This will probably be the last story I share under this heading.
It is not, however, one particular incident like the others but rather a summary of very special gifts received on behalf of our boys. Some were tangible; others were not. But each one was a blessing, an encouragement to our souls.
I plan to write in greater detail about the boys' homecoming day. But let me just share that in the midst of sprinting from the Miami airport to the Fort Pierce airport several hours away, we met up with my husband's brother Mateo and his wife Raquel, who had graciously agreed to host us during our time in Florida.
We met in the parking lot of a shopping center and had a very quick bite to eat at Chipotle. In the brief moments we spent together, Mateo and Raquel blessed us not only with a delicious lunch to refresh and strengthen us but also with two brand-new carseats for our boys; a cooler full of water and snacks for our drive to get them; a Starbucks gift card for coffee purchases along the way; a cell phone on loan with instructions to use it in unlimited fashion; and printed information they had acquired through taking phone calls on our behalf as well as Mapquest directions for the next leg of our journey. They seriously thought of everything we might need, and we were SO touched by their sensitivity and kindness. For the record, our visit with them in Florida is one that we will always treasure as one of the sweetest times we have shared (and we have shared many special visits.) Thank you, Mateo and Raquel, for your love shown "in word and deed" to us and to your newest nephews!
I've mentioned in prior posts that my parents and my oldest sister Terri also joined us in Florida for several days. Obviously, purchasing last-minute plane tickets and reserving a hotel is not an inexpensive venture and we are so thankful for the sacrifices made so that they could share this once-in-a-lifetime experience with us. Being full-time missionaries overseas means that many of life's special moments are not shared with family as we might like them to be. (For instance, I have yet to meet Terri's youngest son and actually will not meet my nephew until he is four years old and we are on furlough.) But this special moment - that our sons arriving home from Haiti after the years of waiting and the fears and heartache of the earthquake - this special moment we did share, because of their willingness to go the extra mile and find a way to be there for us. Thank you, Mom and Dad, and Terri and Dave, for the gift of your presence during these special days!
We had the chance to be with many family members while in Florida. But there were others who would have loved to be there, like Pedro's parents in Texas and my sister in Chile, who simply could not do so. Despite not being physically present, their prayers carried us through each day. We communicated via phone and via Skype and their emotional and prayer support, their love and their concern, were a great gift to us. We are so thankful for a wonderful, loving family!
Our needs were met in incredible ways. We are still waiting for the disbursement of our adoption grant, so we faced a number of upfront costs for this trip. One supporting church blessed us with a gift of $1,000 just prior to our traveling and they contacted the mission to facilitate our receiving those funds as a personal gift. Another supporting church deposited $500 into our personal checking account for travel expenses. A friend of a friend of my sister-in-law in Florida called to ask for our boys' clothing sizes. The next day she arrived with boxes of beautiful brand-new clothing, blankets and stuffed animals for Ian and Alec. Each and every one of these gifts was such a reassurance of God's watchcare over our family and a reminder of how He has met every one of our needs, every step of the way. We give Him all the glory and praise!
It is not, however, one particular incident like the others but rather a summary of very special gifts received on behalf of our boys. Some were tangible; others were not. But each one was a blessing, an encouragement to our souls.
I plan to write in greater detail about the boys' homecoming day. But let me just share that in the midst of sprinting from the Miami airport to the Fort Pierce airport several hours away, we met up with my husband's brother Mateo and his wife Raquel, who had graciously agreed to host us during our time in Florida.
We met in the parking lot of a shopping center and had a very quick bite to eat at Chipotle. In the brief moments we spent together, Mateo and Raquel blessed us not only with a delicious lunch to refresh and strengthen us but also with two brand-new carseats for our boys; a cooler full of water and snacks for our drive to get them; a Starbucks gift card for coffee purchases along the way; a cell phone on loan with instructions to use it in unlimited fashion; and printed information they had acquired through taking phone calls on our behalf as well as Mapquest directions for the next leg of our journey. They seriously thought of everything we might need, and we were SO touched by their sensitivity and kindness. For the record, our visit with them in Florida is one that we will always treasure as one of the sweetest times we have shared (and we have shared many special visits.) Thank you, Mateo and Raquel, for your love shown "in word and deed" to us and to your newest nephews!
I've mentioned in prior posts that my parents and my oldest sister Terri also joined us in Florida for several days. Obviously, purchasing last-minute plane tickets and reserving a hotel is not an inexpensive venture and we are so thankful for the sacrifices made so that they could share this once-in-a-lifetime experience with us. Being full-time missionaries overseas means that many of life's special moments are not shared with family as we might like them to be. (For instance, I have yet to meet Terri's youngest son and actually will not meet my nephew until he is four years old and we are on furlough.) But this special moment - that our sons arriving home from Haiti after the years of waiting and the fears and heartache of the earthquake - this special moment we did share, because of their willingness to go the extra mile and find a way to be there for us. Thank you, Mom and Dad, and Terri and Dave, for the gift of your presence during these special days!
We had the chance to be with many family members while in Florida. But there were others who would have loved to be there, like Pedro's parents in Texas and my sister in Chile, who simply could not do so. Despite not being physically present, their prayers carried us through each day. We communicated via phone and via Skype and their emotional and prayer support, their love and their concern, were a great gift to us. We are so thankful for a wonderful, loving family!
Our needs were met in incredible ways. We are still waiting for the disbursement of our adoption grant, so we faced a number of upfront costs for this trip. One supporting church blessed us with a gift of $1,000 just prior to our traveling and they contacted the mission to facilitate our receiving those funds as a personal gift. Another supporting church deposited $500 into our personal checking account for travel expenses. A friend of a friend of my sister-in-law in Florida called to ask for our boys' clothing sizes. The next day she arrived with boxes of beautiful brand-new clothing, blankets and stuffed animals for Ian and Alec. Each and every one of these gifts was such a reassurance of God's watchcare over our family and a reminder of how He has met every one of our needs, every step of the way. We give Him all the glory and praise!
1 comment:
Thank you so very much for sharing these stories Steph!! They are powerful in showing how God works through us all.
Thank you! I love to read what you write, you have a gift with the written word to be sure
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