Flip Flop Fleet

There is this thing in my life that I have kept largely to myself. I have talked about it a  lot with some of you, and a little with many of you, but it has definitely never made it to blogworld, and I have kept a lot of how I feel inside.

However, in light of the hurricanes and the rising prices of food, I know it is the right time to share. 

About 18 months ago Dan and I found a little boy on Three Angels Orphanage website named Joslin. He looked just like Gabe, only he is black. We prayed over him, for him and for us, and decided that when we were stable (thinking last January) we would start the process of adopting him. A year ago, almost to the day, I found out that a couple who has not been able to have children had committed to adopting him. As absurd as this will sound to some of you, I felt like I lost a child. I had prayed for and loved this boy deeply, staring at a photo of him and wondering what he was like. Reading that he was shy, sucked his thumb, and took time to warm up. He sounded so much like Gabe, I knew that we were the perfect family for him.

As much as I mourned the loss of this sweet boy never being a part of my family, I celebrated the fact that he did have a family and that he would come home to loving, Christian parents. 

But my journey with Haiti had only just begun. From this distance, the Lord has put Haiti on my heart at a deep and piercing level. Some of you have come along with me, reading blogs of missionaries to Haiti. 

So today, I am going to introduce 3 worthy causes to you, and you can decide to take a part or not. Please, though, whatever you do, pray for this country that has been torn apart, literally, by hurricanes, after being a poverty stricken place to begin with. And pray for Joslin--now Justin--to come home, soon. His parents are praying for him to come home this month. It's not likely humanly speaking, but it is quite possible with God.

Follow these links--then hit the donate button on the top right of my blog. Let me know what your donation is for, and I will be sure to get it to the right place in a timely fashion. Because my church in Valencia is involved with Haiti, I have a few contacts and can get donations to people I trust in a timely fashion.

Flip Flop Fleet--sending sandals to Haiti so that parents never have to choose between feeding their children and getting them shoes. I want to send 50 pairs by next month. I can buy them at Old Navy for $.99 per pair (!!!) and the shipping to a team headed to Haiti will be free. Let's do this one right away, guys!

The Livesays in Haiti -- an incredible family from MN serving in Haiti. They are awesome. You should read their blog anyways.

Joslin/Justin's Orphanage, through his parent's idea   which is to eat Rice and Beans (all the children eat on a regular basis, a staple in Haiti) as one meal a week and donate the rest of the money from that meal to the O. The cost and inavailability for food in Haiti is more than we can fathom. Really. Right at this moment, the O is okay, but very soon that will change as their stores run out, money is tight, and food is just not available to be purchased. 

Okay, we will see how this goes. I will blog at least once per week on Haiti, including the journey God is taking me on as He has opened my eyes to this nation that is only a 90 minute plane ride from Florida, as well as to adoption.