Mwen ale Ayiti!!

Translated Title: I'm going to Haiti! 

If you are my Facebook friend, you have already seen about the exciting summer that lies ahead for me. I have accepted an internship with Helping Hurting Children just outside of Port au Prince, Haiti!!!! It all happened so quickly and I am so excited to be going back to the country that has captured my heart.

Just over a week ago, my mom's boss sent me an email suggesting I contact Helping Hurting Children about a summer internship they were offering. After sharing my story with the director of this organization, they asked that I fill out an application and come on board. Last week I purchased my airfare so it is REALLY happening! 

I will be there for six weeks, learning from missionaries that are already on the field. I will help lead short-term trips as well as love on children in the orphanage and teach English, Bible and health classes. I will also be going to smaller villages to do revival services for children. 

This God-given adventure starts on May 26th, so I don't have much time to get everything settled here in the States. I will be selling all of my worldly possessions as Luke 18:22 commands and follow the call to live and serve in Haiti. So, if you are interested in furniture I am selling a love seat, cherry wood triple dresser, night stand and Lazyboy recliner! :) 

Telling people about this adventure has been met with mixed responses. I had one person offer to give the money I paid for the airfare so I will stay here. Many people think Haiti isn't very safe (in certain places) and they are right, but how can I be afraid if this is where God has called me? It is more dangerous for me to be in Dallas and be outside of God's will than for me to be in Haiti. There is no ounce of fear in me, but if it ever creeps in, there are 365 verses in the Bible urging me not to be afraid. My favorite is Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Other people have been fully supportive and really excited. First of all, I am very lucky to have my family's support in this! My mom and dad have raised my sister and I to have a heart for the poor and all nations so this isn't a surprise to them. My mom was the one who urged me to sell all my possessions so I could more easily answer God's call!! Not too many mothers would do that. My friends and family friends have also been very supportive. In order to answer this call, I am raising support and one offering has stood out above the rest so far. One of my dad's coworkers offered $5. At first I thought that was strange, but found out it was all he had in his wallet. He gave ALL he had, like the widow who gave her last penny in the Bible. It really touched my heart!! I also have a coworker who is from Haiti and has been giving me Creole lessons and telling me about his home country. I love how he lights up when talking about Haiti and I look forward to our talks every week. His family has also graciously accepted me into their own for Easter this year so I can learn Haitian traditions, culture and eat their yummy food. I hope it is my first of many Haitian Easters! 

As I continue to prepare for this trip, please keep me in your prayers. I am still about $1,000 short of the internship expenses. I have faith that God will provide for me to answer the call he has placed on my life. If you feel led to give, please message me or comment so I can send you my contact information. Please keep me in your prayers during the time I'm in Haiti. As much as I love the beautiful country of Haiti, I know there will be hard days where I will miss my family and American luxuries we all take for granted (air conditioning, internet, phone, etc.). Please pray that I will always stay encouraged and remember my purpose for being there. Also pray for my health. The last thing I need is to get sick and be sidelined from the work I am there to do. 

I will continue to update this blog with fundraising and trip progress until I leave. Thank you for your prayers and support! My readers, family and friends are THE BEST! :) 

Next Steps

Last weekend I had the privilege of attending a missions conference at the Dallas Theological Seminary, where the Lord revealed SO much about this journey and myself.

I went in that room with a lot of questions on my mind and in walked a man who had served as a missionary (or "international worker" as they would like to be called now) in Haiti for 12 years!! Denny immediately hugged me, dubbed me Haitian Sarah and told all about Haiti and his time there. It was great to hear real stories and truth rather than stories that are sometimes sugar-coated. Having him sit near me during the weekend calmed my fears and questioning. 

Friday evening was full of a lot of information. I had gone into this journey with some doubt about how God could clear the path of student loans for me to be able to get to Haiti. I know that God is SO MUCH bigger than any circumstance, but my little pea brain thinks about the details. The first session was full of verses that calmed that and below are two that stuck out:

Psalm 138:8- The Lord will work out his plans for my life - for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don't abandon me, for You made me. 

