Introduction to the U.S.A. and Conclusion from Haiti

Greetings family and friends!

2015 Family Outer Banks Picture!

A lot has happened in the last couple of months and I am glad we are BOTH full-time back in the states now. So thankful for everyone's prayers and support as we were in Haiti and also transitioning to Maryland. In fact, we are still transitioning. Daniel started school yesterday and I have had a temporary job for the last week, which will go for a few more days. I have a couple interviews lined up for the next week, I am open to wherever God wants to take me. Just looking forward to serving in whatever position I end up with. Currently, we are living in an apartment, but we are almost done closing on a condo we bought.

Celebrating being full-time in the states!

It is hard to sum up our time in Haiti, but we were both ready to leave. My time with Mission Aviation Fellowship was amazing, and I am so thankful that I had that opportunity to serve with them while in Haiti. They are helping so many people in the work they do, not just in Haiti, but all over the world. May they be the light that people need to see God and who He really is through their service. Daniel finished his contract on the 25th of August working for Colibri. He learned a lot during that time and can use that knowledge to continue his education to get his bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering.


I would like to challenge you to look outside of our "bubble" to see where we can serve, whether it is right next door or maybe even a bigger adventure to a new country. I pray that each one of you that reads this, may feel the love of God surrounding you in whatever way you need Him most. Blessings to you and your loved ones.

At the Air & Space Museum in D.C.

I would like to ask for your continued prayers as there are things unsettled as for when we will have a permanent place to live. Also, for Daniel starting at UMD (University of Maryland) and for myself as I find a job that is a good fit for me and also the company that I will be joining.

God Bless,
Amy & Daniel

A little bit of everything!

Greetings!
Well it has been a crazy couple of months! So much going on before we leave Haiti in August and a lot going on getting ready in Maryland.

I had a great time seeing all my amazing friends and family in Michigan last month! It was a bit overwhelming at times running around trying to fit everyone in my schedule, and I wished there was more time in my days to fit all the people I missed! After Michigan my travels led me on a road trip to College Park, Maryland with my parents. We were able to look at potential places for Daniel & I to live and we ended up looking at around 10 to 12 different apartments and I think 7 or 8 condos. However, there are a couple possibilities yet. I was able to spend some time yesterday in our Nation's Capital and explore. It was kinda cool to be there so close to Independence Day.

World War II Memorial in front of Washington Memorial

I'm heading back to Haiti on Saturday, and as great of a time it has been in the states, I am ready to be back with Daniel! However, I am not so sure I am ready for Haiti and it's heat. Can't wait for the day when we are both here together. My plan when I get back is to continue volunteering with Mission Aviation Fellowship for a couple weeks and pack all my things up in Haiti. On July 18, Daniel and I both fly to Norfolk, VA to meet up with my family heading south to the Outer Banks, NC for a family vacation for the week! Hopefully we won't encounter any shark attacks! After the vacation we will be driving our car up to College Park, MD for a week for Daniel to go through some orientation stuff at the school and hopefully choose what apartment we want. The hard decision comes after that, on August 3 Daniel has to go back to Haiti through August 26 to finish his job, and I need to figure out if I am going to stay here in College Park or go back to Haiti with him. It really depends on if we have an apartment here and if I have a job, then I will probably stay in Maryland.

Praises:
-Going on vacation in 16 days!!!
-Finding a couple apartment possibilities
-Having parents willing to take the time to drive you and help you with the search!
-Daniel is getting excited for his classes to start at the University of Maryland and living back in the states.

Prayers:
-Daniel and his online chemistry class. His laptop decided to stop working earlier this week and he is struggling getting his homework done and being distracted by other stuff. Once I get there, he can use mine until his gets fixed during our vacation.
-We are moving to a new apartment in Haiti that is quite a bit cheaper than where we were before, so we have to settle in when we both get back to PAP on Saturday. A friend of ours will continue living there after we leave.
-Finding the right place to live in Maryland close to the university and also that I can find a good job.
-Daniel starting full-time classes at UMD this fall.
-Spiritual strength, as we are both overwhelmed with everything going on, that we will continue to seek God through it all, in His timing and build each other up during the unknown of it all.

