You know, I really don’t like everything about travel.
There are some things I just can’t stand.
Oh sure, these things can be great experiences. They can be a novelty that’s fascinating, or fun to do… the first time.
Guatemalan orphan girl at Eagle’s Nest Orphanage
Be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Ghandi
********
This post is the first in a series about Humanitarian Work – how can we make a positive contribution to the world? How can we discover what our contribution is?
One thing that our travels continue to teach us is that there is so much need in humanity – starving children, orphans, poverty, ignorance, disease.
One person can’t do everything. One person can’t help everyone. But one person can do something and help someone. And that’s enough.
I call this the ‘starfish principle.’ (Thanks Colin for the idea).
Your job is to find out HOW and WHO.
(And as a quick reminder, there is only a few hours left to buy the $100 Startup Bundle and claim your free gift from me. Take action toward your deliberate life. Financing is a critical step.)
********
It’s been about 8 weeks since we left Belize, visited Tikal, and then came to Panajachel, Guatemala.
We’ve rented a nice little house. We’ve gotten into a comfortable routine of chores; education/study time; writing (posts, guest articles and our free Living Deliberately book).
We’re also working on recording videos (as answers to your questions, and for our Living Deliberately course that will be re-released soon), and my husband’s newest site.
Life has been pretty, you know, ordinary. Regular. Routine.
Buying produce at the mercado
Well, I guess as ‘ordinary’ and ‘routine’ as it can be when you’re living in Guatemala.
We still find delight in the colors of the native dress, with the women in their huipils and cortes. We love the bliss of buying cheap, fresh food that nourishes your body, and the pleasure of a year-round, spring-like temperatures.
Other wonderful things have been taking place as well. We’ve had friends visiting for our Unconventional Family Convention. We’ve been discussing education; essential oils; homesteading; exploring organic farms and agriculture schools; studying self-sufficiency, permaculture, vermicomposting, and other fascinating subjects.
So after another ‘normal’ day, we arranged with the Unconventional Crew to visit a local orphanage.
I hadn’t thought much about it, or what to expect. Our friends arranged it all, and we just needed to show up.
A woman with a baby strapped to her began giving us a tour of the campus. We started in with questions about her family. She and her husband had just moved to Guatemala last year with their nine children (yes, nine. Five of them are adopted. Two from Guatemala – one from this orphanage. Two from Texas. One from Ethiopia.) They’d given up the corporate life to devote themselves to serving orphans.
Wow. Talk about incredible.
The Block family with their nine children
She showed us their ‘Manna Feeding Center’ where they serve meals to local children from the community who qualify for the program.
Then she told me about the baby she was carrying in her sling. One-month-old Abby was given up by her very young mother due to some unpleasant circumstances (I was asked not to share too many personal details.)
Looking into her sweet little face, tears nearly overflowed with this incredible desire to not only HOLD her, but to HELP the world become a place where situations like this don’t happen.
One month old Abby
The Manna Feeding Center
I’ve felt this feeling before – the intense desire to make a difference. It motivated our initial adventures. It burned within when we moved to India. It’s been the topic of much discussion between my husband and I.
Yet I think the feeling has gone a little dormant. The blaze has shrunk to a spark.
Just today, I picked up my computer case that had been sitting on a bedside table for over a week. It was dust-covered, and had to be brushed off. Without regular use, we tend to collect a little bit of dust and grime. We get a little stale.
Seeing the orphans, and being inspired by people who are devoting their lives to ‘being the change,’ it felt like the dust was brushed off my soul, and sparks were re-ignited. And I recognized that my desire to be a change agent had gotten a little dusty from lack of use.
It’s not that we’ve never committed ourselves to ‘humanitarian efforts.’ I mean, we did spend five months in India (while I was pregnant), working with the leprosy affected. We’ve visited orphanages and passed out books in Mayan villages along this trip.
We even talk about the best way to approach humanitarian work on a regular basis – how to make it truly ‘self-helpful’ instead of a crippling handout.
But something about this visit stirred my spirit. It made me think about if I’m giving enough focus on what I want my life to be about. What legacy do I want to leave? What example do I want to set for my children?
