Sheila and Tori getting ready to windsurf!

I really wanted to post more pictures from the trip but I can't seem to get them loaded and it takes so much time and then it errors out so sorry for only getting to see a few pictures.

Pics

                                 One of the pools that was at our resort in Puerta Plata, DR.

Sorry I can't seem to get these to load very fast so you might get one at a time. 

Fun getaway to Puerta Plata, DR

Sunday morning, Wilson (Sheila's fiance) drove us to the border and we walked across the border to the Dominican Republic.  We then got a bus to Santiago where we had lunch at McDonalds.  Then we hopped on another bus to get to Puerta Plata and had to take a taxi to get to Gran Ventana which was our resort.   Our resort had several pools so the first night we decided to check out the quiet pool and no one was in it so we had the whole pool to ourselves.  After that we had dinner, watched some karaoke and then played some games.  Monday we went snorkeling which was fun!  This was my first time ever and there were some pretty cool fish!  We sat by the pool afterwards, went for a bike ride and went to the nearby grocery store that is similar to a Walmart.  It was funny to see my roommates get excited over little things.  In a few months I will probably be the same way.  I think we were there for over an hour but we got stocked up on food for a while.  The best part for them was getting cheese.  Today we had to get a taxi back to the bus stop, took a bus to Santiago and then another bus to Dajabon where Wilson was going to pick us up.  While in Santiago we went to get pizza at Domino's but we had limited time and no pesos.  Thankfully we went to the bank next door and at first they didn't seem to want to help but then they said they could help us.  We got the pizza about 5 minutes before the bus was supposed to leave so we had to run back to make sure we got on the bus.  I'm sure we got a lot of funny looks as we were running back to the bus station.  Three white girls running with skirts and flip flops on with pizza/breadsticks in our hands.  It was a nice getaway and it was nice to spend time with the roomies.  I'll have to post pictures later.

First few days in Haiti

Tuesday afternoon I flew out of GR.  I was a bit nervous about having my 2nd suitcase being too big and that they might charge me extra money for it.  However when I checked in, they didn't charge me anything for the checked luggage!  After check in, we had a circle of prayer with a few people from church which was amazing!!  I just want to say thanks to all who came out for one last goodbye and to send me off.  I don't think I will ever forget it!  I finally arrived in Florida around 12 - 12:30am and then had to fly out again at 6:30am so it was a very short night.  I arrived in Haiti around 8:45am and all my luggage came which I thought none of it would come.  The first day in Haiti was a very laid back day.  I met my roommate and talked with her and the others that live in my apartment.  They are all very nice!  Yesterday was another laid back day and I met with the field director and a few others about more specifics on what I will be doing while I'm down here.  Thursday nights are praise and worship nights so some of us met in the volunteer house to sing and pray.  This morning, Teri started training me on the accounting side of things.  I got to count gourdes and help pay a few people as well as a few other things.  Then this afternoon I played with a few kids and some of the VanderLune's kids.  I leave for the Dominican on Sunday and will be there until Tuesday.  The roommates wanted to do something special with me when I first arrived so we could have some bonding time and not be distracted with things at COTP. 

Apparently I'm still getting adjusted to the heat b/c at night we have a fan on and my roommate sleeps with a sheet and a blanket on and I only sleep with a sheet on and feel like I'm sweating.  It just made me laugh b/c this is definately warmer than MI but apparently it's been a little cooler than normal.

Sorry this isn't very interesting but I wanted to post a few things that are going on and to say that everything is going well.  Thanks for all the prayers!!

Flight Schedule

Here is the flight schedule since some of you asked for it.  I fly out of GR on Tuesday, May 21 at 5:53pm and land in Ft. Lauderdale at 11:05pm.  I have to spend the night in Ft. Lauderdale because my next flight leaves at 6:30am the next day.  I fly out of Ft. Lauderdale at 6:30am on Wednesday, May 22 and arrive in Cap-Haitien, Haiti at 8:10am.  If I remember right, it's about a 30 minute drive from the airport to Children of the Promise.