Philippians 1:6 - Be confident in this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 

As if that wasn't convicting enough, we talked about how God works through us. The speaker warned of international workers making ministry more about themselves and personal glory rather than giving all that glory to God. Wow! When I got home, my roommate asked how the first night went and I broke into tears. Was I romanticizing living in Haiti? Was I staying focused on God's glory? As I reflected on my calling and the last few weeks, my stories had a lot of "I" and "me" and not enough GOD. He's the real reason I want to go to Haiti. I want to make the name of Jesus famous in a land of voodoo, not to make my family proud or be the first to bring clean water or female education to a village. 

Day two was even more eye-opening. We started the day out with singing praise a capella as natural sunlight filled the tiny room. It was really beautiful to hear 20 people sing to the God we were willing to go to the ends of the earth to serve. Our first session was on "the call" and if it was a real thing. I know I was called at the age of 15 to ministry so this was a challenging session. We talked about how EVERY Christian has a call to spread the good news (The Great Commission), but some are called for specific purposes/places. I have always struggled with how to answer the question, "how do you KNOW that you were called to missions and to Haiti of all places?" My answer of "I just know because the Lord told me" has always been met with strange looks. haha But this conference provided a fabulous response: "Like a stone in their shoe, it is ever on their minds no matter where they go or what they do." PERFECTION! 

Throughout the day, we talked about church connections, the role of an agency, what it means to make disciples and how to choose an agency. My favorite part of the day was the time with mentors where everyone could ask questions and talk openly about their desires and concerns. This is when Denny and I huddled up and spoke more about Haitian life, food and service. He was so excited to share his experiences and I was eager to learn all I could. After searching endlessly for Haitians in the Dallas area, I had found two within two weeks and Denny told me of a group of eight that attend the seminary. Wow! 

In our last session, the speaker spoke about our challenge as Christians and international workers. He flashed different products from all over the world on the screen. Some were unrecognizable because they were just in one or two countries, but then a Coke bottle popped up on the screen. Of course everyone knew that product. Did you know that 94% of the world has access to Coca Cola? Yes, even the areas where water is unavailable or in tribal villages. Did you know there are also 2.9 billion people who have NEVER heard the name of Jesus and the Gospel? Coca Cola has gotten something right that Christianity hasn't: universal availability. It made me sick to my stomach to hear that. The conference finished up with the challenge to die to self every day and to make the Gospel known across all nations. 

The weekend was very filling and convicting. It ended with me proclaiming my next steps of talking with an elder from Watermark about my decision, learning Creole from the people I have met and researching agencies that send to Haiti. I also have a new accountability partner in Denny and he is excited to walk through this process with me. If you would also like to walk through this process with me, continue to check this blog for updates and you can personally contribute to this process here:

Send Sarah to Haiti

This is the Go Fund Me page where I am raising funds to go on a trip to Haiti in June. Thanks for reading and for your support!! 

God is tired of me telling Him to "hold on!'

Has God ever told you to do something and you told Him to "hold on?" Well, I have done just that for the last ten years and I think He's had enough!

When I was 15, I had a call to missions placed on my heart and I surrendered my life to that call upon returning home from my first mission trip. Then, I took matters into my hands and told God to "hold on" while I pursued my dream of going to college and earning a degree. While I know there is something to take out of my time at Baylor, the last three years has only led to frustration over whether to follow my chosen career path or my calling.

