my haitian son

My mission trip photo's are up! The picture here is one of my very favorite. I am standing with Simon. Last year, Simon and I bonded. It was hard to wait a whole year to see him again. However, I am sure the year seemed much longer to him. He knew I was coming and was expecting me. As soon as I got off the bus, he was standing there waiting with a huge smile and a big hug. I absolutely love that boy.

I came across a quote in a magazine (Real Simple-my favorite!), that made me immediately think of Simon. It reads, "A gift is pure when it is given from the heart to the right person at the right time and at the right place, and when we expect nothing in return."

The last day was hard, knowing it could be another year before we would see one another. We hugged and I cried, then Simon presented me with a gift. It was two carved wooden figures of a man and woman. He gave them to me and said, "This is for you, my mamma. I have one mamma here and you are my mamma too." As poor as they are, he gave away what he had.

Simon's gift was truly given from his heart, to the right person-me, at the right time-a goodbye, at the right place-Haiti, and he expected nothing in return.

Simon, may Christ bless you beyond measure, in ways that I could never comprehend. I love you.

happy birthday, gracie caroline

Monday, December 3, 2001

1:58 p.m., 7 lb. 5 oz., 19 1/4 inches

After trying to have a third baby with no success, we decided to accept that maybe God was going to keep our family complete with two girls. However, He surprised us! Our Father saw fit to lavish us with His grace and give us a gift of a third child. We knew right away that there was only one name for this baby: Gracie, in honor of our Abba's grace.

We had no idea how that name would come to hold the meaning even more. We went into the labor expecting a fast, uncomplicated delivery. However, things quickly changed. To the doctor's horror upon checking me, the baby's cord had been delivered. No time for c-section. It was now a battle for life. Finally after much pushing, pulling and chaos, out came a lifeless, ash colored baby. All I could hear was the nurses yelling out zero's for all of her Apgar scores and the plea's for the baby to breathe. As she was being passed across the threshold of the door into the hands of emergency staff, she took a deep breath and flashed a bright pink. Her cry was the voice of an angel. After all of that, she was a completely healthy baby. Imagine.

What was playing behind the scenes is the most amazing part. A little bit before her birth, some ladies felt an urgency to pray for my delivery. The phone circle started and prayers began going forth to the Father. I can't help but imagine prayers being said the moment she passed across that threshold.

We did not get the delivery we expected, but God delivered more. He delivered us an amazing bundle of grace.
2 Corinthians 8:9, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich". Boy, are we sure rich. Rich in grace.