Randomness: We're still here

Whoa...it's been a busy couple of weeks!  I've been working at a new job.  We had a really awesome weekend in Calgary with our church.  Then, I came down with a wicked flu, which I'm still fighting off.

So here's where we're at.  Our online auction seems to be wrapping up.  It appears next week may be the last week.  We have a few more generously donated items.  I feel as though the auction is just naturally winding down.  So, we'll accept it and leave it at that.

In the meantime, Lacey and I have been busy making our preparations for the trip.  Lacey received a crazy amount of immunizations on Wednesday.  Ouch, ouch and ouch!  She's a trooper, though and got through all
of them.  I'm up next on April 12th.  Yay.

Both of us have a tonne of physical donations to take with us to Rwanda and Kenya.  I want to say thank you to some special Angels who made that happen for me.

We're constantly going through experiences of faith, which is amazing.  We've had a few emotional moments and have been working hard to battle against the negative spirits that are trying to shift our focus from doing His work.  Please remember to keep us in prayer.

Little Akida and his mom Valerie

Lacey is still accepting cash donations for her immunizations, visas, etc.  I'm still raising funds for Home of Hope and, by now, you know how you can donate for that if you so choose.  Please just keep us all in prayer.  Remember our families, too.  They are sacrificing a lot for us so that we can go do God's work in Africa.  Please also pray for the other donors like you.  We want to make you proud and be an extension of your hands in Africa.

Thank you so much for reading our story and for all of your help and prayers!

Love,
Michelle

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

Since we began this blog, I have striven to keep it a positive place.  Whatever goes on behind the scenes has never made it's way on the screen.  Today, though, I can't help but be honest and bring up what has been on my mind.

One of my main struggles has always been trust.  I'm terrible at it.  I have two extremes: either I trust too easily (this happens with people) or I try to trust and end up taking my concerns back for myself (this happens with God).  So here I am, facing my trust issues again.  Oh, and then there is fear.  I'm not afraid of things you can see, the obvious like flying across an ocean, possibly getting a mosquito-born illness or being in a foreign country far from my family.  Nope.  Not afraid of those things.  I'm actually excited at the prospect...well, ok, not the mosquito-born illness; but, I digress.  I am afraid I may not have the funds to be able to go to Africa. There, I said it.

I've had numerous conversations with my husband, my friends, and pastors.  I've been prayed over, prayed for and given a stern talking-to.  Problem is, that doggone fear keeps rearing it's ugly head and I'm not doing my due diligence to trust the Father to take care of it all.  In theory, it should be easy, right?  Take a look at the old "fall back and your friends will catch you" exercise.  It sounds so simple.  Just give it all up to God.  I'm really trying and it's really hard.

I keep feeling down.  I'm working really hard with the blog, organizing the online auction, contacting churches, service groups, and media.  Yet, here I am worrying like crazy that I'm not going to reach my fundraising goal and be able to go to Rwanda and Kenya.  I'm in a unique situation, trying to establish my practice here in a new town (we moved to Lethbridge from Medicine Hat in October). My husband works a couple of jobs with crazy schedules.  It's not conducive to me finding work, though I have tried and tried.  Folks have told me to be patient, that it will come.  (Yup, you guessed it!  I also have difficulty with patience.  Oy!)

Don't get me wrong, we have been so blessed!  The support of my church family has been awesome!  I feel so indebted to those who have donated in my stead already and, of course, to our auction sponsors. I'm also so grateful for those in the media who have wanted to share our story.  The fact is, we all have those down days.  This is one of mine.

I'm thankful that I've been blessed to even know about what Home of Hope is doing in Africa.  I'm thankful that I have been able to share the plight of the widows and children there with more people.  Even if I can't go there to touch them personally,  I have to be thankful that maybe, just maybe I was able to make a difference by sharing their story and praying for them.

I don't exactly know how to close this post.  It's not the greatest piece of literature you will ever read, but it's from my heart.  I had to be honest.  Please continue to pray for us and donate if you can.  Most of all, please share the story of the women and children of Home of Hope.

Thank you and God bless you!
Michelle

Giving Thanks, Looking Forward

Poster designed by Sydne Maisonville, age 9.

It's been a whole week since we've posted on the blog and what a week it was!  Thursday, January 17th started out with Lacey and I on the morning show with Charles Sciortino on 98.1 CKVN.  Thank you so much to Charles and the staff at CKVN for welcoming us into the studio and helping us to share our story with Lethbridge!

After my family and I left the station, we were en route to Great Falls, Montana, USA, where I am originally from, for a memorial service for one of my old friends.  It was a bittersweet day.  While I know it may seem to have little to do with our mission here for Home of Hope, I wanted to share a little bit of my experience here as it really impacted me.

I had heard about my friend's passing on Friday, January 11th.  It was the birthday of my former Sunday School teacher, who had also passed, and I had been taking the day to remember her.  The news of my friend's death threw me for a loop and I immediately sank into overwhelming grief.  I began looking back at all of the memories I had of him.  The more I thought, the more I cried and at one point, I almost felt as though the part of my life that included him was also gone.  It was very painful and I spent the next several days trying to work through my grief and focus on our planning for our mission trip.

When my husband and I arrived at the chapel for my friend's celebration of life, we did not expect a Christian service.  My friend was an amazingly eclectic person, but not one that I had remembered subscribing to one religion.  We were pleasantly surprised when his cousin, who led the service, began to speak.  He was a Christian and related to the Lord many times in his speech.  It was a comfort to our hearts.

Here is where I began to see the correlation between my friend's passing, or rather his life, and our work with Home of Hope. My friend had a big heart.  He saw no race, no gender, no life circumstances.  He did not seek out the richest, the most beautiful, or the most perfect people.  He loved genuinely and with his whole heart.  He looked not at the outside, but to the soul.

My friend's cousin so gently pointed out that there was once another man on this earth who did the same.  A man who sat with prostitutes, visited the homes of the tax collectors, and beckoned even the smallest of the small to come unto Him.  He is our Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.

No, I do not compare Jesus to a mortal man; rather, I see how we as Christians can embody His goodness. How we should strive to take on His character more everyday.

I lost a friend; but, I gained the Godly eye salve to see what I could be...what we all can be.  God has used this experience to change my heart, to open it and to let His love radiate through me.  I do not need to look back with sorrow, but rather look forward with joy in knowing that God can use me and you to share His love with the world.  It doesn't have to be a large production.  It doesn't have to be difficult.  All our Lord is asking is for us to open our hearts to those in need.  They could be our neighbors or they could be worlds away in Africa.  It all begins with a smile, a cup of coffee, or a listening ear.

Thank you again for your support of our journey.  God bless you all!

Love,
Michelle