About 7 years ago, I began to struggle with my job...Was I impacting others...Should I be doing something different?  I had the desire to do something with children and thought about working at a camp or school so that I could still do accounting but also be around kids.  However, I continued with my job but I found things outside of work to do with kids like volunteering at the Holland Rescue Mission child care and helping with children’s activities here at Noordeloos like VBS, Sunday School and Kids Club.

 Then a few years ago, I thought about going to a third world country and visiting an orphanage but the thought of going by myself scared me.  I was very excited when I learned that Noordeloos was going to have an international mission trip to Nicaragua.  One of the reasons I signed up was that I was hoping to visit an orphanage and even though I was not sure we would, I felt God was leading me to go on this trip.

Several things on the mission trip impacted and challenged me.  For one of my own personal devotions, I read Matt 4:18-22 and Matt. 9:35-38 and the verses that stuck out to me were “Come, follow me.  At once they left their nets and followed him.” And “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into his harvest field.” In one of our group devotions, we talked about stepping out of our comfort zones and what are we going to do differently when we get back home. The last church service we attended in Nicaragua was regarding work – is your work impacting others and how is your work glorifying God?  Following the service, I was talking with another individual on our team and she asked if I enjoyed my work.  Had I been honest with her and myself, I would have said “NO” but I told her “YES” because I was not ready for that conversation.

 After being home for a few weeks, I went out for lunch with the 3 young ladies that went on the trip with me.  On the way home, one of them asked me what my dream job would be if I could do anything.  That question really caught me off guard!  My first thought was to work in an orphanage.  However, I figured that was probably not going to happen so I responded that my dream job would be to do something with children – even though that was not at all close to my current position.  I knew from these conversations and others and from songs and sermons that God was trying to get my attention.  I began to earnestly pray and seek God’s direction to where he was leading me.
 

God has led me on an incredible journey over the past year.  I have seen His hand working in so many ways in my life.  This includes the timing of the Nicaragua mission trip, which had it have been a week earlier; I would not have been able to attend because of work.  I could also see Him working in the situation Barb, Lucy, Laura, and I were in when we ended up separated from the rest of the team and ended up flying to Nicaragua by ourselves.  That flight experience prepared me to fly to Haiti by myself.   In addition to preparing me to fly by myself to Haiti, He brought to my mind the verse “do not fear for I am with you” Isaiah 41:10 since I had heard that verse so many times.  I knew God was with me during this time and felt His presence next to me. 

 I knew God was calling me but I struggled in responding to His call.  I often questioned “why me Lord? Why not pick someone who is better qualified and one that would do a better job?” – I then saw a quote that said “God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called”.  When I was struggling with the possibility of getting sick down there, that very Sunday we sang the song “God will take care of you.”  I was again reminded that God is in control and that He will take care of me.  God spoke very clearly to me through the sermons of our pastors and guest pastors and through devotions and songs.

 Then in September, I went to visit COTP for a week.  I knew when I returned that God was calling me there but yet it scared me.  (I was perfectly fine w/ staying in MI and making an impact on the kids here and I wasn’t ready to leave friends and family) But God did not give up on me and continued to speak to me.  There have been so many sermons that seemed to have been written just for me!  I knew God wasn’t going to give up until I said “YES”.

 So I said “YES” and have committed to being at COTP for one year.  My job with COTP will be doing their accounting part time and helping in their preschool the other part of the time.   I will be teaching English to the kids so they will be able to adjust easier when they get adopted.  I leave on May 21 and will be living at the orphanage with the other long term staff.

I want to thank everyone who has been there for me on this journey and has walked beside me – praying for me and encouraging me.  God used many wonderful people to encourage me because there have been many days when I have thought about returning to my normal life just b/c it was easier.

