Living Water

Hi friends!

"...But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
John 4:14

First off, so sorry for the delay in any updates. The last few months have been a little crazy! I am getting married at the end of April (ahhhhh!) and we are so excited and expectant of the way the Lord will move through our marriage! Since I am getting married, my mission life will look a little different. Aaron and I both have a passion and calling to missions and look forward to one day serving on the mission field together. So, until that calling comes, I will be making multiple trips throughout the year to Haiti, continuing to build our relationships, facilitate our blood pressure clinics, childrens' program and sponsorship program. I will also be working with my church on our mission trips and outreaches. There is a lot of work to be done on this side as well as on the ground in Haiti and other countries. 

Our team was able to travel to Haiti in January to facilitate our blood pressure clinics, visit our sponsorship children, and strategize for our summer team. We hosted a Christmas party for the area kids at Ecole Communautaire 2eme Plaine, the school we are campaigning to rebuild. The kids had so much fun! We told the story of Jesus’ birth, made Christmas cookies complete with sprinkles, and made jingle bell rings! We also painted a star on each child’s face as a reminder of the star that guided to wisemen to the birth place of Jesus. Of course we also had to sing and dance! We are seeing the seeds planted in these children's hearts and are praying for Jesus to water them! 

We were also able to hold a special party for just our sponsor children and their parents. We have a school partner who created a "JOY BOX" for each student. Every girl received a Barbie doll and each boy a soccer ball! You should have seen their faces light up! Even our most serious of kids had the biggest smiles! One little girl just kept saying “Look! Look! Look!” in the sweetest little voice. With donations, we were able to purchase more than enough rice, beans, oil, maggi (a spice commonly used,similar to bouillon cubes), and butter for each family. The parents were so grateful for this gift! We were also able to do a health check for each child and provide any medical attention necessary.

Mr. Wilson, the principal of the school, reported that all the children are working hard and enjoying school. They all have such big dreams to become doctors, nurses, and teachers. You can tell they are so happy at school and have a desire to learn.

If you have seen any media on Haiti that last few months, you have seen the turmoil that has been rising for quite some time. This is due to political and economic instability and has resulted in protests and riots, that sometimes turn violent. The value of their currency has greatly decreased and there is a shortage of fuel and water across the nation. People are literally and figuratively thirsty. They are thirsty for  justice, fairness, and hope. They are some of the strongest and most resilient people we have the honor to know and love. The status of the country was moved to a Level 4 "Do Not Travel" Advisory. We have work we need to continue and it breaks our hearts at the thought of delaying any of our programs/trips. We are praying for  wisdom and guidance this year as these tensions are bringing new things for us to consider and work around. We are praying the Lord’s will in every situation and for His love to shine bright on this beautiful country.

Michelle, Katie and I were able to experience the natural beauty of this country firsthand by scouting out  Bassin Bleu. A natural waterfall basin in the middle of Jacmel, Haiti. The water was the bluest I have ever seen! We took a moment to imprint that picture in our minds as a reminder that the Living Water is in Haiti and He is at work, despite what the enemy wants us to believe. 

Join us in praying for the people of Haiti, the government and our missionary brothers & sisters. 

 

JOIN MY JOURNEY:
I'd love to share more with you! Message me and let's get coffee!
Stay updated with our organization by visiting the Voices of Hope website, http://voicesofhopehaiti.org I will be returning to Haiti in June.

Even though my time in Haiti looks different this year, I would still love to have you partner with me in prayer and/or financially. In Haiti, we are facilitating medical clinics, building projects,children's programs, and a child sponsorship program.

To partner with me financially go to https://www.voicesofhopehaiti.org/take-action/ . One time donations & monthly partnerships are available! Thank you for your support!

October Recap

I have really been enjoying all the fall weather the last few weeks:  pumpkin everything, fall leaves, the smell of spices, and cozy sweaters. And just this week, even snow- before Thanksgiving! That is not the norm here in Tulsa, OK. I often think about all our kids in Haiti and imagine what it would be like for Woodson, or Vanicka to experience snow! That would be a site to see! In January, maybe we will have a fake snowball fight!

The month of October flew by! Here was our to do list for the month:

• Blood Pressure Clinic in Petit Goave & Carrefour

• Facilitate a 3 week class on sexual health & Godly dating/healthy relationships

• House visits for our 10 sponsorship children

• Meet with Mr. Wilson, our partner school's principal & get some new benches made for the students

While we were definitely able to cross all those things off our list, one of our favorite things we did- which wasn't exactly planned was hosting an after school tutoring session or "lesson" as the kids called it. We had anywhere from 10-2o kids who would show up at our house to work on their homework, or get extra math practice (we struggled a bit helping with their French homework! haha). We were also able to use that time to tell them stories from the bible. 

We have a Creole children's storybook bible, complete with illustrations, given to us by one of our interpreters over the summer! Shoutout to Emile! I would read the story, as best as I could...often pausing to say "ou konprann?" (you understand?), and the kids would surprisingly say "Wi!" (yes!). Katie and I would ask questions about the story and we would often do a craft or activity with whatever items we found. At the end of the day the students would almost argue over who got to pray to dismiss us for the day. The funny thing was- even though we would choose one student, multiple would end up praying out loud! Powerful! 

