Oh my gosh! There's that picture that Julia loved of you Amanda!Thanks for cooking that lovely dinner again. I'll def. try to get the word out to my friends about what you and Griff are trying to do... muah~!
So true I've always thought that the World would be such a different place if somehow every Western kid could spend time living in foreign cultures for even just a few years. Both my son and daughter spent 10 years in Indonesia while growing up there in the 1980s. Not only did it expose them to the local culture and local kids, but also to the children of expatriates of other Nationalities. Brits, Germans, Dutch, Malyasian etc. Now in their late 20's I believe that they both posess a maturity which enables a deeper understanding of World situations, and a compassion for peoples around the World that the large majority of kids who grew up here in the US, and nowhere else, do not benefit from. We need that kind of "education" for everyone I think. Your article is refreshing to read.
Challenging my world Mandy and Griff, your travels and experiences have given me the opportunity to see how I need to challenge my own assumptions, my world view, and the way I spend my time. I pray that I will be able to go beyond seeing the need to change, and actually make some of the changes happen. Looking forward to your next adventure, ... and ours.
thankyou ! ive just sat here at my computer in australia for the past 2 and a half hours and read your ENTIRE TRIP..it has had me SPELLBOUND and i have empathised with your feverish experiences in india (happened to me- TWICE, not fun)...romania's orphans, and just all the things you have thought about and swear that you are changing within yourself and your idea of religion: travelling does that to you..
i am currently planning a year long trip next year with my husband-many people have told me that we should be investing in our future: travelling is investing in your future- it keeps you open minded.. i have truly felt like ive been there with you- thanks for sharing...and stay safe ! xox
Alright, already! Now I have to add Thailand to my long list of places to which I must someday travel...I'm going to live a lot of years in your glorious shadows, which is okay by me. You've set a wonderful example of adventure for us.
Now will you PLEASE come home?!? I miss you!!!!!
Thanks for dropping by! Thanks for letting us show you around "our" place! Rebecca and I really, really enjoyed our visits and travels with you. I really, really enjoyed motoring the mountain roads with Griff on the "big" bikes! Drop by anytime.
Remembering we are still nice people Happened to come across your blog while just strolling through the site. I am currently living and blogging from Italy. Great post! I especially liked your line about being a hard worker is a virtue but working too hard makes us into something that we are not supposed to be. I couldn't agree more. We are impressed by how people here in southern Italy have a lot less than the average American (we're American) but seem to be happier and live life more slowly and fully.
Tricky! Your plans, at long last, unveiled to your vast readership; those who read the picture-less blog (the equivilent of a "chapter book") have been rewarded, albeit a bittersweet reward, with the news of your next chapter. A year in India. Surely that will open up even more opportunity, to return for another year, and another, or to venture even further into the reaches of God's vast creation. And to think I only thought there were fifty states in the "world." :) I celebrate with you; I mourn with you. It seems that joy and sorrow are rarely separated these days...every gift, every discovery requires some loss, a departure from safety and security. As you "live into it," surely you will be rewarded in ways of which we cannot conceive. I look forward to watching it all unfold. I love you both.
flattered hey guys......sorry to hear about your camera. Just wanted to drop a line and say thanks for including my blog on your sight. I'm flattered! Sometimes i get discouraged at seeing how good everyone else's photos are, but your blog made my day. Good luck in future endeavors!
-lyndsey
Griff and Mandy it has been amazing to watch the change that has occured in the two of you as you have made this trip around the world. I love reading about your journey. It is almost as if I am there with you. I am sure that when you started this trip you had no idea how God was going to use this in your life. Every time I think of you I lift you up in prayer. Lloydine
"How bout that ever elusive kudo?" Finally, the Kaza blog! The stories are already a part of me, so putting some pictures to them was really, really special--like a big slice of Grandma Lee's chocolate cake after an already-delicious dinner. The views, the children's faces, Mandy in action in front of a classroom, all the mentions of Griff's "behind the scenes" work (the puppets and season wheel are magnificent! Truly, Griff, you have a loving touch)...I can finally see where you've been in this all-important leg of the journey. Thank you for the stories, the pictures, the inspiration, for letting go... I love you!
A Teachers Point of View This week I am beginning my Ancient India unit in a 9th grade World History class at West Seattle High School and I will introduce the unit with your India entries. I hope my students will be able to make the connection between ancient India and the India of today that you talk about and show us. I will also show them the Patrick Swayze movie, "City of Joy" so they can see the extreme poverty endured by most people in India, but there is no way I or my students can fully comprehend the reality. God bless both of you for making a difference . . . even if you touch only a few lives, they will be forever changed for the better. Love, Cousin Pam
transformed by turd Well, the glamour quickly departed when the shit from an unknown source oozed through Griff's toes, and from that point I suppose you have been "missionaries" to India...but I am all for reinventing that word, too!!! So separatist, when aren't we all supposed to live with a mission? By the way, I am pretty sure there are 4 Spiritual Laws, although I imagine God may consider himself to be a bit bigger than that. Ha. The pictures in this one are spectacular, and I can't wait to see and hear more about India. Thank you disillusionment! I love you.
Doing Something! I just attended a three day conference that was really inspirational. During every key note speaker, people would laugh, cry and swear they were going to go out and make a difference. The sad reality was that once it was over we all left in our nice cars to go back to our nice comfortable worlds. You two stopped talking and did something. I sooo admire you for doing that. How lucky are all those people whose paths you have crossed in these last seven months but don't forget us, we need you too! Love, Martha
Sad but true The state of affairs in India is appaling and horrible. The abject poverty is every where to see. The dirt and squalor is unbeleaveable. One question begs us - How can a society be so depraved. I think the answer is sheer number of population of India - 1 Billion. Simply too many people for a poor country. Will the situation ever change? I can't see it changing in our generation. Hope I am wrong.
oops! I can't believe I neglected to post a thought on this beautiful collection of Turkish instances...I loved most the rudimentary exchange of symbolic gifts between the women of the field and you guys...scratchy poppies, adoringly laid at your feet, then reciprocated by a couple pieces of fruit. All each of you had, given with great intention, a lingering reminder of a positive experience for both givers, in an exchange that may never have happened, may never happen again. Poetry. I love you.
Hi Your blog is interesting. But there are lots and lots of places in India which you should see. Take the road trip from Manali to Leh and you will never be the same again
The Schutt Duo jouney into the unknown together, attempting to discover themselves and their world. Following their hearts, because every logical thought tells them to spend the money on a downpayment for a house!
"Turn my heart from wanting any other plan than yours." Ps 119:37
Email the Schutts directly at the following:
Mandy: mandyschutt@yahoo.com
Griff:geschutt@yahoo.com
... full info
Susanna
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Oh my gosh! There's that picture that Julia loved of you Amanda!Thanks for cooking that lovely dinner again. I'll def. try to get the word out to my friends about what you and Griff are trying to do... muah~!