Beauty from Ashes. {Haiti Part 2}

As much as our mission trip to Haiti was a working mission, we spent a lot of time with the great people and adorable children of Haiti from different villages&orphanages. Here are some pictures from the villages! 

I was able to help out with some of the Vacation Bible Schools while we were there.

Driving up to Ebenezer, it was breathtaking! 

I am so blessed to have been able to experience all of this with my loving Mother, they all loved her!

Tina and I handing out snacks&water.

We did a lot of clothes and food distributions: Rice, beans, oil,&spaghetti. 

Another food distribution and VBS at the Village across the lake.

We spent almost a whole day at the new Rapha House in Haiti!

We were not allowed to take pictures while we were at the safe house for obvious safety reasons, but the images of that day will always be in my heart. 

We were the first team to go to this new Rapha House and it was incredible! The staff was so amazing and the girls were so sweet! We were also able to spend time with Stephanie while we were there!! (The director of Rapha House) 

We had a devotion with the staff, ate Dominos pizza with the girls, did a VBS, and played with the girls outside. 

It was such an amazing day! 

One of the girls said that she could see Jesus in the house that day, and I would have to agree! 

Although Jesus is always in the safe house and with us, His love was definitely brighter while we were there!

{Romans 12:9-13}

 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.

 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor,serving the Lord.

 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Beauty from Ashes. {Haiti Part 1}

Dear beautiful Haiti,

For the past couple of years I have summed up my "New Year Resolutions" to one word and for 2015 my word is serving. I want to do my very best at becoming a better servant and what a better opportunity than a mission trip! I very recently just traveled to your wonderful land within the last couple of weeks on a mission trip and was blown away. Truly. 

I wasn't expecting to look out of my window on the plane and see gorgeous mountains&colorful buildings. I wasn't expecting to see the smiling faces of your people and the loving looks in their eyes. I wasn't expecting to feel completely safe. 

But I did, to all of those and more.

I then realized that what I was witnessing was what Isaiah had explained in Isaiah 61:3: 

Haiti had been given a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, and festive praise instead of despair.

Haiti hadn't just survived that earthquake and all that resulted from it, they had thrived. And I was experiencing it. 

Almost exactly three years before this trip to Haiti, I went on a mission trip to Cambodia for Rapha House. I was living in Australia at the time and met my Vernal team there. Rapha House is a safe house for girls who are rescued out of sex trafficking where they have all of their needs taken care of, counseling, taught trades that will help them earn money for their families (sewing, gardening, hair school), and can finally act like little kids. That mission trip was to collect information and first hand experiences to come back to the states (or Australia) and reach out to people.

 This mission trip to Haiti was very different, a working mission. I was meeting my parents and the team from Vernal there, most of them their second time to Haiti to reach out and help these precious people. That very first night my mom, friend Julie, and I watched a beautiful baby boy be born! That was an incredible, eye-opening experience. After our team member Necia (who helped the midwife) and the midwife told us that we were helping by our 'cheerful chatter', we decided that when the mama was pushing our job was to cheer "Push it.. push it REAL good." I'm really glad that she couldn't understand English... It was super intense labor and delivery, but she did great&we had a very healthy boy! Afterwards I was told that in Haiti one out of five mothers die in childbirth, so please keep expectant mothers in your prayers!

Two of the construction days that I was apart of was fixing a roof and building a compound wall that will be around Whole Hearted Orphanage.

Roof at Village of Faith:

We (I tried..) The men loaded up cement, and then we sifted gravel and carried buckets and buckets up the ladder. We also got to play with the adorable children of the village when school got out and the cute baby goats. At the end of an exhausting day, the ice cream moto came and we all got to share in the delight of ice cream. (Thank you Dad&John.)

Building the compound wall around 

Whole Hearted Orphanage.

We had part of our team on this project, and it was actually one of my favorite parts. It was a huge workout in the beating sun, but so exciting because you actually got to see the results. Also, I got to work with both my Mom&Dad! The work crew was so funny and so hardworking, it was incredible! 

Pictures are from both of my work days there. 

"MELOOOODDDY!"
"SAAAAAAAMMMMI!"
"KASSADDDDDIIIIII!"
"JUUUUUULIEEEE!"

To make the cement, we had to go down to a spring for our water. 
There are so many things that we seem to take for granted. 
Clean water, fresh water, abundance of water.
While we were there, I was blown away watching the women clean their family's clothes. Hardworking, dedication, love.  
Then there was this sweet, Christian man that helped Necia&I bucket water, he was extremely fast! He later said that what better way of living for God than helping others. So awesome!!!

Being able to spend time with my parents working in Haiti was incredible. Our team and the work crew were amazing!

I can not wait to see the wall complete and the future Whole Hearted Orphanage. 

{Joshua 22:5} 

 "But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul."

{1 Peter 4:10}

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others,faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms."

  

God, Thank you for 2014.

2014

Two thousand & fourteen.

The year that I was definitely not looking forward to,

 the year that I was dreading.

The year that the military would take my Husband away from me on a long deployment. 

The year that I thought would be so lonely and sad.

 Definitely sad.

