Thoughts..

It's funny I have so much to say about Haiti I could go on for days. Yet when it comes to organized talking about it I get speechless. Last Sunday I visited my family in Idaho & spoke to the church I grew up in about Haiti. Writing a "speech" was the hardest thing I have ever done. My best friend Lauren & I got the slideshow together and then we started writing an outline. Lauren & I were debate partners in highschool so this was pretty normal for us. Lets face it though its been 5+ yrs since highschool & I was a little rusty. I wrote a half hearted outline and went to bed. I woke up the next morning 3hrs before church started & got my butt in gear. My sister told me many times "Amy, God is not going to let you have this incredible experience & be quiet about it." So I just tried to keep that as my focus. I prayed that God would show me what I needed to say. Then the words started flowing. I realized I had a lot to share. I thought talking for 10 would be hard. My husband even said "Will you even be able to fill 10 minutes?" Strangely I felt the same way. Boy were we wrong!

When I got to Inkom Community Bible Church we tested the slideshow to see if it worked. It did. THANK GOD! I then had Pastor Russ Blair pray for me because I was very nervous. I cannot tell you how much that prayer calmed me.

When it was my turn to go up & speak I was ready! It was great because before I went up they were making some announcements & one happened to be about Samaritans Purse. I had seen the church bulletin board in the kitchen talking about Samaritans Purse & was going to bring them up as an organization to get involved with. Then it was my turn. I took Rodrigo's stopwatch with me so that I would talk for 10 minutes. I forgot about it though. Once I started talking I just couldn't stop I didn't say half the things I had planned to say & talked far beyond my 10 min increment. Apparently I also messed up a little. I was trying to describe how in my first week in Haiti baby Charley had BLOODY diarrhea & I thought he was going to die. Apparently I just said diarrhea so people probably didn't understand my concern. I'm sad I didn't share the many miracles I saw & they power of prayer I experienced. I hope that I got my message across. I was so touched after the service when people came up & talked to me about how it had touched their hearts.

I really hope people will get involved. Here are some great places to start:
Extollo International
Kids Against Hunger Pleasanton
Samaritans Purse
J/P HRO