friendships & scrubs.

I am so thankful for my friendships.

That God has so generously allowed me to have.

Relationships that are solid. Built with a love for serving God. 

Friendships in the states & friendships in Haiti. 

American, Canadian, Australian, Haitian. 

Really makes every moment special when living in community with others.

sharing special moments & memories.

I hold these relationships close to my heart. 

I am excited to meet the 7 girls who will be going through the next 2 1/2 years with me. 
( one girl is from Minnesota & we have mutual friends. small world right?!)

Learning how to be a midwife & a missionary. 

Thank you to everyone who has opened their arms to me, my life. 

Thank you for investing in what God is doing in my heart, the change and growth He is allowing now before I go and fill my mind with new knowledge.

I will be coming to the states for about 2 months before I fly to the Philippines to start school ( never thought I would hear those words come out of my mouth. I LOVE it ) 

Minnesota >> June 8-19

Kansas City >> June 19 - Mid July

Dallas >> Mid July - Mid August

I would LOVE to catch up with as many people as I can since it will be almost 3 years until I come back to the states. 

If you are free, I would love to get a coffee, take a walk or get sushi and catch up.

message me if you would like to pen in a date on your calendar!

Looking forward to the laughs : )

I have been missing little things from America. So I am really excited to come back and "spoil" myself in little ways. 
- going on long runs around parks              - happy hour with friends
- going to a movie                                     - getting frozen yogurt, my favorite : ) 
- swimming with my nieces & nephews      - cabin/lake time with my Kostecka Family
- cooking with delicious meals                   - go to the zoo

Current Needs 
- Seeking 4 individuals with a one time gift of $50 to continue to provide food bags for Christella and mum for the next 4 months. Please pray about supporting Christellas development. If you would like to support for one month click HERE

- In need of scrubs for school, if you are in the medical field or know of anyone who is doing some "spring cleaning" and has size Medium scrub tops & bottoms I would be so grateful to take them off your hands and put them to use in the Philippines. 

- Prayers for the next few months as I will be doing lots of traveling and transitioning from Haiti to the states then to the Philippines. 


I hope that we can all take time out of this week to remember what Christ did for us. Coming to earth, to live in a fallen world, to go through a brutal death that brought us forgiveness and grace. I am so thankful. God is allowing me so much growth & healing, becoming spiritually mature is a peaceful feeling that I hope will never end. Christ died FOR YOU so that you may live a life not in fear but in excitement to see what He has planned next. 

In Christ's Love
Emily Elizabeth

Missionary.

Missionary.

{{ Webster definition:
                    a person who is sent to a foreign country to do religious work, a person undertaking a mission and especially a religious mission, very enthusiastic and eager about doing a job or supporting a cause. }}


I sent in my application for a midwifery school that is in the Philippines the other week. With a heart completely full of trust & faith that God would do the best thing for me. 

Everyone. I don't know why, but God trusts me. He loves me so much that He wants me to bring His children into this world. 

I opened up an email yesterday saying that I was accepted into the midwifery school. I shed a few tears. 

said "thank you" out loud. messaged my family. and then it hit me.

I am going to be a midwife. 

Not just a hope, a dream, a desire. 
But I am going back to school. To learn. Become equipped in all the right ways. 

I don't think it will really fully hit me until 
1. see my first birth or 2. am on the plane flying to the Philippines

 >> I am a missionary. Its in my bones. God has put it on my heart. This is who I am.  <<

Wether its in Haiti, the Philippines, the US. I am spreading Gods love that is overflowing from my heart. 

I will be trained not only to be a midwife, but a missionary midwife. To bring Gods love & mercy into every part of these women's pregnancies, births & motherhood.


God will be growing in and through me. Equipping me with scripture, revelations, prayers & how to support in a way that is unique to who He has created me to be. 

" Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more then we might ask or think." Ephesians 3:20

To think that this journey started with me desiring to only love children in Haiti, to meeting a day old handsome boy that brought me to Heartline Maternity Center where I was able to experience hands on what a midwife does. Surrendering this spark to God, trusting Him as He brought me back to Haiti to reveal to me that this is what He wants for my life through really having faith in God to show me the way. He does want me to love His children but even more to love their mothers so that in turn they will be the best moms that they can be to their babies.

I can't express how thankful I am for all of the support and encouragement that I have received. I know I am all over the place. God is not ready for me to settle down completely, He still has things to do with me. But with that, I will be in the Philippines for over 2 years, that will be the longest time living in one place since graduating High school. To be honest, I am excited. To invest in a culture, country & the people there. To learn what it means to really be on the mission field so that when I do come back to Haiti I know what to do. 

For all of you who have continued on this journey with me, I hope that you will not stop as God is just getting started. 

" Yet, O Lord, You are our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand." Isaiah 64:8

I will need your prayers more then ever as I will be facing hands on, heartbreaking situations. Balancing my time studying, learning a new language & a completely new set of skills. This isn't going to be easy but it will be more then worth it to be able to come back to Haiti ready to get to work partnering with the women here. I know God will be with me every step of the way, which brings me a peace that is so satisfying. 


