Change is coming.

I can hardly believe that next week at this time we will be in Haiti. We have talked, prayed, and planned for this moment for many months.  God has heard our prayers and filled us with a peace and excitement that can only come from him.  We are ready to transition into our life in Haiti.

Some of you may be wondering what will happen when we get there.  We will not move right into the Grace House.  The staff at COTP has been busy getting ready a 2 bedroom apartment ready for our family.  We will live there for the first 3ish weeks.  In those weeks it is our hope that we can acclimate to Haiti before moving in and caring for the kids.  The container has not arrived in Haiti yet so we will only have what we bring down on the airplane.  We are thankful that we will have our own space.  We are prepared for some hard first weeks as we all experience different emotions and adjust to the heat and life in Haiti.

I want to thank you all for praying for us.  We can definitely feel them.  God is so faithful and good.  He has blessed us with an amazing support system.  I often say that I feel like I should be in a state of panic and fear  but I am not and it is just another way that God has provided for us and answered our prayers.

Specific prayer request:
 - Closing of our house - we were supposed to close on June 1, now it looks like it will be June 5.     Kevin's dad will need to take care of it.  Please pray that there will be no problems.
 - Our family- Say goodbye is hard and sending the ones you love to another country is even harder.  Pray that God will remove their fears and worries with only a peace that can come from him.
 - Smooth flights - flying with 5 kids will be an adventure! But in Gods great provision he provided a traveling partner.  Our friend Joel Doorlag who moved to COTP last October is coming back to MI.  He is returning to Haiti on the same flights as we are.  What a great comfort to have someone who has done this before travel along with us.
 - The Grace House - The current house parents and their kids, the nannies, and the Haitian kids.  Pray for each of their hearts as they prepare to say goodbye to each other.  It is going to be extremely difficult for each one.  They truly are a family and have grown to love each other deeply.
 - Transition/Change - its never easy.  Pray that we will keep our eyes fixed on the one who has called us.  On the hard days help us never to forget God's promises.


I love the words to this song.  I pray that whatever your circumstances and wherever God takes you that He will be enough!

I give you my life
I give you my trust
Jesus

You are my God
You are enough
Jesus, Jesus

My heart is Yours
My heart is Yours
Take it all, take it all
My life in your hands

I lay down my life
I take up my cross
Jesus

You are my God

Whatever the cost

All to Jesus I surrender
All to You I freely give
Oh I will ever love and trust You
In Your presence I will live

We love you all and will miss you deeply! We hope to keep you updated on our adventures and how God continues to work and move in our family.   

"God be with you until we meet again."

Final weeks in Michigan and please pray....

June 4 is very quickly coming and we are not just talking about moving to Haiti, we are starring it straight in the face.  I don't really have much to say other than this stage is difficult.  Saying goodbye is hard.  I don't really like it and I really don't like when I can see my kids and family hurting.  There is much that needs to be done, details to take care of, people to see, things to do and stuff to pack.  Every day brings about different emotions.  We can feel completely confident and ready one day and then the next we want to run the other way.  The life we have grown to love, the family we love deeply, the friends, the church family, the normal things we do as a family, summer camping, beach nights with dear friends, school, Kevin's job, all the things that have made us feel safe and comfortable are very soon going to change and be drastically different.  I would be a liar if I told you we weren't afraid.

But one thing that I am confident in is that my God loves me and He loves my family.  He has clearly called us to serve in Haiti.  He has made a way for us to get there.  He has shown His faithfulness over and over again to our family.  He is with us when life is going just great and He is with us in our fears and life isn't want we wanted.  We daily need to adjust our vision.  We daily need to take our eyes of ourselves and place them on God and His promises to never leave us.  God wants us to be uncomfortable because its in that when we need Him the most.  This world is not going to give us true peace and joy, only complete dependence in Him. 

The verses below are read daily or even multiple times a time.  

" The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you, he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged. " Det. 31:6

" Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders."  Det. 33:12

" So do not fear, for I am with you: do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Please pray for our family these last few weeks in Michigan.  Please also pray for us and we soon will be transition into our life in Haiti.  It's not gong to be easy and it will present us with a whole new set of challenges.  Pray that through it all we will keep our eyes fixed on God cling to His word and promises.  Pray to that through it all that God receives the glory.  It is certainly not about us, but the work God is doing through us.  

Enjoy some pictures of the fun we have been having the last few weeks

I love all my turkey hunters!

