A Small Price to Pay...{Haiti}

UPDATE:
I AM ADDING MORE PICS TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST AS ADAM SENDS THEM DURING HIS STAY IN HAITI.


He hates needles.

All things needles.

His chart at the doctor is even flagged "HAVE LIE DOWN WHEN DRAWING BLOOD".

But he saw it as a small price to pay...



To be here.



With these precious fatherless children.



Adam is in Jeremie, Haiti right now with our church on mission with God. And I have never been more proud of him. He stepped out of his comfort zone a few months back and stepped out in Faith and said "Yes" to ministering to and loving on the orphaned children in devastated Haiti.

A few months prior to the earthquake in Haiti, our church had a burden placed on their hearts for this poverty stricken country. We partnered with The Global Orphan Project and soon purchased land to begin building an orphanage there on the West coast of Jeremie.

We began raising funds through our Crazy Love campaign and before we knew it there was land...there was enough money...and building began. There was also a plan. A marvelous plan. Not only would we build an orphanage, we would build a church, a school, a medical building, and multiple "homes" for these children with the church being the center building. We would also pay Haitian women to be "mommas" to 5 or 6 children in each "home"...there would be about 30 "homes". We would pay her well even ($60 a month) as a Haitian. In other words...we would build a community for these orphans.

Then January 12, 2010 happened. And we all know what followed. A country that once had an estimated (By UNICEF in 2007) 380,000 orphans, now had a massive spike in those already staggering statistics.

Staggering numbers of...

Motherless.

Fatherless.

Loveless.

Homeless children.

Children no different than my own. And certainly just as innocent.

Children that need to be tucked in at night.

That need to be hugged.

That need to have someone tell them it's ok when they feel sick or they are hurt.

To just hold them and comfort them when they are afraid.

All of this was confirmation from God that we were where we were supposed to be as a church. And then God began to personally move our hearts to help however we could. Adam knew he would go the minute this trip was cleared. God had a great plan and it was wonderful to be on board and a part of it.

No church is perfect...if you attend church anywhere you already know this...it's full of humans that mess it all up. :-)

But let me tell you that I have never been more proud to be a part of something like this...where the focus is on serving "the least of these" and not becoming distracted with things like carpet colors and pews. (Cant I get a witness?)

It's so refreshing to be a part of a body of believers that "gets it"...This life is not our own. It is not about us. Or our comfort. Or our self righteousness. Or our judgments. It is about something far beyond ourselves. Far bigger than our egos. Or our selfish agendas. It is about being the hands and feet of Christ to a lost and broken world. It is about "caring for orphans and widows"...it is about loving others more than ourselves. It's about a love some would call... Crazy.

I have never felt it as strongly as when I see my husbands strong, fatherly hands on the shoulders of those young boys up in that picture. I know they have already been blessed just by spending time with him today. He is such a fabulous,caring,and attentive Father. They will feel so much love from him and know he cares by his touch. His smile. His focus on them. Did I already say that I'm proud?

I feel such a connection to those children just by seeing them with Adam. In fact I find it hard tonight to sleep because I think of them alone as they sleep and it hurts me. Somewhere that makes me very uncomfortable. Somewhere I cannot shake. Deep. I have a feeling in those depths that God is in the midst of moving in our lives in a big way that even I do not know...and I have to say that as scary as that may be...it is also the sweetest feeling I have ever known. Bring it on! :-)

See that Tennessee Titans (whoot!) hat up there in the picture? And the sunglasses on that handsome young man in the second picture? Those are my Adam's. Seems they were smitten with his things. We have been able to talk through Blackberry Messenger and I feel like I am right there with him. Technology is mind boggling folks. I can't keep a signal in Wal-Mart but I can chat with my husband while he is in the middle of the Caribbean on an island. Go figure.

He was able to tell me all about arriving at the orphanage today and the children singing for them. How they literally attacked them (in a loving way) and began to rub his arms and hold his hands and hug him. How he spent his evening thumb wrestling and playing the hand slap game. All of this says so much to me about what we are doing there. The fact that these children can give love, says they are being shown love. So many others are not as fortunate so my heart is over joyed for these kids

Adam says he will never be the same. His heart is broken and he already knows after just one day of being there in their midst, that we will be going back again.

He says the "mommas" are so proud of their children they are caring for. That the kids living conditions are far greater than most Haitians and they eat far better than most there. He said they wanted to show him their "homes" and wanted to graciously share their food with him. He said it pained him to leave them for the night. (The Guest House is not yet finished with construction so they are in a Hotel in downtown at night) This is the view from what will be the Guest House.



And this is where he will get a chance to snorkel...that's a shipwrecked submarine in the middle of the ocean there...and a cave on the right. Breathtaking huh? Even more mind boggling that he was able to send these through email from his phone! Doesn't' take much to fascinate me. I should get out more.



He said his room was about 95 degrees tonight as he was trying to sleep because they turn the power off at night from 10-5am to save energy. And that he misses us like crazy...but that he would not want to be anywhere else right now.

And although I want nothing more than to have him here with us,

I can't say that I blame him.


"Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works." James 2:26

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." James 1:27

UPDATED PHOTOS:
Church Service Sunday


15 year old Makenson


Obu and Makendie


Adam with Obu and Makenson


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"My every mortal breath, is Grace and nothing less"