At Saturday's Community Beautification Day, we helped pot 50 planters for as many families in the neighborhood. That was a lot of soil, flowers, peppers, and pots - and they all got used! Outside of the new Esperanza Health Center building, the S.E.A.C. coalition hosted this great event for community members. We had music, crafts for kids, healthy snacks, and these fun planters to plant. Just the right amount of families came, and I believe all the volunteers had a great time helping with the planting! :)

This little boy had a particularly good time. He took his time filling his pot - first helping his friends and then doing his own - one small hand-full at a time. He then excitedly dug into the soil to prepare to plant. As he followed my instructions on how to "loosen" the flower roots before planting, he was astonished to come upon a worm hidden in the roots! After telling him what I had just learned - that worm poop helps to enrich the soil - he became even more delighted and affectionately named his slinky friend "slimy."

It was so fun to be a part of coordinating this event. God provided good weather and a spirit of joy permeated the place.

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S.E.A.C. is a coalition that represents our church, Spirit and Truth Fellowship, Esperanza Health Center, Ayuda Community Center, and Casa de Consejeria (House of Counseling), four Christian organizations that serve our community. S.E.A.C. received an awesome grant to work together for two years, hosting a unique community event each month.

websites for each: esperanzahealthcenter.org, ayudacc.org

A string of unique trips

For the past month, this "one life in Philly" has looked more like this "one life in Hagerstown, Silver Springs, Cape May, and Quakertown." Travel has been the name of the game.

During the same weekend as Ted's Pro Deo Conference, we also were reunited with friends at a Haiti Partnership conference in Silver Springs, MD. Our friends, Sarah and Sadrack, were the main initiators and organizers behind the church-based conference, and our dear supervisor and mentor from our semester in Haiti was in attendance!

Ted met up with us in Hagerstown, MD, where conference participants reconvened at Sarah's house for an amazing feast and worshiped together at her home church.

The group of us - Sarah, Gina, Ted, myself - with old and
new friends at Sarah's house.

The conference was an amazing opportunity to listen in on plans for emerging models of partnership between Haitian and American churches.

The following weekend was something special - my 28th birthday! For the occasion, my hubby had a grand surprise - an overnight stay in Cape May, NJ! Cape May is a beautiful seaside town, full of Victorian B&Bs, specialty shops, and  - at this time of year - empty beaches! March 23 was a record-hot day, so we hit the sand for sure...

Beautiful cherry blossoms were on display in MD, and
here in Philly as well.

Finally, this past weekend found me in Quakertown, PA at the annual women's retreat with my church. The one-night stay was relaxing and refreshing. Women's testimonies and times of sharing were edifying and helpful in identifying ways the Lord is moving.

A great few weekends, though it is nice to be settling back into a normal pace of life here in Philly. :)