You're never too old...

…for a slumber party that is :)

In the past couple of years (since college), I've realized that slumber parties, and staying the night with friends, is becoming more and more something of the past.  I had started to accept the fact that we are all simply growing out of that stage, but I'm not quite ready to move on yet ;-)

This past weekend I traveled to Virginia to see one of my best friends from college get married.  It was SO fun seeing my roommates and celebrating this milestone with them!  However, it made me quickly realize how much I miss those crazy nights living together.  While I know being roomies again is not an option right now, I am making it my mission to see them more than once a year from now on!  A year is just waayy too long a time between visits!

I also had the privilege of staying with another friend Monday night; which once again confirmed that slumber parties are a necessity of life.  Maybe we'll call them something different as we get older, but I never want to take those times and memories for granted!  I love getting to catch up, enjoy an evening away, and just have some quality girl time every now and then!

Here's to never growing out of that stage and always making friendships a priority!

And for fun, here are a couple of pictures from the weekend!

Congratulations again Meredith & Jack!

Holy Week Recap

For those of you not on my email newsletter list, here is my most recent (and last) update on missions in Haiti.  It explains in more detail my decision to leave the international mission field full-time and where I will be going from here.  You can also read my previous updates if you missed them here and here.  Thank you all again for your love and support.  Comment below, or email above, with any questions you may have!

Below is a little photo recap of our recent trip to Haiti.  Mom, Erin, and I had so much fun serving at Have Faith Haiti Mission (HFHM) and celebrating Holy Week with the kids there.  Every day had a special Easter theme leading up to Easter Sunday.  It was an incredible week, and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to close this chapter properly.  Thanks again to the Hambrick family for letting us stay with you and for all of your love, guidance, and support over the years.  Your friendship is one I hold very dear to my heart. Love you guys!

Day One: New Life seeds, painting flower pots, and dirt dessert snack!

Day Two: The kids did spring cleaning at the mission (Clean House, Clean Hearts theme) while we took the day off to pack up my things at HFMS, visit the apparent project, and enjoy an afternoon swim.

Day Three: Egg-Stravaganza!  Egg dyeing, a massive Easter egg hunt, and coloring paper eggs.

Day Four: The Last Supper.  Jeremiah held a special devotion time that evening to teach the kids about communion and the significance of why Christ washed his disciple's feet at the Last supper. It was  a tangible teaching time as everyone got to experience the servant hood in having someone wash your feet and by participating in communion.

Mom, Erin, and Jeremiah also took a group of kids up to the Baptist Mission that afternoon.  They had a fun time exploring hiking paths, souvenir shopping, a petting zoo, and the playground area.  They even topped off the day with a Haitian happy meal for lunch!

Day Five: Cross activities in honor of Christ's sacrifice on the cross.  We also ended the night with pizza and a sunset swim over at Jim and Debbie's.

 Day Six:  We had all of the kids try on their "new life" Easter outfits that so many people lovingly donated for them.  If you can't tell from above, they all LOVED them! We had to leave for the airport shortly after, but they spent the afternoon doing "in the tomb" activities.  On Sunday everyone got to wear their new outfits to church and celebrate our risen Lord!

And last but not least, our fabulous hosts for the week!

It really was an awesome week!

Not Me Monday: Target Edition

After one too many boring days at home, I did not decide a shopping trip to Target with my best friend was a necessity.  I would never use the fact that there was a super cute purse waiting for me as an excuse to get out of the house.  I never indulge in shopping therapy.

And if I had taken this trip to Target, I would have never allowed myself to buy a $40 purse.  I always wait for items to go on sale.  My budgeting goals are going strong and I never give into impulse buying, even if it is a REALLY cute purse (that I happen to love)! I have great self-control.

And since I didn't take this trip to Target, and I didn't give in to an overpriced purse, I would never add insult to injury by walking out of the dressing room with my shirt inside out.  Of course I noticed it right away and promptly went back in to fix the problem.  I would never laugh hysterically and proceed to walk around the store anyways.  I hold myself to a high degree of dignity and would never convince myself that wearing my shirt inside out was acceptable.  After all, everyone probably thought it was just the new style.  Ahem.

Nope. Not me.

Let Go & Let God: Update on Haiti & Recovery

This blog post is overdue, and that's because I have been putting it off.  I've told this story to so many people lately, explained my thoughts/circumstances, and received so many thoughts to consider over the last few weeks, that I feel like a broken record that just can't seem to get back on course.

