2015 Goals

As I was looking back over my goals last year and all that was (or wasn't) accomplished, I realized that overall having some concrete goals to obtain was really helpful for me throughout the year.  Last year was the first time I'd ever written out goals, let alone shared them with anyone, but I found that it kept me motivated and for the most part on track throughout the year.  Having some added accountability in place really did wonders for me last year.

With that in mind, I've decided to make written goals a tradition with the hopes that this year will prove to be even more successful!  Some of this year's goals are bigger, some are more specific, and some are broader than last year, but overall I think they help touch each part of my life that I'd like to make some changes in.

So here goes nothing....for 2015, my goals are as follows: (Items that are underlined & bold are my top goals for this year).

Health:

• Lose 50 pounds (no surgery plans this year so I want to get back on track!).
• Work out at least 3x/week - swimming, walking more, and starting some in-home exercises.
• Strengthen my core and upper body. 
• Make it a point to not eat out at all at least 1 week every month.

Finances:

• Pay off two loans completely.  
• This is a BIG goal, but one of my top goals for 2015.  Other goals throughout this post will be going to help make this one a reality! 
• Decrease areas of my budget as much as possible where I can (i.e. - money spent on going out, clothing, entertainment, etc).
• Implement the "Save the Extra" method.  
• Instead of rolling over extra cash from items in my budget at the end of the month, my goal is to now take that money and put it straight into savings so I can start saving up for my own apartment, trips, etc.
• Plan now for Christmas.
• My goal is to start putting a little aside each month for Christmas so that the "gifting frenzy" won't be as bad this year.

Home:

• Re-organize!
• This is an easy goal for me, but we all need those right?  My goal is to re-organize my closet, desk, and dresser to be more functional this week.
• Get tax items in order.
• I want to scan all of my receipts from Haiti last year into my digital system, and de-clutter that area of my life.  Yay for less clutter!
• Get all of my items for 2014 taxes in order, scanned, and ready to be filed come February.
• Gather all of my items stored upstairs and down at home, inventory them, and have Dad store them all together in one place.
• This may be wishful thinking, but having my stuff strewn about 100 places makes me anxious, so this would be a huge weight lifted!  Plus it'd be nice to know what all I have whenever the day comes that an apartment is an option :).

Personal:

• Contentment Challenge. 
• After all of the buzz of the Holiday's, I keep finding myself feeling very discontent and it's been tugging at my heart.  So, I've decided to make contentment one of my major goals this year.   Some ways I'll be doing that are:
• Digging into God's word.
• De-cluttering my inbox and social media sites by removing/unsubscribing from all unnecessary shopping ads.  There are very few that I actually shop at regularly and the rest are just constant temptations that need to be removed.
• Limiting online shopping.
• Limiting my non-essential shopping trips.
• Eating at home vs going out.

• Read more.
• Read at least 6 books this year (one every other month).
• Continue to decrease my time on social media.
• Invest more time into local missions and volunteer work.
• Help youth at Church with their fundraising efforts.
• Father's day/Christmas project.
• Take some "me" time - away from work.
• Trip to the beach, lake, something for myself!
• Be more intentional about hanging out with friends - especially with those who live further away!
• Take an ID5 trip
• Have a girl's weekend with local friends
• Beach trip

This is a lofty list, but I'm really excited about the possibility of making it all a reality!  Here's to kicking off 2015 with a strong start!  What are your top goals this year??

End of another year...

Is 2014 really almost over?  As I think back over this year, I'm blown away by where all it has taken me.  I've learned over and over and over this year, that my plan is not God's plan, and that is completely ok with me.  If you would have asked me last December where I thought I would be writing this post from today, the last place I would have thought of would have been my desk here at Duke. But, here I sit reminiscing over all this year has encompassed feeling completely at peace with where God has me.  Here is a look back at all of the highlights from 2014:

January:
I had the honor of being a bridesmaid in one of my best friend's weddings.

Which then led to the realization that I would need back surgery, where my sister lovingly took this picture for us all to remember the occasion.

 

February - March:
Which made the next two months pretty much consist of this...

April:
In April, after finding out the second hole in my incision was not closed and a third had begun, I decided to not return to Haiti full time.  Mom, Erin, and I, instead decided to take a short week-long trip over Easter to pack my stuff up and to bless the kids at HFHM with a week full of Holy Week activities.

 

I also started working at Michaels in April.

May:
We got to celebrate Andy's graduation from college!

June:
I got the privilege of watching another one of my very best friends get married!

And, I got to see Julianne and Derek Hough on tour (yes this was a highlight of my year!).

July:
In July, I opened my Etsy shop.

and, Erin and I got to spend a weekend, just the two of us, with Grandma and Pa, where we introduced him to smores (probably one of the top highlights of my year!).

August:
I started my temp position here at Duke with UCAE.

and, did LOTS of dog sitting!

Septemeber - October:
Late September into early October, I took a trip up to Virginia to see all of the girls from college.

In mid-October, I said farewell to Helga and welcomed this beauty into the family after accepting the permanent position here at Duke with the UCAE team!

November:
Andy came home from Vegas to surprise us all.

and we celebrated Thanksgiving old school style with Bue's Brunswick Stew recipe.

December:
The Student Involvement team, here in UCAE, took a day to volunteer at the local food bank in Durham (I love that my job gives back!).

