Blessings From God!

Never before last night have I seen the hand of God work in a random situation so perfectly.

I ended up pretty far from home, in a room full of holy women friends of mine, talking and waiting for Derek to pick me up. (Yes, Derek is the guy!) We had agreed to meet up for a drink but then my plans changed but he still wanted to meet me.

He came into the house and impressed everyone pretty quickly. We went to the Brew Pub up the road from my friend's. There was nowhere to sit at the bar so I asked if he wanted to come back to the house. He said no, we should just give this a try. So he went off to order drinks and I grabbed a great table. A couple of people came up and asked if they could just sit with us since there were no other seats and Derek said sure.

The guy then opens his mouth and says something I could never have imagined: "Are you  here for the Hope for Haiti event?"

Me: "No, we just randomly met up and came here...what is this about?"

He then shared that he's been going to Haiti for 8 years and I shared that I had just been. It was beautiful. The whole night was a fundraiser for this organization and Mission to Haiti...they just built an orphanage for saving kids from child slavery! This man introduced me to the woman who leads the organization. They showed a video...it was just wonderful.

They were Christian too so it was just beautiful because we were able to discuss Haiti and Jesus which are pretty inseparable topics anyhow!

Dear Jesus, I ask that you bless all missions to Haiti that seek to improve the quality of life and respect the dignity of the Haitian people! Bless the man and woman we met last night. Bless Derek for his openness and patience while I sat talking to this random man about Haiti all night instead of to him! Thank you for working your plan in my life! Amen!

Book?

I'd like to write a book.

I never know how to attack writing a book. I've wanted to write one for quite some time. The initial thought behind what I wanted to write ended up being something that lots of people were already talking about and I thought, "Why bother, by time I finish there will be so much out on this topic that my book wouldn't even make a splash".

This time, I honestly think that I'm onto something. While by no means do I think I have stumbled upon something that other people couldn't figure out by themselves, but this analogy that God has put on my heart and has used through me to help people understand things, just always seems to help them. So who am I to keep it? I should share it!

So I will try to compile this "book" in my head. Of course, it might end up short enough to be a pamphlet or something...I'll keep you posted!

Plus, it's something else I can do in my stationary spot. Another thing I can offer up for Haiti. I love Haiti.

M' Sonje Ayiti Anpil!

I have been practicing my Creole and offering up prayer through Creole worship songs from my learning cd...and have been missing Haiti a lot.

The other day, I was mentioning the possible upcoming trip in March and my sister responded by saying, "Aren't things kind of dangerous down there right now? With the riots and stuff?"...

..I said yes and that, although it's risky, that shouldn't stop me. Then she said something that led me to really think about missionary work altogether:

"Well your not supposed to risk your life for this are you?"

And later as I contemplated her question...I thought, "If I don't risk my life, what worth is there in the work?"

Time and time again, Jesus tells us in the gospel that we must lay down our lives, pick up our cross and follow him, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, be last...and I'm pretty sure avoiding a risk to my earthly life is not included in the fine print of the Gospel.

When I was a teenager, and I had my conversion, I knew I did not want to live a lukewarm existence. If I won't risk my life for Christ, then who else would I risk it for? I honestly belief that it is simply training to be a parent.

We have to look to our role models: Our Blessed Mother gave up her physical body for Christ to dwell in, Jesus died so that we could have eternal life, Blessed Mother Theresa risked her entire life for the dignity of others, St. Gianna died so that her fourth child could live...if we learn anything about how to be a true success in this life in the eyes of God, we would risk our lives for the least of His people every single day!

7 Quick Takes...Wait Really?

The thing about 7 Quick Takes....it makes me realize just how fast the week goes by! I can't believe it's already time again to make my list of 7! Well, here we go again! :-)  Thanks to the host: http://www.conversiondiary.com/ !!!

~*~1~*~

I really enjoyed all of my classes this week. I'm surprisingly becoming more understanding of my Religious Studies prof. and his view for teaching the course. I understand now that his goal is to not distract anyone from their own beliefs, but to try to get us to look objectively from a different view than we normally would, at the Gospels. And when you've come to love them and their meaning to your life, that is hard to do. In my other classes, we're still talking a lot about Philosophical things...I really like that!

~*~2~*~

I made a new word and job title for myself. While also eventually being a wife and mom, I now want to also become a Philo-Psych-ologer. A what? In my mind, this is someone who studies psychology and philosophy each through the lense of the other. A new found connection between the two.

~*~3~*~

One of the guys that my co-worker is trying to set me up with (yes there is more than one) turns out to have been in the wedding party for my sister's best friend. And did I mention, the other guy's parents live on the same street as my parents? I was using that same street thing to say "hmm maybe that's a sign" and then I'm within 5 degrees of seperation to this other guy too....Lord, guide me!

