New Blog Launched

We've started our new blog. Here's the address http://salemifamilyinafrica.org

Thanks and God Bless!!!

This is Jeff posting under direct orders from Amanda....peace!!!!

short update...

we are still alive- busy, but alive....

we have been packing, selling things and giving things away. we are almost finished. our crate ships out august 6 and we follow it on the 13th of september!!!! we will arrive in south africa on sept. 17. it is hard to believe the time is almost here. the reality is setting in and we are realizing daily how much our lives (and the lives of our families) are about to change. it is hard- i won't lie. it is hard to know that we will spend 15 months away from our families and friends. we will miss all major holidays and birthdays. that is hard. but... we know we have to follow where HE is leading. that doesn't ease all of the pain, though. we plan to come home every december starting next year. we know and trust that the Lord is big enough to send the funds for that to happen!

after this week, we will be moving this blog and will be posting on another one. we are going to travel to dallas this weekend and my friend is going to design a new blog for us. i can't wait!!! she is incredibly talented and i know it will be great! please check back soon for the unveiling!

we are beginning to raise monthly support and are trusting God to pierce the hearts of those that He has to partner with us in this journey. i am not the least bit concerned and it is a great feeling to rest in HIS ability and not ours! we have lots to do- letters for support to send out, churches to visit and a HUGE garage sale planned for next weekend.

i have many posts reeling around in my head, but have been saving them for our new blog. we will be posting on the new blog alot more frequently than we do now. it is an exciting time and we are so ready to begin this next journey!

some prayer requests we have are:

monthly financial support, prayer partners that will cover us with prayer, smooth transition for our family, our families we are leaving, safety, and other monetary needs we have, such as airline tickets, visas, etc.,

we truly appreciate your prayers and support!

happenings...

we have decided that we will begin a new blog in the next couple of weeks. i originally started blogging during the adoption of our daughter from guatemala. once she came home, i closed that blog and opened a new one. the original one was all about her story and i plan to turn it into a book soon so that she will have it as a glimpse into how she joined our family forever. i began this one once she was home because during the adoption, we always seemed to be living for "when bella comes home"-it was time to begin living in the now- the moment we were experiencing because God had finished what He started by bringing her home to us. well, He has placed us on a new path and a new journey is beginning. we feel it is the thing to do for us- to start afresh and anew with a brand new blog... so we are working on it, along with changing our e-mail address. we will post the new link here within the next 2 weeks and will begin updating you on the progress of our move. exciting things are happening and we cannot wait to begin the task He has set before us! stay tuned......

BIG news!!!

many of you know that my husband and i have had a desire to go full time on the mission field, caring for orphans and ministering to the "least of these" that Jesus talks about many times over in the Bible. after the Haiti trip, God put a plan in motion that has been unstoppable...to say the least. when jeff got back, i could tell that something BIG had happened in his life. it seemed to have lit a fire under him and in his spirit to really begin to seek the Lord more fervently than ever concerning His call on our lives. we both began to feel that anticipation you get knowing that you have a big trip coming, except neither one of us knew where or when. it was a feeling that is still hard to describe- but that is the best way i know how to. in mid to late february, i saw a status update on a fb friend of mine's page stating that the ministry she works with was in need of a 2nd grade teacher. i thought to myself, 'man, if i was single, i would be all over that'.... so.... i'm leaving jeff! LOL JUST JOKING!!!!

seriously, i did think that (the single part), but since i am not, i just let that be a fleeting thought. in the first part of march, a close friend of ours, steve osborn (him and his wife shyrel have an amazing ministry in guatemala...lovethechild.org) came and spent some time with us and this is when things started picking up speed. we've shared our hearts with steve a million times, but it was different this time. we were now sensing a much stronger push from God and it amped things up a bit. we began to pursue Haiti, but never had peace and the doors kept slamming shut. then the 2nd grade thing began to unfold and boy did it.