Erin and I hosted a Thirty-One gives fundraiser.  Through your purchases and support, we raised $100 which was donated to Carrington Middle School to buy Christmas items for five families in need this Christmas.  We also were able to purchase over $500 in free products which will be given to 18 moms at the Ronald McDonald house today!

To finish off December, we will be doing all of our usual Christmas traditions.  From watching the Summit's DPAC Christmas performance, to traveling from Raleigh to Elkin to spend time with family, and even having Christmas breakfast at home.  It's going to be a busy last few days of December, but this is always my favorite time of the year!



It has been a great year.  One that I would not have necessarily planned myself, but one that has blessed me beyond belief.

So from our family to yours, Merry Christmas!

Thirty-One Gives, Christmas Fundraiser

To help support a family in need this Christmas, Erin and I are hosting a
Thirty-One fundraiser next Wednesday night at 6pm!

15% of EVERY sale, as well as ALL hostess rewards that are earned, will be gifted to them this Christmas! 

This is a great time to come out and see some fabulous products, finish your Christmas shopping, buy some items for yourself, and support a great cause at the same time!  You can see all of the gorgeous products on the link below.

Erin and I get no personal gain from this party, but you will bless a family tremendously this Christmas by shopping online through the link below or coming to the party!  As a bonus for reading my blog, use the coupon below at the party for special deals as well!

Curious what the family could earn?

Well, if we get $600 in sales the family will receive:
$90 in cash
$100 in free product
2 half price items
A Large Utility Tote with a Stand Tall insert
& 2 Hostess Exclusive items!

If we get $1000 in sales, the family will receive:
$150 in cash
$200 in free product!
2 half price items
A Large Utility Tote with a Stand Tall Insert
& 2 Hostess Exclusive Items!!!

If we get $1200 in sales, the family will receive:
$180 in cash
$250 in free product!

THREE half price items
A Large Utility Tote with a Stand Tall Insert
& THREE Hostess Exclusive Items!!!

• Click here to shop online
• Come to the party, see the fabulous products, and shop in person!
  • Date: Wednesday, December 10th
  • Time: 6pm
  • Where: Erin's house - email me for the address - allysonhemric@gmail.com!
  • Use the coupon below for extra gifts as well!
   
  

Brain Dump #6594

I couldn't think of good title for tonight's update so why not go with my 6,594th brain dump post…after all that's what all my posts end up being :).  So here we go: prepare your self for an all over the place blog!

Erin and I went to Grandma & Pa's last week.  I honestly can't remember the last time just she and I went and stayed with them for a few days.  Growing up we spent most of our school breaks up there on the farm, but it's probably been years since just the two of us hung out with them.  It was SO nice.  I felt like I was reliving a part of my childhood and kept finding myself feeling immensely grateful for the opportunity to go see them.  I love my grandparents and am so very blessed to call them mine!

Pa had never heard of, let alone tasted, s'mores so we had to introduce him! I think you can tell he liked them :)

We helped supervised Grandma & Pa while they cut and canned tomatoes - over 12 quarts worth!

My Etsy shop has been open for two weeks now, and while I haven't gotten as many sales as I'd hoped, I'm really enjoying having the shop!  The creative juices are always flowing and I love trying to come up with new ideas to sell.  Stay tuned, you may see some new fall/halloween items going up in the next few weeks ;-).

For an update on my goals:

-I have officially read 3 (and 1/2)…yes T-H-R-E-E books this year!!!!  I know you book lovers out there are laughing at me, but this is HUGE!  I'm pretty sure I've never read this many books for fun, ever!  I really enjoyed the last one I read, called Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult, and am thinking about starting a second book of hers next.  I know, I know, four books is impressive ;-)!  Ha!  This does mean I've not only met, but exceeded my goal for the year in this category!!  I'm feeling pretty proud of myself!

-Pursuing my dream career path is still in the works too.  Driving to Grandma's last week, I realized how much I miss living in High Point.  Erin suggested looking for jobs up that way again, so I've been doing just that!  I found that it's hard to get a job when you don't live in the area, but I'm hoping and praying for the right position to open up!  I would so, SO, love to move back up there again!!  In the meantime, I am meeting with the Duke Temp agency to try and get some more part-time work and experience to build my resume (and wallet!).  Please keep my job search in your prayers. I know it can seem unimportant compared to other prayer requests, but it would mean so much to me!  I'm ready to get into a full-time career and begin this next phase of life, so please pray that God would open and close the right doors to get me there!

-All of my other goals are pretty much where they were when I last posted.  They may be progressing slowly, but progress is progress!


Well, that's about all for now :)

Brain Dump: Job Edition :)

Wow…has it really been THAT long since my last post?  I feel like I just blogged my official notice of leaving Haiti yesterday.  Where has the time gone?!

Actually I know exactly where its gone:  to one of the 5 different jobs I'm working this month! And yes, I really do write that with excitement!

Most of the last three weeks have been spent working part-time at Michaels. I'm not super proud of myself for this position, but it's paying the bills, and the employee discount is pretty sweet! I am very grateful for this job though, and I am so thankful for God's provision and timing with this placement.  It won't be a forever job, but it's what I need right now. I also love the staff there, and it has been fun so far which makes working that much more enjoyable! Getting out of the house and back to some normality with life/my back has also been wonderful.

