Growing pains...

Well, princesses (still going to write more about that soon...), isn't it interesting how our heavenly Father chooses to reveal Himself to us? Sometimes (ok, most of the time for me), I get so wrapped up in the things of this world that I lose my eyes of faith and rely wholly on my eyes of sight. I mean, i was baptized when I was 2 weeks old...this is not a new thing to me, but yet at my age, I still lose my focus. Thank God that He is patient and loving with me and willing to use this cracked, chipped, faded vessel to carry out His plan!

As most of you know my family has made several trips to Haiti over the years. Some more than others, but Tom and I have gone, my girls have gone and Benjamin has gone. We hope and pray that Amanda, Megan and Nathan will go sometime in the future.

We have developed strong ties with friends in Haiti, and they have now become our loved ones. The earthquake of a few weeks ago really rocked their world and ours as we have been so concerned about them. I will write more about this in the future, but even though their town is 140 miles away from Port-au-Prince, they were affected and the building that they reside in and the orphanage were inspected by the U.N. and deemed unable to inhabit due to structural issues in the building after the earthquake. They are now somewhat divided, as part of the group stays in a refugee camp and a large part of the group (orphans included) have been moved to a new location where they are going to live in rather makeshift conditions until the new orphanage can be built.

Tom and I were contacted recently and asked if we would consider hosting a Haitian woman whose husband started the orphanage there, was a pastor and a visionary there, until his untimely death a few years ago. She accompanied some orphans here a week or so ago, and brought her two grandsons, ages 3 yrs and 8 months to the U.S. for awhile. She is going to use this time to visit some places that have supported their ministry in Les Cayes, and hopefully to get some medical attention for some health issues that she has been struggling with over the past few years, while her daughter and son in law there will work to build the new orphanage without having to care for two little ones constantly.

This is a photo of Leonie (on left at you view this photo, and her daughter, Yelline, whose little boys will be at our home soon!)

So, in less than 2 weeks, she, her grandsons and a daughter-in-law (not the mom of the boys) will be at our home for a month or more. Wow!  I am so excited, nervous, grateful, and amazed that God is doing this with me! I am so in awe of His plan, and that He thinks that I am worthy to host these wonderful people for this period of time! Leonie is a true woman of God if I have ever met one. The selfish part of me is so looking forward to spending time with her and soaking up who she is and what she says and does...how she lives her life. I have so much to learn about being a woman of God! 

Of course, the babies...well, that's a no brainer! Put me around babies and I am just a happy camper, so I can't wait to hug and love on those little boys! God is so good to fill my baby need!

I also can't wait to meet Leonie's daughter in law, Rachelle, who is coming along to help with the presentations that Leonie will be doing to spread the word about what they are doing in Les Cayes, Haiti.

What an amazing God we serve and what amazing princesses and sisters in Christ I have! Yes, I have been stressing a little about providing the proper space and equipment for my guests that will soon arrrive...I admit that I am a Martha, at heart. Our wonderful Father has a great sense of humor and abundant patience because this is a lesson that He has trying to teach me for many years, and He hasn't given up on me yet! He keeps giving me opportunities to learn the things that He needs to teach me, and I keep finding new ways to not learn His lessons. My wonderful friend, Claudia put it well once when she said, "I wish that I would just GET IT and learn to be patient so that He wouldn't have to keep finding new ways to try and teach me patience!" So true....

And, after my stress-inducing email that I sent to some close friends last night about my "logistics issues," my dear friend, Barb, replied with an email that began with:

"I can do all things through him who gives me strength." Phil. 4:13

Oh, yeah. Ok, so what's that??? Just the very first Scripture verse from our Scripture memory group from, way back, oh...when???....LAST WEEK! Yup...I'm a slow learner, and ride the short bus when it comes to spiritual matters.

But, that should give all of us great HOPE, because our Father does show us undeserved love, grace and mercy, and it is constant! That He wouldn't give up on me should be very encouraging to you!

So, I end now by asking you what lessons do you still need to learn? And, are you observing the ways that He is showing His love by trying to teach you? Just look around and I bet you will see evidence of His love for you in the ways that He is trying to teach you His ways...His eternal, glorious ways....

Stay tuned...many more stories about my growing pains to come, I'm certain!