My First Week Back In Haiti

I am not sure how to put into words my first week in Haiti. It has been a hard week on so many levels but so wonderful on another level. I have processed through emotions of Happiness, Contentment, Joy, Excitement…but also through fear, anger, uncertainty. At times it feels surreal that I am really living in Haiti…My dream has been fulfilled…I am doing God’s will…what He has called me to AND that makes me Happy! I thought I would share the projects I worked on and some highlight moments from my week.

This week I focused on the following….

1. Settling In: I have a really awesome room that has space for me to have a small treatment room/office at 1 end and a bunkbead and shelves on the other end where Molly my ST intern will be staying with me. All my luggage arrived 3 days after I did in 1 piece BUT my carry-on which had all my books in it arrived chocolate covered. Took me a few hours to semi-dechocolatize. I unpacked all the toys and surprised Nahum and Presidue with the AMAZING new toys for the outreach toy lending program and the Luke 2:52 school.  It has been very chilly in the evenings and I am so glad I brought a pair of wind pants and long-sleeve shirts.

2. Cleaning/organizing the supply/toy depot: This is always a treat. When I arrived you could barely walk into this closet (I wish I would have taken a before picture…) I had to face many fears including 5 huge spiders…debri a rat left behind (fearing that every container I moved I would find it) and lots of dirt! The finished product though is a very functional space for outreach and the classrooms. The floor is nice and open and I might use it for another small therapy clinic.

3. Setting up a small therapy clinic in my Room: At 1 end of my room I have begun setting up a small therapy clinic where I can perform 1:1 therapy treatment sessions. I have organized bins of supplies, a desk area where we can sit to work, and a therapy matt on the floor as a work area as well. I am almost finished making therapy folders for each child ( I have 15 more bios to write and evals to do on kids). I am excited for the chance to do more individualized treatments with the kids.

4.Communicating/Catching up/Getting on the same page with Stephanie, Nahum, and Presidue: God has truly blessed me with an AMAZING team of loving/caring individuals to fight alongside me for these children. Being away for 6 months A LOT happens in Haiti and so it was great to get onto the same page with not only the leadership team but all the workers and Mission staff. This week has been full of changes and so we tried to meet frequently to discuss and stay on the same page. We did a lot of discussing the future with nutrition/options to boost it, supplies/supply runs to the DR, ways to improve outreach, the bags the outreach moms will make for redeeming gifts, etc.

5.Loving on the Kids!: Words cannot express how wonderful it is to hold, rock, kiss, hug, snuggle, sing to, dance with, and go through night-time routine with my kids…ANYTIME I want! So thankful for that opportunity.

Highlights Of The Week

1. Getting see my Haitian family/staff and work alongside them. I am so thankful for the amazing staff God has blessed the Miriam Center with. I love watching them love on the kids and care for them. Seeing the way that they fight for them.

2. Getting to see my outreach families and love on their children- especially George. George 3 years ago could sit on his own and play with toys. Last summer his seizures were so bad he could not move on him and had multiple seizures an hour. It was so wonderful to see him now after consulting with the seizure team & getting on seizure meds!!! Another child who has made great gains over the last few months has been Ralph. Ralph is walking with support under the arms!!!! Paul Frantz mom could not wait to tell me her son is now weight-bearing and standing with support.  I loved seeing the mothers reactions seeing I was back, holding each of the kids, and loving on them!!!  Most of all I LOVE seeing how empower Presidue is with running the program and pouring into these families and the result being all these children are making progress!!!!

3. Taking the kids to the playground- especially watching Jimson & Dan Kelly enjoying the playground

4. Working with Gildine on standing, Love-Jinnie on sitting, and Steven & Mary-Julie on walking and seeing them making progress.

5. Gilbert helping me learn Creole from the flashcards on my iphone

6. Watching the Miriam Home Staff run Miriam Home church and worshipping alongside of them while holding & loving on the kids!

Adventures Into Haiti

I left for the Pittsburgh airport this morning at 3:45AM. It was so surreal driving away from home…mixture of emotions so EXCITED to finally be fulfilling the call God had given me back in 2007…SAD to be leaving my family, friends, and animals behind for 9.5 months…TIRED because of lack of sleep with all the preparing…HAPPY…SCARED…FEARFUL...so many unknowns laid ahead.

