hope vision ministry.

Allow me to introduce you to our newest happy place that we departed from a week ago from this very day. What a blessing it was to spend an entire week at Hope Vision Ministry, a place that created the most unlikely joy inside our hearts. This is where over forty children call "home," and we are still overflowing with thankfulness that we got to have a glimpse into their lives in Port de Paix, Haiti. You may look at these photos and see ruin and destruction, but all I saw was beauty. So much beauty. The presence of the Lord, even in the midst of so much despair surrounding us, was unfathomable. We were overwhelmed with His faithfulness, and the majestic way He directed our hearts and minds while we were there was too incredible for mere words. I saw the Lord in ways I'd never seen Him during our visit to Hope Vision, and I am already looking forward to the next time I get to see Him in that light again.

"The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him."

Lamentations 3:25

john 14:18.

What will it look like through my eyes? Will my heart break immediately? If so, how will it ever be put back together again? How should I respond to my thoughts and emotions? What is it going to take for me to love like Jesus would love? Will I ever be the same again? Do I even want to be?

These are just a few questions swarming around in my mind as we prepare to depart for our first international mission adventure. Not only is it to a country with too many needs to count, but this one is particularly special to us. I'm in love with a nation and a people that I've never met. Sounds crazy, but it's true. I have been blessed by all the stories told to me by our partners at Capstone who have seen Haiti for themselves, and I can't wait to get down there and experience it for myself. Teesh and I will never be the same. I know that, and the funny thing is I'm okay with it. I can't wait to be pushed passed the point of breaking and have my heart shattered in ways I never knew to be possible. I can't wait to be dependent on the Lord like never before, to acknowledge his power and his strength in new, almighty ways. Even in the midst of such devastating poverty and despair, I know there will be joy. And love. And faith. Oh, to have faith like the faith I will witness while we're there. The Lord will be all we have for much of our trip, and it is the deepest cry of my heart that we would acknowledge him in those moments as all we need. Even more so that we would see deeper and deeper into his heart, learning that he is all we need at any moment, not just in those with no competition.

As we spend a week in Haiti loving on the kiddos at Hope Vision Ministries, I would like to ask for your help. We will need as much of the Lord's blessing as we can possibly get, and it would be so awesome if you would commit to partnering with us in prayer. Pray for safe travels. Beg for the Lord to show up in mighty ways. Intercede on behalf of all the children, Ron, Karen, Pastor Andy, Madame Pastor, and all the other new friends we will make. Ask for the Lord's favor over the next seven days, and plead for his mercies to overwhelm us. There are so many things that I could ask you to place before the feet of our God, all of which are of significant importance, but, most of all, please ask, plead, and beg the Lord to reveal his plans for what comes next in the lives of two humble souls eager to be obedient to his calling for their lives. Ultimately, all we want is his glory to be revealed through us. As we cry out and wrestle with him more and more this coming week, I would ask that you simply join us.

Thank you for all your love, support, and intercession that has been poured out over us in preparation for this trip. We are already looking forward to sharing our hearts and stories upon our return next Friday, and please know that we will be praying for all of you as you do the same for us. Praise Jesus for this incredible community of friends and family who care so much for us.

We love you!

"I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."

John 14:18

yard sale.

That's right, friends, the Bargerons have hosted their first yard sale! We woke up early Saturday morning, covered our lawn with goodies, and waited for all of our customers to arrive. Not only did we make a very small fortune, but we got to meet a lot of our neighbors, too! It was a glorious morning, and I am already looking forward to our next one, however far or near it may be.

happy halloween!

Scenes from our first Halloween as adults living in our very own home!

We may have over exaggerated how many kiddos we thought we'd get, buuuuut we'll blame that on our excitement.

The good news: we've got leftover candy for next year!

buddy walk, year three.

Last Sunday, Teesh and I joined forces with the Pineros family, once again, for the Buddy Walk in honor of our precious David. Team David was overflowing with some of God's best, and it was such a blessed afternoon! We walked and ate ice cream and watched DJ David steal the show and got hugs from the man of the hour all day long. Not even the rain could stop our smiles and laughter. I'm already looking forward to next year's annual walk!

This boy has stolen the hearts of us two Bargerons, simple as that.

our beautiful home.

It only took us five days to get everything situated and placed where we wanted it to go, which pumps me up and makes me so proud of all of our hard work! We painted our green kitchen yellow and our red bedroom coral, cleaned from top to bottom all over the house, placed our little nicknacks throughout the rooms, and made it as cozy as possible. We've got quite a list of "honey-dos" to work on over the course of the next several months, but I am content to be patient on tackling all those little, some of which are quite big, things when we have the time and funds to dedicate to them. For now, I am absolutely, positively, undeniably smitten with our little piece of paradise near downtown Greenville. Not to mention how it has traces of Ma and Pop all over it, which fills my heart with more joy than is possible to put into words. Big things are going to happen in this little house. I just know it.

I'd like to introduce y'all to the bungalow that the Bargerons wake up to every morning and go home to every evening. Pictures don't do any of it justice, but they make a nice attempt. As precious as it is on film, just imagine how stinkin' adorable it is when you see it with your own eyes!

Sidenote: visitors are always welcome. No exceptions! :)

"Peace -  that was the other name for home."

-Kathleen Norris

boxes galore.

After we unloaded everything from the moving truck, this is what we were left with.

We are so thankful for our out-of-this-universe families who slaved away all day long to make our first day in our new house the best day ever. Following an entire day of going through boxes and trying to place things as best as we could, daddy grilled out cheeseburgers on our back porch and the Henderson and Bargeron clans gathered together for our first family cookout at the place we now get to call home! It was absolutely perfect. Seriously, I keep replaying that day over and over again in my head, and I can't think of a single thing I would change. It may have looked like chaos from the outside, but it was nothing short of beautiful inside those brick walls.

Teesh and I are blessed beyond imagination to have families that sacrifice and give so much of their lives to ensure that ours are as good as they can get. Thanking Jesus for them is one of my favorite things to do, and I can promise you that the Lord heard each of their names individually throughout that twenty-fourth day of October at least fifty times. Definitely one of my favorite days. Ever.