My Heart...

It's been awhile. I'll apologize later for my absence in the blog world. Right now I need to share my heart with someone. Anyone. After yesterdays earthquake in Haiti, my heart is numb and emotional. I was in Haiti less than a year ago.. in Jacmel, which is approximately 25 miles from Port-Au-Prince. Jacmel has hotels and buildings down all over town. The news right now is that the orphanage of the Hands and Feet Project is ok. No damage, although they've been sleeping outside for fear of aftershocks. Even today they were having aftershocks that measure over 5.0.

Today on K-Love they had a Haitian Pastor call in to the morning show. He led a prayer that brought me to tears. I feel so helpless...

What can I do? I've been praying continually. I feel like it's not enough. I wish I had money to make a giant donation to help. Here's the thing... as Christians, we're called to take care of the orphans and widows. All of us need to do SOMETHING. We need to respond and put our faith where our mouth is and help. I'm not saying you have to send a ton of cash. If each person sends $5 or $10, it will make a difference.

There are many missionaries and U.S. groups over there that need our prayers. Their families need prayers for strength that their loved ones will be ok. Along with missionaries, there are many organizations over there as well. If you feel led to make a donation to help one of these organizations, please go to K-Love Radio website and view the list... or you can go to the website for Hands and Feet Project and make a donation directly to them.

Go... and be the hands and feet of Christ. Show the love of God, maybe to someone who doesn't know Him...

Haiti Trip, Day 8 - April 10

Today was our travel day to come home!

Sunrise the day we left

We woke up at 4:30 to finish packing and eat a bit of breakfast. I woke up with a sore throat and the sniffles. We left at 6 am to drive over the mountain to Port Au Prince. CJ and I rode in the truck and everyone else in the van. It was a blessing in disguise because Sarah got car sick and needed a barf bag! I would have needed one too if I had been in the van!

Last picture at the orphanage!

Waiting to board the plane in Port Au Prince

Our plane was delayed leaving Haiti so we were late getting to Miami. By the time we landed we had less than an hour to go through immigration get luggage, go through customs, and recheck bags. Luckily our plane was delayed an hour so we made it, but we still spent that hour literally RUNNING through the Miami airport.

We made it to Dallas and had a chance to sit and eat. Finally we landed in Kansas City at 11 pm. We were greeted by Glenn's family. They're so sweet! One of our bags got left in Miami. The airport is delivering it tomorrow... I hope to be sleeping! :)

It wasn't fun traveling with a cold and a fever, but I made it! I slept through the car rides and plane rides. All in all the trip was great and I'm very glad I went.


************

I hope you've enjoyed reading through my 'journal' of the trip. A couple things I miss about Haiti... the porch! Life is so much more simple there. I miss the quietness of just sitting. Still not sure I would want to repeat the trip any time soon, but I'm so glad I had the chance to experience it. I would highly recommend going on a missions trip if you ever get a chance!! Missions are definitely not my calling in life... but kids are, so this was a good one!

My blog will now return to it's regularly scheduled program. :)

Haiti Trip, Day 7 - April 9

Today is the last day of work. We painted the last house and mopped. Drex said it should be ready in a couple of weeks. After lunch we all went to the market. Then Michelle drove around so we could see Jacmel.

Sarah is a pro painter! :)

CJ, me, and Jarret painting... nice views don't you think? lol

The house after we were done!!! :)

For dinner we had pizza and then one last sit down on the porch. For tonight's devotion we wrote in each other's journals. There is talk of coming back next year. I think I would need some time before making that decision.

Walking through the market was quite the experience...

Haiti Trip, Day 6 - April 8

The wall is nearly complete for the most part. Jarret and Glenn spent some time digging space by the garage. Then we all went to the one house that's not yet livable. We swept out all the dirt and rocks. After it was all out we had to power wash the mud off the wall. While some did that, some of us scrubbed the walls with bleach. Others swept the water out and off the porch.

The kids are on Easter break this week so today they had chores. They picked up trash, washed chairs, etc. After lunch we went to see the souvenir lady. She had some of the most beautiful stuff for cheap! I bought a box, 2 bracelets, and a painting for $12 - US.

Buying souvenirs

Michelle and Larry took us to town for dinner. It was at a hotel that serves the 'elite' - very nice with a wonderful view of the ocean. Good food too - I had a cheeseburger. :) CJ had goat, which I tried... pretty tasty!

Our group at dinner

I'm getting to the point of the trip where I'm ready to get to sleep in my own bed. One more work day before we fly home. Tonight's devotion was from Jarret. He gave his testimony of growing up Lutheran. God put us all here for a reason - tonight we shared our stuff and our similarities.