When we arrived at the airport dad dropped mom and I off with my 3 bags at 70lbs, carry-on 40lbs and backpack 40lbs. He went and parked the car and then came back to help us check in.  1bag was 2lbs overweight & the lady behind the counter told me I would have to pay or remove some items…So I attempted to open my bag except the zipper was stuck…managed to get it open enough to take out some snack food, stapler and a few therapy supplies.  Because my bags were overweight I had to personally take them to TSI to check in. They asked me what was in each. My first thought was…”well, that’s a loaded question” lol.

My parents walked me to security and it was an emotional good-bye. I am so blessed to have such amazing parents who love me and support what God has called me to. I definitely could not do what I am doing without their loving support. I got right through security since I was flying first-class (in order to get my 3bags at 70lbs free).  Out of all the strange things that I had in my carry-ons…I got pulled aside so they could swab my sandals…REALLY…lol

I proceeded to my gate and boarded the plane with no problem.  The plane was a very small aircraft 1 seat on 1 side and 2 seats on the other side. We had to Valet check all rolling carry-ons. The person who took my carry-on asked how many people was in my group…when I said 1…she said are all those bags underneath with that tag yours?!?! Lol… My backpack would not fit in overhead compartment. I had to take both laptops out and cosmetic case and place beside bag in overhead compartment. We boarded at 5:45 and at 6:20 realized we still did not have a pilot on board.  I was in the first seat so could hear EVERYTHING going on. The pilot finally arrived BUT then it came across that the plane was overweight and they had to work on that issue. The pilot told them they could not take any fuel out of the plane bc we needed it all. Eventually when they got the overweight issue taken care of and the door was closed and we were ready to take off (only 30 minutes late). The pilot came over the loud speaker to report that the cockpit was losing air pressure and that they needed maintenance. We sat on the aircraft for 2 hours until they finally deboarded us. At this time I already new I was going to miss my connector flight in Miami. While deboarding found out the guys behind me were headed to Haiti. It was not until they stood up I saw that they had mission t-shirts.  I spent the next hour and an half getting to know the 3 young men. The leader of the group was from City Impact in Pittsburgh and had 2 of his young men with him 1 was a freshman in high school and the other a senior in college.

The Airlines was able to get all 4 of us booked on the 2PM flight out of Miami to PAP. We finally reboarded the plane at 9:45 AM and successfully made it to Miami in time to make our plane to PAP.

I got the rural treatment in first class!! The seats reclined in 3 different ways, own TV (which I didn’t use), a blanket, heated rags to wipe hands, hot mixed nuts, fresh iced tea, meal, fresh baked cookie, etc. BUT by far the best part of first class was the AMAZING Haitian women I met. We had a wonderful conversation about both of our ministries and families. She is what would be considered “higher class” population of Haiti. She lives in PAP. She has worked with the American Embassy but currently works with a program that help children and teens. Her 2 daughters are in college in the United States are full scholarships.  She would like to help me make connections in PAP to expand disability care. I tried to show her pictures of some of my children in the Miriam Center but she said she could not look at them. She told me I must be a strong person to be able to work with them. We had previously discussed the view of disabilities in Haiti as I had learned which she totally agreed with. As we talked I saw some of that view she still had. We also talked about relationships/marriage. We had also differed in views on this. My view is that I am willing to marry anyone who God brings into my life, who has a similar global mission minded ministry heart, a passion for serving the LORD and puts God first, our personality mesh well and we enjoy spending time together. Her view of the right person to marry is someone who is highly educated and in the upper class.  When I told her we had a surgery team that had come in and done tons of surgeries as the mission the week before her response was “what is the point of fixing people sight if they can’t read, write, or perform a trade and what are you doing to meet peoples basic needs, if people don’t have food in their stomachs then they can’t do anything.” I spent a long while answering these 2 questions. It was very interesting to talk to her. She gave me her # and email and said anytime I am in PAP she would love to have me stay with her and treat me like when her daughters. She stated that she loves seeing young people who are pouring into her people.

