Updates

Due to the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Agape Flights is currently coordinating relief efforts for the 130 missionary families we serve in Port Au Prince. Medical supplies and cash donations are needed to help facilitate these efforts. Please refer to the Agape Flights website www.agapeflights.com for a list of specific materials needed and also to donate funds to help cover the costs of these efforts.

Please keep praying for our missionaries. We have not heard from all of them to confirm that they are safe. We have received confirmation that 73 of our 130 missionary families in port au prince are okay...Praise God!

We tried to bring a plane with emergency supplies into Port au Prince on Thursday, but they would not let us land. But, we did get the plane in with supplies today Friday, and hope to do another load in the morning Saturday. We will be doing more loads next week.

Also please pray for the desperate Haitians which have become violent trying to obtain water and food. Mobs and riots are beginning to break out, and getting needed supplies into the hands and mouths of the people is becoming dangerous.

Please be praying for Jeff and the staff at Agape Flights. They have been so busy trying to help our missionaries. They have been putting in a lot of late hours. They need strength and guidance. They will be working this weekend as well trying to help coordinate the relief effort.

Thank you so much for you prayers and your support to us!

Long Week

This has been a very long week. Since the 7.0 earthquake that demolished Port au Prince, Haiti, Jeff and the Agape Flights staff have been working non stop. Jeff has been coming home most of the nights around 9 and 10, and tonight it looks like 12 with working on the weekends. Even after coming home he has been on the phone until 11:30. This week, I have been so proud of my husband who works so hard, and is such an valuable asset to Agape. I have been sick all week so it has made it a little harder to have the kids the whole day. But when I think of everything that these missionaries are going through, my week has been nothing compared to theirs.



Our missionaries have been so heavy on my mind this week. I wish that I could do more to help them. But then today I took the kids to Agape Flights because they haven't seen Jeff since Tues. Seeing all of the effort that Agape is putting in to help our missionaries was amazing. Volunteers and staff were everywhere answering phones, organizing supplies, building pallets of items, loading a container full of supplies. It was an awesome sight. We are always a comfort to our missionaries on a daily basis, but when it really matters to be there for them we even work harder sacrificing our time to help them. We do whatever it takes to be the lifeline to these missionaries. I wish you could have seen what I saw today at Agape Flights. So many people working together to show the people of Haiti that they are not forgotten and that God loves them. The most awesome thing is that when all of the relief supply stops from everywhere else, we will still be there helping them. I guess today God showed me again how awesome that the job that He called Jeff and I to do is. It is an honor to serve our missionaries. It is a privilege to work this hard to help them. So please continue to pray for the staff that they will not become weary, because it will be a long process to build Haiti again. Pray for the safety of our missionaries as there is sure to be riots of people trying to get the supplies. Pray for the missionaries that we have not heard from yet saying they are safe. Pray, pray!

Earthquake in Haiti

Okay so I guess that it has been a long time since I blogged (Sept). Yesterday, there was a 7.0 Earthquake in Port au Prince, Haiti. Since then Jeff has been very busy trying to find out if the missionaries are okay, and what they need. They are hoping to do some emergency relief supply flights down to Haiti. If you would like to help, please go to www.agapeflights.com to see a list of supplies that are needed and to donate to pay for the flights. We know of one missionary that is stuck under his house. Please pray that they can get him out safely. Pray for the other missionaries that they are safe as well. It is going to take a lot of effort for the missionaries to help everyone. Please pray for them, they will need it in the weeks to come.

Sick this week

I have been so sick this week. I found myself on the couch not able to move for two days. It is hard to take care of two kids when you are so sick. It took at least five days for me to feel better. I couldn't sleep either because I was coughing so much. I am so happy to finally be feeling better. I kept thinking if I only had family close to me that could take my kids for a little bit so I could take a nap. But of course that didn't happen because we live so far from our family. I remembered in TN the time that I was so sick and Linda (Jeff's mom) came over and made me some chicken soup, I was wanting some of her chicken soup this week. But I am feeling so much better now.

We went to Busch Gardens this weekend. I will post pics later. It amazes me how big Mariah is getting. She rides all of the big rides with Macayla, and loves them. She has the biggest smile when she is driving the car. We also discovered that she LOVES popcorn. Our container of popcorn did not last long with the two of them eating away. Oh, and they played in the water area and both girls had so much fun. Macayla was jumping into the waterfall area that she called her pool. Mariah was walking all over and sticking her face in the water. It was so much fun to watch them. They are getting so big. We enjoy our family days at Busch Gardens. I have such a wonderful little family.

Family Summer Fun

Well we have had a busy summer filled with great family time. The first week of July, Jeff's sister and her family came and visited us in Florida. We spent a few days visiting with them. Then, Mike and Julie went on a cruise while we watched their two kids. It was definitely different having four kids all the time, but I will treasure that time so much because I feel like I really got to know my nephew and niece. Being so far away from them we do not get to see them very much, so it was great to spend individual time with just Austin and Autumn. We went swimming, to the fountains, did crafts, and more swimming. At night after the girls went to bed, Jeff, Austin, and I would play board games. I really enjoyed our special time together. When Mike and Julie returned we spent another couple of days with them. It was much too short. We would be hanging out all the time if we only lived closer. We treasure our time with Mike and Julie. It was a lot of fun.

We had more visitors a week and a half later. My parents and grandparents came to see us. Their trip was filled with beach, beach, and more beach. I think that was the most that I had been to the beach in a week's time. We went almost every night to see the sunset, beautiful sunsets. We finished a 1000 piece puzzle. We also did several craft/sewing projects. It was neat to see our wonderful creations. My grandparents stayed a week, and my parents stayed a few days later. It was a very relaxing time with my family. It was just what we need.

Since then we have been doing our normal summer activities. We either stay in the house because it is so hot outside or we go swimming in people's pools. I have started watching some kids during the week for a few hours. Macayla has enjoyed playing with her friends although it does change our routine a little bit.

Macayla still amazes me with her creative mind, coming up with all sorts of pretend things. She also tells you a sound effect for everything. She will say something like, " I went walking along, like boink, boink." Everything that she says she adds a sound effect at the end of her statement. It makes me laugh every time.

Mariah is walking, running all over the place. She wants to be like her big sister, so she is always trying to do things that her sister does. She is constantly saying more words. She now says Hi, Bye Bye, Mommy, Daddy, Sissy, Cayla, Up, Please, Sorry, Hola, and a few more. It amazes me how much she is growing, no longer a baby anymore.

As far as Jeff and I the last few months have been a little harder for us. Please be praying for Agape and for us that God will lead and direct us. We have been seeking Him, and found that the more that you seek Him, the more that you feel Him. I haven't felt His presence this strong in a long time, and pray that I will stay continually in His presence. Have you been seeking God? His love and peace can cover you if you seek Him.

No Computer

We apologize that we have not had any recent posts on our blog. Our computer died about two months ago, but we should be getting our computer soon. All of our information is being transfered over. You don't realize how disconnected you feel from the world when you don't have a computer. There is a lot for us to write. Hopefully we can update you soon.

Dominican Republic Missions Trip

Please be praying for me and the team of ladies from my church. We are going on a missions trip to Dominican Republic for a week. The trip is March 12-19. I leave in two days. I have never left my kids for more than 24 hours, so a whole week away is going to be a stretch for me. I am very excited about what we are going down to do, but just realizing how much I will miss them. Please pray for me. I want this trip to bring me closer to God, and to allow Him to change my heart. I look forward to writing about the things we did. Look for more posts coming soon.