I'll also be working with/for three other people this month (and hopefully part of next) doing various different jobs for them: i.e. errands, data entry, cleaning, child care, etc.  I hadn't planned to take these small odd jobs, but God placed them in my life at just the right time - don't you just love how he does that?!  I was beginning to worry about my student loans and other bills, and literally within days of each other, these offers opened up.  I'm trying SOOO very hard to get my budgeting goals in line as well as get my student loans paid off quicker rather than later so these three jobs are a huge blessing!

With that in mind, I am also really excited about a part-time commission based position I was offered -- or rather am in the process of being officially offered. I'm pretty excited about this one seeing as how I could pay off my student loans in the next year or two if I can get good at it!!!! That would be SO amazing! I will also get to work from home and make my own hours with this position, and depending on my success it could potentially become something full-time later down the road.  The best part is that this position is with a company I believe in and has a missions emphasis; how perfect right?!  What a dream come true it would be to get paid to do missions!  The future part is in God's hand, but for now I am just grateful for the opportunity and excited to see where it leads. More details to come on this once the offer is official and accepted :)

The last couple of weeks have certainly been a whirlwind, but it sure does feel good to get back into the workforce.  I can't wait to see what comes next!

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!

Under the Knife

(Ha! Ok so maybe it won't look like this..)

First of all let me say how excited I am to have my computer back!!! While a little break from technology was nice, I have missed this little gem of mine...even if it is considered "vintage" now. Don't ask.


Any who... Surgery is tomorrow.  Yuck.


I'm beyond ready to have relief from this pain but I'm not looking forward to having surgery. The whole thing freaks me out (thank God for anesthesia!!). I'd like to go ahead and be put under now so my mind can stop racing about the whole process.  This two week waiting time is not the best idea for someone who over thinks and gets anxious about procedures... Just sayin'!


...Enough thinking about that.


In other news, I booked my flight back to Haiti this week!  It was an exciting glimpse of hope that this will all be over soon and I can get back to doing what God has called me to do.  I've loved being at home, but I'm missing Haiti quite a bit and everyone I know down there.  So, March 4th I get to return to that land I love so much and I'm really looking forward to it!!  I'll still have some restrictions on what I can do but they are all things I can work with thanks to the wonderful friends I have in the area :)!


Ok back to getting ready for ignoring tomorrow...starting with lots of cuddling from this cute pup!

Heartbreak and a Call to Prayer

The hospital where this sweet woman is being treated.

 

What did you do the last two days?

For me, Wednesday and Thursday were like none other.  I started Wednesday off like any normal day.  I was up around 7am, fixed breakfast, Jeremiah came to look at installing the inverter, Esther came by to clean the house for Emily, and things were just normal; running smoothly and enjoyable.  However, as I was fixing dinner that night, my world was rocked.  I got a call from my good friend Erin Fairbanks, who is now working at Dorothy's.  She had been at the hospital all day with Emmanuella, one of the kids at Dorothy's, who was getting her pre-op done for a feeding tube surgery next week.  While at the hospital, Erin was talking with a friend there who mentioned they had an abused woman in their care and they weren't sure where to send her, or who does that kind of ministry here in Port.  Naturally, Erin thought of us and gave me a call wondering if we could take this lady in.

Here is where it got hard.

Come to find out, an American man who brings teams down regularly always checks on this Haitian lady, takes her food, etc.  While in town this past week, he could not find her.  He began to ask around wondering if she had moved, past away, was sick, etc.  They eventually found her in a cemetery.  Bound with wire, gagged, and with severe injuries.  He immediately took her to the hospital for treatment. When I heard this my heart sank.

Who would do such a thing and why?  Why her?  Who did it?  Was it voodoo, her husband, family? How do we help her?  How do we turn her away?  Can we take her in?  Are we equipped for that yet? What is her state of mind even like?  What type of treatment would she need? How do we help her?!??

I spent all of Wednesday night in tears and on the computer emailing back and forth between Erin, Patricia, Emily, and me.  It broke all of our hearts.  We had to do something but what could we do?  We aren't equipped, trained, or prepared to take women like this in, but how do we turn her away??  There are so few places, if any, here in Haiti to send this woman.  My mind raced all night as I tried to figure out how we could help.

Then Thursday came around.  Erin texted and asked if I'd like to go with them to the hospital and meet this lady.  I said yes, and off we went.  I thought from the conversation we had the night before that I was prepared to see this woman, but boy was I wrong.  We sat and talked with the nurse first to get a better understanding of what happened and the severity of her injuries.

We were informed that they believe she was used in some sort of Voodoo ceremony.  They are unclear of how long she had been there, but from her injuries they concluded it had to have been for some time.  The nurse said her whole body was bound with wire.  Her fingers bound so tight that at the base they were cut to the bone, barely hanging on.  She had a huge open wound on her knee where you could see all the tendons and ligaments.  She said this wound was badly infected with screw worms, like nothing they'd seen before.  To the point that they had to call a vet to figure out how to get rid of them. She also has a hole in her ankle where they believe she has some other type of worm living because you can watch its air bubbles come to the surface (she will need surgery for this soon).  She was infested with maggots, everywhere.  In places you would never want maggots.  She was missing a few fingers, which could have been a previous injury or caused from the wire.  They believe she will lose her leg and need a prosthetic in the near future.  Her injuries are so severe that she will be spending a while in the hospital. The nurse also told us that when she was brought to the hospital and finally cleaned up, they took her to her room.  They said she bent down, smelled the sheets (noticing they were clean), smiled the biggest smile they've ever seen, and then laid down and fell right asleep.  The nurse said you could tell it was the first time she had felt safe in a long time.