When we were landing in Haiti, I got so excited to smell the Haiti air, hear the sounds of Haiti, and oh so soon be back at the mission to hold the kids.  Made it through customs with no problems. They have redone the airport since I flew in last time and it is so nice! At baggage claim I had a Haitian who claimed me as the person he was going to help.  He helped us gather up all our bags and get them out to the car where we met Antoine. We all piled into this little SUV like car with ½ our luggage and the 5 of us. We started driving what I thought was to the small airport but realized we had been driving too long to be going to the small airport. My heart began to sink a little as I realized we were heading to the hotel. It was too late to fly Tortuga down to PdP so we would have to stay overnight in PAP.  It was very interesting to drive through PAP as I have not done that before and see the “city life” a little. My statement that I would never drive in Haiti got even more confirmed in PAP ;-)

We arrived to a very nice hotel where we got rooms. The group that I joined up with wanted to play some basketball. It was dark out and the lighting was not good but we attempted or I should say I attempted they all did awesome. You can tell they all grew up playing street ball. It was fun. I left halfway through to shower and try to get online to inform my family and friends I had made it safely to PAP and would be going the rest of the way tomorrow. I ordered some fried plantains and Limeonade for dinner while starting to type this blog and then ate some carrots and beef jerky back in my room I had brought from home. I slept pretty well, woke up to the cars, sirens, roosters, and hustle and bustle early in the morning but rested in bed till 8 when we had to get our bags out.

I spent the morning having quiet time and reading my Bible. At 12:00 our ride to the small airport had arrived. Once at the airport we waited about 2 hours to board our small 20 passenger plane to fly to PdP. While waiting in the airport I had the wonderful opportunity of sharing the Miriam Center with one of the ladies who was headed into build the playground at Salines Mayett and to learn more about her husband and her interest and involvement with the Miriam Center. 

I got naseaus on the small planes which is normal and was so glad when 50 minutes later we landed and I could get off. At this point I said goodbye to my 5 new friends as they were trucking straight to Salines Mayett and I got in a truck and headed to the main campus. When I arrived the kids were so excited calling my name and all waiting for their turn to get hugs and kisses. It was so wonderful to finally hold each of them and love on them. My staff were also excited to see me and gave me BIG hugs. Their first words to me after asking how I was and how my family was....They told me I had gotten fat and smiled, hugged me and rubbed my tummy. They were so HAPPY that I was back and FAT! :-)

Stephanie showed me to my new room (Justin's old one). She was amazing and had cleaned it, washed my sheets and cloths, made my bed and even hung some of the kids artwork up for me!!! The room is the perfect set-up for me. It has tons of shelves, open middle floor to some 1:1 therapy, a BIG desk running across the whole front wall and even 2 screened windows with curtains :-) I feel blessed!!!

Stephanie and Ashley were so excited to show me the new "American" store where you can buy pringles, milk, chocolate, apples, etc. AND it is even decently priced. We walked downtown to find it. It was so nice to walk the streets again. Stephanie treated me to a nice cold gatorade. On the way back she showed me where an ice cream shop went in where you can get real ice cream!!! 

When I got back to the mission I had some good cuddle time with Job before dinner. Ate dinner, had Bible study and then helped pass at nightly meds for the kids.

It has been a busy few days BUT it is oh so wonderful  to be home in Haiti!  

The Time In Between

From the time I ended my job in Philadelphia till the time I moved to Haiti was a BUSY month. I ended working in Philadelphia on Feb 1. I packed everything into my SUV on Saturday and started the drive back across PA. God truly open a wonderful door for me stay with an amazing women named Joyce who graciously opened her home to me for the 3 months I was in Philly.  It was hard to say goodbye but it also marked the end of 1 adventure and I was onto the next. 

I stopped for lunch towards the middle of state to meet a dear friend Marty I had met when I lived in NV. His wife and him were in Carson City in the same apartment complex with me. They were there seeking a specific cancer treatment for his wife Doreen. I became good friends with them over that year and have kept in touch with them over the last 2.5 years. They call me their “adopted daughter” Unfortunately with me moving to Vegas and them back to PA we had not seen each other for over a year and a half. Doreen passed away while I was in Haiti last summer so when I heard I got a job in Philly I was EXCITED to be able to visit my dear friend. We had a WONDERFUL lunch.  I drove straight to my friend Emily Bailey’s House in Oil City, PA so I could speak at her church the next morning. The last 2.5 hours of my trip the roads were horrible and with 4 wheel drive. By God’s grace I made it safely. It was wonderful to share with this congregation the 8 things God has called me to in Haiti (which I wrote about in a previous blog post) and share specific stories of children that fall under each. I have to smile at how God used the testing of my faith in Philadelphia to build the exact message I shared at churches! BIG GOD! I made it home Sunday night and just relaxed on the couch with my family.  Mon-Wed were spend ordering therapy supplies for Haiti, looking for missionary health insurance, setting up dr. apt. etc.

