The Turquoise Table Podcast with Kristin Schell

Let's talk about infertility and adoption. Chances are you or someone you know has walked one or both of these paths. Today’s guest Cat Vandament shares her story of infertility and treatments that led to the birth of her daughter, and then the decision to pursue adoption with their son. Cat’s story is unique in that during fertility treatments, they faced the additional stress and unfortunate timing of her husband’s numerous military deployments.    Infertility and adoption can be sensitive and hard topics for many. Which is why it’s important to have the conversation and gratefully Cat is willing to help us talk about the emotional journey. No two stories are alike, but as you listen to the conversation you'll hear hope and encouragement.    Cat speaks with honesty and vulnerability. She shares the struggle of not knowing why her body “wasn’t working the way every other woman’s body works” and how she overcame untrue thoughts like “trying to figure out what I had done wrong.”    Cat’s story is told through the lens of infertility and adoption. But, it’s also a story of faith and helps us see how we all wrestle with our own worth at times.    Listen in to learn what NOT to say to a friend or neighbor who is trying to get pregnant. And, stay tuned as Cat reveals the number one way you can love your neighbor through infertility and adoption.   Links/Resources: Connect with Cat Vandament: Watch Cat's Turquoise Table Story Shop Noonday with Cat Instagram Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast wherever you are listening! Connect with Kristin: Facebook Instagram Twitter Website Book Join our free online community to continue the conversation at: www.theturquoisetablecommunity.com 

Register for Creating Community & Connection: A Workshop with Kristin Schell   In this episode of The Turquoise Table, host Kristin Schell continues the storytelling series talking with people who are creating community in unique and remarkable ways.   Rachel Jones lives at the crossroads of faith and culture in the Horn of Africa. She is the author of the book Stronger Than Death, and she and her husband founded the International School of Djibouti.   Her story takes us on a beautiful journey from a high rise apartment complex in Minneapolis to a school in The Horn of Africa. Rachel’s story of creating community and connection is one of the most inspiring yet. Relationships that started in her own backyard led her family across the globe to Djibouti.    When she was just twenty-two years old and a new mother of twins, Rachel received hospitality from complete strangers, her Somali neighbors. Her immigrant neighbors befriended her -- bringing her food and even offering to clean her house while she rested with the twins. Rachel was overwhelmed by their incredible friendship and a curiosity to know more about their home East Africa was born.   What transpires next is remarkable. Rachel and her family move from urban Minneapolis to a rural part of Somalia. Then to Djibouti. Kristin and Rachel talk about what it’s like to be a Christian in a country that is 99% Muslim and the incredible relationships she’s made with her neighbors. Rachel gives us a brief overview of the Muslim religion and piques our curiosity to learn more. After all, loving your Muslim neighbor is the same as loving your non-Muslim neighbor.    Learn more about Rachel Jones and her work at www.djiboutijones.com.   Purchase Rachel’s book Stronger Than Death   Learn more about the International School of Djibouti   Follow Rachel Pieh Jones: Instagram Facebook   Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast wherever you are listening!   Connect with Kristin: Facebook Instagram Twitter Website Book Creating Community & Connection Workshop   Join our free online community to continue the conversation at: www.theturquoisetablecommunity.com 

Register for Creating Community & Connection: A Workshop with Kristin Schell.   In this episode of The Turquoise Table, host Kristin Schell speaks with Maria Reed, founder of the home improvement television show Moving with the Military. Maria’s mission is to bridge the military-civilian divide through design and community building. Kristin and Maria discuss the unique hardships military families face and how the community can welcome them with open arms.    To begin, Maria shares her background and her own experiences being in a military family. She was born in Cuba and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She worked for many years in the film industry as a producer. However, during this time she dated long-distance and fell in love with her military husband. To her surprise, soon after they were married her husband deployed, and she found out she was pregnant. 17 years and five moves later, her love for the film industry continued with her. She then formed the idea for her television show, Moving with the Military, from her own life experiences raising a military family.   Maria describes the fear that comes with starting life over every time her family moved. Sometimes, she would barely leave her house and often felt paralyzed. She shares a story of making friends with another military wife.   Now she can find excitement and positive experiences from moving. While there are struggles for military families to build community, Kristin and Maria agree that the Turquoise Table has been a great resource for military families to find a sense of place in their community.   With the growing number of military families living outside military bases, Maria saw a need for home makeovers and her television show. Maria is in charge of the difficult task of choosing a military family for a makeover through the submission of stories and nominations. From backyards to bedrooms, the show has completed 27 makeovers in three years. With the work of her show, she encourages civilians to be a part of the lives of military families that live around them. Maria also describes the purpose of DIY nights within the communities and is coming out with a cookbook, The Military Melting Pot, as a way to meld families together.   Her biggest tip to civilians is to reach out to military families in their neighborhood and be in community with one another.    Links/Resources: Learn more about Maria Reed and Moving with the Military on her website.   Submit a nomination of a military family for a Moving with the Military home makeover.   Follow Moving with the Military: Facebook Instagram Twitter   Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast wherever you are listening!   Connect with Kristin: Facebook Instagram Twitter Website Book Creating Community & Connection Workshop   Join our free online community to continue the conversation at: theturquoisetablecommunity.com 

What Do You Need? A simple question inspires The Turquoise Cart Program at Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas.   In this episode of The Turquoise Table, host Kristin Schell speaks with Kim Muench, a volunteer program coordinator at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. Kim began her Turquoise Table journey by placing her own Turquoise Table in her front yard. Unfortunately, this was met with resistance by her Homeowners Association, and, despite Kim’s efforts to convince them otherwise, they would not allow her to keep her table in the front yard. Still determined to create community in her neighborhood, Kim began a tradition of bringing her Turquoise Table from the back yard to the front yard one Friday night per month. Each month, between three and seven families join hers to play games on the street and socialize. Kim hopes that even more families will join them, and that her community will continue to grow.   However, bringing out her Turquoise Table once a month wasn’t enough for Kim. She brought the idea of placing a table at Cook Children’s Hospital to her boss, who told her it wasn’t feasible. However, Kim and her boss came up with the idea of turquoise carts: rolling hospitality carts that go from room to room serving parents. When children are in the hospital, parents often forget to take care of themselves. The children receive constant attention, but parents often lose themselves in the care of their children. Kim wanted to start The turquoise Cart Project to serve and uplift these parents. To jumpstart the project, Kim asked all the parents who had children in the hospital: “what do you need?” This simple but powerful question rendered all the information she needed to pursue her idea of the turquoise carts.    Kim is grateful for the impact the project has already made, and encourages listeners to create their own Turquoise Table missions wherever they are. The Turquoise Table calling is not limited to a front yard picnic table. As Kim has proven, it can be manifested anywhere that there are people to be served and community to be created.   Links/Resources:   For full show notes, discussion guide, Suppers for Sharing recipe, and Conversation Starter, visit www.theturquoisetable.com/podcast, or join us in our FREE online community, The Turquoise Table Community.   Connect with Kristin: Instagram Facebook The Turquoise Table   Connect with Kim Muench: LinkedIn Facebook   Rate, review and subscribe to the podcast wherever you are listening!