Our Meeting with Our Missions Pastor

We met with our missions pastor on Thursday afternoon and there were no surprises. Our church has a program for missionaries (see Nurture Program under Link on the right-hand side). This program is designed to be a two-year in residence program that helps to prepare missionaries. Going through the program's requirements are necessary before being officially sent by the church (being sent by the church includes resource, prayer and financial support, as well as being part of a group of missionaries that get made mention of for prayer during each weekend church service.

We are members of the church, however, since we have not completed all of the requirements, we will not be sent out by the church at this time. We will continue to work on our program requirements and we can schedule a meeting with the church's mission committee when we visit in the future. During this meeting, we will have the opportunity to explain what we have done from a mission perspective and what we plan on doing in the future. The committee will then decide if they want to support us and to what extent.

Until all of this happens, we will be finding 100% of our own resource, prayer and financial support. Now that I am no longer working, I will be working on a letter to send out to people we know asking them to prayerfully consider supporting us in prayer and/or finances.

One limitation that the church asks us to abide by is that we do not ask fellow members of the church for financial support. This does not mean that those members who know what we are doing cannot donate - it just means that we cannot go ask them. And as such, they will receive a different letter from us.

The reason for this is because it would give the impression that we are supported by the church in what we are doing when in fact we are not at this time.

The Lord is moving us in this direction and it is He who will provide whether it be through the church or through lemonade stand sales - He will get it done.

Plan Update - 05/31/2008

One month left in the States.

The current plan is to work on packing the Rubbermaid-suitcases - leaving a couple to live out of. As soon as that happens, we'll be moving to my parent's house a couple miles away and then working to cleanup our house so everything is ready for closing on the 20th of June.

We'll leave on the 30th real early in the morning. From Minneapolis, we'll go to Miami and have about an hour before we catch the flight to Port-au-Price. We hope to go from the airport to the orpahange to pick Lou up and then off to the Baptist Haiti Mission from there. It will be a long day! I assume we'll have to do a little food shopping once we get there unless we bring enough in the carry-ons to last a day or two.

Packing the carry-ons will be interesting. Food (no liquids) and reading/entertainment for the trip there will be part of what is packed. The other part will be whatever we can fit that wouldn't fit in the Rubbermaid-suitcases. We'll be really loaded down in MPLS and then again in Port-au-Prince with all the luggage.

There is a trial period for people new to the mission during which time both parties (us and the folks at BHM) determine if we are a good fit. If things work out, we'll be there indefinitely and we'll bring Lou back to the States to see friends and family during a couple week trip. Some of this feels so far out that I don't like to make predictions about it; and, as always, it is all Lord willing.

By the way - starting in this blog, starting May 24, 2008 you should be able to click the photo to have it enlarge.

Last Day of Work

My last day of work was uneventful. I had nothing left to do. I left for home after doing lunch with my best two work buddies (thanks for the Hot Fudge Sundae, Michael!). It doesn't feel strange yet - it's just as if it were a weekend. Monday and all of next week will feel strange.

I have plenty of things that I want to do to get my family ready. I plan to start some new habbits (and adjust some existing ones) that should prove very beneficial in Haiti for our family. Most of the new habits involve me being more of a leader in the things that Tina was doing as part of homeschooling Kayla and Carter, so the newness of the habit will be mostly to me.

Yet Another Good Blog Posting from DesiringGod.org

Notice that this can apply to everyone.

Doors

I am always used to hearing how doors are slammed shut as people progress through various stages of their journey. When doors slam shut, it’s usually fairly obvious (hence the term “slammed”) that direction is no longer available.

In our journey to Haiti, doors seem to continue to be kicked open. It basically started with our house selling in five days. Then it was selling nearly everything we owned either on craigslist or in the garage sale – it basically all went in one weekend. And we had someone stop by during the garage sale saying they would take whatever we had left over for their sale to benefit the spreading of the gospel in Israel.

