This is Starting to Become a Reality

I can not believe we are leaving for Haiti TWO weeks!! That means I have 14 days before this dream becomes reality. It's all beginning to sink in that I am actually fixing to hop in a plane and step foot onto a country that many wouldn't dare enter. Along with the excitement of new places, new experiences and new people comes a bit of fear and anxiety of just what is in store. BUT I am completely at peace knowing that I am in the will of God heading out on this trip. Praise God!!
I am continuously burdened for the people of Haiti. I wake up thinking about them, I go through out my day thinking about them and I go to bed thinking about them! (Suprisingly I don't think I have dreamed about them yet!!) The Haitian people are already so close to my heart which makes each day that passes closing into the day we leave, that much more exciting!
Now that we are getting  so close to March, people are always asking when were leaving and if I am ready to go. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! AM I READY??! LET ME GO TODAY is what I feel like the correct response would be, but YES i am absolutely ready to go.

"Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God, who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls, knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act"

Proverbs 24:12

Just a few updates:
We had another meeting with our team this past Sunday. Such a hand picked group that God has choosen to send over there! I am so excited and blessed to call myself a part of this team that has a heart to make Jesus' name known to the ends of the Earth. Such a selfless group and I know that every breath we take, every step we journey on and every word that leave our mouths will bring all the glory to OUR sweet Jesus that He deserves. We are here for HIM and we desire that He be made famous among the Haitian people!

May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships -

so that we may live deep within our hearts.

May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people -

so that we may work for justice, freedom, and peace.

May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war -

so that we may reach out our hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in the world -

 so that we can do what others claim cannot be done, to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

Amen. (Franciscan Benediction)

WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS:
1. overall safety while travelling by bus and plane as well as safety while in the villages and community
2. Health
3. Language and cultural barriers
4. Unity among our team both now and on our trip
AND
5. the Haitian people- for hearts to already begin geing stirred before we even get there

Thank yall again for all the love, support and prayers!

Etched in my heart..

So I have already failed at my promise of updating once a week, but school has gotten the best of me. Praise the Lord, after a full day of school work, I now have time to update you on my life before heading to bed. Luckily, today was our first long meeting with our wonderful, hand-picked by God, team of 14. Filled with lots of exciting information that I now get to pass along to you!

I can not believe we are down to the last few weeks as we now have just 33 days left and counting. It's coming up quickly, but each day the Lord is preparing me more and more.

We are now flying out early on Sunday morning and returning mid afternoon the following Saturday due to flight schedules. But the Lord's timing is perfect and I am believing that the trip has been altered slightly for a reason. We are staying at an orphanage in Jacmel, as most of you know, which is just south of Port-au-Prince.

Although alot of our time will be spent at the compound of the orphanage, we will also be doing tent revivals in the city, street evangelism/ministry and possibly going into the jails to do ministry to the imprisoned as well. Now at first glance of reading that last part of the prior sentence, please do keep in mind our hearts must go out to the imprisoned too. They need Jesus just as much as the 4 year old orphaned boy or the 27 year old mother of 3 that is living in the tent city. We are walking in complete confidence that the Lord is going before us and the Lord will be with us in every step that we take. We will be under the covering of each one of your prayers and will be completely safe. Our sweet Jesus gave us common sense too for a good reason, and I can assure you we will be using it quite a bit while over there. I ask you to be supportive and excited for the opportunities we have been given and any reserves you may have about things, seek the Lord for a peace and comfort that far exceeds, we as humans, understanding!

Other exciting news we recieved today... we will be wearing skirts every day that we are there. Now for those of you who know me and know my love for my nike shorts and a tshirt, you are going to be in for a real laugh once pictures go up of me actually wearing these lovely skirts! I give you full permission to laugh, because laughing is what I will do each morning I put one on. They will look great with my tennis shoes to match! Let's see what else we learned today... oh man, how could I forget our culture lesson on Haitian food. For those of you who do not know the typical foods that Haitians eat...

you are now looking at a yummy feast made up of chicken, potatoes, black beans and rice! I am determined to have a positive outlook on this considering almost everybody we come in contact with while we are over there would kill to have this meal. I know some of you who have left the country and have eaten a similar meal will be quick to tell me that outlook won't last 5 seconds after I put it in my mouth and actually taste it, but a positive outlook on it now doesn't hurt anybody does it?!

We did learn today that one of our team members will be updating Twitter for you social network goo roo's

 in order for yall to keep up with and follow us on our 8 day journey to bring as much hope and light in a third world country that is physically possible with the strength and mercies that the Lord has promised to provide. The link to that and how to follow us will come as we get closer to the trip itself!

The last thing I would like to share with you tonight about our trip before wrapping up for the night is we found out today that we will be taking stuff over to Haiti for the kids and people that we will come in contact with. Over the next few weeks remaining before our trip, some of us will be making salvation bracelets to hand out.

We will also begin collecting items like:

BUBBLES

BALLOONS

 STICKERS

and CRAYONS to cram in our bags in order to bring joy to these precious little children of God.

As I leave you tonight, I know this blog has been longer than most but I am attaching this YouTube video for you to go watch. It is close to 8 minutes long, but as I came across it tonight, I knew I had to share it with you. This is my reason for going to Haiti. This is my burning desire to get across to you and what I want you to grasp as the reason for me going to another country to spread the LOVE of Christ. I hope to impact many "Hudson's" while I am there! Do yourself a favor and watch this video. I can assure you that it will etch something so deep in your heart that you will never view children in poverty and need the same.

Depraved Indifference Video 

Praying for you all tonight and asking for prayer from you also! You just have no clue the impact you each are making on my life by praying for me even now. May you be blessed in the week ahead!