Barney

Who would have guessed. We ended up after a struggling start, having the best first day heading to Haiti ever! After Kelly's very special birthday party last week, someone picked up on the fact that he used to LOVE Barney. Many nights we sang the Barney song as we transported him to bed. With some very intense effort, Barney showed up at the Texas Roadhouse for a surprise visit tonight at 7:00pm! You can see from the photo some very delighted and smiling faces. As it turns out, Barney is a chick magnet. As I entered the restaurant I caught one of the young waitresses whispering to another that Barney had just showed up. They invited him in and there must have been every waitress to the tune of about 24 girls between 18-25 standing in the big lobby entrance vying for pictures with Barney! I turned to Kelly and said, now you know how to get a bunch of young ladies together for a selection of dates! lol! Then a entertainer came to the table and told stories while he produced balloon animals and a balloon hat for the new 21 year old (Kelly) at the table. We laughed and ate and were renewed in a most unlikely way. The weight of leaving our kids behind this trip and them realizing this is coming to pass weighs a tad over everything we are dong, and tonight God leveraged some amazing people and circumstances for us! Doing God's work is not easy many times, and has ways of trying us on deep levels in our lives. As I watched Neil and Lauren sharing parting hugs and tears, I was reminded of this again. Nothing in life is certain except the moment you are in. Be in that moment and relish it, recognize God's hand and trust His ways and the blessings will flow! I am grateful tonight as we have all arrived safely in Detroit, enjoying the luxury of the States one more evening before we are assaulted with a very different reality tomorrow. Ray, Deloris, Bob, Neil, Beth, Kelly, Krystle, and myself, 8 people representing a host of caring compassionate God fearing people who seek to send us to make a difference. We thank you for believing in us, for trusting us to go on your behalf, without your support we wouldn't have anything to offer, for while we each have covered our costs for this trip, you have all given us the goods, money, and prayer support to touch these people on the ground in their country, in the midst of their circumstances. We are honored and blessed beyond what mind can conceive! 3:00 am speeds at me so time to rest the keys and hit the sack, morning comes swiftly, and sleep will prove illusive, so off we go. Blessings tonight!