Brad and Lindsey Bridges

Why do I love the United States?

2009-07-05T00:08:00.005-05:00

Ever asked the question, Why do I love the United States? Well today a friend and colleague of ours emailed us a letter his brother wrote. We were moved by his story and wanted to share it with you. Saturday, July 04, 20099:21 AMDear Tysons Staff,I love the United States of America for many reasons. My 21 years as Chaplain in the United States Air Force/Air National Guard

Little Carter Bridges sings the National Anthem

2009-07-04T10:53:00.004-05:00

Happy July 4th! Celebrate the 4th with us today by listening and watching Carter Bridges sing the National Anthem. We are so proud of Carter for how brave he is in singing the National Anthem of the United States in front of crowds. We secretly think Carter should sing the National Anthem at a professional sporting event sometime. Our Blog | Our Website | Our PodCast & V-Log | Our Partners | Give

Thoughts on Freedom from Banner Elk, NC

2009-07-04T09:28:00.003-05:00

Sitting on the balcony of our friends' house in Banner Elk, NC, I'm taking some time to think about freedom. Also what about all those who have sacrificed for us and those that continue to sacrifice so that we can live in a free country, with a free and clear conscience, and more. Let me explain. On July the 4th we celebrate our freedom as a country. Many men and women died. Many fought. Many

Partner Profile: Joe and Laura Rule

2009-07-01T12:30:00.005-05:00

Joe and Laura are extraordinary people. Let me explain. From the first time we met them we've known that they are caring, encouraging, and welcoming people. I guess you could say, we just clicked. They are a young couple, we are too. Lindsey and Laura grew up in the same church.While meeting them, they shared about their involvement in many different areas of ministry even as a newly married

The Missionary Life: Serving the Senders

2009-06-27T07:30:00.000-05:00

Missionaries only do their work/ministry in other countries right? Well, not so much. But wait, their ministry only starts once they leave the country, right? Well, not really. These are common ideas. I used to believe them. I thought missionaries only went to other countries. Some do. Some just go to another region of the U.S. But even those who leave to serve in other countries don't serve in

Expectations...

2009-06-25T16:20:00.004-05:00

Expectations can be high. Sometimes they are too low. Sound familiar?While completing our pre-field training (ie missionary bootcamp) at the Center for Intercultural Training (CIT), they challenged us to consider our expectations. Interesting. What do I expect of my family? What do I expect of my friends? What about churches?Even more difficult question: What do they all expect of us? Oftentimes

Father's Day Thoughts from my Grandfather

2009-06-23T17:26:00.007-05:00

For Father's Day, my grandfather wrote his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren a letter. We thought we'd share it with you.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Father’s Day Thoughts to my Eight Children - by Dr. George Plonk, Sr. (aka Racehorse Plonk) As a father of my five children and Esther’s three children, our 23 grandchildren, and my 19 great-grandchildren, I can

How to make a Waffle Cone - Blowing Rock, NC

2009-06-19T15:34:00.004-05:00

Sometimes in life you watch something occur and you ask how or why. Every had that happen to you? On Thursday evening that happened to us. My parents took us to dinner. Afterwards we stopped for ice cream.We walked in. It smelled REALLY good. I wondered why. It was a waffle cone maker. A woman was making waffle cones from scratch...batter, waffle maker, shaping waffle in shape of a cone, and then

Barista Makes Portraits of Coffee Foam

2009-06-16T20:48:00.005-05:00

Barista makes portraits out of coffee foam. Huh? Is that possible?Those were the questions I asked too. Apparently a man in Colorado makes portraits of people using the foam in their coffee. The portraits are not stick figures, they look like pencil drawings of the people who come in to the store.As much as we both like coffee, we never thought of this. I'm so encouraged many times by the

Recipes from Lindsey's Kitchen: Squash and Sausage Casserole

2009-06-15T17:18:00.004-05:00

Squash and Sausage Casserole1 or 2 yellow squash1 onion1 lb of sausage (I prefer lean)Shredded Cheddar CheeseWheat ThinsBrown the sausage in a pan. Drain.Slice squash into thin slices. Do the same with the onion.Place squash and onions in the pan with the sausage.Keep the heat warm enough where the onions and squash will steam.Serve on top of Wheat Thins and top with cheese.This is a very NC

New Podcast: May in Review by Brad and Lindsey Bridges

2009-06-01T22:54:00.002-05:00

May in Review - by Brad and Lindsey Bridges bradandlindsey's Podcast Take a couple minutes to enjoy our most recent podcast where Lindsey interviews Brad about our activities, blessings, and more in the month of May. Our Blog | Our Website | Our PodCast & V-Log | Our Partners | Give

Anatomy of a Partner Church: Dewitt Evangelical Free Church

2009-06-01T20:37:00.005-05:00

Yep. Some people just do things really good (or is it well?). Some churches also do things REALLY well. Dewitt Evangelical Free Church (DEFC) demonstrates one of those.Many people have asked us what a partner church should do, what we expect, how they can be involved, etc etc. Maybe you are sitting there thinking the same thing.Partner Churches do just that...they partner. Is that simple enough?

