Holding On To Hope
The tiny foot path was dusty. There was a hot wind blowing my hair across my face as sand pelted my skin. The day was going to...
Category: Global
A Hallmark Christmas {The Grove: Pieces of Home}
The last Christmas before we moved overseas was magical, perfect, “Hallmarkish”. Every family Christmas party was warm and full of appreciation for loved ones. We...
Cultivated Memories from Around the Globe
“She must love her children very much. She spoils them!” said the cashier to Jeremy about me as we were paying for a few Christmas items in South Africa....
Discovering a Love For Cooking + Pumpkin Soup {The Grove: Recipe Box}
When I first moved to China over 6 years ago, I didn’t know how to cook anything. My greatest feat was boiling eggs to make an egg salad sandwich....
You’re Speaking My Taste Buds
Food is a language of its own. I moved six hundred miles away from my hometown to go to college. For every reasonably-long holiday, I’d...
Open the Gates
I grew to love living behind a fence, barbed wire and broken glass at the top and bars on the windows keeping fear at bay. I craved safety and...
The Power of One Decision {The Grove: The Veteran}
As I write this, my husband is in Djibouti. My youngest child is in Kenya. My oldest is in Brisbane, Australia....
The Gift of Belonging
My country, the Dominican Republic, gave me the gift of knowing what it means to belong. And for 28 years, I took that gift for granted. Not only did...
God Speaks Your Language
God speaks your language. When I heard those words, I stopped doodling in my conference journal and looked up. On a screen in front of me,...
We Are a Unique Tribe
I remember the time I finally plucked up the courage to walk into a room full of strangers. Would I be welcome? Would I fit in? Sure, I’d kind...
