June 17th, 2011
Relax is the word today. We traveled to Wahoo Beach Resort to enjoy God's creation of sun, sand and sea. It was breathtakingly beautiful with the mountains running right into the shore and extremely relaxing with the low ride and cool, blue water. We spent the day in fellowship with lots of snorkeling, reading, floating and sunscreen-ing. No matter how much sunscreen we applied, we all burned. The sea life was incredible. The boys and Lela snorkeled mostly. Chris Carlson was in his element! He was our little scavenger; first finding shells for his kids - Kennedy and Knox - and then for the rest of us to take home as treasures. Shelli and I swam out to a floating dock and hung out for a while. During our talk, we spotted to yellow starfish. We hollered for the boys to swim out with their snorkel gear. Chris dove down to get the starfish so we could get a better look at them. It was the coolest thing I've seen at a beach in a long time. I've seen them snorkeling before, but never gotten to hold one; let only two! Then Shelli spotted a smaller dark brown one. That was enough to entice everyone else out to look at the starfish. Of course that called for a little horseplay on the boys' part as they tried to knock all the girls off the floating dock. We took a few conk shells home for Noahbear to hear the ocean with. What sweet treasures they make. We had the opportunity to have crab on the beach. A guy walks around selling them then cooks them fresh after you agree to buy. What do you think that would cost in the states? $25? More? It was only $10! Cody purchased a painting for me that I had my eye on. It's a canvas of the rolling Haitian hills with the sun setting in the background. There are women working on the hillsides. To me, the painting represents everything Haiti has come to mean to me - beauty, strength and simplicity. The guy told Cody $100 for the painting...but with a little help from Zan, Cody got it for $15! Cody also bought me a bracelet. I was secretly watching Cody at the beach and noticing how handsome and sweet he is. Haiti was so good for our marriage. Decluttering our busyness and just being us. Haiti helped us re-fall in love again and again as we watched each other love on kids, serve strangers, be patient and listen to God's heart.
Once we returned to Mission of Hope, we debriefed with our leaders, Alice (from LSU) and Casey (from Florida). They are such wonderful women of God. They are the kind of women you desire your daughter to be - compassionate and strong; simple yet stunningly beautiful. They are women after God's own heart.
What I will take home with me is the act of simplicity. My life constantly becomes decluttered with activities or work or projects or to-do lists. Being in Haiti made me realize just how simple God has designed life for His children and we are the ones who clutter it up. I will also take home a revolving vision of my marriage, my career, my calling, my leadership...every aspect of my life where God has gone before me and set out a path. That vision should revolve; not just stop at the end goal, but once I've achieved that goal, I'll make a new one. It's constantly seeking the prize and continually running the race. I think I've become stagnant. I have to let go and let God lead me in all facets of my life. That I will not regret.
