Thank you all for your love, care, prayers and support that you've poured out towards me and my family over the years! Even though our paths might not have crossed as of late, know you hold an important place in my life and we're united in spirit and in purpose!

My time the past couple of weeks in Cebu with my team of four women was tremendous -- getting time in the field with staff and volunteers and seeing them in action serving kids and families in their communities is irreplaceable. I was reminded of how much I believe in what we’re doing in Expeditions – building bridges between nations and making eternal connections with folks who share the hope and love that comes from knowing Christ in some really tough places. Even though I’m always so thrilled to see resources leveraged for God's purposes (i.e. our funds to be there helped to rebuild a kitchen at their camp that was in need of refurbishment), I am the one who gains so much more than I give each time I get the honor of spending time in a new place around the world.

Young Life Philippines will be celebrating their 40^th anniversary in November and have had a camp property since 1979- a rarity internationally for Young Life. Young Life Philippines was started by the father of the current Philippines Regional Director, Wilbert Yasi. An incredible legacy of ministry to teenagers has been built and I was humbled and encouraged to do all I can to support and grow their ministry in my current capacity at Young Life Expeditions.

I was so struck by the staff's strength of character, especially the women. They have more women area directors in one region that I’ve seen anywhere including the US. My small team of just four women was exactly right for what God wanted to do while we were there! We had some sweet sweet times of fellowship and study about what it means to be a strong woman with a soft heart. We also spent time looking at the way Jesus radically cared for and included women in his ministry in a culture and time when women were essentially only valued for their ability to give birth! Of course, some good times were had shopping with a little spa time thrown in for good measure (who can resist a $4 massage or $1.50 pedicure?)

Over the past several years, I’ve had the unique perspective of seeing different Young Life regions at work around the globe. And across the board, the staff and volunteer leaders’ of developing nations sacrifice to the mission of sharing God’s love and Young Life leaves me in awe. They are the body of Christ defined. This summer, there were folks that came from islands that are 14 hours away by boat; we had a several staff come to be with us and work on the camp project for the full ten days who have young children at home and others with loved ones who are ill. They all spend much of their days going to where kids are - schools, streets, shops even prisons. There is nothing these folks will not do for teenagers and it’s so humbling.

I did have the honor of giving a message about Peter walking on water in the midst of a storm (appropriate as it was typhoon season) at one of their kick off clubs (their summer is April and May and school starts again in late June.) They were expecting 250 kids…an estimated 500-600 kids showed up in a non air conditioned room…nope, I've never perspired more just standing still! But we all had some fun laughing and singing and playing in the downpour and doing what Young Life kids and leader do best: hanging out having great conversations and sharing our stories.

The other project I worked on involved Young Life’s new Developing Global Leaders Project where folks like you and I can sponsor university students who have shown potential to make an impact in their nation and Young Life. I spent time interviewing ten different students on video and heard some powerful stories. Each of them has undergone some difficult hardships usually family related and their desire to pursue their education and serve YoungLife is so impressive. Faith and education are without a doubt the keys to the health and growth of developing nations and I’m so grateful that Young Life has created this program. I encourage you to take a look at their website and consider sponsoring a student.

And please think about taking an Expedition somewhere yourself -- you do not need any special skills to go—just a desire to serve and willingness to go outside your comfort zone and see the world that Christ sees! You can take your family, group of friends, folks from your church or your neighborhood or workplace—big or small you can have an impact and I guarantee your world will expand!

As always, you can support my work at YoungLife Expeditions by giving online here and indicating area number 3240 and/or my name, Michele Sbrana or just send a check payable to YoungLife and I can give you the mailing address.

You can see more photos here of our trip here.

Grace and peace,

Michele

YoungLife Expeditions

Brown Paper Packages Tied Up with String

Mother's Day 2010 is upon us and it's being crowded out by a speaking engagement for me, theatre rehearsals for my boys, work for my husband -- but it's a rich sweet life and I get such joy from being a mama that one full day isn't going to change a thing. But I'm also a daughter who honors her own amazing Mom. I found this column I wrote in 2002 just after moving from California to New Hampshire - I felt like a million miles away from the one who helped me become who I am. Happy Mother's Day!

--------------------------------------------------------

Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String

I opened up a box today delivered by my favorite colored truck…brown. The brown truck reminds me of the days of my wedding when we were visited daily by the man in brown shorts…bringing us gifts of our fine china place settings (hmm, when was the last time I dusted those off and put them to use?), coffee grinders (the $10 or less gift of choice) and of course, my favorite, the see through cookware that was popular for about twenty minutes back in the late eighties that I purposely ruined within a year!

