I sent this email to all my family and friends last night
and then I woke up this morning and it hit me.
You all have become my family and friends too.
You have blessed me with more love and support more than I ever expected.
You have been with me on this journey, and so you need this letter too.
So here it is.
From my family’s heart to yours:
~~~~~~~
Since being home from the DR there have been a lot of tears and so much unrest within me.
I’ve laid in bed at night and looked at Jimmy with tears in my eyes crying,
“It can’t stop here. There has to be more for us….”
And he promises me that there is.
We are both well aware that this is our family’s purpose.
We just didn’t and still don’t know exactly what that looks like.
I’ve been doing this 40 day prayer challenge….and with it, I’ve been keeping a prayer journal daily listing out my gratitude along with my hearts desires and prayer requests.
I love this prayer journal…and already it’s allowing me to see God at work…in crazy ways..in giant God ways.
When I was called to go on this trip and bring Taylor, I mentioned in previous letters that it was perhaps just the beginning.
And I was right.
When I left the DR, I knew I wasn’t done.
And so I prayed.
And journaled, and made clear my desires, but leaving it fully open to God’s ultimate plan.
One of the hardest things about leaving the DR, was leaving behind the beginnings of relationships being formed, and the trust that had just begun to be built.
I never wanted to let a single one of those babies, children, or teens go.
I wanted to stay and pour into their lives, seek to know their stories, and promise them I would be with them every step of their journey.
I continued to think of my most favorite child of all, Hendenson, who was being raised by his grandparents, and I wanted to know…should something happen to them, that I could play a part in keeping him safe.
And so I wrote in my journal day in and day out: “Missions work, focused purpose” as well as “Orphanage.”
Those were my two most consistent and strongest requests and desires.
And yet with both I wondered, “Really, could He use me??? How???”
And then I was reminded of the quote from the book, The Circle Maker, where the author says:
“God doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called.”
And I know without a doubt, my family is called.
Then yesterday, Robert from Children’s Heritage Foundation asked if I’d could meet with him. After an hour of talking, we realized God had put on both our hearts the same desire:
“Orphanage.”
Little did I know, he had already spoken with a local DR pastor about the need and ability to start one, and the answer he received on both was, “Yes, it’s a need. Yes, it can happen.”
I can’t begin to tell you the passion and joy that welled up inside me.
God was calling us to begin something.
It may end up looking different than what we discussed in that meeting, but that’s okay.
Robert said it best, “It’s easier to turn around a moving truck than to turn one that isn’t moving.”
And so we begin the driving process.
My family is on board.
It looks like I’ll be going back in June, hopefully with a team God’s designed, to begin the process.
And again, we hope to go back in December with another team to continue that process….
And then again and again, until prayerfully we have it up and going with people from the DR running it, and teams from Children’s Heritage continually going back to help.
My prayer is to be a part of this, and possibly spend several weeks/months at a time building and forming a community.
We want to invest time into bonding with the children, and disciplining and building relationships the staff and potential house parents.
Who knows what God really has planned (thankfully He does!), but what I do know, is my family is being called.
We don’t know how it all will work, but I don’t doubt for a moment that it will.
And so with this email I simply ask you to search your hearts on where and how God wants you to be a part of this.
- We definitely need team members.
- We’ll eventually need medical help.
- Construction. (no experience necessary)
- Ideas for fundraisers…
- HELP with fundraisers!
- Financial contributions… (Here’s the direct link for now:)
- http://store01.prostores.com/servlet/chfstore/the-Mission-Trips-cln-Dominican-Republic-bdsh–cln–March-31–dsh–April-6/Categories
And above all things, we need PRAYER.
One the end of June, and another the end of December.
I’ll be going on the June one, and bringing Jimmy & (maybe) Taylor on the one in December (finances providing).
We’re excited to build and leave a legacy in Jesus’ name with all of you right there with us by our side!
We can do this together!!!
Love to you all.
© 2013 “Le Musings of Moi”
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