Terrific Twos! Happy Birthday, John Ellis!

We celebrated John Ellis and the 2 years of life that God has given him.  We are thankful to have him as part of our family.  What a blessing!  His strong personality brings us both joy and many opportunities for personal growth.  As the youngest brother, he doesn’t let the big boys push him around!  He can stand his ground and has a resilient  spirit that we are believing God will use to bring His Kingdom in even greater measure to this earth! 

We have been on a Haiti Transformed team retreat so we didn’t celebrate too much as we were travelling home all day on his birthday and didn’t get home until late afternoon.  He is the birthday boy with his breakfast at the retreat.  I did  a bit of handy work on his pancakes!

Last night (Jan 20th, his actual birthday) we looked back with our family at pictures of the night of his birth and told the boys the story of John Ellis’ birth.  John Ellis wasn’t feeling well this past weekend, we had been travelling all day and he was exceptionally tired last night so we called an early night and planned to celebrate tonight instead.

Jody picked up pizza from the lone pizza place in Leogane, Haiti (at least that we know about!).  It is fairly new and fairly decent…I wouldn’t pick it as a place to get pizza in the States, but it is pretty good by our standards in Haiti! =)

The boys trying to teach John Ellis to hold up 2 fingers.

After dinner, we invited our neighbors and team leaders over for cake.  It was our first birthday in Haiti and I was glad to have friends to celebrate with us the sweetness of John Ellis.

Opening his gift and celebrating with our team leaders and their kiddos.

Enjoying some cake!  Such a big boy!  And soon to be a big brother any day!

 

We love you John Ellis!

Our Journey to Haiti: Day Two

Our day started here:

We had a restful night at the Griffin’s house in Baton Rouge, LA.  Showered, ate and did a load of laundry.  Thanks for your hospitality friends!  The church plant team had a scheduled team meeting this morning so we got to see many friends from our training program: 24:14.  Our boys loves these guys…they always get them WIRED up! =)  This pic only includes part of the team.  They prayed and encouraged us before we headed out for another long day of road tripping.

We crossed into Mississippi.

And got to enjoy true southern hospitality.  They still offer full service at gas stations like “Giterdone”.  I politely declined. =)

Next came Alabama:  the other boys were sleeping for this picture.

The boys are enjoying plenty of games on the iPad to pass the time.

And just when we think we can’t be in the car any longer we see this guy and it puts things back into perspective.  Glad we aren’t this guy!

If I wasn’t on this road trip we would be blazing past all the state lines…unfortunately for Jody and the boys this is a tradition that began in my childhood and I have a hard time not doing.  You can tell from these next pictures that enthusiasm for the pictures at the lines was waning.  But a girl has to do what a girl has to do.  Self picture for all the passerbyers to see.  No shame.

Welcome to Florida Cash Family!  Next stop, Haiti!

Our day “ended” here:  Chick-fil-a in Pensacola, Florida.  We tried to have dinner at Cracker Barrel but that was a MAJOR bust.  We did sit down and order.  But JohnEllis pretty much screamed non stop and the big boys were complete wiggle worms...I can handle the entire restaurant staring at me for only so long.  It was a mistake that was prompted by an adult craving for yummy food.  Of course, it was a bad idea to bring 3 little boys into a restaurant like that after sitting in a car for the past 2 days.  We quickly left with to-go boxes in hand and took a 20 minute detour to find this place:

Yes, that is a fake smile from Jody. And below those are real smiles from the boys.  They were happy to be out of the car in a place they could scream and jump and play.  We are just happy to be somewhere that has understanding parents that just smile and nod when they see a screaming child. 

We love Chick-fil-a!

Now, Jody is sitting in the play place with screaming kids and I am blogging using free WiFi and eating my salad from Cracker Barrel.  Yes, that is tacky but as of now, I am okay with that. The boys will hopefully be worn out and will sleep soon in the car.  Jody and I are planning on taking turns driving through the night until we land in Ft. Lauderdale, FL tomorrow morning.

PRAY for our final leg of the journey.  Tomorrow will be a full day after a night of driving shifts.  We love you and your prayers!

Prayer Hogs.

