Last Post: Next stop - HAITI

This is it! I can't believe it's finally here! Tonight, my journey into Haiti will begin at 12:30 a.m. when I drive to Columbus to catch the bus to the airport. We'll drive to Atlanta and fly out Sunday morning arriving in Santo Domingo Sunday afternoon. By Monday morning, I will be IN Haiti! Praising the Lord for the amazing journey to this country...

I packed my suitcase last night (except for a few things...that I still need to wash!) and it was so surreal. The best part was tucking all those little happies safely in and thinking about those sweet faces. And let me just add, it was quite liberating to pack for a week and NOT have make-up or hair products (again, remember that when you're looking at the pictures!).

I am confident that this trip is truly God ordained and covered in prayer. I cannot wait to share the amazing love of Jesus Christ with the Haitian people whom I have prayed for earnestly over these last few years. I covet your prayers for the team, the people of Haiti, and also for my three boys at home. 

I'll be back soon!!

9 I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. 
I said, 'You are my servant'; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. 
10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
 I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 

Isaiah 41: 9-10

Happies!

I went shopping.

For those of you that know me, this is probably not really earth-shattering news.

But this trip was amazing! I went to buy happies to take to the kids! It was so fun to shop and think about their reactions. I bought bubbles, a few jump ropes, some Nerf balls, Matchbox cars and a construction vehicle set, and some hair pretties for the girls. I have several friends bringing things for me to pack as well and I'm pretty sure I'll be leaving out some clothes to stay under my 50 lbs of luggage...and I'm ok with that.

It was a fun trip, but the best part was coming home with the loot and talking to Riley about it. Of course, he really wanted those Matchbox cars for himself, but was more than willing to give them up after we talked about the boys who would get them that may not have any cars. We even prayed over the toys with him that night at bedtime, and he has since mentioned "the children who will get those toys" in several other prayers. While he will likely grow up never having to want for anything, I pray he is learning to have compassion and a heart to help those who aren't as blessed...

Today's prayer requests:

1. The children who will receive the team's gifts. Pray that they will enjoy the fun, but also that their joy and happiness will come from a relationship with our Heavenly Father and last much longer than these trinkets.

2. The parents of these children. Pray that they will see God's love in our actions and affections for their children and they will also come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Three more days...

Packing...or at least thinking about it.

As our departure gets closer, it's time for me to make "the list." I started trying and found myself marking through a lot of things that would normally put on it...most noticeably - MAKE UP and the mountain of hair products I normally take on a trip (I have really uncooperative hair!).

Who needs all that in Haiti, right?

Here's a peek at what I have so far...

1.  CAMERA. Enough said, but do see above (no makeup/hair products) when viewing pictures.
2.  Sunscreen. Wondering if one bottle will be enough...
3.  Bug spray. Also wondering if one bottle will be enough...
4.  Work clothes & shoes. Oh, and a hat...or two.
5.  Linens. 

Yep. I think that's about it. This should be easy, right?

Today's prayer requests:


1. The children of Anse-a-Pitres, Haiti. Pray we can be hope and love to them...so that they know they are loved and cared for, not only by this team but also by The One who created them.

2. The leadership of Anse-a-Pitres, Haiti. Pray they will be good stewards of the help being provided for their community and move it toward a better future. Ask God to give them His eyes for the people under their care so that they may make wise decisions.

Commissioned.

Today was a pretty emotional day. It was my last day at church before the trip, so there were lots of prayers and well wishes...which of course made the reality set in - It's really here. 

My Sunday School class (which is amazing, btw!) prayed over me to start the day and then I was "commissioned" during our 11 a.m. service. 

As if that wasn't enough to cry off every bit of my make up, I shared with our youth group tonight as well. Jeff wanted me to share how God has worked throughout the last two years to prepare my heart and open doors for me to go to Haiti (see Praying for Haiti). So, yeah. I was pretty much a blubbering mess by the end of the day! 

Keeping it short, so here are today's prayer requests:

1. Please pray for smooth air travel. With 40 people on the team, there are a lot of opportunities for things to go wrong (lost luggage, issues with customs, etc...). Pray God will make the travel process smooth and uneventful.

