tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-188257802024-03-18T01:51:39.480-04:00Livesay FamilyFind not too frequent updates from the Livesay family here T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comBlogger3936125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-70097024965476937562022-07-24T13:06:00.001-04:002022-07-24T13:16:15.378-04:00I am 50 and I can kick <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysAmNHAoJaXu49mBWUowZUNd9prqSZAf-szGOHSnu0LCg4HO29WPzMlTH7UU5tqBU4Z2Zy_f_HU7DDNVhP2jHecaHmOJxWH0FyUpC5EGk1y1H_zyOfuLSg55ipVR3F7vgGisK4aMpQ0W6hnMdVq9-KkkAQ08n-2Qc3GRTzj7EGF-JETFw5Q/s200/NumerologyNumbers50.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="111" data-original-width="200" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysAmNHAoJaXu49mBWUowZUNd9prqSZAf-szGOHSnu0LCg4HO29WPzMlTH7UU5tqBU4Z2Zy_f_HU7DDNVhP2jHecaHmOJxWH0FyUpC5EGk1y1H_zyOfuLSg55ipVR3F7vgGisK4aMpQ0W6hnMdVq9-KkkAQ08n-2Qc3GRTzj7EGF-JETFw5Q/s1600/NumerologyNumbers50.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The last time I signed into this blog was 586 days ago. Writing was such a key part of my ability to cope with stress and internal turmoil for so long. It feels good to brush off the cobwebs and </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">sign into this dormant place again.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It feels a little bit like walking into a coffee date with an old friend you haven't seen in years.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Adam Grant said: "Writing isn't what you do after you have an idea. It's how you develop an inkling into an insight. Turning thoughts into words sharpens reasoning. What's fuzzy in your head is clear on the page. "I'm not a writer" shouldn't stop you from writing. Writing is a tool for thinking.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Perhaps the cobwebs will return to this blog site quickly, but for today the sentimental reflections of my 50th Birthday could produce some insight. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We shall see. </span></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><div class="kVF6d" style="display: table; word-break: break-word;"><div class="MiCl6d" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; min-height: 36px;"><div class="c8d6zd xWMiCc REww7c" style="font-family: "Google Sans", arial, sans-serif; font-size: 28px; line-height: 36px; margin-top: -6px; vertical-align: top;"><span data-dobid="hdw">sen·ti·men·tal</span></div></div><div class="qexShd" style="padding-top: 8px;"><span class="LTKOO" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">/ˌsen(t)əˈmen(t)l/</span></div><div aria-hidden="true" class="K6GhFd" data-is-bilingual="false" jsaction="BtuVOb:V46pce" jscontroller="jhGntf" style="max-height: 0px; opacity: 0; pointer-events: none; transition-duration: 0.3s, 0.3s; transition-property: max-height, opacity; transition: max-height 0.3s, opacity 0.3s;"><div class="b8aKlc" style="padding: 8px 0px 6px;"><a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=how+to+pronounce+sentimental&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAOMIfcRoyy3w8sc9YSmTSWtOXmPU4-INKMrPK81LzkwsyczPExLnYglJLcoV4pfi5eIuTs0rycwFEok5VixKTKl5PItYZTLyyxVK8hUKgNrygfpSFZBUAQCtkh_MYQAAAA&pron_lang=en&pron_country=us&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjxj-bF1JH5AhXxmGoFHTm0AfUQ3eEDegQIAxAK" style="color: #681da8; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;" tabindex="-1"><div class="S5TwIf" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 6px; border-bottom-right-radius: 6px; border-top-left-radius: 6px; border-top-right-radius: 6px; box-shadow: rgb(218, 220, 224) 0px 0px 0px 1px inset; display: inline-block; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 12px; vertical-align: top;"><g-img class="FamOtd" style="display: inline-block; height: 32px; vertical-align: middle;"><img alt="" class="YQ4gaf zr758c wA1Bge" data-atf="1" data-frt="0" height="32" id="dimg_1" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,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" style="border: 0px; display: block; position: relative;" width="32" /></g-img><span class="fe69if" style="margin-left: 10px; vertical-align: middle;">Learn to pronounce</span></div></a></div></div></div></div><div class="ABgcGb vmod" jsname="p0q1Sd" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"></div><div class="vmod" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><div class="vmod" data-topic="" jsname="r5Nvmf"><div class="lW8rQd" style="align-items: center; display: flex;"><div class="YrbPuc vdBwhd pgRvse" style="color: #70757a; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; min-height: 20px; padding-top: 4px;"><i>adjective</i></div><div aria-hidden="true" class="xpdxpnd" data-mh="-1" jsname="jUIvqc" style="max-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;"><span class="kqEaA" style="color: #70757a; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"></span><span class="kqEaA z8gr9e" style="color: #4d5156; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><b></b></span></div></div><ol class="eQJLDd" style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px;"><li jsname="gskXhf" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="vmod"><div class="thODed" style="padding-top: 8px;"><div class="LTKOO sY7ric" data-topic="" jsname="cJAsRb" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 16px;"><div style="margin-left: 20px;"><div class="LTKOO sY7ric" style="line-height: 16px; margin-left: -20px;"><div data-dobid="dfn" style="display: inline;">of or prompted by feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia.</div></div></div></div></div></div></li></ol></div></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsuCfi0Lld0Sd9vnN4M2FNKOnrWqUHegQvkMQCVmDBdtWvEwNFadv2h_odf3b4UGMhChUehxDKYgG1x-bDIePFiQEdktVUUklUJKWE8nqCdwJnB2NPa1-hxSALM6CCWCyOHIsanjoXS0oGjTFpZ4M0WKAZDMjbmgJ33hWXCRf4N5W92sGCIw/s640/IMG_5505.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsuCfi0Lld0Sd9vnN4M2FNKOnrWqUHegQvkMQCVmDBdtWvEwNFadv2h_odf3b4UGMhChUehxDKYgG1x-bDIePFiQEdktVUUklUJKWE8nqCdwJnB2NPa1-hxSALM6CCWCyOHIsanjoXS0oGjTFpZ4M0WKAZDMjbmgJ33hWXCRf4N5W92sGCIw/w480-h640/IMG_5505.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;">1972 was a <span style="background-color: white;">Year of the Rat in Chinese zodiac. I confirmed that this means (almost) absolutely nothing. Careers for rats are: </span><span style="background-color: white;">Administrator, director, manager, entrepreneur, broadcaster, writer, musician, stand-up comedian, politician, lawyer, researcher, and racing car driver. (I am for sure headed to NASCAR seniors division after Midwifery.) </span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">1972 saw the first Black female presidential candidate, Shirley Chisholm. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Also...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The US Senate votes in favor of the Equal right Amendment and passes it along to the states for ratification. (<a href="https://www.history.com/news/equal-rights-amendment-fail-phyllis-schlafly" target="_blank">Spoiler alert. Not law today</a>.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Evil Knievel successfully jumps 32 cars but breaks 93 bones on landing. <b>(Was it <i>truly</i> successful, then?)