Thursday Feb 7^th I headed up to Erie for 4 days of speaking/fundraising. I stayed with a good friend Julia Campbell who is a 4^th year student at Gannon University going for Occupational Therapy. I first met Julie when I was a freshman at Gannon 8 years before when I played softball for the church she attended. I got to see Julia in a sense grow into the calling God had for her which was to go to OT school and see her love for missions grow! I am so EXCITED that she is coming to Haiti in May to do an internship under me.  On Thursday afternoon I was videotaped at Grace Baptist Church so I could share my story and calling Haiti. Grace Baptist has a dear place in my heart, as it is the church that really helped me grow in my faith the last 3 years of college. It is what I would consider my “home church in Haiti.” I had the blessing of talking with 3 of my dear pastor friends (Mike, Derek, and Al) before I left. I admire all 3 of them for their godliness and hearts for missions. I left Grace and went straight to Gannon to set up for a time of sharing with the OT students at Gannon. I absolutely love sharing the work I do in Haiti with therapy students because it opens their eyes to a whole different way of using their major then they may have ever thought before. I was surprised to see the fieldwork 2 supervisors from Sharon at my presentation J.  Friday was spent visiting my Gannon family & friends which was wonderful. Saturday we started preparing food and setting up First Presbyterian Church of the Covenant for the dinner Julia and I were having. First Church of the Covenant was the church I went to my freshman/sophomore year of college and the Kirk House is the Christian community house owned by the church, which I lived, in my sophomore, junior, and senior year. This church played a huge part in spiritual growth during my time in Erie as well. My parents came up to Erie to cook for the dinner. We had a GREAT turn out of over 100 people for the after church luncheon. Julia & a few of her friends played/sang a beautiful song, Julia shared her heart & call to Haiti and then I shared about my call to Haiti, some specific stories of kids, and videos/pictures. The fundraiser was a huge success.

Monday  Feb 11^th I headed down to Pittsburgh to meet up with my friend Molly to help her with her fundraiser at Archie’s Bar and Grill in Pittsburgh.  Molly is a Speech Therapist I met while working alongside her in Philly. After hearing about what I was doing, she felt lead to come and serve for 3.5 months to help set-up a ST program in Haiti.  She did such a wonderful Job with the fundraiser and it was a HUGE success! I have been blown away by the generosity of people.

I was suppose to go to Indiana/Lexington/Cincinnati area Feb 13^th till the 19^th but really felt the tug on my hear to cancel that trip on the way down the Pittsburgh. I realized I only had 2 weeks left at home, I had not seen any of my family or friends since moving back from Philly and I had so much that I still needed to get done that I had forgot to plan for like taxes, moving all my stuff from storage to the attack, going through boxes to see what I could sell, organizing/cleaning my room at my parents, etc.  After praying for about it I did end up making the hard decision to cancel that trip.

I spent my last 2 weeks at home doing all the things previously listed and going to dr. appointments, getting hair cut, getting new glasses, finishing buying supplies for Haiti,  making therapy folders for Haiti, making lacing cards and educational games, packing and trying to do as much visiting with family and friends as I could.

This is the longest stretch of time I have ever had between finishing up at school or a job then heading to Haiti. The most I have ever had was 1 week and the least was a day. It was nice having the month to get things in order, get rested up, and see so many of my family and friends. 

Prayer Requests

Prayer Requests
 1. That I would grow daily in my love and desire for knowing Christ more intimately. And through that intimacy my heart would be transformed more & more into the image of Christ.

 2. That God would teach me to LOVE with the type of love described in 1 Cor 13. A love that is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, is not easily angered, keeps no record of wrong, does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth...a love that always hopes, always trusts, and always perserveres!