There’s a big difference between doing humanitarian work and devoting your life to creating change. We’ve done humanitarian work. We’ve worked on other peoples projects. But what have I devoted myself to changing about the world?
It’s easy to return back to normal life after participating in an orchestrated humanitarian project. You build the house, dig the well, feed the orphan, and then go home.
It’s something entirely different to become the person who inspires change, orchestrates improvement, and lifts humanity – where ever she goes.
I want to become that kind of person.
But I have to ask myself, what change do I ‘want to see in the world?’ And then I have to ‘BE’ it.
We don’t all have the same mission, or interest. Some want to eradicate leprosy. Others care for orphans, or special needs.
Some devote themselves to bringing clean water to the world, or liberating children soldiers. And there are some who serve the all-important role of financing those ‘on the ground’.
They are all needed. They all fill a worthwhile role. The only difference in the work that is done relates to the individual who initiates it.
One person is all it takes to start a movement. One person is all it takes to create change.
That’s how this orphanage came to be. Someone saw a need, and rather than asking why somebody didn’t do something about abandoned children in Guatemala, they decided to be the ‘somebody’ that did something.
Now these children, although parent-less, at least have a home to live in, food to eat, and a chance for an education. They have hope.
So how do you discover ‘your change’ that you want to BE and SEE?
Start by asking what’s important to you, and what’s ‘wrong’ with the world that you’d like to fix.
For me, I want to do more than feed someone. I want to teach them to fish. Instead of handouts, I want to support self-sufficiency. I’m passionate about education. I want to do something for others that they can’t do for themselves.
In general, people don’t lack food, or clothes or ‘things’ that others need to give to them, as much as they lack ideas on how to provide it for themselves.
I want to be an Idea Spreader. I want to plant knowledge.
What is the change you want to BE and SEE? Please share with me below.
“You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result” Mahatma Ghandi
******
Click here if you’re interested in learning more about the Block family, or here if you would like to support their mission.
Click here for more about Eagles Nest Orphanage.
The video below shares our visit, as well as:
- Adopting in Guatemala
- Current needs of Eagles Nest
- Special Needs teacher needed
- Sponsorship opportunities
We’ve been on this Epic Expedition for 1 year now! It’s also been five years of nomadic living. What adventures we’ve had.
******
A LOT of people have been asking us about how to earn money in a way that will give them more freedom to live deliberately. We even created a video about it, and shared examples of nine income streams that we have.
Our advice overall has been to 1) create online business, and 2) multiple streams of income. I PROMISE you, if you use the resources that I’m listing below, you’ll discover the way to make this a reality.
I also have gift for each of you, more about it at the end of this post…
******
It was just over one year ago that we bid farewell to grandma and grandpa, drove up the hill and out of town, leaving behind Homer, Alaska – the place that we had made our home for the previous year. (Here’s what it’s like living in Homer.)
It was in Homer that we picked wild blueberries, enjoyed the ‘midnight’ sun, sailed on Kachemak Bay, saw the Northern Lights, ate fresh salmon and halibut to our hearts content and spent Sunday afternoons at grandma and grandpa’s house.
Homer was also where I went into labor with baby number five – Atlas Sterling Denning (he was born in Soldotna) – and where we were broadsided while driving home one evening – totaling our van and putting our three year old daughter in a body cast, from armpits to ankles, for 14 weeks, due to a broken femur.
Still smilin’ 
It’s unbelievable to think of everything that has transpired in the last year. It some ways, it seems as though we just left, yet in other ways it feels like an eternity. So much has happened!
This month also commemorates when we set out on our first international family adventure – embarking on our life-changing road trip driving from the U.S. to Costa Rica.
During the past five years of nomadic living we’ve lived in, driven through, or visited:
- Canada (twice)
- Mexico (twice)
- Belize
- Guatemala (twice)
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Costa Rica
- Panama
- Dominican Republic
- India
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Alaska (and Alcan Highway)
We’ve swam in captivating waterfalls and unbelievable beaches; hiked ancient ruins and highland mountains with terraced farms; we’ve explored caves and been immersed in cultures; learned languages and created lasting friendships.
