It’s amazing when life comes full circle!

This beautiful soul with my husband is one of my favorite people in the entire world.  And I know a lot of people all over the world.

This man, let’s call him the English name Jared, hugging Richard is one of the FIRST men that ever walked into our soup kitchen in Poznan, well over a decade ago.  LONG before I even had my first child (and she is a decade plus 2).

In fact, after we returned with Adelyne to Poznan/Poland, at around 5 weeks old, bringing her to our soup kitchen around 6-10 weeks old, HE was actually one of the first to hold our baby.  At our soup kitchen.  In Poland. It was the Holy Start soup kitchen (HS closed a couple years ago).

This beautiful soul that ALWAYS brightened my every day that I saw him…He is now the AMAZING volunteer at an unbelievable SOUP BUS located in Poznan, Poland, with the charity christianer.org … (find them on Facebook—it will BRIGHTEN your life)

Isn’t it AWESOME how you can watch one man go from served to SERVING!

Life — in full circle — makes my heart burst with joy.  Tears. Happiness.  And just an overwhelming sense of #itiswell .

It truly is.

It is well, with my soul.

Jared reminds me of that!

May Jared be your reminder to always invest in the beauty and hearts of others.  Your full circle will come.  And it IS worth it!

God bless.

2015 Comes to a Close…

In 2014, I began my year having a new baby.  It was awesome!

In 2015, I began my year traveling to AZ to be with my family as my mom had emergency surgery for her shoulder after a fall.  The fall—not awesome.  Getting to be with family—awesome.

In 2016, I will begin with my husband turning 40 and having TWO torn meniscus’ repaired.  Not one.  Two.   Happy big 4-0, Richie babe!

Otherwise, I will continue working my tail off for the homeless, the orphans, the sick, the forgotten!

And, hopefully, I’ll be back here to share their lives more frequently with you.

xoxo for your 2016!  May you enter it with JOY!  I believe that God has great plans for your future===even if it simply means learning to trust in Him.

Believe me.  That was the greatest gift I ever received.

Always,

B and R and Gang (Brooke, Richard, Adelyne, Maxwell, and Josephine)

Mom Struggling Well

I was in a made-for-my city-tv movie when I was in high school.

It’s true.

I had to dress the same (or similar) each day—and run down hallways pretending to be afraid of something and scream at nothing when opening a door.

It was really weird for me because I didn’t understand how television or movies are made.

And I probably did a horrible job.  But it was with a couple friends from high school and was made for our personal city’s television channel.

I actually never watched it—because there was no way I was going to watch myself running down an empty hall screaming in fear at basically nothing.

I am sure, if anything, it was good practice for my friends making the film—and great entertainment of horrible acting by anyone that actually spent time watching it on actual television.  Haha!

Since, I have been on the radio.

On one program (KFLR) where we had the opportunity to talk about building the New Life Center, I was asked the question, “What will your role be at the New Life Center once it is opened?”

What’s the New Life Center?  It’s a transitional center my husband and I opened to help men out of homelessness.

Okay—so let’s get back to my answer, “Uh…I guess I’ll pick up a shovel and shovel…dirt.”

Yes, I did.  I did say that, “…shovel…dirt.”

Goes to show how suave I am at anything in the communication world.

A time before that I was actually taking a Communications class at university (Arizona State University, Baby!) when my professor approached me after what I thought was an amazing speech.

Guess what she asked, “Brooke, do you mind if I use you as an example for the class tomorrow?”

Golly Gee!  Of course!  So, I totally agreed—just completely flattered at the request—thinking my speech was just complete ROCKSTAR!

When the next day in class, it happened.

What?

“Class—Brooke gave her speech yesterday, and I would like to point out 5 things that you should NEVER do when giving a speech…”

Where she proceeded to point out a million and one flaws (felt like a million more than 5, at least) in my speech giving and how they don’t have to make the same mistakes that I did.

So flattered to be used as a bad example 😉

Good thing I am made of apparently EXTREMELY thick skin.

Believe me, these are just a few stories.  I shan’t repeat more.