I'm lost, unsure, and a little discouraged over it all, but I'm leaving it at God's feet and trusting He will show me that right path when the time comes.  I ask that after reading this post, that you would lift up a prayer for me as I seek God's will on what to do.  I'm at the point now where I just have to "Let go & Let God" - a quote on a gift from a dear friend and mentor.

As many (if not all) of you know, the recovery process since my surgery has been more complicated than originally anticipated. This has left me with some big decisions to make regarding where to go next on this journey.

Option A:  I return to Haiti as soon as I'm able (it is still unknown when that will be an option) and finish out my commitment through October.  This would mean putting long term PT care on hold, potential risk of further injury, and limited access to medical care if something were to happen; BUT it would allow me to follow through with my commitment and dream of living and working in Haiti on the mission field, which so many people have donated to help me do.

Option B: I stay here in the USA, continue PT for best results, have easy access to my doctors and medical care, and begin focusing on short-term/local missions for a while.  If I go this route, I would also begin exploring career options & dreams of mine.  However, this option would mean breaking my commitment to living in Haiti for the year, and giving up (at least for a while) the dream of being a missionary overseas.

Neither option is perfect, and neither option is a no-brainer for me.  There are days where either one seems like the best course and then the next morning I'm on the fence again.  Do I make my commitment to Haiti or my long-term health the priority right now?  Either way I choose I can be successful in different regards, and either way I know God will use me, but I'm still unsure of which one is best.  As I said, I'm desperately in need of your prayers right now.

This is not a decision I take lightly. So many of you have given to help me following this calling, and I want to honor everyone's support and financial gifts to the best of my ability.   For now, I'm focusing on getting my incision to heal, gaining strength, and our upcoming short trip to Haiti in April.  Please continue to keep me in your prayers.

Thank you all SO very much for all of your love, support, and advice throughout this journey.   Hopefully I will have an update with a decision for you all soon.  Until then, please just keep me in your prayers.

On a really random and more upbeat note:

I REALLY miss these girls!! I think a reunion needs to be in our very near future =).

Too Random for a Good Title

Hey everyone, sorry it's been so silent around here recently.  I feel like I have been running around non-stop ever since I got home and when I finally had the chance to sit down and blog, my computer decided to break on me...yep gotta love that!

I don't even really know where to begin this post, other than trying to recap the last couple of weeks.

My first two weeks at home were filled with visiting family, celebrating Christmas, catching up with friends, lots of cuddling with my sweet puppy, and planning/shopping for my return to Haiti.  Those first couple of weeks were honestly a blur and felt like they passed in the blink of an eye.

Once the New Year hit, things slowed down a bit but quickly caught right back up with the fast pace of things here in America.  I traveled up to Virginia to celebrate a dear friend's wedding (see below), which was such a blessing for both of us!  I have missed hanging out with those girls so much and it really put back into perspective just how perfectly God has crafted every aspect of my life.

I have missed Haiti more than I anticipated, but I have also longed to stay home more than I thought I would too.  It seems like home and Haiti are always playing a tug of war game in my life.  My heart wants to have both of them all the time, but that unfortunately doesn't quite happen.

I did end up extending my stay at home for a couple of weeks, however it was not done for a reason I would have chosen.  You see, a couple of days before I left Haiti, I pulled a muscle in my lower back which made my sciatica flare up for the first time in a while.  I've had a bulging disk in my lower back since college but it has remained fairly dormant with only a few painful days here and there.  That day however, I had a bad feeling I had just made it way worse.  After coming home and not getting any relief from the pain, I started to see a chiropractor and we began throwing around the idea of getting another MRI done.  I didn't want to accept that I may have seriously injured the disc, so I kept putting it off.  However, when I almost passed out from the pain during the wedding I decided it was time to get things checked out.  Mom and I decided it was best to postpone my trip to Haiti so we could figure out if there was indeed something serious going on in my back (it also helped save a ton of money on flights if I had gone back).

Well, after getting the results of my MRI back this week, it was determined that I have a herniated disk and am now being referred to a neurosurgeon... not the news I was hoping to get.  My doctor is pretty sure it will require surgery, but that is to be confirmed next week when we meet with the surgeon.  Surgery would mean relief from the pain (which would be awesome), but it also would mean that my stay at home will have to be extended further.

I never imagined this would be happening right now, but I know the Lord has a plan.  I'm praying he will show me which route to take to find healing as well as get back to Haiti.  Please continue to keep me in your prayers.  I feel like that flag in the middle of a tug of war game being pulled two different directions both physically and emotionally.  Trying to process of all this, let alone explain it to my supporters has been very difficult for me.  I will return to Haiti, and I will finish out my year there, but I've had to put things on hold for a little bit.  This saddens me deeply, but I'm learning more and more each day that my health must take priority right now.

