Meet Respire Haiti

If you want to find out more about what Respire Haiti does here is a great video!  It just so happens that I was there when the film crew was shooting this so there are two brief glimpses of me, but you'll really have to pay attention to spot me :)  Enjoy!

Meet Respire Haiti Video

37 days and counting....

I am very Type A.  I like to be in control.  I like to plan.  I like to plan well in advance, especially when it comes to big life changes.  The last couple of months have been a test of my patience.  I knew that I was leaving for Haiti and I knew that I was leaving in April, but I've been waiting on a specific date and specific flight plans.  Being approximately 5 weeks away from my anticipated leave date you can imagine that I am starting to get very nervous.  I don't have a flight booked and prices are going up.  I'm praying about it, but not really letting it go fully.  This morning in church we were singing and at the exact moment we were singing "make way for the King, make way for His Kingdom, He will bring light, and burn out the darkness"  the sun came out brightly for the first time in several dreary days.  At that moment I realized that I wasn't fully giving all my stresses over to God, that I wasn't making way for the King.  I don't know why I sometimes think that I can handle these things on my own or that my timing is better than His, but He always has a way of showing up and showing me that His ways are most definitely better than my ways.  This afternoon I got an email with the specifics that I had been waiting on....praise the Lord!  Ticket prices have gone back down and I now have a flight!  I might have done a happy dance in my dining room and I'm pretty sure I won't stop smiling for the rest of the day :) 

Proverbs 3:5  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

My Mom

The best compliment anyone could ever give me is "you are just like your mother".  Anyone who knows me at all knows that I adore my mom.  God definitely blessed me big time when he gave me the best parents ever.  My mom is the sweetest, kindest and most selfless person.  She is so loving and so lovable.
The most common question I get when I tell people that I'm moving to Haiti is "What do your parents think?"  Well the answer to that is of course it is not easy for them.  I know that the only reason it isn't easy for them is because they love me so much.  It takes a strong mom to be courageous enough to share her child with the world.  Praise the Lord that I have a very strong mom.  Thank you Mom for raising me to be independent, brave and most importantly a follower of Jesus.  I love you very much and I hope you have a wonderful birthday!

5 things

1.  Happy Birthday to my favorite Haitian!  Alex is 7 today.  Please pray that he will have a blessed year and grow in his relationship with Jesus. 

Me & Alex - November 2012

2.  I'm new to blogging and I didn't know that you had to add a "widget" for people to be able to follow your blog, I thought it was automatic.  Anyway, I've added it now so please follow it if you are interested.  I promise to stop sending you emails about new blog posts.

3.  Some of you have asked how you can donate.  I've added a link on the side of the page, but I will put the instructions here as well.

• Go to www.respirehaiti.org/donate
• Use the "Greatest Need" category
• Put my name in the "Note"
• Expect a big hug from me the next time I see you :)

I can't thank you enough for your support!

4.  I ordered some prayer reminder cards, if you would like one and I don't see you regularly please message me your address and I will be happy to send one to you.

5.  Disclaimer:  Before following my blog you should know that I really love my fluffy cat and I have a bazillion pictures of him.  If you don't like seeing fluffy cat pictures you probably shouldn't follow my blog ;)  But he's really cute.....

Baxter

The Adventure Begins...

Almost 2 years ago when the planning for my first international mission trip began I knew that it would change my life…..I just didn’t realize how big the change would be.  God completely wrecked my heart for the people of Haiti.  It has been a gradual process, but over the last few months God has placed a lot of different people in my life who have encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and to find out what His calling is for my life. 

I have an awesome opportunity to serve with an organization called Respire Haiti.  Respire Haiti’s mission is to encourage, educate and empower restaveks, orphans and vulnerable children.  Restaveks are child slaves and this is a very common practice in the community that Respire Haiti serves.
http://respirehaiti.org/restavek-awareness/
http://blessedwithaburden.wordpress.com/what-is-restavek/
http://www.restavekfreedom.org/the-issue/restavek

My hope in going to Haiti is to show the love of Jesus to these children and to serve them however He sees fit. If all goes as planned I will be quitting my job and leaving for Haiti at the end of April.

I am super excited about this new adventure and although I don’t know what God has in store for me there, I do know that it is all for His glory. 
 

Ephesians 3:20  Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

Please pray for Respire Haiti, the children of Gressier, and for me as I prepare my heart for this journey.

"Keep chasing after Jesus like you've got something that's His.  Our lives are not our own."  -Bob Goff