passports, planes and peace

Passport...
The last few days have been a whirlwind! Friday morning at 11 am we got Lily's birth certificate...and by 1:02 pm had her passport application, photos, and Matt's "absent parent" certified affidavit expedited and off to Washington DC. Hopefully, they will have it by Monday and we will have her passport by Friday! Thank you for your continued prayers...it's all looking like it will come together.

Planes...
The missionary airline we fly from Florida to Haiti also added a second flight on February 3rd, so Lily and I are on it! We will leave this Saturday for the drive to Florida.

Matt, after trying to get home 5 different ways, found there to be no flights out of Cap-Haitien available until next Thursday, so had resigned to the idea that he would not be coming home to help us pack and get to Florida and back into Haiti, something we were both really struggling with. However, this morning someone mentioned to him that he should try getting a flight out of Port-au-Prince, and several ticket purchases and phone calls later, we've got it!

So, Matt will fly to Port-au-Prince first thing Tuesday morning (his last meeting is over on Monday at 5 pm). Then from Port to Miami, Miami to Atlanta, and Atlanta to Columbus, finally joining Lily and I again late Tuesday night. He'll have Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to help us pack, and then we'll hit the road first thing Saturday morning, driving from Columbus to Atlanta, then the next day, from Atlanta to Florida, and then Monday, drive to the airport to give them all our things by the noon deadline Monday. We'll fly back into Haiti at 6 am Tuesday morning.

WOW, what a ride it has been...and still many adventures ahead :) Life never seems to slow down, and Miss Lily has just added to the excitement!

and Peace...
Finally, we have had a lot of questions and concerns lately about returning to Haiti. When Matt and I committed to go to Haiti, it was not a commitment to a specified amount of time, not a commitment until a certain task was accomplished, nor a commitment until we came to certain changes in our lives. Individually, Matt and I both heard, felt, saw and experienced the Lord's call on our lives to go to Haiti, and both committed, individually and as a couple, to go to Haiti until the moment God called us somewhere else, not a moment earlier or a moment later. This wasn't just a one time calling, either, but a call we both continue to, even to this week, feel the Lord make on our lives.

Lily in our lives has, of course, added to some of the sacrifice AND blessing of this call. But she hasn't CHANGED the Lord's calling on our lives, and we have to, and desire to, continue to be obedient to His leading, trusting that HE will take care of this precious gift that He has given us.

We have such peace about returning to Haiti next week with our small family, and are so excited to continue to be a part of the work that we see the Lord doing in Haiti! God has shared His heart for this small country with us, and when the Lord shows you something so intimate and beautiful, you can't help but be a part of it! THANK YOU so much for your continued prayers, love and support....

We'll let you know when the paperwork is finished and when Matt has made it home!

"For I determined to know nothing except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." 1 Corinthians 2:2