We have been basking in the glow of many prayers and encouragements from this past weekend.  It was our last Sunday at our home, Antioch Community Church, so we attended all of 2 services and part of another!  It was a long day but super worth it.  At the beginning of each service, we were surrounded and prayed over by our friends and family.  People who love us, support us and encourage us to greater things in the Kingdom.  It seems strange to think that we will not be back to worship with our Antioch family for quite a while.  It is one of the top things we will miss while being gone.

I felt a bit like a prayer hog.   We have been prayed over by so many people recently but still at the end of the 3rd service, my husband grabbed my hand and up we went during ministry time for more prayer from a specific couple that Jody has been wanting to have pray over us for some time now.  (They raised FIVE boys with God’s help so…that explains why.)

That evening we saw on Twitter this picture:

She was one of the teachers in Lucas’ class and knew it was our last Sunday in Waco so she had the rest of the 3 year olds pray over Lucas and send him out as a missionary.  Sweeter than all things sweet!  It made me cry. 

I am so thankful for our church that doesn’t “dumb” down the things of God and the His Kingdom to our children but instead encourages them to live it out now!  It is unnecessary to wait to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus till adulthood!  These little ones have powerful insight into the Kingdom of Heaven that isn’t messed up by adult thinking. Wow!  Thanks Courtney for initiating this.

Luke 18:15-17 (MSG)  People brought babies to Jesus, hoping he might touch them.  When the disciples saw it, they shooed them off.  Jesus called them back.  “Let these children alone.  don’t’ get between them and me.  These children are the kingdom’s pride and joy.  Mark this:  Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.”

Tonight we are going to our last LifeGroup before leaving tomorrow.  They are going to pray over us.  Then tomorrow we meet at our church parking for our send off…where they will pray over us before we head out.

Prayer Hog.  Yup.

Coryell Community Church Missions Awareness

During our time here in Gatesville, God brought our family into relationship with a precious couple.  I met Dick & Olivia at the Gatesville Wal-Mart on the cracker aisle.  This couple doesn’t meet strangers but overflows with the love of Jesus to anyone and everyone.  I just happened to be standing near them that evening and it overflowed onto me!  Since then, they have prayed for us, supported us, cared for us, and cheered us on in the things of God.  They also brought us into their community.  We attend our Waco church (www.Antiochcc.net) on Sunday evenings so occasionally we went to their church, Coryell Community Church, on Sunday mornings.  This church has welcomed us with open arms and has been praying for us and supporting our family.

Last weekend, they invited us to their Missions Awareness Fair.  After a short service, everyone mingled around and were able to see the many different ministries that their church supports and learn about how they can be personally involved.  We were able to share more about the work we are soon to join in Haiti (www.HaitiTransformed.org).  Many awesome conversations were had but my personal favorite was encouraging a teenage girl who was interested in missions but felt like she needed to learn more about God and the Bible first.  I shared about my experiences with short term trips as a teen and how I learned and grew so much during those experiences.  I also tried to clear up her obvious misconception that missionaries “have it all together” or have “arrived” at some greater level of holiness.  Just not true.  And if it is, we are in trouble! =)

Check out these pics of us working our booth:

See You Later, Alligator! After Awhile, Crocodile!

My Granny Pat turned 91 last weekend!  Wow!  I am thankful for her life and the many ways she has served her family and others over her lifetime.  She was a mother and a nurse and worked late, long hours to meet the needs of her children and her patients.  If I had to guess, I would say her primary way of showing love is performing acts of service.  Of course, at 91 that gets a bit more difficult but I still see it happening.  She lives in a adorable little barn house behind my parents.  This past year while we have been in Gatesville, she has been loving me with encouragement.  Each time I see her, she reminds me that she is proud of me and my little family.  I see love shining from her eyes when she looks at me, my husband or my boys. 

We celebrated her birthday this past weekend with a family gathering at Hay Valley Baptist Church.  This is the little country church that my mom grew up in…although the outhouses are gone, it still has an outdoor tabernacle!  It also now boasts a really fun playground and large kitchen/gathering area, making it an ideal place for a large family get together. 

We had a birthday/thanksgiving/going away party which equaled lots of delicious food, homemade from scratch cakes baked by my Uncle Doug, and lots of family! 

I am thankful for a large family of faith that will rally around us and cover us in prayer and encouragement.  I am also thankful that when my family prays, I know that voices and hearts of all ages (toddlers, children, teens, adults, elderly) will be joining in.  What a sweet legacy my Grandmothers carry.