We are so thankful to have the support of our family and friends! Prayer is powerful and I don't even want to know where I would be without the love of God. Please continue praying for us as we are transitioning/adjusting to the current/upcoming changes. Each one of us goes through times when we cannot wait for that time of uncertainty to be over, and that is where I am now and I am not sure when it will end. However, I do know that I am ready whenever God wants to let me know. I pray that each one of you reading this will be open to whatever God wants to do in your life. Many blessings to you and your loved ones.

God Bless,
~Amy & Daniel

Exciting news!

Family and friends,

If you haven't heard, Daniel got accepted as a transfer student into the University of Maryland, starting Fall 2015! His plan is to go for Aerospace Engineering, but he can't get accepted into that program for another year or so until he finishes some of the general classes. Daniel is looking forward to being back in a college community and having the resources (aka...reliable internet) to use to complete his courses. UMD (University of Maryland) is located in College Park, which is about 30 minutes outside of Washington D.C. We are both getting excited about this change and moving. However, there is still a lot that needs to fall into place for us to get transitioned back into living in the states again. I am thrilled to be back on American soil again, but I am also overwhelmed about adjusting back to the states after I am finally feeling settled in Haiti.

I will be home in Michigan for a few weeks in June starting on the 11th. I would love to see as many people as possible during this time! During the end of June, I am planning on driving our car to Maryland with most of our belongings and looking for a place for us to live, we are hoping to buy a house or condo if the price is right :). Then I am hoping to leave our car in a storage unit and fly back to Haiti the beginning of July. Then the 18th of July we will be flying to the Outer Banks to spend vacation with my family for a week! After that, we will be going up to Maryland for us to hopefully confirm on our place of living and Daniel's orientation and getting to know the city of College Park. Daniel will be heading back to Haiti to work until the last week of August, and I am still not sure if I will be staying in Maryland at that point or going back to Haiti with Daniel. It is a summer full of traveling and I like to save money, so we will wait and see.

As I am getting closer to the end of our time in Haiti, I think back to last May when I was preparing myself to move to Haiti and starting my volunteer position with Mission Aviation Fellowship. This past year has been a learning experience like none other, not only learning how to live in Haiti (driving, grocery shopping, cooking, unreliable internet, running on roads filled with rocks and branches, fixing the car, etc...) but also living in Haiti as a newly married couple. It has been an experience that I wouldn't change. There have been some very difficult times of pain and missing our lives back in the states, but what we have learned during this time has taught us the lessons we need to use in our future. We will miss the meaningful friendships we have made here and hope we can return again.

Praises:
-Getting an answer about Daniel's acceptance into UMD!!!
-Being able to travel home in June for a few weeks to see family and friends.
-Staying healthy and safe
-The wonderful friendships we made in Haiti that make it so much easier to live here.

Prayers:
-Daniel is currently taking another online class (Chemistry), prayers that he can have the time management to complete that and safety as he continues working on airplanes.
-I am currently taking an online Anatomy & Physiology class that will end in a couple weeks.
-Adjusting back to the states, packing (one of the most stressful things for me), moving, finding the right place to live.
-Our travels driving in Haiti and also flying around this summer.
-Health and safety, as it is getting hotter there are more mosquitoes out, which means a larger chance of getting bit by one that has a disease.

Thank you for your prayers and support. It means so much to us to know that we have prayer warriors out there for us. God knows what we need, and when we need it. We are trusting Him in His time, and whatever happens is just part of the adventure. May God bless you and your families in whatever you may be going through. Life is full of daily struggles and pain and I pray that you may feel God wrapping His arms around you and you can feel the comfort of how much He loves us.

God Bless,
Amy & Daniel

Adventures in Haiti!

Hello Family and Friends!

It has been a couple months since I posted last. So I will try to catch up and fill you in on all that has been happening. In my last blog post I talked about fixing the car and all the car parts we brought back with us after Christmas. Well, we are finally getting there and getting it fixed. Right before my mom came we were able to fix the A/C in the car, which has held up and is a huge blessing. Not because it is so hot (it can be, trust me), but because it is very dusty and with our windows down it is pretty bad. There are still a few other things that need to get fixed, but the A/C has been awesome!

