On Episode 43 I’m talking to Rachel Pieh Jones (Instagram, Facebook). Rachel is a writer living in Djibouti which is in East Africa, and is bordered by Somalia, Ethiopia and Yemen. Of writing, she says, “I can’t help it.” It is her work. Rachel is originally from Minnesota. She moved with her husband in 2003 and has lived abroad since. She has written several books (Welcome to Djibouti and Finding Home) and many published articles including an interview she did with her daughter that is great! She has a brand new book coming out in October 2019, Stronger Than Death.: How Annalena Tonelli Defied Terror and Tuberculosis in the Horn of Africa. Please purchase it. It sounds FASCINATING. Rachel also writes the kind of newsletter you will WANT to read, Stories From the Horn.

Until September 22, you can enter to win a hard copy of her book. Here are the details… “Go to Net Galley and download the book https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/162744

Write a review and post it publicly by SEPTEMBER 22. Blog, newsletter, Facebook.

Paste the link to the post here
https://www2.plough.com/acton/media/18872/stronger-than-death-giveaway

And voila! Entered to win.

Rachel talks about living cross-culturally and cross-spiritually. Rachel is so wise and wonderful. I cherish her social media posts. I think her perspective is so rich with nuance and complexity because she has such a depth and breadth of knowledge. Since we recorded, Rachel has shared that her thyroid cancer has returned so she sometimes speaks to living with cancer in her writings as well. I know Rachel would love your prayers, and maybe even more than that, she would love for us to be curious about each other, care for each other, and honor each other as I know she encourages us to do.

Some of my favorite resources that go along with this conversation are: No White Saviors, an Instagram account that talks about white privilege and white saviorism. (If you are a person who holds white privilege and decide to follow this account, please LISTEN, listen, listen. Do not comment.) Imperfect Courage, a book by Jessica Honegger (Episode 19)

If you’d like to follow along with what I’m up to, head to Facebook or Instagram. I’m also a therapist at Grand Rapids Specialty Therapy. Until next time, keep taking the middle seat.