Back-up Plan

When I was in Haiti we had gone to a village called Lastik to set up a medical clinic for a week. Unfortunatly we had to leave the village early. The team was very disappointed and we wondered what the rest of our trip would look like. However, God always has a plan and this time was no exception.
There is a village close to Love A Child called LaTant. It is a very poor village and the people rarely travel outside of their village.

All of the house in LaTant are like this

It took very little planning since the vehicles were already packed from the Lastik clinic. So we loaded up early in the morning and drove to LaTant to set up a medical clinic.

Already lining up for medical

Everybody gathered around and watched us set up.

Curious onlookers

Because it is a fairly small village and it wasn't a pre-planned visit we didn't have any other villages come in. With only LaTant to take care of we were able to see everyone in just over three hours.

Asking for a drink of water

While we the people were coming to our make shift medical clinic some ladies were cooking some food that we had brought. So after receiving medical treatment we were able to feed the entire village too.

Waiting in line for food

Everybody gets to eat :)

It was an honor to serve the people in Haiti, thank-you to those of you who support me in prayer and financially.

Medical Clinics in Haiti

This time when I went to Haiti I went with Love A Child again, and one of their ministries is to provide medical care to those who don't have access to it. We started our journey by going to a village called Lastik. This is a village that can only be reached in the dry season because you have to drive through a river bed to get there.

We packed up the vehicles and drove to the village. Then like a well oiled machine we quickly unloaded and began setting up the medical clinic.

Hanging up tarps to help give us shade

Getting Pharmacy all set up

In two short days we saw close to 500 people.

People waiting for us to open up the clinic

We planned on staying in Lastik all week but being in Haiti things are never certain and because of some political unrest we had to pack up early. Our team was heartbroken to have to leave early but it's important to use wisdom and the people were very sweet and understanding.

We packed everything very quickly

While we didn't get to stay in the village we had planned on staying in we did get to help elsewhere ... more about that in my entry.

Donations

When I went to Haiti I saw some of the worst poverty ever, there are people wearing rags and children running around naked. Some of the simplest gifts can bring the greatest joy.

Life consist of surviving day to day and play is a rare thing, yet I have found that play is a universal language.

Playing jump rope attracted a crowd

I have some wonderful friends that help collect things for me to take with me.

This trip I had clothes and balls

Last time I went I had boys shorts and girls dresses, this time I had a variety of clothes and sports balls.

The kids got very excited when they saw the balls, I had a hard time getting them to hold still so I could get a picture.

I love how something so simple can mean so much to somebody.

So after everyone received medical care we took time to play with the kids, this is showing the love of Jesus in a practical way.

Friends

I have met some wonderful people on my travels and have made some great friends along the way. Last year when I went to Haiti I met a sweet lady and I'm sure will be life long friends.

So when I found out that she was planning on going back to Haiti the same time as me I was thrilled.

She is a wonderful wife, mother and friend and she shares my love for the people in Haiti.

When we found out that we were going to be on the same trip she invited me to come to her house and spend a few days with her family before we flew out. I had a lot of fun getting to know her family and getting to see her home town.

One of the things I love about traveling is the different people I meet along the way. A major bonus are the friends I make.

Visiting Family

My parents both come from big families so everybody is spread out. As my cousins move off and start their own families it is harder and harder to see everyone. Not only is everyone busy with their lives I'm busy too. My mom and I decided that we would take a weekend and go visit what family we could.

Most of our family still lives in Michigan so Mom and I packed our bags and got ready for the 12 hour car drive. We ran into some heavy traffic and actually had to go another route because traffic was at a standstill from a fatal accident.

 Our trip ended taking close to 15 hours but we eventually made it.

We only had a weekend to see everyone so we started making our rounds to see as many people as we could. One cousin even managed to take some time out of his deer hunting to visit.

My cousin perched up in a tree deer hunting

We didn't have time to see everyone that we wanted to but it was great to see those that we could.

