Foundations for Women and Their Children Program. The program gives single mothers, particularly with daughters, the opportunity to move their family out of poverty. By providing safe housing, bicycles for the children to get to school, school costs, and micro-loans for businesses; the program allows women to build a better future for their children. We were able to visit several of the families participating in the program, and it was powerful to hear firsthand the impact the program has on each family. The photo above shows one of the women we met. With a micro-loan furnished by COV this mother was able to open a fruit stand in the market, and can now afford to send her children to school.