As I sat in Passion 2010, if I wasn't convinced I was going to go already...this sealed the deal. God is doing amazing things! God's story is HUGE! I'm not sitting on the sidelines waiting for it to happen, I'm not missing out!
http://vimeo.com/9832009
Sorry, I can't the link to work, so just do the 'ol copy and paste and you'll get there...and be ready to Praise God at the end of it!
Thank you to Africaprincess who gave me the link!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
High Hopes and Heartbreaks
Good grief...a lot has happened in a month. Just a little over a month ago, I came back from having my life rocked in a major way through the honor of helping survivors of the Haiti earthquake. I've gotten a few updates about a couple of my pt's (Denise and Annika are doing well! They were evacuated to the Comfort Ship). I've been able to continue here in ATL with the recovery of little lives from Haiti and when I saw an update on a local TV spot and saw my little one LOOKING GREAT, I had a moment of "wow, God is powerful!!!" Not a day goes by where I don't think about them and pray for them.
Along with that comes a new season of life. Back in Oct, I met Rachel through our friend Janet. Rachel is pretty much amazing and we are cut from the same cloth, yet with different strengths and weaknesses. Immediately the Lord let us hit it off and she quickly became one of my very closest friends her in Atlanta. Our first conversation was at church as we were tearing down a mock apartment created to show what we needed to bring the next week for refugees randomly placed in ATL. It completely revolved around God, his call on our lives...and of course...our heartbeat, missions and loving people. Before this time, I had always been willing to go where God wanted me to go, but Africa had never really been on my radar. The second Rachel mentioned she had heard about a hospital in Uganda that needed nurses to help out and educate...I was hooked. She had hurdles to overcome, but our conversation ended with me saying to her, "if no one else can go, even if it is just the two of us, I will go to Uganda with you. There's no reason I cannot go and teach people everything I know and serve God while there in however He chooses." All of the sudden, I could not get Uganda off my mind, constantly googling for information, plane ticket prices, requirements, ect. I mentioned it to Janet, and lo and behold, she had been praying about Uganda for 3 yrs!
At Passion 2010, the founder of Watoto was there as a speaker, shared her heart and in one of the sessions a video was created to show what Watoto does and how it works. By the end, I was just a cryin' away. (Once again, I do not cry over my own life, but show me need and hurting people...I'm a mess) I text Janet immediately asking "seriously, when are we going?" She also received about 4 other texts from 4 other women at the same time. Word spread, people met, circumstances and opportunities that only can be put together by God came together...and WE ARE GOING!!! I wish you could see the video they showed at Passion...but you can go to their site to find out more information http://www.watoto.com/ It's an organization that Passion City Church knows well and has worked with before, and we hope to continue to build relationships with these amazing and wonderful people. I can stand behind this group with full confidence.
Details are still being ironed out. Some people still have some things to work out and seek the Lord about. It looks like we will be going in September, about a group of 10-11 women. We will be working in Baby Watoto with the 90+ babies, coming along staff to help, care, feed, change, play and love on these precious little ones...some of which haven't even been born yet. 2, possibly 3 of us are nurses and may be doing medical things as well with the kids while we are there. The price is overwhelming...I'm not going to lie. $3200-$3500 for a 10 day trips seems like a bit much. $1000 of that is straight project fund to Watoto. I am assuming they use that money to help with costs of food, diapers, wipes and all things needed to care for babies. It's hard enough to pay for 1 child much less 89 more! I am totally trusting God for the funds to do this. The call to go is undeniable, so I KNOW God will make a way for something as little as money to be taken care of. The money doesn't scare me. (Side note:I did have to promise my parents to not come home with a child, but I did not promise to not return for one at a later date!)
With that...here comes the hurting of the heart. With expenses being what they are, I am not going to be able to go back down for my normal 6 month check up of the students in the Dominican. Praise be to God that Lauren P.A. is there now, so medical needs will not go unnoticed or undone. I'm just not needed there right now! God provided for those children in a great way! The group is going back down in Novemeber, and I hope to hop on a plane to join them...but once again...that will be ALL God as well. My heart hurts when I stop and think about not hugging my little Yunairi, watching Ambi's toothless smile, washing more feet than I care to mention or hanging out with the staff and joking with the locals. But my heart breaks when I think about not going to Baby Watoto. If I were to force my way into the DR and make that trip happen, I would be being disobedient. I don't feel like my relationship in over in the DR...I'm just getting a great GLOBAL view of what God is capable, willing and wanting to do!
