Life on the Mission Field - Keeping it real!

I haven't blogged in a while.  This is the longest it has been since we moved to Haiti just a few months ago..... To be completely honest, I am having a hard time figuring out WHAT to share with you all.  When we first arrived in Haiti so much was happening.  Of course with setting up our home, unloading our container, meeting lots of new people, getting our kids enrolled in school it was VERY VERY BUSY!! Things going on at the Orphanage, building beginning on phase 1, Then God brought us new family, a sweet baby boy to our home to love & pray over, a student that God connected with a sponsor, & Tammy arrived here from Alabama to intern with us until next Summer.

Those of you that know me BEST know that I THRIVE off of being BUSY.  That's how God made me!! People use to always ask me, "how do you do it?" - Of course they meant having 7 kids & working.  Having 7 kids, my nursing job, & my job as a Disney Travel Agent kept me ON MY TOES!! YES, it does sound NUTS but when I don't seem to have LOTS to do, I am not sure what to do with myself! I think my brain goes Crazy!!  I function so much better when busy!! :)
I have tried to pray about it! I know there are times when I need to BE STILL. Time to just BASK IN HIS PRESENCE.

 Another TRUTH here is that WE ARE ALL NEW TO THIS MISSIONARY THING!!! We are adjusting to Life on the Mission field! I know HUGE things are not going to happen every day & we just need to Love God & Love those he puts in our path!! We spend our days cleaning sometimes (no great excitement in that), or getting clothes off the line before it rains, or going to market to pick up things we need at our house. Helping our kids with their Homework, or running them some lunch when school is out because they are staying for French tutoring or Bible study. We are working on paperwork/documents for Mission Teams & getting the word out as best we can to those that might want to come on a Mission trip. We are working on financial reports & organizing things. Setting up our house for teams....BUT  I have realized with the seasons changing back home in Alabama watching all my friends post pictures of the Fair, Friday night football games, pumpkin painting & fall festivities & nothing changing here that we really are far away from all of our family.  We also realize with the Seasons changing that means that the Holidays are just around the corner.  With that brings many mixed emotions!! What will Thanksgiving be like without spending it with the whole Lipscomb crew in Montgomery hanging out around the fire pit with our coffee & cocoa listening to Christmas music?? Will it even seem like Christmas without being at Nana & Papa's house with all the Simmons crew??....Will our kids like Christmas here?  Will our son Tyler be able to come for Christmas?  Will we have extra money to buy presents for our kids? Will a mission team come so the presents we can buy make it here for Christmas?  What about the 2 staff members who work in our home? What are we suppose to do for their family for Christmas?  WE love them dearly & hear it is custom to give them extra wages for Christmas & gifts for them & their kids?? We have NO idea how to do that?? Where is that money going to come from? All of this spiraled my brain in to thinking ALL kinds of crazy things....Will we be able to afford to all fly home next summer??? I mean plane tickets are about $700 each!!! I've done the math numerous times.....700X9 = $6300!!! YES, WE ARE NEW TO THE MISSION FIELD & WE ARE SO VERY THANKFUL FOR THIS CALLING GOD HAS PLACED ON OUR LIVES! WE STILL LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF BEING IN HAITI....it's just that the "down" time has made me THINK waaaaay too much!! If you have time Please say a prayer for our family! I know God sent us here & HE HAS A PLAN! I also know HE WILL TAKE CARE OF US! But my heart still hurts when I missed my nephews Birthday & my sisters......as I type my heart hurts, tears are flowing knowing my niece has a birthday next week & then My daddy! I may be 40 but I'm still a daddy's girl. - Weird how doing EXACTLY what GOD has called you to do can give you so much pure JOY yet your heart can break too.  I do know I have SO MUCH to be Thankful for!! I AM THANKFUL TO BE HERE, TO SERVE A LOVING FORGIVING SAVIOR, TO BE HEALTHY, & FOR MY FAMILY......EVEN IF THEY ARE HERE OR THERE!!! THANKFUL FOR THOSE WHO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO BE HERE & FOR AIM & ALL THEY DO FOR US!!
I MISS YOU ALL - THANK YOU FOR THE PRAYERS!
SIGNED
an honest momma, sister, aunt, daughter, wife & Follower of Jesus

*I hope it was ok to just dump out my heart like this.  I really hadn't planned on that but it just happened.  I don't want to sugar coat anything & not be real so I am going to post it anyway! I know we have some MIGHTY PRAYER WARRIORS FOR FRIENDS & I APPRECIATE THE PRAYERS!!!!  -  

Would love to hear from you!
Lipscombsinhaiti@gmail.com