Sunday, July 6, 2014

Final 40 Days in Haiti


Dear Friends,

We are filled with emotions as we think about our final 40 days here in Haiti.  August 15, 2014 we will be moving to Arlington, VA and it’s going to be a bittersweet day for sure! As we finish our time here, we wanted to share more about our experience over these last 10 months and ask for prayer in some specific areas.

If you have been financially supporting us, thank you! We would not be here without your kindness and generosity in helping us in this way.  We thank God for you often and are humbled by the way He has provided for us through each of you.

We desire to be fully here focusing on the work He has for us in these coming days. As we wrap up our time here and look ahead to details and plans for moving home, it’s easy to be distracted. We want to finish the race strong and have the same enthusiasm and passion for our work as we did on day 1.

In the coming weeks we have a number of things going on…
  • Friends coming to visit from VA.
  • An adoptive family coming to bring home a little boy and girl. Praise God that 2 more children will know the love of a family!
  • A mission team of 6 coming to serve at an orphanage for children who have special needs and to put together a playroom at another orphanage.
  • Adoption paperwork & meetings.
  • Wrapping up details and logistics at the guesthouse.

We will be busy and look forward to the ways we can care for others in practical ways while they stay here with us at the guesthouse.

Please pray that our hearts and minds would be fully engaged, yet able to plan for the logistics of moving home. We are excited about the work God is doing here and thankfully the work He accomplishes doesn’t depend on us, but He has allowed us to be a part of the story He is writing. We know that our time here will impact many areas of our lives in the years to come. We pray that God would use the work He has done in our lives to draw people closer to Himself and that He would receive all the glory.  We know that apart from Him, none of this would have been possible.

As we finish up, I was thinking about the ways that God has been faithful to us. It’s easy to focus on finances, fatigue, failures, frustrations, etc…but we serve a faithful God who has strengthen and sustained us in countless ways this year…

Physically
  • Provided financial means- we set a goal and God provided above and beyond. As it turned out, the amount we actually raised was MUCH closer to our needs than what we planned.  He knew!
  • Health-Tim & I have stayed healthy this entire year.
  • We have an apartment to move home to in Arlington…God provided right when we needed it and has made the logistics work out perfectly.
  • I am going back to my previous job at AWAA in the China program.

Service Opportunities
  • We came here in order to serve children & adoptive families. We have been able to do that in many ways!
  • God has moved in people’s hearts to help in very tangible ways from the Redeemer food packaging event, gathering art supplies, friends & family bringing donations & supplies to help with projects.
  • Mission teams have stayed here with us and we’ve had the opportunity to care for them as they serve in Haiti.
  • We have spent many hours with children at various orphanages and we pray that our time and interaction with them would have been filled with love from their Heavenly Father and that one day they will know Him.
  • We have learned about and visited so many mission organizations and witnessed God’s hand working through others in powerful ways.
  • Our view of serving children & orphans has broadened greatly and we pray that we can continue to learn ways to serve children around the world.

Emotionally
  • We have connected with a church family here and have enjoyed weekly fellowship, worship & teaching.
  • We’ve made friends here and been able to enjoy fun times and helpful conversations and support from people who understand the unique challenges of living in Haiti.
  • Friends & family have come to visit us here. We have felt so loved and blessed by their encouragement. 
  • Prayers by countless people.
  • Care packages, texts & people checking in with us. 

Prayer for these 40 days
  • Focus on tasks & opportunities that God brings our way.
  • Continue to invest in relationships we’ve built.
  • Not to wish time away, but to appreciate each day.
  • For emotional strength as we say goodbye to friends, relationships and the life we have built here, but especially the children who we have gotten to know.
  • Discipline in studying God’s word and seeking Him.

Prayer for the future
  • Employment opportunities for Tim.
  • Logistics of an international move.
  • Wisdom on ways to incorporate all we’ve learned, seen, done & experienced back into our lives back home.
  • Direction for ways to be involved in ministry to the Fatherless in our own neighborhood and around the world.
  • God’s grace in our marriage as we have been in Haiti for a majority of the time we’ve been married and we know that another major transition will come with its own set of challenges.
  • That our hearts would be broken for things that matter to God and that we'd see more and more through His eyes. Also that our hearts would be put back together stronger and with more focus and passion to do something to help in a way that honors Him.  

We have seen God’s provision in so many ways; there are too many to list them all. As you’ve been a significant part of this journey, we wanted you to see and be encouraged by the kindness, provision and faithfulness of our amazing God!  Each of you play an important role; we just happen to be the ones who had the “up front” view and its our great privilege to tell you as our team all that He has done! We hope that your faith will be strengthened and that you'd join us in praising God for all that He is doing and will continue to do. 

Through all of the ups and downs we've experienced, I couldn't summarize it any better than this:

“Resting in the Lord does not depend on external circumstances at all, but on your relationship to God himself.” –Oswald Chambers

Thank you for partnering with us over the last 10 months and even now in these last 40 days!

Aimee

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