About

This blog is a conversation between two friends, with common views of the world, a common outlook on life and the passion to inspire others to better themselves and the communities they live in. Follow us on our journey and please share in the conversation. We value your thoughts. The following is an excerpt from our first entry that will give you insight about who we are and what we stand for.

For Kate, her journey began when she started working after college.

“I was never really happy with the work that I was doing.  I felt that I had chosen a career based upon the path of least resistance.  It was easy.   I blamed the unrest that I had in my jobs on commuting time, location, clients, and the list goes on.  So I did some career hopping–animal nutrition, to launching a pudding product, to insurance and financial planning.  None of them stuck.  And then I had a family, that was my out, I could bow out of this daily grind gracefully. After spending a year at home with our son, I found that I needed something more—not a lot, because I loved being a mom and taking care of the house, but I longed to be outside, moving.  So I jumped head first into not one huge business adventure but two–at the same time.  A corn maze, and an alpaca business.  It was madness, absolute insanity, on so many levels.  And probably the hardest thing I ever had to do in my life was make a decision to get out of one.  I knew which one had to go, the corn maze–I hated it.  But I was so entrenched in it, monetarily and emotionally, on all levels.  I felt as if I had failed everyone, but if I continued on with the madness, I would be lying to myself and all of those around me.  So, I pulled the plug—much to everyone’s surprise.   And here I am.  I love my alpacas, I love being a wife and a mother, and I wake up everyday grateful of who I am and what I do.  I love my life.   My message to everyone is to start living today, get rid of the baggage and do what you want to do.  The results will amaze you.”

For Jenny, that journey began when she traveled to Africa for the first time at age 18.

“I had the immense blessing of volunteering at an orphanage for children who had lost their parents to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. My life changed in an instant and I knew that my purpose in this lifetime was to make a difference for these innocent children who have suffered more than I could ever imagine. For two years after that life-changing experience, I searched and prayed, trying to understand how I would transform my passion into a tangible source of assistance for the many orphans who live in this world. In 2007  I returned to Africa, this time to Kenya and a different orphanage. I experienced another moment of inspiration, realizing that I wanted to start my own orphanage. Since that moment, my inspiration has become a not-for-profit organization called HEAL the Children Foundation, Inc..  HEAL seeks to design, implement and support orphanages in developing countries. It will be five years in February since that first trip to Africa, and while the journey has been exciting and transformative, it has played out against the backdrop of college, financial stress, heartache and all the joys and woes of everyday life.  Now,  as a college graduate with the world at my fingertips, it seems like the pressures and negativity that are experienced in life have even more power to sway me from pursuing my dreams. At times it seems like the world is shouting at me, “get a job, pay the bills, forget your dreams. You are an adult now and this is reality.” Well this is me shouting back, “This is  my reality and I choose to be happy pursuing my dreams. I know it may not always be easy, but I choose to trust the journey and I believe that happiness is possible.” I want to share my journey with you. Happiness is a choice and that choice is within all of us. I want you to make this choice too, in whatever you want to do.”

“The Amani Tree”—-In the picture you actually are looking at an Acacia Tree native to Africa.  We gave this tree the name “Amani”, meaning peace or harmony in Swahili.  This actual tree is located on the land that Jenny’s orphanage is going to be built on.  The alpaca under the tree represents the “peace” in Kate’s life.  This picture symbolizes our partnership with each other on this journey.

So here we are, “Under the Amani Tree”.  Let’s begin….