Where He leads...: August 2013

Today was a unique day at our PTA/PNS clinic. In May I had the opportunity to meet a physical therapist from Texas named Rhonda Nisbett. Rhonda comes down to Haiti a few times a year to volunteer with an organization that specializes in helping physical handicapped children called myLIFEspeaks. I had made contact with them concerning a handicapped toddler in our program and they have been working with her these past few months. Rhonda was there that day to provide the initial evaluation for Cindi. She and I discussed the possibility of her coming to our nutrition clinic during her next trip to see some of the children we know of in Leogane who have mobility issues. Today we made that happen!

Rhonda and an intern named Jenn spent the day at our nutrition clinic and she did evaluations on around nine kids. She was able to offer advice and encouragement to the mothers and she showed them exercises they could do to help their kids progress. With assistance and initiative from the mothers, some of the children have hope of walking one day. Always good news!

While it was a blessing to meet these special kids and their mothers, it was also heartbreaking to once again realize the realities of Haiti and the limitations this country has for medical care. These children have needs ranging from special chairs, to braces, to operations and procedures. The best we could do for them today was simply offer advice and encouragement. There's really no place to refer them to. We are going to follow up on a couple leads to see if we can find further assistance for some of them, but we weren't able to make any promises to the mothers.

For now, I hope the mothers take action with the advice and instructions Rhonda shared with them. We will try to keep up with the progress on these kids, which will be easy for some because they are current patients in our nutrition program. One little boy was likely admitted today, which will be great for him to receive our treatment and gain weight and strength to become more active and have a better ability to do the exercises.

Thank you, Rhonda, Jenn, and myLIFEspeaks for the great work you do! And thanks to all of you who support our nutrition clinic and help make it possible for these important days to happen!

This little girl is in our nutrition clinic but does not have mobility issues. She was just there for her appointment and wanted to sit in my lap. Fine by me! :)

My favorite part was seeing the mothers really listen to the instructions Rhonda gave and practice the exercises with their kids.

Does God really ask us to sacrifice—and to sacrifice everything?
Do things always work out for those who are obedient?
Is God at work in the hard places? And does He expect us to join Him in those hard places?
Isn't it possible to love God and to pretty much keep living the life I already have?

These are some of the exact questions Nik Ripken* asked himself as God began to radically change his life and ministry. He writes about his remarkable journey in his book called "The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected". (*He writes under a pseudonym in order to protect himself and those who's stories he shares throughout the book.)

The basic point of me sharing about this book on my blog is because I want you to read it! Do whatever it takes to get your hands on a copy, and then pass it along to someone else and let's get it circulating! Why? It is life-changing, faith-rocking, thought-provoking, soul-challenging stuff. And every believer needs to wrestle with trying to understand the heart of God and how knowing and experiencing God's heart will revolutionize his or her life and ministry.

What I loved when reading about Nik's defining moment in his faith and call to ministry is how the simplicity of the Gospel impacted and challenged him... and yet it is something so many of us miss. "I saw no separation or distinction between accepting Christ and surrendering my whole life to Him to do what He wanted me to do. All I really knew was that the Bible was God's book and that if I really believe that, then I needed to do what it said. The more I looked at [the Great Commission in Matthew 28], the clearer it seemed to me that Jesus gave that command to every one of His followers. It wasn't a separate call or a special call for some of His disciples. Rather, it was the last lesson Jesus wanted to get across to every one of His followers. Go ye into all the world..."

Nik's journey serving the Lord took him to the Horn of Africa during an indescribably difficult and combustible time. The stories he shared while trying to "do some good" there are hard for us to even try to wrap our minds around. The realities of this world--outside our comfortable bubbles--are such a dreadful contrast to most of our lives. And yet, they are indeed the realities for billions of men, women, and children throughout the globe. Reading Nik's accounts of his time in Somaliland will challenge you whether you are serving the Lord in your hometown or trying to "do some good" on a foreign mission field. And as Nik reminds us, "God may have to give instructions about the location—the where. But there is nothing to negotiate the command to go—God has already made our primary task perfectly clear." Meaning, every believer should realize the calling placed on his or her life that once you become a Christian, you are given the responsibility to tell the world about your Lord and Savior!