</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In the early morning of June 17 five men are apprehended by police while attempting to burglarize DNC headquarters, this came to be known as the Watergate Scandal</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">At Xerox's Palo Alto Research Center, Robert Metcalfe combines packet switching technology with single-wire broadcasting to lay the foundation for the development of the Internet</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">American swimmer Mark Spitz collects a record seven gold medals at the Summer Olympic Games</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Republican Richard Nixon is re-elected president in a landslide victory over Democratic challenger George McGovern</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The last issue of Life Magazine is published December</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Congressman Ford is sworn in as Vice President </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The <span style="box-sizing: inherit;">Dow Jones closes above 1000</span> for the first time in history</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Nike launched their first shoe in 1972, <span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124;">the Nike Cortez. </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124;">The sneaker served as the first advanced running shoe made available to the public</span>.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Also born in 1972: Shaquille O'Neal, Gwyneth Paltrow, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Sasse" target="_blank">Ben Sasse</a>, Eminem & Brad Paisley</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Average Cost of new house <span class="w3-text-red" color="rgb(244, 67, 54) !important" style="box-sizing: inherit;">$27,550.00 </span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Average Income per year <span class="w3-text-red" color="rgb(244, 67, 54) !important" style="box-sizing: inherit;">$11,800.00 </span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Average Monthly Rent <span class="w3-text-red" color="rgb(244, 67, 54) !important" style="box-sizing: inherit;">$165.00 </span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Cost of a gallon of Gas <span class="w3-text-red" color="rgb(244, 67, 54) !important" style="box-sizing: inherit;">55 cents</span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Hellmanns Mayonnaise <span class="w3-text-red" color="rgb(244, 67, 54) !important" style="box-sizing: inherit;">$1.39 </span><span class="w3-text-red" style="box-sizing: inherit;"> <b>(Weird flex, I'll just have ground beef and strawberries, thankyouverymuch)</b></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Fresh Strawberries Lb <span class="w3-text-red" color="rgb(244, 67, 54) !important" style="box-sizing: inherit;">31 cents </span></span></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Ground Beef Lb <span class="w3-text-red" color="rgb(244, 67, 54) !important" style="box-sizing: inherit;">98 cents</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The number 50 has all sorts of significance,* if * you buy into that numerology stuff, which I technically <u><b><i>do not.</i> </b></u>Even so, I am sharing what I do not subscribe to because it is interesting. (I also don't buy into zodiac/astrology but I'll listen to you tell me about why you do.)</span></p><p><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);"><span style="color: #351c75;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #351c75;"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">The number </span><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-weight: bold;">50</span><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);"> also symbolizes deliverance or freedom from a burden.</span></span></blockquote><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);"><span style="color: #351c75;"></span></span><p></p><p><a href="https://numerologynation.com/angel-number-50/" target="_blank"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);"><span style="color: #351c75;"></span></span></a></p><blockquote><span style="color: #351c75;"><a href="https://numerologynation.com/angel-number-50/" target="_blank"><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);">Angel number </span><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="font-weight: bold;">50</span></a><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);"> is a sign from the divine realm about independence, self-determination, and taking charge of our own lives.</span></span></blockquote><p></p><blockquote><p><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(77, 81, 86);"><span style="color: #351c75;"></span></span></p><div class="number-image-frame" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 6px; border-bottom-right-radius: 6px; border-top-left-radius: 6px; border-top-right-radius: 6px; border: 6px solid rgb(219, 236, 246); box-sizing: border-box; float: left; font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-right: 15px; max-width: 200px; padding: 20px; position: relative; width: 200px;"><figure style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 148px;"><figcaption style="box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75;">The number 50 expresses its sense of personal freedom.</span></figcaption></figure><a href="https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://affinitynumerology.com/number-meanings/number-50-meaning.php&media=https://affinitynumerology.com/images/NumerologyNumbers50.png&description=The%20number%2050%20expresses%20its%20sense%20of%20personal%20freedom.%20https://affinitynumerology.com/number-meanings/number-50-meaning.php" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #351c75;"><img alt="Pinterest Pin Button" class="pin-it-invite-button" src="https://affinitynumerology.com/images/PinterestButton.gif" style="border: none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; left: 7.2pt; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: -7.2pt; width: 43px;" title="Click button to pin the image at your Pinterest account." /></span></a></div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"><a href="https://affinitynumerology.com/number-meanings/number-50-meaning.php" target="_blank"><span style="color: #351c75;">The numerology number 50 expresses its sense of personal freedom.</span></a></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"><span style="color: #351c75;">Expression of personal freedom, for 50, is the pursuit of whatever may be of interest, at the moment it becomes of interest, without resistance from its inner self or from others.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"><span style="color: #351c75;">50 likes to talk and play and imagine and have fun, especially when it involves experiencing something it hasn't experienced before. And especially when it involves interactions with people.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"><span style="color: #351c75;">The number 50 is witty. People generally smile a lot when they're around 50.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"><span style="color: #351c75;">The number 50 enjoys finding and exploring entirely new things, ideas, locations, and methods. The general idea of experiencing everything at least once sits well with 50, even while it's aware not everything can be experienced in one lifetime. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"><span style="color: #351c75;">The essence of the number 50 almost always focuses on the positive side of things rather than the negative.</span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I feel like this is <b>all good news</b>. Even if it's fake news. I especially feel the deliverance from burdens happening. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So much about me changed in the last decade. Trauma, betrayal, disappointment, and fractured relationships ushered in some of the change. Raising my 7 <b><i><u>very</u></i></b> different personalities changed me too. Joy, miracles, love, tolerance, kindness, counseling, introspection and forgiveness can have credit for the rest. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I like the changes and am still actively working on me. The changes have been good for my kids and my marriage. Not everyone loves or likes this changed me, and that's okay. I am learning that the approval I sought in my 30s and early 40s didn't serve me well. I finally like most things about myself and understand more about myself than 10 years ago. (The Enneagram has served me well in the area of self-acceptance.