STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO: Picture Praise, 2/22/10

Jessica, the girl captured in this photo, had a tender heart with the spirit of a mountain woman. While walking from village to village in the 10,000 foot elevation mountains overlooking Pinchicha, she would be searching, gathering and presenting the most precious of the high mountain berries. This particular day it was blueberries. I remember being overwhelmed by her ability to seek out the treasured berries-- just as we learn how to see God’s face when we look for Him .

Photographer: Jennifer Lindgren, USA. "I was down working with indigenous communities of Ecuador during the summer of 2007. I was blessed to work with so many wise and passionate advocates for the education and future of children, including the children themselves."

What's NEW This Week @ WOTH:

*WOTH Writer's BLOG: New Host! Go meet Carol Brinneman, magazine editor (JAARS Rev. 7 Every Nation People Language). She's offering a FREE GIFT for the budding writer!

STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO: Picture Praise, 2/15/10

Two days of preparations and passing over a road that usually only donkeys and slightly insane jeep drivers would attempt, our truck-- full of building supplies and excitement for the school-- was halted by two massive mud slides. We were greeted with our students running up the mountain, beaming from ear to ear and dressed in their finest. A “little” 5 foot wall of mud and 300 lbs. logs were not going to put a hindrance on their day of celebration! What a joy to see perseverance at its finest!

Photographer: Jennifer Lindgren, USA. "I was down working with indigenous communities of Ecuador during the summer of 2007. I was blessed to work with so many wise and passionate advocates for the education and future of children, including the children themselves."

What's NEW This Week @ WOTH:

*Retreats: Announcing the 2010 Fall Retreat in Goa, India--October 24-27 and October 28-31. Registration opens up on April 1 (no foolin'). For all the glorious details, click here.

*WOTH Writer's BLOG: Encore! Carol Ghattas is writing one more post on writing [effective and interesting] newsletters for your [21st- century, information-overloaded] supporters.

STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO: Picture Praise, 1/08/10

Autumn in Ireland is all brilliant and crisp. It feels like Fall at home, except like a brand new 2.0 version. The leaves are bigger, the air clearer, and the people are everywhere, trying to take in that last great glimpse of bright freshness. The Irish Autumn sets up camp in early September and lasts through most of November, daring you not to notice it, goading you into embracing it, reminding you that Irish life is worth living outside...that is, until the damp dark Irish Winter sets in.

On this particular day, it is our brand new baby boy’s first outing into Dublin City. My dad and stepmom are in country for a visit – for the baby AND for the sightseeing – and we bring them to one of our favorite places this time of year: St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin City Centre.

The golden leaves illuminating the pathway appear almost heavenly. I think, being here with my children and my parents, surrounded by life and youth and nature, how amazing that God has brought us here, at this time and to this place, to live and to serve. To try to know Him here a little bit better than we did before we got here, and to try to be like Him a little bit better here – for His children here – than we could’ve been before.

Ireland is filled with churches, beautiful empty churches. But this space, here in St. Stephen’s Green, feels more like church than anything before.

photographer/writer: Karin Huber, Ireland. Karin is on the CG's Community Blog Roll: The River Into Words

What's NEW this Week @ WOTH:

*Have you been following Carol Ghattas' writing advise [author of Lust Behind The Veil] @ WOTH's Writer's Blog?

*Don't miss Jamie Jo's fresh and funny post on Wednesday @ IRL*in real life with Jamie Jo.

*Just in case you need something for dinner tonight--Debbie Peck, our resident WOTH chef, has some great pasta recipes in this issue of the onlineMagazine. Yum!

STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO: Picture Praise, 02/01/10

"Mario, a kindergarten child attending the Impact Christian School in Mocohan, BVP, Guatemala was very hungry that morning. He couldn't wait to get his morning meal and polished it off in no time....good to the last lick!...beans and tortillas. Most children that attend the school come from very poor one-room, dirt-floor homes. They are provided with shoes, a uniform, a meal, an education and medical care .... a great privilege in an area where only about 25% of the children have the opportunity to attend any school due to lack of schools. These children are part of a sponsorship program. I had the privilege of being their school nurse for three months. What a blessing!" (photo taken in September 2009)

Submitted by Virginia Birss, serving the Mayan Indians of Guatemala