Returning to the States from Africa, Nik and his wife sensed God was not finished with their ministry overseas. After serving in such a difficult area, they began to wonder what it was like for other believers in similar persecuted areas throughout the globe. This question took them on a journey they never imagined—and into the hearts of some of the most inspiring believers I believe have ever walked this earth!

You will have to read the book for yourself to learn about these stories of faith, obedience, and the miracles that God is still performing today! These stories will challenge your own walk with the Lord and it is my prayer that we will ask the hard questions necessary to make sure that our faith and actions are on track—and if they are not, that we will be obedient to make the necessary changes that God wants us to make.

I was challenged by believers in these persecuted areas who have memorized entire books of the Bible so that they can recite them to others while they are imprisoned. I was challenged by the house church movement in China, where believers do not have climate-controlled sanctuaries and comfy seats and the freedom to walk in and out of the doors without the fear of being arrested for singing hymns to the Lord and meeting together with other Christians. I was challenged by a group of 100+ Chinese pastors who risked their lives to meet together for a conference. Only seven of the leaders there had their own copy of the Bible and so they went around tearing out books of their Bibles and handing them out to other pastors so that each one could have at least one book to go back and teach to their communities. Can you imagine?! How many copies do we have in our homes that just sit and collect dust?! And these pastors were tearing out pages so that another could have just a piece of the precious Word of God! I was challenged by the believer in Eastern Europe who told Nik, "I took great joy that I was suffering in my country, so that you could be free to witness in your country. Don't ever give up in freedom what we would never have given up in persecution!" There are brothers and sisters in Christ who have been and who are still being tortured and murdered because of their faith in Christ and their refusal to be silent about Him. If for no other reason, we should relentlessly share the gospel in honor of those men and women who would expect no less! Not to mention that it is what Jesus (who bled and died for us) expects and commands of us!

What I appreciated about Nik's journey is that while he had set out to learn how he could help the persecuted church in other parts of the world, he ended up learning so much more!... "about how to follow Jesus, how to love Jesus, and how to walk with Him day by day."

Church, it is time to wake up! We have no excuse anymore. We have the ability to know what is going on in the world around us and often we choose to ignore it. We live in our bubbles, we pursue the American dream, and we conveniently forget that believing in Christ is not simply a golden ticket to Heaven—it's a call to live (and die!) for Him.

Let me close with a few paragraphs from the book. And then please go read it for yourself and let me know what you think!

"It's not enough to feel grateful for the blessed circumstance in which we live. It's not even enough to do a better job remembering and praying for the suffering believers around the world. It's not even enough to identify with the other parts of Christ's Body around the world.

"Ultimately, the problem is one of emphasis and focus. Instead of recognizing, thinking about, remembering, praying about, identifying with and focusing on the suffering of fellow believers around the world, we would do well to shift our focus. Quite simply, we would do well to ask ourselves whether or not we are being obedient to Jesus. He is asking us—He is expecting us—He is commanding us to share Him wherever we go. He is commanding us to do that wherever we are today.

"It is a simple matter of obedience. If He is our Lord, then we will obey Him. If we do not obey Him, then He is not our Lord.

"Perhaps the question should not be: 'Why are others persecuted?' Perhaps the better question is: 'Why are we not?'"

Click here to watch a short video introduction.

It's crazy to think that this month marks the two year anniversary of my first trip to Haiti. Since that trip, God has continually opened doors for me to serve in Haiti and I'm now on my 6th trip... though this stint isn't really considered a "trip" since I'm here all year.

I have so many fond memories from all of my various activities and assignments in Haiti. One place that is particularly special to me is Croix des Bouquets, where I first went for 10 days in November 2011 and then ran a guest house for God's Planet from January to March 2012. Through those experiences I became good friends with a missionary named Sarah Dorismar, ironically also from Maryville, TN! (We had never met before meeting in Haiti!) Sarah and her husband Yves were a huge help to me--teaching me about Haitian culture, helping me learn Creole, sharing the behind-the-scenes of missionary life in Haiti, and mostly just making me feel like part of the family. When I first met Sarah she had recently started a children's home and had five sweet kids. Now she has 17 children--19 if you count staff children who also live there with their parents. And on top of all those adorable kiddos, Sarah has one other sweet gal whom I dearly love, "my" dog Fibi! Sarah brought Fibi to me when she was a tiny puppy in January 2012. I told her then that she was pretty clever, giving me a puppy so I'd want to stay in Haiti forever! Sarah assured me she would take care of Fibi after my time in Haiti ended. Well, obviously my time in Haiti hasn't ended, but I'm now serving two hours away and have yet to live somewhere I can have a dog. So Fibi has stayed with Sarah and her huge family and though she was thrilled to see me (the feeling was mutual of course) she seems happy and healthy there.

