Amanda Christmann Larson

We're doing our last minute packing for our first annual Larson Trip to Ghana. I'm so pumped. On my other trips, I've always gone solo, so I'm so excited to be able to share the experience--my friends, the crazy traffic, the wacky business names, identifiable and unidentifiable food ... just everything--with my peeps. My husband and one of my three sons is coming along for a three week trip. Our schedule is incredibly full, and we have a LOT of work to do, but it's going to be great!   I received a call from a woman I know (becoming more of a friend) who is there adopting two beautiful little girls. Her Mac charger blew out in a power surge and she needs a new cord to be able to use her computer. We'll be bringing that and a few other things for her. It feels so good to be able to help her because my BlackBerry charger blew out last time I was there, leaving me without regular contact with my American world. I know how difficult it was.   This morning, I also talked to some of the... More

I'm excited to announce that our organization, Compassionate Journeys, is now an Omprakash partner! Omprakash is an amazing network of volunteers and charitable organizations doing work both here and abroad. We were chosen after a pretty intense application process, so it's quite an honor!   Here's a link to our page: http://omprakash.org/partner_profile/p/204... More

Today I want to talk to you about a subject I know every single one of you cares about: You!   What if I told you I had a magic pill. This pill would: Lower your blood pressure. Decrease stress. Reduce your likelihood of depression. Improve your overall health. Make you happier. Make you live longer. How about if this pill has been proven to work by researchers at Johns Hopkins, as well as too many independent researchers to name? Would you take it?   Now, to be honest, this pill does have some side effects. Let me tell you about those. The side effects of this pill are that you may: Empower others. You may make a difference in someone's life. You may make new friends. Uou may make your own family ties stronger. You may make change in the world around you. Still want to take it? Here's the thing. This pill is not a pill at all. This magic pill is helping others. It's volunteering. Making a conscious decision to identify your gifts an passions and using them to make a difference.... More

My house was in chaos when the phone rang this morning. We were in the middle of my 11-year-old's birthday party, and one of the boys had left the front door open. Two of my dogs had seen the opportunity for an unchaperoned walk and escaped into the big world to explore. Boys were going every which way, trying to get into the minds of my canines to figure out which direction to look. I was trying to get into the minds of the boys to figure out which direction they'd gone. It was like herding cats. We did eventually find the dogs, but not before I'd gotten the call.   My cell phone rang, and I recognized the number. It was my Sudanese friend, whose story will be in the February edition of ImagesAZ . I just love her. She's spunky and funny, and one of the strongest people I know. And she's very lonely sometimes because she is new to our country and hasn't had the opportunity to meet many people. I answered the phone and was greeted with a lively, "Hello! My sister!" I love... More

Life is so full. Last week, my best friend from high school flew out to see me. Angel and I have been friends for 23 years. Sure, we've lost each other for a couple of years here and there, but there's something about having a friend who has known you through all of the good and the bad and still wants to go shopping that makes my heart smile.   We met during my sophomore year of high school. I was just starting a new school, and her grandmother knew mine. She heard I was new in town, and she made befriending me her mission. I was never lonely with Angel around; we went through boyfriends, math tests, football games and hair styles, and where one of us was, the other was nearby. We once sat in the back of her little blue car singing show tunes and silly songs off key while waiting for her boyfriend to come out of his basketball team party. That was about as wild as we got, but it sure was fun. Like so many other memories, she's the only other person who understands why that was so... More

Today I had an amazing interview with a woman I'll call Sarah from Sudan. We'd slotted out an hour for our chat, but I ended up staying at her house for several hours. My brain is still buzzing with excitement after talking to her - not because she's got an incredible story (which she does), but because we connected on so many levels - as mothers, as women, as human beings, despite our very different lives.   Sarah arrived in the United States as a refugee from Sudan on August 31 - just over four months ago. She came with her children and mother. Their story is deeply disturbing, yet all-too-common in Sudan and many other war-torn places on our planet. She fled her village as a young girl with her mother when it was attacked by janjaweed. Her father was among those brutally murdered. Sarah grew up in a refugee camp in Ethiopia, where her strength and leadership were recognized and she was given a job working for a women's rights group. She did important work, giving women a voice in... More

If ever I had my doubts that the world is full of caring, kind people, those doubts would now be washed away like a sandcastle in the tide. In the last months, I have witnessed the capacity for human kindness in such incredibly moving ways. I have met people whose lives revolve fully around giving to others, and have seen so many lives touched by goodness. I know it sounds cheesy and a little cliched, but it's true. This week, I had the chance to meet a woman who runs an organization dedicated to providing household goods and a warm welcome to relocated refugees from all over the world. These refugees are among the most screened immigrants moving into our borders, but they are often met with misunderstanding and fear. Many succomb to depression, or even suicide because the transition is so difficult and they have often experienced horrendous hardship. It is her organization's goal to make sure they feel loved and accepted. I'll be writing more on this story for February's edition of... More