" Praise the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises He gave through His servant Moses. May the Lord our God be with us as He was with our ancestors; may He never leave us or abandon us. May He give us the desire to do His will in everything and to obey all the commands, decrees, and regulations that He gave our ancestors. And may these words that I have prayed in the presence of the Lord be before Him constantly, day and night, so that the Lord our God may give justiceto me and to his people Israel, according to each day's needs. Then people all over the earth will know that the Lord alone is God and there is no other. And may you be completely faithful to the Lord our God. May you always obey His decrees and commands, just as you are doing today." 1 Kings 8:56-61


It won't be easy to leave Haiti. God has brought amazing people into my life and to not know when I will be back breaks my heart. But He has promised me that I will be back and will be able to call this my home. 

In Christ's Love,
Emily Elizabeth

Haiti.

Hey.
So my friend posted this video. 

when ya get down to it, it is a good way to show what Haiti is like to those who have never experienced this amazingly beautiful island. 

I love it here. I love the smells even when they are not so good. I love the intense heat reminding me that I live on an island where the sun is always shining. I love the people I pass by. The children in their adorable uniforms knowing that they were fed knowledge that day. The bumpy roads, crazy drivers & no driving laws. I love seeing mothers help out each other with their children. The colorful produce that line the streets in large woven baskets. I think I could go on and on and on. 

So enjoy. I know there is heartbreak but out of that there is SO much joy that comes out of the relationships that are so strong here between each Haitian. Makes me jealous in ways. 

I have 2 months left here. 2 months to little. but 2 months where I know there will be growth & healing. 2 more months to soak up every ounce of memories this island has to offer to my life. 

In Christ's Love
Emily Elizabeth

Solomon's prayer.

" Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire community of Israel. He lifted his hands toward heaven, and he prayed,
       " O Lord, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion. You have kept your promise to your servant David, my father. You made that promise with your own mouth, and with your own hands you have fulfilled it today........In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of You. They will come from distant lands because of your name, for they will hear of your great name and your strong hand and your powerful arm. And when they pray toward this Temple, then hear from heaven where You live, and grant what they ask of you. In this way, all the people of the earth will come to know and fear You, just as your own people Israel do. They, too, will know that this Temple I have built honors your name." 

1 Kings 8:22-26, 41-43

Until that day, where everyone on earth is is singing praises to our Lord, Creator, Savior, I will continue to look to Him to use me. To shine His light into those dark corners of peoples hearts. 

Last night, I was watching a documentary on the heartbreaking business of sex trafficking. It pains me to see the evil in this world. How money has taken over so many peoples souls. You can watch the documentary for free on Hulu.com The title is Sex Slaves. 

{{ These women are so broken, abused, their life is stripped away from them just for other peoples sick pleasure }}

a few facts about sex trafficking:

• 1-1.5 million children/adults are trafficked each year
• There is no age limit
• They are forced into drug trade, pornography, prostitution, sex trade, slavery 
• over 27 million slaves in the world today
• many do not experience freedom from this life

This is a problem EVERYWHERE. Haiti, Europe, USA. every country. 

Its happening down the street. In places you never thought it could. In your own back yard. 

This is wrong & evil. People were created to love one another yet Satan has found a way to dig his nails into peoples lives and destroy them. 

I don't know why I am feeling compelled to write this but watching that last night just made me so incredibly mad that a human could do that to another human being. I felt a rage inside of me boil that I have never felt before. 

I know it happens here in Haiti all the time. They are called Restaveks. This is apart of their culture here sadly. 
 >>>> a blog I wrote last summer with a little info about restavek life for children in Haiti. 

There are several ministries and organizations that are stepping up and helping change these statistics.

I hope that together, as the Body of Christ, as human beings who value other lives, that we can speak up for those who can't. That we can open our eyes and hearts to this disgusting business that is going on right in our own back yard and do something about it. 

"In the future, foreigners who do not belong to your people Israel will hear of You. They will come from distant lands because of your name, for they will hear of your great name and your strong hand and your powerful arm"

I yearn for people to know what it feels like to rest in Gods arms.

 To experience His strong hand in their lives. His saving grace. 

I really have no clue where this post was meant to go but I just felt that a light needs to not only be shed but well wait more like a huge spotlight needs to be focused on this epidemic that is sweeping the entire world. 

If you want to get involved or help, here are some ministries that I know are doing amazing things in helping the victims of human trafficking. restoring their lives & loving them.

• Rapha House ( Haiti, Thailand, Cambodia ) 
• Restevek Freedom Foundation ( Haiti ) 
• International Justice Mission ( Africa, Latin America, South & Southeast Asia )
• VDAY ( all over the world )  

These are just a few that I follow. A few, I have met the amazing people who are helping on the ground. A few who's mission's I support wholeheartedly. 

Lets pray together, for those who will be trafficked today, those who are so broken and believe they have no hope left & those who have found freedom and are on the road to recovery. For those who have so bravely stepped up to help end this, that they will continue to have the courage and strength to help stop this from happening. 

In Christ's Love

Emily Elizabeth