the week after steve left, jeff saw me texting with a friend of mine in arizona. she mentioned that she saw the 2nd grade position on our fb friend's wall and i jokingly said i was packing my bags! jeff asked about it and told me to check into it. i thought he was nuts! but... i did as i was told! :)

before i knew it, jeff was talking almost weekly with someone on the board for the ministry and then we were sending apps and i was sending my resume'. the board met several times and spent time much time in prayer. we were doing the same thing on this end. daily, we kept walking in faith as the doors opened. throughout the whole thing, both of us had SUCH a peace. the really neat thing is that this ministry has a vision for something a little different than an orphanage setting. i attended the orphan care summit in texas last may and began to think about orphan care in a different way. instead of your typical orphanage, they are going to set up a children's village and have house parents where the children are raised in a family unit. their is already one girl doing this at the ministry, but they are looking to expand. jeff and i will eventually be house parents to 6-8 children and raise them in our family. i will teach 2nd grade and we will both fill in wherever there is a need. jeff will do some discipleship, as well as work with their sports program. we will aid in outreaches, as well. jake is beyond excited.

i have seen how much God has changed me. i walked through this time with such a dependence on God and a calmness that i have never experienced before. i can honestly say that i (all of us) are experiencing the 'peace that passes all understanding' in an entirely different way than ever before! we got to meet andrew (the board member) this past week. the coolest thing is that steve just so happened to be in the states at the same time and was only available the day andrew was here. so, he flew in and spent the night with us, met andrew and got to experience some more of jeff's bbq shrimp! lol it was really neat how God worked that out. steve LOVES to network and was excited about meeting another missionary that was like-minded.

we have so much that needs to be done. we have to get our home of 13 years ready to sell by early to mid-june. that is SUCH a daunting and overwhelming task. it seriously makes my head spin! i have already started getting rid of things. i have 2 bathrooms to paint and 5 rooms to declutter. it is times like this that i am really glad we still live in a 1200 sq. foot house!! lol i get out of school this friday and will begin this process next week. jeff has already started getting the outside ready. we have to raise support, sell my car and scale down our possessions to a mere 2 suitcases a piece and a small container we will ship down there.

please be in prayer that our house sells quickly. this is the deciding factor of when we leave. we should be leaving between sept. and late december. once the house sells, we will tie up loose ends and be africa bound! it is exciting, but daily we are being reminded of just how much our lives will change. the things we will miss with family and friends, the everyday monotony we take for granted so often, the comfort of just living in the US, not to mention the great things about living in louisiana- boiled crawfish, crabs, shrimp! lol pray for our family - mom, my dad, jeff's dad, my sister, jeff's sister and my nephew. this is not something they have chosen to do, but will have to walk out. we are close to them and it truly makes me sad that they will miss some things in my children's lives. but, the Bible talks about counting the cost and these days we are learning what that really means.

we will keep you posted. i am going to close this blog and begin a new one (imagine that! lol) that begins this new adventure of our lives. i will let you know before i do. if you are interested in the ministry we will be working with, please click on the link below. we greatly appreciate your prayers!

more to come!!!!

http://www.pfunanane.org

jake

today is the opening tournament that kicks off our baseball season. i am so excited!!!!! i just love watching my son, jake, play ball. he plays with such a passion- kind of like he lives his life! He will mostly play catcher for the team. he has been watching our LSU catcher, micah gibbs, and has gotten the way he pops up as the ball is pitched to the hitter, down to an art and it is such a joy for this momma to watch!

now, i am going to have a 'proud momma' moment... last night at his practice, his coach decided to have a friendly competition amongest the team players. they had stations where they rotated and participated in a skill. at the end of the practice, his coach, announced the winners and jake won the most catches in a row. he got a special baseball that they all oohhhed and aaahhhed over. then he announced the winner of the pop fly contest and most of the boys thought that jake's best friend, zak would be the winner. well, he came in third, but another one of jake's friends won that one. the final winner was most overall points, and jake won that, as well. the prize was a $5 bill. i could see on his face that he was quite proud and being the mom that i am, i rushed to his side as he packed his equipment up to 'remind' him not to brag.

i wasn't expecting the response i got from him. he looked at me like i was crazy and said, "why would i brag? where is zak?" i asked him why he needed zak and he said 'because i want to give him my $5. i watched him from my station and i think he did an incredible job. he deserves this and i want him to have it." yes, i had to walk away before he or anyone else saw the tears in my eyes. i LOVE that my son has this heart for others. he truly lives as Jesus asks (commands) us to live. he wants SO badly to just be like Jesus. i learn SO much from him on a daily basis. he just takes God at His word and lives his life. i also LOVE that he has his friend's back and is willing to let him know how proud of him he is. i canNOT wait to see what God has in store for his life, but he has already amazed me and he is only 10! i pray daily that God would give jeff and i the grace and wisdom to help him find the path the Lord has laid out for him.

i haven't posted pics in a while because my computer crashed and i was not able to load pics to my school computer. i will post some of him playing ball this weekend.