Anyhow…

All of these stories are brought up to basically share with you the fact that I had the immense honor of being interviewed for one of my favorite podcasts Mom Struggling Well.

And here is the interview.  I hope, if you can get past the initial awkward recording of my computer loud voice, that as you listen it will encourage you—-as it charges into many subjects that are close to my heart and soul and I found myself laughing and crying through it—even though it was me (oddly enough).

Episode 10:  Mom Struggling Well

I hope that you will have a chance to listen—and that in some small way you, too, can be encouraged throughout.

xoxo b

 

Rescue the Forgotten

Source: Rescue the Forgotten

Don’t just allow this photo to break your heart, go online today and do something about it!  Help us as we work every day to help Rescue the Forgotten!

www.rescuetheforgotten.com

Twirl

My husband and I work out of the same office 3 days a week. It is some of my favorite time together. The other two days of the week (not weekend) we trade going to the big city for work. I get to go to Poznan on Tuesdays—he on Thursdays.

Which means that we each get a very personal day with the kids at home. He said that while Sundays used to be his favorite day of the week (He is the pastor of an international church-and we love Sundays and we love Poznan International Church), Tuesdays are creeping up on Sundays in the race for favorite.  Uh-oh and watch out, PIC 😉

Richard LOVES the free day that he has. And he spends every minute of it with his children. He takes them to the park. He takes them grocery shopping. He jumps with them on the trampoline. He makes them lunch. He makes me dinner.

It is a GREAT day.

And I love my Thursdays. Most of the day I spend in sweats and usually (except for today), electronic free. I love cooking with my kids—and my daughter always has her best friend over after school.

Anyhow, back to the office days with my husband. When I go to the office with my husband, I try and dress up for him.

It’s not that he didn’t see me 30 minutes earlier without makeup, lion’s mane, and fresh out of bed. He knows what I really look like—and, I must say, it’s really HOT (if by hot I mean—BURN THE LOOK) 😉

Anyhow, it’s kind-of silly to know that I get dressed up to go to work…with my husband.  But I do.

Do you know why?

Because, as we work together, he glances across the office or looks up from his desk and he sees me.

And I love it when he sees me and smiles.

And sometimes—just sometimes—he says, “Can I take a photo of you?”

And then I smile. Because I know that not only does he love me—but he likes the effort that I put into going to work with my hubby!

I hop up. I smile. And, the other day, he said, “Now twirl!”

So I did.

To be honest, the motion made it really hard to capture a photo, but this is what he sent me…his new phone screen.

I love my husband.
I like him, too.
I LOVE going to work with him.
And I am glad that he likes it, too!

So, my friends…I encourage you. When you have that chance, get dressed up for your special someone.

And twirl!

***

Have a view and see a few of the tens of the thousands helped through the foundation we started, and you will understand why we love our work and do what we do!  We also invite you to join our team and help us “Rescue the Forgotten!”  (our web site is under construction, but you can also find us here:  Bread of Life)

30 Tons of Food Given by the Homeless to the Not Homeless. Confused much?

If you read my title you would see that it says, “30 tons of food given by the homeless to the not homeless.  Confused much?”

Let me explain. We have a beautiful center that is a transitional home for men from the streets of homelessness, men out of prison but would be on the streets of homelessness if not for our center, or men out of rehabilitation but still without a home.

It is a beautiful home. It is blue. It lies on property in a very small village and has a trickle of a creek that runs at the base of the property.

We love this center. We love this home. We love the men that come and go. And the new men that come. Then go. And then the new men that come. Then go.

Let me emphasize this again.  It is beautiful.

You see, the New Life Center is not meant to be a shelter. It is meant to be a rescue. But a rescue that teaches. It teaches the men that enter the door to become men of great pride, education, skill, talent, and worth.

And it teaches these men that although they were raised in homes of abuse. Although they spent too much of their lives in and out trouble. Although they once thought their only love was a substance that tried to take their very life…The New Life center teaches these men that they are worth far more than their pasts.

They are beautiful.  And they are worth much.

And because of these things, by the grace of God, they learn that this beauty that they behold should also be used for the sake of others.

