God is faithful

This is the hardest blog I have ever had to write, and I wish I could put if off longer.  But you deserve to know what's going on, so here I am to tell you.

To protect those involved, there is not much I can say.  In short, some people were faced with difficult decisions, and the family I was going to live with will no longer be working with Harvest Field.  [Please, please, please pray for everyone involved in this situation.]  For that reason, I am unable to work with Harvest Field, and for the time being I am not moving to Haiti.  This is very heartbreaking for many different reasons, but I know that everything is going to be okay.  God is faithful, and he will be with me, no matter where I am.  So I'm happy to be where I am right now, and I'm excited about all of these possibilities in the future.

If Haiti and I were in a dating relationship, I would say that we were engaged.  I was ready to spend the rest of my life there to invest in children long term.  Now that we've broken off our engagement, I feel that I am not ready to commit super long term at the moment.  And I think that's okay.  

For now, I'm graduating in 5 days and going to Honduras in one week.  Exciting!  After 5 weeks in Honduras, I'm not exactly sure what will happen.  But I'm on the lookout for opportunities, and I'm excited!  I could go anywhere, do anything.  Life's an adventure, right?  

God is good, and God is beautiful.  I'm excited to see what happens next, and I'm happy to be where I am right now.

And I think it's important to remember that I already know where I belong.  It's not Haiti.  It's not anywhere in America.  Where I belong is with God, and that's the best part.

Shelbs

[Some logistical things:  Harvest Field will be sending me the donations that all of you have sent in for me, unless you would prefer to have a refund.  Your money will only ever be used for ministry purposes.  Please contact me if you would like to get your donation back.  Thank you all so much for your prayers and support.  Please e-mail me with any questions.]

P.S.  Things are great at school.  Enjoy some pictures of Highbridge Film Festival and Junior/Senior!

the latest news

Hey there lovely people!

Wow, this last semester is just speeding by; I can hardly keep up!  

My birthday was a blast.  My friends planned an intricate scavenger hunt that ended up in a huge scene with aliens and a kidnapping.  The game ended with a trip to Build-a-Bear and the birth of my new furry friend, Chuck!

Isn't he adorable?

The next weekend, I got to meet my FAVORITE author in the whole world.  His name is Bob Goff.  I got my book signed and a hug, after we heard him speak at Southland Christian Church.  

Two weekends ago, I attended The Gathering for Harvest Field Ministries, which I will be working for in the near future!  It was a beautiful event, and Harvest Field raised a lot of money for Haiti.  It was so wonderful to see the Kelley's and catch up with them a little bit.  

After that little stop in Knoxville, we continued down to Palm Coast, Florida.  We had a wonderful spring break, which included Jessica's first time at Sea World!  We got to pet dolphins, see Shamu, ride roller coasters, and all that good stuff!  

I am writing this blog from Orange Leaf, which is a frozen yogurt place in Lexington.  Jessica and I are fundraising for our trip to Honduras (Yay!!!).  This probably comes as a surprise to most of you.  I was waiting to announce it until after most people had already known about Haiti, because I didn't want anyone to get confused.  Yes, I am still moving to Haiti in June!  But first, I am going to Honduras for five weeks to get some more experience with a very well-established ministry at a school called El Sembrador.  It's a really great opportunity for me, and I only have to come up with $1,500 to go.  Today, anyone who comes to Orange Leaf with our flyer will be supporting us with 25% of their purchase!  [If you are interested in supporting this trip, please contact me!]  So far, quite a few people have eaten froyo in our honor!

Haiti Update: It's about three months until I go to Les Anglais!  I am so excited, though I am starting to become a bit nervous about everything!  I somehow feel a little unprepared, even though I've been preparing for all this for the past three years!  Fundraising is going well, but this is what I am really looking for now:  I need people who would like to partner with me and get involved by praying for me and donating just $5 or $10 a month.  So e-mail or call me if you're interested!  Most people think that small gifts don't make a difference, but having your involvement and participation means the world to me!  Thanks everyone!

an invitation

Hello again friends!

If you haven't read my latest blog - "a huge announcement" - go back and read that first!

I would like to invite you to be a part of something big.  God is moving in Les Anglais; you can read all about it in Shannon's blog.  I am moving there to be a part of it - to fight for families and build relationships that change lives, both mine and theirs.  I am overwhelmingly excited about this life.  I've been counting the days - 140!  I know that God has called me there, and so I will find a way to be there, no matter what it takes.  And that's why I'm not begging for your help, but I would like to invite you to be a part of this grand adventure!  

"¹² Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For we were all baptized by^[c] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. ¹⁴ Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

¹⁵ Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹ If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” ²² On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴ while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵ so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."

1 Corinthians 12

We all have a part to play in God's story, and it looks different for everyone.  It changes all the time.  Right now, my part is to study hard, serve other students, encourage others, and love kids at the homeless shelter. In 20 weeks, my part in God's story is going to look different, and I can't wait to see it!  What matters is that we are all a part of this grand adventure, and we are all called to participate.  Partnering in this particular ministry may be a part of your story, and maybe it is not.  However, my prayer is that your time, energy, gifts, and finances are all used to glorify God.

God is inviting you to show His love to a broken world, and I am inviting you to be a part of that in Les Anglais. 

So message me for details (and that's not a commitment, but a chance to learn more about it)!

Or comment on this, or call me!  

But I'd love for you to be a part of this story.

~Shelbs