Rhonda Yoder is wife to Darrell, and mama to two little boys; Jedidiah, (6) and Dirk (3). After 13 years of living in many different countries and houses, she is happily settling into a little house in PA in the community where she grew up. 

Her work as a nurse took her to Nicaragua, Iraq (where she met her husband), and Syria. More recently, Darrell, Rhonda, and their boys spent a year at the Texas/Mexico border working with immigrants. Each of those experiences was so good and so hard, Rhonda reflects. She worked in clinics with malnourished children and pregnant mamas, in bombed out buildings with the sounds of war all around, in refugee camps with traumatized war victims, Islamic extremists, and burn victims who became her friends. 

While she is not currently working as a nurse, her skills still get used as a boy mama and as a vet to their flock of 25 chickens, 20 chicks, a duck, a cat and a kitten, and their newest addition, a cow and her calf.  Recently she assisted a neighbor with a sheep c-section and attempted to resuscitate two lambs. 

After many years of city/town life and lots of emotionally exhausting work in war torn countries, Rhonda is finding so much healing in being outside in nature. Morning bird song  brings her so much delight, and she feels grateful that God has given us so much beauty, wherever we find ourselves. 

A new favorite activity for Rhonda is foraging with her children (and husband, when he can) in the woods around their home. They have found edible mushrooms, plants that can be eaten, and others that can be used to make tinctures and medicines. She loves teaching her boys about the different species of flora and fauna, all the while reminding them they can’t eat everything they see! It blesses her so much to hear her children tell each other that “God made this plant/sunset/bird”, and she wants to foster an awareness of Jesus in every day life in them. 

Lately Rhonda has been trying to learn how to lean on God’s grace as a first response, versus a last ditch attempt once she has exhausted all her options and her own strength. The Bible has so many verses showing what is available to us - wisdom, grace, abundant life, wholeness - and so often she gets in her own way and becomes frustrated. 

One of Rhonda’s favorite activities is working in her garden while listening to the audio Bible or an audiobook. She finds it so relaxing, especially now before the frenzy of harvest season comes. She also loves to read, and enjoys sneaking in a few pages here and there, or staying up way too late to finish a book. Rhonda likes trying out new recipes, and her family is typically happy to eat them with her.

Darrell and Rhonda both enjoy a good cup of coffee, and she has particularly been enjoying MamaJava’s Toddlerproof blend. It’s such a smooth cup of coffee. She typically has an Americano every morning and a latte or iced coffee mid morning several times a week. She is confident that Toddlerproof would be delicious no matter how you like your coffee! 

After suffering from postpartum anxiety and depression after her first child was born, Rhonda has become passionate about mental health for women. She has enjoyed making online connections with other moms who’ve gone through or are going through similar experiences. She would love to hear from you about your story, whether or not it involves mental health. Feel free to follow her instagram account @rhonda.porelmundo if foraging, chickens, cooking with a side of boy shenanigans, and mental health are your thing!