Saying Goodbye
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| Grandpa Wally Campbell |
I've had the intention of sitting to write this post for about 2 weeks, but simply haven't had the time.
I think it's because God was doing work behind the scenes and redeeming a few situations and helping me to get my head right, so I can hopefully encourage others.
In the last 2 weeks I have said goodbye to a lot of things.
Saying Goodbye to Grandpa
The world lost a great man on October 2. This is made much easier knowing that he is knowing walking on streets of gold with Jesus. I had the blessing of being able to travel back from Haiti to see him before he passed and spend the following week with friends and family. ((It was an adventure to get there -- see my plane picture, but so glad that I could make the trip.)) My brother wrote a BEAUTIFUL tribute of our grandpa. You can read it here.
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| Yes, they are PUSHING the plane after a flat tire. |
For those of you that follow my adventures, you probably know that Haiti hasn't been in a great place for a while now. We're going on almost two months of inconsistent fuel distribution and almost one full month of protesting. In a sense, life in Haiti is at a standstill. It's almost surreal. Schools aren't functioning, stores aren't getting restocked, prices are sky high, city power is practically non-existent, but the Haitian people push on. (More about that later.) We have been blessed to find gas here and there to keep us with fans at night, but most of the day is spent without power. Since being back (almost a week), we've had power for just a few hours. My fridge is warm and my propane tank is empty. My soon to be family has taken care of me and sends lunch everyday and Wood is sweet to bring me breakfast every morning.
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| limited power, but still working out |
Saying Goodbye to Plan A
Because of everything that is going on in the country, we got word while I was in the states that the resort where we were planning to get married was having to close. They could no longer guarantee the dates of our wedding. This is something that we had been pondering needing to change because the main highway hasn't been consistently open and we weren't sure what our ability to travel would be. So, we made the plan to cancel our Caribbean Beach wedding and move it to a location here in town. With this decision also came the necessity to consider some potential realities I have prayed won't actually come to pass. But two months later, and the country still being on lockdown has forced us to have plans in place. In order to account for these potential realities, not only did we change the location, but we have changed the date, and the size of our wedding. We're now getting married two days earlier. It's definitely not what we thought it would be, but at the end of the day we will be married and surrounded by people that love us. It also means that I'll get to wear my dress more than once!
10 days ago, this is where my blog would have ended. A simple update of the heartbreak that is my life.
BUT GOD.
BUT GOD.
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| The country is the greenest I've ever seen it. |
Sure, tests can be hard, but my God is faithful. He is the ONLY person that can ease my pain and calm my heart. Do I trust Him to redeem crushed wedding plans? Do I trust Him to open the door for my family to come and celebrate my wedding? Do I trust Him to see us through this season of sadness in Haiti? In short, yes. I do trust Him. It's sometimes handing it all back to Him multiple times a day, but I know in my heart of hearts, this will all work out. ((I'm more than ready for that moment.))
Saying Hello to Intimacy
This probably isn't what you're thinking. By adjusting and changing our wedding plans, we are going to be able to have a small, intimate, ceremony with those who love us most. The door will be opened to a more relaxed day with the opportunity for deeper conversations and times of bonding as two families join together. This wouldn't have been as possible with our first plan. I can start to recognize what God is doing by having us revise our plans to match up with His.
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| Got the iced coffee I'd been craving |
Once again, those of you who follow my story, know from my last blog post that this time of turmoil has been different. I've felt at peace with God's plan and trusting Him to take care of it all. The last 2 weeks challenged that a bit, but now I get to welcome that peace back in. It was knocking at my door and I only had to let it in. Having peace doesn't change the hard things happening, but it does change my ability to interact with and live in those hard things.
Saying Hello to Humility
The people of Haiti are weary. They are probably more weary than I am. However, they keep pressing forward. While many of my creature comforts have been taken away right now, I still have many amenities that others do not. It has been absolutely humbling to watch the general population persevere through this situation. They are tired, but they find the silver lining. They keep doing life, even amid a crippling situation. We could all learn a lesson or two from them.
Sweet friends, open your heart to peace. Open your heart to what God is doing in your life.
Revise your plans, to match His.
Life is heavy, but with God it is light.
Keep those prayers coming. Haiti needs them. I need them.
Love,
Caitlin
With the current climate of Haiti, prices for goods are at an all time high. I'm still working to raise money to fund my cost of living. Any donation is helpful. For tax deductible giving you can go to https://tinyurl.com/caitigoestohaiti. You can also send me money through PayPal at cateymarie92@gmail.com. I welcome you to join me as a supporter of the adventure God has called me to.
Special Edition...
Normal for YOU, but not for me.
Every time I go to America I recognize how Haitian I have become in some ways. One of these being, not having to wait for water to warm up when you get in the shower. I almost always forgot to wait a few seconds before climbing into the shower!!
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| small planes are the only way to get to Port right now |
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| view from the plane of St. Marc, a larger city in Haiti. |
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| Moses still manages to get his Moto rides! |
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