My awesome husband

I'm not sure if I've posted about this already, but I'm too lazy to go back and check right now. :-P

In February Willem asked my husband to preach during church one Sunday. He really wasn't looking forward to it, but he prepared for a couple of weeks and was ready when the time came. He did a great job! He was only nervous for about the first 10 seconds, and after that he was fine.

The topic of the sermon was "The Mark of Distinction." He first talked about Passover and the blood of the lamb that protected the Jewish families. Then he talked about the blood of Christ and difference it makes in our lives. Everyone agreed it was a great sermon.

At the end of the service two boys from 11th grade walked up to the front of the church and said they wanted to dedicate their lives to Christ! Willem, Arold, and the deacons prayed over the boys as they prayed the sinner's prayer.

What a great Sunday!!

Klas Disip

Last year a group of young people told Willem they wanted to be more involved in the church. He thought it was great that they wanted to get involved, but he also knew they needed to know the Bible better to be good leaders. So, he started a discipleship class. They meet on Monday nights for intense Bible study and they even learn some church history. 

I'm not involved in the discipleship group at all, but I have seen some fruits of the class. The students know the Bible better. They volunteer to take on responsibilities in the church services. They are leaders among their peers. And they are growing closer to Jesus Christ. 

Please pray for the these young people to continue to grow and learn through the discipleship class. This is an awesome group of young adults, and I am excited to see where God takes them in the coming years!

Pendulum-like Emotions

Today I received some disheartening news in an e-mail about some problems with my house in Mishawaka. I don't know that "disheartening" is a strong enough word, though. I'm really, really frustrated. There's very little that I can do from Haiti, and the problems seeming to be growing exponentially rather than decreasing. I wanted to throw something I was so mad. And then I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry myself to sleep. Because if there is one thing I don't want to do, it's use wedding money for house repairs.

In my frustration and despair, I wrote a quick e-mail to some friends at church. I asked them to pray for this situation because I totally need a new attitude and my house needs to be fixed.  I also asked them if they knew of anyone in the congregation who might be willing to help.

One of the ladies has already responded to my plea for help. She started with, "First of all....I'm hugging you tight even tho you can't feel it.  :-)" She always knows how to make me feel loved. I can't wait to see her again and get a real hug! She mentioned some possible leads for people who may be able to help at my house, and then she had this to say:

Finally, take a deep breath...do not allow satan to discourage you and pull your focus from what the Lord has called you to do.  In times like this I have found it helpful to speak (aloud) truth to myself... reciting scripture, recalling God's faithfulness in past experiences (my own and others), sing songs of praise.  All these things help me to shift my focus from my problem to God and His power over all.  It can be a real battle but these things help me.    

And with those words my heart is feeling much better. Hopeful in fact.

Thank you, Jesus, for giving me friends who know and trust you. For people who remind me that YOU are in control and that I can put my trust in you. Thank you for this opportunity to watch you do what you do best: solve life's problems in ways that only you can do. I know that whatever happens, it won't be because of anything I can do or orchestrate. You are the one who's in control and you will have all the glory. 

Journey

Almost everyone who come through the MTM guesthouse asks me the same series of questions. Sometimes the questions sounds a little different, but most of the time it goes like this:

1. So, uh, what do you do here?
2. How long have you been in Haiti?
3. How long are you staying?

I really don't mind answering these questions because it gives me an opportunity to share the story the incredible journey God has put me on. Plus, if you know me in real life you know how much I like to talk! Occasionally when there's a big group here, I wish I could tell them all at the same time instead of answering the same questions two or three times in one day. But most of the time I'm more than willing to share about why I'm in Haiti and what I do here because the focus of the story is not me but God.

A little over a year ago I was merely planning to spend spring break in Haiti. I was excited to serve God by serving others through a medical clinic. I had no idea that going to Haiti for my spring break would lead to teaching English in a rural mountain school for ten months. I told God a long time ago that I would follow him wherever he would lead me, but I didn't really think he had this in mind! It wasn't easy to follow him to a third world country with hurricanes and tropical diseases and inconsistent electricity.

It took all the courage I had to follow God to Haiti, plus a great deal of affirmation and peace from the Holy Spirit! I stepped out in faith taking a year's leave of absence, i.e. no paycheck for an entire year, from my teaching position before I had any financial support. I was really nervous about leaving a paid position to live off the generosity of others. Okay, that's an understatement. I was terrified! It felt like my step of faith was similar to those cartoon characters who step off a cliff before they realize the solid ground ran out. I took a leave of absence hoping God would put something solid under my foot where there only appeared to be thin air.