I can no longer be frustrated because within the last two weeks, God has moved swiftly and made it known that He's tired of me putting His plan to the side!! Let me tell you how God has shown up lately:

1. Last fall I was offered an internship where I would live and work in Haiti for two months. I unfortunately turned down that opportunity. Last Monday would have been the day I left the US and my heart was full of regret weeks before that date. The week before, I received a message from a friend I haven't heard from in awhile. The message was only, "when is your next trip to Haiti?" That's it.....then I didn't hear from him for a week.
2. I had a water emergency in my apartment that Saturday and my landlord came over to fix it. When he arrived, he looked puzzled and asked, "why are you here? I thought you were supposed to be on the mission field." I was shocked! I didn't tell him about Haiti. Unbeknown to me, my roommate had told him, but I thought that was a message from God.
3. On my way to The Porch on Tuesday, I received a text from my mom that was a sure message from God:

"You need to defer your half of the loans and let us drive your car and you go where you need to go. Pray about it."

Wow!! In the middle of Dallas rush hour traffic, I started crying. She knew I was called to Haiti the moment I got in the car when she picked me up at the airport last year after my trip to Ferrier. It's amazing how God can soften everyone's hearts and pull things together at the perfect time.

4. On Thursday I went to work and spoke with the missions pastor. I wanted to know if there were any Haitian churches, neighborhoods or people he knew of in the Dallas area. Not only did he know of one, but the intern in pastoral care is from Haiti. Of course, God! I went down the hall and introduced myself. His face lit up and his accent appeared the moment I showed interest in his home country. His family still observes Haitian culture and he's even teaching his children Creole. Wow! I had been praying, asking God to show me the purpose for my job at First Dallas and here it was. This man offered to teach me Creole and to come over for dinner so he and his wife could teach me the culture and eat traditional Haitian food. Praise the Lord! ( I LOVE Haitian food!)
5. This man also gave me a contact name of a friend of his that is moving to Haiti next year. Later in the day Thursday, the intern came to my desk and said after calling his friend, he found out there was a missions fair with 40 agencies at Dallas Theological Seminary that day and Friday and I should go. I went Friday morning and met the friend. Thursday evening I had contacted a missions agency about a conference they were having at the end of the month for people going through the steps of getting into international missions. When I met this man, he was traveling through this agency! Another God thing there! He was able to answer the questions I had that day.

Needless to say, God is moving in BIG ways. I know it's all Him because, although I think about Haiti every single day, I wasn't fervently pursuing moving there right now. God has other plans and I am now ready to buy a one-way ticket. Currently I am praying about where exactly the Lord wants me and what I should be doing. I have connections and have traveled to the northern part of Haiti, but for some reason, I feel like God is wanting me in the south. This is blowing my mind because I have no connections there. My passions are clean water and women's rights/education. Right now, I'm leaning more towards spreading the gospel through women's rights/education.

As my friends, family and readers I want to ask for your support. Please be praying that God would reveal where He wants me in Haiti, what to do and for how long. There are still a lot of questions, but one thing is for sure: I'm supposed to be in the beautiful country of Haiti long-term and I'm SO EXCITED! If you feel led to financially support me in any way through this, please comment or contact me. I will know more about finances after the conference this month, but it's never too early to get started. Thank you in advance for the support, whether that's through money or prayers, and/or both!  

 

 

Turning Over a New Leaf

Hmmm how else do I put this? 2014 hasn't started out the way I thought it would.

My last post was full of so much hope and excitement for this year and I honestly thought it would be the best year yet. But instead, the first few weeks of 2014 have truly been the hardest weeks of my life. There have been changes that were unexpected and have honestly made me feel like I'm having a crisis...at the age of 24 (almost 25). Quarter-life crisis, maybe?!

Probably the thing I was most excited about in 2014 was my budding relationship with my boyfriend. We had already made so many plans for the future and enjoyed being around each other as much as possible. Without divulging details, that relationship came to a screeching halt in late January with no warning. It was a complete shock to me and my heart still hasn't recovered. The Bible says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it" (Proverbs 4:23). I tend to dive deep into relationships rather quickly and give it my all. I definitely need to be more guarded from now on.

