Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Trip of a lifetime

I know that I “wisely” and “knowingly” titled this blog “Flying Years”, but I am learning more and more with each passing day and week and month how true that phrase is. So much has been happening in the Bass family over the last several months, but it happens in the middle of our glorious chaos and is captured in pictures and phrases on Facebook and Instagram and on iPhones and (hopefully) in our memories.

Today, I am excited to share that in just a little over a week, Caroline and I will be heading to Haiti to serve a ministry there for a week. This was Caroline’s dream and desire and she sacrificed going to summer camp with her friends to go to Haiti. I would like to say that I was the instigator and led her to this opportunity, but she has been the driving force and is giddy with excitement. I am looking forward to this time with her and I am also grateful for a very tangible reminder that our family and our lives are beyond blessed with comforts and amenities and health and food and that we are beyond wealthy and “lucky.” I have been explaining that we will be seeing firsthand what “not fair” looks like. Caroline and I get to go with two of our best friends, Lacey and Kennedy Caldwell, as well as a woman who has become a dear friend to me, Alexis Ware, and her mentee, Alexis. The six of us will be helping with some painting and cleaning and crafts and any other way that we can assist Caleb and Debbie Lucien’s work in Haiti.

Of course, we would ask for prayers for our health and safety……we will be out of our comfort zone in so many ways and expect God to show us things there as we are a little more desperate for Him. In a moment of humility, I would ask for specific prayers for me regarding food safety. I have developed some pretty intense allergies over the last few years to gluten and nuts and pray that I never need to break out an epi pen while there.

Finally, we are still accepting and asking for financial support for our trip. It will cost about $2200 for the two of us to go and we have not met our goal. I am horrible about asking for help in any way, but as Alexis keeps reminding us, “This is not about me!” IF you would like to contribute financially to our trip, please follow this link to the Lessons for Life website (this is the ministry organizing our trip) and donate there. You will need follow that online donation up with an email to Alexis (alexis.ware@att.net) indicating that you would like it to go towards Caroline and Rachel Bass’ trip to Haiti.

We will be so grateful for however any of you choose to support us—prayers, financial, or checking in on Josh and the other 3 munchkins while we are gone. I cannot wait to give you a long and, I’m sure, emotional testimony to all that God does.

Love,
Rachel and Caroline