Please pray for my friend Tricia, the Joys of Mommy on my bloglist. she and her hubby are in china right now! on monday, she will meet her daughter, lydda for the first time and be arriving home with her the friday after easter. we cannot wait to meet her! pray for a smooth transition and peace for her little heart. thanks!

What if?

my heart is heavy. i am once again at a loss for words about what is going on these days in my heart and spirit, as well as my husband's. we have such a burden for orphans. it was a burden long before we decided to adopt Isabella, but it has grown ever since we met her. i believe it is because every day that I look into her precious face, i remember the little girl that we brought home in Oct. of 2007. i remember the precious little ones that would hold their little arms to me as I passed their cribs in their orphanages. although their eyes showed an expression that told me they didn't really expect to be picked up and held, they almost innately did it despite their hopelessness. each time i look at those big, brown eyes, i am taken back to other eyes standing sheepishly in a corner of her orphanage with a longing look that i was there for them. i am caught up in the memories of preschool and toddler-aged children running up to me as that green metal gate opened in hopes that i had something special to give them that they could call their own, or just wanting a hug and attention that they knew a momma or daddy could so lovingly give.

you see, the bella you see in pictures on my blog, on facebook albums or that some of you know personally, isn't the bella that always was. grant it, the Lord had His mighty hand on her during the time she was in the hogar in guatemala, but it was months after coming home that we actually heard her laugh. imagine your child being over 13 months old before you heard a laugh leave their mouth. it is hard for parents to go there, isn't it. bella was 13 months old and had never felt or seen grass, heard the purr of a kitten or had the opportunity to pet an animal. she had a blast feeling the wind blow on her face. she had not felt the coldness of ice cream in her mouth. that is hard for some of you to read without tears welling up n your eyes or an understanding of it all.

the truth of the matter is that my daughter and your children or other children that you know are the blessed ones. but i struggle with that to a degree. the reason is because WHY my child when there are millions of others that are not so blessed. what makes mine so 'lucky'? the only explanation i have is that the God of this universe choose bella to be my daughter, through adoption and jake to be my son through birth. now, this next statement is not meant to sound haughty or prideful or make me and my husband look like heroes. so... please don't leave me any nasty comments, but continue reading and hopefully you will get my point... you see, the difference is that God laid out His plan in the midst of ours and we obeyed. it was NOT an easy path. it got down right hard and at times seemed like the very breath in me was going to smother me as it left my body. BUT GOD!

we began our adoption with NOTHING in our savings account, my husband out of work because of a back injury and me starting a new job. yet, God met EVERY ounce of our need for money and strength at THE time of need. He used my parents, our friends, strangers that gave us money, things to sell and words of encouragement with lots of prayer.

many will not agree with me, but i am tired of hearing 'that is just not my thing'. NOT YOUR THING??? children that go to bed hungry, crying for the touch of someone, wondering if they belong, missing parents that they lost or never knew are NOT YOUR THING? that bothers me. it should bother you. i am not saying that you MUST adopt. i AM saying that if you call yourself a follower of Christ--- then it IS YOUR thing. at least, my Bible says (many times over) that it is. you may not adopt, but you can help others that are adopting or have a desire.

at about 4:15 in the morning, i awoke to the sound of little feet shuffling along my wood floors and stopping at the foot of my bed to climb a hope chest that would lead to my pillow. without hesitation, the covers were pulled back and a squishy little body slipped in between her mommy and her daddy. those tiny little hands grabbed me around my neck, pulled me in close and squeezed me tightly. she then settled in behind my back and found her place like a missing piece to a puzzle. with my sleepy voice i asked her if she was here because she needed her mommy. with a raspy, sleepy voice she replied, "yes, i wub you, mommy." melt. my. heart. she knew she belonged. belonged here.