Not too long after another change occurred, this time at work. My boss gave his two weeks notice the first part of February after taking a pastoral job at his church. While I am SUPER happy and excited for him, I was very sad to see him leave. He was, hands down, the best boss I have ever had. Never have I been able to go in my boss's office and talk about things we both share a passion for like I could with him. It was refreshing to have a job that didn't really feel like work.

After giving his notice, my job was up in the air because the church didn't know who they would hire or if I would have the opportunity to be promoted. At this time, I found myself in a place I never thought I would be in: A Baylor graduate with a 4.0 major GPA, fighting for a part-time job with no benefits and living paycheck to paycheck. After having a small panic attack, I put more pressure on myself as I waited to hear if they would promote a woman or hire from outside. To make a long story short, they hired someone from outside and I'm teaching him his new duties. After these changes, I needed a break to restore myself and have some fun!

I bought a plane ticket and flew to New Jersey to visit my best friend, Kate. This is where the title of this post comes in. She has also recently gone through some rough transitions. While out shopping in Princeton, we went into a jewelry store and decided to buy friendship rings. After trying on a few, we both loved a leaf style that wrapped around the finger.

After purchasing them, we declared the meaning as turning over a new leaf and starting over. We both need a fresh start and the girl's weekend was the perfect new beginning!! That weekend was such a refresher for my mind, spirit and heart!

Coming back to work last week was somewhat of a rough transition. There are still some hurt feelings there and I'm trying to get used to a new boss while also taking on more duties. Working for a church is no walk in the park. It is the hardest job I've ever had. Not the hardest task-wise, just the effects it has on my mind and spirituality. In my personal life, I'm turning over a new leaf by realizing what I deserve as a Godly woman and what I want for myself. Looking back, I realize that some of my passions were being pushed back and I can turn over a new leaf and dig even deeper into them. I'm trying not to worry about my quarter-life crisis and just let God take care of it. Easier said than done, right?! My mom said something that stuck with me this week:

"Why do we, as Christians, worry when we believe God is in control of all aspects

of our lives? No matter how many times I give it to God, I usually reach back for it one more time."

She's so right, especially for myself! No more worrying. I have to just give it to God and trust that everything is in control and where I am is part of the perfect plan for my life. Everything I have gone through so far in 2014 has a purpose and me worrying about it isn't going to change anything, except make me more stressed.

So it's time to do like my ring and turn over a new leaf!! Please be in prayer with/for me as I learn to surrender it all and trust completely.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Closing Out a Year of Change

Today is the last day of another year. As many others are writing their wrap-ups, I hope mine isn't another one just cluttering up your feed.

2013 was truly a year of change for me.

New travels and adventures
New job
New boyfriend
New apartment
New roommate
New friends
New community group
New church

Like I said, LOTS of changes. You know how Facebook does that year in review thing? They perfectly captured all of my 'news.' I love going back and looking at that to see everything that happened this year. Some of the posts bring on great memories and smiles, while others bring a heavy heart and sadness.

I'm not going to harp on the bad for too long, because after six months, I no longer see them as being so bad. My life was wrecked by two events within one month back in early summer. My trip to Haiti opened my eyes to how different life is outside of the United States. To how blessed I am and also how much I take for granted. In the process of being wrecked from what I saw and experienced, I also became friends with some wonderful Haitians and with the people in my group. Social media has allowed me to keep in contact with them and I am so thankful for that. On this trip I also got to spend time with a wonderful family I have heard so much about and looked up to my whole life (the Dorrell's). I really connected with one of them in particular and wanted to learn all about his experience living in Haiti, learning Creole and working with the Haitians. Seth had previously given up his blessed life in America and moved to Ferrier with his wife and daughter. Unfortunately he had to return home because he was diagnosed with cancer. Seth was in remission while we were in Haiti and was always keeping people on their toes and making us laugh. I had so many questions for him and enjoyed talking with him.

