Finding Treasures in the Field: "GOTCHA" Day/Birthday Celebration 2014

Tomorrow February 5th is a BIG day for Celebration at our house!!!! Nope....not because it is my Birthday! :D I realized 4 years ago just how Smart God is - bahahaha - he KNEW that I would soon want to stop counting my Birthday & gave us another reason to Celebrate this day!!! He truly knows what he is doing. So today instead of me turning 41 - we Celebrate "Gotcha" DAY!! Some are asking - What is Gotcha day??? In the Adoption World it is one of the most wonderful days of your life!!! It is the day our 3 youngest children came home from Haiti to live with us FOREVER!!!

The last few days I have been looking back at all of our pictures from that 1st trip to Haiti in January 2010. I have been reminded of ALL that God did for us. Our children were so little when they got to come "home" & live with us. Levi was then 2 & the twins were 3 months old. We are all they truly remember. I also look back & realize other things. One thing I look back & will always remember is how I felt when we first arrived in Haiti. I had a Peace on that trip that is so very hard to explain. I remember walking down the road from the creche' (children's home) & heading toward the missionaries house & telling Gordon "I could live here"!! He, at the time thought I had lost my mind ....but God later changed his! On that trip I also remember sitting with a group of Haitians & Americans playing the guitar & singing Praise & Worship music in that small little living room...all sitting on the floor. I felt the presence of God as much if not more than ever before. I had to get up & leave the room. I walked out back ..... outside the house & just talked to God. I felt like I could just reach out & touch Him. The images in my mind will stay there forever. I left that trip with a longing for Haiti that I could NEVER Explain to anyone that hasn't felt a calling like that before. Each trip back for the next few years I had the SAME feeling as I did then. - I think back on a few other things as well. 1. On that very first trip we met Pastor Andy who now runs Hope Vision as well as some of the children that still live there. 2. We met & became friends with John & Carmen Niehaus. Carmen is the daughter of the Alexanders who founded Sonlight. Carmen has lived here & been the Principal of the Academy for 25+ years. Funny how when we slept on the U.S. Embassy floor for 4-5 days back then, chatted & became friends I didn't realize that friendship would be what would bring Gordon & I back to Haiti on that next Mission trip. Because of that we came back every year for 3 years & made many other friends here in Port-de-Paix. This in itself has been HUGE in helping us feel at home since we moved. I love looking back & seeing how God put those pieces of the puzzle in our lives together!! :) -

Every day in Haiti is not easy. Every day in Haiti we are not out "saving the world". Actually we are not doing that at all. I know some peoples perception of "whatever" Missionaries do is so far different from actual life. Some days we feel as if we are just in survival mode. But, most days we are just living life. We are loving those people God puts in our path. We are trying to be the Light of Jesus in this part of the world God has placed us in. Some days we get to bless others....some days they bless us!! We get to make a difference in one persons life at a time. We try to help show others Haiti through bringing in short term teams & Bless whomever God shows us whenever we can! We try our best to raise awareness of the needs at Hope Vision & the need for the new Home for the children. We truly try to just stay open to whatever God wants us to do Every single day!!

I have to add as I sit typing this our electricity has gone out. I also found out our electricity bill is ....ummm, how do I say EXTREMELY HIGH! :(.........AGAIN!!! I PRAY we find a way to keep people from tapping into our line & stealing. This is crazy......over $700 dollars for electricity????? ! It is 6:35pm & it is PITCH BLACK. My husband went to crank our generator & ....it won't crank!!! :( - in another world I would be having a melt down. Tonight - I am laughing (not at the bill mind you....just the situation) :D JESUS - JESUS - JESUS!! That is all I can say about that!!!!!

I normally wouldn't do this BUT ......I DO HAVE A BIG BIRTHDAY / GOTCHA DAY WISH.....we are still in need of Money for our flights home this summer so we can share about Haiti, raise much needed support & see our family. We know so many of you support us monthly & we are so very thankful for you. WE also know we have many great friends & family who send us encouraging words & pray for us but can not support us monthly at this time. We totally understand that BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK IF YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP WITH OUR PLANE TICKETS. I talked with a few people & thought we would put this out there & ask if you could help raise this money TODAY/TOMORROW on our SPECIAL DAY!!! AIM (Assisting International Missions) has created a "Donate" button that we added to our blog today - SEE THE TOP RIGHT CORNER!! We need to raise $4314 dollars total for our flights! Can you Help?? Any amount would be greatly appreciated!! Please feel free to share with your friends too! (**you can give via PayPal, or credit card & this is a secure site)

*ALL MONEY GOES STRAIGHT TO AIM (who is a non-profit, 501c3 organization & is tax exempt) & they will transfer to us! PLEASE PRAY WITH US ABOUT THIS! I KNOW MY GOD IS ABLE!! WE LOVE YOU ALL & CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU THIS SUMMER!

Please if you have ANY questions please send them to us - lipscombsinhaiti@gmail.com

Thought we would share a few pictures from then.....& now!!!
MUCH LOVE - Angie & The Lipscomb Family