The latest is the dog. We had our neighbor stop with her daughter who works with someone that would like to have her. Then last night we had someone we had never met before from about a block away ring the doorbell to tell us about a friend of hers that would like the dog. Her friend told her that she had to come over last night to ask. Tina and I were just talking on Monday saying that it is about time we look to get rid of the dog.

I realize that it won’t always be this easy (can it get any easier?), but it is sure nice to know that God is opening doors in the direction that we are headed. Praise God!

Today's Mercies for Today's Troubles

A Good Read

I enjoyed reading this today from the DesiringGod.org Blog:

There Are No Surprise Sins

Holding Air

Well...the mattresses held air. That's a good thing. Sleep was OK, but not great. At least we have a bed and a roof over our head. We are wondering if Kayla and Carter would do better on the air mattresses and we'll take their beds.

We are really starting to feel strange about all of our things being gone. The bedroom furniture is something that was more impactful. Clothes are laying around on the floor. All we have in our bedroom are clothes and two air mattresses. We sold our dining room table and piano. It's really empty in here. We are using a card table and chairs as the main (only) furniture we have in the house.

It is a little difficult to break what has been ingrained in our heads for so long - that our comfort and security is stored up in the things that we possess. Things like furniture, houses, bank accounts and 401(k)s, pets, toys (motorcycles, boats and cars), and computers are all things that distract us and change our focus from being on things that do matter and do not disappear to things that do not matter and do disappear.

Not everyone is called to sell all they have. We are not merely taking the Bible and doing what it says literally (which is appropriate at times). The Lord has called us to go and serve in Haiti (for how long, I don't know) and that just happens to include selling everything (or 99% of it) and following Jesus.

Matthew 6:19-21
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust [5] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

That last part is where the meat really is for us. Within the last 2-3 years, we have really started to see what being a Christian is really about.

We now see that the things we used to strive for (money, racecar, camper, possessions) do not make us happy, in fact, just the opposite. Those things take up our time. They make us feel empty. They take the place of things and people that matter. Those people consist of family, freinds, and co-workers.

If our time is being taken up in things, we ignore people. We are holding air. These things will not come with us in the end and they do not matter. In the end what do you think the prize is of the saying "He who has the most toys wins"? There is one...

Showing people the hope and love found in a relationship with Jesus is something the Bible tells us to do by sharing the gospel. That is an everlasting prize. That's what God has called us to do - help the Baptist Haiti Mission share the gospel in Haiti through all of their ministries.

Garage Sale - Day Three - The Final Day

Day three was slow but good. We have very few things left - which is a great blessing! We ended up cutting prices on a lot of things and fortunately the large things went. We can now easily fit our suburban in the garage.

The person who bought our master bedroom furniture came today to pick it up. Tina and I will be sleeping on two queen size air mattresses from here on out while we are in this house. It should feel real good to sleep on any non-air filled mattress when we get to Haiti.

I just posted our dining room set and piano on Craiglist and we'll see what happens. Then, we'll have nothing but a cedar chest and two twin size mattresses left - and a bunch of Rubbermaid containers - in the house. Whatever we can fit in these containers and a carry-on is what we'll bring with us. We have decided against storing a bunch of our belongings in various peoples' homes.

Garage Sale - Day Two

The second day of the garage sale was a lot less eventful.

We made about one sixth of the amount of money as we did on Thursday, but that's only because most things are gone. Today we'll be offer rock bottom pricing, we'll match our competitor's ads, we've reduced to liquidation prices, we're going out of business. We are going to put Carter at the end of the block dressed as Mr. Penny, your best price buddy, so he can direct traffic.

I am hoping that yesterday was the most boring day. The first days is good because people want the best of what is there. The last day is good because people want great deals (which they will probably get here).

We had a gentleman drop off a note to us. The note explained that he is working on gathering left over garage sale goods to resell and give the procedes to someone he knows in Isreal. This person in Isreal is running a radio program to help show the Jewish people that Jesus was not just a good man - that he was indeed the son of God. It appears to be like "Jews for Jesus." Tina and I will be praying about this. Our original plan was to donate it to our church since they use the money mostly for international ministries (Care of Creation and Garden of Hope) through Hidden Treasures (part of Masterworks). God works in amazing ways, so we'll see what He leads us to do.



