Snap shots of my weekend

This weekend I officially fell in love with my new 50mm lens, I swear that thing was made by fairies!

What did you do this past weekend?

Dear journal: big question

"[Someone responding to the fact that I will be working at SpringHill this summer] 'Are you ready to be changed for life?' It kind of took me aback, seemed like a pretty big question for just a summer job.  Making SpringHill feel like such a big and important thing, the butterflies starts dancing in my stomach as I started to worry if I had made the right choice for my summer.

As I was reflecting back on the question later I realized I don't need to worry about who I will be at the end of the SpringHill.  God has placed me in SpringHill for a reason, and ultimately God has only by best in mind for me.  He will use SpringHill to help shape me into who He wants me to be.

Through Kenya and Haiti God placed me there in those countries, with those specific people for a reason and as a result I came back changed.  My view of life had become wider, my view of self smaller and my view of God bigger.  I wouldn't trade those experiences for the world, Kenya and Haiti are forever apart of who I am.

So in answer to the question, yes I am ready to be forever changed because of SpringHill, and I can't wait to see the results!"


So what do you think of this new series?!  I'm excited to see where it goes, hopefully I'll be able to keep it up while I'm at SpringHill, letting you see into my summer!

Donuts at The Park

On this particular warm, Friday morning, it was just Fairygirl and myself at home so I decided we would have some fun! How you ask?

Why with some local bakery donuts at the part of course!  Fairygirl told me while we were getting out of the car, that she was going to have a rainbow donut and that she did! (Sprinkles are what dreams are made of!)

I, on the other hand went with a classic glazed donut, Victor approved! (the little green dino)

Just some sisters enjoying some straight up sugar!

I think our donut eating, park swinging Friday was a hit if I do say so myself!

The Seeds of Today

Our actions, thoughts and dreams, are the seeds that blossom into the reality of tomorrow.

What type of reality are you planting today?

Things I'm Afraid to Tell You

source

What's the point of this blog if we can't have a little heart to heart, right?  Well today it's heart to heart time.  Here goes...

I'm leaving for Spring Hill in two weeks!!!  I know without a doubt this is where God wants me, but that still doesn't quite the nervous butterflies in my stomach.

I start to worry that I won't be able to connect with the other staff members at camp, that I won't be able to create new friendships.  I've gone through experiences where no friendships or even commonality were made, I was able to handle it because I knew at the end of the week I could go home.  At Spring Hill I won't be able to head back home after just one week, I'll be there for a almost three months.

I am hoping and praying that I will be able to connect with the other staff members, remembering that I'm 'stuck' there for three months no matter what, making the most of every situation, even the seemingly little situations, a kick in the butt, so to speak.  

I'm praying for a new boldness on my part, normally, I have a hard time opening myself up to new people.  It takes a good chunk of time for me to feel comfortable and be myself, sometimes a few hours or a few months, depending on the situation.  With Spring Hill I won't have the luxury of time,  every minute, every hour and every day I need to be confidence enough to be myself, with no regard to other's opinions.

Sometimes I imagine how differently this summer could look, me staying home.  Able to spend time with friends who are home from college, summer job, college classes and time with family.  I'll have to admit, it sounds really appealing at times.

My checklists are in full force, many journal entries have been written working out my feelings, and as always God is at my side.  My worries and concerns won't disappear in these coming weeks, but I KNOW this is where God wants me.  If I KNOW this is where God wants me, then I can be able to conclude that I KNOW God will PROVIDE the right friendships and connections for me,  I'll just need to listen to His nudging.   Trusting He knows best....  Funny those were my words for the year 2012,  banking fully on God's planning, not mine.


And that, my dear readers (if anyone actually reads this anymore) is my heart to heart!

Dear Little Man,

This Saturday will be the last day you spend with our family, I knew this day would come, it always does, but my heart aches at the thought.  You have grown so much within the past eleven months, you entered our house hardly a toddler, not walking and only saying a few select words.  Now you are almost two, running around and talking in full sentences!

I'm going to miss you Little Man, more then you will ever know, already I can feel my heart breaking.  I'll miss your toothy grin.  I'll miss hearing your belly laugh ring throughout the house.  I'll miss the tender, slobbery kisses you give and the way you say "I love you".  I'll miss hearing your quick pitter patter of feet.  I'll miss seeing your face light up when you see me first thing in the morning.  And I'll miss having you snuggle/hug my leg while I do the dishes.  

You are embarking on a new chapter of life,  within the span of almost two years you have encountered many hardships.  I pray you will never experience anything like that for the rest of your life.  I pray you experience childhood to the fullest of the full.  I pray your new family will guide you up to be a honorable Man of character.  And I pray that someday, you will come to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Your sweet kisses and toothy grins will stop, but my prayers will continue.

Love you "baby blue" to the moon and back.

Haitian Adventure: Part 2

{Part 1 found here.}

These colorful houses were the face of hope for so many people.  They weren't any bigger than my bedroom, but they were castles compared to the "tent city".  The tent constructions were meant for immediate aid, not for long term residency.  The tents didn't block the rain that would come with night fall, or the wind that came in the mid afternoon.  

Mission of Hope plans on building 500 individual family houses on this specific piece of property.  Not only would that have their own home, they would also have enough area for a small garden to provide food for their family.  Their two year mortgage is equivalent to $10.00 US dollars a month.

My team spent two and a half days painting houses, I never thought painting could be so challenging.

Weather.com said it was in the high 90s, but that estimate wasn't valid after 2PM, needless to say the afternoon heat was intense.  I would be painting with my back to the sun, and cool sweat was constantly dripping down my back and running into my eyes.  We would try and time it right so the sun was always on the opposite side of the house we were painting, when we'd get it everything was a little more doable. 

On our first day of painting I forgot to put sun screen on my caves, they were almost blister red when the day ended.  After that I made sure to cover everything, twice with sun screen.  

During our two and a half days at the housing project, I always kept ending up with one of our leaders.  No one really knew her history, through those two and a half days I was privileged enough to learn her story, and I was amazed.  No one ever would have ever guessed unless she told you, she was a living example of God's power to heal.

  

Background story --- Whenever someone would have a new baby I never want to impose and ask to hold their baby, instead I'd anxiously wait until the Momma almost shoved their little bundle into my arms. ---

God knew my background story, he knew I longed to hold a sweet Haitian baby, loving the best way I knew how.  He knew I wouldn't come out and ask someone to hold such sweetness.  

During the children's Sunday School lesson, the helper had her hands full with two babies, looking around she locked eyes with me and handed me a sleeping baby boy, all the while without saying a word.  I couldn't believe it.

God knew the desires of my heart even when I didn't, and He came through bigger and better than I ever could have imagined.

I got to hold that baby boy for a good forty-five minutes, those forty-five minutes made the list of top five moments in Haiti, not only did I get to love on a sweet baby, I also felt God loving on me.