Good Day!

I had a very production, fulfilling, good day! I decided last night that today I was finally going to take time to spend 1 on 1 time with my Miriam Home children and at the same time do their evaluations. I spent an hour with 7 of the higher functioning children today (Ju-Ju, Den-Den, Steven, John, Owens, Markinely, Joshua). I am mentally exhausted now but this might have been my favorite day.

Some highlights from my day included watching Owens getting so excited over having a book read to him in Creole and realizing that he understands every word. Showing Steven my first completed signing video with animals and having him perform each sign prior to it showing up on the screen…Den-Den coloring using his hand and small crayons…Ju-Ju walking just holding onto my side… Markinely sitting and interacting with me for an hour and holding his crayon with a tripod grasp needed for writing… Joshua getting so excited to play with toys and making me a picture…John showing off his mad fine motor skills with cutting and lacing. My heart was over joyed by the time I was done working with them. I was so proud of them, I was reminded of why I love being in Haiti so much…It is these children. I was reminded that the reason I work so hard to advocate for this program is because of these children. Each of them have so much potential, each of them are precious children loved by the God of the universe, each one of them were placed here at NWHCM to be loved on, to be nurtured and for the love of Christ to be shared with. I don’t know why God has chosen me to fight for them, chosen me to love them, or chosen me to poor into them BUT I am so thankful that He has and I am so thankful that HE continues to poor into me strength, love, wisdom, and energy to continue being a vessel for Him to use.

Today did not come without some hard moments though. One of my biggest was realizing that what these children need is to have someone here full-time who does exactly what I did with them today….spend an hour with them 2-3 times a week doing therapy and educational play activities with them. It is so hard knowing how much potential these children have… how much they desire to learn and grow in their abilities…knowing that all the supplies are here BUT realizing right now there is no one to fill that position. It is hard knowing I have the skills and abilities to fill this need but knowing that God has not called me full-time to Haiti yet that I am called to be a good steuart of my resources which means paying off my loans. It is still hard at times knowing that I have been called this time to minister to For Jonathan’s Sake and pour my time into that program.

Courtney and I are realizing how much bigger the program of the Miriam Center is and as it has expanded into 5 programs in which 3 of the programs need a full-time person to be over them in order to run at full capacity. These programs include the Deaf School, the Luke 2:52 School (could use a therapist and special education teacher), and For Jonathan Sake requires a full-time person now. We are planning to start a sewing program for For Jonathan’s Sake which will require someone to help run as well. And as we start building our new facility in Bono we are still planning on keeping the Miriam Center here in St. Louis running and will need people to come along side and help us in Bono. Please Pray for People to answer the call, for God to provide for these needs. We know God always provides! Please pray for patience and peace as we wait.
Please continue to pray for me as I discern where God is calling me. If He is calling me to Nevada of to Oklahoma.

In Nevada I would continue being the Miriam Center Occupational Coordinator and advocating for the children at the Miriam Center from the states 10 months out of the year and then get to spend 2 months in Haiti doing hands-on ministry with them. During the year I would be working at a school district in Nevada growing my skills with pediatrics and have the option of picking up extra hours in an outpatient clinic working with pediatrics. I would have an OT mentor to help me the first few months as I get oriented to the school district.

My other option is moving to Oklahoma where I would find a full time OT job to pay off my loans. It probably would not be working with pediatrics BUT there is a job opening in the Oklahoma school system for an OT right now that I am trying to apply for but can’t from Haiti. I will have to wait till I get home. I would still be able to continue being the Miriam Center Occupational Therapy Coordinator and I would also be working for No Boundaries International and be helping develop what I have been doing in Haiti on a global scale. I would write articles to be published letting people know what is available for therapist and therapy students to do outside the US, I would help create videos to be sent to therapist and therapy schools educating them on what is available. I would also be helping develop a blueprint of what a rehab technician program looks like in a 3rd world country and developing a curriculum for it. I would be trying to set in place opportunities that therapy students can do their level 2 fieldworks in developing countries. Those are all things I would be helping with related to my field of practice but I would also be growing spiritually by going threw missions training, growing spiritually in daily worship times, and serving in the inner city and globally with No Boundaries. I would be working with a group of people who are spiritual leaders and spiritual role models to me. I would helping develop a new program called In Their Grasp which is a new program No Boundaries, Courtney and I have begun developing the past few weeks.

Please pray that I would hear clearly where God is calling me, that I would be able to Trust His leading and timing. That God would fill me with wisdom and guide my every step. That I would filled with patience and peace as I wait upon Him. Thank you for all your prayers and support while I am in Haiti.