Today on the podcast I’m welcoming Kurt Kandler. He is the co-founder and Executive Director of The 410 Bridge. Founded in 2006, and deriving its name from 1st Peter 4:10, The 410 Bridge is a Christ-centered, community-initiated development organization. That’s right, they do community development differently! LISTEN TO EPISODE #13 NOW: Listen + Follow on […]

Shop my Amazon bookshelf! Learning through reading is one important way to gain new perspectives and shape our hearts and minds with empathy and love for others. As such, I’ve listed some of my favorite books across various categories we often discuss on this platform! As a reminder, I’m an Amazon Associate, which means I […]

I’ve been thinking a lot about the earth lately…and our connection to it as humanity too. Anyone else? Perhaps it’s a combination of the recent arrival of spring, having celebrated Earth Day last month, or the fact that we’re stuck inside a bit more than we’re used to – Maybe it’s a combination of all three! As such, I thought it was appropriate timing to make our incredible earth the topic of discussion for another month, at least.

If I’m being honest, quarantine has NOT been a time to relax over here. If anything, I’ve been WAY busier – just the way I prefer it to be though! But I have taken way more walks than usual, and that’s where many of these thoughts were formed. So if you don’t like this one, blame it on the crazy quarantine thoughts, and if you do like it, well then I’ll take all the credit and attribute it to getting more fresh air and sunshine than usual! 😉

As many know, I’m co-leading a mission trip back to Haiti this June (Yay!). As part of our leader training we had the opportunity to experience a poverty simulation lead by HOPE International. I was eager to partake in the experience for the first time, not knowing at all what it would entail. I was pleasantly surprised (and surprise is the name of the game)! We were taken through an immersive experience forcing us to make decisions and actively partake in roles to stay alive. It really hit home for me. After all, imagining what it would feel like to live in extreme poverty while carrying the immense heartbreak and burden it brings, is what ultimately drove me to walking with people living in poverty in the first place. I’ve often thought, “I don’t know what I would do if I were forced to survive on the streets”. This simulation helped uncover some of that in a deeper way – so much so, that I eagerly want to share it with you! 

In speaking with Ashley Dickens, the HOPE experience facilitator afterwards, I learned she’s already written a story about the experience and I decided there’s no better words than hers to share it with you!