I always try so hard to fathom what is beyond our comprehension and understanding in everything God has created. He has a reason for absolutely everything He breathed life into- nature, humans, emotions, feelings, love, our minds, the trees, flowers, and even the time. God has created 60 seconds in 1 minute, 60 minutes in 1 hour, 24 hours in a day, 365 days in a year. It's crazy to think of how intelligent He is and His purpose for the littlest things such as that. But even the little things can get us off His beautiful path He has planned for us to walk on.
God has laid a lot of things on my heart and time being one. For humans, time is a protection; we are frail creatures who can only handle 24 hour segments of life. Time can also be a tyrant, ticking away relentlessly in our minds. We must learn how to master time, or it will be our master.
However, we are in desperate need to just wait with God while He blesses us. Why rush? What does rushing cause? Nothing but stress, anxiety, and unhappiness may be some. God loves time spent with Him. He treasures it more than silver and gold. He adores us and the time spent with us. I've personally learned that I don't need to rush into God's presence with a "time limit" in my mind. I should learn to get lost in His love and forget about the things on my to do list or whatever the day holds. We are time-bound creatures, but that we are to seek Him in timelessness and dwell in it.
As I continue to focus on Gods presence, the demands of time and tasks will diminish. God will bless us for this, making His Face shine upon us graciously, giving us His peace. The amazing thing is our Father completely understands our feelings and our needs for things. Whether it be for time, love, attention, for a better job, joy, happiness, a better house, clothes, food, money.....whatever the need be. How could He not understand? We are made after our Heavenly Father. I am currently reading a book called "Think" by John Piper, and he explained perfectly how human nature is rooted in Gods nature:
"Human feeling and thinking did not exist arbitrarily; they exist because we are in the image of God, and God's "thinking" and "feeling" are more deeply part of His Trinitarian being that I had realized. God the Father hsa had an eternal imagine and idea of himself that is so full it is another Person standing forth- His son, Jesus. And God the Father and the Son had an eternal joy in each other's excellence that carries so fully they are that another Person stands forth., the Holy Spirit. But the amazing reality for our purposes here is that God's existence as a Trinity of Persons is the foundation of human nature as head and hear, thinking and feeling, knowing and loving."
I know with all my heart, God has a reason for the things that happen in our lives. We are each beautifully and uniquely different with all kinds of stories we could tell about the things we have experienced in life. The most important thing to remember is that it's all for a purpose, and that purpose is to glorify Christ. Share your stories with others, small or big, it could change a persons life for eternity. Dwell in Christ's timelessness. Forget about what the world says you have to get done; lose yourself in His perfect love and truth. He understands more than anyone ever will. He knows our needs, our passions, our desires and wants to comfort us in the difficult and good times. I have to continually remind myself these things, and that doesn't make me a bad person. I am human, I am a sinner, and I don't deserve these beautiful gifts from God. But that's the amazing thing- He is so in love with us that He wants us, as dirty as we are, to have the most purest gifts from Him. Gifts of wisdom, understanding, love, hope, knowledge, happiness, and peace. Wow. Just as God allows me the think about those things gives me chills. I could not ask for a better Father.
"If you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver an search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." Proverbs 2:3-5
(I was inspired to write this from my devotional- Jesus Calling by Sarah Young- I strongly recommend getting it!)
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Haitian Happiness (Day 7, 8, & 9)
Day 7-8, Thursday-Friday, May 19-20, 2011
Today was no fun at all. I woke up at 2 AM Thursday morning and started throwing up. I threw up about five times all through out the day. I have never felt so weak before and with a huge headache on top of that. Lori took care of me all day long while the team went and gave clean water to families. I was really upset about this because I wasn't able to help out on such a huge experience that I am sure changed lives. I tried getting up and meeting the team around 3 PM but as soon as I got there I got sick again and had to come right back home. The smells and Haiti and the bumpy roads did not help one bit. I have a lot more respect for missionaries. Being sick, not at home, and out of my comfort zone seemed to make everything worse. I was starting to get kind of homesick at this point. I have got to pray hard about this issue though and ask for strength from God. He would not allow me to get sick at this point for no reason- whether its for me to know how to handle this next time I go on a trip or to just see things from a different point of view- whatever that may be. Lori was my mom this day- she did absolutely everything for me in order to feel better. I don't know what I would have done without her!
(To see the video of everyone distributing clean water- check out Journey 117 on facebook and look at the videos!)
Everyone went to church Friday morning around 6 AM except for me and Lauren (because she stayed this time to take care of me). I have met some amazing people on this trip. God is so good to me- He receives ALL the glory in the world, yet we rarely express that. I started feeling a lot better so when everyone got back from church we all went and distributed water filters to families in the community that are not able to get clean water. Without clean water, people are prone to more diseases, bacteria, and cholera. It is amazing the little things we take for granted such as water filters.