she, of course, went right to sleep. i, on the other hand, laid awake with tears running down my cheeks wondering how many precious little ones were laying in a bed at that moment longing for a mommy to fit with while they slept. how many boys would awake in the morning and pray for a daddy to throw the baseball with, or teach them how to ride a bike? how many little girls would awake in the morning to wish they had a mommy to make their hair pretty or show them how to tie their shoes? it made me sad. it was definitely a bitter-sweet moment for me.

then i lay there remembering the events from earlier in the night. we took bella to her first lsu baseball game in our new stadium. we all dressed in our lsu attire- jake in his baseball jersey, bella in her cheerleading uniform and me and jeff in our purple and gold clothes-- the ultimate fans. she and jake had a BLAST cheering on the tigers. at one point in the night while she was sitting on her daddy's lap, she put both of her arms out and grabbed jake and i around the neck. with a big smile on her face she said, " i am so glad you are my family. we are a family." WOW! take. my. breath. away.

i had a very sobering moment wondering "what if" we would have not been willing to take that step of faith? had not obeyed? had not been willing to sacrifice and put our hearts and emotions out there? what would have happened to bella? what is happening to the children waiting each moment of every day? surely, God is big enough that bella may have been taken care of because someone else was willing to. but, "what if?" there are millions (over 147 million) more children that are waiting for us to step out of our comfort zone into the unknown and bring a child or children into our families.

we are still trying to recoup from bella's adoption that took longer than expected. i am in diligent prayer that we get to a point where we can bring home more children to our family. our hearts' desire is to sell everything, and move to a place where we can oversee an orphanage or children's home or just be parents to many orphans. we pray daily that He would open that door. we are counting the cost and realize just what that would mean for our lives as we know them right now. there is nothing we long for more, but that opportunity has not presented itself as of yet. so, i pray, that in the mean time, if their is another child(ren) that He has for us, that He would lead us to them and provide the way financially for us to do it. i know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are willing to do whatever He asks us to do. we are not limiting Him or fixating on our plans. we strictly want to follow wherever He may lead us. we are not sure what exactly that looks like, but we are constantly seeking.

think about it- is there a child waiting on you? waiting for you to step up? waiting on you to dry their tears, or teach them how to jump rope, or hold them when they are sick or scared? all i ask, is that you pray and ask Him what He wants you to do. if you truly ask, He WILL show you and lives just may be changed!

Haiti

I’ve tried to sit down and write something about the trip several times, but always seemed to get overwhelmed. When this opportunity first presented itself, I became totally worthless…more so than normal!! My heart and mind were consumed with the pain and need in Haiti. The previous 2 posts by Amanda tell you how this came to be. God could have stopped with the miracle of just getting me there and I would’ve been blessed, but He didn’t. This was just the beginning of the wildest ride I’ve ever been on and I believe it will be difficult to top. I want to lay a little foundation before I get into the meat of the experience. Most people have a hard time believing that I’m a shy person and being pushed out of my comfort zone to fly to Fort Lauderdale and meet with a group of people that I’ve never met and then fly to Haiti to work with more people that I’ve never met, was a step of faith for me, to put it mildly. I usually tend to withdraw somewhat when pushed into situations similar to this, but this time was different. I’ve experienced the peace of God before, but this was unbelievable. Not one time did I ever experience any anxiety that was not totally covered by His peace…from the beginning to the end. It was that supernatural peace that surpasses all understanding that His word speaks about. This doesn’t mean that I was void of emotion…quite the opposite. I had to keep my thoughts and conversation in check, because if I discussed the support I was getting from people I didn’t know or the orphan situation, I started getting pretty emotional, no, real emotional. It’s hard to try and be manly while your standing there crying like a baby…get the picture.!!LOL
Saturday morning I boarded a flight to Ft. Lauderdale, with a brief connection in Memphis. This is where God started blowing me away. I was waiting to board my connection to Florida and was talking to a friend of mine on my cell. I was telling him about the situation in Haiti and what we were supposed to be doing, when this lady sitting next to me, with tears in her eyes, handed me a wad of cash. I said thank you and stuck it in my pocket and finished my phone call. When I hung up she proceeded to tell me that she over heard the conversation and wanted to help and asked my name so she could keep me lifted up in prayer. I thanked her again and had to walk off and have another tear session. I can’t begin to tell you how humbling this entire event was for me…from the beginning until even now! When I landed in Ft. Lauderdale, I met up with a young lady from Michigan named Betsy. Betsy is a friend of Brian. I guess at this point I should run through some quick genealogy so I don’t get you confused. Betsy is a friend of Brian who is a friend of Kelly. Kelly is the director of Love Beyond Borders adoption agency. Brian is a Guatadad (Dad who adopted from Guatemala) who met Kelly while on a trip to Guatemala. When the need for people to go on this endeavor was discovered, Kelly of course was totally swamped, she’s in Colorado BTW, so Brian steps up to help coordinate things (Brian is in Michigan…don’t hold it against him). I’ve never met Brian face to face, but I will tell you from our phone conversations and what he personally gave up to make this happen, this dude is the real deal. I can’t say that I’ve met anyone as genuine and giving as this man…hats off to ya, I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again…YOU ARE THE MAN!!!! Betsy made contact with our ride and we were off to the executive airport. We met with several folks of the LBB board and 2 more volunteers that were friends of Brian’s, Tod and his father. I believe that Brian and these 2 guys come from a very similar mold. They would be handling the operations needed in Florida while Betsy and I would head down to Haiti. When God does something, He does it right. I have NEVER worked with a finer group of people than this…ever!!