Almost three weeks after we returned to the United States, the Lord called Seth home. The combination of the absolute poverty I experienced and Seth's death made me incredibly sad and question a lot. Why would God take someone from the earth who was doing so much good for Him? He was so young and had a family. Why was there so much suffering, death and poverty in the world and it seems hardly anyone cares?  Even now there are days when I get sad and angry, but then I realize I'm being selfish. Only a week ago I stopped questioning God and being angry. This wreck and bad thing was turning into a blessing. While I still have so many questions I wish I could ask Seth, I know that he's no longer suffering. He isn't sick anymore and his body is healed. Also, the work he started in Ferrier can continue through me. I look forward to going back to Ferrier in 2014. There will probably be a little bit of sadness as I remember this year's trip, but also pure joy because I will be back in the country I love SO MUCH!

2013 was full of change, but a very good year. My heart was opened up and changed. My passion and compassion for the poor is even stronger and I look for new ways to serve "the least of these" every day. My life is less about me and more world and Christ-centered. I can only account this to my first new thing in 2013 and look forward to making that adventure a yearly one. I look forward to growing my new friendships, joining my new church and getting more involved, making awesome memories with my roommate and continuing the relationship with my amazing boyfriend while looking to the future. If you had told me last January what this year would hold, I probably wouldn't have believed you. I'm excited about the experiences and memories I will make in 2014!!!

Happy New Year!!

"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13-14

Are you reading a hole-y Gospel?

I am a big reader and love any book about missions or religion. My boss has taken notice of my passion for these genres and recommended a book titled "The Hole in Our Gospel: What Does God Expect from Us?"

Last night while reading, a certain chapter rocked my world. The title of my blog is also my favorite Bible verse (Matthew 25:40) and this chapter covered the entire 25th chapter as well as Isaiah 58, which is my second favorite section of the Bible. I marveled at the fact that an entire chapter of this book was about these two chapters. It's like it was written for me.

To start the chapter, the author began with a question: Are you willing to be open to God's will for your life?

Are we really, myself included, willing to be open to what God wants? Are we willing to let Him rock us to the core and take us to places we never thought we'd go?

This led me to ask myself that question. What does God expect of me? And what exactly is His will for my life? These questions are answered in Isaiah 58 and Matthew 25 as well as the verse below.

                "He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?

              To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

  Micah 6:8

Many unbelievers think that Christianity is very legalistic and there are too many rules. In Isaiah 58, God points out that the people of Israel were following these rules and seemed to be eager for God, but in fact they were angry with God. God is not satisfied with rituals and rules when the hearts of the people are corrupt. So what truly pleases God?

                                    Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:

                 to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,

  to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?

            Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-when you see the naked, to clothe him,

                        and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

v. 6-7

The true Gospel, what God really wants, is for us to be a people and society who stands for justice, fairness and love for the poor. So many times I have seen people go out of their way to go around a homeless person or others turn their cheek to a mentally disabled person. God's desire for his people to be full of compassion continues in Matthew 25.

In verses 31-46, Christ separates people on the judgment day into two groups: sheep and goats. What is interesting is that the groups are not separated based on their belief in Christ, but in how the sheep acted in open and loving ways toward the hungry, poor, sick, vulnerable and imprisoned. The people otherwise known as "the least of these."

This is a passage we can easily cut from our Bibles and is rarely preached in church (the hole-y Gospel). Why? Because it makes us uncomfortable. We think homeless people are dirty and smelly or the poor and hungry are just lazy. But guess what? Christ's biggest concern was for the poor!

The author, Richard E. Stearns, paraphrased these verses for modern times:

 

        "For I was hungry, while you had all you needed. I was thirsty, but you drank bottled water. I was a stranger, and you wanted me deported. I needed clothes, but you needed more clothes. I was sick, and you pointed out the behaviors that led to my sickness. I was in prison, and you said I was getting what I deserved."

That paraphrase gave me chills. It makes the verses seem more personal, more real. How many times have I been that person who turns away? God has given me so much, but I don't share like I should.