Here are some photos with captions to give you a peek at my visit to Croix des Bouquets this weekend...

Love her!!!

The kids of Living Water Haiti

Regina was one of the original five children when I first stayed with Sarah in 2011. Now she's a rambunctious four year old!

Belanda is also four and absolutely adorable! Look at those eyes!

Wilson is the the youngest child there. He's got some spunk but is also so cuddly! He will not turn down an invitation to be picked up and loved on!

I got to see Amanda and little Ellie, other friends of mine from Maryville also serving as missionaries in Haiti. It's always great to see familiar faces!

Josien was my cook and cleaning lady when I managed the God's Planet guest house. She became a dear friend and her boys are so adorable! I was able to find sponsors to pay for their schooling this year. Unfortunately Josien has not found a steady job since we closed down the guest house over a year ago. The school sponsorships mean a lot to this family! I also gave them one of several Creole children's Bibles donated by New Creations S.S. class at Fairview Methodist. Her oldest boy Verley was in a serious accident a few months ago. It's a miracle he is still alive!

A national highway cuts through the outskirts of Croix des Bouquets and it is very dangerous. Like many families, Josien lives right off that road. Verley was hit by a truck and was severely injured. He lost a toe and nearly lost his foot altogether. His time in the hospital reduced him to skin and bones. Sarah is going to show him exercises he can do to build some muscle back in his left leg. Continue to pray for Verley as he heals and starts the new school year.

Me with Dave, Samuel, and sweet Rose--their neighbor who I first met as a tiny infant months ago.

Fibi is so huge! Crazy to think how tiny she was just a year and a half ago!

Living Water has goats that come in to sleep at night. The dogs like to chase them to the back. You'd think they were going to kill them the way they carry on. I think the goats think that too!

This is Rocky, one of the four Living Water Haiti dogs. They were newborn pups that had been left in a box outside another mission and were barely crawling when I met them earlier this year.

And this is Biko. Further proof that my heart always has room to expand and let another life jump right in! I instantly fell in love with this little guy. He is an absolute sweetheart and just melted in my arms when I picked him up, head on my shoulder and everything.

Sarah and Yves graciously gave me a ride back to Leogane. We stopped by Hope For Life Children's Home so they could meet the kids who have stolen my heart. They brought brand new hats and several pairs of shoes thanks to a generous organization called Love A Child.

I'm trying to finish up Kelly Minter's study on the book of Nehemiah--I highly recommend it by the way! She references Deuteronomy 8:10-18 and how the Lord reminds us to praise and remember Him during times of blessing because He is the ultimate source. He doesn't want us to become proud as if we were the ones who brought these blessings into our lives. Kelly asks, "What blessing, gift, or talent are you taking credit for? Set aside a few minutes and praise the Lord for what He has given you." As I reflect on all the Lord has put in my hands lately, my heart is filled with thankfulness. And I don't want to take credit for any of it. It is only because of the Lord's gracious, giving and forgiving nature that I can receive His blessings. As I continue to serve in Haiti, some may think I'm doing some great, noble, and brave thing. But the truth is, I couldn't do any of this without my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ prompting and empowering to do so AND without so many of you who have so faithfully and generously supported my ministry in Haiti and elsewhere! My heart is thankful... so thankful! And I wanted to take a pause from my study and list some of the people God is using to encourage me and allow my ministry in Haiti to expand... There is such beauty and awe in the unique ways God provides!! See for yourself!