And you know what? God didn't let me fall off that cliff. He put something solid under my foot in the form of adequate financial support. He's also continued to make a way for me stay in Haiti. He provided renters for my house (the lease was signed this week!) and gave my dog an awesome new family. He gives me new ministry partners that come from unexpected places. There's this awesome apartment I rent for an incredible price--especially considering the current housing market here. I understand more Creole every day, and I'm learning to communicate in this foreign language. I have friends, a mentor, and to top it all off my life mate.

The Lord has provided for all of my needs--physical, emotional, and spiritual. He orchestrated all the events to get me here, so he gets all the glory. This is one incredible journey, and I'm just along for the ride.

Brave I Am Not

Often when people hear that I left my job, my family, my entire life to move to Haiti they say things that make me uncomfortable. They say, "Wow! You're so brave." And when you only know that I moved to a third world country where there are hurricanes and earthquakes you might be inclined to think the same thing. But the truth is I'm not brave. Not at all.

The truth is I don't go anywhere by myself. Part of that is the fact that I don't have a vehicle to drive. The other part, which is much bigger because let's face it I would have found a way to get a car if I really wanted one, is comprised of what if questions. What if someone asks a question I don't understand? What if they ask a question I understand but I can't give them an answer that makes sense? What if I get lost? What if I get hurt and need some medical attention?

I also don't try new things without a thorough explanation from someone that can be trusted. I don't take risks, and I don't generally like to be in situations that make my adrenaline flow.* To be honest, my heart does a lot of panicking in those moments when other people are brave. Sometimes my fear (mostly of looking dumb) keeps me from experiencing some pretty awesome things. You might be wondering how I live here if I'm such an un-brave person.

The reality is there are a lot of times I'm uncomfortable here. But its the good kind of uncomfortable, the kind that stretches my faith, challenges my insecurities, and grows my character. It's only by the grace of God, and I do not say that lightly, that I have adapted and adjusted to life in Haiti. Please, please don't tell me how brave I am. Instead recognize that God is incredible and amazing, and it's because of HIM that I am where I am.

*Disclaimer: Not being brave is not new to living in Haiti. I have never liked taking risks, situations that make my adrenaline flow, or trying new things without a thorough explanation. 

Fantastic-ness

This week Beth Charles (missionary I'm working with) e-mailed me to explain that where I'll be living in Haiti has changed. This has changed my budget because it's cheaper for me to live in the new place than the house we originally planned on. Woohoo! And another e-mail this week came from Fremont United Methodist Church saying they are going to partner with me financially. Soooo, I revamped the budget and also plugged in the recent financial donations.

With my new budget and the additional financial support, I am at 71.6% of my funding. God is UH MAY ZING!!! The Charles family has given me the green light to buy my plane ticket to Haiti, and they write that they are eagerly awaiting my arrival. The only thing holding me back is not having renters lined up for my house. Please join me in praying for the Lord to provide renters. I'm confident he will provide all that I need to leave for Haiti soon. I'll definitely keep you posted.

Provision

Why do I ever doubt God? He has never given me a reason to doubt him. On the contrary, he has consistently provided all that I need--and so much more! Earlier this week I was really struggling to trust that the finances I need to go to Haiti would ever show up. I was frantically brainstorming ways to raise more funds and obsessing about how much money I didn't have.

On Thursday I remembered, with a little help from the Big Guy upstairs, that it's not my job to find the needed money or think of ways to generate it. The Holy Spirit reminded me that the Lord owns cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10) and that he can do immeasurably more than I ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20). I decided that I was going to trust God and his timing--even when it didn't look like what I had planned.

Later that night I got a call from the couple who looked at my house last week. They've agreed to rent it for the time I'm gone! Not 15 minutes later some very generous friends gave me a check for five thousand dollars. I still can't believe it! It is indeed an excellent reminder of God's provision.

So this morning as my heart overflows with thankfulness, the apostle Paul's words to the Philippians are forefront in my mind:

And my God will meet all your 

needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:19

You May Have What It Takes

I'm planning to give up the next year of my life serving orphans and disadvantaged youth in Haiti. There are still a few outstanding needs that need to be taken care of before I can leave. Would you consider partnering with me in this venture by covering one of the items listed below?

• round trip airfare from Chicago to Port au Prince $600 

• insurance for the entire year $600

• a dry, secure location to store furniture and household items for 11 months OR $140/mo for a storage unit
  

• electricity and propane tanks for the stove $70/mo
  

• in country transportation costs $50/mo
  

• 600 cell phone minutes $16 (can purchase more as needed)

Please e-mail me at britneyLsmith (at) gmail (dot) com if you are able to provide for one of these needs or if you're interested in learning more.

Support Update

In early June I sent out letters asking people to support my ministry in Haiti, both in prayer and financially. I'm happy to announce that Team Gramothe currently has 15 prayer partners and 23% of the financial support necessary. Wooohooo! Thank you, Jesus!!