Please continue to keep me in your prayers as I try to figure all of this out.

More posts (some a little behind schedule) will come as soon as my computer gets out of the shop!

Christmas is Coming!

Despite the fact that it is 80 degrees with a gorgeous breeze here today, Christmas IS in fact just around the corner and I can barely contain my excitement!!  Christmas means that I get to come home for a few weeks, see family, hang out with my friends, hold my sweet puppy dog, and just be home!  Oh I cannot wait!!!  So soon...so so SOON!!

Our little Haitian Christmas tree I absolutely adore!

As I prepare for my time at home, here is what I am most looking forward to during this little vacation from Haiti:

• Seeing my family!! 
• Holding my sweet puppy dog
• Seeing all of my friends and getting to be part of one of their weddings!! I cannot wait for the wedding weekend!
• Good food that I don't have to cook, dishwashers, and all the holiday treats that only come once a year :)
• Worshiping at Grey Stone - I miss my home church so much!
• Giving everyone their Christmas gifts!
• Getting a pedicure
• Washing my clothes in my own washer and dryer!
• Sleeping in my own bed
• Brushing my teeth with cold water from the faucet
• And walking around barefoot without getting grossly dirty feet :)

Before heading home though, we've got a pretty busy weekend ahead of us! HFMS is hosting the KOFAEL Christmas party this Sunday, which I'm also very excited about!! All of the ladies are bringing their kids, we're making sugar cookies for them to decorate, we'll have cake, games, and Christmas fun!  We are going to have a packed house but it is going to be SO much fun!  The ladies will also each get a special Christmas gift that Elisabeth is bringing. They are going to be so excited!!

With one of the KOFAEL ladies at the last meeting!

Well, I should probably get back to working on things here.  Christmas is SO soon!

What are you most looking forward to this holiday season?  

Oh...just livin' the life!

Ok, prepare yourself for this post...it's about to be all over the place and possibily quite long as I try to recap the past week.

Where to begin...

Well I guess the best place would be to start on the 19th.  That was a wonderful yet crazily busy day around here.  Jeremiah came over to install the inverter, I picked up Emily and her dad from the airport, and attempted to make a late night run to the grocery store.  So basically what that means is:

1. We have an inverter now!! Aka power 24/7 (or at least close to that)!!
2. I have an American roommate now, who is fabulous!
3. I learned late night runs make me anxious.

Let me first say how nice it is to have power!  Oh I can't even put it into words.  I didn't know what to do with myself the first night.  I was able to cook, clean, and shower all WITH light!! Amazing I tell ya, A-MA-ZING!  Not only that, but my groceries now stay fresh, we can pump water even if we lose city power, and it's pretty awesome getting to sleep with a fan at night.  Simply wonderful.

Our inverter!! Thank you SOOO much Jeremiah for installing it!!

Second, I love, love, LOVE having Emily here!  Things were definitely getting lonely around the house and I was beginning to feel pretty lost on this journey.  It is so nice having another American my age here to laugh, joke, and talk with each day.  She also has incredible ministry ideas and dreams which gave me a new passion for this ministry.  Plus, we are learning that our strengths and weaknesses really balance each other out, so it's gonna be amazing working and living with her this next year.  Thank you Lord for providing a friend and ministry partner for this journey!

Emily and Me with Frosty at the Christmas Bazaar last week.

Third, I'm learning more and more that some things make me down right anxious here (and in the States as well if I'm being honest).  This seems to develop more as I get older, but I've learned a lot about myself over the past few weeks.  I learned that I don't like crowds, tight spaces, or sitting in a car on a street surrounded by 100s of people and cars waiting in line to go nowhere.  Pretty silly I know, but on more than one occasion I have had to give myself a pep talk to get through an uncomfortable situation.  I'm also learning that I'm not nearly as adventurous as I thought I was.  Trying new things is hard for me and really does take some major pep-talking most days!  I'm working on it though!

A little dose of perspective the other day.  This couple lives and works on the rock pile you see, which is right outside of our gate.  They were washing clothes that day and laid them out to dry on top of the dusty pile.  It reminded me to always be grateful life's blessings!

