The last few mornings, it is really apparent that winter is pushing her way into our lives. The frost on the ground, the temperatures into the 20's at night, the wind whipping around and bringing to mind the snow falling onto the ground (not yet, but soon!) And now, the "fall back" of the time, where it will be darker earlier in the evening, and bringing home that winter is here. But not all is bad about winter, not at all.
We look forward to gathering with our families, of celebrating the holidays, of the times spent together. And of celebrating the birth of Jesus, and the knowledge that only through Him can we have everlasting life. Through Him we know our Heavenly Father, and His love for us. And His plan for our lives. Yes, there is a plan, we just don't know it yet. And if we don't listen, we never will.
Life changes, everyday. For team member Tiffany, it has changed in a wonderful way. Tiffany married her life partner, the one that was sent for her. You have to know Tiffany to know why we are so happy for her. She is one of those people that just has the biggest heart, and cares for so many people. And in the process, she gets her heart stepped on and broken. But she continues to care for others, and is the person that she is. And now she has found a love which will last a lifetime. She married a man who is supportive of her, and her dreams. She has gained another son, to join her own 2 children, and has a new extension of family that she loves. We are so proud to call her team member, we are so proud to call her friend. And we wish only the best for her in this next stage of her life.
Life changes for this team as well, but we hope in a good direction. We grow stronger as a team, as each day brings us closer to returning to Haiti, and seeing the faces of our friends again. We have a strong alliance in Haiti, which makes these trips easier. We have a strong alliance here in the states with International Medical Aid, which unites with us for our trips to Haiti. And we know the faces of the ones we will be treating, even if we haven't seen them before. They are the faces of those with little hope for the future. Their lives change as well, and often not for the better. Their hearts are full of love, while their stomachs are empty of food, and their bodies are not optimized to prevent disease. And some won't see next year, some won't see next month, some might not even see tomorrow. A very sad thought when we are looking forward to celebrating the most wonderful time of the year.
We learned from our last trip that we can't save them all. We can only save the ones that we can. So we continue to strive to do that very thing. We have a goal in front of us, and we continue to push towards that goal. And just when it seems that things are getting harder, we have something happen which shows us that God truly is in charge. And His blessings are all around us. And He will provide, even if it is from an unexpected source.
We did a presentation to a local organization, the Jaycees. They are people we know and we know how hard they work towards local, community events and projects. And they did something unexpected, and hosted a BBQ, with our team as the receiver of the proceeds. We did an interview at a local television station. A few weeks later, we received a call that they had something for us. Little did we expect it to be a check. They had hosted an employee dinner and took up a collection, to give to us. They were so moved by what we were doing, that they donated to our cause. What a blessing both of these has been to our team. For others to recognize the importance of what we are trying to do, and the lives we are hoping to make better.
As life changes, we just don't know where we will be in the future. Things can change in the blink of an eye, and we alter our lives forever. People move on with their lives: they move, they get married, they change jobs, they have children. We all move on with our lives. But what we each strive to do is to make each day a new beginning. To spread the word about the work that remains. To let people know about others that are in need. To save the lives of those that we can save.
I would to challenge each of you that is reading this: this holiday season, take some extra time to be thankful for the blessings that you receive. And to really look at those that are raising money to help the less fortunate. Drop an extra dollar into the kettle. Buy an extra sandwich at the fundraiser. Purchase an extra raffle ticket from that organization. Buy a pie to take home from that bake sale. Purchase a scarf or a quilt from that team that does good. Chip in a pair of shoes or a coat to help keep a child warm this winter. You CAN make a difference in the lives of others. You CAN be the difference between living and surviving. You CAN let your Heavenly Father's love shine through you. Life changes and we all move on...let us strive to move towards a better world where all can celebrate life, love, and a future worth looking towards.
