New Mercies I See

The last 24 hours have been a whirlwind. I left birmingham yesterday for a day trip to Atlanta for one meeting and see friends. I now find myself sitting in the Atlanta airport about to start my journey to Haiti. Wow. Never could have guessed when I woke up yesterday what the next 24 hours would look like.

I found out on the way to Atlanta that Mackenzie's visa appointment was moved from October 1st up to July 9 (tomorrow morning) at 9:30 AM. Wow Lord, don't know if I've ever been caught that far off guard before! After an entire day of dialogue with His faithful servants and my dear friends in Haiti, Dorothy, Samuel, and Erin, I decided it would be best if I fly down and be present for the visa appointment.

This is an answer to prayer. We've been working on this all year and I really didn't want to wait until October! With the way things turned out and their quickness, I'm learning more about how I need Jesus. Aside from Jesus I am a planner and thus like to be in control. Thank you, Lord God for reminding me who You are! You're sovereign and You're good!

All of this said, I'm asking for prayer. Please pray for abundant favor. For all the paperwork that is still being completed today that the process flows well. For the visa appointment in the morning. That all the documents we have are sufficient. For wisdom when answering the visa appointment questions. For a resounding YES and approval for Mackenzie's visa. Pray for the other children at Faith Hope Love for their health and their understanding of what's going on. When Mackenzie does get to come to Birmingham they will miss a brother. For the Director that The Lord gives her supernatural strength to sustain each day. That love and grace flow from her lips and her actions despite constant crises coming at her. Pray for her health and that The Lord be more real to her with each new day!

Basically, please just PRAY. As the Spirit leads you.

Lord Jesus thank you for today. Thank you that you're ways are higher than mine. Thank you for everyone reading and praying, please bless them and use them in mighty ways to make your name known in their sphere of influence.

He IS Good

To update everyone on Mackenzie's journey.

We are still waiting and I'm learning a lot through this patience process. Not for a second do I think he won't come, but the timing is not for me to know. My job is to trust God to make straight this path. In my life, I've sure known the joy of waiting and trusting, yet I continue to learn!

God is better than the best parent you can imagine! If something is good for is, he says YES! enthusiastically. Thus, Mackenzie coming skiing wasn't the best for him. As I sit in Telluride taking a day of rest and waiting for the snow to pile up so we can get back on the slopes tomorrow, I rest in the fact that what is best for Mackenzie was to be in Haiti this week!

Technically in the process this is where we are: waiting on his mothers birth certificate to be legalized (this is anticipated to be completed today), then we have to apply for an electoral card for his mother (should take 3 day), then apply for passport (should take 2 weeks), then apply for visa, and finally have visa appointment! Please continue to pray that this process go quickly and every application is received with favor!

In the last blog, we all prayed for a miracle. In my small mind, the miracle looked like him coming skiing with us. The Lord sweetly reminded me last week of the Israelites. They asked for a king and in their minds a king would come in the form of a military conquerer, but in God's great Sovreignty, he sent a Savior King! This King came in the form of a infant born in a manager to bring salvation or the entire world. His sovereign goodness stretched far beyond simply the Israelites, it stretched to the world. I'm trusting the Lord's sovereign goodness to stretch far beyond a ski trip to Colorado and reach more than we could think or imagine!

Thanks for partnering with us in this journey! Be expecting updates to follow as we take steps closer to Mackenzie being in Birmingham!


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Never Have I Ever

Never have I ever written a letter to the United States Embassy. Well, that changed tonight. Praise God that through his divine power I am equipped for all things in life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Without Him, I'm so insignificant and powerless, BUT with Him I am powerful!

As some readers and many friends know while in Haiti The Lord appointed me for a mission that I could have never imagined. I met Mackenizie, a little 9 year old boy with a smile that could melt any heart and a speech disorder. Mackenzie can say one word in Creole and surprisingly, a few in English.

What's the mission? Get Mackenzie to America and allow him the opportunity to speak! Some dear friends, Ben and Rebecca Morris have offered to host Mackenzie in their home in Birmingham while he gets daily Speech Therapy. The Morris' youngest son had speech therapy and was unable to speak until he was 4 and now can say anything to anyone! Praise God! In fact Sanders, their youngest, invited me to stay at his house "forever and ever" on Friday afternoon! Haha, he's just precious! He and Mackenizie will share a room which will be so sweet! I just know that Sanders is going to be his best friend and the biggest asset for his progress while he is here!!

