Haiti Recap - Part One.

There's no chance I could get all I have to say about my Haiti trip into one post, so this will be a bit of a series over the next couple days or possibly weeks as I get it all down on paper. I thought perhaps I should do it in three parts (but we'll see how many pictures I really want to share).

Let's start with the almost 5 month journey to get to the trip. I want to share with you a blurb from my journal. This was written December 11th, 2011:

I should learn to watch my words, especially in the house of God. I was sitting in service this morning, browsing my bulletin, chatting with Auburn. I said almost flippantly, ‘if they were taking a trip to Haiti this year, I’d go’. That night I logged onto Gfconline.com and sure enough, there it was on the list: Haiti.

You’re probably wondering, why Haiti? Well, after my friend Rafael went to launch his Uber Shelters in the wake of the extreme loss Haiti has experienced as a country, his enthusiasm and heart for the people there really touched me. In addition to Raf, one of my Dad’s players and my twitter friend, Pierre, being from Haiti has done so much to help his people. I’ve been touched by his passion and love for his country and his desire to help the people there.

I filled out my application, sent in my deposit, and called my Mom to tell her that I will be going to Haiti and please donate towards my trip instead of buying me Christmas gifts this year. Lord help me – I’m going to Haiti!

It was weird to go back and read that. I had all these Christmas plans for what I would use the money towards, what I wanted as gifts...and in a split second my perspective changed. My parents and several other relatives donated towards my trip as well as bought me some of the supplies I would need for the trip...

I came back from Christmas and wrote this on January 5th:

A new year and the Lord’s mercies are new. Jess & I have set a date for our yard sale – February 18^th. I got $300 towards my Haiti trip for Christmas from my parents. Also, after I sent her a list my Mom stuffed my stocking with sunscreen, bug spray, hand sanitizer, etc. I got a holder for my passport too, which by the way has not arrived yet.

I’m humbled by the Lord provision in all areas of my life. And my excitement for this trip grows and grows. This is the verse that keeps coming to mind:

‘Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of the orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.’ – Isaiah 1:17

I'm smiling as I look back and realize I had no idea how the Lord would still manage to blow me away. From receiving a huge check in the mail from someone I didn't ask for money from to realizing in hindsight, I never really had to ask for anything...people just gave! And gave and gave and gave. So much so that by the end, I was able to donate some of what had been given for me towards my teammates.

I prayed when I first decided to go and told the Lord I wasn't going to ask people for a bunch of money and if he wanted this trip to happen, and I felt like he did, he'd have to provide. What I didn't expect was him to open the flood gates and remind me that the box I fit him in is my doing, that my small mind doesn't fit my big God.

I kept moving forward with shots and passports and planning....

I continued to write out my prayers requests and the Lord continued to guide my steps. From start to finish my prep, my one and only fear was whether or not my stomach could handle a week in a 3rd world country. I have to take this time to say, my doctor was incredible. From working through all my fears with me to saving me hundreds of dollars on vaccines, antibiotics, and appointments - he played a huge part in this trip prep and I am forever grateful. I pray the Lord blesses him in tangible ways.

The spring seemed to go slow with Haiti always feeling far away and then all of the sudden it was April! The countdown was on. I spent April buying supplies, preparing for home renovations, dotting my i's and crossing my t's. Then all of the sudden it was time to pack!...

With a 5:30 meet up time on Saturday morning I worked hard all week to get most of my prep done in advance. Since I didn't need to take my hair equipment, my work clothes, or really many of the things I use on a day-to-day basis, it wasn't hard to park in advance. Maybe the hardest part of my prep was making sure my work was in good shape to do without me for a week so close to an event and my blog was scheduled so you people wouldn't be bored and lonely without me. ;]

To say the prep for this trip came together seamlessly would be an understatement. I see God's hand in all of it. From being the first to raise all my funds, to having friends donate bed sheets, flash lights, and snacks for me, God was in the big and the little details. And I'm happy to report that didn't stop with the prep work, but that's for another day!

Love,

B

As I Head to Haiti.

I wrote a post that has apparently disappeared. But as I head to Haiti (I'm en route now) I feel grateful. Thank you to everyone who has pitched in to make this trip a reality for me. These are my prayer requests: - that the Lord would grant me a servants heart to serve the people of Haiti as well as my team. - for traveling mercies - that the Lord would stretch me and grow me in preparation for all the new chapters that await me - change. For change in my heart and a renewed since a gratitude. - that I would show the people of Haiti christ's love Know that I will be praying for you even while you are praying for me. I look forward to bringing back my experiences and sharing them with you. I love you! B

Haiti Update - By Vlog!

Yard Sale Morning Vlog.

Haiti Update: January.

Well January is coming to a close and I thought I'd fill you in on a few of the latest deets of my trip! January was a productive month of prep for my April trip to Haiti.

- I got the first round of my hep A and hep B vaccines.
- Met with my doctor to discuss health related things.
- Got my passport in the mail.
- The fear of not getting my birth certificate back was eliminated...whew!
- Attended my first missions meeting.
- Made my second big payment. I'm happy to report I'm well over halfway paid!
- Wrote my first (very small) set of support letters.

I shared mid month how the Lord has blown me away...that has continued. I'm a funny little Christian in that my relationship with the Lord is kind of quirkily (I made that word up) honest. And I told the Lord as I set out on this journey that I'd give it 100% but I needed him to keep reminding me along the way that I wasn't insane to decide to do this.

This month the biggest reminder of that came from a sweet friend. I hadn't asked this friend to contribute financially to my trip but one very long, hard day, I came back from the mailbox with what I thought was a card. I exchange mail with this friend regularly and I felt excited to read her thoughts for the week and I always find encouragement from her snail mail...what I didn't expect to find was nearly a third of the money I needed for my trip to Haiti.

