"Every Boy Does it Once." That's the title to an Andy Griffith show when Opie decides he wants to run away. I always found that title funny... MY brothers hadn't done that, so obviously not EVERY boy did it. Benjamin threatened to, once, I think (he didn't get out the door if I remember correctly), but Gavin never did. ... Well, leave it to Wyatt, the youngest boy and youngest child, to take on the "adventure" of running away. Over the summer, Wyatt went through a fit-throwing stage. Screaming, flopping, punching walls, etc. This would, naturally, get him into trouble, which would only make him more mad. One day, he yelled at Mom, "Fine! I'll run away then!" Mom: "Okay, Wyatt, you go ahead and run away. And just see if you can find someone who loves you as much as we do." Wyatt: "Fine. I will." He marched to his room, got his little suitcase, and packed. He packed socks, underwear, t-shirts, shorts, and his little neckties. He drug the suitcase down the stairs, went to the pantry, put on his crocs, and opened the door. He stood there a moment, and realized that he couldn't open the large garage door. So he shut the door, came inside, and took his shoes off. Wyatt picked up his shoes, took his suitcase, and went to the front door. He put on his shoes again, grabbed the suitcase, and stood before the large front door. It was locked. His little fingers tried un-locking it, with no success. "Guys!" he yelled at anyone who might hear. "Guys! Can someone help me unlock the door?!?" (Everyone was, at this point, hiding and watching. No one answered.) Still determined, he decided to give it another try. After messing with the lock for a while, he successfully let himself out of the front door. Pulling his red-and-blue suitcase, he went to the end of the driveway and stopped. Road. Turning around and coming back up the driveway, he stood in the doorway and said, "Mommy! Mommy, could you please help me cross the street?!?" Mom: "Wyatt, if you're old enough to run away, you're old enough to cross the street." Wyatt: "Fine! I'll just take the sidewalk." So he did. Turning right out of our driveway, he headed down the sidewalk into the neighborhood, dragging his suitcase with his precious little neckties. Mom followed him... with a camera. About two houses down, he turned and saw Mom and the camera. Mad and determined, he started running. When he had gotten a couple more houses down, he fell and wiped out on the sidewalk. Standing up, his elbow was all scratched and his little chin quivered. Mom: "See, Wyatt ~ you still need me, don't you? You need me to wash your boo-boo, don't you honey?" So Mommy and Wyatt walked back home. Mom washed his "boo-boo", and then said, "Wyatt, go to your room right now, and unpack that suitcase, and put all your clothes back exactly they way you found them and then sit on your bed. Now." Still whimpering, he drug his suitcase upstairs and unpacked and sat down on his bed. Mom: "Wyatt, I don't ever want to hear you say you're going to run away again, do you understand? Do you know what could have happened to you? Some very mean person could have taken you away and would have been very mean to you and you would never have seen Mommy or Daddy or Molly or Benjamin or Samantha or Abigail or Gavin... ever again!" Wyatt: "Mommy, only Satan is mean. Everyone else loves like Jesus and is kind." Mom: "Yes, there are lots of people who are kind and love like Jesus. But... there are also people who are very mean and would take you away from us. "I love you all the way to heaven, Wyatt." Wyatt: "I love you all the way to heaven, Mama." Mom: "Jesus loves you most." Wyatt: "Jesus loves you most." Mom and Wyatt were both crying, and Mom gave Wyatt a big hug and held him tight and close for a long while. Wyatt has never threatened to run away again, even in the midst of a screaming fit. Mama's and Their Little Boys...Wow! What a day! :) It was Pure Fun!!!! We had Packet-Pick-Up last night, so when I got home from that I took a shower and went to bed. About thirty minutes after going to bed, I realized I had forgotten to make a map of the trail for the sign set-up. I bolted out of bed and made a map quickly on Microsoft word while listening to some good country music. Then I went back to bed. Then, I got a phone call with a question about the Walk. Then I went to sleep... then I woke up and was really stuffy, so I took allergy medicine. Then one of our volunteers texted me. Then I tried going back to sleep... THEN, I was up at 4:30am to get ready for the Walk! lol Reason for this crazy-sleeping: Excited! The past two nights were like that... I guess my body just doesn't like to sleep when it's excited! Afraid I am going to miss out or something! (Anyway, I am So looking forward to sleeping tonight!!! :) This morning when I arrived at the Plaza at 5:55am (we were supposed to meet at 6), Taylor and her parents were already there