The letter reads:
This may be a strange note to you but.

I was at your garage sale today and noticed your sign saying you were taking donations for a Baptist mission program.

I am a Baptist and support the spreading of the gospel which is why I am writing this.

We are planning a garage sale in the future to raise money for a Jewish couple in Isreal who are involved in radio ministry and are making a film attempting to win Jewish people in Isreal to Christ. Their work is done entirely by donations.

For some reason I felt I should write this to see if you would be interested in donating your left over sale items to this fundraiser. If so please contact me.

Thanks
[NAME]

What a sale! Where's Carter?

The First thing is first: Mom and Dad, you guys are AWESOME! Thank you so very much for spending yet another day helping us. You have been a great blessing to us! Sandi, thank you for bringing the food and taking your time out of your day to help us with our day, too.
_____________
This next thank you is from Tina:

Erv & Pat: You have kept us steady with this sale. It would not have been so organized without your constant help. I truly appreciate your sacrifrice of time and effort. THANK YOU!

Sandi: You have quietly served us, thinking of and doing the things we would need but that we had no idea until the time was upon us (a good breakfast, snacks, dinner, a caring hug and a some tears).

My Titus 2 Sisters: Your prayers are felt and your support is treasured.

Connie: Thank you for the talk in the park. It was a joy to talk about the beauty of our Lord with you.

This thank you isn't sufficent for what I feel in my heart.
_____________
I started around 5:45 am by taking stuff out of the garage and lining it up in the driveway. Around 6:30 am we had people walking around shopping (we even had one couple spend $70 last night as we set up).

My dad created a poster of Haiti and pictures of our family and Lou (thank you, Dad!). It allowed us to talk to people about what we were doing. At the 'cashier' table we had a container to allow people to donate.

We sold about 70-80% of the things we put out. It's easy to say you are selling everything, but when it comes down to it and you are watching the things in the sale disappear while you know your house is empty - its not so easy to do. Kayla and Carter will be sleeping with their mattress on the floor - for now, they still have mattresses. (Yes, I put the big bill on the outside.)

As people would ask us about things that we liked a lot, it was harder to answer the question of "How much?". There were a few things that I intentionally didn't price because I couldn't come up with what I wanted to ask. When people asked, I was forced to come up with a price. The picture below is all we have left. (Yes, the lawn mower has been sold.)

Just before lunch time, we lost Carter. I mean lost him. He had completely disappeared. The normal rules are to let us know where you go when you go somewhere and to always stay outside of people's homes. When they hear me whistle, it's time to go home. With all the chaos, a couple people started to ask where Carter was - nobody knew. The last anyone could remember was that he was playing with the kids waiting for the school bus. After I walked around in the 5 acre field behind us and not finding him (even after many different bird calls that we use), I told Tina to go ahead and check at the school. So she drove over there to find out if he got on the bus for some reason. We were missing him for about a half-hour and didn't know how long he had been gone.

It was about that time that he called from a neighbor's house. He said that he should have told us where he was going (which he has always done in the past). He was inside - about to have a little snack. Um...yea...he should have told us. After a sweet reunion with mom, we moved on with the sale.

It is precisely during these types of situations that you see where your trust lies. Do you worry? Do you fret? Do you calmly wait knowing that whatever happens is the Lord's intended plan?

God does things for very specific purposes - everything, in fact. Nothing is luck, chance, fate, or happenstance. We must learn to look for what He is doing in our circumstances and lean not on our own understanding. We must trust that what He is doing is for His glory...that whatever comes of our situation will lead to opportunities to show that the Lord is good and completely sovereign in all things.

As I have mentioned, I have been asked many times why I am doing this because it seems so difficult. It is not merely for self-inflicted harm, danger or struggles. The Bible helps to narrow it down in 1 Samuel 15:22: "...to obey is better than sacrifice..." The Lord is calling us to do this and, as such, we are obeying. Sacrifice means nothing for eternity if done outside of obedience.

