A New Thing: Vendor Spotlight: THE STOOKEY'S

What if your daughter wanted to be a foreign missionary when she grows up - what would you do? A lot of parents would freak out or hope that her youthful zeal would wear off and she would come to her senses, go to college and get a real job. Some parents would offer support. Few parents would do what two amazing moms I know did - take her daughter on a mission trip to help her realize her dream and explore together what might be God's plan for her life.

(This is part one of the "two amazing moms" stories I want to tell. Stay tuned for part two.....)

First, I want to tell you the story of Cindy and Courtney. This mother daughter team traveled together to Romania two years ago on a mission trip to work with an organization called Belief in Motion. (Please visit the Belief in Motion website to learn what God is doing in Romania.)

Belief in Motion is a ministry that serves the Roma people, who are outcasts in their society. The workers in this ministry daily uphold the Truth that God has masterfully created each person for a divine purpose. They stand as a physical protest to the notion that some people are less than others, but these protesters aren't marching forward with picket signs and clenched fists. They give bread to the hungry who are eating from trash piles, build homes for the homeless, rescue children from the streets and give them an education, provide ethical work for women to support their families, and so much more. These are the protests that rattle the gates of Hell. They face down evil with the power of Christ's love.

You have goosebumps, don't you? So do I.

It's easy to understand why Cindy and Courtney came home from that trip forever changed.

Courtney, then age 15, was hooked. In fact, she went back the next summer for three weeks to serve with Belief in Motion. It is her hope to become a foreign missionary after graduating college and Romania has her heart.

Courtney and her sister Natalie will have a booth at the Marketplace, perfectly named "My Heart in Romania." For many weeks now they have been crafting away in order to prepare for the A New Thing Fall Marketplace. These Stookey girls are truly creative and talented - feast your eyes on this.....

Now, when I said "feast your eyes on this" that was a little teaser, a little foreshadowing, if you will, because Cindy will have another booth at the Marketplace and she had the neatest idea. She will be selling gift cards for home cooked meals that she will personally make! Um, yes, please and thankyouverymuch!! I've eaten some yummy meals at the Stookey family table and I've already added this to my list of "must buys" this weekend. Come by and taste a sample of the foods she has on the menu - Green Chili Chicken Burritoes, Spicy Lasagna, and Cranberry Chicken.

Cindy will also have homemade breads and snack mixes available for purchase, so you can munch while you shop. And, this is your chance to get in on a family tradition - Menama's Fall Fave snack mix!!

First of all, I've met Menama and she is the coolest lady EVER! And, I love that THREE generations of sweet godly women are represented at these booths.

I've saved the best for last - the profits from the Stookey's booths will be used to fund another Romanian mission trip this summer. This time, Courtney, Natalie, and their dad, Scott, will be going! This is such a precious family - I have goosebumps again!