However, this package wasn’t filled with gifts wrapped in white with silver bows. Enclosed in this cumbersome cardboard container were things like mismatched socks, ball pump needles and a stapler void of staples. Where did this package originate? Why, my Mother, naturally. The box was overflowing with items left at her home during our interim stay before our cross-country move.

I’ve just moved away from my Mom and family for the second time in my life. The first time was for college and it was a mere six hours from San Francisco down the California coast to idyllic Santa Barbara. My parents looked for any excuse to come visit this sun-drenched paradise (“It’s your half birthday, sweetheart? We’ll be down pronto to take you to our favorite beachside café for sunset.”) True, this go round of relocation to the East Coast is slightly more dramatic, but there’s still just a six hour distance… if you take a direct flight (only available these days via the Concorde or Air Force One) and the New England climate is undoubtedly a little less tropical than my collegiate surroundings…however, having the only grandchildren gives me unyielding visiting and care package leverage!

And, not surprisingly, this package had my Mom’s signature item enclosed…the traditional trimly cut out article from the local newspaper or church bulletin that either brings me to tears or righteous indignation. The articles are my Mom’s way of showing me she’s been thinking of her eldest daughter… an article on parenting strategies entitled “Boys Who Beg for Buzz Cuts and their Mothers Who Refuse,” news from ‘The Church Mouse’ spreading the word of my youth pastor’s retirement party or the local county’s further library budget cuts—so their doors are now only open on Sundays from 6:00 to 7:30 AM and Fridays at midnight!

This time it was an obituary piece on my childhood mailman, Flip…it goes without saying that if your childhood mailman delivers candy canes on Christmas, balloons on birthdays and gardenias on graduation to all the children on his route, there’s not enough Kleenex stocked in the house let alone the local Costco to wipe away the tears when reading his tribute!!

My Mom has a spot in her home on an antique chair where she stacks said items of interest or things she picks up hither and yon for her three children, their significant others and now her grandchildren. What’s so wonderful and albeit frightening about this thoughtful attribute is that it’s in fact hereditary. I distinctly recall my grandfather doing the exact same thing to my Mom as I was growing up. So it’s just a matter of time before I have a pair of sharpened orange handled scissor at the ready as I peruse the morning newspaper!

Of course boxes thoughtfully filled with miscellany is just the tip of the “My Mom is the Best Mom” Hallmarkesque iceberg. When I was a kid, she was the most adventurous Mom in town to be sure. Take, for instance, the time she took it upon herself to pile her three precious children in our silver Granada on a weeklong trek up to the Northwest to meet my Dad in Vancouver as he wrapped a film project. Sounds simple, right? It always seemed simple until I became a Mommy and realized that she was more than ambitious and adventurous…she was… somewhere between inane and insane.

You think I’m being callous? Did I mention that those three children were the ripe old ages of eight (me) five and eighteen months old? Did I mention that we camped under the starry skies in a borrowed cramped tent (requiring assembly each and every night) all along the west coast? And that one of her children—okay, it was me—had a tendency to sleep walk? In addition she had at least one occasion during our journey in which she had to leave my brother and baby sister sleeping in the canvas abode to search for her nocturnal wanderer. I’m quite sure there’s a statute of limitations on child abandonment, neglect or endangerment…especially if your grown daughter writes about it for the entire world to read!

Admittedly that particular vacation remains one of my favorite summer memories, but audacity is not her only her claim to fame. Creativity a la 70’s is right up there…Take for example the time…no make that two times…wherein she created rather elaborate costumes to celebrate a significant holiday. For the Bicentennial celebration, my Mom created a Betsy Ross costume that would make Vera Wang look like a hack…. complete with the colonial kerchief atop my braided bun…and no, the photos have not been transferred to digital nor will they ever be!

Of course, the year she discovered her direct relation to a Mayflower passenger out came the Singer yet again resulting in the creation of Pilgrim and Native American costumes for each family member to adorn during the Thanksgiving feast at my grandparents’ home. Now as cool as it was for teenagers to dress as Colonial Standish and Squanto, the war paint on my grandmother’s antique damask tablecloth was the grande finale in my Mom’s not so hidden dream to be a Hollywood costume designer!

There are many other tales to tell about my Mom, but I’ve got to spend more time in hypnotherapy to reveal them. I’m so grateful to my Mom for setting a standard of excellence with her spirit of thoughtfulness, creativity and adventure. So thank you Mom for the inspiration. And keep those brown trucks in business…but next time, could you include some of those cut out cookies…perhaps in the shape of Betsy Ross or Squanto?