This middle of the week is starting to get harder on me. I am starting to miss everyone back home and wondering what they are all doing. I had heard this stupid assumption that the world was suppose to end tonight- the funny thing is I actually somewhat thought this man that predicted it must know something we don't! Retarded...I know...
Next time I go on a mission trip I will remember to bring a loofah, more tank tops because its SO hot, and my face wash/face medicine (pimples are your enemy because you are always sweating!). This heat/dryness is no joke either. I'm starting to fall apart and my hands are so raw and peeling from washing clothes. I pray that God calms and eases my nerves. It blows my mind how much faith people here in Haiti have- so inspiring.
30 water filters we all had to build
Lauren and me building our filter
Day 9, Saturday, May 21, 2011
Today was no fun at all. I woke up at 2 AM Thursday morning and started throwing up. I threw up about five times all through out the day. I have never felt so weak before and with a huge headache on top of that. Lori took care of me all day long while the team went and gave clean water to families. I was really upset about this because I wasn't able to help out on such a huge experience that I am sure changed lives. I tried getting up and meeting the team around 3 PM but as soon as I got there I got sick again and had to come right back home. The smells and Haiti and the bumpy roads did not help one bit. I have a lot more respect for missionaries. Being sick, not at home, and out of my comfort zone seemed to make everything worse. I was starting to get kind of homesick at this point. I have got to pray hard about this issue though and ask for strength from God. He would not allow me to get sick at this point for no reason- whether its for me to know how to handle this next time I go on a trip or to just see things from a different point of view- whatever that may be. Lori was my mom this day- she did absolutely everything for me in order to feel better. I don't know what I would have done without her!
(To see the video of everyone distributing clean water- check out Journey 117 on facebook and look at the videos!)
Everyone went to church Friday morning around 6 AM except for me and Lauren (because she stayed this time to take care of me). I have met some amazing people on this trip. God is so good to me- He receives ALL the glory in the world, yet we rarely express that. I started feeling a lot better so when everyone got back from church we all went and distributed water filters to families in the community that are not able to get clean water. Without clean water, people are prone to more diseases, bacteria, and cholera. It is amazing the little things we take for granted such as water filters.
This middle of the week is starting to get harder on me. I am starting to miss everyone back home and wondering what they are all doing. I had heard this stupid assumption that the world was suppose to end tonight- the funny thing is I actually somewhat thought this man that predicted it must know something we don't! Retarded...I know...
Next time I go on a mission trip I will remember to bring a loofah, more tank tops because its SO hot, and my face wash/face medicine (pimples are your enemy because you are always sweating!). This heat/dryness is no joke either. I'm starting to fall apart and my hands are so raw and peeling from washing clothes. I pray that God calms and eases my nerves. It blows my mind how much faith people here in Haiti have- so inspiring.
30 water filters we all had to build
Lauren and me building our filterOur last day before we left was a blast. After we delivered some more water filters that morning to some amazing people in Haiti, we went to the beach. It wasn't exactly your normal Florida beach, but hey, at least it was a beach! I am so blessed to have known every person on this team. We have all shared so many good memories and have become so close in just 10 days. Its amazing how the Holy Spirit moves and connects people together. We went to Tom's (Healing Haiti guy) guest house and had dinner- and guess what?! It was NOT rice and beans! It was pizza, spaghetti, coke, and chocolate. Talk about overload. We all ate like we have never ate before. It was the best meal I had ever had but definitely regretted eating it later on. After we ate we had a night of worship where we just sand and loved on everyone. It was such a great way to end the night.
Right now I am flying back to Miami and I am still wondering how I am going to feel when I get back home. My heart has been so touched and broken over the last week and my eyes have been open to so much stuff that I have been so blind to. Poverty is huge in the world but you will never know what it truly looks like until you experience it first hand- I believe that with all my heart.
One thing that broke me the most was yesterday when we were delivering water filters to the families in Haiti and there was this one family of ten that was bad off. They had nine kids and one lady who was very ill. She took in her nephew and niece after their parents died in the earthquake. The lady is too sick to work and she can't afford for the kids to go to school either. She was late on last years rent and this years was coming up and she didn't have the money to pay it. We asked her how much total it would all cost her and she said $150- WOW, $150?! Some people spend that much on clothes and purses. How can we go back and be the same knowing there is hurting people out there like this? We prayed over the family and many others and almost every one of them asked that we prayed that their faith would be strengthened. These people have NOTHING but faith to depend on- sometimes we all need to be put in those situations.
I am so thankful to God for this HUGE opportunity He has given me to experience this trip. I can only imagine how many more He has planned for me, but for now, I am just going to take it one day at a time and see how God can continue to use me back home.
Right now I am flying back to Miami and I am still wondering how I am going to feel when I get back home. My heart has been so touched and broken over the last week and my eyes have been open to so much stuff that I have been so blind to. Poverty is huge in the world but you will never know what it truly looks like until you experience it first hand- I believe that with all my heart.
