Reaching out to old friends...

Recently I was going through a box of my "keeper" books and came across some books from an old friend I'd met online way back in 1996 or so on what used to be known as the AOL Series Romance Message Board. That board has now closed, but many of the people who were part of that group up and moved to their own email loop we now affectionately call the Series Mafia Loop.

I picked up this book by Anne Eames, an author who used to write for Silhouette Desires, and I wondered what had happened to her. Was she still writing? Was she still a part of Romance Writers of America? I decided to Google her name and found a blog post that talked about how Anne and her husband, Bill, had heard a calling to help the people of South Africa after visiting the area. They took their life savings, packed their bags and moved to South Africa where they work with the poor and people afflicted with HIV/AIDS.

I was struck by how wonderful it was for them to hear their calling to let God work through their hands. I questioned whether I should contact Anne through her website. It had been nearly 10 years since we'd connected. Would she remember me? We'd never met face to face, only interacted through email. I took the next step and decided that reaching out to an old friend was the way to go. I'm so glad I did.

I'd like to dedicate this blog to the project Anne runs with her husband, Bill. The work they do in South Africa is much needed and goes a long way toward making life a little easier for those who are sick and don't have much. It reminds me of how truly blessed I am here in the United States.

Please visit the African Hope Crafts project at http://www.africanhopecrafts.org/. I've discovered some beautiful crafts that I'm looking into purchasing as Christmas presents. Maybe you will too. And it will go a long way toward helping a wonderful cause.

On another note, our very own CRAFTIE LADY, Pamela Tracy, is blogging over at the CRAFTIE LADIES OF ROMANCE blog today at http://www.craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/. Please go on over and visit the CRAFTIE LADIES OF ROMANCE website and introduce yourself to some new authors.

Many blessings, Lisa Mondello