This is the Stuff

Squinting as I scanned the rows and rows of cars covering the expanse of the parking lot with Kendall's hand tucked safely into mine I was sure I was losing my mind. Where is my car? I am expecting this type of amnesia when I am in my nineties when your brain can only contain so many memories-- not in my twenties. I hear music playing softly and realize that my husband is calling me. It seems I have forgotten to pick him up. Finally we found the car, went to a friends house, and got home to make a cheesecake. When we get home I ask my husband if we could go and see a movie the following night. He just stares at me blankly. "Honey, remember we are having dinner with friends tomorrow night. That's why you're baking the cheesecake." Right! Really, I think I am losing my mind! Have you ever had one of those days? This was the start to our weekend!

Books are all over our house...

Bitsy making Daddy a "recipe" on his computer.

Hubbs is writing a paper on justification!

Baking with my girl!

Gracie waiting for an Oreo that never came.

Ice cream!

Cheesecake!

Walk through Palm Sunday!

Kisses for Daddy!

Movie with my girl!

How was your weekend? Do you have plans for Easter? 

I hope you are all having a great week this far!

In His Love,

Jennis

**Don't forget to enter to win the Love Mercy giveaway!**

Mercy House Kenya and a giveaway!

Welcome to the Rehema House! 

(Rehema is the word for mercy in Swahili.)

In March of 2010 Kristen Welch from We are THAT family traveled to Kenya, Africa with Compassion International to write about poverty and help get sponsors for children there. While she was there they visited the world's largest slum. Through her tears she asked God how He could allow so much human suffering? She felt in her heart that He asked her the very same thing! What was she doing? Two weeks after she returned home she found this article on CNN about girls having backstreet abortions in that very same slum. Through that trip she felt God calling her to start a maternity home. The Mercy House Kenya was born. (Watch videos here! Bring your tissues though! I balled all the way through the first one.)

The Issue:

• Annually, 21,000 women are hospitalized from having an illegal, unsafe abortion in Kenya. (Center for Reproductive Rights)
• Abortion is a volatile topic in Kenya.
• 13,000 Kenyan girls are kicked out of school for being pregnant. (Center for Reproductive Rights)
• 25% of pregnant women in Kenya are HIV positive. (ObGyn in Kenya)
• Every 30 minutes, a woman is raped in Kenya. (Nairobi Women’s Hospital)
• Mothers often force their daughters into trading sex for food in the slums. (CNN)
• More than 20,000 children are sex trafficked in Kenya. (Human Trafficking)
• 1500 women die in childbirth every day across Africa. (WHO)

The Vision of Rehema House (supported by Mercy House):

• Provide a safe place-a guarded home with 12 maternity beds
• Partner with local churches
• Prenatal Care- checkups, medical assistance for healthy deliveries
• Proper Nutrition-protein and regular healthy meals
• Counseling-post abortion/prostitution, rape recovery
• Ministry-prayer, Biblical teaching, regular devotions
• Education-help catch girls up in school thru 8th grade, then continue on to high school, or vocational       tract
• Livelihood Skills-cooking, jewelry-making, art, sewing, etc
• A nurturing environment in-which to give birth and breastfeed babies
• A safe place to stay and learn and heal until they graduate 
• An account to start small business or go to school (from products they make and sell)

Today there are eight girls with their eight babies living in The Mercy House in Kenya!

Meet the girls here!

What can you do to help? You can give, pray, share, and shop! I was given two items to review from the "Mercy Shop". One was the Farmhouse Tote! 

I love this tote! I love the fabric and the detail! I have taken it everywhere! The side pockets are my favorite! The bag is light but big enough to fill to the brim! Which I have done several times already! 

The other item was the Heart & Wings shirt. I washed and wore it several times. It didn't shrink at all and it is very soft! 

My little assistant wanted to help too. :)

Mostly, I loved when people asked me about the shirt or the tote! Being able to explain the story of Mercy House and what they do!

Would you love mercy with me?

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

Micah 6:8

Want to win a Mercy House Farmhouse tote? Enter the giveaway below! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In His Love,
Jennis

H54F and a Coffee Date

My 5 favorite "highs" of this week! 

1. Last Saturday my girl and I played all day outside. It was warm and lovely! 

2. St Patrick's Day! Sooo good! My in-love's had us over for lunch!

3. My bitsy girl wanted to have a "party" with me so she set it all up. :)

4. Family pizza night at our favorite pizza place! 

5. Yesterday, we got to have a family day! It was a blast!  The weather was perfect!

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If  we were having coffee...

or chai tea in my case. ;o)

If we were having coffee I would tell you that recently life has been a little crazy!
That my amazing husband is gearing up for a mission trip to Africa. That I am super excited for him
and terribly nervous!

I would tell you that I can't believe Easter is almost here! We have plans coming together for Easter at church and for Palm Sunday. That. it. is. crazy. busy! But, that we have an amazing friends who are helping us. I would also mention how much I love children's ministry! Way more fun then any other ministy! In my opinion. :)

We are also gearing up for VBS and it is going to be so fun! That I am glad God chose my husband for me. I am a slacker but my man is so organized. Things are moving along and we are so excited!!!

I would tell you that my husband got A's on his mid-terms! We have been studying the past couple weeks! Now, he has papers to write. He will disappear for the rest of the week!

Okay! Now it is your turn! What's been going on with you?


Have a blessed weekend!

In His Love,
Jennis

Africa

Yesterday, we got word that my husband has been approved to go on a missions team to Africa this summer! We are sooo excited! Excited probably doesn't even describe it! Exhilarated?! Mostly blessed for this opportunity! 

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Please pray for Joe and the rest of the team for their trip! 

Pray for the people they will meet!

We are looking forward to seeing God work and what 

He is doing in, around, and through all of this!

 Thank you for ahead of time for your prayers!

In His Love,

Jennis

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

My husband and I love Panda Express. It is so good! My favorite is the mushroom chicken and the cream cheese rangoons. The last time Joey picked up dinner from there for us he ate all of the rangoons before he got home. Enter sad trombone sound here. The next time we went on a date night and Panda was out of them! Enter sad trombone, again.

Turns out, I can make those rangoons myself. So that was all it took! I looked forward to making and eating dinner all day! Is that weird? Never mind, don't answer that. I used this recipe for the cream cheese rangoons and this recipe for the orange chicken.

I burnt my first batch (oil was too hot) and melted my plastic spoon. 

Use a metal spoon if you make these. Don't be like me.

Hubbs never saw these burnt ones. They disappeared!

We added rice (which the rice cooker made), a salad, and dinner was done! 

It was really good! Plus is was hubby approved! I got all the cream cheese rangoons I wanted! 

There were none left though between the three of us! 

Do you like to experiment in the kitchen? What is your favorite thing to make?

Hope you are having a great weekend!

In His Love,

Jennis

High Five for Friday!!!

My favorite moments of the week since last Friday! 

1. Walk for Bibles! Thank you Lord! I was so proud of our kids! They raised over $1700.00 for our

 local Seafarers Ministry! They help seafarers from the cruise and cargo ships. They also 

provide Bibles in different languages for the seafarers to be able to read from 

in their first language. 

2. My husband surprised me with this Sunday morning. Need I say more? :)

3. A family picture! I love pictures...

4. I love our Gracie girl! She is so patient with us. She hated this, but we are

still laughing. :)

5. I had the opportunity to fellowship with two of my sweet friends this week!

It is always such a blessing!

I hope each of you had a wonderful week! Here's something to remember this next week!

1 Thessalonians 5:21

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Praying for you this week! Have a great weekend! 

In His Love,

Jennis