Daily I struggle with how much God has given me. Yes, I only work part-time, but I am surviving. I don't go without food, I have shelter over my head and clothes to cover my body. I also have "luxuries" that millions across the globe don't have, like clean water to drink and brush my teeth with and a toilet.

If God is calling us to live this way-to live like Christ-then why aren't more churches preaching this? Why aren't more Christians getting involved with social justice and helping the poor at times other than Thanksgiving and Christmas?

We are being taught a hole-y Gospel. One that has over 2,000 verses about serving the poor and "least of these" cut out. In the Old and New Testament, there is proof of God's concern for the poor and marginalized. Throughout the Bible, we see that our proof of being a Christian is whether or not we care for those in need. And Matthew 25:40 is Christ proclaiming that when we care for those in need, we are actually caring for Christ.

That is the whole gospel.

My challenge to you is to ask yourself daily, "what can I do to serve and obey Christ?" and "I want to be open to Your will, not mine." You'd be surprised at the opportunities to love and serve that will arise when you become open to Him. I've been surprised at the encounters and opportunities I've had.


"He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?" Jeremiah 22:16

URGENT NEED

Have you ever told yourself, "I'm only one person. How can I make a difference?" or "How will my voice ever be heard?" I told myself that TODAY. Silly, silly, silly. How else do revolutions start?!? One person has an amazing (or terrible) idea and others jump on board. Today I was forwarded an email that absolutely crushed my heart and made me want to spring into action.

But I'm only one person, right?

But....I know at least 100 people. And each of those people know another 100 or so people. And those people know another 100 and so on. Eventually this could be national news and that one person DOES, in fact, have a voice that can be heard!

Now on to this email....

Some of my family members attend First Baptist Maypearl, a church that supports a missionary named Jacques who lives and works in Haiti. He sent an urgent email to his supporters on Sunday expressing his concern for his safety, the safety of the children at his orphanage, the Bible school and sewing school ministries he runs. As some of you may or may not know, Haiti is an extremely corrupt country and has been for quite some time. The government has been fairly quiet since most of the aid from the earthquake left the country, or so I thought.

According to Jacques, counterfeit land title people, lawyers and thugs supposedly sent by the government are coming to his town demanding a ransom for their land or else they will be forcibly evacuated. Jacques has authentic titles showing his ownership of the land, but the these people don't care! They have made multiple threats saying if he doesn't pay them, then he and the children will be evicted. Jacques has reached out to the Haitian president's family and they have offered no help and actually expect him to negotiate with the thugs.

These thugs have already demolished part of the land and construction that Jacques has purchased to continue building onto the ministries. They have told Jacques they will be back later this week to kick everyone out of the orphanage unless Jacques complies with their demands. Jacques said he felt like he was bothering others by asking for help in this trying time, but my heart can't fathom what would happen to him and these children if they are evicted.

According to a report released last week, Haiti ranks second in the amount of slaves per population. SECOND!!  Most of these slaves are children. My heart breaks at the thought of almost 100 orphans being evicted from the orphanage Jacques runs. I don't want to think about this possibility, but....

So, what can we do? This corruption started with one man named "Papa Doc" many, many years ago. If one person can cause all this evil and somehow gain supporters, then one person can gain more supporters to bring an end to this evil and protect Jacques, the orphans and his city.

First, let's cover Jacques and the orphans under his care with prayers. This has got to be the darkest hour of the life the Lord has called him to.

Second: Post this to your Facebook, Twitter, whatever. Send this information to your prayer partners, friends and family. Talk about it with anyone you can.

Third: Write or call someone who has power to put pressure on the government. Know a city, state or national official? Call them and please share their information in the comments.

This needs to be national news!! How can a "democratic" government do this to its people? I personally love this country and all of its problems, but this is scary and ridiculous. It's time for us to use our voice to put an end to violence, slavery and corruption!!

"Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless..." Isaiah 1:17


"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?"

Isaiah 58:6