Haiti Trip, Day 5 - April 7

Today we worked until lunch time. I threw rocks for a bit and then helped Michelle with activities for the kids. For lunch we had rice with bean sauce, something that tasted like potatoes (can't remember what they called it), banaan , and chicken. I was kind of scared, but it was good!

After lunch we took the school kids to the beach. It was so beautiful! Nothing but sand and water for miles. The kids enjoyed it as well. It wasn't too far either, but it seems like a whole other world.

The kids getting ready to swim!

All day Friday is a travel day - so really we have two more days. Tomorrow the souvenir lady is coming AND we're going into town for dinner. I don't even really miss the 'stuff' and getting bogged down by it all. It's been nice to just hang out on the porch instead of running.

Glenn's devotion tonight was Matthew 6:1-4, which says, "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

After he read this passage we went around and shared the motivation for coming on this trip, and also what we've gained. I felt the tug on my heart and followed what God said. I've gained a far more humble heart. I don't ever want to forget this feeling. The way they live - and the people have sacrificed their own lives to be here....

Haiti Trip, Day 4 - April 6

Today the girls cleaned the depot and played with kids. the guys helped the workers haul rocks. It was hot today! So far it has rained every day, which is ok because it cools things off.

Drex says that wall should be done tomorrow, so hopefully we can work on the kid's house. Also, today, Missy helped shave the boy's hair. That was fun!

CJ and I went to the market with Michelle and Jo - very interesting. A lot of people milling around, shouting, meat hanging from the tents with flies all over. I made it without gagging, so I'm good!

Michelle, me, and CJ took the older kids to the soccer field. They love it! Saw some neighbor kids, had a little contest to see who could make a goal. Then we took a little walk around, then came home.

Some of the kids playing soccer... or futbol :)

We had an awesome devotion tonight from Andria, talking about how even though we all suffer, Christ died. We all come here broken, yet needing to do a bigger mission. We all have our 'stuff'. There must be a reason God placed this group in this place...

Tomorrow for lunch we're getting a real Haitian lunch and then going swimming. Yay! Dishes in cold water are odd too. :)

Haiti Trip - Day 3, April 5

Today was good! We woke up and had breakfast, watched the kids go to Sunday School. We sat around and talked on the porch until it was time for church... oh, and went to the roof to see the view! Church was good to experience even though I only understood one sentence and one song. There was a guy that sang "In The Secret" and he was great!

The kids leaving for Sunday School

After church we came back to the orphanage and had lunch. We're eating pretty good for where we are... it's good we brought our own food! :) The afternoon was spent looking around the property. It rained again, but it was a nice break from the humid air!

The orphanage has 38 kids and 3 dogs - along with 6 nannies. Each nanny has 8 kids that she's responsible for.

Before dinner we went for a walk up the street. It was interesting to see this part of town. Michelle kept calling Wayne Jerry. That was a riot! Sarah calls Keary, Casey. I think by the end of the week we'll all have different names... :)

During the week we'll get to go into downtown and experience the market. I was kind of disappointed that we didn't go to the beach today. I would have loved to see it - I hear they're beautiful!

I love our group - we have so much fun together.

Tomorrow the work begins. The women are going to be helping Michelle with some things and helping Jo with the food program. This is when they have people come in to get milk and rice and beans to feed their babies.. giving them an opportunity to keep them instead of giving them to HAF.

The guys will be moving rocks. There's still much damage from the storms.

Bunk beds are evil! Last night I slept on the top bunk - tonight we pulled my mattress to the floor. :) It's weird taking cold showers and washing dishes in cold water.

Haiti Trip - Day 2, April 4

Today we flew from Miami to Port Au Prince. We sat in the plane for 2 hours because some guy checked his bags and didn't show up. So they had to search all the luggage to remove it from the plane. That was a good time!! There was an irrate woman sitting behind us that was constantly yelling in French - apparently she was more annoyed that everyone else that we were delayed. :) The airport in Port Au Prince was interesting - full of people yelling (in French Creole)... a LINE of people waiting outside; made you feel very uncomfortable. We had a woman from the orphanage traveling with us. She had been in the states visiting her family. That was a definite blessing!! If she hadn't been with us, it would have been more interesting than it was.

The Jacmel Airport

From the Port Au Prince airport, we drove a couple minutes to the smaller airport so we could fly to Jacmel. The plane was tiny, but the flight was beautiful... the ocean is so blue! At the Jacmel airport we met Drex & Larry. They loaded all the luggage and drove us to the orphanage. It started raining just as they finished tying it all down.

