I recognize that this site is not especially designed for personal updates, but I want to thank everyone who participated in my dear Janet's memorial celebration last weekend. You can click here to read more, view the recording, or see a short photo montage... https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/janettrenda/journal/view/id/652f640c153b09c9209cf826

Dear friends and family, Janet's cancer has progressed at a far faster pace than any of us expected. In two weeks, her tumors are more numerous and are markedly larger. Some are now poised to impinge on vital organs. I think her body had magnificently managed to maintain something like stasis as tumors grew for many … Continue reading News about Janet

As most of you know, I retired from World Vision early this month. I knew it was the right time for several reasons, and we sensed it was the right time for several more. But we never really thought those reasons would be revealed to us so quickly, nor so jarringly. Janet has just been … Continue reading Scaffolds of Sustaining Grace

I’m retiring this week from World Vision U.S. after 41 years in nonprofit work, including a combined three decades at WV. Last month I had the incredible privilege of taking some major donors on a final Vision Trip, where we saw the fruits of several program models that I’ve actually had a small hand in … Continue reading Taking Risks for the Poorest

This month, I came across an affirming reminder from octogenarian South African Bishop Desmond Tutu: When we look at the news, we must keep this more holistic view… Yes, this or that terrible thing has happened. No doubt, there are very negative things, but at the same time there are many more positive things happening … Continue reading Enlarging Our Field of View

Earlier this month we enjoyed dinner with two other couples when one man asked: “With everything happening in the world right now, how can we find hope? Is hope a ridiculous concept these days?” If you think hope is hard to come by, imagine being a humanitarian worker in Afghanistan right now. You’ve poured yourself … Continue reading The Best Time to Plant a Tree

One of the few advantages of my ‘advancing age’ is that this past Sunday, Valentine's Day, Janet and I received our first COVID-19 vaccine. It was a very relaxed and pleasant setting and quite easy, yet I felt a jab in more than just my arm. I expect you've felt the same uncomfortable twinge as … Continue reading This Friday We’ll Decide: Are We Our Brothers’ Keeper?

My beloved great-grandmother emigrated from Bohemia (Czechoslovakia) at age 18 and yet never learned English. They lived in a little “Bo-honk” enclave in rural North Dakota, a place where they could maintain the old customs and minimize the need to adapt. Still, after she developed dementia, she walked incessantly around her house until she’d worn … Continue reading ­What’s In Your Hand

I'm letting myself free-fall into Advent this year, thanks largely to Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Year ago, Advent was very meaningful to me, a time of anticipation and waiting. But hey, I've been a follower of Jesus for a long time, and even the best practices grow overly-familiar with time; their salt loses its savor. Our kids … Continue reading Free-Falling into Advent

Probably every writer's greatest blessing is when a reader quotes back from memory something you wrote which touched, challenged or encouraged them. This happened for me recently when someone told me that my definition of "generosity" in my book After the Trip: Unpacking Your Crosscultural Experience had really stuck with him. He reminded me that I … Continue reading Les Vulnérables