Crossroads

I have felt that my life was at a crossroad starting around last July. There has been a lot of turmoil, stress, and tears over things and events. God brings us to these crossroads at times in our lives and then tells us to wait. WAIT!? Wait for what!?!? For who?!?! Why does it have to be so hard? Why can't God just tell me now so I can get on with it already!? Well, He has made some things very clear to me lately and I am so glad I waited!!

I have been told that I must write a blog to tell my testimony of how Tori's & my trip to Haiti this summer came about. I think this is a good idea to document the steps God has brought us through and to make sure He gets all the glory for bringing us this far!

After last summer I wasn't sure where God was leading. Around December I was really struggling with what God was doing and where He would have me go, although I still felt I was being called to Haiti. At the end of January, Mike went to Haiti for about 10 days. Tori and I stayed home but this is where our journey began for our own trip this summer. Up to this point I had been open to go wherever God wanted me to go but in "lip service" only. I never surrendered my heart to God's Will. You CANNOT hide from God... He knows your heart.

Just before Mike left I told God that I was fine with wherever He wanted me to go ... and meant it with all my heart. That week I felt that Tori and I were being called north of Port-Au-Prince. Tori was also getting a feeling that we would be going with someone from the Haitian church we attend. A few days later, after the service that Sunday at the HC, I was talking to Pastor Mathieu about unrelated things. It came up that he didn't think he would be able to go with his family to Haiti this summer because of work and other commitments that he would not be able to get out of here. While we were talking, his wife, Daphnie, came up to us. We were talking about her and the kids still planning on going even though Mathieu couldn't. At that point she said that she would like for Tori and me to go with her and the kids. At first I thought "Wow, that would be kinda fun!". After she walked away, Mathieu told me that she had never asked anyone else to go to Haiti with her.




So I talked about this with Tori on the way home that Sunday and we were both getting excited that maybe this is what God was preparing us for this summer. We took the next week to pray about it a lot and really open our hearts to what God was telling us.

The following Sunday was the day Mike was coming home from Haiti. I talked again to Mathieu & Daphnie since I wanted to find out if she was serious about having us go with them. She was very excited about it. Mathieu had talked to his brother that week and continued to work on the details of the trip. I was told that we're family... that warms my heart so much!

Each week more things seemed to fall into place and it was clear that this is where God intended us to go. It looks like we will be working with Pastor Mathieu's brother doing a mobile clinic - at least the first week. This might involve doing parts of the VBS we'll have available too. The rest of the time may involve doing more VBS days at the area churches around Pignon. Even though we don't know what our trip will look like at this time, God already knows and is in control.

Daphnie (pictured above with Makayla), Jonathan (pictured above below Daphnie & Makayla), Makayla, Tori and I will be leaving on June 13 for Detroit. We'll stay in a hotel that night and fly out the next morning. Mathieu will still be able to go for a week and will join us on June 25. We will all fly back home together on July 2 & 3.

Yesterday I booked the airline tickets for all of us. It seems much more real now and I am in awe of how clear God's voice has been through all of this ... But ONLY when I honestly surrendered my heart and will to Him.

If you are facing a decision, whether big or small, WAIT ON GOD and His timing. It's perfect! I will also say, be ready for it! When His time is here, things happen!! Don't wait for what you want to hear because you might not ever hear it. God has the best plan for you. He loves you. He cares for you.

Keep us in your prayers as we prepare for this summer. I am so excited about what God is doing! He's driving and I feel like I'm just along for the ride!!!

Blessings to you all!
Your Sister In Christ,
Diane