I remember coming back from our Christmas trip to Costa Rica last year dreading December 31, 2013---

knowing that the new year was fast approaching.
Knowing that all I wanted to do was keep on making memories as newlyweds.

But the clock kept ticking, the hours kept changing. 

And then the night where everyone watched the ball drop, Scott and I went to bed early.  

January 2014 was amazing.

The budget completely out the window, money not an issue.

I didn't want to waste any time with my Husband, constantly thinking of new memories to make. 

We went on dates, cuddled on the couch, talked for hours.

Celebrated his birthday in Myrtle Beach, baked him a delicious cake. All knowing that the time was passing by us, and quite honestly, faster than I even imagined.  

And then, February arrived. 

If anyone knows me--I am a HUGE birthday girl. 

I love everything about February, especially since it has Valentines Day&my birthday in the same month. 

I love the countdown.

I love being spoiled during this month. I love the surprises. 

I love that it's a month about love and laughter.

But this February was different.

This February meant something I wasn't ready to experience. 

This February meant love, tears, & heartbreak.

H E A P S of heartbreak.

This February meant my sweet Husband was leaving me.

There wasn't a countdown to my birthday, there was a countdown to the day I had to drop him off. Then the countdown to the approximate time he'd be back.

That cold, February day was marked by tears, lasts, & longing.

But do you want to know the beauty that came from that awful day? Family and friends came to me, showering me with love and prayers.

There were a lot of firsts, dimming the sadness of the lasts.

God created beauty out of the year that I had thought was going to be dark and lonely. 

God helped me become more independent, 

helped me be where I need to be, and reminded me each and every day that I was definitely NOT alone.

After a few adventures&new friendships, I headed to Utah in March.

This time was colored with family, new opportunities,

and some MUCH needed hugs.

I worked as a substitute teacher while I was in Utah and fell in love with teaching elemantary kids. I was able to give my sister a sweet sixteenth party, and send her off to prom in my prom dress. Spend time with my best friends, and send one of them off to her adventure in Thailand.  Was able to celebrate my Daddy's fiftieth birthday and shower him with love. I was able to have many mommy-daughter dates. I was able to spend time with my brother and get to know his now beautiful wife and adorable son. Made many memories with my Grandparents. Was able to spend time with my Grandma B, and be with my family when she passed away. I was able to spend time on my mountains and take in every thing around me. I was finally able to have the girls nights I was craving. Helped my Mom and her friend with their girls bible study and hang out with the crazy youth group. Was able to be a bridesmaid to my bestie Allyson, when she committed her life to her beloved AND join the wifey club! I was able to go on our family river trip to celebrate my Grandparents' FIFTIETH YEAR anniversary. I was also blessed to be able to be a sponsor at CIY with the youth group and spend quality time with my sister.  

When July came around, I had a million new lasting memories of the past four months. But the adventures didn't stop there. My sister flew back to North Carolina to stay with me for a month, to help the time without Scott fly by. But little did we know, the exact same time Scott was being told that he was going to be sent home from his deployment early due to his back injury. So literally three days after my sister and I landed, we headed back to the airport to pick up the sweet, handsome Husband I missed with every single breath. The month that was supposed to be just with my sister, turned into some major bonding time with my sister, Scott, & I. We went to Virginia to surprise his Mama, had a blast in Wilmington, New Bern, &Myrtle Beach, SC, and explored South Port. When it was time to send my sister back, we were in Raleigh making last minute memories before we were in the airport saying our "see you laters."  

August-now... has continued to be an adventure of learning more about each other, reintegration, &taking in the little moments that last a lifetime. Between staying home, our favorite trips to Wilmington, Greensboro with family, Charlotte football games, our perfect trip to Asheville and the Biltmore house--It was definitely time that I got blessed with Scott, since he came home early.

Our trip to Utah felt actually like a vacation and not just a trip home. Family, work, memories, our mountains, Thanksgiving, early Christmas, Holly Days, double dates, my Brother's WEDDING. Much needed time with my family, especially since Scott hadn't been home since our wedding in 2013. 

The rest of December was full of Christmas magic. Scott&I found our FIRST Christmas tree and all of our ornaments. We spent a whole day dancing around the house as we decorated everything and hung our lights. Winter Wonderland. Then we celebrated Jesus' birthday with Scott's mama and sister in Virginia and had a really good time. Scott and I have been blessed by being able to spend Christmas together since we have been married, and I definitely know not to take it for granted. 


So, as I look back to myself when 2013 was ending I had no idea of the miracles 2014 would unfold. 
   I had no idea that there would be many first, with what I thought would only be lasts. 
I had no idea that God would use me to touch people's lives through this season of my life.
I had no idea that when I imagined 2014, I only imagined tears and not the laughter that helped paint each and every day. 
 Thank you, God, for teaching me so many things through this year.
Thank you, God, for being with Scott&sending him home safe and sound.
Thank you, God, for helping me understand that I was never alone.
Thank you, God, for sending my family&friends to cover me with love, laughter, and prayers.
God, thank you for 2014. 

Without the hesitation that I had last year, 
BRING ON 2015.