A parting song (I translated this with Tina's help - I couldn't find it on the internet):

Steve Camp
The Cross is a Radical Thing
I heard the call of the Lord
He said come and follow me
To put your hand to the plow
You've got to press on faithfully

Like a rich young ruler
Who wanted Heaven on his own terms
He tried to find an easy way
But there's a cross to bear and a lesson to learn

Two roads diverged in my life
I took the one less travelled by
I had to leave my old ways of living
For the cross, the cross is a radical thing

Jesus paid for my salvation
On a hill called Calvary
And He shed His blood for my sin
So that I could be free indeed

But though I am freed from sin
A slave to my Lord am I
Cause when Jesus calls a man
He bids him to come and die

Two roads diverged in my life
I took the one less travelled by
I had to leave my old ways of living
For the cross, the cross is a radical thing

I have been crucified with Jesus
The longer I live, but He lives in me
I left everything from my King
For the cross, the cross is a radical thing

Two roads diverged in my life
I took the one less travelled by
I had to leave my old ways of living
For the cross, the cross is a radical thing

ZZZzzzzz.....

Need sleepy...

The Ultimate Garage Sale

I didn't think that having a garage sale would be that bad of an idea. It will help us raise funds for staying in Haiti. What I failed to really understand was that when you have an "Ultimate Garage Sale" you are selling everything - not just some things. We are taking what we have left in the house, pricing it and moving it all to the garage. Thank you so very much Mom and Dad for helping us out every day this week!

I am sitting in a room right now that only has a dining room table and chairs - nothing else. I am looking at a room that has a piano, small lamp and a cedar chest (the small lamp and cedar chest are not in the sale). Places to sit are becoming few and far between. We are selling ourselves out of our familiar setting. I am actually eating cereal right now out of a lime green and lemon yellow toddler bowl that is suctioned to the dining room table - now that's class and style!

Tomorrow the big sale starts at 7am. I would like to see EVERYTHING go, Lord willing!

The Latest Regarding Work

Yesterday I posted that I wasn't sure what to do about work. Well, shortly after posting that message I decided. I talked to my boss and told her that my last day would be the last work day of the month - May 30th.

This feels good! I have usually defaulted to benefit others and this was no different. I was concerned about what needed to get done at work. Quitting according to what is best for me and my family should have priority. I want to be as squared away in the homefront as possible before we leave. I know that I'll probably never be exactly where I want to be, but I can make more progress before we go if I don't have to work 9-5.

Here's another video of Lou:

Acts 20:24

I do not count my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may accomplish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

Plan Update – 05/19/2008

The purpose of this post is to help me track the plan and see the variance in where we actually end up. I also hope that it keeps concerned friends and family updated on what is in the works for our future. I will occasionally update the plan as I see necessary. I will have a link in the upper right of the blog that points to the latest plan.

We decided that we will sell almost everything and store what we think we’ll want in Haiti later or that has sentimental value. We’ll store these things at our family’s homes (thank you family!).

Our garage sale is this upcoming weekend. We started organizing and pricing things last night (thank you Mom and Dad!). Our next step is to go through the inside of the house more thoroughly and bring to the garage everything that we will not bring or store. That will leave us with very little in the house. The goal will be to get rid of everything this weekend and not bring anything back into the house. We’ll trash or donate whatever doesn’t sell in the garage sale.

I am still trying to figure out the precise date to quit at work. There are a few loose ends that I would like to see tied up before I go, however, due to limited resources at work I may not be able to accomplish them. My boss is out 5 of the next 9 business days which makes leaving earlier than planned (the 13th) more difficult. I don’t want to leave her while she is out of the office and leave her holding the bag. I am thinking that it will be in the first week of June and not the end of the second week. There is so much to get done at home now that my time will be best spent not working at the office.

