Happy New Year
Welcome 2012! I’m expecting another great year both personally and professionally-hope you are too. We made some important contributions in the lives of a few orphans this year that I wanted to highlight. In the big picture, it’s not enough and it doesn’t impact nearly enough children. We’re trying to make a difference and we’re proud of our accomplishments, however small they may be. This year, Project Left Behind’s board of directors made a decision to directly support orphanages only. As you may recall in prior...
Read MoreFrom the heart…
I am very fortunate. I come from a wonderful family. My parents had 8 children. This year they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. As far back as I can remember, I always wanted a big family too. So, I was taken by surprise when I was not able to get pregnant. My husband and I tried and tried to no avail. And now, I thank God every day that He did not answer that prayer, because if He did, we would never have our precious son, Jackson. We adopted our son in March 2010 and it was the most wonderful, life-changing event for both my...
Read MoreThanksgiving
It is estimated that between 143,000,000 and 210,000,000 children are orphans. (UNICEF) For reference, there are approximately 300,000,000 people living in the United States today. I am thankful to have been born in this country and into my family. I am very grateful to have family and friends. Too often I get wrapped up in the drama of life and don’t fully appreciate how lucky I really am. When you get a quiet moment, say a prayer for all those children. They deserve so much more than the lot in life that they’ve...
Read More2010 Trip to Casa Guatemala
The annual trip for our non-profit, Project Left Behind ( PLB ) is always a highlight of the year. This year, Kevin and I both went, which is always a bit of a struggle since we’re going out of the country without our kids. This year, however, we left San Diego without a second thought because the boys were in great hands with their older sister (who’s 22) and our 10-year-old Rottweiler. Our destination: Casa Guatemala Orphanage in the jungle of Rio Dulce. The timing for our trip was right before Christmas, which in so many ways is a perfect end to the year while simultaneously tying...
Read MorePROJECT LEFT BEHIND UPDATE AND CASA DE GUATEMALA ORPHANAGE
It’s that time of year again for Project Left Behind to fulfill the human touch part of our mission statement. As you’ll recall, Danielle travelled solo to Nepal last year to stay in an orphanage and to live amongst the 38 children. It was an exciting and very moving experience for her. This year, Danielle and I will both be travelling south of the border to Guatemala. We’re volunteering at Case De Guatemala Orphanage , deep in the jungle. It’s so remote that Google Earth doesn’t even show it listed as a location. We’re flying into Guatemala City on a dreaded red-eye flight...
Read MoreStark REALITY
UNICEF is the United Nations Children’s Fund. It is an agency of the United Nations responsible for programs to aid education and the health of children and mothers in developing countries. As such, it tracks and records statistics about a multitude of issues, including orphans throughout the world. Although I’m not the biggest fan of the U.N., any agency that assists orphans is worthwhile in my book. Annotated below is a list of sobering statistics produced by UNICEF regarding how the HIV/AIDS epidemic is devastating orphans across the world. UNICEF produced a report...
Read MoreIt’s been awhile… 501C3 status… more blogs coming…
MAY 2010: It’s been awhile since my last blog at Project Left Behind. However, we’ve been keeping very busy. The most important accomplishment over the past few months is our attainment of 501C3 status. It’s official-Project Left Behind is now a tax exempt charity per the IRS. Donations to Project Left Behind are now eligible for tax exempt status. As a reminder, according to our bylaws, your donations are prohibited from being used for any overhead. 100% of all donations will be used to support our ongoing projects for orphans around the world. For an updated...
Read MoreSasha
It’s a quiet Monday evening at my house after a long, enjoyable weekend. I spent time with my family and friends and simply enjoyed some down time. As is usually the case, I find my thoughts drifting to the many children that are currently growing up in orphanages. I wanted to introduce you to a little 1 ½ year old boy named Sasha. Nine years ago my wife and I were in a small farming village in the Ukraine called Mykolaiv , adopting our son Gregory. As part of the process, we visited the orphanage daily to spend time with him and to visit all the kids. It was definitely a...
Read MoreThe Greatest Joy
I travel quite a bit for my day job. I enjoy it-and it’s important. Of course, the downside is being away from my family too often. However, upon my return, I absolutely love walking in and greeting my family. My 7 year old runs full bore into my legs yelling dad. I love it. These moments continually reinforce the fact that my family is my greatest joy. I love them more than life itself. They give meaning to my life and peace to my soul. Sometimes I reflect back on the choices I’ve made in my life. My wife and I decided to adopt Gregory 8 years ago-admittedly...
Read MoreHappy New Year!
A LOOK BACK AT 2009 New Year’s Eve seems an appropriate time to step back and reflect on the previous year. Throughout 2009 I’ve witnessed some fantastic accomplishments. My wife began selling NuttZo (an organic omega-3 multi-nut butter) on store shelves midway through the year and business has taken off. Her product has been featured in Triathlete and Competitor magazines,the Today Show (NBC), and in multiple television and newspaper articles. She is tremendously successful-and just beginning. NuttZo is the primary sponsor of Project Left Behind and critical to its success....
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