#25 Take a spontaneous road trip

I finally can mark off my first accomplishment on my 101 list! #25 on my list says Take a spontaneous road trip. And that by golly is what I did. Some background for those of you who haven't known me long. I have a dear friend named Storm. We have been best friends since forever, and we never get to see each other. She lives in Murfreesboro and I live in Knoxville, and we stay crazy busy. Last week when we met in Lebanon on my way to Knoxville from home was the first time we had seen each other in over a year and a half!! Crazy! So back to the story. Yesterday afternoon Storm texted me saying her and her mom were going to the Wilson County Fair that night and if I wanted to go? It was last minute and kind of a drive (2 hours), but she thought she would ask. As I sat there reading it I began to laugh, one of my roommates asked what happened and I said I guess I am going to Wilson County!

I hopped in the shower, got ready, went to the ATM, gas station, and was on my way to the county fair! Wilson County Fair is held in Lebanon, TN which is 2 hours from Knoxville. I turned up the tunes and roadtripped it to Lebanon! I got there just a few minutes before they did to hop in the car and head to the fair. Let me just say that there are a bajillion people that go to this fair. No joke there were probably more cars in the parking fields than in my entire county back home! I had never been to a fair that large. It was just like in the movies! So much fun! We walked around and saw the animals, ate a funnel cake, saw the rides lit up at night and rode a Ferris Wheel! Best decision I have made in a while! I am so glad that I went! 

 Welcome to the Wilson County Fair!

 This mama did not like me! She tried to stab me several times

 Safari Greg's Boa!

 Excited about the Ferris Wheel!

 View from the top!

Hillary

I have been home for a few days now and still not quite adjusted to Tennessee living. It is almost like reverse culture shock. Because this was not a week long mission trip, we had to change our thinking to visitor to "We live here now". And now being back in Tennessee we have to do it all over again. As crazy as this will sound a big adjustment is air conditioner. I have turned into a wuss and get chilled easily! Who knew?! As much as I love and miss Haiti the Lord has a wonderful plan for the time here in Tennessee.

But today Haiti is not as prevalent on my mind.  Today is a very heartbreaking day. As most of you from home know, and those reading my blogs you know that I lost my beloved Gran last July. While grieving over her, I lost one of my very best friends through a freak accident. A year ago today I was checking Facebook and in my news feed I kept seeing pictures and comments that seemed odd. And after viewing her page it hit me. You see she lived in Kentucky and none of her friends new me. I called our roommate who had just been told as well. Our beloved Hillary  had been hit by a train while making a delivery for work. At this crossing there were no crossing bars to keep you from crossing and letting you know about a train. And the train hit her truck and she died instantly.

The summer of 2009 I had the most amazing opportunity to live in Vail, Colorado as a summer missionary with CRU (formerly Campus Crusades for Christ). Here 40 college kids from across the country came and lived together for 2.5 months serving the Lord and living in community. Molly, Grace, Hillary, and I were roommates, and I have never been around greater women then them. They are beautiful and strong women of God, and were all unique but we fit together so well. We became best friends from that summer, and stay in touch often. We spent hours talking, encouraging, playing and praying together. 

 First roomie picture the 2nd night in Vail

 Hillary, Me, Molly, Grace

Hillary was a great encourager. We would spend hours just us hanging in our apartment, talking about life and watching movies. Almost always August Rush. We both have a great love for the military and would talk a lot about our families and her boyfriend Nick who is in the military. She was extremely wise and knew how to use it. She was so loving and hilarious! Her laughter was contagious and so true. Most of all she loved her Almighty and strived to follow him. 

 Hill and I at my birthday party they through

 If any picture could describe us this would be it

This was a very hard time in my life, but the Lord is the ultimate comforter and through Him I can now celebrate this beautiful life. His plan is sovereign, and even if I may never know the plan for Hillary's life and death, she impacted mine more than she probably realized.  

 Love these women

 LumberJack/LumberJill banquet

 We had so much fun dressing up

I miss her so much it hurts. I think about her constantly, and a day never goes by that she is not on my mind. Prayers go up to her family and Nick everyday as they continue to find comfort. I know with out a shadow of doubt that we will see each other again, and run to a everlasting embrace and sing for the Lord hand in hand through eternity.

