Im going to Haiti!!!!

As many of you know and to the surprise of many of you others, I am going on a mission trip to Haiti (for only a week) on MAY 1st!! Its coming up in just a few days!  :)  I want to apologize for not letting everyone know in advance. I definitely did not send out support letters for this mission trip; hence, many didn't know about it. It wasn't a for sure thing until I bought the tickets, less than a month ago....AND finally got my passport renewed a couple days ago. So now I'm pretty certain I'm going! :)

We will be helping people in various parts of Haiti that are in need of medical attention. As many of you know, the 7.0 magnitude quake that struck in Haiti on January 12, 2010 left 3 million people in need of emergency aid and about 1 million people homeless.

Many people have been asking me WHY I'm going or WHAT made me want to go. Honestly, lately I've just felt a tugging in my heart to reach out to people, to help out those that are less fortunate than I am, and to share my faith, too. I've been looking back on my four years of college, and I honestly don't see very many areas of my time devoted to helping people out--physically or spiritually. A couple months ago my bro was tellin' me about how one of our family friends, Dr. Gabriel Galofre, was going on a mission trip to Haiti to help people out. Inside, I immediately thought to myself I WANNA GO! So I prayed about it a lot and talked to my family about it and finally bought the airline tickets.

What I am asking for from everyone is to keep in prayer for me. If you have experienced the power of prayer, you know how effective and necessary it is for EVERY situation. I am asking you as a friend and brother in Christ to pray for the Holy Spirit to provide me guidance, direction and protection. This is actually my FIRST time leaving the country and embarking on a big mission trip like this...so I'm fairly nervous. However, I am putting my trust in the Lord!

I've always had some fear of sharing my faith with my non-believing friends. I guess I didn't want to face the possibility of losing friends or even get laughed at. But for some reason, as I've been building a closer relationship with Jesus within this past year, I feel like I WANT to step out of my comfort zone. I heard a super encouraging little quote from a new friend of mine, Sam Chan (quoting someone else), that really convicted me. It goes like: "Step out of your comfort zone...and into the Comforter." When I heard this I really got touched and wanted to just go out and do something that would make me feel uncomfortable! I think I've felt God calling me to go share my faith with people for a while now, but I've just always ignored the call. In Romans, Paul says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes" (1:16). With all this said, I am stepping out of my comfort zone and reaching out...asking God to take my hands and use them according to His will....and to take my feet and lead them down the path He chooses.

I know God will be with me and will speak through me to reach out to others. "For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:6). And as my uncle always reminds me, "Do not be afraid; only believe" (Mark 5:36). So I am trying something new; I am taking a step of faith. I pray this is a humbling experience for me; nevertheless, a rewarding one as well.

Through all this, I hope to bring God the glory. Also, keep in prayer "for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel" (Eph. 6:19).

I will hopefully be able to post a full report on my experiences a couple days after I'm back!!

Thanks for reading! Blessings to you reader!!!

"Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples!" (Psalm 96:3)

Ministries Involved:
Breathe Global Christian Outreach
True Vision Ministries

Some cool quotes:

"What have I actually done that proves my loyalty to Christ? How many times have I sacrificed my own well-being for that of others, in the name of Christ--this week, this month, or even during the last five years?" -Jimmy Carter's Sources of Strength.

"Strength is meaningless.
 Breath is meaningless.
 Life is nothing.
 Jesus is everything."
      -Mother Teresa

"Truth is immortal"     - Dr. Balthasar Hubmaier


"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose."  -Jim Elliot


"If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed,
but praise God that you bear that name." -Simon Peter