I was not prepared. Not even close.

It took all I had to not burst into tears when I met this woman face to face.  I couldn't think of anything to say.  I asked how she was doing and told the nurse that we would figure out some way to help.  I wasn't sure what that would look like, but we WOULD help!

As we left, my heart broke in two. Who could do such a thing to this woman?  Why is this world so cruel? How on Earth are we going to help?

Needless to say, she needs your prayers and we need your prayers!!  This is not the first time we've been asked to take someone in.  There simply aren't enough ministries here serving these types of cases.  While our original plan was to not house women, as this question keeps arising we are becoming increasingly aware that this may just be the path God wants our ministry to go. Unfortunately, we are not equipped to take this sweet woman in, but we are beginning the process of looking into this as an option in the future.

Unfortunately, saying yes is not as easy as it sounds.  While our hearts scream ABSOLUTELY we'll take her, our minds are reminded of how big of a committment that is.  As soon as we take the first woman in, we will open our gates to a revolving door of these cases.  We will get knocks and calls all the time.  That then forces us to face and prepare for these questions:

-Who do we take in?
-Who do we turn away?
-How many women can we house?
-What services can we provide?
-What if they need medical care?  We don't have a nurse here, transportation to take them to the hospital, or the supplies to even do basic medical care here.
-How long do they stay?
-How do we keep track of their progress when they decide to leave?
-How will we afford to feed and provide medical care to these women?
-What training does our staff need to provide proper counseling and care?
-How do we turn someone away?
-What are the guidelines for the women we'll accept?
-How do we even decide what cases are "acceptable" here?
-How do we protect them in the long run?
-How do we keep ourselves and this ministry safe once we start this program?
-How do we say no?

And the list can go on, and on, and on!

These questions have been racing through our minds the last two days as we explore this new path for the ministry.

Please keep us in your prayers.  Pray that God would provide the wisdom, knowledge, resources, and provision if this is His will.  If it's not His will, please pray that he would close the door.  Pray that we would have the courage to take this step and explore this area of ministry.  Pray for our hearts and our minds, as nothing can put into words the things we've seen the last two days.  Please pray for us as we try to discern God's will.  If this is the path we are to take, please pray that we will figure out how to put it into action.

I was not prepared.  I'm not prepared.  But God doesn't call the equipped.  

Please pray for this sweet woman.  We don't even know her name because she speaks so softly that no one can understand.  She goes by about four different names at the hospital, but we hope as she continues to gain her voice and confidence that we will come to know her name soon.  In the mean time,  please pray for her.  Pray for her health, quick and complete healing, for her emotional state, that this would not crush her spirit, and that some how some good will come from this. She needs our prayers.

Please pray. For her. For us.  For the women we will soon be serving.

Ps.  Sorry there is no picture of this sweet lady.  I couldn't bring myself to ask for a picture when I saw her yesterday.

Mind Fog

As I sit awake tonight, my mind seems to be endlessly wandering again.  It's 4am and I cannot seem to fall asleep.  I thought maybe writing a blog post would help, but the right words just aren't coming to mind.  My thoughts have been all over the place tonight, but one verse keeps sticking out in my memory.

"Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9

I read that passage in my bible study the other night, and it has glued itself to my memory ever since.  I can study some verses for days and still not be able to recite it back word for word.  This one however, I read once and it stuck.  I'm guessing that's because it was what I needed, and still need, to hear.

Be strong & courageous.
Do not be afraid.
God is with you wherever you go.

Three statements that have been my strength this week.   I don't really know how to verbalize my emotional state or train of thought over everything, but this verse seems to sum it up, or at least put my mind at rest.

Hopefully it will bring you some encouragement today as well.

Now off to bed for me.

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. 

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)!!!!!

My Journey to Haiti: Part Three

These last couple of months have been filled with the most eye-opening and amazing moments, all of which have been orchestrated by God!

Let me give you a little bit of background that I left out of part two.  Once I hit that moment of realizing that God wanted me in Haiti and I had to give him control and join the ride, fears/worries of different kinds started creeping in my mind.  You see, I graduated college last year in May, and I knew my loans would be entering into repayment VERY soon.  Most college graduates have 6 months after their graduation date before that repayment period begins.  Around the time all of this realization took place, I was about 3-4 months away from having to make large loan payments.  I went into the loans websites to get an idea of how much I would be looking at paying each month.  I have 3 loans, through 2 different organizations, and came to the understanding that I would be paying around $350/month starting December 2012.

Yikes!! That's all I could think.

At this point, I had no job, no prospect of a job, was contemplating moving to a fifth-world Country, and honestly had no clue how those payments were going to take place.  Honestly, I panicked.  I thought there was no way I could ask people to support me each month to live in Haiti AND ask them to send enough to make those payments.  I just didn't feel right asking people to do that, nor did I think there was any way people could do that.  I reached a point where I figured my only option would be to find a job, work for a year or so, and save up enough money to make those payments before I could move to Haiti.

