merry Christmas.

We write this blog as we travel west bound (don’t worry I am not operating the vehicle) :). As we jumped on I-40 this AM, we couldn’t believe that five months had quickly gone by.  Immediately we began retracing the footsteps that brought us to Tennessee, remembering the first minute we pulled in to town. After moments of reminiscing and watching familiar landmarks pass by, we both starred, in silence, through rainy windows, knowing that we were thinking the same thing. The last five months of our lives, or year for that matter, have been a rollercoaster of change, challenge, creation, trust, risk, and growth. We would like to share with you some of the highlights of our 2011:

• The opportunity Tim had to work for Fort Sumner Monuments, with his family, as the headstone designer and engraver.
• The opportunity Misty had to be a part of the DeBaca Family Practice Clinic team as the Operations and IT Manager.
• Spending time with Mom and Dad Sena and Crystal in Fort Sumner.
• Haiti (the pup) turning two in February.
• Time spent with our Clovis (the Vine) community group.
• Our trip to Haiti in March to see Eli, Wilna and the rest of our Haitian family.
• Misty being asked to join the staff at BGM.
• Our first trip to Nashville in May to attend the annual BGM fundraiser and to hang with our future Nash family.
• Our sweet niece, Trinity Jean, was born on July 6^th!
• Spending two weeks in Flagstaff with our new niece (and the rest of the family of course:))
• Our going away party given by the Tim’s family.
• Beginning our new life in Nashville in August.
• Meeting our new Church family at Mosaic Nashville.
• Meeting new friends in Nashville.
• Misty’s vision trip with the BGM staff to Haiti in August.
• Harlie turning one in August.
• Having our first guests Mom and Dad Torrez to our new home in September.
• Beginning our involvement at the Nashville Rescue Mission.
• The Coddington’s Visit to NashVegas in October.
• Tim being asked to join the myLIFEspeaks family in October.
• Seeing our friends graduate from the recovery program at the NRM in November.
• Spending Thanksgiving in a different environment and realm.
• Having Mom Torrez, Mandy, Trinity, Granny and Aunt Ginny for a girls Christmas trip to Nash.

Which brings us to today… 

We are so very thankful for the journey that we are blessed to partake in on a daily basis. We pray that as our pages are written in to 2012, that we continue to walk in obedience and strive to become more like our Creator, Jesus, every day that we have breath, in whatever way that means. We pray this for you and your family as well… wishing you a Merry Christmas.

In Great Love,

Tim, Misty, Haiti and Harlie

love.

So, we find ourselves once again over due in our venture of blogging. We have no, real or good excuse for not doing it, except that we really haven’t taken the time to sit down and try to put in to words what our life has been like in the last three months. :)  So, here are a couple of thoughts since we last wrote…

Often times it still feels surreal that we live in Nashville, TN. Never would we have thought that we would be here, doing what we are doing, but it truly is a beautiful part of our story; God continues to change our hearts and lives daily. We have been GREATLY challenged to… live simply, not worry about money, be a part of change, provide for those in need, be a part of community, be uncomfortable, show grace to those when its hard and BE LOVE with our lives.

One of our favorite parts of being in the city is the opportunity we have had to get involved with the rescue mission and homeless community in town.  Our hearts continue to be broken, not only to provide for our friends in their physical needs, but to truly desire a relationship with them. After working for so long in Haiti, which is considered a fifth world country, you see the reality of poverty and hunger. When we first began volunteering at the rescue mission we were very taken back by what we experienced.  As people filtered through the line in the cafeteria we heard statements like, “I don’t want that kind of bread,” “There aren’t any more desserts?!?” The complaining went on and on as they passed through the line and smiles were far to come by… We also noticed how much food they threw away at the end of their meal. Was this really hunger? We were so confused. An image of children sharing a plate of rice in Haiti haunted my mind as I watched this devastation.  We were convicted. What really are these people lacking? What are WE as a society actually giving them? Are we throwing all these “things” at them and not giving them what they actually need? Yes, people need to eat, but are the volunteers, humanitarians, missionaries… actually missing an element of this equation? We have been challenged. One of Tim’s favorite quotes from Mother Teresa is, "There is more hunger  for love and appreciation in this world than for bread." LOVE.  Again, yes, people who are hungry need to have food, but here in American that is not the problem. What are they really hungry for?? One of our homeless friends showed us a menu one night that displayed all the places that he could choose from on a daily basis to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.  We were shocked. VERY comfortably a hungry or homeless person could eat three meals a day here in Nashville. We sat with a couple under the bridge while an organization fed them one night and asked them how many people and organizations actually take the time to emotionally invest in their lives; they quickly answered, NO ONE.  We realized, they really do want love; they are hungry for love. We looked up to see a very evident segregation of volunteers and a crowd of the homeless. I don’t doubt their efforts, but again we feel an overwhelming sense of failure. Humans need love, we need attention, we crave compassion, conversation…

We want to be better. We are challenged to build relationships in the world. To be better at being this LOVE that Jesus proclaimed and was. We desire to play our part in bridging the gap, the segregation that we have created; to bring it back to where it was made to be, without one.

home sweet home.