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I can now identify that I moved to Haiti partly because I truly thought God wanted me to (which sounds weird to me now because I don't know how that works anymore and would not pretend to know any longer) and partly because I thought it made me good to do something really difficult. I moved thinking it would make my parents proud and it would mean my faith was some sort of super-special kind of faith. I for sure moved thinking if I went willingly and joyfully and prayed a lot, God would protect Troy and I and my kids from bad things. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Obviously, I realize now that it was all flawed (dumb) and incorrect to assume any of that. God would have loved me and accepted me if I was in Minnesota and not trying to solve the problems of the materially poor and perpetually marginalized in Haiti. The church idolizes missionaries and that's not cool because they are just people and they do things for the weird and selfish reasons too. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I faced the truth that I became a Midwife for 50% reasonable and 50% unhealthy motivations. I rely on the reasonable part keep me going until I am ready to be done.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">For now, it seems I can't quit Haiti. I have attempted to figure out how I can emotionally separate myself and the truth is, I care deeply about it now and there's no escaping the pain of that island. Choosing to not be involved would hurt just the same as doing it does. Doing it means connection with phenomenal people. Haiti is the long defeat, as Sara Groves once broke down perfectly. </span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">I have joined the long defeat - </span>That falling set in motion</span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">All my strength and energy - </span>Are raindrops in the ocean</span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">So conditioned for the win - </span>To share in victor's stories</span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">But in the place of ambition's din - </span>I've heard of other glories</span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="color: #351c75;">I pray for an idea</span></span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="color: #351c75;">And a way I cannot see</span></span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="color: #351c75;">It's too heavy to carry</span></span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="color: #351c75;">And impossible to leave</span></span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">I can't just fight when I think I'll win - </span>That's the end of all belief</span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">And nothing has provoked it more- </span>Than a possible defeat</span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="color: #351c75;">I pray for an idea</span></span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="color: #351c75;">And a way I cannot see</span></span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="color: #351c75;">It's too heavy to carry</span></span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span jsname="YS01Ge"><span style="color: #351c75;">And impossible to leave</span></span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">We walk a while we sit and rest - </span>We lay it on the altar</span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span jsname="YS01Ge">I won't pretend to know what's next - </span>But what I have I've offered</span></div><div class="ujudUb" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 12px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: left;"></span></div></blockquote><p> </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div class="ujudUb WRZytc" jsname="U8S5sf" style="caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 36); color: #202124; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; text-align: center;"><br /></div></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The biggest changes of my life happened in the years we were in Haiti and the nearly three since then. I learned about Jesus in a way that was not prescribed or handed to me. I got to know him on my own. I came to see that sometimes the people claiming Jeuss are the people doing the most harM. I learned to trust my discernment; listen to my gut. I stopped putting pastors and leaders on a pedestal. I don't believe a lot of what I believed 25 years ago, but in my tearing down and rebuilding, Jesus remained. I am changed. I am changing. I consider myself a person of faith and a Jesus SuperFan.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I learned from my kids that my mistakes are important to own. I learned the value of a genuine humble apology. I learned that there is no one way to raise all your kids. Different kids need different things. I learned that you will be a different parent when you raise you first and fourth and seventh child. I learned that love means allowing everyone to learn and develop at their own pace. I learned that my kids don't need to reflect me back to me, like little mirrors or minions. They each have varying thoughts, opinions, approaches, and goals. They are worthy of my unconditional love and respect. Even if I don't understand every choice, the choices are theirs to make. My choice is love. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I learned in my angry PTSD phases that I tend make generalizations and sweeping judgments that are not fair. I learned that most everything is gray and nuanced and is to be handled with careful wisdom and unmeasured grace. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I learned that I am strong enough to face my pain head on. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I learned that relationships that can be ruined by conversations about feelings or boundaries were not really stable to begin with.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I learned I can face pain without alcohol.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I learned grief is not linear and maybe never ends.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As I was trying to put some of this into words I read a post a friend wrote that nailed it, so to close my 50th Birthday post, I share (steal) <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kevpatrickallen" target="_blank">Kevin Allen's words</a>: </span></p><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: helvetica;"></span></div></div><blockquote><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: helvetica;">“Your experience is not my template.”</span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: helvetica;">Backstory. On a kazillion stories, I’ve heard people use their experiences as a maxim for the general population. Don’t get me wrong — listening to each other’s experiences is hugely valuable. What they have learned can become part of my toolkit. But it’s not the whole kit. </span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: helvetica;">This goes for rags to riches stories and comebacks of all varieties. One person’s rough childhood is another person’s walk in the park. One person’s view of the self-made man is another person’s privileged life. There’s just too much variation of background and genetics and circumstance and intangibles to subscribe to templates. </span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: helvetica;">The difference between an experience and a template comes down to one word. Empathy. If I listen to someone intently and if I happen to have an experience in my toolkit to share with them, great. But if I hear a lament — particularly a lament from a community of people unlike myself — and I say “I’ve had crap to deal with too, suck it up!” I’ve failed to intelligently listen and consider that my playbook doesn’t work in their war. </span></div></div><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: helvetica;">“Your experience is not my template” is a way of finding the value in learning about others while recognizing each life has an entirely different set of variables.