~*~4~*~

I'm really bothered by a lot of things going on in Haiti. Cholera outbreak spreading...Anti UN protests getting violent. UN peacekeepers, who haven't been doing all that much apparently, are opening fire against protestors. Personally, I think they need to protest. If more things were done in Haiti after the earthquake, maybe these people would be protected for the other things that went wrong (hurricane, collapse of any organized leadership, high rains, cholera outbreak). They deserve a chance to protest!

~*~5~*~

Big shocker of the day: I wore my hair down and heals on the same day. That never happens!

~*~6~*~

Please pray for my family.

~*~7~*~

I'm going to a Holy Hour tonight and I am so excited! I get to see an old friend who I haven't seen in a while and possibly more friends...and to spend time in front of Jesus in the Eucharist, AHH! I can't wait! Know that I will be offering up all of you, my blog friends, and your intentions. I am hoping they have a priest available for confession too!

Trust Trust Trust

Trust

Two days ago the very peace and trust that I experience in thinking about Haiti was creeping back into my mind and heart as the possibility of going back became slightly more realistic.

Yesterday, I was told some sad news, news that equals uncertainty. I should know that in a lesson to trust, God would provide me with a situation in which I have no choice but to trust Him. The news could mean we should expect change, the news could mean nothing may change for a while. We just do not know and we might never know for sure which way it could go.

What else can we do but trust in God's providence?

Haiti

A little over 10 months ago, people in Haiti were struggling to get by, poverty was widespread throughout the majority of the country. Then the rest of the world got some sad news. Unsure of whether or not things would remain the same, get better, or get worse, the people of Haiti trusted in God to provide, praised Him for surviving, and continued to be a family. Things got worse. A month ago, they were hit with a Cholera outbreak in one small area. It got worse. A hurricane came through and the Cholera outbreak spread to their Capital city of Port au Prince. Violent outbreaks are occuring, and the UN peacekeepers are shooting at people.

Imagine going through losing family members and your home, living out of a tent with probably not enough to eat or drink, and then have the peacekeepers shoot at you because your speaking out, trying to show your outrage for nothing being done.

What else can we do but trust in God's providence?

When we do not know what is coming, when we do not know how to handle what is happening in front of our eyes, trust....trust....trust!

Ayiti! Ayiti! Mwen pa kwe li!

I think that last part says "I can't believe it"

 What can't I believe?
It is possible that I may actually get to return to Haiti in the spring. Oh, the joy that fills my heart, even at the simple thought of it. The feelings of peace, trust, and joy begin to flood my soul as the reality of going back is before me.

I recall this moment when I first experienced it while in Haiti:

"I never had such peace and joy in my whole life...and to have it in such a moment was amazing because our truck was bumping all over the place, it was dark, and I was in an unknown place, with only one person I really knew well...but I had peace and joy. The kind that it felt like it was our Blessed Mother living right in my heart keeping me calm. The trust I had in Jesus during that truck ride, it was like I was somewhere else. I don't think I ever stopped smiling"

God had brought me somewhere completely foreign and I felt this way automatically. When our plane landed in Haiti in August, I no longer needed a lesson in trusting God; I just did in a whole new way. I miss that trust...and I long to get it back.
 As I was reading some older blog posts, I realized that I have kept with the original theme of "stationary mission" in more ways than I thought with regards to my daily life. Continuing to help patients in the doctor's office I work in is the only way I can really live out the mission to God's people. I think this has helped me to refocus the underlying theme of this blog. 
Gras a Dye!

Beginning a Blog

From all of the people I know who have started a blog, it's usually related to a topic of their life. I.e.: Motherhood, travels, missions, etc.

I am starting this as a blog for my unmoving mission. Funny huh?

Well here's the deal: I am involved in a ministry that has a mission in Haiti. Check out this entire deal at http://www.mwts.org/ for more details on the mission. Ever since last summer, I've had a fire burning in me to go to Haiti. It never seems to work. I know a lot of people who have been there on a mission, know people who are there now working and living, etc. It does not seem to be in God's will just yet for me to go there. But I still feel very strongly that I am to be involved. The most strong call I've had on my heart is to pray. And pray hard for Haiti. The desire to spend time in prayer, offering up daily activities, joys, sorrows/struggles, has grown increasingly large since the earthquake in January.

So, in the spirit of St. Therese of the Little Flower, who wanted to be all vocations to all people, I'm going to blog about my "non" journey, "unmoving" mission for Haiti.

As St. Therese sacrificed doing mission work or every possible vocation physically, to join with Jesus to do those things in her heart through love, I will try to keep joy in knowing that Jesus in on a mission in Haiti, and if I join my heart to his from here, my desire to do great things for Haiti will be fulfilled in Christ.

You'll also have to deal with me trying to pick up some minor Creole because it fascinates me and I really do hope to eventually down the road physically go there if it be God's will!