Dandelion Festival fun with friends!

Megan and her favorite cousin Eva

Ready for the Dandelion Parade

Kayaking in our pond!  

Kevin going through all his business papers that he has accumulated over the years.  Very bittersweet! 

Picture with Grandpa before the Tulip Time parade.

Brotherly love

Never a dull moment when the Mokma's are around.  Fun night with our friends!

S'more time!

What a bunch of crazy kids

Birthday celebrations for Braden, Keagan and Hannah with the Grandpa and Grandma.

Frog hunting with the boy's best buddy Lukas

Megan's field trip to Lansing

Beach night! Love these kids!

Life lately

We are plugging right along over here.  I think we are at about 5 weeks before we leave.  I really can't even put my mind around it all.  In some ways it doesn't even seem possible and I can't imagine living anywhere but my cozy home on Port Sheldon and living our normal comfortable life.  Very soon every thing I know and my family knows will drastically change.  Kevin and I often talk about if we are prepared for this.  Its hard to fully prepare yourself for a move like we are about to make.  We have prayed, thought about every different scenario, and we continue to just move forward in faith.  We are excited, scared, nervous, peaceful, fearful, and joyful.

Kevin finished working a few weeks ago.  We are sorting through our new normal.  Its been nice to have him home but also different that what we are used too.  Its been more of a change for him and in some ways its preparing him for life in a Haiti.

We traveled to Minnesota a few weeks ago.  It was a great trip. We surprised the kids and took them to a hotel at the Wisconsin Dells.  It was great to spend time just as a family.  The weeks leading up to our trip where a bit stressful, it was good to just have fun together.  We enjoyed our time spend with the Groen family and we were blessed by the many people that we met who are passionate about the work of COTP.  We even had the opportunity to visit with dear friends in Iowa on the way back.

Thank you to all who  purchased items off our "list."  We feel so loved and blessed by all who love and support us.  We were able to send down 40 some totes, mattresses, our trampoline, and some furniture.   We really could not do this without all of you.  We defiantly were feeling overwhelmed and God used so many of you to encourage us and to remind us that God is in control and He is has every detail.  I wish I could list all the God moments, all the random acts of love that others have shown to us.  Dear friends, God is good and so very faithful!!  Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus to our family.

Our fundraiser at Crazy Horse was last week.  Thank you to all who came out that night.  It was so fun seeing so many of you.  We were able to raise $2,040 that night.  Amazing!!!  Thank you to Crazy Horse for the love and being such a blessing to our family.

I don't talk much about our fundraising on our blog.  But I do want to thank all of you who have given in some way to help us get to Haiti.  We are completely humbled and blown away.  When we started fundraising I thought there was no way that we could do it.  Boy, was I wrong.  God has shown over and over that He will provide and although we have not met our goal we never thought we would be were we are today.  By God's goodness and love we are doing well and we are so thankful for all who have donated on our behalf.  If you still would like to give or would like a copy of our support message please email me at 7mokmasinhaiti@gmail.com

As many of you know, we sold our house last week.  Crazy!!! We put it on Craigslist and Zillow and within 2 hours we had 5 showings scheduled for the next day.  The first couple that went through but a offer in the very next day.  This is totally a God thing.  He has shown over and over again that we are exactly where we need to be.  He is defiantly paving the way for us to get to Haiti.  The best thing is we don't even have to move twice!  Praise the Lord!

Prayer request:
 - Our kids: Although they are excited there is fear too.  Pray that we will have the right words.
 - Family: As the date of gets closes the sadness becomes real.  Pray for their hearts as they prepare to send us off.
 - Saying Goodbye is exhausting.  We have several "last" that will be happening.  It is tiring and good at the same time.  Pray that we will do life well these last several weeks and that we lean on God to get through these hard days.
 - Kevin and I as we try and learn Creole.  Pray that God would work a miracle in our minds!!!! We have never learned a second language!  We need all the help we can get.
 - The Willis' family and the entire Grace House.  They are going through some challenges right now. Please pray for them.
 - For Kevin and I:  That we will fix our eyes above.  That when doubt and fear creep in we will remember the one who has called us to do His work.  Pray that our communication remains strong and in the stressful moments we will lean on each other.

We are having 2 open houses coming up.  One is on May 13, which is for our church family.  The other is on May 15 at Noordeloos CRC from 6:30-8:00.  Friends and family are all invited to come.  We would love to see you all!

