Author: To Haiti We Go

Wow! We are blown away tonight by God’s amazing provision! We spoke at Hilltop Community Church on Sunday so their kids could see who we were because they chose us for their kids to donate their VBS coin donations to for the week! April didnt get to go tonight because she had VBS at our church but Jim had a blast at Hilltop, sharing stuff with the kids and getting presented with a WHOPPING $1,000 check that the kids brought in this week for our journey to Haiti! WOW!!! We love seeing how God keeps blowing us away doing things we would have never imagined. We are so glad He’s the one planning our journey and we know even if it takes longer than WE want to raise our monthly support, He has the perfect plan and timing of when He wants us in Haiti and why. We LOVE that and have such peace about that! Thank you Hilltop church for thinking of us and helping take a big chunk off our one time moving expenses! Thanks for being His hands and feet this week ❤

Jim told me about this TED talk a year or so ago and how amazing it was. This lady from Nigeria shares the importance of hearing all parts of a people, a culture, a country…instead of focusing on ONE story. I urge you to listen to this 2 minute clip from it that really sums it up. AMAZING and powerful words that ring very true for HAITI as well. So much of the news and media portray ONE story about Haiti and as she said…“SHOW A PEOPLE AS ONE THING, AS ONLY ONE THING, OVER & OVER AGAIN, & THAT IS WHAT THEY WILL BECOME.”

Jim and I want to be a very small part of helping the world know the OTHER parts of the Haitian people and country. They are SO MUCH MORE than what the news and media share time & again. We look forward to when we are living there and can share real life stories with you all so you all can have a different view & perspective and better know how to pray for the amazing country of Haiti!

“I’VE ALWAYS FELT THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ENGAGE PROPERLY WITH A PLACE OR A PERSON WITHOUT ENGAGING WITH ALL OF THE STORIES OF THAT PLACE AND THAT PERSON.” 

LINK TO 2 MINUTE CLIP: CLICK HERE

When you read Psalm 23, and it mentions “green pastures” have you always envisioned fields of nothing but tall, beautiful green grass you can roll around in and eat all day? (Well if you were an animal that ate grass bahaha) I’ve heard this before and was reminded again yesterday while reading “Start with Amen” by Beth Guckenberger that it was completely NOT that at all. Beth shares in her book that while visiting Israel and watching the shepherds on the mountainside with their sheep, she asked the guide why the shepherd led them here where there wasn’t any grass and just a bunch of rocks. He went on to say…

“Look under the rocks. The dew from morning gets caught under them and small grass clumps grow. See how the shepherd is walking among them? Well, they know his voice and he’s pointing out to them where the grass is found.” …It doesnt take long for the sheep to finish that tuft of grass so they have to stay near the shepherd to hear his voice, so they know where to go and eat next. Here’s the cool thing…if the “green pastures” in psalm 23 were like what we imagined (full of thick grass), it would represent our TOTAL INDEPENDANCE. We could eat all we wanted, do what we wanted and just thank God for putting us there but all other factors would be in our control. HOWEVER…David was on rocky hillsides when he wrote psalm 23. His idea of God leading us to green pastures places us in a POSTURE OF DEPENDANCE. God’s way puts me in a position where He might provide only what will sustain me for the next 3-4 steps. Then, dependent on Him more, I stay on the path within earshot and listen for His leading so I’ll find what I need. LISTEN. BITE. STEP. REPEAT. …“GOD KNOWS I NEED TO HEAR HIS VOICE MORE THAN I NEED THE FIELD OF GRASS.”

Oh I cried a good cry when I read that last part. God is so kind and has been helping my weary heart so much the past week over our journey to Haiti. His time NOT mine. His plan, NOT mine. He’s in control of when our monthly support will come in so we can move, not me, so He just wants me to trust Him, follow so closely that I hear His voice to know what to do each step at a time….even if it’s just one little tuft of grass at a time. The AMAZING joy and peace He’s given me this week concerning our journey to Haiti is INCREDIBLE. Nothing has changed percentage wise this week but He has worked in my heart and showed me many things to help me in this waiting. He is so good and the time we get to Haiti will be the time He wants and needs us there, to bring Him the most glory! AMEN!!!