When we arrived, the kids were there waiting to greet us. After a short meeting and then dinner, we all sat on the porch and sang songs. The kids were loving all over us and taking pictures of each other. Such different personalities, they're all precious!

Drex, Jo, Larry, & Michelle are all at the orphanage full time and are great! Ever since seeing the video about The Hands & Feet Project, I felt the tugging in my heart to come. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity. Even in the short time we've been here I feel humbled and guilty at the same time. We are fortunate to have what we do.

The kids waiting to greet us

Haiti Trip - Day 1, April 3

Today we met at Wayne's at 11 am to pack our supplies. We'll be wearing flip flops when we aren't working, so CJ and I went and got a pedicure first. Love starting a vacation with a pedi! We flew from Kansas City to Dallas to Miami. It was interesting with 7 of us and all the luggage!! We met the two other people in Miami as they were flying from Chicago. It was hard to get a cab to the hotel... we had to take three (3). CJ and I rode in a taxi and the guy claimed to never have heard of our hotel. Even after we gave him the address...CJ turned on her GPS and suddenly he knew where he was going. It was a long day of travel and tomorrow we leave for Port Au Prince. **As I wrote this in my journal, it was 1 am and we were waiting on pizza. :)* I'm anxious and nervous for the unknown, but very excited to meet the kids.

*There wasn't much to write this day as all we did was travel to Miami. It'll get more interesting I promise!!*

The KC portion of our crew - CJ, Jarret, Sarah, Glenn, Wayne, & me

The time is here....

See that little counter over there??

Go on. Take a look.

Yup. It's time.

As you're reading this, my flight is leaving Kansas City to Dallas and then on to Miami. I'll be gone until next Friday, when I arrive back in KC at 11 pm. I will definitely blog about the trip when I get things in order - and some sleep I'm sure! :)

I'd like to once again thank you all for your prayers of support and encouragement. At times this adventure has been nerve racking. I've felt God's presence during the journey and can't wait to see what He does with our group in Haiti.

Thanks again... and I can't wait to catch up on all your postings next week. :)

God Bless!

One Week

I can't believe it's here.

Tonight was our fundraiser dinner... we raised approximately $1,100. Awesome!!

I can't believe one week from today we'll be flying to here:

Haiti's beach

and living here for a week:

Main House @ the Hands and Feet Project

and hanging out with these kids:

Don't they look precious?!

Keep praying for us!! It's much appreciated. :)

God bless!

Friends & Haiti update

I love lazy Saturdays. This week I've been fighting a cold, so today I stayed in bed and watched the entire first season of Friends. I love it!! I laugh every single time, no matter how many times I see an episode. As I sit here at 12:30 am, I'm attempting to finish up some church announcements for tomorrow. I've been reading some stories about the awesomeness of God today. He never ceases to amaze me in his faithfulness.

I was reading the blog of the Hands and Feet Project, the orphanage that we'll be working at in Haiti. They just got a new little girl, 3 years old, whose mother gave her up because all 9 of her siblings have died from malnutrition or disease. I can't wait to meet these precious little kids in a little over a month. I can't believe how fast it's coming up... 39 days. Wow. We haven't gotten our passports yet. Probably some time this week I'm thinking. I have an appointment on Friday to get my last shot, then I have my prescription filled for pills. It's all coming together... including raising support. One of the hardest things I've had to do is ask for this money. I remember at the very beginning praying to God that people would be generous, that He would open their hearts, and help people understand.

I'm glad and proud to say that all of my support has been raised, including my "extra spending" money. On March 27th, we're having a fundraiser dinner. The week before we leave. A tad late, BUT I'm hoping that maybe we can at least replenish what we had to spend out of our own pockets. Which isn't the way to really think about it, but God is faithful. If we're meant to, we will. If not, then so be it; we've helped a good cause.

Not sure what these updates will bring in the next month; we'll have to see. I ask that you continue to pray for me and the other 8 people in our group. I've gotten a lot of people saying they were sorry they couldn't contribute monetarily. I'm not sorry because God has taken care of the money. God will continue to take care of our travels and our safety, but please continue to pray as we enter this unstable country.

God bless - may you have a wonderful time of worship tomorrow!

Fundraising Continued...

CJ made these cute candy arrangements that we sold this morning in church. I'm posting pics and prices... if you'd like to order one (or two!) we'd be happy to ship it in time for Valentine's Day! Can't hurt to try right? These pictures don't do them justice, they're so cute!

