Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Haiti Update: Send some love!

Things are gearing up as November approaches! I have my ticket to Florida (finally) and am making cards like a mad woman. Thank you again for all of the encouragement and support. I am amazed by the number of people who have voiced their support and are praying for me.

Thank you!

If you have no idea what I am talking about, you can read more about my trip to Haiti with Compassion International here.

May I share with you a bit of this trust-building journey I'm on? Back in January, I made a list of "I am going to"s (and pretended that they weren't resolutions). These were not intended to be my promises to myself, the world or to God, but rather a commitment to live confidently, to trust, in the promises that God has given me. One of those was the promise that I was going back to Haiti.

I had no idea how I was going or when but I believed God was going to make it happen. I found out that Compassion was sending their first teams to Haiti (since the quake) in July about 3 weeks before I needed to come up with the $1500 fee. It was like God dropped a crumb in front of me and asked, do you trust me for the rest of the cookie?

With the quaking faith of a shriveled and underdeveloped mustard seed, I watched people pour their love, encouragement, and support over me over the next three weeks. Friends, family, acquaintances, and strangers, harbingers of God's promise.

It's a frightening thing, to do something alone. But may I just say how much more frightening it is to need help doing something? I am terrified that I'll reach out and nothing will be there, so I just make the most of it on my own. But God pushed me to reach out, to put my faith and trust in Him and in others and, yes, I quaked.

So, at the risk of gushing (do you pronounce that guh-sh or goo-sh?) or sounding hyper spiritual, thank you all, even the ones who have prayed and never told me. Even if you have just thought in passing, "Hey, it's nice that that girl is going to Haiti," I appreciate your good juju.

(In love) He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Eph 1:5-10

Reminder
If you would like to send some love to Haiti with me, I am going to be taking down a suitcase full of cards and letters to share with the kids that I meet.

A few guidelines:

  • Keep it simple, I'm not sure what kind of translating resources will be available.
  • Keep it fun: brightly colored paper, stickers, activities (simple, again)
  • Keep it personal: Include your name (first name only is fine) and a little piece of "you," ex: include a coloring page and another page you've already colored!


[[[[Sorry I'm having trouble uploading the pictures!]]]]


4 comments:

  1. Thanks for the reminder. I need to get some cards made - I'll enlist the help of my girls! When do you want them by?

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  2. I'm hoping by the 1st of November? If they're done by the 22nd of October I can come pick them up because I'm coming down your way (which is another excuse to say hello!)

    Thanks!
    Sarah

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  3. Hey Sarah! I am going to work on making a few cards this weekend...do you want to email me your address? shebecomes (at) gmail (dot) com.

    Also, have you been able to connect with other members of your team? I have another internet friend named Cam who I am sure must be going on the same trip, unless somehow there are 2 in November. She seems awesome. Oh, how I wish I was going :)

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  4. Becca! Sorry I am just now reading this. Coincidentally there ARE 2 trips to Haiti in November :) There's no one in our group named Cam :( It would have been nice to have that connection!

    Tell your friend to work out all the kinks for me okay? ;) I'm praying for that trip too!

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