One thing that broke me the most was yesterday when we were delivering water filters to the families in Haiti and there was this one family of ten that was bad off. They had nine kids and one lady who was very ill. She took in her nephew and niece after their parents died in the earthquake. The lady is too sick to work and she can't afford for the kids to go to school either. She was late on last years rent and this years was coming up and she didn't have the money to pay it. We asked her how much total it would all cost her and she said $150- WOW, $150?! Some people spend that much on clothes and purses. How can we go back and be the same knowing there is hurting people out there like this? We prayed over the family and many others and almost every one of them asked that we prayed that their faith would be strengthened. These people have NOTHING but faith to depend on- sometimes we all need to be put in those situations.
I am so thankful to God for this HUGE opportunity He has given me to experience this trip. I can only imagine how many more He has planned for me, but for now, I am just going to take it one day at a time and see how God can continue to use me back home.
Haitian Happiness (Day 5 & 6)
Day 5- Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Today was a lot easier after an emotional roller coaster we were all on the day before. We actually went to a very organized, well taken care of orphanage ran by an American couple. They had been in Haiti for 9 years and were well experienced with how to run things at their place. They found babies either in dumpsters, left at their doorsteps, or from people calling begging them to take the kids because they can no longer take care of them. This couple is a gift from God. They live on complete faith that God is going to provide everything from finances to groceries to the care and love they need to give these children.
After a long (and not to mention hot) day of playing with the children, we all went home and relaxed. A man from John Piper's church, who is the mission leader, met us at the guest house the evening before to stay for a day or two. He taught us a game to play that we have never played before and we taught him how to eat a peanut butter and oreo cookie together. It was such a fun night and to make it even better, it ended up raining! You better believe we stood in that rain for a good while cooling off. It was a great way to end the night!
Day 6- Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Today was a lot easier after an emotional roller coaster we were all on the day before. We actually went to a very organized, well taken care of orphanage ran by an American couple. They had been in Haiti for 9 years and were well experienced with how to run things at their place. They found babies either in dumpsters, left at their doorsteps, or from people calling begging them to take the kids because they can no longer take care of them. This couple is a gift from God. They live on complete faith that God is going to provide everything from finances to groceries to the care and love they need to give these children.
After a long (and not to mention hot) day of playing with the children, we all went home and relaxed. A man from John Piper's church, who is the mission leader, met us at the guest house the evening before to stay for a day or two. He taught us a game to play that we have never played before and we taught him how to eat a peanut butter and oreo cookie together. It was such a fun night and to make it even better, it ended up raining! You better believe we stood in that rain for a good while cooling off. It was a great way to end the night!
Day 6- Wednesday, May 18, 2011
HEBREWS 10
Today was really laid back- we went to an orphanage where they prepare kids for adoption. It was very relaxing and not hard work at all. We painted, washed clothes, made jewelry, ate some more rice (yuck!), rocked some babies to sleep, and came back to the guest house around 5 pm. We washed our clothes back home (after our hands were rubbed raw from washing at the orphanage), did out devotional, and then some of us girls had a heart to heart about certain issues. I cannot express in words how great it is to have such good Christian friends in your life who constantly encourage you in prayer and are always positive. It is a huge asset (I believe) in being happy in life. There are a lot of places in Proverbs where it talks about having an adviser, or someone you can become dependable on and accountable with. God has poured out His blessings on this team and I could not ask for a better group to share this experience with.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Haitian Happiness (Day 4)
Day 4-Monday, May 16, 2011
Monday was a really emotional day for a lot of us. We went to an orphanage called Mother Theresa where sick and dying babies were being held. I say held instead of taken care of because these babies are pretty much just placed in this orphanage to die. The people there do not have the right supplies nor the education to provide for these babies. Imagine a room full of cribs where crippled, disease infected, and cancerous babies lay screaming and crying for attention. It was so heart breaking to see such innocent children with fatal diseases. I could go on and on, but my friend who was in the midst of a terrible nightmare that day wrote perfectly what all took place- this is written by Lauren Phillips, a sweet soul who is passionate about helping children in need:
"At the beginning of the week, my team and I experienced a traumatic passing of an infant that cut down deep within me but changed my life forever. Bear with me as I try to vividly re-tell the story. On Monday, we had the opportunity to visit a home for dying and abandoned babies. When I first heard of this home, I was so excited and I couldn’t wait to go and hold, feed, and bathe babies, but I did not fully understand the heart-wrenching sights that I was about to see. When we arrived and I stepped foot into this home, my heart immediately dropped and I fought tears like never before. Wiping my face with the sleeve of my arm, I made my way down the stairs and before me were rows and rows of cribs filled with sick and dying infants. I cannot express to you in words how many there were; row after row and room after room. As I looked, these infants didn’t even seem to have an identity; their bed was labeled with a number. As I tried to process this scene, my mind began to think, “Are theses infants just a number here?? Is this real??” Inside, my heart was screaming as I looked at each infant. Even though they couldn’t’ understand, I told them, you matter. You are not just a number to Christ. He cares for you. He knew you even before you were formed in your mother’s womb. He loves you so much. This pain will end soon. Hold on little one. I was angry and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I walked through the row of cribs and touched each tiny little hand that reached out for me, starving for love, and begging me to pick them up. I immediately scooped up a sweet baby girl and as soon as she was in my arms, she stopped crying and her head laid on my chest. Again, I fought tears. I looked at her face to find that she had a severe eye infection. It was oozing and she looked as if she was in a lot of pain. She felt warm to touch and I’m sure was suffering from an infection that her little body couldn’t fight. In my mind, I began to think back to my hospital at home and the place where I would work. If I were to hold an infant like this in the states I would be gowned, gloved, and with a facemask on for protection from any type of disease, but with this little girl in my arms, I didn’t care. I stroked her head as she laid on my chest. I went to the side room and prayed over her as two of my other teammates gathered around with their sweet infants. Tears fell. My heart was broken and I couldn’t understand. Time passed and I held this little girl, trying to get every spoonful of food I could down here; her belly was huge (protein deficiency) but her arms and legs were so skinny; she was greatly malnourished. It was time for their nap around noon and as I placed her back in her crib, she cried and cried. I picked her back up and she stopped, as peaceful as she could be as long as she was in the warmth of my arms. I had to put her down, telling myself that I could get her again after her nap. We left the room and let the children sleep while we visited another orphanage for a few hours.