To say I was bummed and feeling discouraged was an understatement.  The job search had yielded absolutely NOTHING, I didn't have a peace about working in design any longer, and truthfully felt like I had run into a brick wall that I couldn't find a way around.  I kept praying and asking God to show me a solution to this problem.  I know God is bigger than any financial hurdle, and I simply had to trust that he would take care of it.  Until then,  I had to keep looking for jobs and going about life.

During this whole ordeal, our team was preparing for our upcoming (my fourth) trip to Haiti (Dec. 2012).  We were raising the funds, gathering supplies, planning our week, and getting really excited for the upcoming adventure.  I prayed constantly that the Lord would use our team in ways we hadn't even thought of.  That He would go ahead of us and prepare the hearts of those we were going to see, as well as prepare us for the journey.  I prayed that He would use this trip to make my calling clearer, and give me a better understanding of his plans for me in Haiti.  I prayed every way possible over our trip.  I knew God had big plans and I was so anxious to see how they would all unfold.

About a month before our trip, I attended the Missions Committee meeting at Grey Stone.  I spoke with Randall that night, and he really pushed me to make the move, step out in faith, and wanted to know when I was going.  I jokingly laughed and brushed it off, knowing that I was still afraid and genuinely had no idea when or even if things would ever get to that point.  It wasn't until I was on the way home that it hit me...

God had taken care of my financial hurdle.

A week prior, I received a letter in the mail letting me know my first loan payment was due.  That payment was through CFNC, on one loan, and was a $50 payment.  When I went online to make the payment, I realized I hadn't heard anything from my other loan company.  I went on their website and realized that they had my loan listed as not going into repayment until 2015.

2015!!!!

I didn't realize it at first, but on the car ride home that night I broke into tears over the realization that God had just cleared the path.  He had given me a 2 year window where I could go to Haiti and not have to worry about paying the  $300/month.  This may seem so silly to some of you, but in that moment I felt more blessed than ever before.  I've heard of this kind of thing happening to people who are faithful with their giving, but I had never experienced anything this big before. 

So let me recap:
I have no full-time job holding me back.
I no longer have to worry about a $300/month payment.
I am single and don't have a family that needs me here.

There was no longer any reason that I couldn't go to Haiti.  Nothing at all was standing in my path.  I had to go!!  I had to; and this was the absolute perfect time!!

I loaded that plane with our team on December 28, 2012 knowing deep in my heart that this was not a trip where I was just visiting.  I was no longer going simply to love on the people of Haiti and visit old friends.  For the first time, I was going to make plans for a full-time move down there!  The best part, was that we were staying with Jim & Debbie Hambrick, who took me on my first trip to Haiti.  It was so fitting that the people who helped me fall in love with Haiti would be the ones who helped me move there full-time.

If you read my blog posts (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) after we got back, then you know how incredible the trip turned out to be.  God worked in my heart in ways I hadn't even imagined.  He opened up some doors, reaffirmed once again that Haiti would be my home very soon, and created some lasting friendships.  After talking with Jim, Debbie, and Donna that night, there was no longer any question or fear in my mind.  Even though some hard questions were asked, and I knew the journey would not be easy, I finally felt 1000% at peace about everything.  My heart was fully in love with Haiti, and I finally announced to my family and everyone else that I was moving to Haiti!!!!

Through this whole process I have come to realize just how amazing God is.  He orchestrated all of this from the time I was born, and will continue to work in my life until my time on earth is finished.  I have come to appreciate my relationship with the Lord so much more than ever before over the last few years.  Even though so many thoughts, decisions, and actions deemed me unworthy of this relationship, I am so grateful to serve the Lord who forgives ALL sins and loves us anyways.  I am so thankful that He never gave up on me and has loved me unconditionally through every stage of life. 

I've learned that no hurdle is too big for God.  If it's His will, He will see that it comes to pass.  I've learned to relinquish my fears, worries, and concerns and trust that God is bigger than anything I could ever come across. I've learned that God uses our weak moments in life to shine just how big his Glory is.

If he can use me: a 22 year old girl with a messed up past, then he can use you too!  I never in a million years would have guessed this is where my life would take me, but I am so glad this is where I'm going.  I know this story is still being written, and that it's still in its early chapters, but if God has done this much already, I can't wait to see how the rest unfolds!!

Please keep me in your prayers as I take each step in Faith.  Please keep this journey, wherever it may take me, in your prayers.

I say this a lot, but we genuinely serve an AMAZING God yall!!  If you are reading this and have never given your life to Christ, or are on the fence, take it from me:  jump in with all you've got!!  You will never, EVER, regret it!!  If you have questions, or would like to know how to give your life to Christ, please ask!! I would be honored to share that with you!

So here we go!  Part four is just beginning.  I can't wait to see what God is going to do!

My Journey to Haiti: Part Two

It was the summer of my Freshman year (2009), when I took my first trip to Haiti.  Looking back, I took that trip for all the wrong reasons.   I went because my boyfriend at the time was going, I thought it would be fun, my youth pastor convinced me to go, and I enjoyed the positive reaction I got from my family when they heard about the trip.   I went to Haiti thinking I would go for a week, enjoy another mission trip, and come home to live life like normal.