After Christmas Daniel and his co-worker switched from doing every other week in Cap-Haitian to doing two weeks in CAP and two in PAP. So they are still spending half of their time away from Port-au-Prince, which can be difficult, but I was able to go with Daniel in February for about 10 days and it was really great to get out of the city and change the scenery. We went on a couple hikes/runs up the mountain in the morning and got some pictures the second time cause neither of us thought to bring the camera the first time.

The lookout from the top of the mountain on our hike

Daniel is still working hard at his calculus class and getting an A. He has been applying for universities to attend this fall in the states for Aeronautical Engineering. So we are waiting to see where we end up in August. But we are both really excited to see where this leads and being back in the states is always a plus too!

I am still volunteering with MAF but on a part-time basis now, as my position as assistant to the Program Manager is done. I am helping with random projects and working a few days a week or when they need someone extra to help out. I have been talking with some friends who work for other organizations here and need someone to help them out part-time, so I am figuring out if I can work that out also. Hopefully in my next blog post I will be able to share more.

Birthday celebrations! With Dawn, Annie, Caroline
my mom!, me, Daniel, Jess, Cynthia,
and my wonderful friend Cheyenne is taking the picture.

On my birthday, February 24, my mom was able to make it to Haiti for about 9 days, which was really great! Daniel was able to get a couple days off from work on the 25th and 26th, and we went to the Wahoo Beach Resort about an hour away. We hung out on the beach and went snorkeling one morning, ate really amazing food, played games and slept! My mom spoiled us while she was here and it was really nice for her to be able to come and see what our life is like here. She saw the good and the stressful parts and I am grateful she didn't get on a plane the moment that we started driving home.

My mom at the Heartline
Maternity Center.

Praises:
-Had a wonderful birthday in Haiti with Daniel and my mom being able to come.
-The time I was able to spend with my mom here and creating our own adventures.
-Daniel's class is going well this semester.
-I am heading to Gulf Shores the end of March to spend time with my friend Lisa and her family.

Prayers:
-Daniel managing his time with work and school.
-For our health and safety here.
-That our car keeps running well and gets us through August and then we will sell it.
-Remembering to put God first in our life/marriage when we get busy and forget that we just need to give it to God and He will provide in the way we need.

Daniel and I extremely grateful for all of your thoughts, prayers and support as we are figuring out what we are doing here and how we can serve others in this time. May God bless you and your families in whatever you may be going through. We all have our situations that at this moment we are wondering how we will get through it or where God is going to lead us next. However, when we look at everything that God has given us, when He doesn't even need us, we really are blessed to have Him as our Father, friend, provider, protector, comforter, etc... I am thankful for how God has put all of you in our lives and that we can love each other as Christ loves us.

God Bless,
Amy & Daniel

Update on the Tredway's

Dear Family and Friends,

At Famous Dave's for dinner with the family

We hope you had an enjoyable holiday season with family and friends. Daniel and I had a great time spending our Christmas in Kansas. We were able to have quality time with family and friends. It was a really great time not only enjoying family and friends but having a break from the chaotic life in Haiti. When we arrived at his grandparents house in Topeka on Christmas Eve night, I had this feeling of being refreshed. Not that I felt really clean or anything, because we had been traveling all day. But a feeling of ease and relaxation. Don't get me wrong, we were busy the whole time we were in Kansas trying to see everyone we could, but it was just knowing that we can get around easier, and quick run to the store if we needed something. We also had the special pleasure of getting to see two movies in the theater, one with his dad and the other with his sister, Crystal. My parents were also able to come for the weekend after Christmas and visit with Daniel's family. All around, it was wonderful being able to spend my first Christmas in person with Daniel and the people we love.

