For those that haven’t been following the Haiti updates with AIM, the logistics team met open doors and opportunities in Haiti that are now being developed into long term plans to aid the people of Haiti. The prayers for their time on the ground (and after) are hugely appreciated, and they couldn’t have had the impact they did without them. AIM is implementing a 3 month rotation of former world racers to stay in Haiti to help host short term teams as they minister there over the coming year. I’ll let you know if I join them.
Two years ago I was on the world race (wow does time go by), and we’d just left a little country called Swaziland and travelled to neighboring South Africa after a week of teachings and ministry there. Later we would return to Swaziland to dedicate a children’s village in Nsoko that is still a major ministry for AIM, one that other teams on our squad had a major part in. I helped slaughter the bull! Unknown to me at the time, I was only a couple of very short months from an event that would go down as a defining moment in my family’s history, something I wrote about a fair bit on this blog, and something many of you prayed us through – my little sister Leia’s car accident, which left her legally blind. Well, it’s time for an overdue update on that for all of you.
Leia graduated with honors last summer and is hoping to start university this coming September. She wants to become a trauma counselor, is currently taking braille lessons once a week, attempted a little skiing over Christmas (just a few feet of hill), and recently discovered both Lost and The Office, amongst other things. As always when it comes to my sister, there is no telling what will come next because where anyone else would see limitations, Leia simply does what she’s going to do without slowing down. As such, in exactly 28 days, Leia will be going on her first missions trip. Rather than going somewhere semi familiar to see what missions is about and get comfortable with the idea, she’s going as far as you can go on the planet to the country with the highest AIDs infection rate in the world (do you see the connection coming?): Swaziland. She will be working with some of the same people I got to when I was there, as well as some of the ministries that have been developed by AIM and local pastors alike in the intervening years, doing a mix of outreach and orphan care. She will only be there 10 days, but I know from experience what just a couple days in Swaziland can do to someone’s life.
And so, as the community to whom I have turned to so many times before to carry my family, teams, friends and colleagues through with your prayers, I come to you once again. Leia has been raising funds and getting flights and asking a dozen questions about what to bring, so she’s about as prepared as anyone else ever is. Which means she needs lots of prayer – for safety, flexibility, provision, and open ears to what the spirit is saying in each moment. She’ll be gone from March 12th to the 22nd, so please be in prayer for her and her team during that time. And if you feel so inclined, send me a message if you would like to help with her support. Thank you all for your prayers, they make all the difference in the world every single time!
(picture courtesy of Christie Albaugh)