A u-haul, route 66 (I-40) J, channel 15 walky-talkies, code names, coffee, donuts, bologna sandwiches, sunflower seeds, loud music, truck stops, holiday inns, parks, four states, 1,300 miles, 20 driving hours and two of the best dog traveling champs ever… all this means, WE MADE IT!!

I remember making the turn on to I-40, east bound; it seemed as if it was actually the first step into a new chapter. Our destination was so far and everything about it seemed to be a mystery.

"Are we actually going?"

"Are we really doing this?"

We repeatedly asked each other these questions nearly every time we passed in to a new state and if we didn’t say them aloud, our minds mumbled them just as clearly. The open road and twenty hours gave us time and freedom to think, pray and know that we were doing exactly what we were supposed to be doing; follow the pavement and trust that God was writing His story through our lives.  

Our trek was great! It was so exciting to see new geography and experience new culture at nearly every stop we made. Neither of us have done much traveling east bound, so that was exciting in itself. After two fairly long days, we finally arrived at our destination and I couldn’t wait to introduce the family to our new home! My mom and I had traveled to TN back in June to search for a roof to cover our heads, so Tim had only seen the home in pictures. Turns out, I did good! J  He loves it and the girls love their new back yard and they especially LOVE the neighborhood park where they can chase the ball ‘til they nearly pass out.  Those of you that know Tim would know that he dreams about fishing everyday in the Cumberland River that runs right behind our neighborhood! Unfortunately, those fish wont pay our bills.J However, I guess we would never have to worry about having something to cook for dinner. J

We have finally got most everything unpacked and I have completely convinced myself that the next big move we make we are selling EVERYTHING and just, going. J My oh my how tiring it is to pack/ unpack. I guess I can’t complain because of all that we have, but really, it’s AWFUL! J

We got to meet most of our neighbors and they are all really nice. We quickly realized we were in the “big city” when Tim asked the elderly couple next door if he could mow their lawn and they were VERY confused and wondered what he wanted PAID. It was pretty funny that it took quite a bit of explanation for them to realize that he just genuinely wanted to help mow their lawn for FREE. J Haha… They ended up being very appreciative and now are OVERLY friendly to us every time we see them. Tim is such a sweet guy. J Maybe we should put a bill in the mailbox. J

I started work this last Monday. Everything about it was exactly what I had hoped for. HAITI, HAITI, pick up supplies for HAITI and HAITI… that was my agenda. Every day I get more and more excited, dreaming about what can be done in that country and how we can play our part to make it happen. In addition to this, I get to spend time in an office with amazing people we get to call our family. God is doing amazing things through this ministry and we are so excited to join in His work.

The first Sunday we were here we checked out a church called Mosaic. We really had no idea what to expect and naturally we thought it was going to be a pretty big church; most in this area are. We followed the directions to a building downtown and followed some signs to the second story of a very large building, which then led to a small auditorium. We were greeted by a cluster of art that included paintings and candles (apart from the very nice people at the door J). When we turned the corner we expected to see a large auditorium of people but it honestly took our breath away to see a very small, quaint group, sitting at round tables with candles in a dark ambiance. It seemed to be everything we had been missing since we left the student ministry at Eastern. It was so refreshing to hear AMAZING worship music, (hello we are in Nashville, TN) and be gathered around a small community trying to be God’s bride, His church. We hope to get involved with a community group that meets near our house and hope to start taking part in future projects they may have around the city.

Well, we just wanted to give you a small update on our new life here in Music City. We could probably sit for hours and tell you stories of how we already love this place and what God is doing in our lives daily. It's so good to be, "home sweet home," for now :) 

Again, if any of you are in or around the Nashville area we would love to catch up with you!! Thank you again for your love, support and prayers… I will be joining two others (Brent and Missy) from the ministry at the end of this month, on a trip to Haiti for a few days. We will be scouting out projects for next year’s work/ teams and of course dreaming dreams for Haiti while on their soil. Please pray for us as we go; that God would give us a clear vision for the work that needs to be done and that we would do it in love, for His purpose.