Even though I didn’t get to spend much time with them, the time we were connected was amazing. The job they did was incredible and without THEM, I don’t believe this would have been a success. After we had laid out our plans and the plans were to bring home, I believe it was, 42 children, we scheduled our flight down to Haiti for 10:00am the following morning, which was Sunday. BTW, did I mention that I didn’t have hardly any money and things are SUPER tight for us right now, so I only had a little cash on me…after all, I really didn’t think I was going to need any in Haiti. This meant I was going to need to get a room for the night. Guess how much the room was??? It was $99.85. Guess how much money that God-sent lady in Memphis gave me??? $100.00…15 cents to spare. Ain’t God Good!! We flew on a donated corporate jet belonging to Owens Illinois, a glass manufacturing company. This thing was laid out. I kind of felt guilty flying into Haiti in such a luxurious plane…OK, maybe not too guilty. Once we landed in PAP, Becky and I made contact with an adoptive dad named Rob. Rob and his wife Lisa have been in process for 2 years to bring home a precious 6 year old boy named Morelson. We hung out next to the MAF hanger at the far east end of the runway for around 5 hours before we got a text message from our crew in Florida to get to the embassy ASAP. Here comes another plug for God. You can’t just hale a cab and say “take us to the embassy”. We were walking towards the tarmac to see what we could find, when all of a sudden the missionary that Rob was telling us about comes driving up and there was our lift to the embassy. I know this sounds trivial, but understand 1. where we are and 2. what’s going on. The ride to the embassy was like driving in most 3rd world countries (NASCAR race @ Talladega) , but this was like driving in 3 races at once with zero rules. The embassy is probably about 5 miles from the airport, as the crow flies, but took us ~ an hour to an hour and a half. You get the idea. Finally get to the embassy. Give them our passports and they tell us that they can’t get anyone on the phone to verify why we’re there and they won’t let us in. Yep, OUR embassy and sorry, go away. After 15 minutes of trying to explain the situation, a couple of federal agents (DOS Diplomatic Security) lots of weapons and attitude, ask if they can help and of course we let them…I mean, why argue, the dude had more guns than I did!! The agent that waited with us outside happened to be a Nawlin’s (New Orleans for the yankees reading this) boy and that really aided in breaking through his wall. Not to mention the Saints were playing in the championship shortly, so there was plenty to talk about. After about 45 minutes we were escorted to the area of the embassy were the children were being processed. After seeing this area a couple of days after tonight, really shed some light on the chaos that must have been present that day. There were soiled diapers, trash, mattresses and stuff I didn’t really recognize everywhere. Like, I mean everywhere. Once we were in there Stephanie, adoption coordinator, shoves a kid into my arms and says, “Here, you take this one, now get these kids out of here and on a plane, NOW!!” I said, “Nice to meet you too!” …kidding! I said “Yes, ma’am” and ran outta there as fast as I could. I didn’t want her to be able to catch me, I’ll take my chances with the Federal Agents and Marines!! Seriously, Steph is an amazing person that doesn’t get the credit due her…more on that later. Once we were outside, we were escorted to the airport by these agents and military people to the consular section, where we were processed and manifested to get on a plane and escort these children home to their forever families, something I had really been looking forward to having the honor of doing.