It blows me away to see how God is working out the details and providing all that I need. I am so very thankful that others are joining me in this ministry to the village of Gramothe!

Announcement

I am moving to Haiti in August to teach English for a year!!

When I was in Haiti for spring break the missionaries there invited me to return to Haiti to teach English to the high school students and the orphans at the children's home. I thought it was a fantastic idea and told them I would pray about it. After many questions and much prayer, I have committed to spending the 2010-2011 school year in Gramothe, Haiti. There are still a few things that need to happen for me to actually leave for Haiti in August--such as raising support and finding a foster family for my dog--but I believe God is calling me leave my comfortable life here to spend a year serving with Mountain Top Ministries.

I'll post more information in the coming days.

Each Day by Max Luado

I Choose Love..
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I Choose Joy...
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical…the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I Choose Peace...
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I Choose Patience...
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I Choose Kindness...
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. I will be kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I Choose Goodness...
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I Choose Faithfulness...
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My spouse will not question my love.

I Choose Gentleness....
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it only be in prayer. If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.

I Choose Self-Control...
I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

Keep praying for Haiti

Resurrection Sunday

I had the pleasure of celebrating Christ's Resurrection with some Haitian brothers and sisters this morning. It was fabulous. I wanted to make a short video, but I decided against it. I didn't want to be a distraction.

My chauffeur David and our sweet ride.


The look of Gramothe (pronounced gruh-mott) has changed drastically since I was last here. The old church (on the right) had just been built when I came in 2000. The bottom story of the elementary school was there (barely two rooms), and there was a dirt path between them. Now there is this.


The new sanctuary is on top of the school cafeteria. It is much bigger, and very nice. I should have taken a picture of the inside. Maybe I can do that later this week.

Today's Holiday: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Martin Luther King Jr. was barely 39 when he was killed in 1968. In his short life he accomplished more than most accomplish in an entire lifetime. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology, a Bachelor of Divinity, and a Doctoral degree in philosophy. He was an ordained minister, a major player in the civil rights movement, and a Nobel Peace Prize recipient. He organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott, led the March on Washington, and delivered his world famous "I Have a Dream" speech. (Check out Amanda's letter to MLK regarding the state of his dream.) What is less known about Mr. King is that after his civil rights work, he focused his energies on ending poverty and opposing the war in Vietnam.

After his death in 1968, a representative from Michigan first introduced a bill to make King's birthday a federal holiday. It failed by 5 votes. It wasn't until 1983 that Ronald Reagan finally signed a bill (introduced by Indiana representative Katie Hall) that would make the third Monday of January a national holiday to honor Martin Luther King Jr. The first time MLK Day was observed was three years later in 1986.

Many people opposed a holiday to memorialize King. Some cited the cost to pay federal employees for another holiday. Some argued that MLK wasn't important enough for a holiday. And others complained that he had opposed the Vietnam War. Even after Reagan made the holiday official, some states refused to recognize it. Utah had "Human Rights Day" until 2000. In both Virginia and Mississippi the day was for, ironically, both Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert E. Lee. In 2000, Virginia changed to just MLK Day, but Mississippi maintains their ironic dual memorial. Again in the year 2000, South Carolina was the last state to implement MLK Day as a paid holiday for federal employees.

Who would have guessed there was so much controversy over Martin Luther King Jr. Day?

Influence

My goal as a teacher is to give my students the skills necessary to be productive members of society. Formally my role is to teach reading strategies that will lead to a more success in school. Informally I attempt to show them their own worth by investing in their lives. I strive to teach them good character traits and life skills that will aid them in becoming the individuals they are meant to be.

The nature of my job allows me a limited amount of time to leave a lasting impact. I only have 180 days to mold these young minds. Most years there are a handful of students who I know without a shadow of a doubt have been changed. However, for the vast majority of my students, I will never know the depth of influence I've had on their lives.

Through a series of events only God could have orchestrated, I was given a glimpse of the impact my life has made on two particular young men. The best part is that these boys have been brought back into my life, and I have the opportunity to continue to show them God's love. Tonight my heart is overflowing with gratitude and joy because what the Lord is doing!

"For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him."

Philippians 2:10 (NLT)

Advent

Head over to YouTube and watch this video about the season of Advent and our response.

Not Doing Good, Part 2

Read Not Doing Good, Part 1 here.

"Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."

James 4:17

While I was spending the last 9 months trying to ignore God's call to do something about human trafficking (a.k.a. sex slavery), my friend Amy was obediently answering that same call on her life. She and her coworker Sarah have both become passionate about helping women escape the bondage of the sex slave trade. Originally they thought they'd have to eventually relocate to a city with human trafficking problems, but through researching they've learned more about sexual exploitation in our own community. Ultimately they'd like to open and run a shelter that will provide a place for women to heal, learn new skills, and eventually reintegrate into their communities all the while experiencing the love of Christ. However, that takes more money than they currently have, and neither of them can quit their day jobs to be a director of something that involved.