 3. For God to protect my mind, body, and soul from satan's attacks and that I Would have spiritual wisdom & discernment needed to fight off his attacks.

 4. For the Miriam Center children's health, physical/spiritual growth. For the staff to stay healthy, feel loved/supported, and to have energy/strength to care for the kids.

 5. For me to fin the time to learn Creole. THat I would retain what I learn and be able to use it to better communicate with my staff, my outreach families, and those I meet throughout my ministry

 6. That I would physically, emotionally, spiritually, & mentally be ready for the calling GOd has given me.

 7. That God would raise up a strong prayer support team, team of encouragers, and financial partners to rally around me as I fulfill my mission & calling.

 8. For Jonathan Sake outreach families health, safety, encouragement, support and training. That each family would come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ

 9. That God would build up in me a heart of complete surrender to His will and TRUST in His word.

Ministry Goals 2013

Miriam Home Program
Exists to provide the best care possible for 48 children and adults living with disabilities who need a home outside of their family due to death, unsafe living environment and/or abandonment. The Miriam Home offers an identity to each child in our care while loving them unconditionally. Our goal is to allow them the pleasure of being children, regardless of their limitations, and to raise them up as individuals as they grow into God-centered adults. 

GOALS
• Continue working on improving the nutritional needs and creating specialized feeding plans for the children that need them
• Perform evaluation on each child, make a therapy plan, and then be able to work 1:1 with each child on their specific therapy goals. Also to create a way that therapy students and therapy volunteers can step in and treat each child as well.
• Re-Vamp the Visibility Box that allows any volunteer in Haiti to step into each child’s world AND interact, play, and thus provide therapy to each child.
• Work on helping the children to become as independent as possible
• Continue working on training the Hatian Miriam Center workers how to safely and appropriately work with the children on every level from feeding, to bathing, to preparing food, to diapering, to handling the children.

For Jonathan Sake Outreach Program Is a weekly outreach program that provides a safe place for special needs children, together with their parents, to come and receive encouragement, occupational/physical therapy, training, guidance and love. Through this ministry we are making it possible for children with limitations to remain in the care of their families by giving parents the necessary tools to raise up their child, by empowering the parent the ability to see their child’s potential.

GOALS
• Reinforce/Review Home Therapy Program taught summer 2012 to make sure families are independent and feel comfortable with it.
• Continue Training/Empowering Parents to take care of their children & provide therapy to their children
• Continue Training/Empowering Presidue to run outreach program & provide therapy to the children and training to the parents
• To develop individualized therapy plans for each child with equipment we have available
• Continue to provide a toy lending program to families and provide each family with a home therapy supply kit for their child’s home program.
• Raise enough money to provide outreach families with transportation money to come to outreach program 1x per week ($2 per family per week).
• Raise enough money to purchase Solar Power Christian Radios through OMS Resounding Hope locked to Radio 4VEH radio station for each outreach family ($60 per radio).

 

 Luke 2:52 Education Programs 
The special education programs runs Monday-Friday providing a safe place for children with disabilities to learn. The idea behind this program is that all children deserve access to an education. Currently their are ~20 children from to community who come and join the Miriam Home children to learn. We strive to offer an identity to each child in our care while loving them unconditionally. Our goal is to allow them the pleasure of being children, regardless of their limitations, and to raise them up as individuals as they grow into God-centered adults. (Special Education Classroom, Austism/Sensory Classroom AND Severe & Profound Preschool).

GOALS
• Reinforce/Review therapy programs that were set up in these program summer of 2012
• Train the Hatian workers to incorporate therapy into each of these programs
• To go in & provide therapy 1:1 with the children in this environment to make sure that each is reaching their fullest potential in this environment.



 

Volunteers/Students
Volunteers and/or students travel to Haiti for short-term trips of 10-14 days or for an internship 1-6 months in length.

GOALS
• Create a learning environment that allows Therapy and Special Education students to get hands on experience. I currently have 5 OT students, 1 speech Therapist, 1 PT student, and 1 special education teacher who would like to come to Haiti summer 2013
• Find Therapists (OT, PT, ST, hand therapists, & Autism/Behavioral specialists) and Special Education Teachers who would be willing to come and serve in Haiti on Short-Term and Long-Term trips and have a environment that is appropriately set up for them to walk into.


 

Haiti Disability Network
A Network that is in the process of being developed that will link orphanages across Haiti working with children with disabilities. This will increase knowledge, open up communication, provide a place where training can be done, resources can be shared, etc.

GOALS
• Work alongside Kimmy’s House in creating this network so that resources can be shared.
• Set up first of hopefully many training conferences in Haiti …possibly get some well known therapy educators to come into Haiti for some training including: (Tina Allen Pediatric disability Massage, yoga for the special child)

What God Has Called Me Too

As many of you know I spent the last 3 months living in Philadelphia working at a nursing home. The 3 months were full of many challenges at work mostly but also in my personal life. BUT as always through it all God was teaching me SOOO much. While in philadelphia I had a pastor attack my call in Haiti & basically tell me I was out of God's will if I moved to Haiti & he had 100 reasons why I should not go to Haiti...At first I was thrown back and shut down...the next week I sought God and the following is what He revealed to me. God CLEARIFIED MY CALL...

SCRIPTURE THAT CLARIFIES MY CALLING…. Specifically for children with disabilities and their families in Haiti…

1. God Has Called Me To DEFEND The Rights of The Poor And Needy 

“Defend the rights of the poor and needy” Prov 31:9 

 “Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.” James 1:27


 

 2.God Has Called Me To FEED THE HUNGRY especially the malnourished disabled orphans in Haiti

  “If you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.” Isaiah 58:10 “For I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you cared for me. I was in prison and you visited me. Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? And the King will tell them, ‘I assure you, when you did it to one of th least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” Matthew 25:31-40NLT


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 3. God has called Me To TAKE CARE OF THE SICK children (some of the sickest)

  “For I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you cared for me. I was in prison and you visited me. Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? And the King will tell them, ‘I assure you, when you did it to one of th least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” Matthew 25:31-40NLT




4. God has called me to CLOTHE the Naked. “For I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you cared for me. I was in prison and you visited me. Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? And the King will tell them, ‘I assure you, when you did it to one of th least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” Matthew 25:31-40NLT



5. God Has Called Me to COMFORT Parents Who Mourn The Loss of Their Children Who Went to Be With The Lord Before Them and At A Young Age. 

“For He will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy.” 

Ps 72:12-13 “The Lord comforts His people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones.” Isaiah 49:13 

 “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is Near.” Phil 4:4



6. God Has Called Me to SPEAK OUT for and DEFEND the RIGHTS of those Who Can’t Themselves (The children with disabilities & The Families of these children. 

“Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Prov 31:8-9 NSRV



7. God Has Called Me To Be His HANDS and FEET…

  “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20



MOST IMPORTANTLY GOD HAS NOT CALLED ME TO DO THIS ALONE…I am so thankful for the team of AMAZING Mission Family God has blessed me with ESPECIALLY My Miriam Center Mission Family


My Favorite Quote: 

"Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion for the world is to look out; yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good; and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now." ~Saint Teresa of Avila

My Mission Statement For Haiti:

 Making the Invisible…Visible through Christ, Church, Community. Showing the love of Christ first through my actions then through my words. Daily being Christ’s hands & feet to those living with a disability in a country that sees them as cursed for being different. Bringing hope to the hopeless…light into the darkness…AND Joy in the midst of hardship. Making Christ love Visible and Available to ALL! All while using the gifts and talents God has gifted me with as an Occupational Therapist to help each child reach their fullest potential!

 GOD WILL BE MY GUIDE… "YOU WILL SEEK ME AND FIND ME WHEN YOU SEEK ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART." JEREMIAH 29:13

 GOD’S PROMISE…“AND LET USE NOT GROW WEARY IN DOING GOOD, FOR IN DUE SEASON WE WILL REAP, IF WE DO NOT GIVE UP.” GALATIONS 6:9