(To read more about Lauren's experiences check out chosenbyyou.blogspot.com)
Monday was a really emotional day for a lot of us. We went to an orphanage called Mother Theresa where sick and dying babies were being held. I say held instead of taken care of because these babies are pretty much just placed in this orphanage to die. The people there do not have the right supplies nor the education to provide for these babies. Imagine a room full of cribs where crippled, disease infected, and cancerous babies lay screaming and crying for attention. It was so heart breaking to see such innocent children with fatal diseases. I could go on and on, but my friend who was in the midst of a terrible nightmare that day wrote perfectly what all took place- this is written by Lauren Phillips, a sweet soul who is passionate about helping children in need:
"At the beginning of the week, my team and I experienced a traumatic passing of an infant that cut down deep within me but changed my life forever. Bear with me as I try to vividly re-tell the story. On Monday, we had the opportunity to visit a home for dying and abandoned babies. When I first heard of this home, I was so excited and I couldn’t wait to go and hold, feed, and bathe babies, but I did not fully understand the heart-wrenching sights that I was about to see. When we arrived and I stepped foot into this home, my heart immediately dropped and I fought tears like never before. Wiping my face with the sleeve of my arm, I made my way down the stairs and before me were rows and rows of cribs filled with sick and dying infants. I cannot express to you in words how many there were; row after row and room after room. As I looked, these infants didn’t even seem to have an identity; their bed was labeled with a number. As I tried to process this scene, my mind began to think, “Are theses infants just a number here?? Is this real??” Inside, my heart was screaming as I looked at each infant. Even though they couldn’t’ understand, I told them, you matter. You are not just a number to Christ. He cares for you. He knew you even before you were formed in your mother’s womb. He loves you so much. This pain will end soon. Hold on little one. I was angry and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I walked through the row of cribs and touched each tiny little hand that reached out for me, starving for love, and begging me to pick them up. I immediately scooped up a sweet baby girl and as soon as she was in my arms, she stopped crying and her head laid on my chest. Again, I fought tears. I looked at her face to find that she had a severe eye infection. It was oozing and she looked as if she was in a lot of pain. She felt warm to touch and I’m sure was suffering from an infection that her little body couldn’t fight. In my mind, I began to think back to my hospital at home and the place where I would work. If I were to hold an infant like this in the states I would be gowned, gloved, and with a facemask on for protection from any type of disease, but with this little girl in my arms, I didn’t care. I stroked her head as she laid on my chest. I went to the side room and prayed over her as two of my other teammates gathered around with their sweet infants. Tears fell. My heart was broken and I couldn’t understand. Time passed and I held this little girl, trying to get every spoonful of food I could down here; her belly was huge (protein deficiency) but her arms and legs were so skinny; she was greatly malnourished. It was time for their nap around noon and as I placed her back in her crib, she cried and cried. I picked her back up and she stopped, as peaceful as she could be as long as she was in the warmth of my arms. I had to put her down, telling myself that I could get her again after her nap. We left the room and let the children sleep while we visited another orphanage for a few hours.
