I laid next to my 2-year-old son last night and tried to read bedtime stories. He interrupted every word I said, unable to withhold his enthusiasm. He chattered and grinned, while bobbing a pacifier in his mouth like a cigar. I stopped and savored the moment, completely consumed with love for him.

For an instant, I felt like I was on the outside looking into something extraordinary. Love for my son was pulsing through me, despite his remarkable defiance and destruction that day. I spend days cleaning mess after mess, doing unseen and unappreciated tasks, and exchanging my needs for his. And last night, as that powerful love cascaded over me, I realized that I am the one truly experiencing God's love.

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO... I stepped foot on South African soil for the first time with a sparkle in my eye and a six month plan to save the world.

I always knew God made me to strengthen families. The way I see it, strong families make strong churches. Strong churches make strong communities. Strong communities strengthen other communities. And, slowly but surely, the world is transformed for the glory of God.

Grade R (Kindergarten) orientation today.

We are walking in the answer to prayers we never knew we’d pray. Benjamin will start Grade R on Wednesday at a cottage school created for children with special needs. There are two loving teachers to care for the four children in his class - a class he can continue with until he’s 16…

We've heard stories of oceans parting, bones dancing, blind seeing, and the Redeemer resurrecting. Yet I still squirm when I'm the one that needs the miracle. I know God CAN do it... I'd still praise Him if He didn't do it... But having a need there's no way we could ever meet on our own is a very humbling thing.

We asked God and His people for funding for our boys' 2025 school fees. It was not a small ask - almost $13,000…

I don’t always want to be the mom that has to turbo-pack the car and kids, ready to hit the road by 7:30am for an outing I make up on the fly. I don’t always want to pack PBJs and snack boxes on repeat.

I wish I had more compassion and patience. I wish I could stay steadier while trying to operate as my son’s external nervous system because his doesn’t do its job. I wish transitions and life in general were easier for him and, consequentially, for us too.

Recently, a friend asked for prayer as her intense workload was impacting her physically, mentally, and relationally. Soon after, on knees wobbling with insecurity, I shared a huge need and prayer request for our family. My overworked, exhausted friend replied immediately, suddenly overjoyed that God had allowed her project to "go off the rails" and require significant overtime. To her, his meant she could be a contributor to our family's big need.

It's 2025! May God bless you as you walk with Him and worship Him this year! I am beginning the year with grateful reflection. I will be sharing some of my favorite call to worships from the past during the month of January. Today's was originally sent on January 7, 2022.

Presenting the first ever Kirstenbosch Library Book Crawl! We loaded up library books and PBJ roll ups for a last minute; pre-bedtime adventure. We read the first book at the jumping rock, the next book on a bench by a riveting frisbee game, and then marched uphill for a rugby book by the duck pond. This (obviously) led to spontaneous rugby training. It was such a fun way to mix reading, active play AND get dinner taken care of.

If you know Benjamin, you know he loves anything that involves soldiers. He was THRILLED to find out there is a castle right in the center of Cape Town because, “Mom, everyone knows soldiers live in castles.”

We only scratched the surface this morning, but Benjamin gave us a riveting tour of the castle with his very own historical details while Wyatt free-loaded on my hip. Another grand adventure in the books. 🏰

The summer sun burned extra hot this December 25th in Cape Town. Our family is in the middle of transitions and growing pains. Still… joy and abundance were thick on Christmas Day. It was a perfect Ladd-style celebration: full throttle, high energy, and fit for a King. We gathered close on the couch and gave thanks in front of a breathtaking spread of presents. It was, of course, the King’s presence that ushered in the kind of joy that sticks beyond circumstances…

On this Christmas Eve morning, the excitement was rightfully high in my house. I took a deep breath and prayed, knowing someone would explode if we didn't get out the door in four and a half minutes. The UV index is 13 today... I used to think it only went up to 10! And every one of those 5.5 million was going to be out and about in Cape Town.

It seems like modern society is more sensitive to accessibility than ever before. Smartphones come with features to support visual and hearing impairments. There are laws for structures and hiring to give every person an opportunity to access life in the fullest way possible.

We make decisions in our family to help our autistic son maintain access himself and important relationships. Even Christmas is accommodated so he can stay fully-engaged and our other children can enjoy him, each other and the reason for the holiday throughout the entire day.

Want to hear some good news!?!

Two week ago, we put out a big ask with a LOT of prayer. It will cost $13,400 to send our boys to school in 2025. We need help to make that happen - we explain why in this video. The good news... Lifa and Wyatt’s school fees are covered IN FULL! We are over halfway there.

John 3 tells of a Jewish leader coming to Jesus in the covering of the night. Baffled Nicodemus has the education and qualification behind his name to be considered an expert. Yet he humbly seeks Jesus, sure that this man of miracles has a more authentic power than him.

Jesus responds, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God... That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:3, 6)

Brothers. Beach. Balls.

The best. The Lord has blessed us tremendously.

I’m working on the edits for the Friday Call to Worship to become a book! It’s been more encouraging than I could have imagined to go back through the past years, walking week by week with the me who didn’t know a pandemic or special needs parenting was coming. I’m preaching to myself and, once again, in awe that God stays the same while I wobble through the weeks.

We are giving the e-book version of “Called to Worship” as a gift to our friends contributing to our fundraiser…

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” Proverbs 27:17

These two boys (and the tagalong little brother) excavate the edges of their creativity, bravery, strengths and weaknesses in the security of an unbreakable friendship. That’s how God designed it. You become the fullest version of yourself and experience the fullest version of Him in the context of accepting, loving relationships.

Our five-year old son has been talking about his end of year school concert for months. I took my seat in the concert hall this week, shouldering months of subconscious dread. His preschool is for children with special needs. I feared the toll performance pressure would take on the kids, overstimulation, and unlimited unknowns. I was overcome with the sheer possibility of our son feeling like he was physically unable to do something he really wanted to do, a familiar kind of torment.

Today was a perfect, unplanned Tuesday afternoon. We stayed in town at the park until bedtime, and then came home and jumped in the pool for “summer baths”. There is nothing better than having all three boys out exploring together. This is Lifa’s last summer in high school, and we all cherish time with him. And he’s so fun!

Five years ago, I stepped into our front garden with a baby strapped to my chest. Rented tables with homemade placemats were set for 60. We served an American Thanksgiving dinner to our South African guests, choosing to give thanks while we didn't know our family's next steps. My husband and I relished in a garden full of laughter and warmth that day, never pausing to even taste the meal.

We ate leftover pumpkin pie in our garage late that night. It was a delicious and sacred moment, our own Thanksgiving faith-building feast when we didn't know what tomorrow held.