Here is an overview:

Good-bye, I’ll See You Later! Cash Family Gathering.

We spent last weekend with Jody’s side of the family for a “Goodbye, see you later-Autumn-Thanksgiving-Christmas” celebration before our move to Haiti.  My highlights of the weekend were:

~Seeing Sarah & Jerod’s new house.  We love it and feel blessed that they invited all of us over when they only moved in the weekend before.  There wasn’t a box in the house.  They had pictures on the wall.  Just nuts. =)

~Fantastic autumn weather.  Perfect for walks around the adorable downtown square of Van Alstyne.

~Noise of six cousins having a blast.  They didn’t stop moving all day and spent hour upon hour jumping and wrestling on the trampoline.  No naps. Chaos.  It was pure joy for them.  I loved watching it.  My heart longs for my boys to grow up near cousins and family…never mind we are moving to another country. 

~Eating Mexican food for Thanksgiving while listening to Christmas music…the weekend before Halloween.  In this family, just about anything goes!

~Hearing Jody & his dad discuss Baylor football with the game blaring on the radio in the background.  Static and all. (They were TRYING to hear it over all the noise of the kids…anyways, there probably hasn’t been a quiet Cash family gathering in all history!)

~Dressing up the boys as Mario and Luigi and Little Batman (really, REALLY homemade, no sew costumes using things we already had around the house…they are little.  I can still get away with that!)

~Walking around the square with the whole gang collecting treats from the shops and vendors set up.  It was small town goodness.

~Having the whole family gather around us before we headed home and cover us in blessings and prayers.  I felt loved. 

It really couldn’t have been a much better day.  Thankful.

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Homeschool Girl

Josiah on 1st day of Kindergarten

I'm pretty sure that all my older siblings remember being homeschooled. As the baby in the family, I would never have known that homeschooling was part of our lives other than seeing pictures of me as a toddler holding a United States flag and hearing stories of our homeschool days. By the time my school days began, my mom was working as a public school teacher and off to school I went, too! I know there are numerous advantages and disadvantages to either schooling option but as a child I had a very positive public school experience. I always assumed my children would be schooled the same way.

Cue the backpacks, lunch boxes, school picture day, field trips, summer break and field day!

Well...I've been learning a new equation lately: Haiti = Homeschool

Six weeks ago, I became a homeschool girl. Sort of. Josiah started his first day of homeschool kindergarten the first monday in September (no labor day for us)! In the midst of prepping for Haiti we got our school year started with the understanding that there will be a break once we actually move and take some time in Haiti to get settled and figure out life.

After the first week, I was pretty sure that I would never shower again. Being a mommy of 3 and pregnant with a 4th is one thing...being an intentional homeschool momma was a whole new ball game. I am happy to report that we are getting in a groove and I do get to shower with some regularity. (Key word: SOME) :)

Josiah is a great student! He is usually attentive, asks great questions and enjoys learning. I am thankful to have a child and student that wants to learn. Our biggest stuggle so far has been dealing with his disappointment. He has been so pumped about Kindergarten and all the new things he was looking forward to learning that he was bummed the 1st week to learn that we wouldn't be learning it all at once. There are worse problems out there! I am thankful.

We are using Sonlight Curriculum (www.Sonlight.com) and really enjoy it! It is a bit pricey but we used it last year with Josiah's preschool and I think it is well worth the investment. Pretty much everything is laid out for me so there is minimal prep time for the basics, which means I get to spend my time coming up with creative extras that will be educational and fun for the boys. The materials they have picked are excellent, too! I enjoy it and am learning just as much as the boys.

Our prayer is that if we ever want our boys to be in either public or private school someday, then they will be able to jump right in with their peers and be right on course. This has always weighed heavy on me as I anticipated schooling the boys overseas. Will I be able to teach them well? How will I manage life in Haiti with 4 little ones under 5 years AND homeschool well?? Now that I am in the midst of homeschooling, I feel peace from God that he is with us in every part of this journey, even in our schooling. We are not in Haiti yet as we had hoped BUT I am thankful that God has given me time to get some homeschooling experience under my belt prior to having to learn an entire new way of life in addition. His timing is perfect and I am learning to trust it.