Around 3pm, we returned. I went right to the same bed of my sweet little girl and as she reached for me, I scooped her up once again. I held her in my arms as I went to all the other cribs and touched their sweet, fragile, little hands and over each child I said a prayer. Within a few minutes a scene across the room caught my attention; a young mother was sobbing as she stroked her sweet babies face that lay so helpless in crib #14. I immediately noticed that this infant was on oxygen (a very ancient and rustic machine) and as I processed the scene, “Crib #14…this child looks familiar. I think we were holding her earlier,” I knew smoothing we was not right. I scanned the infant. So helpless, she laid in the crib gasping for air. She was so desperately trying to breath from her mouth as a nasal canula was pushed up her nose. My attention kept going back to the mother as she sobbed and sobbed trying to get the attention of one of the nanny’s. They kept shoving her away and telling her to just express her breast milk. The mother was holding a small medicine cup and as tears fell from her eyes, she tried to express any drop of milk that she could from each breast. My heart hurt. I wanted to run over to that mother and hold her in my arms. I wanted so desperately to comfort her but the language barrier made it hard for me to do that. Although I couldn’t fully understand what she was saying, I read her body language. I wanted to speak up and assess this infant. I wanted to help, but I didn’t know if I really had the place to do that. There was a respiratory therapist on our team and I grabbed her asking her to look across the room at this baby. She immediately felt the same way; she knew something was desperately wrong. We watched for a few seconds as this baby was gasping and these nanny’s were pouring breast milk down this babies throat with a small medicine cup. My heart screamed, “What are you doing?? This infant is going to aspirate. You have no idea what you are doing! STOP.” The baby then starts to foam at the mouth and her eyes froze open. This image is forever implanted in my mind. A nun comes down the stairs and goes into the back room where she begins to draw up some type of medicine. My heart told me, “Lauren, go talk to this lady.” I made my way over to her and said that I was a new Graduate Nurse and this baby needed immediate help. I was so surprised at her response. She spoke English and every word pleaded, “Please help me!” In that very moment, as I remember every emotion rush over me, I panicked. I didn’t know what to do. I had to stop myself and say, “Ok Lauren, you have just graduated from Nursing school. You are going to be a NICU nurse. You know what to do,” but everything within side of me didn’t. We had absolutely no resources to work with. Everything that this place had was donated, even the expired meds. I frantically searched that back room for anything only to find nothing. I made my way to the infants crib along with our respiratory therapist and team leader. I felt for a pulse…there was nothing. We started CPR on the sweet baby girl. This moment was so surreal. We are performing CPR on this infant, the mother is sobbing right next to us screaming words we can’t understand, and every infant in this home was crying. It was as if they knew what was going on, as if this was a daily occurrence and in their mind they were next. No matter how young they were, they knew the tragedy that was taking place in crib #14. My heart raced and I cannot express the sea of emotions I was in. After about 20 minutes of CPR, we continued to get no pulse. I knew there was nothing we could do. Even if this baby did start breathing again, we wouldn’t have any type of resources to keep her alive. I prayed knowing that this situation was out of my hands and God was in control of it all. “Lord, if this child is meant to live, You are going to have to do it.” Tear after tear fell from my eyes as we stopped CPR and this infant died before us. My two team members and I along with a pastor wrapped our arms around each other and prayed and even though we didn’t understand, we knew God was still God.
This was the hardest day of my life. Part of me was so angry and I couldn’t understand all the suffering that was going on in this home for dying and abandoned babies. Most of these infants would probably never make it out or get better. They would die there. Most were lost, abandoned, without an identity, and suffering from some horrible disease that even their caretakers couldn’t define. But at the end of the day, through this traumatic experience, I find joy and peace in the arms of my savior because no matter what, God is still God. I know God changed hearts and lives that day. The mother of the baby that died saw us praying over and fighting for her infant, something she has never felt or seen before. She saw us putting our full faith and trust in God. And through this, I know she found comfort and had an encounter with Christ.
That day, after we got back to the guesthouse and debriefed our day, I laid in bed and through tears I prayed over each little hand I touch and each infant I held. And in the beauty of it all I was reminded of God’s promises"(To read more about Lauren's experiences check out chosenbyyou.blogspot.com)
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Haitian Happiness (Days 1, 2, & 3)
While I was in Haiti for 10 days, the only thing that kept me sane and somewhat emotionally stable was journaling. (Plus I have a bad memory so writing down what each day held was essential to remembering what all happened!) I wanted to share what God laid on my heart each day while I was in Haiti- I hope you get more out of this than I did experiencing it all.
Day 1- Friday, May 13, 2011
Today was a full day of flying. I was sick most of the time and tried to just focus on getting better. I flew from Little Rock to Dallas to Miami where I finally met my team. We flew a little over 2 hours to Haiti and I was immediately in shock at the way Haiti looks. I am rooming with three girls (Lauren, Heidi, and Jeni) and we all can't get over how poverty looks here in Port Au Prince. Driving to our guest house was tear jerking. God has blessed me more than I deserve. I am so unworthy and deserve nothing, but God wants to give me everything because He loves me so much. At the airport, men would beg to carry your bags just for a dollar tip. They would carry your bag (once they ripped it out of your hands) and then expect a tip when you didn't even ask for their help in the first place. My heart broke seeing those men do almost anything to earn a buck, yet I go and spend $4 at Starbucks without even thinking twice.
It is extremely hot here. I am laying on my bunk, under a mosquito net, using my ipod as a flash light, and sweating so bad. I asked Lauren to read Matthew 6 to me because that is all that has been popping into my head after seeing what I saw coming into Haiti. People in the U.S. think donating money is enough, but if they saw first hand what the world really looks like and how a family has to live like they do over here, then people would not think twice about doing more.
Flying into Port Au Prince, Haiti
Day 2- Saturday, May 14, 2011 (Inauguration Day for Haiti President)
JEREMIAH 29:11
It is incredibly hot here. It is almost 10:00 pm and it is 90 degrees in our room. We rigged up our fans to try and get more air flow but its barely working!
We woke up at 7:00 am and got ready for the day. We ate breakfast and did devotional. God has placed the most amazing people together for this trip. Each person is so unique and so different. God knows what He is doing. We are all able to use our talents together on this trip to glorify God- it leaves me speechless. After breakfast, we went and picked up a man named Tom who helped start the Healing Haiti foundation (www.healinghaiti.org). He has such a sweet spirit and is always so happy. Tom took us to an orphanage his brother and sister in law started called Grace Village. It is a place that will help orphaned children live a life full of significance. Tom rode with us to the orphanage that we stayed at all day. His friend, FanFan, came along too- he is such a character!
When we got to the orphanage, about 30 sweet babies anxiously awaited us. They sang songs about Jesus and prayed for us right when we got there. It was so moving to see Gods spirit inside those children. We played sports, jump rope, arts and crafts, and more with the kids for about 5 hours. Lori made a great point about the pros and cons of orphanages. All those kids strive for is love and care. Christ has called us just to do that. It has deeply moved me to know I am doing what God has called us to do. there is an unexplainable peace about it all.
Grace Village
At one of the first orphanages we went to.
Day 1- Friday, May 13, 2011
Today was a full day of flying. I was sick most of the time and tried to just focus on getting better. I flew from Little Rock to Dallas to Miami where I finally met my team. We flew a little over 2 hours to Haiti and I was immediately in shock at the way Haiti looks. I am rooming with three girls (Lauren, Heidi, and Jeni) and we all can't get over how poverty looks here in Port Au Prince. Driving to our guest house was tear jerking. God has blessed me more than I deserve. I am so unworthy and deserve nothing, but God wants to give me everything because He loves me so much. At the airport, men would beg to carry your bags just for a dollar tip. They would carry your bag (once they ripped it out of your hands) and then expect a tip when you didn't even ask for their help in the first place. My heart broke seeing those men do almost anything to earn a buck, yet I go and spend $4 at Starbucks without even thinking twice.
It is extremely hot here. I am laying on my bunk, under a mosquito net, using my ipod as a flash light, and sweating so bad. I asked Lauren to read Matthew 6 to me because that is all that has been popping into my head after seeing what I saw coming into Haiti. People in the U.S. think donating money is enough, but if they saw first hand what the world really looks like and how a family has to live like they do over here, then people would not think twice about doing more.
Tomorrow is our first day at the orphanage. I'm anxious and can't wait to see what God has in store. He is way too good to me- I have to share His love with others.
Journey 117 Team (left to right, top to bottom)-
Amber, Callie, Jeni, Me, Lauren, Luke, Jeff, Sondra, Heidi, Amber, Lori, and Tania
Journey 117 Team (left to right, top to bottom)-
Flying into Port Au Prince, HaitiDay 2- Saturday, May 14, 2011 (Inauguration Day for Haiti President)
JEREMIAH 29:11
It is incredibly hot here. It is almost 10:00 pm and it is 90 degrees in our room. We rigged up our fans to try and get more air flow but its barely working!
We woke up at 7:00 am and got ready for the day. We ate breakfast and did devotional. God has placed the most amazing people together for this trip. Each person is so unique and so different. God knows what He is doing. We are all able to use our talents together on this trip to glorify God- it leaves me speechless. After breakfast, we went and picked up a man named Tom who helped start the Healing Haiti foundation (www.healinghaiti.org). He has such a sweet spirit and is always so happy. Tom took us to an orphanage his brother and sister in law started called Grace Village. It is a place that will help orphaned children live a life full of significance. Tom rode with us to the orphanage that we stayed at all day. His friend, FanFan, came along too- he is such a character!
When we got to the orphanage, about 30 sweet babies anxiously awaited us. They sang songs about Jesus and prayed for us right when we got there. It was so moving to see Gods spirit inside those children. We played sports, jump rope, arts and crafts, and more with the kids for about 5 hours. Lori made a great point about the pros and cons of orphanages. All those kids strive for is love and care. Christ has called us just to do that. It has deeply moved me to know I am doing what God has called us to do. there is an unexplainable peace about it all.
We got back to the guest house (after a horrible car ride- which I will never, or try not to, complain about the roads back home again) around 4:00 pm, relaxed, and ate dinner around 5:00 pm. Tomorrow is church, visiting and praying with families, and building water filters. I'm excited to see what tomorrow holds for all of us!