Merry Christmas & Haiti UPDATE

Hello Everyone! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! I hope this Haiti update finds each of you well & being blessed during this Christmas season. I wanted to update everyone on where I am at, where I am heading, and when I am finally moving to Haiti to fulfill the calling & dream God has given me! I do not remember the last time I wrote an update as the last few months have been a whirlwind…so I will update from when I arrived back to my parents in August. I flew out of Haiti the middle of August back home to PA with my family. I immediately started looking for jobs and applied for my KY and PA licensure. As an Occupational Therapist I have to be licensed in every state I work in. PA and KY were 2 of the states that took the least amount of time to get licensure and were closest to home. It ended up taking about 6-8 weeks to get my KY & PA licensure. In the meantime I was talking to multiple travel companies and talking to people locally to try and find the job God had for me to work at for the next 3 weeks. I was really hoping to find a job fairly close to home to enjoy time with family & friends before heading to Haiti but I was not having much luck finding anything secondary to there being so many OT schools in the area. While I was waiting on my licensure I flew to NV & sold all my furniture and drove back across country with the smallest tag along u-haul behind. My dad was such a blessing to me….he took a week off work and flew out to drive back cross country with me. I was blessed to stop & visit with many friends on the way back to PA. I ended up taking a job with MedTravelers who contracted me to Flagship working for a nursing home in Philadelphia. I posted a flier at a few churches a friend suggested to try to find housing living with a family. I ended up finding housing with a very nice lady Joyce from 10th Presbyterian Church. She lives alone and is renting me her 3rd floor for the 3 months I am Philadelphia. It has been such a tremendous blessing on so many levels to live in community with her. 3 days after moving in she had a double knee replacement and I got the privaledge of meeting her closest friend from Florida who is a nurse and her sister-in-law from Indiana who were both here to help take care of Joyce post surgery. All 3 of these women have tremendous faith! My job has been tremendously challenging on many levels with long hours & intense days. After much prayer & discernment though God has revealed to me that just as My mission in Haiti is to change Haiti 1 child at a time…my mission right now is to change one resident at a time and be a light to both my co-workers and the residents. I know I can’t change the way this nursing home is run but while I am here I can brighten each residents day & be an encouragement to my coworkers by how I fulfill my work duties each day. It has been really awesome to see God use me as a light in my work environment here…2 weeks ago a coworker approached me late one evening when we were both still there finishing up paperwork and God really opened the door for me to speak about my life experiences and God. In the end my co-worker came to church with me on Sunday and accepted Christ. She is truly seeking truth and wants to change her life and follow Christ. She later told me what drew her to talk to me was the joy I had…she could tell there was something different about me :-) PRAISE GOD for answering my prayers to set me apart & let my light shine! My nickname at work is “Happy” :-) I like that nickname! I pray that I continue to live up to that nickname. The other day I had a….Be Careful What You Pray For Moment...Reading old blog posts from 2010 I realized why God places me in challenging work environments..." I want to be more like Caleb...He didn’t follow what others thought he should do Caleb longed to see God work in power and he knew he would be less likely to rely on God if he dwelt in the easy places.” (swindoll?) Caleb didn’t ask questions like ” what do the experts say” or “what do my friends say?” He was seeking more of the question, “what would God say?” God called him a man with a different spirit and he followed him wholeheartidly (Numbers 14: 24) I want to be more like Caleb. I don’t want to always think to myself ” what will others say?” or “what do others think?” or do as I did today and believe I am not qualified. God reminded me today that he doesn’t call the qualified, but qualifies the called. I DESIRE TO SEEK THE MOUNTAINS SO THAT I CAN WITNESS GODDOING THINGS THROUGH MY LIFE THAT ONLY CAN BE EXPLAINED BY HIS MIGHTY POWER. I desire to see Him glorified." So my prayer has been answered...It is an uphill battle ;-) PRAISING God that in the midst of this “uphill battle” that He is preparing me to lean more heavily on him to find my strength, joy, and hope in Christ Alone. One thing God has been walking me threw the last few weeks is clarifying my calling in Haiti. I sat down the last few weeks & prayed over my calling to Haiti and this what God revealed to me… My Mission Statement For Haiti: Making the Invisible…Visible through Christ, Church, Community. Showing the love of Christ first through my actions then through my words. Daily being Christ’s hands & feet to those living with a disability in a country that sees them as cursed for