Above the Clouds



Sometimes it's easy to lose your perspective. Recently I was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and had the chance to explore the city for a day. I woke up early to a misty, cloud-filled morning. As I made my way towards Mount Washington, I realized that I was actually walking through fog and clouds.

The photos you see here are show how dense the mist was. It was strange seeing buildings and the city disappear behind the clouds.

Pedestrians crossing the Smithfield Street Bridge
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.



After crossing the Smithfield Street Bridge, I headed towards the incline and rode up to Mount Washington. When I arrived at the top, I gazed out on a completely different view!



On top of Mount Washington in Pittsburgh, overlooking
the clouds and the city.

When I was walking in the mist-filled streets, the sun was still there. I just couldn't see it from my perspective. Reality doesn't change even though we may view it differently or the view may be obscured. The sun still shines even when clouds, fog, and mist block your view of it.

As you can see in the photo to the left, the clouds were still floating through and embracing the city. There is a verse that says, "Sing to God, sing praise to His name, extol Him who rides on the clouds - His name is the Lord - and rejoice before Him." (Psalm 68:4) That is truth and that is reality. God is over all, and He loves us!

If you are walking in darkness right now, I encourage you to look at things from a different perspective. Count on God's promises. As it says in another Psalm, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." (Psalm 27:14)
There is hope, always.             
                                                                                                                                                                   ~ Sarah

Lost in Another Language

The music store in Germany where I had
one of my fun adventures.

I was lost, not terribly lost, but definitely lost. Let me explain a little. At the time, I was on a short-term assignment in Germany for the Air National Guard, and I had a day off. I really like adventuring in new places, so after some research and planning, I took a public bus from the base into the city. My goal was to shop at a music store for a harmonica as a souvenir for Mike, my husband, and then to explore the city a bit.

I found the store quite easily and even negotiated the harmonica section without too much difficulty. I was surprised at the wide range of prices, but I found one within my budget. With my purchase happily in hand, I left the store to wander around the city a while before I had to catch a bus back.

Knowing that I was in a foreign country with a language I knew nothing about, I was extremely careful to note my surroundings so that I wouldn't get lost. When I left the music store, I spied a tall tower with a clock facing me, so I made that my landmark.

It was a great day of walking around, looking at different shops, and trying some local cuisine. The time was passing, and the next thing I knew, it was time to start heading for the bus stop. I looked up at the clock tower in the distance and suddenly realized that it did not have just one clock. It had a clock on each of its four sides! Okay, you can laugh here at how naive I was. I had to laugh at myself.

A German bakery selling what appears to be
Philadelphia soft pretzels.

With my complete lack of ability to speak German, I was on my own. Fortunately, I was able to retrace my steps, and it wasn't long before I was standing at the bus stop ready for the return trip.

Through all of this, I learned to be careful what I choose to guide my steps. I thought I was smart and prepared, but I didn't notice one important detail that could have left me wandering for a long time.

It's rather easy to get lost in life, too, if you use the wrong landmarks or don't pay attention. That's one reason that I love how Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life." (John 14:6) He didn't say He was a way. He made it clear that He is "the way"! I can tell you from experience that this is true. If you trust your life to Him, He will never leave you. You'll never be really lost again.
                                                                                                  ~ Sarah

Clean Water and More

When I turn on the faucet in my house, clean water comes out. This may seem like a simple thing, but it is something I am thankful for. While I was in Haiti, I had to remember to fill a cup with filtered water to brush my teeth. I had to make sure I didn't rinse my toothbrush with the running water from the bathroom sink or I would likely get sick. Above is a photo of one of the water fountains in Anse a Galet on La Gonave, Haiti. The people there have to go and get water from this fountain, as you can see by the various containers all around. Then they have to carry it back to their home. I simply turn on a faucet.

One cool program that is going on in Haiti is the CHE program (Community Health Evangelism). Part of the education provided through this program teaches people that placing water in clear soda bottles in the sun for six hours works as a UV filter to purify the water and make it safe to drink. God is amazing! He's provided the sun and the knowledge to make changes like this that can save lives. For more on the CHE program, check out: http://villagehealtheducation.blogspot.com/

There are many other things I am thankful for. Today I need to do some laundry. This means I will throw some clothes and detergent into my washing machine and turn it on. After that I'll throw it in my dryer. The lady on the left did my laundry for me while I was in Haiti. She used a garden hose, large tubs, and a clothes line. She washes the clothes by hand on a concrete slab. She is a sweet lady, and I told her how much I appreciated her hard work (actually I had a translator tell her, since my Creole is almost nonexistent).

Yesterday I went to the grocery store, which is about two minutes from my house. The missionaries we visited in Haiti have to go to the mainland for many things. This requires a boat ride that is at least one and one-half hours long, then a drive about two hours, and that is one way! Below you see a photo of a refrigerator being loaded onto the boat to transport it from the Haiti mainland to La Gonave.