There are so many stories to tell from October-How we cared for multiple wounds of children & adults, figured out how to make cookies, saw improvements in blood pressures, built relationships, held a children's program without a translator and I even learned to tolerate running!

But overall, I hope the time we spent with those kids every day planted seeds. The story of the prodigal son and how much love our Father has for us; David & Goliath (this was a favorite!)- courage and strength, our attention to every math problem they completed. I pray that we are creating a locale for them and planting seeds of discipleship in the children of Petit Goave. 

JOIN MY JOURNEY:
I'd love to share more with you! Message me and let's get coffee!
Stay updated with our organization by visiting the Voices of Hope website. We will be returning to Haiti in January.

Partner with me in prayer and/or financially. In Haiti, we are facilitating medical clinics, building projects,children's programs, and a child sponsorship program for an organization called Voices of Hope. Check out http://voicesofhopehaiti.org for more info!

I would love to talk to you about how you can partner with me specifically on this journey. To partner with me financially go to https://www.voicesofhopehaiti.org/take-action/ . One time donations & monthly partnerships are available! Thank you for your support!

Lessons Learned

Today is September 14th. I have been back in the states a little over a month and I leave again in just over 2 weeks. Time is such a funny thing. It goes so slow and seems never ending, but then it goes so fast and is gone before you know it.

Every day in Haiti brought a new element of time. While in America, I am typically ruled by a schedule (by my own choice). I spend days running from this place to that place, fitting in every last aspect of our culture & community. But in Haiti, watches are just for show and wall clocks are not even a thing! The relaxed schedule was definitely something I had to adjust to and it was one of the hardest things! It literally drained me not having something planned every day.

But in those still moments I learned some of the sweetest lessons. In June I made a post on instagram and part of it said “Trying to keep Jesus at the center, balancing tasks vs. people…” I had a really hard time toward the beginning of the summer. I had some family stuff going on (who doesn’t), and because of my “I can fix it!” personality- it hurt my heart not being physically present with them, adjusting to daily inconveniences seemed to compound, and then I came down with some virus that left me with a fever for a week straight (for someone who is never sick, that was not easy). But God brought me to a place where I had to completely rely on him for strength, resilience, purpose, and joy.

Three Lessons:

1. Grace and Patience are hard and necessary for us to give to others but also ourselves. No one will ever fulfill you, everyone will let you down at some point, you won’t always get it right. Shocking, right? Why are the lessons that seem so easy & obvious hit your head & heart in the most extreme environments?

2. Above everything else, the most important thing to the Lord, more important than the number of services you hold, patients you have at your clinic, salvation prayers you pray, the number of kids at your camp….the Lord desires our heart. He pursues us endlessly and always, without question or judgement, without a checklist. I learned that on a new level this summer. It truly was not about what I could accomplish.

3. He makes us capable. I thought I was capable, because I have these gifts and abilities and things that I excel in….I think part of me forgot where those things came from. So when I got to Haiti and it was a lot harder than expected- in part because I was relying on myself to carry things out. BIG MISTAKE!

Right now I am trying to learn how to be present here, but also be proactive in the Lord’s plan and purpose for our team in Haiti. Join me in prayer that our heart’s would seek God’s will and continue pursue His kingdom!

JOIN MY JOURNEY:

I'd love to share even more details in person- Let's meet up for coffee, or a bite! 
I will be returning to Haiti in October.

Partner with me in prayer and/or financially. In Haiti, we are facilitating medical clinics, building projects,children's programs, and a child sponsorship program for an organization called Voices of Hope. Check out http://voicesofhopehaiti.org for more info!

I would love to talk to you about how you can partner with me specifically on this journey. To partner with me financially go to https://www.voicesofhopehaiti.org/take-action/ . One time donations & monthly partnerships are available! Thank you for your support!

Who Knew?!

On May 22nd, I set out on a journey that you can only feel so prepared for. While there is no way to put into words all the things the Lord showed us, I want you to hear my heart and know the struggles & victories! Thank you for all your support and prayers- believe me, they were felt across the ocean! There's also no way I can put it all in one update, so I will be adding more over the next few weeks.

To start I would like to share- 
THINGS I KNEW vs THINGS I DIDN'T KNOW

I would also like to add- even though you are called to do something, that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Even if you know you’ve been equipped, you are being led by the Spirit, & constantly pray about the things you are doing- It is not a walk in the park!

