Nothing made me more proud of Avery than her desire and will to help others. She was especially insistent in her desire to help the people of Haiti. She would talk often – and to anyone who would listen – about the need to continue efforts to support the people of Haiti. She had plans to serve on mission trips in Haiti and to someday work in an orphanage in Haiti. She also tried to convince us to adopt two girls from Haiti. Which would require us to purchase bunk beds. She had it all planned.
But, sometimes (oftentimes) our plans are not God’s plans. Avery went home to be with the Lord before she ever had a chance to set foot in Haiti. That was one of the things that really hung heavy on my heart: Avery would never get to go to Haiti.
But what a wonderful way God has chosen to help heal my heart!
One of the goals of AVERYday Ministries is to help financially support the mission trips that Avery would have loved to go on. It just so happens a local mother and her daughter, Trish and Gabby Edwards, will be serving on a mission this summer in…. ready? — HAITI! Our first mission trip to support, and it is perfect!
In another interesting, heartwarming God twist, it would happen that a young boy in Avery’s class would want to order a t-shirt the UW-Whitewater Gymnastics Team created to help fund a scholarship in Avery’s name. The only problem was we needed a 25-shirt minimum in order to print another job. Young Jonny would take it upon himself to print out order forms, encourage friends to order, collect the orders and the payments. I was so proud of him when he presented me with all the orders! Except, we were a little bit short of the 25 minimum order. I sat at my desk wondering what I should do. I just didn’t have the heart to tell Jonny he wouldn’t be able to get his shirt.
That’s when I looked down and saw a paper on the corner of my desk asking for donations of new or gently used clothing and shoes to be taken to Haiti with Trish and Gabby. And I knew exactly what to do.
And so, AVERYday Ministries is sending down several new t-shirts to some very lucky kids in Haiti. These shirts say ALL DAY AVERY DAY on them along with PSALM 121 because it was Psalm 121:1-2 I found written in a letter Avery wrote one week after her funeral.
I lift my eyes to the hills.
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
Maker of Heaven and Earth.
We’re also sending along a pair of tennis shoes Avery only wore a couple of times. It’s just God’s way of showing me Avery’s finding a way to make it to Haiti after all.
God always seems to provide gentle healing for my soul in the many ways we find to help others.