Sunday was amazing at church. The message series at church right now is REVERB. We're talking about how everything we do has a ripple effect. This past Sunday Jonathan talked about things that our church is doing in Africa and Haiti. You can check it all out on his blog
www.jonathanbow.com please check it out, I really think you would enjoy the videos on his past couple blogs, especially the one on November 5. During this particular video I felt as though I couldn't breathe while it was playing in the service, just the images(a group from Crosspointe had gone to Haiti and Africa and that where these images came from). There is a particular image on the video of a little boy laying on a mat with flies all over him. During the service we learned that this little boy the group had come upon one day and he looked about 3. He was all alone with no one around and he wasn't moving. They went up to him and tried to wake him up but he wouldn't wake up, he was breathing but just not waking up. In one of the other videos a woman from the church talked about this experience and how Jonathan walked up to the little boy laying there and layed his hand on his shoulder and said we have to pray for this little boy. So the group gathered around this little boy and prayed for him. For his life, his future.
I remember noticing people leaving during the video and thinking that I wanted to yell at them to sit down, open your eyes. These people on the screen, Jesus loves as much as he loves us and they are hurting and starving and thirsty! We are rich beyond measure and even if we think we are struggling, in comparison, we are rich! They are not only thirsty in the physical sense but also in the spiritual and we can make a difference. Hadn't they heard what Jonathan was telling us, that we could reverb out. There was an opportunity to sponsor a child through a couple of organizations that our church supports and works alongside. One is an orphanage in Africa and one is an orphanage in Haiti. As some of you might know I've had a heart for Africa for years so I thought that my first instinct would be to choose to sponsor a child in Africa but for some reason it wasn't. I felt lead to sponsor one in Haiti. Sitting watching the video I prayed that Stephen would feel lead also. He was and also said Haiti. When we got to the table after the service their were already a lot of people waiting in line. I remember looking at the table and seeing one little girl that was so cute and it said her favorite subject in school was art. I was waiting to get close enough to table so I could get her but she was taken by the time I got close enough. There was only one girl left when I got to the table. Her name was Bethylene, but she goes by Tina. She is new to the orphanage and has never attended school or heard about Jesus. The thing that struck me most of all was the blurb at the bottom of her sheet that said "Most of all, she loves to be hugged and loved on". I remember reading that to Stephen when we left church and I told him about the little girl I wanted to to choose but was already taken. I told him I knew that God had left Tina for us for some reason! There are also opportunities for us to take missions trips with the church to Haiti and we can meet Tina. What an amazing opportunity that would be. To meet this little girl and get to know her and learn about her. I am so excited about the possibilies! If you would like to see or learn more about Tina you can check her out at
www.haitianchildrenshome.org. Please pray for Tina and the other children that God will touch her life(and theirs) in a huge way now that she is at the Children's Home.
Ever since I found out that I was pregnant with Isaac, one year ago on November 6. I knew that I wanted him to have a heart for people in other countries. So one of the most exciting things about this past Sunday is that now we can teach him about Tina. Her life, what is means to be helping her and to teach him about Haiti and the difficulties that these people face daily. I just pray that God gives him a compassionate heart for His people, for all His people!
On another note related to Isaac and his laughing, smiling self. Today everytime he was on his tummy he's been rolling over! What an amazing gift to watch him grow! I am truly blessed!!!
Isaac and his daddy watching the parade before his morning nap!