and had some things set up. Looks like I wasn't the only one excited! ;) Emily arrived soon there after, and then one after the other of the volunteers. God is good, and His grace is abundant! Isaiah 26, "all that we have accomplished, You have done for us." It is So Accurate. Because it is easy, at least for me, to at least in part "take credit" for "small" projects accomplished. I can handle that, right? (Haha... wrong!) This Walk, however, was anything but small. Every time I wanted to "dream small", God sent others to challenge me to Dream Bigger. Well, there is No Way we could have accomplished this "Big Dream". It was all God, and we give Him the glory: 264 people!!! There are so many things that "could have" gone wrong, but they didn't. It didn't. God's guidance and grace was over the whole day... right down to the weather! It rained, rained Thursday and Friday. But my Mama had been praying for the weather since last November when we began planning this Walk... and it was gorgeous! God is faithful! "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good: his love endures forever." (Psalm 107:1) "Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies." (Psalm 36:5) THANK YOU to each of the participants and sponsors! Your support was an answer to prayer and such an encouragement to Taylor, Emily and I!!! THANK YOU also to each of you who weren't able to make it but supported us anyway! Your support through encouragement, financially, and especially by prayer was such a blessing! And, if you didn't make it... that's okay! You can join us for an Amazingly-Fun Saturday NEXT YEAR! Because, Lord willing, this is the first of many annual Walk/Runs to help fight Human Trafficking! :)
Wow. I cannot believe that the Walk/Run4Freedom is only 4 days away! It's crazy to think about... something that has been in the works, prayed over, and prepared-for for over a year is Finally Happening! Watching God work has been Amazing. It got discouraging at times... and it's not over yet, so the discouragement probably isn't either. It looked impossible at times, but 'all things are possible with God'. And here we are, only 4 days away. It has been amazing to work with Taylor and Emily, all of our crazy-meetings and get-togethers to plan and work everything out! I want to say a special thank-you to all of our parents who have also worked so hard for this to happen. No Way we could've done this without you! THANK YOU to everyone who came out to support us at Mozzi's, Studio 52, and Orange Leaf!! This was such a huge encouragement to us ~ we were praying for people to come and be involved, so know that you all were an answer to prayer! Isaiah 26:12 sums what I am feeling right up:
"Lord, you establish peace for us. All we have accomplished, you have done for us." When I said good-bye to my class... When I said good-bye to my fellow friends and teachers... It was hard. I was grieved when I flew away on the plane from Recife. I was torn, actually... I wanted to come to my Indiana home, but I wanted to stay in my Brasilian home!
(I LOVED seeing everyone at church this morning! Love you all bunches!!!) When I came home Friday, I read Isaiah 43, and claimed this promise: "Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east, and father you from the west. I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth-- everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." He will bring His people from the ends of the earth. I Shall See all of my dear family and friends again ~ it's a promise! It is good to be home, but let it be known: I miss Brasil. When we took off from Recife, I felt like crying. I truly have an American home and a Brasilian home. A dear fried emailed me and spoke just the words that I needed to hear! It was one of her favorite quotes: "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." That's what I need to do =) Well, Congrats to everyone who knew "The Secret" of Daddy coming! It had to be the Best-Kept Secret EVER, because everyone in Indiana knew and everyone here knew, too, and I was Totally, Completely surprised! =-) At Mr. Mix Tonight...Tonight I said good-bye to everyone at the Carpina church... that was hard. Harder than saying good-bye in Indiana, I think, because I knew I would see everyone there again in 3 months. I don't know when I'll see my family here...
They prayed for me. It was the sweetest. They told Daddy and I that "this was (our) church, too." We were welcomed. I have been welcomed since I arrived. Diego, Messinho, and Susan prayed for me. What a blessing! I love all of these, my Brasilian brothers and sisters, MUITO! And I am honored that I had this opportunity. God made it happen! He's been working since the beginning for the plan and the timing of this trip, and it couldn't have been more perfect! (And yes, I am muito triste about leaving! |
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