Our trip ended at the bottom of the state at my Aunt Ella's

Holiday Season is approaching

In today's society it feels like the holiday season is rushed more and more each year. While I don't want to rush from one holiday to the next I do want to be prepared.
For the past four years one of my best friends and I have been putting together and selling Christmas baskets. So while we are enjoying the fall season we are getting prepared for the Christmas season. During the year we are looking for deals and buying items for our baskets. Mid October we bring our treasures out of storage.

It has become a joke with our families that Santa's workshop has opened. We will be covered with glitter and iridescent shred from now til new years.

Once we start working the process goes pretty quickly.

Now we just need to get selling events on our calender.

This is a crazy busy time of year but it is also a time that I look forward to because I have so much fun with my friend. It also helps to fund some of my mission trips for the next year.

Future Plans

In June of this year I traveled to Jamaica to visit a ministry there to see if God was sending me that way. It is a fairly young ministry that is growing and needs workers. While I was there I fell right into place and immediately felt like one of the group.

While I was in Jamaica we discussed the possibility of my working there full time. Currently there is one full time missionary and more workers are needed.

Warm Whispers Ministries is in the process of developing their property for a youth center. Currently there are 170 local children (we have names and addresses) that hang out on the property. These are children that are looking for something to do and want a safe place to hang out at.

I saw the need first hand and it touched my heart.

On Sept 24th I drove down to McDonough Ga to meet with the board of directors.

The meeting went well and I have been invited to go work in Jamaica full time. So if all works out I will be going in January as the "Children's Activity Coordinator"
If you get a chance check out the ministries web site  warmwhispersministries

Fall is here

WHERE DID SEPTEMBER GO??
Life has been so busy that before I realized it September was here and gone. Sorry about my absence and thank-you for your patience.
My aunt had major surgery so I was keeping her daughter while she was recuperating. So I found myself making lunches, sitting in carpool lines and reading bedtime stories.

In the mist of being busy with just everyday life my cat, Tigger, got very sick. My kitty didn't make it :( It's amazing how attached we get to our pets. My dad was a great comfort to me and buried my Tigger for me.

Tigger was so tiny when he joined our family

By the time he was two he weighed 15lbs, all muscle

I have also been in therapy for my arm, with having therapy three times a week that can take up a good portion of my time.

Working on getting motion back in my wrist

With all that is going on, I have also been working on my next mission trip. I will be flying out November 1st for a medical mission trip to Haiti.

More details to come .. And hopefully it won't take me a month to update :)


 

Thank-you Grandma and Grandpa

A while back I wrote some tributes to some of my biggest contributors, I didn't finish doing that and I want to give honor to whom honor is due. There is a wonderful sweet couple in our church that everyone calls Grandma and Grandpa and they have been very supportive in my mission trips.

Many people in Haiti don't have easy access to medical care. Some villages are so far out that they don't even have roads. Haiti is a relatively small country yet some people have never even traveled outside of their town or village. Life consists of trying to survive from day to day.

 The group that I traveled to Haiti with carries medicine to those who wouldn't normally have access to a doctor.

Packing and oraganizing meds

People are suffering from sicknesses that we don't have to deal with here at home.

Two sweet little boys being treated with an antifungal

Because people like Grandma and Grandpa gave we were able to give we were able to carry life saving medicine to some of the people in Haiti.

People will wait all day in the hot sun just to see a doctor

This is a practical and effective way of sharing the love of Jesus.

A day out

Since I got hurt I haven't been out much, most of my days have been spent at home just waiting for somebody to come by. Yesterday my mom took me out and it was the first full day I've been out just having fun.
We started out by going to the antique mall where we have rented a showcase.

Then we headed to a place in Hixson TN. The owners go to England several times a year where they buy funiture and bring it back here for resale. I've been there several times with my mom and I have seen things I like but I've never fallen in love with anything until yesterday. I'm very excited about my new piece of furniture.

After carrying the wardrobe into the house for me, my parents hung some artwork for me.

I have some pictures that my friends drew for me, a gift from some friends I put in a shadow box, and a shadow box my daughter put together from our trip to the beach.

I couldn't have gotten everything together without my parents help. I had a great day with my mom, I got a cool 'new' piece of furniture and I got my artwork hung.

I still can't get out like I would like or like I'm use to but I'm thankful for when I can.