 One of my favorites. We are on top of Vail Mountain at sunset

Hillary Morgan Hadley

January 17, 1989-August 11, 2010

May your body rest in peace and your soul sing for the Lord

Hill  not only left this world early but left us a day early in Vail to attend a wedding, and before she got in the van to leave we huddled one last time to pray and love on each other and someone captured this amazing moment. The last time we would all be together.

Because she left a day early she missed the final banquet. And we were all surprised they she made a video with our tech guy for us that was a goodbye to us. Who knew how important this would be. 

View it here

oh just changing the world...what are you doing?

Chadasha's Magnificent World Changing Interns 5. This is what the wonderful Dr. Jenny Chapman referred to us as. As I sit in the floor of a room full of sleeping interns on the eve of my departure from the land I love, I am reflecting on my time here in Haiti. Magnificent and World Changing are some really big words. Have I really been magnificent? Can I really change the world? The answer is no. I am not and I can't. But the Lord can. And He can use me to be the temple in which His spirit comes and changes the world, even if it is one orphan at a time. The past 33 days have been a whirlwind and I have often thought about what is it I am going to say when I get back to the states when people ask "How was your trip?" "What did you do?" "Do you wanna go back?" etc. How can I even put into words what has happened here? And the joy that encompasses my heart to want to come back and never leave? The easy answers are "Great", "Held babies", and "YES!". But is that really what has happened here? Can I really bring all of what this is to a simple phrase? This has been a life altering trip, and one that will continue to bless and teach me in the upcoming days. To some when I say I loved on some children and held some babies will be giddy at the thought of little babies, and most will not understand how going to a war zoned, disease ridden, third world country to play with kids really did anything for the human race and the Kingdom. But it was so much more.To each child that I held, kissed, played with, I was showing the Love of Christ and made a difference in that one's life. Like the infamous seashell story that we interns have referred to a lot these past few weeks. When you look at the big picture you can get slightly overwhelmed (I sure did), but by taking what is in front of you and looking at them as your purpose, you can know you made in a difference that one's life.

I never knew I could love someone as much as I love the people and the children I have encountered while living here. My heart skips a beat every time I stand outside the gate of the orphanage waiting to go inside, and then overflowing with love and peace as I see the (now) smiling faces of children that I know their names! It hit me like a ton of bricks when I noticed that the kids at the orphanage and the children's home knew my name without asking. And would yell for me, just say my name because they could, and tell me they love me. With so many people here and there I never even expected that to happen. And it isn't like we said our name to them every time we came. But they knew it none the less. And my cup began to overflow. These were blessings the Lord was giving me for the sacrifice. But by all means I am not saying this trip was all warm fuzzies the whole time. There were plenty of ups and downs, and at some points more downs than ups. 

One of my favorite quotes from the trip was "Opposition just means you are going in the right direction". And this is so true. You have to be doing a whole lot of good for the devil to make a whole lot of bad to get things off track. Ministry is not easy. As much as we would like to think so because the Lord is on our side the devil fights even harder to mess things up. While we are here the interns have been reading Radical by David Platt, and in a part of it it talks about that Jesus was hated, and persecuted throughout his entire ministry. Why should be expect to have a smooth sailing life if we are supposed to be like Him? We shouldn't. We should know that the evil will come and we will prevail over all through the Almighty Father.

One of the hardest things I am dealing with is going back to the states. Leaving the children was terrible today, and this beautiful country just breaks my heart. But actually going back to America is where all the problems start. I don't want to. I get angry and sad all at once when I think about the billions of dollars spent on nothingness when the world is hungry and the millions of Christians that are sitting there. In Haiti there is no lukewarm Christians, and that is a beautiful sight. But I know and am reminded daily of the purpose and plan that the Lord has for my time in the states. I know that I will be in Haiti again, and see these children again. But right now starting at 5:50pm when I land in Miami, there is some extravagant and beautiful plan the Lord has for my time Camden, Knoxville, UT or wherever I may be. I am excited to see how He will use me and how He will teach me.

Orevwa Ayiti, mwen manke ou deja, men Etazini yo bezwen m 'konnen epi mwen pral wè nou ankò.