Thursday, June 24, 2010

Sweet little Kisses

We are back from Haiti! I am unsure of what to tell you really, but will share with you a couple of stories that are most dominant in my heart. There is so much need there- overwhelming, but I am reminded that God deals with individuals- He saw crowds, but had compassion on individuals. That is just what He did there in Haiti this past week. The need is huge, but God showed us just how He works. He had a special purpose for us. One of those purposes was a little girl named Melisa. She is a two year old girl about the size of a one year old here in the states. She was malnourished, crippled, nonrespondant, and very very sick. The first day we got there to the orphanage we went outside to play with the boys and girls. It didn't take long for a couple of girls to take me up to their room in the orphanage. I walked in and saw a little girl lying on the bed. She looked crippled at first look, then I reached to touch her and I knew something was not right- she was extremely hot and her eyes were seizing. I spent some time up there with them and then before dark I prayed with them and then went to meet with our group. I told the nurse with us and we went back to check her out. Long story- but in short Melisa is dying with TB. She has been sick since April and now it has spread to her brain. We did all we could for her while we were there- taking her to hospitals, etc. but it really is too late to do anything for her from a human standpoint. While the nurse was at the pediatric TB ward (finally when we found one) she saw two children die while she was there. We know the need is overwhelming, but God took us to little Melisa and her mother, Wilka, and to the little girls of that orphanage. We loved on them, sang with them, read scripture together- shared Christ's love with them. We cried with them, we laughed with them. Isaiah 58 talks about how when we bring healing to others, God brings healing to us as well. Those little girls were another way of God showing us experientially what that scripture is all about. On Thursday, I walked into the the girls' room to tell them we were going to another school for the day (to share the Gospel there) and that we'd be back later that afternoon. When I walked in, my heart seemed to stop. Melisa was lying on the bed, eyes wide open, chest not moving. Wilka, the widowed mother, was on the opposite side of the room sobbing. I froze and just stared at little Melisa. Then I saw her little eyes seize and her chest struggle for a breath. The nurse and I were able to stay there with Melisa all day....I actually fell asleep midday sitting on the floor beside her bed. Wilka thought that was funny. When the girls got back from school we were reading out of Psalms. One of the girls that could speak English pretty well, told us that Psalms three was her favorite. This was one of the most memorable moments for me. There we were gathered around a little girl who was crippled, brain damaged, and dying with TB, these orphan girls- hearing all they have had to go through and with their future in mind- and this sweet little girl reading to us Psalm three.


"O Lord, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me, "God will not deliver him."
Selah.
But you are a shield around me, O Lord;
you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
To the Lord I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill.
Selah
I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.
Arise, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.
From the Lord comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.
Selah"



Another one of my favorite moments was when I was able to read to the girls Matthew 12:50 in their own language. A little girl that I got very close to over the week, Tasania, was just standing there with her huge, white, beautiful smile, with tears running down her face. I will never be able to forget the joy and heartache in those tears.

"For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

Another sweet memory was each night when we would tell the girls goodnight and pray with them. After prayer, we would kiss them on the cheek or on the forehead. It reminded me of all the blessings we take for granted. Our God is a Good Father, a Father of Love and compassion. It was such an honor and blessing to be able to be a little part of what God is doing in Haiti. It brings such a smile to my heart to know that all the hours we spent loving on little Melisa, all the hours we spent holding her and trying to care for her, and all the time we spent with those girls in the little upper room of that orphanage, we were really doing it to Christ. What a joy!

While I was going to sleep each night I was able to look up at the stars and think about how mighty God is. At any moment, He could heal baby Melisa, at any moment, he could do anything. He is the one who spoke the galaxies into existence and flung the beauty of the stars in the heavens. We serve a mighty God, a jealous God. He is jealous for His Glory, His renown. Only when we are most satisfied in Him alone is He most glorified. And only when He's most glorified, can our hearts and lives live out our songs! Oh how my heart leaps with joy!

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life." 2 Corinthians 2:14-16

The pastor there said that since the earthquake, they can see God working in such a powerful way. The sounds of voodoo drums once permeated the night- and now a national day of prayer! The sound of the young guys in the orphanage singing to God at night was a reminder of the very real presence of God. The Spirit reminded me often of Psalm 29 during the trip.
"The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
The Lord gives strength to his people;
the Lord blesses his people with peace."


Praise God for His workings!

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Port-Au-Prince, Haiti

These pictures are just a handful of the ones from my camera...They really do a poor job of representing the need there and how God is working. We serve such a mighty and powerful God!






Some pictures of the city...























We stayed at New Life Orphanage and School. Pastor Edmond is a Haitian national who oversees 22 schools, 11,000 students, one orphanage, and a number of churches. We were able to go class to class and share the Gospel with five of these schools. Our group was made up of 11 from our church, two ladies from Washington DC, and two men and a lady nurse from Canada.






The kids in their uniforms. Before their teachers would gather them in their classes the kids would flock to where we were. In the mornings before school I would go down under a tent and read scripture- this was such a special time b/c near the end of my quiet time the kids would be getting there and often there would be several that would come and sit with me and I would go to John 3:16 and we could read that together- before school started. I enjoyed that early morning time, loving on them.







We were able to sleep under an awning. We tried tents, but the heat in the tents were unbearable. A man in our group slept by us as our guard.











Precious little Melisa.






One of the girls took this while we were hanging out in their room one day. We were drawing pictures when this pic was taken.