Sending love to all of you…

a new journey.

So about a year ago we decided that we would start blogging. It lasted a day, one blog; we are truly over achievers J As life has taken its turn and as we venture off to new lands, our hope is that we will use this blog to stay in touch and to share our thoughts with our dear friends and family; maybe even strangers. So here’s to new adventures! J

It is crazy to think about life and how it drastically changes from one day to another. You make plans, draw maps, write stories… then you wake up to new walls. After getting married, we had planned to make a “pit-stop” in Fort Sumner, NM, Tim’s hometown, where we would live for about a month before traveling on to bigger and better lands. Before we knew it, over two and a half years later, we lived in a little two bedroom home, in the middle of a valley, near the river, enjoying the “simple life” and a comfortable one at that.

Fort Sumner, NM (home of Billy the Kid’s gravesite J) is a SMALL village with a population less than 2000 people. It has four restaurants, two gas stations, eight churches, a drug store, a small bowling alley and not ONE stop light. When we say its small, we mean SMALL.J We never believed that such a small place could have given us so much and here at the end of it we stand so full. Living in this small town grew us into, not only lovers but also best friends … lovers of Jesus, peace, family, Haiti, community, gardening, animals, simplicity, art, music, time and adventure. We were given more than any newly married couple could have ever asked for.

Our life was mostly typical. The both of us had very secure jobs that provided us with sufficient finances and then some, which also afforded us the opportunity to pay off debt so that we would have the freedom to stand where we are today. We had always contemplated the option to move or a change in occupation; it was always a wrestle, for me especially (Misty). Growing up I had always believed that I needed to strive for perfection, work for a perfect college degree, then graduate and make a lot of perfect money to make sure that I could survive comfortably in this world. After getting two degrees, one being an MBA, and getting married I thought I was on the perfect track, which in the world’s eyes, I probably was. Then, after moving to Fort Sumner, I was given the chance to work for nearly three years in the medical industry where I grew into the IT/Operations manager for the facility. Tim also wrestled at the thought of leaving, knowing that working as a monument designer for his family’s very successful business, we would always be “okay.”  Moving was far too “risky” so we always casually brushed it from our minds until we were faced with a decision that would change our hearts and mind… the drafts of our pages were slowly being re-written.

Most of you that know us know that we have been going to Haiti annually, sometimes bi-annually, for many years. During the summer of 2003, my sister and I (Misty) started a child sponsorship with an organization called New Missions. I truly had no idea that that summer would change “my” and eventually “our” lives forever. I remember distinctly going on a walk during a youth camp with Brent Gambrell, telling him that after seeing his presentation about Haiti that I knew I was supposed to go. A child sponsorship was not enough and there was something I needed to “do” to help. The next spring I joined a team from Nashville to Haiti. It was a week that changed everything. I first got to meet Wilna, the little girl that we have now sponsored for eight years and I was also exposed to extreme fifth world poverty for the first time in my life. The nation stole my heart; there was more to be done and I needed to give what I could to make a difference. No matter the circumstances or life scenario I always dropped everything to at least return to Haiti on an annual basis. The spring of 2008 I was joined by my best friend on another journey to Haiti where we both fell in love with ministry amongst a people we learned to passionately love. After this trip we knew that this nation would be a part of our lives, together, forever.

Our plans of living our small life, in a small town, a small distance from family, comfortably, was shaken this past spring when I received an offer to go to work for Brent Gambrell Ministries in Nashville, TN. Our wrestles, doubts and fears were quickly dissolved when realizing this was a chance for us to live one of our dreams and to do it in love and in beat with God’s heart. We would be lying if we didn’t admit that we sporadically fear giving up our “comfort,” physically, emotionally and financially; we would be lying if we didn’t admit that we fear giving up “ideal” jobs according to the world; we would be lying if we didn’t admit that we are fearful of being so far from family and friends we love so much… but its worth it; every day, minute and second of it… to venture off knowing that we aren’t risking anything; knowing that there is nothing we are “giving” up because it wasn’t ours. We have only today to live (that we know of) and to breathe in love for the sake of Jesus. We pray that we would live our lives with a unique selflessness and humility that truly exemplifies our Creator; giving back to a world that beats because of His hand. We get a new chance every morning and we pray that when we fail, it is another chance for us to grow and to understand His true grace and mercy. Thank you family and friends for supporting us once again as we chase our dreams and partner in God’s ministry around the world. We couldn’t do it without you…  thank you for following our blog and praying for us as we partake in this new journey… We pack our U-Haul July 30^th to begin our trek to Nashville!