How you can help? PRAYER. The Morris' and myself are believing God for a miracle! We are asking that Rebecca and myself will be flying from Haiti to America on March 21st. Yes that's 19 days away. For us to get a passport and visa. Only the Lords divine power and favor can make this happen. We have been in the process since I left Haiti in October, but I just believe The Lord is saying "I'm able and willing!"

Why so urgent? Because we've waited so very long and we are all longing to welcome him here. AND the Morris' are going on spring break the following day skiing. Myself and Mackenzie were planning on going. It will be such a treat for him to see the snow and experience another environment! That's such a treat for any child and we want Mackenzie to be able to partake!

Will you partner with us in believing for something seemingly impossible?? As I taught the kids at Faith, Hope, and Love I will stand on His word!

"Ask and you SHALL receive..."
Matthew 7:7






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Encounters with the Gospel: Haiti

I've had this blog in my mind for quiet a while, but haven't sat down to write it. I don't think my heart has been fully ready to share. I'm currently sitting on a plane flying back from a family vacation to the Dominican Republic. Being on the same island as all the dear little ones but not being with them caused my mind to flood with memories of their precious faces and I can't think of a better way to cope than finally share bits and pieces of the three unforgettable encounters I had with the Gospel during my time in Haiti. These are just 3 profound (to me at least) ways I learned more about my Loving God and Savior, Jesus Christ.




I will start with Aaron. A few weeks into my stay in Haiti Aaron began running a fever. The nannies were giving him Tylenol and the fever would subside, but within a few hours it would return again. When I found out about his fever his temperature had been fluctuating for 2 days. I then began monitoring it every few hours and continuing treatment with Tylenol. The 3rd day I was on the phone with the Dorothy, the Director of Faith, Hope, and Love and mentioned Aaron's fever to her. She immediately responded that I needed to call the doctor the next morning. Aaron has sickle cell anemia and anytime he has a fever it indicates infection and the doctor needs to be immediately made aware. Dorothy knew this, but due to my unfamiliarity with sickle cell and Aaron I hadn't thought to call the doctor. Early Monday morning when I called the doctor she told me to immediately take him to the hospital. After the nannies taking 30 mins to get acceptable clothes on him for the hospital ( Haitians are very proud of how they dress and wouldn't dare let him out of the house in anything less than his Sunday best! One of my many cultural lessons) Samuel and I took him to the hospital close to our house. We were greeted with 2 wonderful doctors who were in fact familiar with his specific form of anemia (a taste of the goodness of The Lord)! Aaron was admitted to the hospital quickly after being assessed. The first thing ordered was a sample of his blood to determine his Hemoglobin and Hematocrit levels. The young technician soon entered to draw Aaron's blood. To say this experience was traumatic was an understatement! Due to Aaron's anemia finding a vein was difficult. Not to mention it didn't appear that she knew what she was doing! Drawing Aaron's blood took at least 5 minutes due to the technician having to access different veins throughout his arm. Aaron's was screaming and crying and his little bottom lip was quivering. As this was happening I held his beautiful face in my hands, wiped his tears, and sang Jesus Loves You to him. At one point during this process the Spirit spoke to me so clearly. I was reminded of God watching Jesus be crucified, spat upon, pierced, and just plain gruesomely tortured. Not only did He watch this, He sent Jesus, His Beloved Son, for this purpose. As I held Aaron face, I couldn't imagine how God did this. I had only known this child a few weeks and I was beside myself hurting, angry (because the girl was terrible at her job and hurting one of my babies!), and completely helpless to change Aaron's situation. Wow, once again I stood amazed at the sacrifice and love of God for us.