Well, Betsy, or God, still haven’t decided which yet, had other plans.LOL You see, we brought 7 children out, but there was one more coming and the plane wouldn’t wait. Betsy gave me the option of staying or staying…so I stayed. There were 2 things that I really wanted to do and it looked like I wasn’t going to be able to do either, 1. place one of these precious babies in their families arms forever and 2. fly out on an Air Force C-17. Honestly, I was pretty bummed, but I knew that if it meant me missing out on these things that God had something better in mind. I got to find out that my team was going to the Super Bowl!!! After all of the craziness, Betsy left and I found out after the flight left, that the child I was waiting on, made it on that flight. I know Betsy was amazing at escorting these children through customs and to their forever families. She hung in there for over 20 more hours and saw it through to the end…way to go!!!!
I called Rob and we went back down to our original meeting spot and climbed in a tent on the side of the runway. Got a couple of hours sleep and I woke up around 5:30 and went outside and began praying. Even in a place that has just been decimated by one of the deadliest earthquakes in history, there was a strange calm about it. Rob and I were picked up by Stephanie and brought to the embassy where we spent the next 2 days lobbying for the release of these innocent children. Which brings up my favorite charity…UNICEF. The more I see of them, the more I firmly believe they were birthed in hell!! I equate them to Al Qaeda because they have terrorized the adoption process and community. UNICEF believes that a child should remain in his/her culture and should not be available for adoption. Adoption is an option only before institutionalizing. I understand trying to stop child trafficking, but get your stuff together before you approach an adoptive father with 2 kids in his arms accusing him of this horrible crime. Adoptive parents that have been through a horrible process would not be your best choice for someone to pick on in this fashion. It almost got real ugly at the airport with this very situation. Stephanie and I were walking down the street to get to the embassy when we passed a brand new SUV with 4 smug, snotty looking people, dressed nicely sitting in it in traffic. We looked down at the door and , yep, you guessed it…Our friends from UNICEF. I’ve never wanted to commit a violent crime more in my life than right there. I won’t go into any more details, but those of you that know me, know exactly what I’m talking about.
I want to talk about a person that is way under appreciated. Her name is Stephanie Thoet. She is the adoption coordinator for LBB. Being an adoptive parent myself, gives me a different perspective on what she actually does. Now I don’t know what she does with a normal adoption, if that really exists. This girl worked 9, 10, 11 days in a row for 12-14 hours a day. She did this with limited food (protein bars mostly with an occasional peanut butter cracker), warm water to drink and hardly any sleep. Not too many hotels to check into! This is not the normal duties of someone in this role, but then again Stephanie isn’t a normal person. She has an undying love for these children, she knows each one by name and they know her. She really has relationships with all of these children. I watched her fight, get mad and cry, a lot, for these children. If your in process and she is your coordinator, think twice before you get upset about your case…she fights like a marine for these/your children. This is only a rough outline of the trip. The stories I heard about the tragedy of death and destruction are many…I’ve shed a many a tear and I’ll never be the same. I know looking at this storyline that it is easy to say that it might have been fairly boring.

Trust me, it wasn’t even close to boring. God did a work in me that I can’t begin to describe and through it all He showed me that he really does care about the details.
Remember earlier I said there were 2 things I wanted to be able to do. One of them was to fly on a C-17. When we got to the airport to leave late Tuesday night, there was a group of people boarding a C-17. We were next in line, 3 of us, but the plane was full. So we waited for the next available plane, no guarantee of what it would be. I kept watching for another C-17 to land, but none did. The Federal Agents came and got us and said it’s time to go and started leading us down the tarmac. I was bummed because the only planes I saw land and go down there were chartered commercial planes, but at least I would get to my family soon. Well, much to my surprise, hiding in the shadows was a C-17 with my name on it. The Nawlin’s agent said, “Well Jeff, it looks like you’re gonna get your wish.” It’s just like God to play a trick on you, like having that plane sitting down there out of site just to surprise you with such a small detail. I love you, My Jesus…you always amaze me!!!