You see, the men at the New Life Center help distribute over 30 tons of food to the surrounding village and communities every year.  That over 66,000 pounds of food a year (long ton).  These men that were formerly homeless, formerly prisoners, and formerly addicts are learning while at the center how to give and serve and help others around them in need.

They go every week and pick up food donations.  They bring these donations back to the Center.  And then they distribute the food accordingly all over the village and surrounding communities.  To the poor.  To the elderly.  To the children.

Do you want to know what is especially ironic in this situation?

When we first bought the New Life Center, the community was very upfront about how they DID NOT want us there.  They DID NOT want the center to open.  They DID NOT want any of it.

And today?

Today the very men that they battled to keep away are humbly serving them.  Their families.  Their children.  Their parents in need.

Now we have become a community of blended love.  Men from streets of homelessness and families of villagers.  Everyone working hard to survive.

Together.

There’s nothing confusing about that.

***

Check out our Facebook page and become a friend.  We would really love it if you did!

Facebook:  Bread of Life Ministries

And here’s an amazing YouTube video that will touch your hearts of these men serving tea and cakes at the local train station to break down barriers and begin conversations so neither will be afraid!

I don’t noramally say this…

This was one of the most gut-wrenching things that I have seen in a long time.

It’s 3 and 1/2 minutes of your time.

You may say, “I don’t have 3 and 1/2 minutes.”

Well, today you should make time. Time for this video. Time for 3 and 1/2 minutes. Time to gut-check your heart.

You will be very glad you did.

It was beautiful. So beautiful.

Beautiful and sad.

And important. So important.

“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”
1 Corinthians 13:1

When I was electrocuted…and Adelyne made banana muffins.

I was 10 weeks pregnant with Adelyne when Richard and I were working one really late night out at the New Life Center. We had just purchased the property, and it needed a completely new deck.  The old deck was basically non existent.  Which means, the framework was there, but the walkway was dangerous planks placed strategically one next to each other.  And believe me when I say, if you fell off the plank, you were fed to the sharks…or the spiders and other spooky stuff that lived under the porch.  It was a true walk the gangplank challenge.  And, in order to open a transitional home for men, there definitely needed to be something other than gangplanks to walk.

If you want to see the NLC and the porch, click on the link above (the highlighted New Life Center) and look at the blue house and you’ll immediately see the porch.

Okay, back to my story.  So, at 10 weeks pregnant, Richard and I were out there working really late one Polish summer, building the deck.  It was quite a dangerous job, and we were basically working off of the day’s light or the waning sun’s light.  Just as we finished one part of the deck, we prepared to move to another section to work on when I saw a dangling wire.

Now, mind you, I am not a daft person, but this was definitely not one of my most defining Einstein moments of my life.  I decided to loop this dangling wire and hang it from a nail that was protruding from the nearby pillar.  I thought, “Oh, great idea, Brooke, I’ll get that dangling wire out of the way.”

Oh, bad idea, Brooke.  As soon as I touched the exposed wire to move it, not realizing it was live, 220 volts went shock, right through my body!

Yowzer!  It hurt.  Yes, it did.  But I got back to work.  And many hours later with lots of help, that deck was finally finished.  Just one small step in the process of making the home that we purchased into the perfect transitional center.  Don’t get me started on all of those bags of cement I also had to go and purchase and carry—yes, while pregnant.  And the sewage that needed to be cleaned (um…after basically telling Richard that I would clean the sewage filter rocks, even though I was pregnant, he finally jumped in and got the job done)…

Needless to say, every single ounce of effort was so worth it.  To see how God transforms the lives of the men that go through the center and its program is astounding.

And, today, as several of the participants from the New Life Center were at our house (our personal house), Adelyne, that same little baby that was in my belly when I was electrocuted 8 years ago, was using electricity.

This time to make muffins.  Muffins for the men from the New Life Center.

It’s funny how God works.  Eight years ago, I would have never thought my electrocuted baby belly would be using some of that same 220 to bake for the men that live in the home of the porch that she, in my belly, helped build.

Walking the planks was worth it…And I love that my daughter continues to walk them with me.