The girls really enjoyed making friendship bracelets. We made Melisa a tiny little anklet.






Tasania, Tamara, Sondra, and the nurse with our group from Canada, Patty.













This specific chalkboard had not been used since the earthquake, January 12th. You can see the date at the top. They were afraid to go inside of this specific room b/c of the damage done. This is where we actually stayed...we set up tents inside of this set of classrooms, but ended up outside where the heat was a bit more tolerable.






Precious Tasania.






















Melisa. This is where we sat around her bed and would sing to her, touch her, pray for her, read scripture.






























I cut up the towel I had brought and we were able to use them as rags to try to keep her cooled as much as possible. I have never seen our towels look more beautiful.







Every once in a while the baby's mom, Willka, would get really upset. It would happen mostly when Melisa's fever would go up and she felt really hot to the touch. We would stop and pray each time the mother would get this upset. The mom couldn't even look at Melisa at this moment. Melisa has been sick since April. This young mom was widowed by the earthquake and now losing her little girl. It was such a joy to put our arms around her, pray with her, and just be with her. She wanted us just to be there. It didn't matter we couldn't communicate well, it was just our presence- or really His presence.














This was a small battery operated fan that one of the girls from our group had brought. The batteries lasted the whole week! You can tell how small she is beside the fan. She is two yrs. old.






Precious Tasania.
















The day before we left, the nurse and I stayed behind and spent the day with Melisa and the girls in that little upper room. I was able to hold her and sing to her while I looked out that window there in the background.












Friday, June 11, 2010

Haiti!

All packed and ready to go to Haiti!! I leave today, with a group from our church, to go to Atlanta and will fly out to Miami in the morning. We should then arrive in Haiti on Saturday evening, June 12. We will be working at New Life Orphanage with Pastor John Edmond, a Haitian national. His son will be with our team as we will be distributing food, loving on kids, and doing some cleanup and construction. We will be arriving back in the states on the 18th of June. It's just me this time, so David will be staying behind with the boys.

God has given me such a fresh sense of the significance of Jesus Christ. He continues to show me just how much I really am completely dependent on the work of Christ on the cross. (Even in my acceptance of His work, I am still completely dependent on Him.) The Lamb soaking up God's wrath for me. I am so woefully inadequate to get to God myself. But Christ has made it possible, all because God really does love me- and the world. That's what life's all about. This ministry of reconciliation. That God has reconciled me to Himself and now He send us out to reconcile others to Him. All because of the God-man, Jesus Christ. The King on a mission to rescue His bride. He's already done His work and now He sends us out as His ambassadors. What a joy! Please pray for us as we become a very small part of the King's rescue plan in Haiti. B/c of Him, in Him, and for Him.


Emily
Is. 58

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Encouragement for those with little feet running around.......

I am reading some Amy Carmichael books and came across this encouragement for those of us who have little ones entrusted to us: (it is in reference to a Tamil proverb: "Children bind the mother's feet". )

From Candles in the Dark:

"The salvation of a single child- who can measure what that may mean, not only here but There? You can't do everything. "After it, follow it, follow the Gleam." For us the Gleam is the salvation of children, and it involves the prosaic towel. "He took a towel." So we won't mind if our feet are bound, for it is Love that binds them. His were bound on the cross."

I am reminded of my parents. Thank you for the example you both have given me to lay down your life to follow that same Gleam. If only I could be proven as trustworthy as you. In His timing. He will finish what He started. I love you both dearly. Thank you for your love for our Savior. I will always remember the way you made the invisible come into sight for me. Dad- your hand on the broken. I will always have such a vivid picture of your hand on those little broken children. A hand of healing and hope. And mom, your courage has made a permanent impression on me. I am so thankful for you both. God is so gracious to us.

Tuesday, June 01, 2010

Five Year Marriage Anniversary!

I was looking through some pictures of the wedding, honeymoon, and first week of marriage...


This was the first week in our apartment, getting everything organized....there were lots of pictures like this...he would just randomly take them of me...i guess he likes me:-)

I couldn't resist this one...this was our first dinner....not sure why he came to the table without a shirt on- I guess because he could:-) I hope that face wasn't b/c the food was terrible:-)



This cracked me up. This was on our honeymoon...some things never change:-)


Hawaii!!




Kobe getting ready!!








The memories with these pictures bring such a big smile! I was reading last night before bed and came across this phrase, "...I would still be seeking love instead of writing about it." I am so thankful for the love that David has shown me. David's love didn't even start when he met me; it started years and years before we met. It started with his love for Christ and his obedience to Him. Then the years that he culitvated that relationship with Christ before we met, waiting on me, becoming the man Christ wanted him to be. That journey still continues to this day. Now, I get to follow him on it. And his journey becomes mine. Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the love that Christ has demonstrated for me, through David. It shows the unlimited patience and love of a Gracious Father. For our wedding ceremony we were asked by David's dad to write down a couple of qualities that we loved about one another. David's dad read those qualites at a part during the ceremony. One of the things I wrote was that David was like the man in Psalm 1. "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked...but his delight is in the...Lord.....He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields it fruit in due season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.... For the Lord watches over the way of the rightoues...." I could go into a lot about that chapter, but one thing echoes in my life the most. I am part of that fruit that that he is yielding for Christ. I am so blessed and so eternally thankful to my Rescuer and to my Father that He would give me to David. I love you, David. I love growing with you. I love being with you. I love following you.
And I like you:-) most of the time:-)