</span></div></div></blockquote><div class="cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql o9v6fnle ii04i59q" style="caret-color: rgb(5, 5, 5); margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; word-wrap: break-word;"><div dir="auto"><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: helvetica;"></span></div></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I am grateful for my experiences, even the very painful and traumatic ones. I am grateful for what I have learned. I am grateful that I live in community and am not done learning. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiSL1qzFhtk" target="_blank">Cheers to 50.</a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzee5UPCZxDs-5z4bBO2KPbYaI-Tnm8a39rOfxU3VQWKtIU9d1r8BVzTOdqdTfpzdchkGiQALwz7bZG1Wpavfzp2U8LiuLNUNvcQ5ZdhoJ3ZRebBVYvmgDnFMnb6AxAxycIKiPCk0iTfyfATvw49GNva240e-IJwPnBm6qSoFfy0hQAk785A/s251/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="251" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzee5UPCZxDs-5z4bBO2KPbYaI-Tnm8a39rOfxU3VQWKtIU9d1r8BVzTOdqdTfpzdchkGiQALwz7bZG1Wpavfzp2U8LiuLNUNvcQ5ZdhoJ3ZRebBVYvmgDnFMnb6AxAxycIKiPCk0iTfyfATvw49GNva240e-IJwPnBm6qSoFfy0hQAk785A/w400-h320/Unknown.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 20.15999984741211px;"></p>T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-63864043854429499442020-12-14T11:40:00.023-05:002020-12-14T11:44:53.776-05:00Mica's Story <p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Today it is my joy and honor to share a story of healing and courageous recovery with you.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Meet my co-midwife and friend, Mica.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Today she is hopeful that in sharing her story she may encourage others that have suffered in shame or felt their lives were over. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Please feel free to share this with anyone you think may feel less alone or be encouraged by watching. </b></span> </p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jk41v7PZCCI" width="560"></iframe>T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-33869259956879102062020-06-05T13:46:00.001-04:002020-06-05T14:27:04.422-04:00Camera Man Ike - Minneapolis/St Paul Appointments & Information <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Appointment dates available in MPLS/ST PAUL </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">July 17-19-20 and July 24-25-26-27 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">(July 18th is unavailable due to an already booked wedding)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Isaac will be choosing a park in Minneapolis and a park in St Paul for each of the weekends. The first Sunday (19th) will be St Paul, the second Saturday (25th) will be Minneapolis. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On other dates Isaac is able to come to your location, the additional fee for that would be the cost of a Lyft or Uber to and from your chosen location from where he is staying in Minneapolis.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To make an appointment and secure a place on Isaac's calendar please contact Isaac via email.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Contact: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">CameraManIkeL@gmail.com - if you prefer to speak by phone, please email your phone number and a preferred time to receive a call back. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">PHOTOGRAPHY PRICING:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCoyysTsfwOtPRCgjpKocQ6TqdLVen8xrUTsOlvgIBC5uAD463exHKo09yHGv6QmeHIrcWwTkbrIferMeUrP3L0_sizusAF5HtvPDxmVxQ5wBkZZB3Ynirx6TH4RYIS65nQFpB/s1600/IMG_3807-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1267" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCoyysTsfwOtPRCgjpKocQ6TqdLVen8xrUTsOlvgIBC5uAD463exHKo09yHGv6QmeHIrcWwTkbrIferMeUrP3L0_sizusAF5HtvPDxmVxQ5wBkZZB3Ynirx6TH4RYIS65nQFpB/s400/IMG_3807-2.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="316" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWS8gtovMOAWT3dsTLxocoaO0zU38WNWfKmwGoiMZQ3HW2Rd4_iFDirZ7hcw0acALkrViAFr2nK8Nh0xHBWdC1wyWpbU17YpFbTNoK2c5sgUNbAYO3UTxsDxQJk2OB9mPLBkP9/s1600/C3C64B98-C3E3-4497-95AE-2BAA320C1CF9_Original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1060" data-original-width="1600" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWS8gtovMOAWT3dsTLxocoaO0zU38WNWfKmwGoiMZQ3HW2Rd4_iFDirZ7hcw0acALkrViAFr2nK8Nh0xHBWdC1wyWpbU17YpFbTNoK2c5sgUNbAYO3UTxsDxQJk2OB9mPLBkP9/s400/C3C64B98-C3E3-4497-95AE-2BAA320C1CF9_Original.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdPLLd5P26bvG5dA60YTp9HCHqp98ookyKl0CUPMDgdTqiiiVsil0yH0kFPYz5T3OO0J9yKkSB5PMNqQtFg8fcdGD1MAEfyI8OYd0CHPbB2KfuwiyC1Ym4umrFcutoxUh9taG/s1600/IMG_7711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1060" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdPLLd5P26bvG5dA60YTp9HCHqp98ookyKl0CUPMDgdTqiiiVsil0yH0kFPYz5T3OO0J9yKkSB5PMNqQtFg8fcdGD1MAEfyI8OYd0CHPbB2KfuwiyC1Ym4umrFcutoxUh9taG/s400/IMG_7711.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="263" /></a></div>
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T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-36391423449343836062020-05-19T14:55:00.000-04:002020-05-19T14:55:19.893-04:00Ideas and Plans <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The day the calendar rolled over to May, did you marvel at how many years you spent getting through the first four months of 2020?</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><i>We did</i>.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I haven’t written here since before all the virus things began to happen. My last three entries were in February. Things are weird for everyone and the days are long and the months take years. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The kids started their 2019-2020 school year (THE ONE WE ARE STILL IN) back in Haiti in the month of August, fully anticipating that it would end in Haiti in the month of May. The two seniors were eager to get going, knowing that they had much to accomplish before officially becoming eligible to enter college.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">They went to school in Haiti in late August, all of September, and until October 18, 2019.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This (thumbs pointed at collarbone) frugal lady printed invites to the graduation taking place in Port au Prince, HAITI before we ever entered October because there is no greater joy than a $1 dollar per invite price - marked down to twenty-five cents per invite.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sadly, my frugality so long ago meant creating a sticker to go over the top part of the invite to cover up MOST of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>the Port au Prince location information.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>A sharpie was used to color the edges of the P in Port au Prince that the sticker did not cover.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>All very classy.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">By October 2019 the kids had been on seven weeks of lockdown due to total upheaval in the streets of our area. Troy and I called it.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Enough is enough, we said. All plans for a smooth Senior year were failing. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our commitment to one another this day, is to NEVER use the word “plan”. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">THERE ARE NO PLANS - THERE ARE ONLY IDEAS. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Anyway, all that to say our ’19-’20 school year was a whole thing, not even sure it can be explained. It was less like a school year and more like a seizure, starting and stopping at unpredictable intervals.