Boy was I wrong!

I may not have gone for the right reasons, my heart and motives may have been completely wrong, but let me tell you:  God used that trip to change my life forever.  He knew exactly what he was doing.  There was a reason he pushed my youth pastor to stay on me about going, and there was a reason He provided the funds for the trip.  His reason wasn't to satisfy my poor motives, it was to make His name, power, love, and Glory shine through me: a life that seemed unusable at the time.  God is pretty incredible like that!  Just look at how he turned Paul's life around!

While on that first trip to Haiti, I had a real slap in the face, knock you to the ground, you've gotta shape up encounter with God.  I was humbled dramatically by the people I met, the circumstances they lived in, and everything we experienced that week.  In Port au Prince, Haiti 2009, standing in the Faith Hope Love Infant Rescue, I understood for the first time, what true unselfish Godly love was supposed to look like.  Listening to Dorothy's testimony I finally understood what undeniable faith looked like. Through that trip, and the weeks following, I realized how messed up my life was.  I realized that I had strayed so far off course from what a Christian should be, and I knew things had to change.

I took small steps at that point, trying to get my life back on track.  The process was not easy, as I was still in that unhealthy relationship and not ready to give it up.  I knew, deep in my heart, my relationship was the biggest barrier standing between me and God.  I tried to "fix" the relationship, and justify those steps, but again, God knew better.  I was so afraid to walk away, paralyzed by the fear of loneliness, that I wouldn't give it up.

So, God intervened.

He gave my boyfriend at the time, enough courage to walk away and end things.  I was so hurt.  Lost.  Dying of sadness inside.  I thought my life had ended.  Little did I know, God would use that time to shape me into the woman I am today.

He knew I needed to be stripped bare of all of my comforts so that the only place left to run was to Him, and that's exactly what I did.   I dug my face into the Bible every night that first year.  I begged, pleaded, and cried to the Lord every night to take the heartache away, and every night he'd put my heart at rest.  God taught me through that painful situation to rely on Him, and Him alone for my needs.  He reminded me of the commitment I had made to him 13 years back.  God got my life, relationships, and journey back on track.  Most importantly, however, through His compassion, forgiveness, and persistence in my life I learned to put my Faith, hope, love, and trust in Him, and Him alone.  If I didn't understand what a relationship with Christ looked like at 6 years old, I most definitely learned in that moment!  I have never doubted my relationship with Christ. I knew I was a believer and that I had been saved, but it wasn't until after that trip to Haiti that I truly, wholeheartedly, 100% gave my life to Christ.  I decided that I couldn't, and wouldn't, ever go back to that place of loneliness, hurt, and insecurity.  I understood just how much I needed Christ, and from that moment on I have tried my very best to maintain a great relationship with Him and follow His calling.


I am not perfect.  I have never been perfect.  I've made some terrible, TERRIBLE, mistakes throughout my life.  Many mistakes I wish I could take back and erase from my past, but I can't.  They shaped me into who I am today.  While I hope 16 year old Allyson, never returns, I have to thank God for using that awful time in my life to shape me into a better person.  God could have left me, but He never gave up, not once!  

Fast forward to 2011.  At this point, I had finally healed from the breakup, mended all of the broken relationships, and had gotten life pretty well back on course.  Obviously,  I wasn't perfect those two years and made mistakes, but I had finally found peace and meaning in my life.  Over the course of those two years, two BIG years in the life of a young person, I had to make a lot of decisions about who I wanted to be, where I wanted to be, and how I was going to continue this chapter of my life into adulthood.  I spent countless hours praying and asking God to guide my path.  I asked Him to show me where He'd like me to be.  I prayed that He would use me and my life for His glory, whatever that looked like (that's a big prayer yall!!).  Every time I went searching for God's guidance my mind would turn to Haiti.  My heart longed to go back so badly.  There wasn't a single day that Haiti didn't cross my mind in one way or another.  I knew I had to go back, but had no idea how or when.  I also didn't put it together at first that God was answering my prayer.  He was saying I want you in Haiti; screaming it really.  I honestly thought he would give me a response regarding interior design, and for awhile the thought of any other path in life seemed out of question.  

It wasn't until the summer of 2011, that things really came together.  A mission trip to Ethiopia had fallen through, and Cassie (my best friend) encouraged me to go back to Haiti.  She knew how much I missed it, and how much I had longed to be back.  So, I contacted Dorothy, worked out the details, and Cassie and I headed to Haiti in December of 2011.

I had no clue when I got on the plane December 27, 2011 that my life was about to take a dramatic U-turn and finally fall into place how God planned.  We stayed with and worked at Dorothy's for two weeks during that trip.   My heart fell in love all over again with the people, culture, and Country. So much so, that I knew after our trip that I had to pursue missions in Haiti.  I didn't know what that would look like, or how it would happen, but I knew this beautiful and wonderful place would become a part of my life forever.

I spent the next few months in deep prayer, and time in the Word, looking for answers.  After a few weeks at home, I knew the calling was undeniable.  I knew 100% that I was supposed to move to Haiti and work as a missionary.  I knew, that I knew, that I knew.  But I was terrified.