Tell me, what did you do in your past that continues to be a big part of your life today?  I look forward to hearing from you!

 

Raising the Perfect Child…(Im)Possible?

She was two years old and I had, to that date, already raised her PERFECTLY!

I mean, she was allowed to eat dirt and play in dirt.  She was hardly ever bathed.  And she was never sick.  Never ever.

On top of all of that bacterial goodness, she was just a doll.  Truly angelic.  Take a look:

She watched TV like a good little girl, still took a pacifier, and barely finished nursing 6 months earlier 😉

Potty training?  Not her!  Diapers and running around naked were her joys.

She was pure, golden-curls delight!  Joy of our hearts.  Such a good little girl.

Let me just say, I had a two-year-old, an angelic two-year-old, and I was patting my back in a BIG way.  Like a major pounding.

Pat-pat-pat!  Well done, Brooke, on raising such a FABULOUS kid.

Hold on.  I deserve more accolades.

Pat-pat-pat!  Super job, Brooke!

Why, thank you!  And you.  And you.  And, yes, you over there.  Thank you.  I know I have done such a fabulous job.  Now blow out your two birthday candles, Adelyne, while Mommy writes a book about parenting for all of those unlucky LOSERS out there.

Two.  My angelic, dirty, bacteria eating daughter…My princess.  My joy.  My bragging rights!

And then it happened…

She turned three!

Say what?  You don’t want to listen?

Say what?  You don’t want me to grocery shop—hence you have thrown your body on the ground—in the Polish grocery store—and have started screaming?!  Loudly?!

Kicking too?!

(Groceries in one hand and dragging a child who is dead weight on the floor of the grocery store, kicking, screaming, and general UN-merriment ensues)

Tears making a path across the floor.  Mine, by the way.

Embarrassment?

Nah…Momma don’t have time for that.

Where is that book I wrote on how to raise your perfect child?  BURN IT!

WHO HAS A BOOK I CAN READ?!

And, for the next year, many of my mornings, afternoons, and evenings all looked like the above grocery scenario.  Yes.  Like my own personal radiator here on earth (Did ya catch that???  That means H-E-Double Hockey Sticks).

My sweet and beautiful and angelic (looking) daughter taught me one VERY important thing her 3rd year of life…

Raising the perfect child is impossible…

But loving her anyway—very possible.  Even when she turns into a 6 year old thief.  Stealing from the homeless to give to herself.

What’s that—a thief?

Yep.  You heard me correctly.  A thief.  A grand one at that.

But we’ll save that for another day…I can only handle so much book burning in one day 😉

Christmas in the Square…

In 2001, my husband began serving the homeless tea at our local train station.  Simply tea.

Eventually many of our Polish friends joined us on this journey.  One of these friends, a great man, became one of the biggest champions of this cause.  His name is Tomek.  At the time, he was a student at the local university, studying for his Master’s in World History.

Today, Tomek has brought the foundation that my husband started back to his hometown, Kalisz, the oldest city in Poland.

I remember going to the train stations in Kalisz and starting Bread of Life there the same way…With cups of tea at the local train station (Kalisz this time).

Today, Bread of Life in Kalisz does one million and one things to help the citizens of its city—one of the biggest events coming up is Christmas in the Square!

Bread of Life and its partners have gathered together to put together a magical Christmas market in the center of Kalisz.  The purpose:  To help raise funding for four local children in need of medical and rehabilitation care.

Do not miss the opportunity to go and check out the site:  Christmas in the Square!

Once there, go to the gallery/galerie and check out last year’s event.

Today, I want to encourage you.

Maybe there is something in your heart you want to do to help others around you but you think, “No.  That’s too little.”  Or “I am not great enough.”

Let me say, “Hogwash!”

Bread of Life was started by a foreigner in a foreign land.  Bread of Life Kalisz was started by a recent university graduate during times of extreme unemployment in his own hometown…A time where jobs were scarce and money was little.

Today, people, businesses, and organizations rally together across this very same city to help children in need.

Three cups of tea.  It was an act of simplicity.

And so I ask you…What can you do?

Something simple is still better than nothing at all!

See where God takes it…