Where it All Began

I know this blog is mostly to write about thoughts, feelings, and events in conjunction with our adoption experience. But recently I was blessed with an God-given opportunity to travel to the country of Haiti. In the next number of posts, I want to share how this came to be and what the journey was like for me. So I will start in the beginning. Some of the things I will write are from previous journal entries I made in my paper journal. Others are compilations of my thoughts.
On Tuesday January 12, 2010 the country of Haiti was rocked by a 7.0 earthquake. Thousands have died. The news coverage is full of damaged infrastructure, bloated corpses, and wailing mourners. Aid is desperately needed, God is asking what will you do? Sheila? I read about it, and I feel my heart pounding and my stomach in knots. I tease Stan that maybe the reason why he wasn't able to travel to PNG on short term missions was because I am supposed to go to Haiti. All afternoon on January 16th my mind is consumed, anticipating, what? A family member calls to talk about the need for adoptive families for orphaned children from Haiti. I break down and cry saying I feel I need to go to Haiti. She promises to pray and assures me that if God wants this, He with move in me and in others. Less than an hour later friends call, wanting to come over for a visit. I worry that there could possibly be a problem in their life.
In the meantime before they arrive, I phone a dear friend to share my spirit's stirrings. She encourages me.
After we hang up, I sense the Spirit speaking to me. Psalm 46:10 be still and know that I am God. Jeremiah 29:11-13 I have plans for you. Isaiah 6:8 who will go? 1 Corinthians 2:9 you can't believe what I have in store for you. Phillipians 1:6 I am doing a work in you and will see it through to completion.
Later our guests arrive and we sit down together and they begin sharing with us how with all the media coverage about Haiti they are feeling led to reach out and help in some way. They heard about my desire to go and believed that this is what God was calling them to do, to completely cover the cost of a trip to Haiti. I am overwhelmed I am scared I am anxious I am excited I am ready to go...