One of our projects we're working on at Compassionate Journeys is a project to bring clean water to Christ Outreach Orphanage and School in Kasoa, Ghana. Here's an article for more information: http://blog.compassionatejourneys.com/2010/11/14/compassionate-journeys-joins-water-for-our-world-to-bring-clean-water-to-ghana.aspx Also, feel free to visit www.compassionatejourneys.com for more on what we're about, and www.christoutreachghana.com for information on the orphanage. Join the movement! Together we can make a difference!... More

In an ode to Chris Farley, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be writing this blog from a van down by the river very soon. Let me explain. We're getting ready to take off on a trip to Ghana in mid-February to build teacher and volunteer housing in a set of villages on Lake Volta. I'm pretty excited because my husband and youngest son are coming with me this time. This is the first time I'll have traveling companions whose laundry I have done. It will be great family time, but also an incredibly worthy project. Lake Volta is huge. It's located in eastern Ghana (in West Africa), and it's formed by a large dam that walled off a series of rivers. When the lake formed, valleys full of trees and other shrubs were filled with water. Villages were relocated to its banks, and fishing has become one of the biggest industries in the country. This has been a boon and a bust: a boon because it's provided economic opportunity for hundreds of thousands of people, and a bust because it also provided a... More

I absolutely love this video! We all have so much to learn from each other. Isn't that really what life is all about?   This director, Nic Askew, is amazing. Check out all of his work on Vimeo! You'll be so inspired!   If you're in the mood to reach out to others, check out our website, www.compassionatejourneys.com.   If you'd like to make the difference in the life of a child, you can sponsor a beautiful child at Christ Outreach Orphanage and School in Ghana. Visit www.christoutreachghana.com and click on the "Sponsor a Child" link!  ... More

My oldest son, Greg, is finished with high school. It's true. I can't believe it. And I know that I look way too young to have a son that old, but let me tell you, giving birth at six years old was no cake walk.   I remember when I graduated high school. My mom told me she couldn't believe I'd grown up so fast. I thought her memory must have been a little murky because my childhood had taken FOR. EV. ER. But she was really old, after all, so lapses in judgement were to be expected. I am pretty sure I am nowhere near old yet, so I must have been right.   Greg is going into the Air Force, and I'm really excited about his future. He's turned out to be a really great young man, save a couple of issues like laundry and doing dishes, but I digress. He is the youngest captain ever in the Phoenix Fire Cadet program, and he's witty and smart and can make a mean stir fry. He's not afraid to march to his own beat, and it's usually a pretty catchy ditty. I can get so frustrated by him (as all... More

The clock is ticking. The new year is on its way up the sidewalk, and I'm standing on the other side of my front door, quiet as a mouse, pretending I'm not home. I'm not ready for the year to be over. I finally started remembering to write "2010" on my checks, and now I'm going to have to remember to put 2011. Not to mention, I'm just not ready to admit how fast time is flying, and how quickly life is going by.   I have been thinking a lot about resolutions this year. (I'm not even going to throw weight loss in there because I don't like to fail.) I was thrilled when I took out my resolutions from two years ago and realized I could recycle. It's not that I haven't accomplished these things, but the reminder this time of year is especially helpful.   Usually, I like to focus on what I want to do, but it felt right to focus instead on what I don't want to do.   For example, I will never again spend a crazy amount of money on a house or a vehicle. I now know that both can... More

I went for a little walk down memory lane today and checked out some blogs I wrote while working for a publishing company a couple of years ago. What an amazing trip! This blog entry was written when I was driving an expensive vehicle and getting my nails done regularly. I was on the edge of a big transformation at the time, and I was just starting to stick my toes in the water. I think some of you may relate to the ideals I was starting to embrace. Here's what I said: It's a gorgeous day here in Arizona, and I was fortunate enough to be able to go to lunch with my friend Carolyn today. We sat out on the patio at Pei Wei and chatted and ate as fast as we could so that we could pack in the laughs before it was time to get back to work. At the end of lunch, we each grabbed a fortune cookie and broke them open to see how we're doing in life. I was happy with mine ... "Your ideas are valuable and people will listen." Validation and Thai Dynamite Tofu. The day was going well! Then... More

I am walking a mighty thin line. For weeks, I have been holding my breath, peeking out behind one wincing eye, and holding out my hand for donations. It's Christmas time, and the season for giving, but being on the asking end of it can be very uncomfortable. I am fortunate to serve on boards for two different charitable organizations. One is Compassionate Journeys, and the other is Western Plains Animal Refuge, a no-kill animal shelter in Kansas run by a very dear friend of mine. Times have been tough for charities all over the country (and the world, for that matter), so everyone needs donation dollars. Most charities rely heavily on the holiday season for the lion's share of their donations because people's thoughts tend to be on others this time of the year. Having to push giving campaigns, though, is really hard. The people who run non-profits and charitable organizations are not living in a bubble. Their personal lives have been affected by the economy just as much as everyone... More

This is the season for miracles, and I'm still holding on to hope! Join Compassionate Journeys in giving hope to women and children in Ghana. Even a thought or a prayer helps! Visit us at www.compassionatejourneys.com!... More