What are you thankful for today? Most of all, I am thankful for God's love. "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him."
I John 4:16

God loves you, and He loves me. If you'd like to find out more about my adventures in Haiti, please go to Sarah Shares.
                                         ~ Sarah

Quakes, Faith, and Hope



A few times I've been up several stories in a building and felt it sway slightly and vibrate, but I cannot even imagine the actual earth shaking under my feet. I just returned from Haiti, where I saw the devastating effects of the earthquake they endured last year. Above is a photo of a mass gravesite in Haiti, where approximately 200,000 earthquake victims are buried. Now the people of Japan are suffering from the effects of an earthquake and a tsunami.

One thing I know in the midst of these tragedies is that God is love. That is an enduring truth that has not changed and cannot be shaken. As Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, stated so clearly, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)



This sweet girl came up and walked along with me, holding
 my hand and pointing to things for me to take pictures of,
saying "photo, photo". Smiles are the same in every language!



These boys in one of the poorest areas in La Gonave, Haiti,
were having a great time playing soccer with a tennis ball.

I have many stories and many images to share, but for now I just want to encourage you that there is hope in Christ, and there is peace in Christ. One missionary I met shared that he was working in construction when he felt like the Lord was asking him what he was doing that had eternal significance. That was the beginning of his journey into missionary work and sharing the great news of the love of Jesus Christ with the Haitian people. So many things are temporary, but a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ is eternal.

 Going to Haiti was an incredible adventure and privilege that I won't forget. As I said, I'll be sharing more. In the meantime, remember that you are loved and there is hope!

15 Pounds of Crayons

What do 15 pounds of crayons, 60 toothbrushes, 462 scrub uniforms, and a big bag of silly bandz have in common? They are all among the many things people have donated for the mission trip to Haiti. I have been amazed at the generosity and thoughtfulness of people as they've heard I'm heading to Haiti. It's an exciting privilege to be able to deliver these gifts. I've packed over 300 pounds of donated items! It was an interesting challenge dividing things up so that each bag weighs less than 50 pounds.

I look forward to taking these supplies, and I am eager to help out in any way possible. There are 8 of us going together, and the whole reason behind this trip is to share God's love. God is love, and He loves each of us so much that He wants us to be in a real relationship with Him. This is actually possible through His Son, Jesus. Don't miss out on this. Life is too short to miss the whole point.

As it says in 2 Corinthians 4:18 "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."                                                                                      

For more details, check out: http://sarahshares.com/YouAreVerySpecial.html
Live for what lasts!
                                                                                            ~ Sarah

Don't Miss the Now

As I was driving to work early in the morning, it was still dark out. I noticed something reflecting on the side of the road up ahead, and it looked like it was flickering. I kept looking at it, trying to figure out if it was an animal or what. Suddenly I realized there was a huge branch on the road right in front of me and I had to swerve to miss it. Thankfully, it was an empty road and there were no cars coming the other way.

How many times do I miss what's right in front of me because I'm looking ahead? I like the way Jim Elliot put it: "Wherever you are - be all there." Most of the time I have many different projects going on, big and small, and I also work full-time. It's easy to be thinking about the next thing I need to take care of instead of enjoying the moment I'm in. It is important to be ready and prepared. Actually, I just did a little write-up on being prepared for the end of life.

You can check it out at:

http://sarahshares.com/EndofLifeCareandDecisions.html

That being said, don't miss what is going on right now!

Two big things ahead for me right now are getting ready to go to Haiti next week for a short-term mission trip and getting ready to go over the first edits on a children's book I'm really excited about (more on that later:). Right now, though, right at this moment, I'm off from work and my amazing husband, Mike, will be home shortly. I'm going to leave tomorrow for tomorrow and get some popcorn and a movie ready so we can enjoy a night in! 

Oh, by the way, the thing I saw reflecting was simply a reflector on a telephone pole with some branches waving back and forth in front of it. 

~ Sarah 

Chocolate Chips and Malaria Pills



The marketplace on La Gonave, Haiti.



Today was a day of running some unusual errands for my upcoming mission trip to Haiti. I picked up packages of live typhoid vaccine and malaria prevention medicine. Not your everyday trip to the pharmacy! As the team and I prepare, we've asked the missionaries who live there if there is anything they'd like us to bring. One small request is for chocolate chips. Personally, I often take for granted the fact that I can so easily stop by the grocery store or pharmacy or a multitude of other places to pick things up. Almost any time I feel like it I can pick up some chocolate chips and bake some cookies.

I'm going to Haiti for a mere 8 days. There are people who have dedicated months and years to serving in Haiti. They've sacrificed and given so much. It really puts things into perspective for me. Right now there are many power outages in my area. When our electricity goes out, it seems like such a major inconvenience, but there are many in the world who don't have electricity or clean water or even a roof over their heads.



This woman welcomed a baby who was abandoned into her small home.

 
Yet in the midst of the poverty in Haiti, there is evidence of hope. In this photo you see a woman who has hardly anything, but she has a love for God and is sharing that with others. She lives in one of the poorest sections on La Gonave, yet she has opened her small one room home to others with less than her. She reminds me of the woman that Jesus noted in Luke 21 who "out of her poverty put in all she had to live on". She has true riches. May you and I go after true riches, the kind that last.