Fortunately through all the researching, Amy and Sarah have found a need they do have the resources to fulfill. There are Christian shelters that exist in the United States, but they have a hard time obtaining the funds necessary to maintain their facilities and programs. Amy came up with the idea to create a website that helps raise awareness and money for these organization, as well as recruit volunteers for ministries and organizations that work with human trafficking victims. Through a series of events that only God could have orchestrated, Amy and Sarah are off to an amazing start at making this website a reality.

Now, how do I fit into all this? Good question! Amy shared her vision with me back in July. She also opened my eyes to the human trafficking taking place in my own town. I left that night knowing I couldn't sit on my duff any longer. I had to do something. So, I e-mailed Amy and said I was willing to help with her website. I thought maybe I could do some data entry or something else administrative. Amy was happy to bring me "on board" with her project. She was still at a place where she wasn't sure anything would actually materialize out of everything she was talking about and hoping for.

At this point in time, I think it's safe to say God has crushed all of Amy's doubts about the website becoming a reality. Amy and Sarah have a team of 5 or 6 people who have committed to being a part of their nonprofit to help human trafficking victims. The website they dreamed about has been created and is starting to take shape. Then Amy and Sarah's story was shared at a church of 3,000 people a few weeks ago. Because of that service, two buildings have been offered as potential shelter locations. Teenagers from the church have committed to helping raise awareness about the issue of sex slavery. They are doing research on human trafficking now, so they can create a presentation to take to others. The people from that congregation have poured out an overwhelming amount of support for this cause, and the doubts about not having resources to make the website successful disappeared.

When the website is open to the public, I'll be more active in my role as "official blogger." Until then I am educating myself on everything human trafficking. Then after the holidays our team wants to visit some established shelters in the region.

I will no longer ignore the good I know I should do. There are women and young girls out there waiting for someone to give them a way out, and I can't ignore my responsibilities any longer.

Real Life Heroes

Kirk and Heidi Weimer
Some friends of mine adopted a little girl from Ethiopia last year, and shared a "homecoming video" of the Weimer family who had adopted a sibling group from the same orphanage in Ethiopia. Kirk and Heidi are only a few years older than I am, but they now have 9 children--as Heidi says "three blond children with whom (they) share genes and six Ethiopian children with whom (they) share hearts." They have recently started a nonprofit, We Have Room, to advocate for orphans and promote adoption. Watch a preview for the documentary "3 by 3 by 3" that is being made about their family.

Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy
I went to see The Blind Side last night. It is excellent. It's based on the true life story of Michael Oher and his adoptive parents, Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy. Listen to an interview with Leigh Anne to hear her take on the past nine years.

Greg Mortenson
I first learned about Greg's work through the book Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School At A Time. After climbing K2, he spent some time in a rural Pakistan village where he promised to build the children a school. Upon returning to the US, he completely altered his lifestyle to make good on that promise. He's been building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan ever since.

Do you have any Real Life Heroes?

Lists

I'm a list person. I make lists for grocery shopping, packing for trips, recording books I've read and want to read, and even keeping track of birthdays. I have lists titled "Places I Want to Visit", "Children's Names I Like", and "Names of Sara and Jeshua's Future Children," on which I keep track of obscure and ridiculous sounding Bible names to share with them.

I find these discarded lists all over my house, at the bottom of my purse, in coat pockets, on random pages in notebooks. Today I found a document on my computer with a fabulous list. I present to you the document saved as "husband qualifications."

Who is the Mr. Britney Smith?

			Mandatory qualifications He must…	Almost mandatory He should…	It would be nice if He could…
			Be a committed Christian seeking to honor God with his life	Have some sort of post high school education	Get along really well with my brother
			Be open to full time missions/ministry	Be on good terms with his immediate family	Not love sports more than he loves me
			Love kids and teenagers	Not be shy	Fix things around the house
			Have the heart of a servant	Be self-controlled with money	Play an instrument
			Be willing to take a stand for what he believes—even to me	Volunteer to do household cleaning or help me with it	Have parents who really like me
			Be easy to talk to (at least for me)	Be laid back	Sing well
			Make me laugh regularly	Be a mostly organized person	Speak more than one language
			Have spiritual gifts that are complimentary to mine	Have lived on his own for at least a year
			Pray with me frequently
			Be liked by my friends
			Not be uptight
			Not drink alcohol or smoke
			Be intelligent
			Not be clingy/dependent on me
			Meet Titus 1:6-9 qualifications
			Be decisive
			Treat all people with dignity

No Joke

I'm with Tim on this one.