My Little Corner

We are so thankful for this journey of loving people seriously and intentionally. Our hearts continue to be opened by the newness of our country to this precious Haitian boy. Guerry has had so many firsts in the past 3 months, so many challenges and so many successes. To say we are proud of this new son of ours is a serious understatement. The grace and dignity with which he walks and faces all that he encounters is truly inspiring. What a sweet boy he is! One of the delights of bringing a new person into your home is the connections they maintain from their past. One of those connections lies in Guerry's family back in Haiti. What a sincere, loving family who have a passion for God. I got to talk with them yesterday on the phone. This is a rare treat as making this connection is difficult right now. While speaking to Guerry's brother Sonson, he said something so profound that I can't shake it. He told me that if everyone loved Haiti as much as we do then Haiti would have more than enough. We so love the people there and we are continuing to pour everything we can into making life easier for them. My prayer is how to encourage others to do the same? How to make Sonson's dreams come true? The only thing I know to do is to write, to talk, to share, to encourage and most of all to pray. To pray that the blessings we have come to know through giving would be shared by those around us. Have you ever wondered how you can make a difference? How you can pour into another soul and reap the bounty of blessings that come from giving? There are ample opportunities in Haiti. In Sudan. In Honduras. In Nicaragua. In Myanmar. In the earth. Want to get started? I know of a little town in Haiti that houses sweet people, an orphanage, a missionary. It is one little corner of the world, but it is my corner where my love grows and grows. It is not much and it is not glamorous, but I love that corner and I want to make a difference there for generations to come. I want to educate and feed its children. I want its people to know that God loves them and I want to help spread that love through their community. Would you like to join me? Let me know. I'll share my corner with you.

Welcome to America Guerry!

Guerry arrived last Friday. He has been in America for 1 week! It has been a busy week full of new things to see, hear and taste. Guerry had his first taste of cantaloupe, tuna salad and pickles (so far). He rode on an airplane, wore a seat belt for the first time, watched the Muppet Movie, got an iphone, went to church, took 2 placement tests, registered for college, spoke English way more than he probably ever has, met many family and friends, went to the swimming pool (but didn't swim because he was too cold), bought new clothes and shoes, played soccer, basketball and toy trains with his new brothers and has ridden all over town! His eyes are always open wide, he cleans his plate at every meal (except for when I made him oatmeal) and he is taking it all in. He is very sweet and thankful for everything. He is such a joy to have and we can't wait until we can communicate that more effectively. We are so thankful for all of the prayers and encouragement. God has been so good to allow us to walk this road together. Many blessings!

That's a Fact, Jack!

For those of you who haven't heard, Guerry passed his Visa interview last week (was it really just last week?) Wow, so much can change in a week. We purchased a ticket for him and expect him to fly in tomorrow night! We have hit (another) snag. Although he was approved for a Visa he has yet to receive the actual paperwork in his hand. This makes us a teensy bit nervous, but mostly glad that we have another opportunity to give this whole glorious journey back to the God who started the whole thing in the first place. It is His, it will continue to be His and He will accomplish His will not ours because He is not ruled by us. Quite the opposite in fact and that's a fact that makes me very happy. (That's a fact Jack!) So, your prayers are appreciated for that paper and for that flight and for that boy to have a great school year. Thanks for that. :)

Why hello U.S. Embassy may I enter your country pretty please?

Well, that is not exactly how a Visa interview goes, but saying pretty please can't hurt, right? After 6 months of paperwork, files, questions, answers, tests, studying, etc, etc, etc, Guerry will have his day before the Embassy next Tuesday (July 22nd). It has all come down to this last interview. All paperwork has been filled out, all i's dotted and t's crossed and he has a mountain of evidence to prove that he has a legitimate reason to enter the U.S. He may be asked lots of questions or just one. It depends on the day. He was ordered to report at 7am, but we have no idea when he will actually be called back. Will you be praying for him this week as he prepares and on Tuesday as he goes forth. When I told him we are praying for him he said, "it is ok Mom it is the same God who has done all of the things so far". Yes! We serve the same God as that of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, of Moses and Ruth and Paul. He has done mighty things and He continues to this day. Hallelujah!

"Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." Isaiah 41:10 NLT

Good News!

After more than 3 weeks of waiting and numerous emails and phone calls to TOEFL we finally received Guerry's scores today. Last time he took the test he received a 26 and he needed a 30 to be admitted into Johnson County Community College. We are so pleased with all of his hard work and his score of a 38! He has improved his English so much and has studied so hard. Next up is his appointment with the American Embassy in Haiti to apply for his student Visa. Once approved we can get him on a plane to the U.S.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support. We can't wait to get our boy home.

Do-Over

Just when you think you've dotted all of your i's and crossed all of your t's you find a few missing. So, the latest news is that Guerry will have to take his TOEFL (English assessment) test again. JCCC requires a score of 30 and he scored a 26. So close! So...back to Port-au-Prince he goes this Saturday May, 10th to take it again to see if he can get 4 more points. He has been studying so hard and did very well in his first semester of his English language program. We are beyond proud of his efforts. We are praying that this time around he will be more relaxed, familiar with the test and will easily score over 30 points. We would appreciate every little prayer that can be lifted up for him this Saturday. The test is from 9am-1pm Eastern time. Many thanks friends!

Our favorite picture!

TOEFL Test...Check!

I heard from Guerry this afternoon and his test went well. Thank you to everyone who was praying for him! Just one more mark on the checklist. He should find out his results in 10 days and then we will forward those on to JCCC. As I was praying for him in the middle of the night I started to get nervous for him. God reminded me that this was His idea in the first place and we just get to be along for the ride. Then I saw a picture of Jesus kneeling beside Guerry and laying His hand on him as he sat at his desk. Amazing how much God loves us and is invested in every detail of our lives! Shane and I talked this morning and we are just so thankful to be on this ride with God. We are having a blast!