We are planning to have our house ready a day or two before c losing so the day of closing isn’t too filled with things to do – this should reduce a little stress. Around this time, we’ll start to sell our last vehicle: our 1996 GMC Suburban.

Once all that is done, it’ll be time to focus on preparing the children for what is to come. We’ll have about 10 days to build up our relationships and go through what to expect on the way to Haiti and when we get to Haiti (Tina and I don’t know exactly, but we will know more than Kayla and Carter do, so we’ll try to help them understand and prepare).

Great News!

Out of IBESR
We received an email yesterday from our adoption agency that said that Lou is finally out of the first stage of the adoption process. It took 12 months and 1 day to get past that point. Now there are three stages left and we are beyond being able to estimate what amount of time it will take. The remaining stages should move faster...but...you never know...



Movie
We decided we needed a break from running at 100mph. We have been organizing and selling our things. We have been very blessed to have a number of people come over and buy our things before we have a garage sale. This is a very tiring process. We decided that we would go see CS Lewis's movie Prince Caspian. It had been a long time since we had been to the movies and we haven't had a TV hooked up in about 3 months. I can't believe (and I literally mean that) how much things have changed.

Nachos for $6.25?!? Fountain pop for more than $5?!? Popcorn for more than $5?!? I was thinking that I needed to speak with a loan officer. (no, I didn't buy the Nachos)

And that's not the worst of it. This is a kid's movie we were going to and there was sex all over the content before the movie. Even Chips Ahoy cookies were - and I quote - "sexy." Then the next ad followed it up showing a boy and girl in the back of car about to ... and someone knocks on the door. This lady tells the kids to think about what they are doing and then explains the reality to them by setting a crying baby on their lap.

HUH?!? Dousing the viewer with all sorts of sexual things before a kid's movie and then show them reality? Is not this a parent's responsibilty? Should a movie theater be teaching our children (not teenagers) these things?

I think I just went to my last movie at a movie theater. As our pastor would say, "Are we to spend our lives watching 'good' movies?"

Preparation

Garage Sale
Our garage sale is becoming a little smaller. We have had a few relatives purchase some of our furniture. I had a gentleman come last night to look at our bedroom set. I had a guy buy my shop press. We sold Carter's motorcycle (the kid who bought it almost crashed - I hope he doesn't. It's got 50% more power than what it came with new. This was a great gift from a great Great Grandpa and Grandma - Thank you!).

Tina and I are starting to have a real hard time pricing things. We have been blessed with a great number of friends and family that want to help with the garage sale. They may have a better perspective on what things are worth because they are not tied to our things nor did they buy them.

They can also help to absorb some of the 'goofiness' around selling things. Things like the guy that bought my shop press. I listed it for $80. He came to look at it and said "How about $60?" I did what I thought anyone would do - I split the difference. I said "Let's go $70." He then decided that wasn't enough and so wanted to go $65. I said "Splitting hairs..." stalled a little to let him think about it and I said "$65 is fine."

I went to lunch on Friday with a former co-worker and they told me that they once had someone talk them down from $1 to $0.75 for a toy. I am not sure how I feel about this. It seems so crazy to talk about saving a quarter of a dollar. I have feeling that my perspective on this may change soon...

Small Group
We have had to make a number of additional difficult decisions lately - one decision is regarding the small group that we joined (through our church). We have met with them a few times and very much enjoy their company and sharing the things that are going on in each other's lives. God is doing great things! We enjoyed prayers with them and fellowship. Because of the many things that we are trying to focus on, we have decided not to attend any further meetings. We sincerely hope to stay in touch. Our current focus is so heavily narrowed down on the house and the things in it that we want to use any spare time on the people in the house. We want to help prepare Kayla and Carter as best we can for what they are going to be experiencing. My prayer is that we can continue to be connected to the small group.

Work
I am having concerns about work. I took Thursday afternoon off because all I could think about was the things that I had to do and get ready at home. I also said that I would take Friday afternoon off. I needed, NEEDED, that afternoon on Thursday. Friday was a little different. I was more focused on work because (I think) I had a handle on what was going on at home. I got lots of work done in the morning. After coming home, I was glad that I took the afternoon off because we got a lot more done.

