Beginning

This was a sign posted on the door of a school I helped at in Nairobi.

Beginning~~ It's the start of something new. But it can be difficult knowing just where to begin. I've felt for a long time that there was a "piece" of me that was missing. I love my family and would not want to trade one single second of the decision I made to stay home and raise the three amazing human beings that are my sons. As they have gotten older and needed less of me and my time, I began to wonder what the next chapter of my life might look like.

So, I decided to just...start...begin...and see where things take me.

A few years ago, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Kenya. I worked for nearly 10 days in schools and a safe house, (for vulnerable young girls and boys who have no family to care for them) helping to serve food, put in a drip irrigation system and just spending time and learning about that beautiful country from my new found friends.

After returning home, I was struck by how MUCH I have. Really, it's way too much. I did a little research and found that the average American throws away about 65 pounds of used clothing every year. (!) That's crazy!! Especially, considering there are those who barely have even one or two things to cover themselves.

I started designing and making shirts and jeans using recycled t-shirts. I would mostly wear them myself or give them as gifts. People really liked them and kept telling me I ought to sell them. Then one day not long ago it occured to me that maybe by selling them, it would give me a way to contribute financially to help the girls in that safe house that made such a huge impression on me. With the help of my brother-in-law, Dave at RevWebMedia (http://www.revwebmedia.com/)  we created my website, http://www.mymissingpeace.com/. I am donating $10 of the purchase price of each t-shirt directly to the safe house at Kusitawi Village.

 I plan to blog about creative ways to use what we have, be content with what we have,and discover how our "piece" can bring us "peace" when we use it to help others.

Peace Out!
Lyn