Haiti Trip in Pictures (and some words)

 The guys helped free a car that got stuck on the way home from church.

 

We spent the afternoon at the hardware store called Eko Depot.

  

The pool got filled!

 

Jeannot learned how to take care of the pool.

 

Which led to lots of jumping off of the roof for the guys!

 The guys did a lot of construction & electrical work.  This outlet created quite the adventure for them.

 The guys built a screened in porch off of the dining room.

 They put up PVC pipes to redirect the off flow of rain water from the roof. This will keep a lot of debris out of the pool.

 Jared made a beautiful fountain on the side of the pool for Debbie (sorry I don't have completed pictures).

 The house I may be living at when I move to Haiti.  Donna is looking at renting this house and then sub-leasing rooms out to people like me!

 The upstairs kitchen.

 Stairs leading down to the first floor.

 The hall on the 2nd floor.

 Main bath on the 2nd floor.

 The balcony off of the master bedroom & guest room.

 The owner of the house talking with Donna.

 The gate that would allow us to lock off our living area (2nd floor) completely from the 1st floor.

 The beautiful architectural details in the main living area on the first floor.

 The owner offered to put up a sliding gate outside of these double doors, & bars on the windows for added protection.

 We made a couple of visits to Dorothy's.

 I got to hug my sweet Johnny.

 Kevin got a taste of what everyday life is like at Dorothy's.

 I got the privilege of being the first person to teach Sophie how to swim.

 We went to a beautiful restaurant called La Reserve on our last night.

 They had a beautiful waiting area with a pool table.

 The whole team plus some guests from Sherrie's.

 My dinner - Filet Mignon

 Dessert - Cookies & Cream Ice Cream

And last but not least, a picture with these two lovely ladies, Donna & Erin.  If everything goes as planned, they will be my roommates in Haiti!!  I'm so blessed to call them both my friends.  We had such a wonderful time catching up & reminiscing about how our paths unknowingly crossed over the last year.

It was a wonderful trip, and I cannot wait to be back down there full time!!  I am now working on meeting with Christian Light Ministries to complete the process of joining their team of missionaries.  I'll be traveling to Jacksonville, FL on Tuesday to meet with them in person. I hope to have everything lined up very soon!! This would allow me to funnel donations so that donors can get a tax deduction.

After I meet & get things in order with CLM, mom and I are going to meet with a CPA to discuss all of the tax information I'll need for this move & fundraising.

Then last, but certainly not least, once those two things are done I will begin fundraising!!  I need to raise around $30,000 to make the move for a year.  If you would like to donate, or know of a church, small group, or other organization that might want to help in my fundraising please let me know!!  I am open to any and all ideas.

This is a God-sized goal. I'm trusting that He will take care of everything!

Thanks again for your prayers & support!

Broken World: Prayers for Boston

I don't think I will ever get used to watching news clips of hateful terrorist attacks on people.  My heart breaks after every clip.  Every second.  For every family that has to endure such a tragic occurence.

I don't understand how people can be so full of hatred that they would want to take the life of another human being. 

Days like today, where I sit and watch clips of the Boston bombings, make me take a step back and remind me to be thankful that I serve a God that is bigger than any of this.  I will never forget watching the twin towers fall, the Sandy Hook parents as they searched for their children, and the looks of fear on those who were in the bombing today. 

Each event reminds me that this world is truly broken.  We unfortunately live in a world full of sin and it makes people do outrageous things sometimes.

At the same time, as I sat and watched the events unfold today, I had to remind myself to look at the good that was also taking place.   The runners who completed the race and then went to the hospital to give blood.  The innocent bystanders who rushed to do whatever possible to help those who were injured.  The first responders & medical personnel who didn't think twice and jumped into action to save lives.   For a President that openly said he and this country will be praying for everyone tonight.

It is so easy to get lost in these tragedies and feel complete despair.   I am so thankful that I serve a God who I can turn to in prayer and that He hears me immediately.  I am so thankful for his love, grace, comfort, guidance, protection, and peace he provides to each of us every day.  It looks different for everyone, but our God is so much bigger than any terrorist attack.

He loves us so deeply & that is what gets me through days like today. 

My heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to everyone involved in today's tragedy.  You are not alone!

Search for answers

We made it to Haiti safe and sound with no real issues.  It took a little longer to get through customs because of the pool filter Jared brought with him, but Jim and Debbie talked their way out of having to pay taxes on it.

Our last two days, for me, have been pretty uneventful for the most part. Jeremiah's team however, has gone above and beyond all expectations and gotten a lot done so far.  I unfortunately have not been feeling too well ( thanks mom! :) ) but thankfully the doctor prescribed me a Z-Pack so I'm trying my best to knock this sinus infection out.

On Sunday, we visited the Australian church (I think it was call Port au Prince fellowship) which was a true treat.  There is nothing better than praising God surrounded by fellow missionaries and believers in Haiti! It was an amazing worship time where we all got to connect with God like never before.  I was so encouraged to see how many missionaries, especially young missionaries, were here! I've gotten in the habit of working with the same people down here that I forgot how many missionaries were really here.  God is working in this country, I feel truly blessed to be a part of it.

This morning we all took a trip to the hardware store. I had heard all about it and wanted to check it out myself. I have to say I was very impressed! It wasn't too far off from a Home Depot.  I helped Debbie pick out a paint color for the exterior of the house, and they mixed it for us like they do in the states! That's HUGE here!  It used to be whatever colors they had were your options.  If you wanted something different you had to mix it yourself. ( I've seen that first hand painting Dorothy's bathroom a few months back.) The best part, however, is that their room for the paint mixing was air conditioned!!!! When they guy asked us to come back in a second time Debbie and I joked saying "if we must!"  It was a nice treat.

After our trip to Eko Depot we had lunch and the guys got to work on their various projects.  The pool got filled almost completely, a screened porch is almost complete, and electrical stuff has been wired up.  They are finishing the screen porch & pool tomorrow and then working on getting they inverter set up.  Once that's hooked up Jim & Debbie will basically never have to go without power.  It's such a blessing to them and teams coming through!

While the guys were hard at work, I got to sit down with Debbie and go through my list of questions. She patiently answered them all and I feel much better about things. I'm gonna have to raise more money than I expected, but I know if this is God's will he will provide.   I'm trusting Him with the details because they surpass my understanding at this point.  It's all a bit overwhelming but I know and trust God will take care of every thing, even dow to the tiniest detail.

I've been so encouraged by the team, Donna, Jim, & Debbie over the last two days.  Everyone is so supportive and willing to do what is needed to see me succeed.  God really knew what he was doing when he connected me with Jim & Debbie almost four years ago.  The whole journey has been incredible and I'm constantly standing in awe of God's goodness and provision.

Thank you all for the love, prayers, and support! The week has just begun, I can't wait to see what comes next!

And I'm off!

Well it's that time again!!  I leave for Haiti tomorrow morning at 6:50am.  I've got a pretty long layover in Miami, but I am very excited to get back down there and start putting plans into action.

My goal for this trip is to finalize (as much as possible) the amount I will need to raise to make the move.  I've got a long list of questions to go through with Jim & Debbie to work through some of the logistics.  I'm truly praying this trip will be one of more answers than questions.  While I'm sure I'll end up coming home with questions I had not yet thought of, I truly hope and pray I will come home with a pretty clear understanding of the next step!  I'd like to get the fundraising started as soon as possible, so fingers crossed and prayers lifted on that area!!

I am not taking my computer on this trip, but I will have my phone, so I'll try to update here and on facebook as internet allows.  I have a feeling most of my trip will be spent compiling the details and sorting through it all.

Please pray for me as I take this step of Faith and continue on this journey.  Please pray for safe and timely travels, my safety, & my health.  I'd also like to ask that you would begin specifically praying over my long-term goals.  Pray that the Lord would use this trip to open doors & that He would show me which path to take at every turn.  Also, please pray about my fundraising needs and how it will all come together. I know the Lord has a plan, and I am trusting he will provide exactly what is needed to make the move.  I am continually praying that I will have the courage and strength to follow his call & that he would begin working in me to prepare me fully for this journey.

It's going to be a great week!! I can't wait to see how God works!!

Thanks again for all of your love and support!! 

Haiti here I come (again)!!!!!