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In 2012, Columbus lit a fuse and tore down some walls that held us back.  Historically, the dams were vital, allowing industries in our mill community to thrive.  It makes me ponder:  How often do we leave structures and systems in place long after their purpose has become irrelevant?  If we aren't intentional, the things established to empower growth can become the very thing that hinders it.  In Columbus' story, the dams accepted as a permanent fixture actually caused the water to grow dirty and were expensive to maintain.  Our local wildlife suffered, and the river was essentially unusable.   Until...

**For the five-year anniversary of COVID, I am resharing some of my journals.  This is what it felt like to hear you could not get home from Zambia.   On Friday, we saw Victoria Falls from the half-cracked window of a moving van, speeding towards what we thought was the plan...then more slowly, we stopped to take selfies when we pitifully dragged our luggage back across the border, feeling the shock of plans denied.  On Saturday, after exhausting all options, our group accepted that we were settling into life in Africa until the United States could come to pick us...

As we hit the five-year mark since Covid, I am sharing my story.  It's powerful to reflect and emember.   March, 2020 It was supposed to be a magical day, exploring Victoria Falls, one of the world's seven natural wonders.  Our trip to Zambia promised to include this bucket list adventure, and our team couldn't wait to be amazed by God's powerful creation.  When I initially planned my trip to Zambia, my mom smiled sweetly and said my grandmother, MaCile, had always dreamed of seeing Victoria Falls.  I never knew that. MaCile and my Papa Phillips planned to take each...

**The next few blogs will be resharing my experience at the beginning of Covid, using the fifth anniversary as a nudge to remember..."   We were in Zambia, eating pizza, as word kept coming in about how the coronavirus was affecting everything around us.  Our Rwandan pastor, Jean, was sharing new pieces of his story with me about the time he lived in Zambia when he nudged me to look at Jessica and our new Zambian friend, Eliza.  They sat in the middle of an outdoor restaurant, holding hands, tears flowing, life-altering conversations happening.  The world was falling apart, but...

The best ideas rarely begin with the pursuit of a great idea.  Often, they start when a problem squeezes you so tight that you have no choice but to fight your way out.      Loneliness almost crushed me… twice.    Both times, I was the new girl in town.  The first time loneliness tried to kill me was when I moved away for college.  The beauty of college is that everyone is new and motivated to connect with other new people.  Somewhere along the way, I found a couple of girls, and we settled into a routine lunch at...