So, About Haiti...

If you’ve known me for any amount of time, or you’ve dug around on my sidebar, you know that I’m passionate about orphan care and adoption.  I read everything I can get my hands on about orphanage models, domestic and transracial adoption, attachment disorders, children from “hard places”, and the list goes on.  I believe adoption will be a part of my future in some way, whether it’s as an adoptive parent or with a career in adoption services.  No, I’m not thinking of bringing home a child any time soon, and ideally not until I’m married (don’t worry, Mom).  But I truly believe that God has grown this passion in my heart in the last year or so.  I know He has a good reason for it, and only He knows what that is right now.  I have my ideas, but I’ll save that for another post.

So, about Haiti.  My passion for orphan care began budding around the same time as the earthquake in Haiti, and it has been growing exponentially ever since.  I have become what Kay Warren refers to in her book Dangerous Surrender, as “seriously disturbed” by the plight of orphans and other underprivileged children in the world.  Haiti has been on my heart and mind for over a year.  I had inquired about volunteer opportunities in February of 2010, but there were no commercial flights to Port-au-Prince, and since I didn't speak fluent Creole (still don’t) and had no medical training, I would really not have been of much assistance.  I was politely asked to check back in a few months.  Several months went by; life in North America went on.  Haiti faded from the news like a phantom into thin air.  But it didn’t fade from my mind.  Long after the earthquake stopped making headline news, I could not forget Haiti.  I sensed that God was tugging at my heartstrings.  So, after praying and seeking wise counsel, I knew what I had to do. 

If all goes according to plan, in June of this year, I will be volunteering for two weeks with God’s Littlest Angels in the Kenscoff Mountains of Haiti.  I know, it’s just two weeks, and people go on short-term mission trips all the time.  But this is my very first mission trip, so perhaps there’s a little more anticipation (and definitely a steeper learning curve) around this particular excursion.  Since deciding to go, I have run the gamut of emotions: excited, amazed, nervous, terrified, discouraged, encouraged, and back to being excited.  Most of all, I am at peace with my decision to go.  It is not enough for me to sit here in my comfortable apartment and pray for the orphans.  It is not enough to blog about them, or send money to them.  Please don’t misunderstand.  While I do believe that God calls each of us to respond in a unique way (see James 1:27), not everyone is called to physically go.  But I believe that I am. I tried to ignore it for a while, that gut-wrenching, sick feeling of helplessness – knowing that I needed to do something to make a difference.  Like a nagging cough that lingers and keeps you awake at night, thoughts of malnourished, premature, abandoned, and suffering children disturbed me and spurred me to action. 

So, that is a snippit of my story.  I am looking forward to this journey.  Thank you to everyone who has encouraged me so far, prayed for me and/or with me, donated money, or simply been there to offer support.  Until next time...

Blast Off!

Whoosh...thud! That’s the sound of me launching into the blogosphere and landing here, in My Journey Toward Haiti.  It has taken me several months to muster the courage to leap into this world of blogging.  But here I am! Glad you’ve joined me!

Some people have the idea that blogs are “so 2001”.  So you’ll have to forgive me if I am behind the times for just getting started.  In fact, I didn’t even know there was such a thing until about three years ago.  No one could ever accuse me of being a “techie”, that’s for sure! It’s not that I wasn’t intrigued by blogs (once I discovered them).  It’s just that I struggled for a long time with putting myself “out there”.  You see, I’m a perfectionist.  I generally don’t want to “show up” (in any area of my life) until I’ve perfected my craft.  Blogging is especially intimidating because I read so many amazing blogs on a regular basis (check out Blogs That Shine in my sidebar).

I realize that there are several problems with waiting until I think I’m perfect: First of all, I’d be lying to myself and everyone else (because I’ll never get there this side of heaven).  Second, I’d be comparing myself to God, the only Perfect One.  And finally, I would not be of any encouragement to others who are struggling to make sense of this thing called life. 

But one thing I have discovered is that “my” story (my journey, if you will) is not about me.  What it’s really about is God’s unending grace, mercy, and love, and the fact that He still chooses to use the likes of me to do something - anything - for His kingdom.  It’s only about me to the degree that I am willing to be broken, poured out, and surrendered to His will. 

That’s all for now.  I hope you’ll visit me here again.  I plan to write about my passion for orphans and my upcoming trip to Haiti soon.  Until then...