It’s been an incredible ride!
One of our favorite beaches in the Dominican Republic
Besides the adventures, we’ve also undergone tremendous personal growth. We’ve expanded our worldview, enlarged our hearts, and opened our minds.
We wouldn’t be WHO we are, if it wasn’t for our travels over the past five years.
I’ve also been contemplating lately the blessing of having this blog. It’s given us the opportunity to share our adventures with you – our readers. It’s also introduced us to incredible people who have become great friends (you know who you are).
To all of you, thank you for sharing our journey. Thank you for reading, for following, for commenting! Thanks for being a part of it.
As I was thinking about all of you the other day, I was trying to come up with a gift I could give to you. What could I share, that would be of value? I am working on our free book, Living Deliberately, but was there something else?
I didn’t come up with anything then, but today I was sent an email from Adam Baker from ManvsDebt.com that gave me an idea.
We had the chance to meet up with Baker along our road trip, while we were passing through California. He did an interview with us, which he posted on his site.
He also mentored us, and in fact, it was his idea that we do something like the Live Deliberately project that we’re creating right now. We’re very grateful for his advice.
In his email, he shared with me something that I want to share with you. But before I do that, I want to ask in advance for your forgiveness.
If you feel that I’m ‘just trying to sell you something’, please know that I’m not. My honest intention is to share.
I’m sharing something from people who have inspired me and improved my life, and something that I would (and probably will) use myself.
Plus, I felt that with the combination of incredible value and ridiculously low price that I had to share it with you, because I know that it can help you do what so many of you have been asking ‘how’ to do. Create that ‘location independent’ income. Really.
What I’m sharing isn’t a ‘gift’ like I originally intended, since it’s not completely free, (though I do have a gift for all of you… more on that at the end of this post).
But it is something that holds a LOT of value. It’s something that, if taken full advantage of, could literally change your life.
So what is it that Adam Baker shared with me?
Several of the big bloggers that I really look up to – the bloggers that I follow and receive inspiration from – they’ve collaborated to offer their amazing products at an amazing sales price - but only for 72 hours.
These are products from Scott Dinsmore who writes at LiveYourLegend.net (I subscribe to his blog and read every post). I just recently watched a webinar by Scott and Corbett Barr that really helped with growing my online business.
Also Chris Guillebeau, (who is close friends with Adam Baker) wrote an incredible book, that totally influenced our life, and helped us to get on this trip – The Art of Non-Conformity. Chris has a personal goal to visit every country in the world, and he only has 8 more to go! He’ll be completing that goal within the next year.
I really, really believe that if you’re serious about creating other sources of income – outside of the traditional ‘job’ approach – that will give you more flexibility to live deliberately, then you should absolutely get these resources!
These are created by experts who are actually doing this stuff! Experts that I turn to as I build my online businesses.
They have the freedom to travel, to work anywhere in the world, to spend ample time with their families. These are the people who are living deliberately, who inspire and mentor US toward a completely location independent lifestyle.
If this is something that you want, then LISTEN TO THESE PEOPLE!
I believe so much in these products, if you personally emailed me, or were here with me face to face, I’d tell you to get these. I’ll even tell my own mom to buy them (yes mom, you should. You could do this too, and become an online business guru!)
So what’s included in this special 72-Hour sale? Here it is, copied directly from the email that Baker sent to me:
The newest book by Chris Guillebeau “The $100 Startup” (Hardcover w/ shipping included anywhere in the world) <– first time we’re shipping a physical product.