I want to share more about the burden God seems to have birthed in me and Amanda for that matter, for Haiti and its people, but that will be the next post within the next few days. Stay tuned…. I hope you will be back….

Jeff and Haiti

As I type this, my husband, Jeff, is in the air and we are eagerly anticipating his arrival home. He left Saturday to aid in processing orphans and escorting them home to their waiting families in the U.S. I know many of you have read what is going on in the adoption world of Haiti. UNICEF has once again reared its UGLY head and managed to bring things to a chaotic stand still. Jeff has only touched on some things that he witnessed, experienced, and stood in awe of while there. Jeff agreed to write a post about what they did while he was there, as well as shed some light on UNICEF and what they are doing right now. It is truly sickening! I feel comfortable discussing these issues because it is not merely here say, but what he witnessed with his own eyes and experienced daily as he went in and out of the embassy and sat there for hours on end dealing with the process changing almost by the minute, as well as the antics of UNICEF representatives. The focus of his post will not be UNICEF, but I do want him to share what his team experienced with them. I want him to focus on seeing love conquering tragedy, people from different backgrounds coming together for our neighbors and a need that is almost too great to describe. I know that he came back with more of a burden for Haiti than before. Before this earthquake, I can say that we had not thought much about Haiti, but once this tragedy happened, something began to burn inside the both of us. It was days before we even mentioned it to each other. (To see how he ended up in Haiti, read the post below.-- it is TRULY amazing!) He told me on the phone today that he fell in love with the people and made several contacts. He feels we have a work to do there and we will begin praying about what that work may be and for God to begin opening doors.

I must say, life this Wednesday is different than life last Wednesday! It amazes me how your life can change in the blink of an eye when God is in control! So, I hope you will check back in the next few days, as he begins to share with us. It will probably take a few posts to tell it all.

Stay tuned.....

Obedience and Timing

Last time we "talked", I was telling you about needing to prepare and not plan. I can say that I have seen some growth in that area! The aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti has been heavily weighing on my heart and Jeff's heart and mind. We, like many of the world, have felt so helpless. I know that God's timing is perfect, yet, if I am being honest, I can say that having a desire to do His work with orphans and the hurting of this world and not seeing the opportunity or feeling the doors opening is very frustrating and discouraging. I realized that I was letting the things that prohibit me from going and doing (like finances) get the best of me, until this past week. Something broke in me and I decided to approach it with a different mind-set.

It hit me Thursday, that I KNOW we are called. I do not doubt that for one moment. So, my prayers began to change. That morning I began my day thanking God for His call on our lives and told him that we were willing to go and it was up to Him to make us able. That night, I was soaking in a bubble bath (that seems to be the one place that I get still and relax and am able to talk to Him and listen) and I prayed a prayer that I think thrust us somewhere onto the path He desires us to walk for the rest of our lives. Before I tell you what I prayed, let me lay some ground work...

I do not like being alone. Never have. In fact, I tend to avoid it at all costs. Jeff and I have talked in the past about one of us going on short-term mission trips, only to have me decide that I can't go without him and don't want him going without me. I know... selfish and yet, it was more of a scared thing. But, Thursday night was different...

Our church mentioned last week that they will be planning a mission trip to Haiti once the timing is right for groups to move in and help. I knew that we could not afford for both of us to go and had my doubts about even one of us! but, all of a sudden I found myself saying these words: "Lord, Jeff and I have such a burden for the orphans of Haiti- a country that I have not thought much about before (I am ashamed to say)- and for some reason this is different than any other burden we have carried. If you have something for us to do there, please open the door. I have NO idea what it could be since we have no contacts there or any ties to that country. I know that I am not in a place to go because of my job, but Jeff is much more flexible with his. If you open a door and provide financially, I am okay with him going. I trust you and will obey without question." Now, let me say this, I do not believe that He needed my approval. He did need my surrender, though. A peace like I have only felt a few times in my life, came over me right then and there. I got out of the tub and told Jeff what I had just prayed and did not think much more about it.