Daniel with Crystal (sister) and Mark (dad)

We arrived back in Haiti on January 1, 2015 and it has been crazy ever since. We were able to get a bunch of the car parts we needed sent to my parents and they brought them with them to Kansas and we took them back with us from there. Daniel has been busy with his class (calculus) this semester and is still working everyday, and obviously doesn't have time to work on the car. So that would leave me, the person who didn't even know how to change a tire to look up YouTube videos and internet websites to learn how to do it. So far with some and a lot of Daniel's help (strength), I have changed the front rotors, breaks, tire rods, shocks, fuel filter and diagnosed a misfire on cylinder 1. The next big project is the air conditioning. I am not sure how much I really enjoy working on the car, but I am glad that I can help. Still not sure when I will be done at MAF, and what I will do after that (besides work on the car). So we will see and just take it all one day at a time.

Changing the rear shocks

As I think about our life in Haiti, some things like stated before, take more time here than they do at home. Or we have better access to things in the states than we do here. Which makes living in the states a lot easier some times. However, when living in a country other than the one we are used to, it is easy to forget that we can have some of the same issues there.  Life is a gift that God has given each of us, and if we worry so much about all the problems we have and what the future holds, then we are missing out on what God is teaching us right now.

Praises:

-That our trip home for Christmas went smoothly with no delays and a great time with family and friends.

-We were able to get our car parts back to Haiti without any hassle in customs.
-Meeting new friends in our village and having a "family" community.

Prayers:
-For Daniel's calculus class, and that he will be able to do his best work and keep up with his class.
-Daniel working everyday and being safe with the aircraft he is working on.
-The car repairs and all the stuff that has to get done around the house.
-What is next for me after I finish at MAF-Haiti.

Thank you all for your prayers and support for us as we are here and learning where God is leading us. We greatly appreciate all of our friends and family and the encouraging words that make a huge difference for us.

God Bless,
Daniel and Amy

Update on the life of the Tredway's!

Greetings family and friends!

Lots to write about, so I will keep it as "short" as possible. I returned home to Michigan from Haiti on October 2 and spent those two weeks finishing all the wedding planning and enjoying my time with my friends and family before the wedding. It was a strange feeling of going back to MI and thinking that I didn't have to go to work, it was like I was on vacation! But I kept pretty busy running around finalizing the details and meeting with my vendors. The wedding turned out really well! I felt so calm and at peace, it was so nice to enjoy the day with Daniel, and he was as handsome as ever! I can't wait to see all of our wedding pictures. The one showing is one that his mom took.

My parents drove us to the Chicago airport on Sunday where we took off to our honeymoon destination, Maldives! We were there for a week. We got there in the rainy season but it was still GORGEOUS! It was the perfect time of relaxing after the crazy wedding planning and before we go back to the stressful life in Haiti. Unfortunately, Daniel's class he was taking finished the week we were there, so he had to spend part of a day taking an exam. He got an A!

As great as my time back in Michigan and the Maldives was, it was really difficult to come back to Haiti. As I was vacationing, I kept telling myself not to get used to it and remember what it is like to live in Haiti. I am not saying that because we have horrible living circumstances, but it just takes awhile to get back into the routine of things. It took about a week to adjust back to the 9 hour time difference from the Maldives and get adjusted.

I am still volunteering at MAF through sometime in January. It has been going pretty well. The week after we got back, I had to catch up and close the month of October. But somehow it all fell together at the end! I am very thankful for the opportunity I have to work here not just because it is convenient and close to where Daniel works, but for me to be able to do something that I think is valuable with my time and make a difference in Haiti. I have learned so much about accounting in this position and I hope that I can carry that over to another job sometime. I have no idea what I will do when this position is done, but I am sure that God does and I will just have to wait to see what that is.

Daniel has been busy with his classes towards his degree in Space Studies/Engineering. He has been working everyday because American Airlines is now flying into an airport in Cap-Haitian (northern Haiti). There are only two main mechanics here in Haiti, one is in Port-au-Prince and the other is in Cap-Haitian, so Daniel and Mandi switch locations every other week. It has been stressful because our car isn't working very good, and he doesn't have time to work on it, especially when he isn't here. Thankfully, when he is in Cap-Haitian he has time to catch up on his classes there. Their boss is looking for another employee to share the work, but an extra mechanic hasn't been hired yet. So we will be spending Thanksgiving here in Haiti.

