It's hard to believe that we've not even been in Iraq a full three days. We are learning our new roles as quickly as we can. I'm sure Mark already has a great handle on things here at the base/field hospital. It will be a very busy and important role, but I know he'll do an amazing job. With every new task I learn, I'm taking work and stress off of the small admin team here. I'm sure within a few more days my daily list of duties will be quite lengthy. We have new people coming to serve at the hospital every day and others who are heading back home. We also have an large amount of national staff who rotate in and out every few days. There are a lot of people to keep up with but the team here is wonderful and it's been incredible to see how God has handpicked each one of us to be here. Thank you for your continued prayers that we will serve well and as a caring and unified team.

War is horrific

I don't think anyone can be fully prepared to enter a warzone. Not mentally anyway. We received a thorough security training upon arrival in addition to some online training we had to do before we got here. I started to get a decent picture in my head of what it might be like, but nothing prepares you for seeing it with your own eyes. Our first night at the field hospital we received an influx of nearly 20 patients... the biggest load that had been seen here in days. It was all hands on deck and very intense. I'm sure serving in a hospital after a natural disaster is also difficult, but we've all remarked about how seeing the trauma and casualties of war is perhaps even more disheartening. These are victims of hatred and evil. Villages that were deserted by those fleeing the fighting have been heavily booby-trapped by the enemy and now many families trying to return are being killed when they step on their doormat or lift up the coffee kettle.

Please continue to pray for all of us here. Our medical team is working long hours and sometimes right when they think they'll get a break, a new wave of patients comes in. We can only do so much in our own strength, so we are relying on God to provide everything we need for this great task. Thank you for lifting us up whenever you can.

It's been quite cold here in Iraq. We packed accordingly but it's still a bit of a shock after being spoiled in warm Gulfport the past few weeks.

I was recruited on our first night here to be a hand holder in the women and children's ward. For nearly six hours I tried to console this little girl. I can't imagine what these precious children have already seen and experienced. As I am typing this, two little children are dying in the emergency room. They are being rocked and sung to by our loving team. We cannot explain how much we appreciate your prayers for us and these families.

2016 sure ended with an exciting bang! The last few months have been a whirlwind... from getting engaged right after my summer in Belgium, to planning our special day, and then heading to Haiti together a week after getting back from our honeymoon in Colorado. All of this beautiful craziness just makes us more excited for what God has in store for us in 2017!

Highlights from Haiti

Hurricane Matthew made landfall in Haiti on October 4th killing over 1,000 people and leaving nearly 1.5 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. Mark deployed to Haiti just days later to help deliver aid to some of the hardest hit areas. He returned the week before our wedding and then we left for Haiti together shortly after our honeymoon. We served with Samaritan's Purse in Les Cayes, Haiti. I was the base manager for our team there and Mark was the area coordinator. It was an incredibly busy and full time. We were both glad to be back in Haiti where we could use our Creole and experience from living there before.

As the base manager I supervised 14 ladies who cooked and cleaned for our base. We became fast friends and I did my best during our busy days to get to know them and love on them. I wanted to leave them with a gift and the only resource I had for that was my camera. We had fun on several occasions taking silly pictures together. They loved it! I put all of the photos on one of their laptops so they can eventually print some of them out. It was a tearful goodbye even after only knowing them for three weeks. Mark stayed an extra two weeks to wrap up some of the important tasks and then we enjoyed the holidays together in Tennessee.

Although we were serving in a different part of Haiti than where I used to live, I did get to make a brief visit to the precious kiddos at Hope For Life Children's Home. They're doing well and still loving their new dorm. :)

What's next?!

We are leaving tomorrow on a new assignment with Samaritan's Purse. We will spend six weeks in Iraq helping the team provide emergency relief to Iraqi citizens fleeing the conflict in Mosul. Samaritan's Purse is distributing food and supplies to those living in evacuee camps and has set up an emergency field hospital for those in need. We appreciate your prayers for us and the team as we serve those who have left everything behind in search of refuge. Pray for us that we will have the opportunity to share about the One who promises to be our refuge and strength and a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1) Thank you for your love, encouragement, and support. We look forward to keeping you all updated as we follow after God's plans for us in the weeks and months to come.

War is horrific

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