I would greatly appreciate your prayers as I prepare to leave this next month and transition to life in Haiti.  A couple specific prayer requests that I have are:

·         That my preparations will be completed smoothly

·         For safety as I travel to Haiti

·         For good health while I’m down there

·         That I will form good bonds with the children and with other long term staff

·         And most importantly, that I will be the hands and feet of Jesus to all I meet

 

Dear Family and Friends -

I want to take a moment to share what God has been doing in my life over the last year.   In April of 2012, I went on a mission trip to Nicaragua with my church and absolutely loved it!  So many things impacted me on this trip.  Two verses, from my personal devotions, that greatly touched me/spoke to me were:  “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest,
therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”  (Matthew 9:37-38)  

After I came home from Nicaragua, I had a hard time getting back into the routine
of things here since my heart was still back in Nicaragua.  At first I thought it was due
to being on a “spiritual high” that always comes after going on a mission trip.  I figured
eventually I would get back into the normal routine and life would go on like always. 
However, I never got back into the normal routine and life just wasn’t the same.  Early
on, I could sense that God was nudging me to do something different but what that was, I didn’t know.   After a few weeks of praying, listening, and spending time in God’s Word; I felt God was placing it on my heart and calling me to go overseas                
somewhere.   God was using sermons, songs, and a number of different ways to speak
to me.   God definitely had my attention!   I thought about it daily and then one night
I couldn’t handle processing it anymore so as I was lying in bed, I said – “Alright Lord,
I’ll go wherever you want me to go and do what you want me to do – just show me
where.”  Well, not too long after that God started showing me/leading me in the way
He wanted me to go.                                                                                                                                    

In May, some friends of mine went to Children of the Promise (COTP)                  
which is in Haiti.  I decided to check out COTP’s website since I’ve always
thought it would be fun to work in an orphanage.  They had a preschool opening
and immediately I thought that looked like fun especially since it was teaching kids
English so they could adjust easier when they were adopted.  I thought how hard
can that be since I LOVE working with kids?  I started to look into that position which      
also led into finding out there was an accounting position there as well.   Throughout
this time, I continued to pray that God would show me what I should do or where I        
should go.  One night driving home from work, I saw a big sign that said “Bless the
Orphans” on it.  I never saw it before but I felt like that was God’s way of telling me
what I should be doing.   In September of 2012, I went to COTP to check it out since
I felt like God was leading me in that direction.   While at COTP, I had the opportunity
to love on these precious kids!   These kids stole my heart!!!   After coming home, spending time in prayer, and seeing God open so many doors, I knew that God was calling me to go to COTP.  God continues to open doors and confirm my decision to be part of the mission at COTP.  He even provided a Creole (Haitian language) class in Grand Rapids!  God is so good!!

In response to God’s call, in May of 2013, I will be moving to Haiti to COTP.   My job with COTP will be doing their accounting part time and helping in their preschool the other part of the time.   I will be teaching English to the kids so they will be able to adjust easier when they get adopted.  Per God’s leading, I have committed to being there for 1 year.

Children of the Promise is located in the small village of Lagosette which is in northern Haiti, about 8 miles from Cap Haitien.  Currently they have about 60 infants/kids in their care.  Children come with a variety of needs that may include malnutrition, serious illness or family difficulties.  The main goal is to reunite the children with their biological families and if that is not possible then they start the adoption process.  COTP is the largest employer in the area providing work for 80+ local residents.  COTP also has other programs that assist the community.  These programs include:  prenatal classes, formula program, nutritional supplement program, school sponsorship program and water filtration.  If you are interested in learning more, check out their website at www.childrenofthepromise.org. 

I’ve already been blessed by your encouragement, prayers and support!  I would appreciate your prayerful consideration to continue to support me with your prayers and finances.  My goal is to raise $13,000 for the year since that is what it will cost to live there for one year.  This amount covers the cost of health insurance, travel, lodging and food while I’m down there.   If you feel led to give, you may do so by doing a one time gift or a monthly gift.  As with most charitable giving, my name should not appear anywhere on the check.   Simply write a note or include a post-it note with my name on it and/or how you want it to be used.   You can donate online by going to COTP’s website at www.childrenofthepromise.org or by mailing a check to:  Children of the Promise   PO Box 123  Prinsburg, MN 56281.  

THANK YOU to all who have walked beside me on this incredible journey and all who have encouraged me and prayed for me.  Thanks for allowing me to share how God has been leading me over the last year.  While I am at COTP, I plan on sending out updates through email or facebook.   If you don’t have either one of those, let me know and I will make sure you get updates.  J  My email address is vavink@juno.com and my cell phone number is 616-403-5143.   I would LOVE to share this journey with you! 

Blessings,
Val Avink