In March of 2012, Cassie and I were both terribly missing Haiti.  So much, that I could barely make it an hour through a day without thinking about Dorothy, the kids, or Haiti.  We jokingly mentioned going back, and then decided that we really had to go, and started planning.  My roommates, at the time, mentioned an interest in joining me for a trip to Haiti so we opened up the trip to them as well.  Meredith immediately jumped on board, Jodi was having nothing to do with it, and shortly after, Jessica decided to join us!  I was so excited to share this place I had fallen in love with, with three of my best friends.  Even more so, I was super-giddily-excited to board that plane in May.  I couldn't wait to get back, discuss doing missions down there with Dorothy, and see how God was going to use that trip.

To my surprise, I left that trip in May feeling unsure of God's calling, and really questioning if I had heard him right.  Dorothy asked some hard questions and I really had to step back and examine, in great detail, whether God was calling me to Haiti; and if so, what was He calling me to do, and where specifically?

Did I mention I was absolutely, paralyzing-ly, terrified.  I spent many days crying at the thought of moving to Haiti.  There was just no way God would be calling me:  A 21 year old, with a terribly messed up past, to be a missionary.  There was just no way.  I didn't think I could do it.  There was just no way I could move to another Country alone.  I was too scared.

Fear.

A crippling, yet completely irrational, fear, that I let consume me.  In that short time I stepped away from pursuing the move, and decided I was unfit and incapable.  I immersed myself in school work, graduation, and applying for jobs.  I told myself that I had misunderstood God, and that this is where He wanted me, not in Haiti.  

Guess what?  I was wrong --- AGAIN!

For months I applied, applied, and applied some more, for jobs.  I took interview after interview thinking for sure I'd get a position, start working, get my own place, blah, blah blah.  God had other plans though.  He knew exactly where He wanted me, and that was not here in Durham, NC.  He wanted me in Haiti!! After multiple declined positions, and conversations with close friends, I realized that God was telling me this was not my path.  He knew if I got offered a job, that I would take it and get off track again.  God knew that I'd eventually come around, and realize that once again I'd stepped off course and needed to get back on track.

And, that's what I did.

I finally surrendered (again), and said "Ok God, I give up trying to maintain control of my life.  I know this is not where you want me, so please take the reigns and steer me in the right path."  I prayed,  "I'm ready Lord.  Help me to overcome my fears so that I can do the great work you have planned.  I'll go wherever you send me."

And well, you guessed it...He sent me back to Haiti!

During the summer of 2012, The opportunity for a third trip opened up.  I jumped at the opportunity, knowing this would be the trip to change everything.  This would be the trip where I finally took steps to overcome my fears, and truly follow God's calling for me to move to Haiti.

I had no idea just how BIG this trip would be!! I had no clue that God was going to bless my life in ways I never saw coming, before I even stepped foot back onto Haitian soil.  I knew God wanted me in Haiti, but the things he has done over the last few months have blown my mind while reassuring me, and my family, that this is most definitely the path I'm supposed to take.

Stay tuned, the best part is coming!

My Journey to Haiti: Part One

I've started, stopped, re-started, and deleted this post multiple times.  I can't seem to find the right words to do justice to this story.  To give enough praise and honor to God, who has orchestrated it all.  It's such a large story that I feel too small to write.

However, it is my story.  It's the story God has taken me through and continues to write.  It is my job to follow God's call, and share all of the spectacular things He has done in my life.  The whole point of this blog was to encourage, challenge, and inspire others through my story, and I know if I don't share the most important story of my life with you I would do more harm than good.  While I am not proud of all the steps that it took to get me to this point, they were all crucial and equally important.  God uses those hard, painful, and even shameful moments in our lives to shape and mold us into the people He wants us to be.  While I don't enjoy sharing my sinful moments, I know that God can use my story to mold other people, so I must be faithful in sharing the good, bad, and all the in between moments up to this point.

So here goes...Let me give you a little background of how I came to know the Lord, because lets be honest:  I wouldn't be here today, sharing my story, if that had never happened :)

When I was six years old, a close friend of mine shared the ABC's to becoming a Christian with me.  (A- Admit that you're a sinner and acknowledge that you need Christ to forgive you,  B- Believe that Jesus is God's son and he came to Earth to pay the penalty for your sins by dying on the cross, and C- Confess that Jesus is Lord and commit your life to Him.)  My friend had just finished VBS at her church, and was so excited to share this with me.

Now, I grew up in a loving Christian family who always took me to church.  Our family was there, no questions asked, every Sunday Morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night.  I was no stranger to the ABC's, but in that moment I finally got excited about it.  I remember jumping off the swings in our backyard, and running inside to tell my mom about my decision.  We met with our Pastor, and I got baptized shortly after. I remember how excited my family and friends were. I remember another close friend of mine getting saved around the same time, and the thought of being baptized together was so exciting for me.

Needless to say, I had a 6 year-old's mentality of what it meant to be a follower of Christ.  It's honestly hard for me to say if in that moment I truly understood how huge the commitment, I was making, really was.  I know my family and pastor would not have let me get baptized if they didn't believe I truly understood, but I genuinely don't remember what I knew at that age.

I do, however, know that from that moment on I looked at myself as a Christian.  I remember always making it a point to tell my friends about my beliefs.  I loved being "the Christian girl" in my group of friends.  It was something I took pride in.

