The kids......

Over the last several months as we considered, prayed, and wondered about COTP and if and when God would call us to go, we talked a lot about our kids.  What would a move like this do to them, what if they get sick, what about one child's anxiety, his difficulty with new situations, what about friends, how are they going to handle being with each other all the time, how are they going to react to homeschooling,  I often found myself wondering if I would ruin my kids by moving them to Haiti.  My dear husband, always the level headed one; would say just trust, God has brought us this far He will take care of our kids.

Over the last few weeks God has confirmed in so many ways through our kids that His plan for our family it right and He has all the details taken care of.  Let me share with you a few ways.

Homeschooling: Our kids go to Zeeland Christian and are in the School/Home Collaborative.  They go to school 3 days and we do school at home 2 days.  It is going so well.  I was afraid going into it but they have showed such progress and eagerness to learn at home and school.  Through this experience it is giving me the confidence that I need to teach them and for them to know that I will be teacher and mom.  I will say though, Kevin is the math teacher!!!! My brain and numbers don't work!

A few weeks ago we were doing our devotions in the morning.  The Biblical truth they were talking about at school was "God created us to need Him for everything".  We were able to have a beautiful conversation about our move to Haiti and how God is in control, how He has a perfect plan for our family, how He will be with us when we are afraid, when we we miss our friends and family.  Braden was talking about saying goodbye to his favorite Uncle Jeff, his best friend Lukas, and grandparents.  I assured him that yes, its sad and its going to be very, very hard but God is with us and He will give us the strength.  Keagan in his sweet, tender heart responded and said "But we get to be Jesus to all the kids at the Grace House" YES!! That's what is all about buddy!!  The kids can't fully understand what is coming, but I hope and pray that they understand that God is with them, and that through this I will not ruin them, but that they will learn to love deeply and serve others with compassion.

Friends: We knew that when we move to Haiti there would be other families living among us with kids, but they were boys similar to our boys age.  I worried about my girls.  I wanted them to have someone.  Well, again God said "Sarah, stop worrying, I got this to." There is another family moving to COTP in just a few short weeks and the have 4 girls!!! Better yet they are all close to our girls ages. 11,9,5,3.  Perfect!  The best  part of this is that the Doorlags live in Kalamazoo and I was able to meet with Amy and we were able to get the kids together.  Amy is wonderful and made me feel so comfortable when I drove too her house.  We had chatted over FB, but nothing more than that.  We connected right away and so did our kids.  God in His perfect ways brought our families together to serve at COTP together. Awesome!!  Please pray for Joel, Amy, Heidi, Maggie, Rosie, and Katie.  They leave on October 16.

In so many ways, God is giving us confirmation.  I am so thankful and I find myself in awe of how He is working.  All Glory to Him!

"But I trust in you Lord, I say your are my God.  My times are in your hands."  Ps. 30:14-15

God's Story

Haiti.....one word, one place that will change our family forever.  God has placed before us an opportunity to serve at Children of the Promise in Lagosette, Haiti. In June 2015 we will be moving our family there.   It really is difficult to put into words what God has been doing and how He has been working in the hearts of Kevin and I over the last several years.  But I will try and give you a small picture that will help you better understand why we would be so crazy and move our family to another country.

We were living the American dream.  We had a really nice house, a neighborhood that we loved, a perfect place to raise our family, Kevin had a great job that provided for our family, we were able to send our kids to a Christian school, we had a very nice trailer, 2 cars, we bought and did what we wanted whenever we wanted.  Life was good, it was comfortable.  But through all this God was working on our hearts.  There was so much more than our comfortable, American dream.  We began to want more, so we began to pray.  "God use us." 

In February Kevin, Megan, and I went to COTP with our church.  Can I just say I fell in love right away.  COTP is an amazing organization with an amazing mission.  We felt so at home there.  I found myself dreaming of living there.  I wondered if God would ever call us back and if so when.  We came home again wanting more, so we kept praying for doors to open.  We sent emails to COTP expressing interest in serving there if ever a position came available.

In June doors started to open.  COTP contacted us and said there was a possibility of a house parenting position coming available in 2015.  This summer was spent praying and seeking God word for direction and discernment.  It was the up and down of wanting to go but being completely terrified.  Would we hurt our kids, what if they get sick, what about Kevin's business, we would have to leave our dear family, our friends, our comfortable life,  Through all the fear and doubt I knew that if we were asked to go, I could never live with myself if we walked away.  In the middle of all the fear there was peace knowing we were being obedient.  A dear friend kept telling us, if the door keeps opening then you keep walking through them.  August came and that was when were would find out for sure.  I was praying for a distraction.  God gave me one...when we received the call from COTP we were being discharged from the hospital with Keagan after breaking his arm.   I love how God works.  

I can not explain the peace I felt after receiving the call.  I really thought I would be flipping out.  But God has filled me with such peace, joy, and excitement.  Although are kids can not fully grasp all that is going to happen, they are excited and talk about Haiti all the time.

 Many of you are wondering what we will be doing.  I will share a briefly, we will be House Parents in the Grace House.  Our main responsibility will be to care for and love 5 sweet Haitian kids who will someday be adopted.  So yes we will have 10 kids living in our home!!! We are crazy, but fully confident that God equips those he calls. 

Please pray for us as we make decisions and plan for our future.  Pray for our kids as they process this all.  Pray for our hearts as we will have to leave so many people we love.  Pray for the sweet family in Haiti, living at the Grace House.  Pray for strength for them, joy, and wisdom as the prepare to come back to the states.  Pray for the precious little ones living at the Grace House.  Pray that the adoption process will move quickly and they will soon be united with their forever families.  Most importantly our prayer is that God would be Glorified.  This is not about Kevin and I doing something great, its all about God and what He can and will do when you humbly surrender to Him.