being different. Bringing hope to the hopeless…light into the darkness…AND Joy in the midst of hardship. Making Christ love Visible and Available to ALL! All while using the gifts and talents God has gifted me with as an Occupational Therapist to help each child reach their fullest potential! SCRIPTURE THAT CLARIFIES MY CALLING…. Specifically for children with disabilities and their families in Haiti… 1. God Has Called Me To DEFEND The Rights of The Poor And Needy • “Defend the rights of the poor and needy” Prov 31:9 • “Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.” James 1:27 2.God Has Called Me To FEED THE HUNGRY especially the malnourished disabled orphans in Haiti • “If you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.” Isaiah 58:10 • “For I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you cared for me. I was in prison and you visited me. Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? And the King will tell them, ‘I assure you, when you did it to one of th least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” Matthew 25:31-40NLT 3. God has called Me To TAKE CARE OF THE SICK children (some of the sickest) • “For I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you cared for me. I was in prison and you visited me. Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? And the King will tell them, ‘I assure you, when you did it to one of th least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” Matthew 25:31-40NLT 4. God has called me to CLOTHE the Naked. • “For I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you cared for me. I was in prison and you visited me. Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? And the King will tell them, ‘I assure you, when you did it to one of th least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” Matthew 25:31-40NLT 5. God Has Called Me to COMFORT Parents Who Mourn The Loss of Their Children Who Went to Be With The Lord Before Them and At A Young Age. • “For He will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy.” Ps 72:12-13 • “The Lord comforts His people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones.” Isaiah 49:13 • “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is Near.” Phil 4:4 6. God Has Called Me to SPEAK OUT for and DEFEND the RIGHTS of those Who Can’t Themselves (The children with disabilities & The Families of these children. • “Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Prov 31:8-9 NSRV 7. God Has Called Me To Be His HANDS and FEET… • “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 MOST IMPORTANTLY GOD HAS NOT CALLED ME TO DO THIS ALONE…I am so thankful for the team of AMAZING My Favorite Quote: “"Christ has no body on earth but yours, no hands but yours, no feet but yours. Yours are the eyes through which Christ's compassion for the world is to look out; yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good; and yours are the hands with which He is to bless us now." ~Saint Teresa of Avila GOD WILL BE MY GUIDE…. • "YOU WILL SEEK ME AND FIND ME WHEN YOU SEEK ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART." JEREMIAH 29:13 GOD’S PROMISE…. • “AND LET USE NOT GROW WEARY IN DOING GOOD, FOR IN DUE SEASON WE WILL REAP, IF WE DO NOT GIVE UP.” GALATIONS 6:9 I finish up here in philadelphia the first week in February. I plan on flying into Haiti around February 28th (haven’t purchased exact ticket so date is still an estimate 1-2 days either way). I am continuing to look for churches to speak at and am currently support raising. I need to raise $2,000 a month to serve in Haiti. I currently have ~50 percent of this pledged for donations which is AMAZING. Please consider making a monthly donation towards my time in Haiti. No amount is too little $1…$5..$10…$15…$25…$50…$100…$200… a month or you can make a onetime donation as well. If you would like to donate to my ministry you can go to kimmys House website www.givingfirst.org/index.php?section=organizations&action=newDonation&fwID=27872 and in the special instruction section place “Autumn Marshall”. If you prefer mailing a donation you can send it to Kimmys House P.O. Box 151032 Lakewood, CO 80215-1032 All donations you make are tax deductable. P.S. Another piece of exciting news is that one of my co-workers Molly who is a Speech Therapist has prayed about it & feels God calling her to give up 3 months to come & serve in Haiti with me starting at of February to help set up a Speech Therapy Program & help set up feeding/swallowing plans for the severe & profound children I have been working with. This is a HUGE answer to prayers I have prayed over the past 3 years!!!! Though the past 3 months have been full of change…God has been my constant! He has been my faithful provider for all I need and I am trusting Him to continue to clear the path for my ministry in Haiti (spiritually, financially, emotionally, and physically). Thank you for all your prayers and financial support. My heart is aching for Haiti and I can’t wait to get “home” to my mission family, my kids, my staff, and my outreach families. I had a dream last night that I was back & I did not want to wake up this morning ;-) The saying there is no place like home …is so true! Autumn Marshall OTR/L Miriam Center Therapy Coordinator www.autumnsreflections.blogspot.com www.nwhcm.org www.kimmyshouse.com