Steadfast as the Water
White sand beaches, streets of Western bars and restaurants, yet another hotel under construction. These are not the pastoral scenes I idealized as a little girl dreaming of being a...
A Green Love {The Grove: Beloved}
It was November, 2002. I was studying abroad. My boyfriend came to visit over his Thanksgiving break, and I was prepared to get engaged. I worked hard to get my...
From My Bike Seat {The Grove: Transportation}
With handlebars wobbling and heart pounding, I pushed my foot down on the pedal, easing my way out into the flowing river of whizzing bicycles and motorbikes. Adrenalin pumped a...
The Risk of Going Solo
Have you ever stopped to evaluate the risk we as foreign women take when we navigate public transportation alone? Maybe you haven’t because ignorance is bliss. Initially, the adventure and...
A Driving Lesson
My first Sunday in Portugal I drove to church on the main highway, through city streets, and across a major bridge. The teammate I went with disliked driving so much...
Honoring My Parents When I Live on the Other Side of the World
As I looked around the room of fellow expats at our International fellowship’s women’s retreat this spring, I had a sudden rather shocking realization: I was probably the oldest...
Change and the Last Page
I'm not a fan of change. When I was five years old I told a family member that I didn't want to turn six; I had just gotten used to...
The Freedom in Following
My husband and I live in a country we affectionately refer to as a graveyard for expats. We can’t share openly about our faith, so as Christians...
Get the Party Started
Weddings in Cambodia are elaborate affairs. The venue is often a long tent that takes up at least half of the road (usually more). Music begins to blare from loud...
Another Untold Story
I was 15 weeks pregnant and still battling “all day sickness.” My husband had left on Monday morning on a school trip half-way across the country and wouldn’t be...