The concern that I have is that my last few weeks/days leave a bad taste in employer's mouth. I want to continue to be diligent in my work and be a good example of a good employee. If I cannot accomplish that, then I will quit early. I really don't want to be asked to leave because I am not providing any benefit to them - I want to be the first person to recognize this and act on it. I pray that the Lord gives me this discernment.

Haiti as seen on TV

This is a recent news story that shows a little about Haiti:

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S438242.shtml?cat=69

Psych Eval and Dog

Psych Eval

As part of working through our church’s Nurture program, we had to take a bubble test and have an evaluation by a psychologist. We made a mistake on the date, so after traveling there two days in a row and meeting the psychologist the second time we found out the results. There are 5 rankings or groupings that the test results put you into and Tina and I ended up in the highest ranking (labeled as "Vitalized"). The Lord has prepared our hearts to be solid and steady (we pray for and will put effort into this continuing). This is one less thing that we have to put significant effort into. I don’t want it to seem that it’s not something that we have to work at, but it’s just not an area that could initially be a big issue for us, Lord willing.

Our next step is to meet with the missions pastor.

Dog

We spoke with someone yesterday that is interested in our dog, Tifi (her name means “little girl” in Creole…it’s supposed to be funny…she a big dog…we call her “little girl”….get it?...funny right?...I sometimes have the Freeman Schlorf sense of humor…at least I don’t call all my dogs “Rusty” because I wouldn’t be able to remember a new name….and I don’t call all dogs “he” and all cats “she”…anyway…[nudge, nudge, Dad..]). :-) We have a very good feeling that it will work out well and that the dog will have a good new home. They have a large fenced in yard and another dog. I think that Tifi would like this situation. We’ll be trying to get her used to her new owners by trying to meet up once before we bring her to her possible new home for a couple day trial.

Going Once, Going Twice... (various)

SOLD!!

I think we have been busier than Target at Christmas time. I posted my motorcycle on Craigs List and it sold in less than 24 hours (sooner than I really wanted or expected it to because I still have a job to go to - a photo of me [thanks Dad!] in my 'good to 16 degrees gear' is below). I have someone coming this week to buy the 12-ton shop press. I have been wheeling and dealing with someone on our porch furniture. The phone is ringing off the hook! I hope to have nothing left for the garage sale!! :-)

Webcam

So the other day I bought a webcam (my first) and hooked it up. I called my dad (a couple miles away) and we got them working. This is going to prove to be a great purchase if the satellite internet connection at BHM is fast enough. Even if it isn't, the voice-only should be a great way (at a great price - free) to communicate with freinds and family back in the States.

Leap...

In deciding on many things, we have been taking leaps. There are so many smaller things (relatively speaking) that are fairly important, but we just haven't had the time to think about. It's not those decisions that we are leaping with - those details will get worked out later. It's the big ones like selling the house, quitting my job, getting rid of the cats, selling the motorcycle/furniture, etc... When I was emailing someone at BHM, he suggested that we should "just do the next thing." It feels as if thats where we have been for a while. Once one thing gets done, we do the next thing. We haven't taken the time to sit and rest in what has happened. We do the next thing (which seems to frequently involve leaping) and when that gets done, we do the next thing (leap).

Tickets (the next leap)!

We have officially committed to not bringing the dog. It'll be too much effort, cost too much money, and I honestly struggle with buying food for a dog when there are lots of children eating dirt to satisfy their stomachs.

I bought the tickets Sunday morning and I was surprised by the low cost that I found with as few stops as possible. We are going to be going from MSP to MIA to PAP all in the same day (most seem to be spread over two days). To make the tickets even cheaper, about two months ago I received a credit card offer in the mail from American Express. This offer waived the annual fee for the first year and if I charged $500 on the card by the end of April, they would give me 50,000 miles. So I charged $500 and got 50,000 miles. That's $500 off my American Airlines flight! A guy at work wanted that deal so he called and tried to get it. They would not let him have it because it was by invitation only. God has great timing! I normally shred credit card offers. The Lord made me open and look at this one. God is good!