I'm tearing up just sharing this with you as I think of how the Lord has constantly used people in my life to encourage me that this trip to Haiti is His plan for me. That gift grew my excitement and the belief that the Lord has something big for me waiting in Haiti. Her provision that met a physical need and her words that met an emotional and spiritual need for me were beyond words...I pray the Lord will richly bless her for being that vessel for me.

With a yard sale coming up on the 18th of February and a few support letters out, I expect that I will be able to fully pay for my trip very soon. I feel grateful for your prayers and may I assure you - they are being heard, answered, and felt!

The heart of my personal prayers for my trip have been changing. I've moved beyond my safety and the avoidance of aids and bad water to praying the the Lord will strip away 'me' so that all that remains to offer the people of Haiti is Christ's love. I hope to serve passionately and work hard. I pray that the church we build will be a beacon of hope to the people of Haiti who will attend there. I pray that it will allow the truth of Christ's love and ultimate sacrifice to abound in a land that has endured such hardship.

I've had a tough couple of weeks personally. When I went to church this past Sunday, I realized that when I go there weary I experience the renewing of my strength. God meets me there among my fellow attenders and I have to say, they have never felt more like a church family to me than they do now. I am grateful to worship with them. It is an honor and a privileged I don't take for granted. I say this to share with you my excitement that the hard work of our team in Haiti will provide that place for others. I beam when I think about the Haitian church having a place where there weary can go, and find the Lord's strength.

It continues to be the cry of my heart in 2012, that the Lord break my heart for what breaks His. I am humbled, encouraged, and blessed by your willingness to lovingly support me as I take this journey. Less than 3 months to go!!

Love,

B

Haiti Update: January.

Image.

Whew, it seems like just yesterday I sat down to write the December update. I supposed that means April is going to sneak up on in a fury of preparations.



Thank you for the kind words since I announced my intentions to go to Haiti. Your encouragement has lifted me up and grown my excitement for all that the Lord has for me on this trip. I've read every comment, text, e-mail, and tweet with your words and soaked them up!

I had my first missions meeting yesterday. I was excited to finally get a little more info after felling like the last month my mind has been swinging with Haiti info. I will say, I got a little scared when I realized how phyical this trip will be. We will be doing construction, which I knew, but this will include lugging and laying 35lb cement bricks for the foundation of a church in Haiti. Ouch. I've been advised along with the rest of my team to train, physically, for the difficulties we will experience physically. Jillian Michaels and I have some big dates coming up!

I'm pleased to announced I've been officially 'approved' to go from the church - so this trip is REAL!

Many of you have been kind enough to want to help! I've spend some time thinking about how this could best be done. I LOVE finding ways to contribute to others mission ambitions myself, so I wanted to find real, tangible ways for you all to be a part of this trip (if you want too) whether you're a friend, neighbor, family member, or blog world friend. So here are some ways you can help, all of which I would be grateful for!...

1. Prayer. I mean it when I say that if what you've got to give is prayer - I will TAKE IT! I am excited, peaceful, and confident in the Lord's provision for my safety, finances, etc but I will take every last prayer with a grateful heart. This is certainly a crazy little adventure of which, I will need the Lord direction every step of the way. If you're committing to pray for me - I'd love to know about it, and I would also love it if you'd remind me along the way that you're praying and how you're praying! That would really to my heart good.

2. Supplies. If you want to 'give' in a tangible way, I still need a few supplies. I shared before that my Mom bought quite a few things from my list for my trip as stocking stuffers, but there's still some basic supply needs. If you aren't in Tampa but you'd like to send me a supply care package, I will happily e-mail you my address (as long as I semi know you - so I'm not giving my address to creepers ha ha).

Here's a list of some of the things I still need:

- Water purifying tablets (you can google them - they're for international travel)
-Granola bars and...
- Other prepackaged snacks
- Peanut butter
- Dry shampoo
- Baby wipes
- Hand sanitizer ( I got some in my stocking but I'm thinking I may need a good bit of this)

(May I state as a disclaimer that if I end up with too much of any of these things I will happily donate them to my fellow travelers. I promise not to hoard 100s of packs of baby wipes all for me)

3. Treasure/Trash. Yep, you read that right. What might be your trash can be turned into treasure. My sweet friend Jess has agreed to host me a yard sale and I will be accepting any donations of things you no longer need/use/want to be sold to benefit my trip. I figured this was a simple way that anyone who wanted to contribute would have a chance to do so, however big or small your donation. So if you want to clean off your bookshelf, clean out your closet, or get rid of a pile of tees taking up too much room in your dresser save them for me! The yard sale will be Saturday, February 18th in the Northdale area - and I will most likely start taking the donations in the week before (I can't store them for 6 weeks...) Again, if you want to ship a box of stuff, I'll take that too.

4. Finances. I wanted to list this last because I'm not a big fan of asking for money. So I'm not going too. I'm just going to put it out there, that if you want to contribute financially to my trip - that would wonderful. The trip itself costs $900 and in addition I have to get immunizations, a passport, etc. So it's not cheap. I trust the Lord to pave the way and feel completely comfortable with it all. But several of you have asked about giving and I am touched my your generosity. If you're interested in giving money wise - please e-mail me for further info.

(Another disclaimer - if there is a crazy influx of funds I do promise not to use your money on a new handbag - if I raise over what I need for this trip, I will be donating the rest to the members of my team who need funding as well. All donations will go towards the Haiti trip)

For more info on any of the above need listings you can e-mail me at: thequeenbc@gmail.com

Thank you for your continued love and support.

Love,
B