The children at Vacation Bible School at my church back home took up a collection of--get this--147 pounds worth of pennies! It equaled $380.66! They wanted it to go to "the orphans in Haiti".
A dear friend of mine, Bunny Roach, passed away last month. She has been one of my biggest cheerleaders since I was preparing to serve in Namibia. Her husband Jim asked for donations to be given to my ministry in lieu of flowers. She was dearly loved and will be missed. I will use the funds in her memory and honor to help the children here.
The "Quilters and Crafters" are a group of sweet ladies from my church who come together for crafts and fellowship and give proceeds from what they make and sell to missions. They have given towards my mission work for the past several years in HUGE ways!
A friend I met here in Haiti told her grandparents about Revenold, the deaf boy at the children's home, and they have decided to sponsor him to go to a special needs school next year, including paying for private transportation for him each day (not cheap!).
After I told little Karen's story on Facebook, one of the 21 kids at Hope For Life, and encouraged anyone who could give towards that ministry to give even a little something--$435 came in from several people. (A friend from high school, three people I've only briefly met here in Haiti, two dear friends from church, and two sets of parents of friends of mine.)
All eight children I mentioned in my last update have been sponsored to start school next month!! The sponsors range from family to friends to people I've never even personally met before!
Some dear friends of mine have just accepted the call to missions themselves. God had asked them to set aside some money and they felt they should give it to my ministry in Haiti. It was no small amount and the incredible thing is that they are about to start the support raising process themselves and yet gave so generously!
I received an email the other day to say that a dear friend from years ago sent a donation for $200!
A sweet friend of the family and widow of a man I considered a third grandpa growing up faithfully sends in a donation each month towards my ministry.
Two Sunday School classes from back home help out often, sending donations and supplies for the kids at Hope For Life, give towards school sponsorships and more!
Lloyd Baker goes to my church. He is in his 80s and is still crafty making wooden bird houses and school buses and selling them to give to missions. I wouldn't be able to count if I tried all the donations he has sent my way these past 4 years. He always tells me he has another "26 cents" for me. :)
And of course my parents are a vital part of my ministry, not just in monetary donations, but in helping keep up with my affairs back home, processing donations, getting supplies together to send down with visitors, and so much more!

I know I haven't included everyone, but there is thankfulness in my heart for each and every one of you who have given, who have prayed, and who have encouraged me along the way. I thank God for you, and I thank you for your generosity, kindness, and love for me and the kids and families in Haiti and beyond! You've heard the phrase, "It takes a village to raise a child." Well, it takes at least that many people to support a missionary. And this missionary says THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. God is my strength and endurance for this race and you all keep encouraging me forward in ways you will never know! You will see updates soon of these donations in action, including purchasing some instruments for Hope For Life. A handful of the kids recently began taking music lessons, but they have no instruments! That will change soon enough! The kids will soon receive new uniforms for the 2013-14 school year. And I will continue to provide as much nutrient-rich food as I can to help them have consistent and balanced meals. So stay tuned and please keep the prayers coming!

When I have extra funds I like to take snacks for the kids at Hope For Life. A common one is peanut butter sandwiches but today I decided to change things up a bit and bought a bunch of mangoes. They loved them! Although fruit is fairly inexpensive here (25 mangoes cost less than $4), when it comes to feeding 21 kids, it adds up. Cooking a big meal of rice or similar dishes is more economical for them than constantly giving them a spread of fruits and veggies. I definitely want to see them eat balanced meals, so this mango thing will be happening a lot more often... until mango season is over and then I can switch to something else. And I want to say thanks to all of you who help make this possible! A couple weeks ago I told about little Karen's story and encouraged anyone who could give even a small amount to donate towards the children's home. Within a couple days $435 came in! I can't tell you how much of an encouragement that is to me and to Pastor Jean Marc--who works tirelessly to care for these precious kids. These donations help towards buying food for their daily meals and also for special treats like mangoes! :) We'll also be purchasing new uniforms soon for the school year starting back up in September and will be able to use some of this money to cover those costs. I'm excited about what God is doing at Hope For Life and it's a blessing to be able to share these fun stories with all of you!

After the mango snack we made bracelets thanks to some beads that were donated by Stephanie from Dotson Memorial and elastic thread bought by my mom--both brought down when my friend Melissa came for a visit. Each kid made a bracelet and got to keep it. They've been used to making jewelry to sell, so it was fun to make something special they could keep for themselves. We've got several other projects in the works, crafts and otherwise, and we made a wish list on Amazon for materials we could use for those. If you're interested in donating those items, you can view the list here and the items will ship to my home address and be brought down with teams and individuals heading this way soon. We thought this would be a fun and unique way for you to get involved with our upcoming projects. :)

And since kids eating mangoes is especially adorable, here are some photos to enjoy!