greetings from port-de-paix!

WE'RE HERE!

We have been in Port-de-Paix, Haiti for three days now! We arrived shortly after three o'clock on Wednesday and have been hanging out with all the folks at Hope Vision Ministry since. The weather has been hot but great, the company is as entertaining as we remembered it to be, our internet is up and running, and the faithfulness of our Jesus is still beyond our wildest imagination. We are so blessed to be here, and it is our prayer that we would be stretched and used to further His kingdom in whatever way He sees fit. Please join us in praying that as we are poured out, we would, also, be filled. We are so thankful that He chose us to love this nation, and it is our prayer that you would seek to do the same in your neighborhood, workplace, and home. May the name of our Lord Jesus be strong in our weakness, and may He receive all glory due His name!

Speaking of glory, look at how we started our trip. Seriously, y'all, He paints the most beautiful pictures in our skies.

Y'all keep stalking now, ya hear? :)

#ninetwelve.

Today is the day we've been looking forward to for over three months! Last night at 7:25 PM, TJ and I boarded a plane headed for Miami, we're currently preparing to board another one headed for Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and then board our Indiana Jones plane toward Port-de-Paix later this afternoon . This journey has been one that has been filled with so much favor and blessing from our gracious Lord Jesus, and I'm confident that He will continue to pour out His Spirit upon us as we go where He is leading us. We're not fearful, but excited, for everything we will see and do while we are there, but we are equally as excited for all the things that will be taking place on the home front while we're gone. Friends, we need your help.

In January, a small group of us rallied together to pray for His kingdom to come and His will do be done. We wanted to see more mountains moved and more faith multiplied and more hearts in love with our Savior. This wasn't just a one-time prayer, but a prayer that we have prayed twice a day since. Every morning and evening at 9:12, we simply stop whatever we're doing and sit at the Father's feet for a while. We beg for life-change. We pray for hearts to be softened. We ask that walls would be torn down. We earnestly request for love, grace, mercy, and truth to consume the nations. Based off of Matthew 9:12, we pray for the sick to be made healthy by His grace, just as we once were.

The faithfulness of our God throughout these past seven months has been so much more apparent; He has always been here among us, and He continually shows His love for us by faithfully responding to the requests we place at His feet. There is power in prayer, in making our desires known before God (Matthew 7:7 + Matthew 21:22 + John 14:13 + 1 John 5:14), and our desire is for every tongue to confess that Jesus is Lord, for every person to believe that He was raised from death to life by our mighty God, and for His name to be famous in all the earth (Romans 10:9). Just as Jesus went from death to life, so, too, did I when I acknowledged and accepted His grace. I want everyone to have what I have been given; I want joy to abound in the hearts of all mankind, for love to pour out of every word spoken, for mercy to be granted to those who deserve it least, for salvation to be thick across the nations, for the light of Christ to shine so brightly that darkness becomes a distant memory.

Many people have asked us, "How can we be praying for you while you are in Haiti?" Pray for favor and protection to guide us while we are there, and for us to look more and more like Christ as we continue to seek His face. Pray for Hope Vision Ministry and all the precious children who call it "home." Pray for a great awakening in the hearts of all people. Pray for the sick, that they may become righteous through the righteousness of Christ. Pray for your families, your friends, and the strangers you pass on the street. Partner with us in praying over all those who refuse the name and power of Jesus Christ. We have seen so many mind-blowing things since we have begun praying this prayer each morning and each night, and we invite you to see the Lord move in earth-shaking ways alongside us. Not just for the time we are in Haiti, but for the rest of our lives. We may not be together in the same place praying, but all of our voices have been lifted to our Father with one voice from all over the nation, and for the next five weeks, nations. May our message be the same as that of John the Baptist, Jesus, and Jesus' disciples: "Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven in near!" (Matthew 3:2 + Matthew 4:17 + Mark 1:15)

"While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, 'Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?' On hearing this, Jesus said, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick...For I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.'"

(Matthew 9:10-13)

glassy mountain.

Yesterday, we made the short trip to Glassy Mountain for a final morning of hiking before our departure. The trail was very easy, and the view was amazing. It was so refreshing, as it always is, to walk through creation and talk about all the things we're most excited about in the upcoming month. We can't wait to begin our travels to Haiti in just a few short hours; just talking about it over it the last several months has been enough to make us jump for joy. His creation is the best reminder of all His eyes see. What a blessing it is to see even a tiny glimpse of His view, and we can't wait for all that He will show us over the next five weeks and beyond. To God be the glory forever and ever!

farewell party.

On Saturday afternoon + evening, we invited friends and family over to the bungalow for some food and fellowship before we leave for Haiti. We had such a great time catching up with everyone who came, and it made us even more thankful than we usually are to have so many incredible people in our lives who love us so well. We are so, so blessed; I could repeat that every second for the rest of our lives, and it still wouldn't adequately describe the extent to which we are. Our God is faithful and abounding in love, and our hearts come close to popping every single time He overwhelms us with His favor. This night was filled with plenty of our favorite people and things, and we're already looking forward to hosting another get-together upon our return in October.

No goodbyes, only see ya laters. Right friends? :)

that perfect night.

Allow me to share with y'all a recap of one of the best, most fun nights of my whole life. I wish I could insert the screams and jumps along with the photos, but I would gladly reenact them for you if you were to ask. :) Brian's son, Baylee Littrell, kicked things off for the night, and it was the cutest thing I've ever heard. DJ Pauly D was up next, followed by Jesse McCartney. When the Backstreet Boys finally took the stage, all of us were about to explode with excitement. I'm certain I speak for all of us when I say I would willingly re-live this night over and over again for the rest of our lives. Mellywhack had the best birthday ever, hands down, and Katiebug and I were so pumped to be alongside her as our childhood dreams came true. We've been in love with the Backstreet Boys (specifically Nick and Brian, of course) for fifteen years, and we felt like little girls again as we sang every single song at the top of our lungs.

Backstreet's Back! ALRIGHT!

we'll never break your heart.

In anticipation of our countdown to August 21st, we made t-shirts so we would stand out in the crowd. We wanted everyone to visibly see the love we've had for our first crushes since we were wee little girls, and we were so excited about how they turned out. Us three ladies from Vintage Avenue were proud of our hard work, and we rocked them unapologetically in the midst of thousands of screaming fans.

Oh, how I love our precious friendship. And the Backstreet Boys, of course.

gag reel.

We couldn't cut all of TJ's hair off without having a little fun, of course. I cut the sides, grabbed the mousse, and experimented with some different options (as a good hairstylist does, of course). He really wanted to keep the mohawk, but his audience voted against it; at least he had one for several minutes, right? :) This reminded me of the time we were seniors in high school, and I did the styling without the cutting (documentation provided). Teesh is always up for someone to play in his hair and rub his head, so he was lovin' every minute of it right alongside me. Melanie and Dustin were there, too, so they got some extra laughs for the day in, also. Those fifteen minutes were some of the best we had all weekend, I'm tellin' ya.

My personal favorites.