Saturday, September 9, 2017

Haiti trip update and running

Hey Friends and Family!
As most of you know I have been training for the Richmond Marathon on November 11, which is almost 2 months from now. I have put in 400 training miles so far and have about 200 left. I am running all of these miles because God gave me the legs and heart to do it. It isn't for my benefit it is to honor and glorify Him. I obviously enjoy it most of the time because I look forward to it and challenging myself.
Training in the Outer Banks, NC
Last year I ran for Team Fisher House to run in the Marine Corps Marathon, and it was worth it to help families of the military. This year I didn't have to join a charity, but I wanted to. I wanted to make the miles matter for more than myself. So when I want to quit, I can think about the other people's lives that matter who may not be able to run or walk. This is my way of still being involved with a mission organization and making a difference where I can. I am raising donations for medical flights in Haiti with Mission Aviation Fellowship. I worked with them for a year there and I know there are people that cannot afford the costs of a medical flight. The medical flights can range anywhere from $250 to $750. My goal is $2000 to help them out. Please pray about this and see if it is something you feel led to help with. Here is the online link, all donations are tax-deductible: http://www.maf.org/tredway. If you would rather send a check to MAF, you can write my name in the memo line and send it here:
Mission Aviation Fellowship
Atten: Becky Lee
PO Box 47
Nampa, ID 83653

I was recently in Haiti to see some friends and also got to visit MAF again. It has been over 2 years since I left and it brought back a lot of memories. The driving is still crazy as ever! lol! I was able to run once while I was there, made it about 7 miles doing .5 mile loops and Daniel walked the last few with my water bottle and I would meet him every other lap. I am thankful to be running on the pavement instead of watching out for giant potholes, rocks, oh and the wild dogs that would bark at me and try and jump on me sometimes. It is a completely different lifestyle and the people that I passed running gave me the strangest look, like who is this tall american running in 90 degree weather. I am glad we were able to visit again but I think it will be awhile before we can go back as we have some big trips coming up next year (Brazil in March & cruise in the Caribbean in May)!

MAF hangar in Haiti
Daniel and I at our old house in Haiti















This is the 2nd floor of a restaurant and you can watch the airplanes taking off and landing. 
Last weekend I was able to go home for the holiday. It had been since Christmas since I saw most of my family. It is really hard to be away from my family and friends there. However, I know that God has plans for us here or maybe even in Texas at NASA, but nonetheless they are the people that you grew up with and have always supported you. There was a lady that used to work next door and she would always tell me "Never forget where you came from", and I haven't and I miss everyone a lot. I can't say thank you enough for all of the support I have gotten from everyone throughout my adventures and trying new things that I had no idea what I was doing or where it was going to lead to. I have God and that is what I hold on to.

God Bless,
Amy (and Daniel)



Saturday, July 15, 2017

Miles for medical flights

Hi Friends and Family!
So I decided to register for my second marathon, this one will be in Richmond, VA on November 11th! As most of you already know when Daniel and I lived in Haiti I volunteered with Mission Aviation Fellowship. I miss being apart of this organization and the work I was doing there. So I reached out to MAF to find a way to help raise support for the medical flights MAF is doing in Haiti. The support would be for the people that can't afford them. About one-third of the customers who need medical flights need help with the costs. Flights can range anywhere from $250-$750 it just depends on where they have to go. Would you consider praying about joining me in making a difference in the lives of people in Haiti. Any amount matters and will make a difference. Every mile I am running in the next 17 weeks (600+ miles) is a privilege because I know not everyone can do that. Not everyone is called to be a missionary out in the field, even though I did that short term, this is where God has Daniel and I and I want to make the most of it. Daniel and I are actually going to Haiti the end of August before he starts his fall classes and are looking forward to taking a trip back. All donations are tax-deductible. Please reach out if you have any questions. Here is the link: http://www.maf.org/tredway

Thank you for all of your prayers and support over the years of my adventures. I don't know where I would be without the great God we serve. I continue to try to be open about where the path leads that He has planned. We don't know when we will be called home to Heaven, but we can make the most of our time on earth to honor and glorify our Father. I pray that you can have peace about whatever you are going through right now and trust in your Father who loves and knows you better than anyone.

Blessings,
Amy

Saturday, January 14, 2017

Update on Nicaragua Trip

Family and Friends,
I want to say thank you for your prayers and support for my Nicaragua trip. It was an amazing experience. I knew back in September that God was nudging me to go on this trip. I didn't know why He wanted me to go and as I got closer to the trip, the more anxious I got about leaving my busy life here. I didn't know anyone besides my pastor going but I kept feeling like God was saying "Trust me, I got this" and I knew that I needed to be open to whatever God wanted to do in me while I was there. I am so glad that I went and followed what I felt God was leading me to. I have been on mission trips before and even lived in a third world country, but this was different. I believe that God's plan for me going on this trip was to get me out of my "normal" life to make me realize what I was missing and the changes I needed to make in my life.

We attended the Sunday church service there and it was so great to see how excited everyone there is to celebrate Jesus and what he is doing in their lives. I wanted that joy and peace they had. So I gave my heaviness and stress and anxiety to God and almost immediately I started to feel better. I could focus on what God wanted me to do there and how I could help the people there.

Working on filling the pillars on the wall
Our main project for the week was to help
provide protection for the kids in the orphanage. We filled in pillars of the wall with cement. It was probably the hardest work I have ever done and we were sore and tired from previous days but God always gave us the strength to get through it. We worked as a team and we made a lot of progress to keep the kids in a safe environment. We worked all day on Thursday and Friday on the wall and half a day on Saturday and Monday. After we worked we would go to the orphanage and see the kids until dinner time. We stayed in the same area as the orphanage so it was very convenient to go over after work and play with the kids. They were on their summer break so there weren't as many kids there as there normally is. After dinner we would get together for "porch time", which we got together with the 14 of us in our group to process what happened that day and what was happening the next day.

Took the kids to the river to go swimming!
Besides our main project we did a variety of other activities. Saturday we took a tour of Puerto Cabezas, which is where we were staying. then we did ice cream at the orphanage with the kids and played games. Sunday after church we took the kids to a river where we all went swimming and there was a cliff to jump off, which I even did! Monday after we worked in the morning we visited a prison and brought the men and women there food and some of our team shared their testimonies or an encouraging message. The men and women both sang for us, which I found very interesting. Even in their hardships they still want to praise God. Tuesday morning one of our team members decided to get baptized so we went a river and got to celebrate with her in that decision! Then in the afternoon we went to a feeding center and made fun things for the kids out of pipe cleaners! Then we helped serve the food to the kids. Most of these kids, this is there only meal for the day and a lot of them will take most of it home with them to share with their family.
At the feeding center
The kids loved our pipe cleaner creations!











We also visited the dump after that where they pass out food too but we went later so we missed that. Tuesday evening we went back to the orphanage to say goodbye to the kids as we were leaving on Wednesday morning.

Thank you again for your prayers for our team, it meant a lot and I am so glad I could be apart of what God is doing in Nicaragua. I would like to go back, but we will just take it one day at a time to see what His plans are for us.

Blessings,
Amy

2017 January Nicaragua Team!