I'm excited. The women on this trip have all had the desire placed on our hearts and I believe hand picked by God to go. We had our first meeting together and I look forward to each month as we get together and prepare, get to know each other's stories and hearts...and spend time in prayer. Expectant of the future and overwhelmed by God's capability!
Along with that comes a new season of life. Back in Oct, I met Rachel through our friend Janet. Rachel is pretty much amazing and we are cut from the same cloth, yet with different strengths and weaknesses. Immediately the Lord let us hit it off and she quickly became one of my very closest friends her in Atlanta. Our first conversation was at church as we were tearing down a mock apartment created to show what we needed to bring the next week for refugees randomly placed in ATL. It completely revolved around God, his call on our lives...and of course...our heartbeat, missions and loving people. Before this time, I had always been willing to go where God wanted me to go, but Africa had never really been on my radar. The second Rachel mentioned she had heard about a hospital in Uganda that needed nurses to help out and educate...I was hooked. She had hurdles to overcome, but our conversation ended with me saying to her, "if no one else can go, even if it is just the two of us, I will go to Uganda with you. There's no reason I cannot go and teach people everything I know and serve God while there in however He chooses." All of the sudden, I could not get Uganda off my mind, constantly googling for information, plane ticket prices, requirements, ect. I mentioned it to Janet, and lo and behold, she had been praying about Uganda for 3 yrs!
At Passion 2010, the founder of Watoto was there as a speaker, shared her heart and in one of the sessions a video was created to show what Watoto does and how it works. By the end, I was just a cryin' away. (Once again, I do not cry over my own life, but show me need and hurting people...I'm a mess) I text Janet immediately asking "seriously, when are we going?" She also received about 4 other texts from 4 other women at the same time. Word spread, people met, circumstances and opportunities that only can be put together by God came together...and WE ARE GOING!!! I wish you could see the video they showed at Passion...but you can go to their site to find out more information http://www.watoto.com/ It's an organization that Passion City Church knows well and has worked with before, and we hope to continue to build relationships with these amazing and wonderful people. I can stand behind this group with full confidence.
Details are still being ironed out. Some people still have some things to work out and seek the Lord about. It looks like we will be going in September, about a group of 10-11 women. We will be working in Baby Watoto with the 90+ babies, coming along staff to help, care, feed, change, play and love on these precious little ones...some of which haven't even been born yet. 2, possibly 3 of us are nurses and may be doing medical things as well with the kids while we are there. The price is overwhelming...I'm not going to lie. $3200-$3500 for a 10 day trips seems like a bit much. $1000 of that is straight project fund to Watoto. I am assuming they use that money to help with costs of food, diapers, wipes and all things needed to care for babies. It's hard enough to pay for 1 child much less 89 more! I am totally trusting God for the funds to do this. The call to go is undeniable, so I KNOW God will make a way for something as little as money to be taken care of. The money doesn't scare me. (Side note:I did have to promise my parents to not come home with a child, but I did not promise to not return for one at a later date!)
With that...here comes the hurting of the heart. With expenses being what they are, I am not going to be able to go back down for my normal 6 month check up of the students in the Dominican. Praise be to God that Lauren P.A. is there now, so medical needs will not go unnoticed or undone. I'm just not needed there right now! God provided for those children in a great way! The group is going back down in Novemeber, and I hope to hop on a plane to join them...but once again...that will be ALL God as well. My heart hurts when I stop and think about not hugging my little Yunairi, watching Ambi's toothless smile, washing more feet than I care to mention or hanging out with the staff and joking with the locals. But my heart breaks when I think about not going to Baby Watoto. If I were to force my way into the DR and make that trip happen, I would be being disobedient. I don't feel like my relationship in over in the DR...I'm just getting a great GLOBAL view of what God is capable, willing and wanting to do!
I'm excited. The women on this trip have all had the desire placed on our hearts and I believe hand picked by God to go. We had our first meeting together and I look forward to each month as we get together and prepare, get to know each other's stories and hearts...and spend time in prayer. Expectant of the future and overwhelmed by God's capability!
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