Other than that, things have just been busy around here.  Emily and I have gotten full force into ministry duties, getting everything typed up for teams, dreaming up ministry ideas, and trying to put things into action.  We've also been working out the kinks in some areas and have gotten this house really looking nice. There are some things we'd like to do to make it even nicer for when teams come, but that will come in time (and when the budget is available!).  Please keep us in your prayers as we work through all the details, try to discern God's will, and depend on Him for our continuing source of peace and joy.

I also wanted to update you all on the lady in the hospital I wrote about last week.  Emily and I went to see her on the 20th, to check in on her progress and provide the hospital with some resources for long-term care.  She said she was feeling pretty good, but from talking with the doctors it is becoming clear that she may have early signs of dementia.   They are still working on determining her true state of mind, but they are pretty sure she's not fully there mentally.  They also told us that she refuses to have her leg amputated.  The wound care doctor at Bernard Mevs (the hospital she's at) is going to try and save the leg, but it will take a long time and a lot of prayer.  The best part of our visit was praying over her and we finally learned her name.  Meet Ifanya (or Efanya - not sure of the proper spelling).  Please keep her in your prayers as she has a long journey of recovery awaiting her.  Please also pray that the hospital will be able to find a long-term care facility for her soon.

Ifanya.

So yeah, that's basically the gist of life here right now.  Add in a trip to the local market, Creole lessons, a few 100 ants, lots of laughs, and a little bit of frustration, and that pretty much sums up life right now!

 From our trip to the local market today!  Lots of fruits and veggies to choose from and it's just around the corner!

 I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty excited about our Christmas decorations!  The reindeer will somehow find its way back to the States with me eventually!

I really do love being here and am finding more and more peace each day about this calling.  God is teaching me some pretty big and hard lessons about myself, but I've grown closer in my walk with him than ever before.  Thank you for your continued love, support, and prayers!! We really do appreciate them all!

Ps.  Keep a look out here, on Facebook, and via email for an upcoming Christmas Catalog for HFMS.  This is a great and easy way to help get involved with missions while also supporting our ministry here in Haiti over the Christmas season!

Ok, I think this post is long enough.  Bonnwit (goodnight)!

Hello, My Name Is:

I realized that I've thrown a lot of new names out recently and that most of you have no clue who I'm talking about. So, to help you put a face with the name in my posts, here is a little break down of who's who in my life right now :)

Patricia Goodman:  

Founder and Director of Hope for My Sister. 

Emily Schoneman:

My soon to be American roommate, and the Assistant Center Coordinator here at HFMS.

Julienne Pierre:

Our Haitian roommate, leader of KOFAEL, and ministry partner of HFMS. She is engaged to Frantz.

Frantz Osier:  

Julienne's fiance, leader of KOFAEL, and soon to be third housemate in December.  He will be moving in once they get married to help with things here at HFMS.

Esther Soloman:  

The Haitian woman who helps when we have teams, and a dear friend of mine.

The Hambrick's (Jeremiah, Jennifer, Ella, Ezra, Eli, and Zoe):

My dear friends from the States who are also serving here in Port au Prince.  

Jim & Debbie Hambrick:

Jeremiah's Parents and fellow missionaries here in Haiti.  I've worked with them many times over the last few years.  They are great friends and have been mentors for me through this journey.  They also live two doors down, so we're neighbors! :)

Hope that helps!! You can read more about KOFAEL and their ministry here. You can also read more about HFMS by clicking the link on the navigation bar above!

This Just Got Real

Nine days guys.  NINE! I am moving to Haiti in nine days....

Say what?!

Let me wrap my head around that for a minute...

Ok, 9 days. I can do this! I should probably start packing though shouldn't I?  

NINE?!?!!! 

I honestly think I'm still partially in denial that this is happening. My bank account, the room with all my stuff, and my to do list say otherwise, but my brain hasn't quite caught on yet. It feels like I still have weeks left but it's more like a week and a couple of days. yikes!

The past few weeks have been jam packed around here. You've probably noticed a few changes around the blog, right? There are more coming, but please look around and explore!! All the information you'll need on the ministry I'm working with is located up top. Everything you need to know is in one easy to find location now thanks to the incredible designer I hired! Hope you like the new look, I sure do!

Anyways...back to the past few weeks. I have spent the last month or so shopping, picking up donations, crossing off items on the to do list, speaking at churches, and trying to finalize fundraising. It has been crazy, but kind of relaxing too. You all know I love working through details, so this part of the journey has been kind of therapeutic. I just really need to start packing...anyone want to help??

 My only attempts at packing thus far...I have to say these space bags are pretty impressive!  That's a full size quilt, three sets of sheets, two pillows, and three rugs compressed to less than 2 feet tall. 

