World Water Day!

Did you know that every 20 seconds a child dies from drinking unclean water? Yes, every twenty seconds.
On average in Ethiopia, women and children walk 4 miles a day carrying 40 pounds of contaminated water to their families.
Could you imagine? Being a teenager, and all my friends who read this, could you image having to walk at least 4 miles everyday just to get this because you have no other option...

 Think if you couldn't go to school because you had walk so far everyday to get your water.

What would you do if you had to drink from this?

This is the village of Dube Bute and the women getting water from their main water point... Yes, Its a mud puddle.

We take so much for granted. Have you ever thought about how many times you have gone to your sink, turned on the water, and drank clean, refreshing water? Did you ever think about that millions of people around the world don't have a sink to get water from. They have to walk for miles to only get contaminated water. People here don't even think about it but, water is so important to have.

Today is World Water Day. I want to thank all of you who have helped me and many others build 27 water wells that has CLEAN water for the village of Dube Bute! We have helped changed so many peoples lives just by giving them clean water. Lets help spread the word!

      

legalized!!

On June 17th 2009, Kingston Leul Thorne was finalized into our family! It just so happens that Team Alexander was in California at that time and got to go to court with us. Kingston is such a HUGE blessing to our family and i don't know what i would do without him.

I just had to post this picture because of how adorable Abey is.

signing the paper!

June 17th 2009

And now, on March 16th 2011 we got legalize another blessing into our family. Yanet Jazzlyn Thorne!

March 16th 2011

In the court room right after signing the papers!

Thank you Lord for giving us these children! They have changed our hearts just as much as we have changed their lives.

soccer players of the season!!

Spring soccer has started and 3 of the 4 younger kids are doing it this year. It is the cutest thing watching all the little kids chase after the ball like a swarm of bees. They have games every Saturday and so far only two of them have had games at the same time. Let's hope they don't all three have games at the same time on the same day!

Caden is by far the fast on his team and yes, the only black kid with a (what he likes to call his) "radical" earring!

Charis is very competitive and does NOT like to lose! They have won both the games they have played in and she gets to play on the team with her best friend.

Kingston is so adorable! He is one of the smallest on his team and is always the one the go after the ball. He is very aggressive and a great team player.

His necklace is going up his nose!

So, you might be wondering where Yanet is. She is still a little uncoordinated and needs some more strength and balance before she can start a sport. She is trying hard and is getting stronger each day. She is the cheerleader for the kids at all the games!

winter camp

This weekend i went up to big bear with a group of about 80 high schoolers! Yes, it was so insane but SO much fun! We all had such a great time getting to know each other and even more importantly got to learn more about God.

We had very intense snowball fights and did some crazy sledding. When we all went sledding the boys made some jumps that they would go off and get around 10 feet in air then land on their head! Yes, I know, they are CrAzY!

I feel that the Lord changed my heart even more on this trip. Just by getting to know others and listening to their stories, taught me to not judge but to love. Not everyone is the same and God makes every person in a special way for a special reason.

I am so thankful for all my greats friends. I love you guys!

Proverbs 18:24
There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.