Better Blogging ($137 in value)
- Corbett Barr – Creating, Marketing, and Designing A Blog That Matters
- Susannah Conway – Blogging From The Heart (eBook version)
Passion-based Business ($137)
- Jonathan Mead — Identifying Your Passion Module + Workbook
- Scott Dinsmore — Live Off Your Passion (eBook version)
Freelancing ($111)
- Ashley Ambirge — You Don’t Need A Job, You Need Guts
- Men With Pens — Freelancer Package: Write for Web, Guest Posting Guide, Beyond Brick & Mortar
Confidence & Courage ($129)
- Johnny B. Truant — Tao of Awesome
- Marianne Elliot — 30 Days of Courage (w/ Yoga Module)
Selling & Advertsing ($144)
- Pam Slim — Ethical Selling That Works
- David Risley — Double Your Ad Income
Technology & Systems ($171)
- Josh Kaufman — The Personal MBA Guide to Small Business Infrastructure
- Free The Apps — How to Make iPhone Apps
- Brett Kelly — Evernote Essentials
Artists & Writers ($130)
- Alyson Stanfield — Turning Your Hobby into a Career (download & audio program)
- Chris Guillebeau — Unconventional Guide to Publishing
Note: Again, all these above for $100 flat. (And only for 72 hours. Monday, April 30th at exactly Noon EST. Ends Thursday May 3rd at Noon EST.)
Working in Mazatlan, Mexico
If you don’t see how the resources above can help you create an income, then you haven’t caught the vision of the Age of Information and Connection that we’re currently in. (To help you do that, read Linchpin by Seth Godin).
The internet is the new ‘employer’. And making yourself an indispensable expert online is the path to freedom.
Now obviously, just buying them won’t do anything for you. You’ll have to actually read and act upon what you learn. But if you do that, you’ll alter your life.
Now for the gift:
I believe so much in these products, and I’m convinced that they will alter your life.
Originally, I offered to pay part of the cost. My ‘gift’ was $25 to ever person that purchased this bundle.
But then I discovered that offering cash incentives wasn’t allowed by Only72.com (oops, my fault. I didn’t read the terms well enough. Don’t worry, I’ll still be honoring the deal with people that already purchased).
So even though I can’t send you money, I still want to give you a gift if you choose to ‘take a leap of faith’ and order this bundle that can change the rest of your life.
So, I’ll give you your choice of the following gift options:
- A free bottle of Lemon, Citrus Bliss, Eucalyptus, Grapefruit, Lime, Rosemary, Wild Orange OR Clove Essential Oil (choose just one)
- OR doTERRA spa Hand & Body Lotion
- OR doTERRA OnGuard Protecting Throat Drops
- OR 1/2 price off our Living Deliberately course once it is re-released
All you have to do is:
- Buy the products by clicking here (a really great deal at only $100, probably less than the cable bill)
- Leave a comment below to tell me you bought them
- Share this post on Facebook or Twitter (and tag me to let me know – @DiscoverShareInspire for FB and @rdenning on Twitter)
- Email me your Mailing Address
You can’t lose.
I am really trying to help you. I know that many of you long to be free. Free from an employer, free from the 9-5 grind, free to follow your heart.
We know how that feels. We’ve been there. It’s scary and frustrating and soul-crushing.
Transitioning from the corporate world to the freedom of location independence is not easy. It takes hard work, and dedication and consistent commitment.
But it is possible!
And it begins by beginning. And beginning starts here, with learning from the experts. And for less than most people spend on their cable bill. Cancel the cable, and read these guides instead! (No, seriously)
Exploring Tikal, Guatemala
In five years, you could look back and be amazed at the incredible experiences you’ve had, the personal growth you’ve undergone, and the freedom that has become your ‘normal’.
Or, in five years, you could still be waiting for ‘someday’.
The choice is yours. Will you choose to live deliberately?
Click here if the answer is ‘YES!’
- Coconuts! Our favorite. Dominican Republic
This continues from Part 2 of Our Story
We landed in the Puerto Plata airport – with 12 suitcases, 6 carry-ons, and 4 children – ready to make the Dominican Republic our home, site unseen.
We didn’t know where we would live, only the town we wanted to live in. Hopping on a 2 hour bus ride to Samaná, our final destination was Las Galeras – a small village at the end of the road on a remote peninsula.
A taxi took us from Samaná to Las Galeras, but once we arrived, then what would we do? Where would the taxi drop us off? Where would we go? How would we carry around all of our ‘crap’? How would we find a house? Read more →
“Please don’t blog about this,” my husband pleads, as we sit together in the dark – defeated – on the side of the highway that takes us from Panajachel to Antigua, Guatemala.