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Now we have school, now we can’t leave home because rocks and bullets, now we have school, now we are on a plane to Texas, now we have school, now it’s Christmas, now we have school, now it’s spring break, now it’s time to start back, now there is a virus, now we are all tornadoes of turmoil and angst.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-converted-space">It certainly helped that their pre-2011 schooling was herky-jerky, so they've got experience in this way of life. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The babies (old nicknames die hard) made it as 6th and 7th graders in a public school setting an ENTIRE seven weeks to Spring Break.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We went on spring break and before it was over the virus hit and all schools were closed and thus their career as public school students was placed on hold. They are not so impressed with the new country we chose. I assured them it really did not matter where we went after Haiti, they were destined to be stuck at home. It matters not in what country they reside.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Graciously, we were in a better position with Isaac, Hope, and Noah than anyone in the entire state of Texas because they had already been doing homeschool and on-line school and had planned to do that until the completion of their Senior (Isaac.Hope) and Sophomore (Noah) year anyway.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Stefanie Raleigh moved from Haiti to Texas with us to see these three into the far-off month of May.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Stefanie set out to graduate Isaac and Hope and she has been unstoppable. <span class="Apple-converted-space">They will graduate this coming Sunday, May 24th. We have caps and gowns and the whole nine yards. </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Just a few days ago Stefanie helped Isaac and Hope choose all their classes at Temple College and got them completely registered for fall semester. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> To </span>be clear, THE IDEA IS, they will attend Temple College in the fall.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Noah is done with 10th grade. He took his finals and crossed the finish line victorious.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Noah has visited the local High School and wants to go there to finish 11th and 12th grade. It’s another idea we have.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Troy got to the USA about 7 weeks ago. Haiti is not allowing any commercial flights in or out on a normal schedule and therefore we made a decision that we wanted Troy “stuck” with us in Texas over not knowing when he could get out and come join us. </span></span><br />
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Since Troy arrived we are going for family therapy two times a month. This is allowing our kids to process 14 years in Haiti and to share their hurts.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I don’t think parents generally want to open themselves up to the pain of their kids’ resentment. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Truthfully, I don’t really “want” to either, but I prefer to hear the hurts now and hopefully make reparations and find some healing. A decade from now the stuff that was hard about the time we lived in Haiti will be the same, we are just going to talk about it now in order that we may have a healthier future.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>It’s an idea I have. Maybe even a hope.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When it came to raising our family, we were inured to the risks and the stress and the constant battles each week presented. We couldn’t see how intense it was because intense was status quo. It became so normal that now when a kid says, “ HEY! Remember that time I had to duck down on the way to the orthodontist because of all the gun shots around the car?” - We think to our more sane selves, “Huh. Yeah. That wasn’t ideal.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> (And we recognize our privilege to have choices to remove them, while most parents living in volatile areas of the world do not.) </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Our kids will keep therapists in business for life. I’ve said it before, </span><span class="s2" style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration-line: underline;">we have done our part for that profession</span><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">. We provided BOTH quantity and quality.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I mainly and especially wanted to offer an update to those that donate to Heartline Ministries. Perhaps you’re wondering what the heck our plan is. There is no plan. I can, however, share the IDEA.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">When Haiti opens back up to incoming flights, some combination of Troy/Tara/KJ will return to help get the newest Midwife settled in and to check in on everybody. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">We are in contact with the leaders in Haiti frequently. They are grateful for the prayers and concern as they are working hard to keep the essential services Heartline Ministries offers open and available.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We are proud of the work they are doing and are happy to see all the healthy babies being born in a safe and supportive environment.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orthodontists and Therapists - We salute you. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>By Lydia Livesay - </b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Hi, I am Lydia. I am twelve years old, and I have a long and strange story of how I'm trying to get my teeth straightened. (STILL trying)</b></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>When I first got my braces on it was February 2019. I was eleven years old, and we were still living in Haiti at the time. I was super excited to get my braces on, but once it was getting close to the day I was going to get them on, I wasn't ecstatic to fix my teeth. On my first few appointments, they only cleaned my teeth, made molds of my mouth, and took x-rays. On the third or fourth appointment, I got my braces on. It hurt worse than I thought it would since my siblings kept telling me it doesn't hurt, your mouth just feels sore after it. It took a while for my mouth not to be sore.</b></span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-7a34e03e-7fff-6a5d-3934-9d301d8c4f67" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Orthodontist appointments in Haiti were often very scary. After getting used to my braces and going to several appointments, many of which I had to get new brackets because the glue at my old brackets seemed to break off the instant food touched it, we would usually go to the store or run an errand. Sometimes we wouldn't be able to go because of the parking issue in the parking lot or insane traffic. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The craziest part was when we had to drive through ongoing riots, which often consisted of burning tires, group marches with signs, fire, people driving motorcycles in a way that would be illegal in America, and more. The scariest experience I've had on my way to the orthodontist was when we drove through burning sticks, tires, and people gathering around watching and laughing at a guy sitting inside a half-destroyed car sticking a gun out the window. It freaked me out because it was pointed straight at us, my friend KJ just kept driving, and I didn't know what to do, so I just ducked. The guy with the gun decided to shoot, but he pulled it into the air and not at our car, but still, hearing gunshots so close to me was very nerve-racking. We continued to head home and had to turn around and reroute several times. Whenever KJ and my Dad's security guard, saw something they didn't trust, they told me to duck down, and that made me extremely nervous because I didn't know what was happening. Getting my teeth straightened in Haiti was never without a bit of drama.