The Hard Part Shared

We had one of my parents neighbors call yesterday and Tina said to Kayla, "The Lord is sending the buyers (for our stuff). He is doing the hard part." Kayla then said "We have the easy part." It's amazing how steadfast children are. They are so trusting in their parents - reliant. They lean on them for everything. This is a representation of how we need to be towards God. The more we lean on Him and trust him for EVERYTHING, the more he supports us, directs us, guides us in His way to do His will. If the things that we pray for and desire are not in line with His will and not desired for the benefit of Him and His kingdom, we should not expect those prayers and desires to be met.

The next hard part that we have to do is make a decision regarding the dog. Travelling her with us will be significantly more difficult. American Airlines is the only State-side airline that still goes to Port-au-Prince. They will not take a dog over 100# nor will they take it to a location where the forecasted temperature is higher than 85 degrees. We have considered driving down to Florida and then taking a small airline to Cap Hatian but that is about 100 miles from where we have to go. That means that we have to find a ride to Kenscoff (BHM). All of that will be more expensive.

Then there is the matter of having her there. Where we will be staying, there is no grassy area nearby. So, unless I build a large litter box on a roof-top patio area right outside our apartment area, there is no easy way to take the dog potty. Then there is the food. When there are people starving for lack of food, can we justify buying food for our dog?

The only thing that makes me want to keep her is that Kayla and Carter like her so much and she would be a little part of their former home. They once said that they would rather give her up now than bring her down and not be able to bring her back. We will most likely not be able to bring her back (if the Lord calls us back) because she should be about 120# by that time. Another airline may be able to haul her, but again that would take more money. When we have people donating money to help us in Haiti, is it OK to use so much to bring a dog? I am not comfortable with that. The food part is the biggest struggle.

Anyone want a great dog? She is very calm and wonderful!

I want to share a song...

Living For Your Glory
Tim Hughes

What good is it to gain the whole world, but lose your soul?
What good is it to make a sweet sound, but remain proud?
In view of God’s mercy, I offer my all

And take my life, let it be everything, all of me
Here I am, use me for Your glory
In everything I say and do, let my life honor You
Here I am living for Your glory

The road I’m on that leads nowhere without You
And the life I live that finds meaning and surrender
In view of God’s mercy, I offer my all

Seeking first the Kingdom
Seeking first the Kingdom of my Lord

We Secured Lou!!

Tina had sent an email to the agency person who quit working recently to take care of her family. The email was asking if we could still be sure of getting Lou when we got there. That person told Tina to email someone else to confirm. She sent the email and then that person tossed and email right back saying that she was going to contact the orphanage director in Haiti. Well, as the Lord would plan it, that orphanage director happened to be online, checking email and she replied right away saying that it would be just great if we took him. So we are all set to have Lou with us at BHM!!

Quitting my Job (and a Lie)

The Bible says that we hold a treasure in jars of clay. I am certainly a jar of clay - not worthy of holding the treasure that God has given...

Monday night my boss came to pick me up. We were going to Chicago for a conference. Not two blocks from my house, I told her that we sold our house. She was surprised that it happened so fast. She then asked if we planned to ramp up the house search. So I told her that we were planning to go to Haiti until the adoption is complete and I needed to ask for a leave of absence. This was decieving and it was wrong (read: sin).

This is the part that I was dreading. I played this over in my head for weeks. There was so much to consider: my signing bonus, havnig a job in case going to Haiti didn't work out, medical benefits, etc... But all of these things showed that I trusted more in what happened to my money and the job. I failed to realize that I was not trusting the Lord to provide. He has been so faithful - why did I not trust him with this?

So I answered her further questions with the lie that we were planning to come back after the adoption was compelte. In reality, I have no plans to come back - God will determine the timing.