“It’s really getting ridiculous. People will think this is all that happens to us, instead of realizing how awesome every other day of our life is,” he continues, “In fact, don’t even mention it on Facebook.”
“Too late,” I say with a smile. That’s the amazingness of connectivity today. With an iPhone and a data plan, all our friends around the world who are on Facebook already know that we’ve been stranded for hours.
Greg had fiddled with every option to try and get us going again. I sat in the truck with the kids and practiced patience, a perfect opportunity to develop a much needed virtue.
Now it was dark, and it was clear we weren’t going anywhere. So we decided to just go to bed.
Plans had been made weeks ago to meet up with friends in Antigua to experience Semana Santa. After the beach trip mishap, we had talked about not going.
I hate being stranded, and didn’t want to take our chances of doing it again. Read more →
Despite all odds (yes, the truck broke down again), we made it to Antigua to reunite with the King family (currently living in Belize) and the Lybberts (currently in Lake Chapala, Mexico), to celebrate Semana Santa.
We had a fabulous time. It was so incredible to see first hand the tradition of this culture. I felt so grateful to encounter it. Here’s some of what we experienced:
First, the video
Then, the photos
Tired family travelers
Phew! Is that enough photos??
Click here to learn more about the history and traditions of Semana Santa
Have you experienced Semana Santa? Do you plan to?
This old woman is way tougher than I am
(This post is continued from Surfing Misadventures).
“When it rains, it pours,” Greg groggily grunts through the fog of his head cold.
Thank goodness we have a cell phone. And friends. And a house to go to. Oh, and we know a great mechanic too.
We call our friends, and our mechanic, and in less than 20 minutes they’ve come to our rescue.
Diego, the mechanic, gets to work on the truck, and making the appropriate phone calls. Greg, our friend (yes, same name…), helps load our sleeping kids up in his van, and drives us home, minus daddy, who, despite is sickness-induced-stupor, stays with Diego and the truck. Read more →
Sometimes life just flows along smoothly. There’s no hiccups, no bumps in the road. Sometimes life is so good, it’s scary… because you wonder what mishaps might be on their way.
That’s how life has been lately. Everyday I wake up in our little rented house in Panajachel, Guatemala, and I spend the day with people who I love and who love me, doing the things I want to do.
I write, edit my photos, read great books, go shopping in a very cool local market, take pictures, hang out with friends, and get loved by my sweet children and my amazing husband/hero.
I’m also contrasting my life to the challenges that friends and family are facing – financial, spiritual, physical challenges. Challenges that are really big and frightening.
I am filled with so much gratitude for our incredible life, but it’s so sensational, I’m almost frightened. Really. Read more →
This may not surprise you (or maybe it does), but not everyone likes us.
Some people just can’t stand us. They think we’re crazy, and that we think that we’re just ‘so special.’
They tell us that “not everyone can take off and travel the world. Some people have to stay behind and do the hard work. Some people have to work their aces off so you can enjoy your lifestyle.”
You know what? We’re really tired of people saying that.
Almost as bad, is those who do like us, or maybe are just indifferent, but still tell us,
I can’t do what you’re doing, I don’t make enough money.”
I can’t do what you’re doing. You guys are ‘special’
Well, all of you are right. It’s true, we’ll admit it. We are special. Read more →
It’s been a crazy week – head colds; fevers; truck wouldn’t start; crazy drive through thick fog; beach trip; busted surf board (a rented board); sick husband; late night return home; malfunctioning transmission; late night rescue by friends and a great mechanic (I’ll be sharing this story next week).
For now, I’m tired, and I’m busy finishing up an article for BootsnAll, as well as working on my free book that I’ll be releasing soon. So I’m just going to post photos from our hike with our ‘trail running’ friends last week, and let them tell the ’1,000 words’.
Enjoy. Read more →
){kind=link}
 In Antigua, Guatemala){kind=link}
){kind=link}