Praises:
-Heading to Kansas to spend Christmas with Daniel's family Dec 24-31, and my parents are going to drive there to visit us for a couple days.
-The wedding turned out great!
-Returned to Haiti safely after a really great time away.
-Daniel met a plumber while I was in the states and he fixed our kitchen sink! Makes doing the dishes a lot easier!

Prayers:
-Daniel as he is working every day and taking classes.
-Safety for both of us when he is not in Port-au-Prince with me.
-That our Toyota 4Runner keeps working, especially when Daniel is gone.
-Staying healthy
-Myself as I am figuring out what I will do when I finish my contact at MAF in January.

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. It means so much to us to have the support of family and friends. May you and your families have a wonderful holiday season!

God Bless,
Daniel and Amy

One day at a time

Greetings friends and family!

It has been over a month now since I last posted and soon I will be busy with packing to go home for the wedding! I have less than a month before I go back home and the wedding is in 41 days. I am so excited to be back in the states and not feel the worry and stress that I have living in Haiti. However, I am very thankful for the fact that God has kept us safe and healthy so far. Daniel was gone in Boston for about 10 days last month, training with Copa Airlines. Without him here, it reminded me how much of life is out of my hands and that I need to put my faith in God and trust that whatever is going to happen God will protect me.

I am a planner and I like to know what is coming up and be prepared for whatever could happen. The culture of Haiti is very much spontaneous and you just go with it. I don't know if I will ever adapt to that part of Haiti. But I do what I can and just focus on the day that God has given me. It's so hard sometimes to want to fast forward and skip to the exciting part. However, if we are always looking to what is coming next and wanting to get back in our comfort zone, we are missing what God is doing RIGHT NOW in our lives. Yes, I am so looking forward to the time when Daniel and I can move back to the states in about a year or so. But if I keep focusing on that, I might be missing out on something really big that God is trying to teach me now.

In the middle of August I was able to get a couple days off from work and visit a school (Haiti School Project) that my home church in Byron Center (Compass Church) has been sponsoring for awhile. This school is located in Villard, Haiti about a 2-3 hour drive depending on traffic. We spent 2 days there and did some crafts with the kids of all ages. The main craft was for the kids to draw a "dream star". Basically they needed to draw a star, decorate it and in the middle write out any dreams or goals they had. I don't know how to read Creole, so I didn't understand a lot of what the kids put. But a couple of the stars had said something about God. It was really great to spend some time with the kids and see them learn. Most of them didn't even know how to draw a star, so we had to help them.

The kids here in Haiti are so precious. God has created us each so differently, but yet we all have struggles and deal with them differently. It's hard to see when the kids aren't being treated or nourished the right way, but once again we need to trust in Him. The people of Haiti in general are so beautiful, not just their looks, but they work so hard and most people have very little, but they still have a smile on their face. What a special and unique gift that is that God has given them.

 

I will be finishing my first 3 month contract with MAF on October 1st. When we return from our honeymoon on October 30, I am planning on continuing at MAF for another 3 months until the person whose job I am doing now returns from furlough. I managed to get through 2 month end closing periods. July was really rough, and I felt that I had messed a lot up. But August went really well. Let's just say I learned a lot from my mistakes in July and made sure that didn't happen in August. The best part of my job is when I get feedback after helping someone, and they say how much they appreciate what MAF does here in Haiti and they love flying with us.

There is so much more I could write, but to keep it simple I will just save my other stories when I see you all in person.

Prayer Requests:
-The kitchen sink at Daniel's apartment is leaking. We are managing to get the dishes done in a tub, but we haven't been able to find a plumber anywhere.
-Health and safety as we are getting ready to go back to the states for the wedding and our travels for our honeymoon in the Maldives.
-Finalizing the wedding details and just having peace about whatever happens is just fine as long as we are married at the end of the day!
-Time management for Daniel's classes for his bachelor's degree.

Praises:
-God has keep us healthy and safe thus far!
-Daniel and I have been able to finish Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace course and learned a lot about how to save our money.
-God has provided for us when I was ready to give up and go home.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support! May God bless you and your families in whatever you may be going through. Take one day at a time so you don't miss out on what He is teaching you today.

Love,
Amy