Partner Profile: John and Marti Sanborn

2009-06-01T19:24:00.007-05:00

As I merged off the Tollway in Dallas, I heard the exciting news. John said, "Brad, our men's group met this morning and made an encouraging decision that will impact you guys."------My mind immediately rushed back to our arrival in Phoenix, AZ where John Sanborn met Lindsey and I at the airport. After not seeing John for almost three years, there he was to greet us, help with our luggage, drive

Ryan's Graduation from High School

2009-05-31T21:10:00.005-05:00

Congratulations Ryan Beebe! (Ryan is Lindsey's little brother)We are so proud of Ryan and all that he has accomplished by graduating from high school (Trinity Christian Academy). He has worked for so many years to get to this point and we were pumped to see him and all his friends from school throw their caps in the air at the end of graduation.We are excited about Ryan's upcoming move to

CIT: We've Arrived

2009-05-26T19:27:00.003-05:00

We've made it to CIT (Center for Intercultural Training). All our things are settled in an apartment on campus, where we will be doing pre-field training this summer. Here's a picture of the patio where four different apartments face. Our door is upstairs...the first one on your right.There are several different missions organizations represented here and all different countries represented as

Benjamin H. Bridges - Prisoner of War at the Battle of the Bulge

2009-05-25T17:35:00.005-05:00

Last night, after arriving at my parents' house, Lindsey and I were talking with my father. My dad proceeded to tell me about my grandfather Benjamin H. Bridges whom I never met due to his early death.Ben fought in the Battle of the Bulge. It was his first assignment overseas. He literally landed in Europe and immediately joined the other American forces already there.Thankfully, he was a

One Love by Bob Marley & others

2009-05-21T14:25:00.004-05:00

Bob Marley is probably one of the most relaxing people to listen to on this planet. After someone sent me this via email with a video of the song "One Love", I had to share it and hopefully share the smile on my face with you as well.Enjoy!Our Blog | Our Website | Our PodCast & V-Log | Our Partners | Give

Radical Adjustments of an Uruguayan Rugby Team

2009-05-20T10:24:00.005-05:00

Radical Adjustments of an Uruguayan Rugby TeamThis was the title of a daily devotional I read this morning from Chuck Swindoll about a Uruguayan Rugby team. My summary of it does not do it justice, but I did want to share since it was about an Uruguayan team.The team's plane crashed in the Andes mountains in the winter under extremely cold and snowy conditions. Faced with death, the passengers

Expanding Your Network

2009-05-18T01:00:00.003-05:00

Today if you are alive, you are apt to hear something about social media, social networking, or some other type of media that is the new hype. I've noticed that oftentimes I encounter one of two responses to these realities: obsession or fear. Yep, I said it...obsession or fear. Which one are you?Obsession - I use this word to describe those people who literally live at their computers and swear

Panoramic View of the Grand Canyon

2009-05-14T11:18:00.005-05:00

What a way to spend our day off? This past Monday we had a chance to enjoy one of the most remarkable views we've ever seen. Take a minute and enjoy the panoramic video we created of the Grand Canyon.I was reminded of how thankful I should be for God's creation of the earth as well as all that is in it. As Lindsey and I continue to see God use us to build our team of monthly financial partners,

Ideas Worth Spreading by Seth Godin

2009-05-14T08:26:00.004-05:00

Seth Godin apparently wants to facilitate a movement from leading through media to leading through ideas. The video below stimulated my thinking to consider how ideas impact people and generate momentum towards growth and expansion of their foundational philosophies. Let me know what you think. Are his ideas "worth spreading?"Our Blog | Our Website | Our PodCast & V-Log | Our Partners | Give

The (Post) Modern Topic of Friends

2009-04-22T08:15:00.000-05:00

A good friend of ours, Rod Fry, recently posted the following explanation of his perspective of friendship, mentoring, etc etc. We thought it was good enough to share on here as he asks many insightful questions and provides some very practical insight into the topic of friendship. You can learn more about Rod and Mayra's ministry by visiting their blog.___________________________________________

Movements

2009-04-20T10:02:00.001-05:00

MovementsWe are all part of movements. Right now sitting in the passenger seat of our car as Lindsey drives and we are part of constant movement here on the Chicago highways. Things here seem to never stop moving.But what about movements in society? You know, the ones that effect lives. I read about a man recently who started TOMS Shoes in order to initiate a movement geared toward bringing new

Have you got a boss or a leader?

2009-04-18T15:19:00.003-05:00

Have you got a boss or a leader?Some of you undoubtedly go to work on a daily basis for no other reason than to get the paycheck and the only reason you do what your boss says is because you have to. Some others are working because their boss inspires them, empowers them, and trusts them. Which one is you?I recently saw this article from the social media director at Ford where he has a chance to

Help Us Get to 70% Monthly by May

2009-04-17T20:53:00.006-05:00

For those who have been following our support levels, we are excited to say that our moving costs for Uruguay have been reached! Our MONTHLY support is around 60% currently. We are getting closer to 100%!!!We were informed this week that if our MONTHLY support reaches 70% in May, we will be able to register for the Center for Intercultural Training (CIT). CIT is a precursor to our final departure