And then, high school came.  Oh high school....the four years of my life I regret the most.

High School is when I truly lost myself.  I got in a very unhealthy relationship (which I was completely blind to at the time),  I pushed my parents, family, and friends away in every unthinkable way.  All I cared about then, was myself, and that relationship.  Anything that got in the way was simply unacceptable, and I did whatever possible to remove the hurdle.  I get knots in my stomach just thinking back at all of the horrible things I did and said, to so many people back then, that I truly loved and cared about.  If I could redo anytime in my life, it would be that time.

I am not proud of those years.  I ruined so many relationships, hurt so many people, lost track of all things good and Godly, and totally lost myself along the way.  I had fallen so off course with where I wanted my life to be, that it honestly, felt impossible to repair.

I still claimed to be a Christian during that time, and always made it a point to tell my friends.  I tried to justify my sinful actions, and make excuses to hide them.  I had gotten so far off course from what it meant to be a Christian, that it's a wonder my friends ever believed me when I said I was a Christian.

Luckily, we serve a great God.  One who NEVER gives up on his children, no matter how hard we try to push Him away, and no matter how many times we sin.

It wasn't until college that I finally stepped back and realized how far my life had gotten off course...

Stay tuned for parts 2 & 3.  This story was too big, and too long, for one post :)

Where Do I Start??

10 days...

Is that really all it's been since my last post?  It feels like months to me!

The past couple of weeks have been packed with all kinds of things.  I've found myself blessed beyond belief amidst all the craziness that has been happening lately.

Last Tuesday I got my wisdom teeth removed.  I've had 19 teeth surgically removed, so I wasn't really worried about having four more taken out.   I wasn't looking forward to having it done, but it needed to happen (while still on mom and dad's insurance :) thanks mom!).   The whole process has been pretty good.  I didn't have much swelling or pain at all.  My jaw has been a little achey, and I don't particularly care for the taste/feeling of the incision site, but that is to be expected.  I'm finally reaching the healing process (Thank you Lord!), and am eager to have my mouth back to normal.

I've also kind of been working over the last month.  A few weeks ago I posted on Facebook that I was looking for some odd jobs (babysitting, design work, organizing, etc) to start saving up for the move to Haiti.  I was shocked at how many people reached out to help!!  I've really enjoyed meeting new people, helping out any way I can, and having something new to do each day.  I've also created some great new contacts through all of this, which will be so helpful when the day comes to really hardcore fundraise!

Lately I've been helping a mom of 5 twice a week.   She just had baby #5 so I've come in to give her some time off to relax, heal, and get things done without five kids screaming her name.  Their family is great and have been such an encouragement.  Her kids instantly opened up to me and it's been really fun every time I've gone to help.  Plus I get to hold and cuddle a 3 week old baby, what's not to love!  Seriously though, it's been such a blessing!

Now I'm starting to help another young woman and her husband with household needs (running errands, cleaning, etc).  I met with her today and was so encouraged to hear how strong their faith was. They have/are setting up their guest room with a Missions theme so that anyone who stays in their home will either be encouraged in their walk with the Lord or have a chance to learn about God.  People always say "your mission field is where ever you are."  This couple has truly grasped onto that concept and it was such an encouragement!

I've found myself the last two weeks feeling discouraged and unsure about the move to Haiti.  Not in the sense that I was questioning it, I just felt like things weren't moving and I SO desperately want them to.  After spending some time in the Word I realized that my feelings of discontentment were because I had let my priorities get out of check.   I had begun focusing on working, money, getting the answers, etc, and I forgot to make God the first and most important priority in my day.  After some serious praying and asking God to help me refocus my thoughts and priorities I can already see an improvement in my mood, outlook, and contentment.   I asked God to light me on fire for Haiti again and show me what step to take next.

No surprise here....He answered!!

On Sunday I was SO encouraged by people at our church.  Lots of people have come up to me to say they are praying for me, and ready to support me when the time comes.  Other families are already saving up to help me in the fundraising.  Another amazing thing: Mom told me that the church of one of her coworkers has committed to supporting me as their missionary for the year. All of that, plus these jobs I've been getting has really encouraged me.  It lets me know that God sees me, and He knows exactly what I need.  He is already going ahead of me and preparing the way.  I am so thankful to serve a God that loves me THAT much!  He has never, and will never, leave me or forsake me.  He knows my needs and provides them.   I feel incredibly, INCREDIBLY, blessed!

And just when I thought God was done encouraging me for the day, I got a message from Amber.  She is on her way back to Haiti and will be staying through April.  Her goal is to get that building, and I am SOOO very excited to see how it all plays out!!  Please join me in covering Amber, this building, and her mission in prayers.  If she can get the property, things will really get moving!  Please pray that God will bless her time in Haiti.  Pray that He will guide her path as she begins the journey to purchase this building.  Please pray that God will provide an affordable property for her to use (even if it's not this one!).  Pray that He will be her strength, comfort, and provider.  Pray that even on the hard days, Amber will feel God's presence and guidance.  God is faithful to hear and answer our prayers;  please please pray!! This is SO important!!

We serve an amazing God.  A-MA-ZING!

I promise my next post will be about how God has gotten me to this point.  It's a big story to tell, and I want to make sure I do justice to it.