Moving to another country is hard work! I know.... duh! It isn't that we thought it would be easy. We just didn't really know what to think. This whole process is new for us. Pretty much everything about it is a new experience. The cool thing about experiencing new stuff is that more often than not, God teaches you things through the process. This week we sat down and listed out the top 9 things we have learned through this process so far. There has been more, but these are the biggies that stuck out.
1. God Provides-
From big things like a house in Haiti to the littlest details like an extra mosquito net. It has been almost eerie how true this has been in the last 2 months. The amount of details to attend to has been overwhelming, but somehow nearly all of them have been handled. For example, we were at a fundraising banquet for Safe Families and joking with a friend about how I wasn't going to bid on any of the silent auction items unless they had one that contained mosquito nets and bug spray. Wouldn't you know that she just happened to have 2 "extra" mosquito nets we could have. In suburban Carmel I just happened to find the one person with 2 mosquito nets (the real kind, not the decorative kind that don't really keep out bugs). Thats just one little story. There are so many like this that it is scary.
2. When God is Really Working We Cannot Take Credit
It is easy and human to want to take credit for all that has been accomplished in the past 2 months: getting leaves of absence for both our jobs, setting up house in Haiti, raising over $30,000 for NVM and our position, taking care of the hundreds of details, etc. But, this isn't our thing. It is God's thing. He called us to this and He has been the one to provide. Although tempting, we simply cannot take the credit.
3. Working Hard is Easy, When you Love What you are Doing
Pretty self explanatory, but true. And just because you have God holding your hand, tons of support from your friends, and you like what you are doing doesn't mean you get any less tired.
4. Raising Support is Humbling
Neither of us EVER thought we would be in the position to rely on others for our families basic needs. And it is humbling. As part of the process you have to submit to others. You are no longer in charge. And that is hard to admit. I could write a whole post on raising support (and maybe will) but lets just say it is like nothing I have ever experienced. You have to lay yourself out there for everyone. You have to be transparent. Everyone can see how we are living and what we are spending money on. There is an added pressure to spend extra wisely. Lets just say- it is a humbling one-of-a-kind experience.
5. Exercising your Faith Includes Choices
We still have our end of the bargain to uphold. God is no doubt in this with us, but I still have to pick up the phone and call the international travel insurance company to work out details of our medical plan. I have to choose which of the hundreds of plans to purchase for our family's medical needs for the next year. We trust God to provide for us, and He does. But we still have a part to play. We cannot simply sit back. It is called exercising your faith for a reason!
Stayed tuned for reasons 6-9
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