•I knew the language would be a barrier, but I didn’t know how helpless I would feel to deliver the gospel. 
•I knew I would miss my people, but I didn’t know I would tear up at the thought of not being home for a holiday when making our schedule. 
•I knew I would have emotional days, but I didn’t know how much everyday can be an emotional rollercoaster. 
•I knew there would be less comforts of home, but I didn’t know I would have random cravings (queso- obviously, but BLT & Hot pockets? I don’t even eat those on the reg.)
•I knew there would be bugs, but I didn’t know I’d feel threatened by them daily, or wake up with them crawling on me! Don't worry, Katie and I became professional exterminators. 
•I knew I’d miss Aaron, but I didn’t how much I would miss all the little things or how much I would be so ready to see him. 
•I knew the cultural pace was slower, but I didn’t know how much it would drain me to not have daily tasks. 
•I knew I’d probably get sick, but I didn’t know I’d catch a virus Chikungunya (maybe that's what it was, maybe not)...aka Chicken munga to my ears, that would give me a fever every night for a week leaving me sweating through ALL my clothes as it broke. 
•I knew I’d build relationships, but I didn’t know others would feel the same about me as I did them. Having people in the community yelling your name "Lendi", from down the road is the sweetest sound. 
•I knew I would battle the feeling of lack of community, but I didn’t know how much I would grow in solitude, or how much you can still have community with a language barrier. 
•I knew we’d see medical patients, but I didn’t know how much joy I would get from taking care of a little boys foot week after week. And then getting to carry him home! 

Mostly, I knew the Lord would work on my heart, but I didn't know how much I had to learn on a deeper level. 

I can't wait to share with you the funny moments, scary moments, and the spirit-filled moments!

JOIN MY JOURNEY:

I'd love to share even more details in person- Let's meet up for coffee, or a bite! 
I will be returning to Haiti in October.

Partner with me in prayer and/or financially. In Haiti, we are facilitating medical clinics, building projects,children's programs, and a child sponsorship program for an organization called Voices of Hope. Check out http://voicesofhopehaiti.org for more info!

I would love to talk to you about how you can partner with me specifically on this journey. To partner with me financially go to https://www.voicesofhopehaiti.org/take-action/ . One time donations & monthly partnerships are available! Thank you for your support!

BEING LOCAL.

The countdown has officially begun! In less than 3 months I will be headed to Haiti! 

But Locale Ministries is all about living on mission right where you are. Although I am called to go to Haiti in the next season of life, I am not there yet! The last few months I have had so many opportunities partnering with people around me to BE LOCAL right here in Tulsa, OK. 

I have so many inspiring people in my life and my friend Bethany is no exception! She is an ambassador for KINDNESS and seeks to spread it wherever she goes. Recently she launched a campaign to get every kindergartner in her school a new pair of shoes. Quickly the word spread and it was evident this campaign was going to turn into something much much bigger than we could have dreamed! In just a few days she raised nearly $20,000 with the help and generosity of a radio host (Bobby Bones...we appreciate youuuuuu), friends, and complete strangers! She not only was able to give kindergartners new shoes, but she was able to give every student in her elementary new shoes for Christmas! She has enough money leftover to fund 2 more schools in Tulsa with shoes!  I was blessed with the opportunity to help her handout the shoes to the students at her school. It was amazing to see their excitement when they got to put those new kicks on their feet!

Her dream all started because she saw a need. She saw her students coming to school in shoes that had to be duct taped together just to stay on. Bethany has strived to create the locale for the kiddos she sees day in and day out.

What can we learn from this story of action and generosity? Do not be afraid to dream big dreams. Do not think you, as one person, are not enough to fulfill something bigger. You never know what or who hangs in the balance of your decision to act. 

Find Bethany on instagram to see how she strives to be local.
https://www.instagram.com/wordsofhallelujah/

JOIN MY JOURNEY:

Partner with me in prayer and/or financially. In Haiti, I will be facilitating medical clinics, building projects,children's programs, and a child sponsorship program for an organization called Voices of Hope. Check out http://voicesofhopehaiti.org for more info!

I would love to talk to you about how you can partner with me specifically on this journey. To partner with me financially go to https://www.voicesofhopehaiti.org/take-action/ . One time donations & monthly partnerships are available! Thank you for your support!

"Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire."

Let me start by saying that being in full blown pursuit of what Jesus is calling you to do is terrifying. Undeniably, without question- just scary. So, welcome to a front row seat to my pursuit of things that are too big for me to accomplish alone, things that are not in my control, things that are chaotic, and radical, but at the same time- things that are incredibly beautiful & perfectly timed. 

Since I was a little girl I dreamed of far off places and people I had never met. As a grew older I thrived in community and developed a passion for people. My love for Jesus grew and I started seeing natural talents and gifts He has given me. Little did I know that all those things would manifest into the grandest adventure- a life pursuing Christ and all that He has planned for me.  In May, I am excited to start the next chapter of this pursuit in Haiti as a full-time missionary. Stay tuned for all the crazy ups and downs of following Jesus while being local and creating the locale!  

Join my journey by partnering with me in prayer and/or financially. I will be facilitating medical clinics, children's programs, outreaches, and a child sponsorship program for an organization called Voices of Hope. Check out http://voicesofhopehaiti.org for more info!

I would love to talk to you about how you can partner with me specifically on this journey. To partner with me financially go to https://www.voicesofhopehaiti.org/take-action/ . Thank you for your support!