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Four months ago </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">we started going to a new orthodontist in Texas. I enjoyed my new orthodontist place a lot more because it just seemed reliable. I bet it had more to do with the calm of Temple, TX, but they never cancelled appointments. A lot of what happened for the first 9 months I had braces really didn't get too much done. The new place in Texas re-did a few brackets and told my mom that they were going to restart the process. I enjoyed being pulled out of school to go to ortho appointments. My favorite was when I got out of pre-athletics on Fridays because we typically run a mile on Fridays. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>I was just starting to feel like everything was getting normal, and my teeth were doing great and finally we had some momentum and they were moving into place. That is when COVID-19 made everything shut down. It's been a long time since I last got my wires tightened, and my teeth are probably getting less straight by the day. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>It feels like maybe these braces will be on forever. At least I'll always have a story to tell. My tip for you, if you want to have your teeth straightened in a small amount of time, do not choose Haiti or a time of pandemic to begin. </b></span></span></div>
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T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-47986691190730150852020-02-28T23:41:00.001-05:002020-05-08T11:48:32.773-04:00Old Friends <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noah & Geronne today </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">While we did not approach many things the same way and the cultural divide was challenging and quite obvious at times, my long-time relationship with Geronne taught me a lot about myself and Haiti and human nature.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I always felt weird having help in my house. I was embarrassed about it. I would get mad at how awkward it felt. I couldn't ever come to a peaceful way to feel about being the one that gets to afford to have a helper/housekeeper. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Geronne could never get why I would refuse help sometimes, it was too complicated to ever explain and our paradigms didn't allow us to ever get each other totally. We are the same age, but we have vastly different life-experiences. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In 2006 Geronne worked in the kitchen at the first organization we worked with in Haiti. That is when we met her. In 2008 she took our job offer and moved to Port au Prince with us and helped with the kids and did the best housekeeping work ever in the history of mankind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Back in 2006 Noah was newly two and he was all about white rice and bean sauce - he went to the kitchen where it was being prepared for several hundred kids and he made sure he had his bowl and spoon ready whenever it was possible. Geronne always thought that his love of Haitian food was the best thing about our family. She thought Noah was the smartest of the whole clan.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">She was so genuinely happy that he came with me on this trip. She cooked for him and spoiled him and made sure he got to eat all the foods he loves. It was touching to see how deeply she cares for this boy she met 14 years ago. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Today she asked Noah if he would make it back to see her in the next year. She hugged him tight and sent him off with rice and beans to go. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 year old Noah</td></tr>
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T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-61823313881764064852020-02-13T19:50:00.003-05:002020-02-13T19:50:40.815-05:00It Can't Be About Us <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I’m sure other people have written about this eloquently.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">That is <i>not</i> what will happen here.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Today, I bring you another way to write about it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">sans eloquence </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Over the last decade and a few spare years I watched and learned a lot in Haiti. I saw red-flags frequently. I cannot speak to every red flag in every area in a single post. I can speak to just one today. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">There is a problem. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">It is not a small one.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In missions, non-profit, and humanitarian work there is a large issue with people that need to be needed. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">When they arrive to begin helping they maybe don’t consciously realize it but over time the payoff they get from being the provider/giver/helper or the 'patwon', as we are often called in Haiti, begins to corrupt their pure motives.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">At times I noticed myself sliding toward what I did not want to become.</span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"> It was never overt, maybe just be a flashing thought. Maybe an icky little feeling or subconscious belief like, "I'm needed for this - or it won't / cannot happen." Usually I would catch it and talk to my head about the nonsense and danger of that narrative. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Many working in this development/missions/aid arena feel and come to act as if they are the only ones that can solve the problems that exist in whichever land/city/village they’ve determined needs/wants their help — and their identity is wrapped up in being needed. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Time passes, they don’t see clearly how they are beginning to self-identify <b>only</b> as the “helper”, “fixer”, “provider”, or, dare I say, “savior”.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">When these workers that come to help others get a high from being needed they end up actually not really ever thinking of a way to work themselves out of a job because their own needs are being met by being NEEDED. </span></span><span style="font-family: times, "times new roman", serif; font-size: large;">Eventually the “aide-workers” need the “poor” to need them - or they won’t be okay. They enter into things that they shouldn't and hand out help wrecklessly and without enough examination and introspection.</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">They often fail at trying to go do something else in another line of work because they have become addicted to the glory or the payoff they felt being the one to provide a service or a thing for the downtrodden. They have trouble stepping down or handing over the reigns for the same reason.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">This is why there are not succession plans in place and why founders of organizations get old and senile and then often die and let their organizations die with them — they couldn’t plan a future because it is really not about the people it is about them and their need to provide and control it -- they often lose all vision for a future that does not include themselves. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Every organization should be thinking about what happens next and working to assure that the work is not about any one person or leader. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Here is the thing. I knew I was capable of getting this way. My personality flaws include wanting to be a helper and feeling lost if nobody needs me. I hate that about me - it is an actual flaw in me that needs continual work. When I am in my right mind and thinking from a place of objectivity and health, I want NOTHING MORE than to get out before my identity is so singularly defined as to believe Haiti or Heartline needs me. That is false. They do not. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Haiti needs things, but it is not me. I can both care about the place and also remove myself and act supportively to advocate and encourage the work to contiue without me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>It can't be about us. </i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="background-color: #ffe599; font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">PLEASE SEE: <span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><a href="http://www.thestartingplace.com/">www.TheStartingPlace.com</a> for information about the class and manual that share the model - we ask and encouarge others to please copy what works - save yourself some heartache and a whole ton of mistakes and begin working in Maternal HealthCare with a bunch of the common pitfalls crossed off your list. That is what the point of the class and the manual is. All proceeds from the class go back into the Heartline Maternity Center, paying for supplies, salaries, and programs we offer. </span></span></span></div>
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T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-75412646025136758312020-02-03T22:26:00.001-05:002020-02-03T22:58:17.990-05:00State of the Union Address <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBENlM8pRA1vFzcUe74HG98ASIqkVi8QSSCyHbJD6bT1Npjqp9HEXaJSqACqiAXRU5Mnd-JYnicFCO6sRpeZ0ux5Aoz8Ro8da6U-tPhrowBHuEuGrgy41NkxEpeETZN-_d3MC/s1600/10F88578-5E34-404B-AB39-46F7C62D163E.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="902" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGBENlM8pRA1vFzcUe74HG98ASIqkVi8QSSCyHbJD6bT1Npjqp9HEXaJSqACqiAXRU5Mnd-JYnicFCO6sRpeZ0ux5Aoz8Ro8da6U-tPhrowBHuEuGrgy41NkxEpeETZN-_d3MC/s320/10F88578-5E34-404B-AB39-46F7C62D163E.JPG" width="180" /></a></div>
When we made the decision to have the kids and I leave Haiti earlier than our June 2020 plan, I was a little bit pissy. I didn't want to go - like at all.<br />
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I did the single Mom thing for six years back in the 90's and didn't much enjoy it. <br />
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The seven months we need to live in different countries (in order to do a good job and see the transition plans out) <u> is at the half way point TODAY</u>. <br />
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Last week during a poorly attended yet still so amazing 2am pity party, that I threw for me, myself, and I -- I figured out the exact halfway point between the date I left Haiti and the date Troy will move to Temple, TX. -- that date is TODAY. <br />
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This is the half way report.<br />
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Marriage is easier and better when you live in the same house. If living apart is better, maybe that means your marriage is something different than what we are going for at this point. <br />
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We have struggled a bit and fought and had some tension over things. This has not been an easy or fun time for either of us. I would say the challenges of living apart have been all totally normal and I guess it just means we are regular, just like all married people.<br />
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Sometimes I make up stories about why Troy didn't try to call me. Sometimes I go so far as to believe my stories have merit. Sometimes I'm less kind to Troy because of a false story I told me.<br />
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Once in a while Troy forgets that I feel (and then after feeling, actually AM) overwhelmed with the load I'm carrying and he asks me to do something dumb. One day he wanted me to call the credit card company about some bogus $5 charge. I assured him my time was far more valuable than the five bucks and to just let it go - <span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "arial"; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">c'est la vie - </span></span>You lose some you lose some.<br />
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So. He called the credit card company. Now we understand who makes calls like that and the division of labor is back in order.<br />
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Here is to hoping the next three point five months will fly by and we will live in the same house and deal with this mob of children and making stupid phone calls and facing dumb government offices (I'm looking at YOU DMV of TX) as a unified front. <br />
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* * * * * *<br />
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Isaac - Got a job at Subway as a sandwich artist. Is working way too late at night for my liking. Is practicing driving and getting sort of safe at it. He is finishing his high school requirements with Stef (teacher of the last three years and the amazing person that came to TX to help them finish out their Senior year) and will graduate in late May.<br />
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Hope - Got the holiday job at Target then was offered a permanent position at Target. Is also working on finishing out 12th grade and the classes she still needs. May 24 we shall place them in caps and gowns and make them give us a speech. She is driving and getting some behind the wheel time. We have not gotten on the freeway yet, but soon.<br />
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Noah - Is finishing his 10th Grade curriculum with James Madison University and their on-line High School curriculum. As of this moment, he plans to go to Temple High School next fall for 11th grade. He will be 16 years old in March and I would like him to drive by April or May if the good Lord allows me the patience and wherewithal to take time to get enough hours with three drivers at once. He spends his life finding ways to score Chipotle burritos, it's encouraging to see he has some drive/passion - at least -if not only- in the area of procuring burritos.<br />
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Phoebe - Is very much just eye-rolling the average middle-school kid. She thinks they are a bit disrespectful and ridiculous but she seems energized by public school and is totally rolling with it. The other day her Social Studies teacher called me to tell me how delightful she is.<br />
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Lydia - After day one she was sure she had met some amazing people. On day two she called me from the counselors office telling me (with tears) that she was for sure a terrible judge of character and all the friends she chose on day one were really mean kids. We talked her into allowing herslef some time to figure out who might be her friends and now that she is two weeks into this Middle School thing she seems to think maybe she found her people. She is in a play at the Temple Civic Theatre right now and her love of the stage is apparent.<br />
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Four of the five are talking to a counselor about all the ways we jacked them up by taking them to Haiti AND all the ways we saved them by taking them to Haiti. <br />
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Three cheers for keeping therapists in business. <br />
We are doing our part.<br />
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This ends the 2020 State of the Union address. </div>