I had the honor of speaking with two churches so far, and will be speaking at Grey Stone this coming Sunday. What a blessing that has been! For those of you that know me well, you know I hate public speaking. My knees start shaking, my nervous stomach kicks in, my mouth gets dry...yeah not so fun! I've pushed through though, dry mouth and all, and have been beyond blessed both times!! I spoke at Temple Baptist Church in Fayetteville first, and the congregation donated $816 towards my ministry. Through speaking at Temple, I was also put in contact with another donor organization that will donate close to $1,000! What a HUGE blessing that was! Last Sunday, I spoke at Concord Baptist Church in Granite Falls. They as a church gave $750 and individual donations totaled over $600, bringing the total donation that day to almost $1500!! I can't even put into words what a blessing those two churches have been to me. The encouragement from the members, the love, donations...it meant the world to me!! We are also good friends with the pastors at both churches, so it was so nice getting to see old friends and have their support and encouragement as well! Thank you again to both of those churches for having me! Between the two churches, they donated enough to support almost two full months of my time in Haiti. Seriously, what a Blessing!!!!

 Speaking at Temple Baptist Church

 Got to love on this sweet little boy after service.

 

Speaking at Concord Baptist Church.

 

Other than that, life has been pretty normally. I'm trying to take in every second of this gorgeous fall weather, enjoy my favorite American treats, and get in as much time with family and friends as possible while I can.

Overall I am feeling pretty good about this move. There are days where my emotions get the best of me, but I'm finding comfort and peace through Christ. Nights are probably the hardest time for me, as the quiet lets my mind wander aimlessly. If I'm not careful, my worries and what ifs get the best of me, but I've found opening God's word and reading scripture helps me through those harder times. I don't know the specifics of what this journey ahead will hold, but I know it's going to be an amazing year! I'm trusting in God for my strength, patience, wisdom, and courage for this new chapter. He has gone before me, will be there with me, and will go after me. He will sustain me.

Thank you again for all of your support, encouraging words, and most importantly your prayers! I covet your prayers.

 

A sweet gift of encouragement from one of my dear friends.  It meant the world to me!

 

Some specific prayer requests right now:

• My peace of mind before, during, and after my time in Haiti.
• For an easy transition into this new life/culture/climate/etc.
• For safe & timely travels to Haiti.  That all of our luggage would arrive safely and on time.
• For my parents as they experience this first week in Haiti with me, and as they adjust to life with me living Haiti.  Pray for their strength, patience, emotional well-being, and guidance through this year.
• For my fundraising.  I still need to raise around $10,000 for the year.  I know God will provide!
• For the ministry I'll be working with.  Pray that God would guide us on how to minister to the women of Haiti, and the best methods in doing so.  Pray also for the fundraising of the ministry.  We have some big immediate financial needs (inverter, transportation, washing machine, etc) but don't currently have the funding to cover them.
• For calmed nerves and peace of mind as I speak at Grey Stone on Sunday.  Pray that God would give me the right words and that the congregation would be open to supporting my ministry in Haiti.  Pray for my emotional state, as it will most likely be a tear-filled testimony. 

Summer Whirlwind

Sorry to have taken yet another long break from blogging.  This summer has been jam packed with work, fundraising, traveling, visiting old friends, & more!  It has flown by, but here are some pictures from the last few months.

 Jodi came to town for a quick visit!

 Staff trip to Myrtle Beach.

 The girls

 Courtney & me.

 Sisters.

 Barefoot Landing fun with Eliza.

 & with Erin.  We couldn't resist!

 Quick trip to Maryland to visit these beautiful ladies!  A much needed ID5 reunion!

 Fun on the boat.

 Love these girls (and Andrew!)

 Found my future dog.

 Stopped in VA to see Jessica Deen!

 Erin & I got slimmed by the group that raised the most money for my move to Haiti.

 Things got a little messy with Andy.

All done in love of course!

 Held our first fundraiser for Haiti, a Spaghetti Dinner & Silent Auction.

 Family came out to support!

 We had over 200 people attend that evening.  I was so amazed with the support from everyone!

 Raffling off goodies!

Kathleen helped run the Silent Auction table.

It has been such a wonderful summer, I'm not ready for it to end! The next step is to begin planning our next fundraiser.  Thank you again to everyone that donated items for the Spaghetti Dinner!  And thank you to everyone that volunteered and came out in support!  It means the world to have so many people standing behind me as I begin this journey.  Here's to the next few months full of fundraising!