Heard Around the House: October 2012

I think all three of my Crazies are hilarious, but for some reason this month I only remembered things The Boy said, enjoy!!!

"For Uncle Michael's birthday, can you make a video of me doing something dangerous?  Uncle Michael likes dangerous things, so I'll do something really dangerous in honor of him."

"I've had like a million great days in my life."

"Mom, thank you sooo much.  And dad, thank you sooo much.  You're equally thanked."

"I drank from a real coconut today.  It's official, I'm like an explorer"

The Most Stressful Game of Tetris

Last night I woke up no fewer than ten times thinking about how there was just no way we were going to fit all that needed to fit, inside our 4'x4'x8' shipping crate.  We have spent the last five months since moving out of our house whittling down our possessions until they all fit in this space.  Each time I took a load to Goodwill, I thought, "okay, that is it... we only have the most important stuff.... there is nothing left I can part with."  And then we whittle again.  And again.  Culminating in today:  Crate Packing Day.  

We made it!  Actually we made it with room to spare and a trip home to gather a few things from suitcases to add.  It was amazing!  The next hurdle is to actually receive the crate, WITH all the contents in Haiti.  Getting through customs unscathed seems to be the tricky part.  Yes, we can live without any of these items, but they sure would make our lives much easier, and our kids much happier if everything makes it all the way to Santo 11.  

This will be my last post for a while.  We leave bright and early on Friday morning, but won't move into our house until after the 1st.  We will need to figure out our electricity and internet situations... along with about a dozen other important things such as eating, drinking clean water, and trying to get our children not to drink the bath water.  

Holding onto this truth tonight as the nerves are really starting to set in:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your needs to God.  And the peace of God, which goes beyond our understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4: 6-7

This Girl

Miss Presley, you are TWO years old today!  You are a little piece of sunshine, truly, and I am so glad God gave you to our family.  It doesn't hurt that Mama is your favorite, and you give me endless "kith-ez" and "huggies".  No fewer than four people cater to you daily.  You're taking after your Sissy's sweet tooth, and your Brother's wild streak.  "Prilly" dresses, Mickey Mouse, shoes belonging to other people, and the color orange are some of your favorite things.  You're pretty much just sweet sweet sweet.  And funny.  Really funny.  You have a huge vocabulary and always shock us with what you say and remember.  You've started asserting your opinion about what you wear, and it usually involves you picking out a dress and bow, then making the rounds to Noah and Daddy for compliments.  Oh boy, I'm not sure what this means about your teenage years, but you'll be getting lots of love and self-confidence from the first two special guys in your life.  So that means you won't have to seek that approval elsewhere, got it?  You are the friendliest little gal I've ever known, and you can get a smile out of just about anyone when you tell them, "Helloooooo".  Because of this, I hear by nominate you as the Krull Family Ambassador to all we come in contact with.

We love you Sweet Baby Girl!  Can't wait to see who you grow into this year!

More Like George

It's been a while since I've posted.  It wasn't because we have been so crazy busy that I couldn't find the fifteen minutes in a day to jot down an update.  We were busy, but not that busy.  It was that there wasn't any new news to write.  I didn't want to write.  We felt discouraged, in a rut.  We didn't know what to do next.  I know that isn't a problem unique only to us.  Lots of times a task seems so supremely humongous, that it's hard to even know where to begin.  Much like how I feel when I clean out my kids' closets, times a billion.

So here's where we left off on September 26th...

We were unsure of where the money from a vehicle in Haiti was coming from.  We didn't know how we were going to get our shipping crate from Arizona to Port-au-Prince.  We didn't even have a shipping crate.  The house we were going to rent fell through, and Gary was scheduled to leave for Haiti the next day to sign that lease.  We were living with my parents.  Marital tensions were running high.  We didn't have a departure date.  The Crazies were at constant odds with one another (the biggest two at least).  We were burned out and we hadn't even left.  We were praying weak prayers of "hey God, what gives?"

So here's where we are at today...

Our shipping crate is being built on Wednesday, then packed and sent off next week.  We have plane tickets to depart on the 26th.  On Gary's short four day trip to Haiti, the one where he was originally set to simply pop down, sign a lease, spend some time at Good Neighbor, then fly home, turned into a four day whirlwind of looking for a new house.  Thanks to the help of a new friend and fellow missionary, he was able to find a new house that is even better than the other option, and signed a lease.  As of today, several truly generous people have answered our prayers in providing the money for a car.  Gary and I have been able to grow closer, and even work out some better communication with one another.  We both know that without a strong marriage, centered on God, we don't have a chance in Haiti.  This has been a priority for us, to grow stronger and closer, not divided.  We've been rejuvenated in our walk with God.  Our faith has been tested.  It has been rough and icky, and there were days that I just wanted to fast forward through the rough patch.  

Gary and I try to spend time in the evenings, after The Crazies are asleep, doing devotions together, reading the Bible, praying together, and generally debriefing about the day and making a plan for the following day.  A few nights ago, Gary reminded me of George Muller.  He is a wonderful example of a life lived by faith.  George had a home for orphans.  He prayed for God to provide everything, and trusted God completely to actually provide it.  

My favorite story of his complete trust was how he fed the children in his care.  One morning, there wasn't one piece of food in the entire house.  Not even a slice of bread.  There was no food, and no money.  All of the children were waking up and beginning to come down to the breakfast table.  The nannies were beginning to freak out.  They didn't know how they were going to feed them that day.  George simply prayed.  He asked God to provide breakfast.  Now, this is the part in the story that cracks me up.  The ladies were all running around, panicking, and probably wondering why the dummy George was just praying and not actually doing anything to help.  George was calm, he just told them to set the table.  Have the children sit down.  And was completely confident that God would provide them breakfast.  So that's what they did.  The table was set, the children were seated, and then there was a knock at the door.  Someone arrived, with breakfast in hand, telling George he got up that morning and just felt like he was supposed to bring breakfast over.  Hello folks, that was God at work!

So Gary and I are trying our best to set the table.  We are inviting and trusting God to show up.  Even in the eleventh hour.  

And He is.