After calling Tina and discussing it with her before the plane took off and after the flight to Chicago (with prayer and mental preparation), as soon as we got off the plane (we weren't sitting next to each other) I told her "Do you remember how I siad that I wish there was a book I could read so I knew how to handle this situation? Well, there is. It's called the Bible and I have failed. I decieved you. I have no intention of returning."

She asked my why I did that and I explained that I was concerned about that if it didnt' work out and I was back within six months I would want my job back, I wanted to secure the signing bonus and possibly maintain the medical benefits during the leave. What I should have said to her was that I was not trusting God, but rather in my job and money.

I have told her that my last day will be around June 20th. I am thinking now it will be more like June 13th. She wants a day soon to start planning.

Clay pot... That's me. I am not perfect, but God sent his son, Jesus, to die for our sins and if we repent and trust in him, we are all made perfect. That offer is open for anyone regardless of situation.

Inspection

The Lord is once again working. In spite of the recent leak in the roof, there is nothing that the buyers and inspector found that is of any concern. They are going full steam ahead toward buying our house. We signed the final piece of paper before closing our closing which is June 20th.

A Signed Purchase Agreement

Our realtor called at 7:45 Saturday morning saying that he had an agreement for us to review. He came over and showed us the agreement. It was as good a deal as we're going to get. After being on the market for less than a week, we have an offer from someone in St. Cloud that is higher than our low point and they have no demands, no house to sell. We'll be closing on the 20th of June, Lord willing. An inspection is scheduled for today. This is awesome news and further evidence that our Lord is good!

The offer struck me in an odd way. It was unbelivable that the Lord had sent someone to buy our house so fast - in this poor market. I was pretty much just sitting there dumbfounded. Part of me was exicted and part of me was suddenly overwhelmed. This is the second to the last major hurdle before the finish line of getting to Haiti. The actual trip to Haiti will be the last hurdle. As Tina and I were talking, we discussed how when we question the direction we are heading, it is the worldly desires that make us want to stay. When we focus on things above not things on earth, our hearts look down the straight and narrow. As long as we keep our eyes on our Lord, we will less likely be distracted. As has been our case, after each step of faith, the Lord is right there to provide strong support.

All is not without struggle, however. Sunday morning as I was cleaning the storage area above the garage ceiling, I found a leak in the roof. I called our realtor and he suggested I send him an email and he'd forward it to the buyer's realtor. I went on the roof and found an obvious spot where it was leaking and I sealed it well with silicone. I did the best I could to make it look good and then I put Post-it notes all around it so the inspector could easily find the area. What appears to have gotten wet is just the outside of an inside wall near the master bath (behind the shower area). The leak appears to have been slow and it caused only minor visual staining on the outside of the wall which soaked a little area of the sheetrocked ceiling in the garage. We are prayerful that the inspector and new buyers do not see this as an issue any longer and that it hass been fixed and sealed it well.

I'll end this post with two things: 1) a quote from one of Noel Piper's books that Tina read (and read to me) this morning:

How many of us had said and sung with all our hearts "anywhere with Jesus," but at the same time we did not realize all that it meant for us. Indeed at home, and surrounded by all that home means, we would not know. When the test comes we must not forget that "anywhere" means for missionaries something different from life in England [and I would add: the US], and let us take very good care not to make a misery of anything that "anywhere" brings us.

To us in Algeria, it must mean sometime or other, Arab food. Do we object to it? And mice, do we mind them? And mosquitos, do we think them dreadful? In some parts it means close contact with dirt and repulsive disease. Yet if Jesus is there, what have we possibly to complain of? It means living among a stiff-necked and untrue people and struggling with a strange and difficult language. And yet let us evermore write over all our miseries, big, and for the most part very little, these transforming words "with Jesus." And then the very breath of heaven will breathe upon our whole being and we shall be glad.

A quote from Lilias Trotter. Taken from Noel Piper's book Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God.

and 2): Although the following effort appears to be purely humanitarian and not done as sharing God's love, this 12 minute video shows a little of Haiti:

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=4069409n