Who are the Anderson's?

Once I set up this blog and people started to hear about the Anderson family, I began to get a few questions about who these people are and how I know them. Phil, Denise, Makenzie and Morgyn Anderson are missionaries who are stationed in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. About two years ago Denise left her position as professor, and chair of the Social Work Department at Shippensburg University, and Phil left his position with the State of PA working in State parks. They applied to become career missionaries and moved to the DR in January of 2007. Denise is Regional Coordinator for the entire Caribbean and Phil does communications work for the entire Caribbean. Their two girls, Makenzie (12) and Morgyn(9) go to the Santo Domingo International School and love it! They do pretty much everything most kids do-go to school, play on sports team, and play with their friends. They are amazing children with such a wonderful perspective on the world, and understanding that they are part of a global community, not just citizens of one country. When I was visiting this last time Makenzie metioned to me that she wants to go to Paraguay to help people there. I am 25. Makenzie is 12. She had to show me where Paraguay is. Makenzie and Morgyn have adapted well to being "missionary kids." They know that Miami is the worst airport in the US to have to fly in and out of, especially with a layover. They know the speed at which a bucket of water must be dumped into a toilet that is not hooked up to running water in order to make it flush properly. They think nothing of cramming 10 people into a 7 passanger vehicle. Didn't you know that someone's lap is counted as a seat?! Makenzie's best friend lives in Jordan (I know where that is) and Morgyn's did live in Kenya, but recently moved home to the US. The can ask "Where is the bathroom" in 3 different languages.

I attended Shippensburg University. During my time there, Denise was my advisor. I also had her in class, one time. It was the last semester I would be having classes during my senior year. It was a Thursday night class. I was not excited about it. During my junior year of college, the Anderson's took 9 months to go to live and volunteer in Thailand at the Maetang Tribal Children's Home. During the second semester of my sophmore year I came home for the semester and took classes locally. I can still remember being on the phone with Denise, as she was helping me choose classes for the fall semseter of my junior year, and she told me I would have a new advisor for my junior year, as she would be going to Thailand for 9 months. I remember thinking Thailand, who goes to Thailand? Why would you want to do that? What is wrong with this lady? Little did I know...haha. She and I still laugh about that today. We laugh at the fact that I have been boogie boarding with the same person I used to have to write papers for and listen to in class, and call Dr. Anderson. We smile because we no longer sign e-mails with "sincerely" but with "Love you" and I always ask her to "hug the girls for me." I guess some teachers (and their families) just make that kind of difference.

Denise's brother also lives in Thailand and has been there for the past 12 years as a missionary. On December 24, 2004, 5 months after the Anderson's returned from Thailand, the tsunami hit. It killed a quarter of a million people in 11 countries. It destroyed the lives of millions more. I e-mailed Denise following the disaster asking if her friends and family in Thailand were OK. She said they were. Some of their close friends were planning to switch plane tickets and be in Phuket during the Christmas holiday. At the last minute, they were unable to switch their tickets and had to remain in Chiang Mai for the holidays. That likely saved their lives. At this time Denise's brother and his family had been living in Thailand for about 9 years. They spent every Christmas at the beach. Excpet for the Christmas of 2004. Denise explained she wanted to go on a clean up trip that summer, the summer of 2005. She asked if I would like to join her. Yes, of course I did. We left the day after graduation, May 8, 2005. I have to be honest in that I hated Thailand at first. I cried the first 3 days we were there. When I stepped off the plane in Chiang Mai, I was certain we had taken a wrong turn and surely we were at the Neptune International Airport. Culture shock hit hard and fast. However, within a week, I was in love with the country, the people and was determined to do what I could to help those I was meeting.

The rest is pretty much history, as Denise took me to place after place doing tsunami relief, visiting an orphanage for children with HIV/AIDS, visiting a home for women who had survived trafficking, and spending time at the Maetang Tribal Children's Home. It was because of her and the children she introduced me to that I returned to Thailand in the summer of 2006 with my family. It was because of that trip in 2006 that Be the Change began.

If I had to go back to the very begining and find the one person who is solely responsible for Be the Change, it would be Denise. She is way to humble to ever take credit though. My teacher opened my eyes and my heart to the world. To say she left a lasting imprint is an understatement. The lessons she has left me with stretch far beyond the walls of the classrooms at Shippensburg University. If (OK, let's be realistic, when) I move overseas in the future, it will be Denise's fault :) She's OK with that, though. So am I.