Grace Village
At one of the first orphanages we went to.THINGS TO BRING ON NEXT MISSION TRIP:
-Flashlight (its gets dark early)
-Portable TP (you never know when you'll be peeing in a bucket)
-More clothes (you go through so many pairs of clothes when you sweat as much as I did)
-Trash bag for dirty clothes (so your duffel bag won't be stinking when you travel back home)
-Woolite (just in case you get super desperate and have to hand wash your clothes)
-Face wash (soap isn't good enough)
-More snacks (beans and rice just don't cut it)
-Tiny fan (trust me when I say it's ridiculously hot in Haiti)
-Propel packets (add a little taste to your agua)
-Wrist watch (not knowing the time is disturbing to me)
-Mirror (you never know when a place you stay at doesn't have one)
-Medicine (midol, nyquil, anything.....getting sick is no fun)
Day 3- Sunday, May 15, 2011
-Flashlight (its gets dark early)
-Portable TP (you never know when you'll be peeing in a bucket)
-More clothes (you go through so many pairs of clothes when you sweat as much as I did)
-Trash bag for dirty clothes (so your duffel bag won't be stinking when you travel back home)
-Woolite (just in case you get super desperate and have to hand wash your clothes)
-Face wash (soap isn't good enough)
-More snacks (beans and rice just don't cut it)
-Tiny fan (trust me when I say it's ridiculously hot in Haiti)
-Propel packets (add a little taste to your agua)
-Wrist watch (not knowing the time is disturbing to me)
-Mirror (you never know when a place you stay at doesn't have one)
-Medicine (midol, nyquil, anything.....getting sick is no fun)
Day 3- Sunday, May 15, 2011
LUKE 14:7-11 (Be humble), PSALM 23, PSALM 33
I can officially say that I have used the bathroom in a bucket. Not a pleasant experience, but at least I can say I did it. I learned a couple of new terms today- chicken buddy and haitian happiness. Chicken buddy is what they call "goose bumps" because it looks like the skin of a chicken when you pluck their feathers.....yuck, I know. Haitian happiness refers to using the bathroom, because with all this beans and rice, you never know when you're going to be able to go!
It's 8:20 pm and I am just not getting relaxed to be able to journal. I had such an amazing day. This day, like everyday, was a huge gift from God. We woke up at 6:30 am and got ready for church. After we ate breakfast, Ron (World Orphans director in Haiti and our translator) and our driver, Jon, picked us up for church which was about 15-20 minutes away. We pulled up to a beaten down hole in the wall place where a handful of adults and children were praising and worshiping God. It was that moment that I saw how huge Christ really is. To see people from a totally different culture worshiping in a different language and yet still praising the same God we praise was absolutely amazing. I didn't understand most of anything, but you could feel Gods presence in that place.
After church, we met with the pastor of the church and had a little meeting to know more about the organizations that deal with orphans through the church. Ron had to translate the whole time so it started to get somewhat tiring, plus the heat did not help out either. But once again, I found myself really knowing what it is like to be deeply and truly thankful for what God has blessed me with.
After our meeting we went and visited families that have orphans staying with them. We were the first ministry group to come visit the church and community which was a huge deal to everyone. The pastor told us they had always been promised help and visits but no one ever showed up. He said they has to "see it to believe it" which they had ended up truly believing after seeing us- what an awesome thing to be apart of! God is so good!
We walked all around that community and visited about 4-5 families. I can't even begin to describe the things I saw and even smelt. These helpless people lost a ton of stuff in the earthquake and are still in dire need of help. Every time we walked up to where the families lived, which was a tent or a small tin house, they rushed the kids inside to look their "sundays best" and hid all their dirtiness that they could. Lori made a point that aren't we all the exact same way before Christ? We try to cover up our "dirtiness" and put on our best for God when He accepts us just the way we are.
One family we met was struggling so bad for money that they didn't even eat on weekends. It was about 3 adult females and 4 children. They lost they man of the family in the earthquake and were struggling to find money to pay rent. Every 5 years they have to pay just $250 to live in their home and they can barely find the money for that, yet we spend that much on a designer purse. Incredible how God convicts us of the way we spend our money. I pray God never lets me forget that. We decided to try and get something started so we can raise money for this family and maybe more to start their own little business of selling things in the market down the street.
I started to feel numb to it all- like I had no emotions. I saw this one baby, no older than a year, with a massive hernia in his stomach and couldn't even cry over it because I was filled with so much confusion. I know God has a plan/purpose for everything, but why am I so blessed with so much and yet these people have absolutely nothing. I pray God answers this for me in time and provides me the wisdom and knowledge to understand and know what to do with what He has given me.
Around 4:00 pm we got back to the guest house and cleaned up for dinner. I can now say I have washed my hair haitian style (in the same bucket of water we hand washed our clothes in) with three other girls. God is providing such fun experiences and memories for me!