Blessings and love friends,
Sarah

Crazy Horse Fundraiser

For the last 4 years I have worked part time at Crazy Horse Restaurant in Holland and it has been a blessing to be part of the Crazy Horse family.  It is a great place to work and has been a blessing to me and my family.  I worked only 2-3 nights a week.  It was a good out for me and also helped pay for Christian education for our kids.  The owner of Crazy Horse is an incredible, generous man.  Crazy Horse is known to host many fundraisers throughout the year and donate a portion of the proceeds of the night to different organizations.  

On April 14 they have graciously set aside that evening to host a fundraiser for our family and Children of the Promise.  

If you aren't busy and you don't feel like cooking please come out and enjoy a yummy dinner and support a good cause.  They will also be selling hand prints for a $1 and pinning them to the walls.  Join us and help us fill the walls up!

"Be strong and very courageous"

We are entering a time of change.  We knew this it was coming.  Last August when we were asked to serve at COTP we thought June was forever away and Haiti was just something we talked about and dreamed about.  We knew we were going but it seemed so far off.  Life seemed normal.  We went about daily life, doing the "normal" things we always do and nothing was really changing.

Well, dear friends its March and before we know it we will be boarding an airplane and on our way to Haiti.  Let me tell you, nothing about our life seems normal anymore.  I feel as though we are living in 2 worlds.  Part of our life is right here in Michigan but part is in Haiti and all the preparations that are involved in moving our family.   Change is not easy and can be a very unsettling feeling.  Our heart is in two place.  We love our family and friends dearly.  We love our "normal comfortable" life here in Michigan, but our heart is also in Haiti with our friends and the kids there.  Haiti, a place that we clearly feel God calling us too and has been making a way for us to go and serve.

I have been learning that I have a choice.  When we have what seems like mountains of things to do, when we have to clean the house for a showing, when we have to say "goodbye," when I have to figure out what to take with us and how to get it with us, when I am trying to decide what is a need and a want, when I am trying to make the best of the time we have left in Michigan, when I am dealing with the ever changing emotions of 5 kids that are very aware of what is coming.  I have a choice to rely on my own strength and selfishness or am I going to completely surrender everything over to God?  Yes, it's going to be stressful and hard, but God is teaching me that He is in those hard moments and it's not going to do me any good to sit around and get stressed out and frustrated.  My faith is getting stretched in more ways that I ever thought imaginable and I am sure its just the beginning.  My prayer is that our family will walk daily knowing ALL areas are held in His hands, the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I pray that we will be rooted in His word. I pray that we will rest in His strength and not our own.  I pray that His name will be glorified through this transition time that we are facing. I pray that in those hard moments that I will get on my knees and cry out to God in complete dependence on Him.

I love these words from Joshua 1:9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and very courageous.  Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged,  for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Will you pray for us too?  Will you pray that we will embrace these next months with joy and peace and complete surrender.  Will you pray for our family? Pray a for Kevin and I as parents.  Pray that we will have wisdom as we make our kids feel safe and loved during this time of transition.  Pray for our marriage that our communication remains strong and that in the stressful times we are able to stand firm in God and His promises.  Pray for our hearts as we prepare to care and love 5 more kids.  We talk daily about our little Haitian kids and our prayer is that God will equip us to meet all their needs!  Pray for our families.  It is going to be hard to let us go.  They are so supportive and such an encouragement to us but its hard to watch us go.  Many tears will be shed over the next months.

I love these ladies, how I will miss them!

I think I might frame this picture and take it with us so when we are sweating and wishing it to be cooler we can remember beautiful Michigan winters!  It is crazy to think that we won't see snow for at least 2 years!

Almost 3 months...

It is hard to believe that we are almost 3 months from our big move.  Tickets are booked for June 4 and preparations are in full swing.  There is a lot going on right now.  We are planning and preparing for a pretty awesome dinner on Saturday that will help promote Children of the Promise and the work they do.  Although planning a event like this is not my thing,  I am excited about it.  I have great friends that have stepped up to help me with decorations, setting up, buying food, being there to help serve, and also with the clean up.  It will be a great night.  I know God will work in the hearts of those that will be there.  There are some pretty amazing testimonies that will be shared.

Children of the Promise will be building a new child home in the near future...the Hope House.  Kevin has been working with several of the COTP staff getting building supplies for the house.  He has a list of things that will be needed and we will be taking a trailer down to Minnesota during Spring Break and everything that has been collected will be put on a container and shipped to Haiti.

