Randomness

Christmas Eve with full tummies and new, warm jammies

Is this face priceless, or what? Good thing we don't

put a lot into the whole Santa thing :)

Here's the crew before Christmas at a hotel in Archbold, thanks to Grandma Betty and Grandad Rich. Not the best pic, but whatcha gonna do with 4 youngish kids?!? (p.s. While we have had some trials with Kole this year, he really is happier than he seems in these pictures!)

I also wanted to say how crazy excited Jolene and I are about Awake and Alive!!! Seriously!!! I think we would get an A+ for passion. However, we're working hard to do other stuff other than just dreaming. We're working on a website, a blog, the paperwork (that would be Jolene's awesome husband, Darin, actually), our board, making connections with other organizations doing great things in Ethiopia (Bright Future and Project Mercy, for example), making connections with organizations here doing great things for Africans (like the Red Cross Refugee Services, for example), gleaning wisdom from friends in other non-profits with hearts for Africa, contacting Africans living in the area, inviting them for dinner, hearing their stories/ideas....you get the point. A lot is going on! Until the other blog is up and running...and even when it is...we'll be keeping you posted here.

All this is going on while the Shrocks are praying desperately to pass their THIRD court date on January 24 (or 22nd. Now, I'm second-guessing!) They have had 2 in a row with disappointing results. I am in awe of how strong they are being. Jolene's words: "I know these babies WILL be home when they are supposed to be!" Pray for them, please.

If you want to get involved, let us know. We would love to share our vision with you. In the meantime, I think we've settled on an official mission statement (unless it changes before we get the website up :) ):

Awake and Alive desires to support Africans locally by building relationships and helping them acclimate into American society. Abroad, we wish to support existing organizations on the ground in Africa. Finally, by providing education and experiences to the Church we aspire to encourage Christians to be a part of the solution for the poor.

Lastly, I have been loving all the wonderful quotes on facebook in honor of an amazing man, Martin Luther King, Jr. He was so wise and eloquent. Here are some of my favorites:

• "I have a dream that my children will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. "
• "The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education."
• "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly."

Thank you, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for having a dream and making this world a better place.

• "The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people."