Bubble Wrap!

What started as a productive packing party...

Turned into a bubble wrap party!!!

OK, now back to packing!

I love what Tara over at Livesay [Haiti] has to say today: "If I had a wish to spare, I'd wish that every single visitor to Haiti (long term, short term, whatever term) would see themselves... as a student of the Haitian people rather than the teacher. "


Her full post is linked HERE.

The Livesay family has been living in Port-au-Prince since 2006 and they are doing great things!

This weekend Tri-City Christian Church is travelling to Haiti on a mission to Good Rest. They will be taking with them some of our suitcases full of necessities and all of our good wishes! I hope their trip goes well, Godspeed! This is the last short term trip planned before we will be there to welcome incoming groups. Many of the people will know the kids and land better than we will when we arrive. This brings home to me the truth that this is really is a team effort! Thanks to all who have loved the kids at Good Rest, we can't wait to get over there ourselves!

"Ask the next person you see 

what their passion is, 

and share your inspiring dream with them.

Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them. 

So go out and start creating."

Please consider sponsoring a child through Children's Heritage Foundation

Some of the children are at Good Rest where we will be rebuilding. All of the children need food, clean water, education, and the knowledge that someone cares about them.

http://www.childrensheritagefoundation.org/fourth/childCatg.php

We are so grateful to the people at CBS8 who have put together a news story about our trip. Thank you Matt and Sara Sellars, David and Charlie, Christine, and everyone who helped to tell not only our story but also the story of children in Haiti who have such bright smiles despite all that they have been through.

Wants vs. Needs

When you have to pack your family of five into the confined space of 10 total suitcases (no more than 50 lbs each), you realize that SO many of the "needs" in your life were really wants!

Needs: mosquito netting, Tylenol, Imodium, vitamins, 2 pairs of clothes each

Wants: xbox, couches, hot water, electricity, 10 pairs of clothes each!

My children are already packed for the move, they consolidated their clothing and favorite toys into a suitcase and a carry-on. I am having a bit more trouble. Do I need to buy expensive water filters or stock up on bug spray? Should I get my kids a DS/PSP or other entertainment, or will our lives be so full of things that don't need to be plugged in and updated that we would rather raise chickens and read books than beat the latest Mario Bros? I can only hope so!

At the beginning of this move, Carl and I planned on bringing with us a washing machine, a generator, a couch, and a whole shipping crate full of our "essentials." Financially that has now been proven impossible for us. So now we are redefining our needs:

We need to treat each other with love and respect.

We need to care for the poor of our world. It is not just a religious mandate, it is the only way of life that makes sense to us.

We need to have laughter in our lives!

We need to provide medical care and the security of absolute love to our children.

We need to be who we are, not who we are supposed to be.

We need to accept who others are, not who we want them to be.

We need to trust God and our fellow man that all of our needs will be met as we open our lives to the children of Haiti and to the calling that we feel so strongly.

Thank you to everyone!

We have some great things happening with our fundraising. Many of our big expenses are beginning to look less impossible, and we are almost halfway to our monthly support goal!

Thank you so much to everyone who believes in us and our calling!