All proceeds go to our missions trip to Haiti in April.

Boxes - $5.00

Small dish - $3.00

Coffee Mugs - $5.00

Heart shaped candy dish - $6.00

Valentine Glasses - $5.00

Thin vases - $4.00



Goblet glasses - $5.00

Not pictured: We also have plastic cups (great for kids!) that are $3.00 and decorative flower pots that are $8.00. Like I said if you want to place an order - email me what you'd like and your address so I can ship ASAP. Thanks!

Haiti

I'm going to try and start a pattern with updates, so here it goes for this week:

Last week I got two shots. I hate shots, but all is well. :) Two down, one more to go. I lucked out
because one of the Hepatitis series' I already had... so whew! I also have my prescription for milaria (doesn't that sound exciting?), so I'll be taking those a week before we leave.

The first payments were due this past weekend, so we got those paid. We'll have one more payment of $300 or so due by the first week of March. Our plane tickets will be purchased by the end of this week. For those of you catching up -- we'll fly from KC to Miami, stay the night in Miami and very early the next morning leave for Port-Au-Prince. From there we'll fly to Jacmel and then drive up the mountain to the orphanage.

CJ and I are going to turn in all of our passport stuff this weekend, so hopefully we'll have those in 3 weeks. It's approaching fast, but there's still so much more to do. We still have to shop for all the items on our "to take" list... other than clothes and the 'normal' stuff, we have a supply list so we can make it through the beach. Of course a load of batteries is on my list. lol

Please continue praying. We still have more support to raise and April is approaching fast. Thank you so much for your continued encouragement and support.

~God Bless!~

Haiti Update

I thought I'd also post another Haiti update. Support letters went out a couple weeks ago, and support is slowly but surely coming in. God is so faithful and He keeps showing me over and over.

Our first payment deadline is the end of this week. It's kind of nerve-racking, but once again God is trying to teach me to not be anxious, but pray about everything, always giving thanks. I am so thankful and grateful to those who have contributed to the endeavor of our group. Not just the people I know, but the people I don't - who have contributed to the others in our group, donated supplies that we'll be taking with us.

I'm also thankful for the prayers of support and words of encouragement. Sometimes all it takes is one bad apple and I get scared and feeling like, "Why on earth am I doing this?" I know why I'm doing it. I know why we're all doing it. I feel led... I know we all do. Keep praying all, they're much needed as deadlines approach.

CJ and I are going to turn in our passport applications on Saturday. So hopefully we'll have those in a couple weeks. In the next couple weeks I'll also be beginning the process of getting shots... ugh, shots. Lots of shots. Ewww! *Pray for that too! lol*

Love you all. God Bless!

Haiti Trip Update

Some of you may know, some of you don't. In April I have the amazing opportunity to go to Haiti for a week on a missions trip with the Hands and Feet Project.

Some information on the Hands & Feet Project:

MISSION:
Hands and Feet Project exists to care for orphans and to use pop culture to introduce the 1st world to the orphans of the world.

VISION:
To raise a generation of orphans raised by their own culture who will change their country so orphanages are empty and we are out of a job.

Hands and Feet Project, a 501c3 non-profit organization, is a children's village in Jacmel, Haiti that was started by the band Audio Adrenaline in 2004. The land was purchased in late 2004, and construction began in early 2005. Their first little girl arrived in the spring of 2005, and they now care for 36 children ranging in age from 2 months to 9 years old.

Hands and Feet Project is currently building more houses in order to be able to help more children who have been abandoned and will probably have 40 children by the end of 2008. They are hoping to replicate the model that brings artists/bands and orphanages together, with the next project starting soon in Nicaragua with artist T-Bone.

I encourage you to visit their website (http://www.handsandfeetproject.org) to see what this organization is about. While in Haiti, we will be working at the orphanage in Jacmel. They were hit by 2 hurricanes last season and here is much clean up and work to be done. We will be offering our energy and time to that endeavor, as well as spending time with the resident children.

The applications are in, deposit is paid. There's no turning back now! :) Hopefully next week I'll be able to get turn in my passport stuff and get that going.

We're having a meeting next Sunday as well to get to know the people on our team. There are 10 of us going. I'm getting excited; a little nervous about funds and the raising of them, but I know God is faithful and He'll provide like He always does. Our support letters are done and will be mailed out tomorrow.

I'll be posting updates every couple weeks or so. Thanks again for your continued prayers during the process and the journey.

God Bless.