2. Please pray for smooth bus travel. Once we land in Santa Domingo, we have an 8 hour bus trip. Pray God will keep us safe and protect us from difficulties (flat tires, mechanical issues, etc...). 

P.S.: If you're wondering if I'm still running, yes. Ran 4 miles Friday and 3.5 tonight. :-) Hoping that will pay off next week when working in the heat!

A Tough Conversation

Tonight, I had a long-awaited conversation with Riley about my upcoming trip. After his bedtime story, I pulled up a map of the Island of Hispaniola to show him exactly where I would be traveling. He was full of questions - Would I get in a boat? Fly in an airplane? What would the bus look like? What would we eat?

The city we will stay in is on the DR-Haiti border at the bottom of the map:
Pedernales. We will work in a Haiti village just across the border: Anse-a-Pitres. 

I answered them to the best of my ability, and eventually we moved on to what I would be doing during my trip. In his mind, a trip this long should involve the beach and a swimming pool and lots of fun things (per our family trip to Orange Beach last summer!). And while there will (hopefully) be a chance to see the nearby beach, that is far from the focus of this trip.

Thank goodness for the Internet!! I showed him several YouTube videos of the village and then we talked about the importance of CLEAN water, how different things are in Haiti from our home, and how we have more than enough of everything but there are others with very little. He listened very intently and asked a few questions (mostly about the solar-powered water well on the YouTube video...my little science nerd!). 

But when I finished, he said the most wonderful words....

"Mama, can I go on a mission with you one day?" 

My heart overflowed with joy at his compassion and desire to help these people after hearing just my descriptions and seeing videos and pictures (Don't worry, Mom! I'm not taking him to Haiti...any time soon!). I explained that he needed to be a little older, but that we would do our best to take him on a trip. He asked if Eli could go, and I told him not yet. His response? "Yeah. He wouldn't be a very good 'missioner' right now." 

So, while my heart aches at the thought of being away from my sweet family for the week, it is full of joy at the Riley's receptiveness to embrace a life of service to others. With his daddy beginning seminary in the fall, this will certainly be our life...

I finished our talk with Riley's prayer charge. For the next few weeks, I asked him to pray for these two things, so I guess I'll ask you to do the same:

1. That people will ask Jesus to come live in their hearts while we are in Haiti and we are able to share His love with as many people as possible. 

2. That God would keep Mommy safe until she can be back at home with her boys and Daddy.

Counting Down to Haiti: 10 days...

In 10 days, I will be in Haiti! It still seems surreal to think about my journey to Haiti thus far...

For the next few days, I'll be posting some specific prayer requests for the trip. I hope you'll be willing to jump on board and pray for our team.

1. Pray for the people of Haiti. Roman Catholicism is the "official" religion of Haiti (80%) but voodoo became officially recognized as a religion in 2001 and is widely practiced throughout the country. Please pray the Haitian people will open their hearts to God's love and grace.

2. Pray for the team as they have contact with the Haitian people. Every chance our team members have to be the His light to the people of this country needs to be covered in prayer. Pray God will open doors for the team and again, open hearts to His love.

I'll keep it short as I'll be posting more frequently in the coming days.

One month!

In one month, I'll be in Haiti!

When I think about all the things in the pages of my calendar between now and then, I get a little anxious. Who could imagine that a trip to Haiti, one of the most destitute and broken places in the world, would be the light at the end of anyone's tunnel? 

God is revealing Himself in every aspect of this trip as it draws nearer. From the amazing prayer partners who have committed to pray for the team, for my family, and for me to the overwhelming financial contributions I have received to help cover the expenses, God continues to confirm this is His time for my trip and that He is preparing the way for me. 

Last week, I was feeling especially anxious about leaving my sweet boys for the week. Doubts about their well-being, my safety and a million other things began to crowd my mind and take my focus off the purpose of the trip...even began to make me doubt this was the time. I sat down to do my devotion and these were the verses for the day....

9 I took you from the ends of the earth,

from its farthest corners I called you.

I said, 'You are my servant': 

I have chosen you and have not rejected you.

10 So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you.

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:9-10

Wow. Just wow. I had not even stopped to confess my worry and give it to Him yet...and He took it without me asking.

Counting down and praising Him for Haiti...