We will be able to bring some of our own things to Minnesota to put on the container too.  We have been busy making list figuring out what to take and have shipped to Haiti.  Its a pretty overwhelming job.  You find out that you really "need" and what is just a "want."

Kevin is busy putting finishing touches on our house and in the next few weeks we will be putting it on the market.  We are praying that God's timing is perfect.  We really don't want to move twice.  We are trusting Him with that detail.

The next months are full and I am sure will fly by.  Our calendar is filling up quickly with so many good things.  Dinner with friends, family gatherings, school events, church events, a trip to Minnesota, a fundraiser, going away parties, and many goodbyes.  These good things are hard too, they remind us of the things that we are leaving, the people that we love and have to say good bye too.

I became a aunt again a few weeks ago and it makes me sad that I will miss out on most of his first year of life.

This week was a big week for Kevin and his business.  He has been busy working on building the last home he will do for awhile.  This house has been a huge answer to many prayers and has been such a blessing.  The timing could not have been better.  Things have gone so smoothly for him and he has been ahead of schedule.  This week they (Tyler and Kevin) finished trimming and yesterday was Tyler's last day working with Kevin. (Don't worry John and Jen..your house will still get done.)!  We are so thankful that God provided a new job for  him and that he and is family are taken care of, but it is so bittersweet.  Tyler and Kevin have worked together for 10 years.  Tyler was right out of high school, Kevin trained him and they have made a pretty good pair.  Not only did they work together every day, they were best friends. Tyler is so dear to our family and its just not going to be the same without him around.  Its a strange feeling when you are 37 and you have been working for so long and a business that you worked so hard at building  is coming to a end.  We daily remind ourselves that God's way are so much bigger than our own!

This is a picture of Tyler and Kevin in Colorado this past September.  I am so thankful that they could do this together! It was such a great trip!

Please pray for us the next few months and weeks.  It will be a emotional time filled with joy and excitement but also fear and sadness.  We rest in God's sovereignty.  He has called us to this and He will walk beside us, but it will not always be easy.  

Pray for the Grace House.  The Willis' family as they finish their time up in Haiti and look forward to moving back to the states.  Pray for the nannies and the kids as they will have to say goodbye to a family they love so dearly.  

We can not say thank you enough for the financial support, prayers, and words of encouragement that we have felt and experienced.  We have been blown away by the love that you have shown to us.  God has affirmed our decision in so many ways.  Sometimes daily! He is good and His provision has been amazing.  

Many of you have asked how you can help get us to Haiti and supplies that we will need to take with us.  I have put together a list of things and if you would like to help out let me know and I can email it to you.  Also, if you are interested in seeing the supply list for the Hope House let me know too.  Please email me at 7mokmasinhaiti@gmail.com

Haiti

We had the opportunity to take our boys and spend a week at COTP.  It was a great trip and God answered many prayers throughout the week.  We had many reasons for going but a big one was for the boys.  We wanted to give them a glimpse of what life will be like when we move there in June.  I was very anxious going into the trip that they would panic and never want to go back.  That was not the case and I am so thankful that we went.  They had a fabulous time! They loved being outside all day catching critters and playing with the other kids on campus.  They loved the kiddos in the the Grace House and it was so fun watching them interact with them.(their pictures are below)  They asked if they could stay and not come back to Michigan! It was a success!

We were able to spend a lot of time talking with Dan and Holly who are currently in the Grace House.  We shared meals with them and many conversations.  They opened up their home to us and gave us a small picture of what their lives look like.  It was a blessing to spend time with them and the other long term staff.  We had many conversations about the struggles living in Haiti, but also the joy and peace they have living there.  What a blessing it will be to be a part of the COTP community.

Although I may have struggled with fear while being there, God totally took that fear and gave me complete peace that Haiti is exactly where God is calling our family to serve.  He taught me that it is not me that can do life in Haiti.  I will fail pretty miserably if I rely on my own strength.  God is bringing us there and HE will carry us through.

We humbly thank all of you who have not only supported us through prayer but also financially.  We are blown away by the support we have received.  God is good and so faithful!  We are just so very grateful and feel so loved by our family and friends that are standing beside us on this journey.

Beach Day

The Grace House

Children of the Promise has given explicit permission for the posting of photos on this site.  Photos taken of children in the care of Children of the Promise are not to be posted publicly without explicit permission given by Children of the Promise