I was exhausted tonight and kind of put out with myself and the way I had been feeling. I almost felt like today wasn't very moving or any miracles took place because we weren't doing anything but talking and visiting families. After devotional tonight, Lori told us we had a surprise waiting for us on our bed. The best surprise I have ever received! Our families had written us letters of encouragement and boy did I get emotional! God knew exactly what He was doing on this because the words from everyone was exactly what I needed to hear on this very day.
Here is a little preview of some sweet, caring words from my sweet, precious boyfriend:
"I am so proud of you for going out on this limb and trusting God to provide and protect you on this trip, even when you were nervous about what to expect. You have stretched yourself out of your comfort zone and I know that God is blessing you tremendously for all you have done."
God knows my heart, why do I ever doubt Him? Thank you, Lord, for loving me.
Heidi, Lauren, and me headed to church Sunday morning.
Us girls washing our hair, haitian style!
I can officially say that I have used the bathroom in a bucket. Not a pleasant experience, but at least I can say I did it. I learned a couple of new terms today- chicken buddy and haitian happiness. Chicken buddy is what they call "goose bumps" because it looks like the skin of a chicken when you pluck their feathers.....yuck, I know. Haitian happiness refers to using the bathroom, because with all this beans and rice, you never know when you're going to be able to go!
It's 8:20 pm and I am just not getting relaxed to be able to journal. I had such an amazing day. This day, like everyday, was a huge gift from God. We woke up at 6:30 am and got ready for church. After we ate breakfast, Ron (World Orphans director in Haiti and our translator) and our driver, Jon, picked us up for church which was about 15-20 minutes away. We pulled up to a beaten down hole in the wall place where a handful of adults and children were praising and worshiping God. It was that moment that I saw how huge Christ really is. To see people from a totally different culture worshiping in a different language and yet still praising the same God we praise was absolutely amazing. I didn't understand most of anything, but you could feel Gods presence in that place.
After church, we met with the pastor of the church and had a little meeting to know more about the organizations that deal with orphans through the church. Ron had to translate the whole time so it started to get somewhat tiring, plus the heat did not help out either. But once again, I found myself really knowing what it is like to be deeply and truly thankful for what God has blessed me with.
After our meeting we went and visited families that have orphans staying with them. We were the first ministry group to come visit the church and community which was a huge deal to everyone. The pastor told us they had always been promised help and visits but no one ever showed up. He said they has to "see it to believe it" which they had ended up truly believing after seeing us- what an awesome thing to be apart of! God is so good!
We walked all around that community and visited about 4-5 families. I can't even begin to describe the things I saw and even smelt. These helpless people lost a ton of stuff in the earthquake and are still in dire need of help. Every time we walked up to where the families lived, which was a tent or a small tin house, they rushed the kids inside to look their "sundays best" and hid all their dirtiness that they could. Lori made a point that aren't we all the exact same way before Christ? We try to cover up our "dirtiness" and put on our best for God when He accepts us just the way we are.
One family we met was struggling so bad for money that they didn't even eat on weekends. It was about 3 adult females and 4 children. They lost they man of the family in the earthquake and were struggling to find money to pay rent. Every 5 years they have to pay just $250 to live in their home and they can barely find the money for that, yet we spend that much on a designer purse. Incredible how God convicts us of the way we spend our money. I pray God never lets me forget that. We decided to try and get something started so we can raise money for this family and maybe more to start their own little business of selling things in the market down the street.
I started to feel numb to it all- like I had no emotions. I saw this one baby, no older than a year, with a massive hernia in his stomach and couldn't even cry over it because I was filled with so much confusion. I know God has a plan/purpose for everything, but why am I so blessed with so much and yet these people have absolutely nothing. I pray God answers this for me in time and provides me the wisdom and knowledge to understand and know what to do with what He has given me.
Around 4:00 pm we got back to the guest house and cleaned up for dinner. I can now say I have washed my hair haitian style (in the same bucket of water we hand washed our clothes in) with three other girls. God is providing such fun experiences and memories for me!
I was exhausted tonight and kind of put out with myself and the way I had been feeling. I almost felt like today wasn't very moving or any miracles took place because we weren't doing anything but talking and visiting families. After devotional tonight, Lori told us we had a surprise waiting for us on our bed. The best surprise I have ever received! Our families had written us letters of encouragement and boy did I get emotional! God knew exactly what He was doing on this because the words from everyone was exactly what I needed to hear on this very day.
Here is a little preview of some sweet, caring words from my sweet, precious boyfriend:
"I am so proud of you for going out on this limb and trusting God to provide and protect you on this trip, even when you were nervous about what to expect. You have stretched yourself out of your comfort zone and I know that God is blessing you tremendously for all you have done."
God knows my heart, why do I ever doubt Him? Thank you, Lord, for loving me.
Heidi, Lauren, and me headed to church Sunday morning.
Us girls washing our hair, haitian style!
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