As we were going to bed that night, I had this burning desire to write a status update on FB about how I was feeling about Haiti. It was the first time I posted anything about it since it happened. I got in the bed and as I was falling asleep, I realized that my friend, Billie, had sent me a message on FB. I was comfortable, and decided that it could wait to read until the morning. Jeff left for work before me, as he always does each morning. I read it before leaving the house and when I talked to him on my way, I mentioned that she had sent a message saying that half-way through reading my update after I posted it, (did I mention that it was about 3 hours after my prayer in the tub), she thought of an e-mail she received from a friend of hers. Her friend runs an organization that was in need of able and willing individuals that could give 3-5 days of their time, to fly to Ft. Lauderdale, FL and then to Haiti to help some of the orphans in 2 orphanages get their visas done and then escort them home to the US for their waiting families. The catch was that they had to provide their own way there and take care of their needs once there. Well, I immediately thought, "man, if only we had extra money for a ticket, Jeff could go. He is off Monday and Tuesday and would only have to take a few days vacation." I mentioned it to him when talking, but only as a "man, I-wish-you-could-go sort of thing". Later that day he was texting me for Billie's phone number and 2 hours later telling me some amazing news...

He spoke to her and then decided to get more information. I kindly reminded him that we did not have the financial means to get him there and he ignored me! As I was hanging up, I suddenly remembered what I had prayed the night before. I then repented and began telling God that I trusted Him and if He was opening that door, then we were willing to walk through it and trust Him for the means to do the task at hand. Well, he called me at 4:30 Friday afternoon and informed me that he would be boarding a plane for FL and then onto to Haiti to escort these precious children home!!! Oh, and someone had paid for his ticket and was sending money down for him to have his needs met while there!!!!!!!!!!! Can I just tell you how my head went into orbit??!!

Less than 24 hours from totally surrendering to His will and way, He had thrust open a door and man was it a door! We later found out that not only was he going to be helping to care for these children there, but he will actually be delivering the children into the hands of their parents that have been waiting, praying and longing for them to come home. Those of you that followed our adoption, know that we faced some major set backs and challenges. There were times that it looked as though she would not come home. It was one spiritual battle after another. BUT ... GOD!!!!! Jeff knows somewhat how these parents are feeling and can relate. It seems that we have come full circle and now my husband has been so blessed to be chosen by the Lord to be a part of something so miraculous and wonderful and BIG. What an honor. What a privilege. What a great and mighty God we serve!

As I said goodbye to my husband this morning, I looked at him and began to say "you do know that the next time I see you" and before I could finish, he looked back at me and said, "I will be a different man. Take a good look at me because the next time you see me, I will be changed forever and much more determined to seek Him for His will for our lives." WOW! Who would have guessed that such a simple prayer of surrender to Him could bring such a pivotal thing in our lives.

Many have asked me how I am able to stay back with my children, go to work Monday and not be jealous. I can only respond with "God". I know this is His doing. I may not be able to be there on the ground, but Jeff is representing us. We are one. We became 'ONE' the day we said our vows almost 13 years ago. Today I fully understand what that means- not just in theory, but in reality. My time will come. I would love to be experiencing this with him. But while he is there doing what task he has been given, I will be here accomplishing mine. Learning to trust HIM fully. I will not know where my husband is at all hours of the next 4 days, like I normally do. I did not realize how much I took that for granted- how much security that brought me until today. It is probable that I will not talk to Jeff after Sunday morning until Wednesday. That hasn't happened in 14 years! Not only that, but you are aware of the conditions and risks in Haiti right now. They are flying by the seat of their pants, moving and doing at a moments notice. He is getting a crash course in flexibility and I am getting one in total trust.

I have determined that I WILL pass this one with nothing other than a A plus. I am resting in Him and when the anxious feeling of not being in control of the details of Jeff's days and nights in a chaotic foreign country with no way to reach him and maybe not even receive updates, hit me-- well, I will fall on my knees and T-R-U-S-T Him.

Every now and then, I am hit with this overwhelming knowledge that the God of this universe, chose Jeff to participate in this very special thing He is doing with the orphans waiting to join their forever families. WOW! But... then my heart is heavy for those that will be left behind and it breaks and I am more aware that there is still so much work to be done for not only the orphans of Haiti, but orphans everywhere. Awareness needs to be made, children need to be adopted, children need to be fed, have their thirst quenched with clean water, clothed, loved and brought to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. I know that this is just the beginning and we have turned a pivotal point on the path that He has chosen my family to walk with Him. I cannot wait to see where it leads...