Aaron's story doesn't stop there. The Lord used him to show me more of Himself. When the blood results came back the doctor informed me that Aaron's hemoglobin and hematocrit were low (13-for those of you who are medical) and that Aaron needed a blood transfusion, if he didn't get this soon "his heart will stop." Yep, those were her exact words. The doctor informed me we needed to go across town and pick up blood at the blood bank and bring it back. This was quite foreign to me because at the wonderful hospital I work at in Birmingham (Brookwood -of course!) when people need blood the nurse just goes down the elevator and gets some. Samuel (our wonderful driver), Sally (another member of the FHL staff) and myself were swiftly on our way. It took 45 mins to get to the Haitian Red Cross and once inside the waiting area completely filled. After arriving the representative informed us that in order to get blood someone was going to have to donate it. Oh this would be an appropriate time to interject my previous comment post Aaron getting his blood drawn. Keep in mind, I was furious at the woman's poor skill level and that it caused him to be upset. So I told Samuel " I will NEVER get a needle stuck in my arm in this country unless I am deathly ill and at that time I better be on a Med Jet flight out of here!" You better believe I meant that when I said it also! Upon hearing the news that someone had to give blood I quickly asked Sally and Samuel to donate both of them said no. I then decided to wait and hope they would give us blood anyway. I also called Dorothy and asked if she had any advice. I informed her that when I tried to give blood in the past that my iron has been low. So my donating was out of the question. Thank goodness! After a horrible experience donating blood in the 6th grade I vowed never to do that again. Dorothy quickly requested help through Facebook, but as time ticked and the doctors words reverberated in my head I couldn't just sit there anymore. "His heart will stop." I walked up to the representative and told her I was willing to donate. The whole time PLEADING with The Lord for my iron to be low. It has been in the past so it should be here, that's what I kept telling myself. At least I would rest my head at night knowing I tried. After the finger prick I was quickly notified that my iron wasn't low. Inside my head I was freaking out. What am I doing? Giving blood in Haiti? What if I get a disease? My mom will kill me (she's all about things being sterile)? Still begging The Lord to stop this somehow. Before I knew it was way reclined in a chair and was looking at the needle about to take my blood which happened to be much larger than what is used in the states (this didn't help the situation ). Sacrifice. That's a piece of the gospel that became real to me with this experience. I sacrificed security and comfort (potentially my health) for someone else. This lead my heart straight to praise because I recalled the largest sacrifice ever made. Jesus gave HIS LIFE for us. Everything He has to offer with no promise of anything in return. He laid it ALL down just for me & YOU. Thank you Jesus! My experience doesn't hold candle to that of Christ's but this real life experience lead me to appreciate that sacrifice in a new and fresh way.





The powerful child pictured above is also known to us as Sha Sha. The sign he is holding in front of him was one that I made when praying for him. You see the profound words Jesus gave me for Sha Sha. Anyone who has met him would agree with it 100%. He is gifted, brilliant, and has a contagious personality! One afternoon Sha Sha came home from school and played a second with the kids. I asked him to change out of his school clothes and thats the last anyone saw him for about 2 hours. 1 hour after this exchange I started looking for him to get him to help me translate. His English is better than anyone else in the house. If couldn't find him and neither could the nannies. After the initial search I thought for sure he was playing a trick on me which wouldn't be uncharacteristic of him, then the kids helped us look. After a through and lengthy search. One nanny and myself went outside of the gate and our sweet neighbor across the street said he had seen him go left out of the gate and down the street. Panic set in. I don't know my way around, I can barely communicate simple language, and I don't know where he would go. The nanny said we should check the soccer area down the street, some of his school friends play there. No Sha Sha. We then checked the nearby church playground. No Sha Sha, then we journeyed on to his school. No one answered the gate. As we walked away his principal came out of the gate. Mr. Nickson quickly joined the search and drove us around the neighborhood. We looked at the nearby tent city because I recalled him saying recently I'm going to live there, I am to old for the house. No Sha Sha. Mr. Nelson also began calling older kids in the school and tell them to look for him. After 45 mins of searching one former student called Nelson back and said they had him. First thought, Thank you lord! What a HUGE relief. Second thought, he deserves a spanking, this wasn't the first behavioral problem we had had with him. (keep in mind I had never spanked a child). Mr. Nickson agreed he needed a spanking. After retrieving him, Nickson spoke with him and sent us home. I was very upset with him. He's brilliant and he knows better than to do this! After entering the gate I made him sit on the stairs and we began talking. I asked him what he did, why he did it, who his choice affected, does he think he should be punished,what should that punishment be, and so on. During our conversation The Holy Spirit quickly prompted me to talk with him about justice, mercy, and grace. So not punish him, but rather show grace to him. Sha Sha was asked to clean up the mess he made and apologize to all those that his actions affected, but wasn't punished. Isn't this a tiny picture of the Gospel? For the wages of sin is Death. Sin has the consequence of death, but rather God chose to bless us with grace unending through his son's death, burial, and resurrection we don't have to die, but live eternally! Hallelujah! Praise you Lord!


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