'Cause I Gotta Have Faith

Being the youngest of 4 has it's benefits and it's downfalls. It allowed me numerous opportunities to learn from my older siblings...and for better or worse, introduced me to things I otherwise might have been clueless about. Things such as bad 1980's fashion and music. I adored my older sisters and thought what they did was as good as gold. This resulted in me having my Barbie and The Rocker's dolls sing and dance to music via Y 95...THE radio station of choice in the DFW area. This brings me to my point: George Michael's song Faith. What?!? I know...strange point.

Today I have been telling myself, "I gotta have faith"....and who can think that phrase and not think of that song, right?

I gotta have faith...I gotta have faith.

What is faith?

Hebrews 11:1~ Now FAITH is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see.

I have been wrestling with my ability to do this today. Do I trust God. Do I really have faith in Him...to be who He says He is? Do I have faith and trust in His character. In His ability to be both just AND merciful? Do I trust Him? Is He faithful? I am talking beyond the nice, religious, pat answer of His general faithfulness. I am talking about trusting Him to be faithful to ME. To my family. To trust Him with my life.

Our family is on a journey to raise support through a team of people who will partner with us during our time in Haiti. This process is...um...well, it depends on the day you ask me! Some days I am FULL of faith that God is moving on our behalf and orchestrating His plan to bring our team together and get us fully funded by August (the date I am BELIEVING for!). But other days, if I am honest, I struggle to have faith. Because I am believing for something that I DO NOT see. Sometimes it is difficult to be "certain of what we do not see". It is difficult to have faith.

I have seen the absolutly delightful character of God. His love for me and my family. I have seen His provision and I have seen Him do amazing things that were completely out of my control and unexplainable. But at the same time, I feel like the world around me is screaming to trust MYSELF and MY abilities...To trust my logic and what I can see, hear, taste, smell and touch. Surely, I can trust those things, right?

Oh, but faith. I gotta have faith...I gotta have faith. And I know that faith is not always seeing. Faith is being SURE of what we HOPE for and being CERTAIN of what we DO NOT see.

Today I have been in a fight. A fight with myself and the choice that lays before me. Faith or Fear? Trust or Disbelief?

I do not see how we will be 100% funded to leave for Haiti by August. But I can hope for it, right? And I can be certain of it, right? Even if my human eyes don't see or understand.

I choose to believe. I choose to trust. 'Cause I gotta have faith. Jesus tells us that with a minute amount of faith we can move mountians. Lord, help my unbelief...because there is a mountain to move!

Haiti. August 2012. Gonna Be there.

That is a BUNCH of Bull.

Jody has been in Haiti this past week so the boys and I have been having a fun week! Laid back...without mommy trying to get much done. After dropping Jody off at DFW Airport we drove to the CentrePoint train station and rode the train to the Dallas Zoo. We've had a pizza movie nite, play time at the park, backyard swimming, ice cream sandwiches and a slumber party under a tent in the living room. We capped it off with a trip to Topsey Exotic Ranch as a way for my parents to celebrate my 30th birthday. We had SO MUCH FUN! I loved that ranch! I have driven by the sign numerous times throughout my life but always figured it was some run down ranch with a few antelope. It was actually beautiful! The scenery is beautiful and the animals so much fun! The boys loved it, too! Although they were sometimes frightened from the animals sticking their heads in the windows! (This could have been caused from me shrieking occassionally...especially when the emus came around. I think they are creapy with those little beady eyes.)

I thought the most exciting part was the giant bull we saw near the end of the ranch. He was so giant and his horns massive. It looked painful. This MUST be where they get the phrase, "a bull in a china cabinet", because this guy had NO idea the damage he kept nearly causing just because he would swing his head around to swat flys! My car was rammed a few times by this massive horned beast and we were worried the was going to crack a window! He was a thrill to be near...although when he got his head in the window his teeth were yuck...that was a little TOO near!

A thrill that illicited lots of laughter and screams of delight.

Other favorites included the adorable baby goats in the petting zoo that sucked Josiah's thumb, the zebras that chased desperately after the car as we drove off (hee-hawing all the way), the suprising nimble giant tortoise (Lucas' favorite) and the giant water buffalos that could swim so gracefully and would disappear under the water with only the hump on their backs showing. I did not know they would go under the water for SO long.

Fun! Much more so than the Dallas Zoo and much cheaper! =)

Here are some pics from our day at the Ranch: