It feels good to see 2020 fading into our rearview mirror. All of us know someone who had the COVID-19 virus and a few of us lost good friends or loved ones. It has been especially difficult for some of the impoverished children in Africa that we serve. Fortunately, the actual number of people infected with the virus in our…
I pray that all of you enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving and are looking forward with anticipation to the Christmas holidays. I am not a big fan of winter, but Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday because it reminds me of the great blessing of my family. No gifts just great food, family and a reminder to count our many…
We are right in the middle of my favorite season, autumn. It has been a blessing to enjoy it in Iowa this year. I have clocked over 6,500 miles since April. Central Iowa has some of the best bike trails in the world. Now with the fall colors in full display, it is even more enjoyable. This season, we…
Daniel is one of my favorite characters in the Old Testament. God protected him when he was thrown into the lion’s den. I often think of his story when I am interacting with the beautiful lions in South Africa. There is a story in the Book of Daniel 3:16-18 about facing our fears and marching forward. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego…
As a new school year is starting, a new season of life has started for us, too. Beth and I have sensed the last couple of years that it will soon be time to downsize and sell our beautiful wooded acreage near Lake Saylorville. We have been working diligently to get rid of extra clutter throughout our Morten Building,…
As I pedal along our beautiful Iowa bike trails each day, I ponder all that is going on in our world. Usually, I am in South Africa during these hot, lazy days of summer. I sense that many of us in America and South Africa are in a dark mood, feeling a bit of anger and discouragement. It reminds me…
Blog July 1, 2020 This is the first summer Beth and I have been able to spend in Iowa for the past several years and we are enjoying our time with lots of lawn work and long bicycle rides on our beautiful bike trails. Our world is changing at warp speed these days and it makes most of us a…
It’s noon on June 1st in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Dustin Blessman is on the other end of the WhatsApp, and the unmistakable sound of dishes being washed provides the background soundtrack for our conversation. He and Johanney are readying to deliver food packages this afternoon. “Things are looking up,” he observes, “baby steps…but the right direction.” COVID-related restrictions lessened…
I was scheduled to be back in South Africa by now. It is bittersweet to have to spend additional time back here in the United States. I have been amazed how effective our communications have been using Zoom to connect our US and South Africa staff members. The majority of our US staff, a few board members, and staff from…
We all hear so often these days that we are living in interesting times. Like many of you, I am still having difficulty adapting to physical distancing. I maintain my sanity by spending 2 or 3 hours most days out on our beautiful bike trails. I spend about 4 hours each day working on my computer and communicating with our…