When I awoke this morning, I had no idea what kind of impact the first day of the new year would bring.
The day began just like yesterday did. The guys worked around Jim and Debbie's and we ladies went back over to Dorothy's.
Dorothy wanted a plan today, so we decided it would be a good day to do a movie with the kids after lunch. Allyson, Cassie, and Amanda went straight outside with the bigger kids while Amy and I stayed in with the babies. It was soon time for lunch and then we did as planned and brought them in for a movie. A "Wallace & Grommit" movie was chosen by one of the kids. I had never seen one of these movies before but both my girls had loved them, as they used to watch them in school. It was quite entertaining! Some of the smaller kids lost interest after a little bit and began coloring and combing our hair and just anything but sitting and watching the movie. The bigger kids were glued to it, though. I know they understand a bit of English even though they don't speak it, but I wondered how much of the movie they understood.
After the movie we left to go back to Jim and Debbie's. Back at the house we got a nap and then had dinner and played some games. Allyson and I had mentioned to Jim, Debbie, and Donna that we would like to schedule some time to talk to them and after dinner had been mentioned; however, between things needing to be done time got away from us. Donna, Allyson, and I were playing Rummikub when they asked us about talking. It was getting late and we said we could wait until tomorrow. But, here is where my day turned around . . . somehow our conversation with Donna over the game turned serious and the talk begin without us really meaning for it to. Shortly Jim came out and said he and Debbie could talk if we wanted, and so they did. There had not been any real God moments for me today until this talk . . .
They all had some really good advice and brought up a lot of things we needed to think about. There were also a lot of tears. This evening was one of the most emotionally and spiritually challenging days of the week for me - if not THE most. Here's what I wrote in my journal that night (without talking to Allyson):
This is what I came away from our talk with:
1) Allyson definitely feels a calling to go to Haiti, but she's in limbo as to where God wants her to work specifically. Everyone agreed that is a tough place to be.
2) Jim advised to not sit and wait but to take the next step forward. While taking that next step, continue praying for clarity. Some of the next steps I gleaned are:
a) Begin learning the language
b) Contact Amber, another 22 yr old missionary who just finished a year in Haiti. She is from Virginia and has a dream to open a trade school in the ravine section of town. (side note: On Wednesday, Jim showed us the building she hopes to purchase)
c) We need to begin making a list of expenses Allyson will have while living in Haiti; i.e. rent, food, supplies, hiring Hatian help, travel expenses, etc. so that we can come up with the total amount of support Allyson will need to raise in order to live in Haiti for a year.
I wondered even at that moment, if Jim giving Allyson Amber's name was God's way of getting them together to work together. Amber needs some organizational and administrative help and Allyson is good a that. I then thought that I'd mention to her (though I never did) that if that all worked out maybe they could also organize a day care for the people that came and that would provide Allyson a way to minister to the children also! I went to bed emotionally exhausted, yet very proud of my baby girl! I cried myself to sleep.
Now that we've been home a week, I feel very strongly that I am to be Allyson's "CEO" if you will. Help her in learning the language so that she has someone to "use" it with, help her with fund raising when the time comes, etc. etc. I haven't mentioned this to her yet either - she'll probably read it here before I get the chance. So, Allyson if you are hearing this for the first time from reading this - is that OK with you?
Now, remember how I said above that I wrote down those things that very night (without talking to Allyson) and the idea of a day care crossed my mind (but I never verbalized it)? Well, I want you to read Allyson's blog about this very same conversation and what she took away from it. (And she puts it into words much better than I ever could) . . .
http://livinghisdesign.blogspot.com/2013/01/escaping-limbo-im-moving-to-haiti.html
Did we come away with the same exact things? And what about the conversation with Amber and the day care center part? For BOTH of us to come out of that conversation - without talking to each other about it - with the same exact things, if that is not God confirming what our next forward steps are, then I don't know what is. I, also, had been telling people that I felt like it might take us a year to do what we needed to do before she actually moved - and then Allyson is saying the same thing as well. This may not seem like a big thing to you, but it is HUGE to me. Allyson and I don't always see things the same way, but on this we are on the exact same page. I love you Allyson Hemric!! And I am SO VERY proud of you!!
Now to a confession and another step - that I need to do. It's been very difficult to relay what happened in Haiti to Randy. I actually haven't tried very hard, as I really am still processing it all myself. Part of that processing is re-living the days again through these posts. As soon as I am finished processing it all - in the next few days - I need to be sure Randy is on board with this because Allyson is going to need us both behind her 110%!! I have no doubt he will be on board, it is just so difficult to relay exactly what one experiences on a trip like this, and I so want to share it. I'm really looking forward to what this year has in store for us, and because I know there is a lot to consider and to do, I'm trying to simplify my life. I quit the Duke Chorus. After this year of Baptist Singers (which ends in May) I am not going to participate in that any longer either. Helping Allyson is going to be a BIG focus for me this year, and I can't wait to get started!!
No comments:
Post a Comment