T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-9657499391122901092020-02-02T17:51:00.004-05:002020-02-03T14:31:31.954-05:00A Look Back: 2019, Heartline Maternity Center - What Do You See? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Thank you for stopping here!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #1d2129;">We first began keeping statistics at The Heartline Maternity Center about three years after we added labor and delivery services. The first baby born at Heartline was born in September of 2009.</span><span style="font-family: "times"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; -webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #1d2129;">By 2012 some statistics were being tracked. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">In 2016 the stat-keeping and tracking got a lot better when we switched most of the record-keeping over to a digital system. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Any organization asking you for financial help should be able to tell you how they use the money. Beyond that, they should be able to somewhat objectively identify where there is room for improvement and where they have experienced success. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">When we stepped into the leadership roles at Heartline Ministries, Troy and I both felt (and still feel) <b><i>strongly that honesty and transparency are incredibly important</i></b>. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Also important to us is valuing the staff and those we work with above ourselves and using integrity in our decision making. We don't want to hide the hard parts of working in a country like Haiti. We also try not to be cynical or lose hope when things are hard and we experience several setbacks. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">It's a rough balance to strike, I don't know how well we do - but I can assure you we are trying. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">2019 was a year of restructuring after 2018 brought staffing changes. We worked on changing the culture of the ministry with clearer communication and several weeks of leadership training for key staff members. The goal for the next phase of transition (with us not living full time in Haiti any longer) is for us to get out of their way and allow them to grow and lead. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Today we are reporting <b><i>specifically</i></b> on the Maternity Center in 2019. This entry does not include information about everything Heartline attempted and/or accomplished in 2019. Much is missing regarding the Education Center, the Outreach and Community Service efforts, the Bakery, and plans for future growth. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>The Gates of Hope -</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>“Our mission is to plant ourselves at the gates of Hope</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>Not the prudent gates of Optimisim,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>Which are somewhat narrower.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>Not the stalwart, boring gates of Common Sense;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>Nor the strident gates of Self-Righteousness,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>Which creak on shrill and angry hinges</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>(People cannot hear us there; they cannot pass through)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>Nor the cheerful, flimsy garden gate of </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i>“Everything is gonna be all right.”</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><b>But a different sometimes lonely place,</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><b>The place of truth-telling,</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><b>About your own soul first of all and its condition.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><b>The place of resistance and defiance,</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><b>The piece of ground from which you see the world</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><b>Both as it is an as it could be</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><b>As it will be;</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><b>The place from which you glimpse not only struggle,</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><b>But the joy of the struggle.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><b>And we stand there, beckoning and calling,</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><b>Telling people what we are seeing,</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><i><b>Asking people what they see.”</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">-Victoria Safford </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;">Back at the year-end stats report we wrote in 2012, we said this:</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; background-color: #cfe2f3;">We do not place an abundance of importance on statistics. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; background-color: #cfe2f3;">If statistics are the forest, we are always aware of each individual tree. As a team, we are too involved in relationships to worry a lot about the numbers. </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; background-color: #cfe2f3;">Working with the women we quickly learn that one healthy pregnancy carried to term, one victorious labor and delivery, one healthy single baby born to one mother that overcame immeasurable obstacles is what truly matters. The young woman courageously delivering her healthy baby far outweighs the preponderance of any statistic.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; background-color: #cfe2f3;">At the Maternity Center each woman is known by name. Statistics never know a name. Without a doubt a community has developed. It is safe to say that staff, midwives, and pregnant women alike all look forward to program days.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; background-color: #cfe2f3;">Having said that - we recognize that those that give to keep this program operating and pray continually for these women and for the staff might like to see how the numbers look.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Even as our numbers climbed from 80 babies a year up to 120, we made sure to hold onto the goal of relationships between practitioners and clients - BUT - I have changed my tune a bit too. We want to prove that this model works and therefore the outcomes (the stats) matter as well. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Now to the point of this entry, here is the truth about 2019: We had a hard year. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The political climate meant a lot of danger for women and even more stress on their bodies and minds than usual. We had a higher premature birth rate, more IUFDs, and more transports to a hospital. Everyone in Haiti had a difficult year as the cost to feed your family is rising and that is one of the smaller challenges.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>In 2019 there were 121 babies born: </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>(this number does not include the miscarriages)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>61 boys</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>60 girls</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>We had 37 transports (higher than usual - see below)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>78 babies born in house</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>6 babies born at home (prevented by unrest from getting to us)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>45% of moms were first-time moms </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>We had 3 IUFDs- one at term and two preterm </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>We had four preterm births: two PPROM- one at 24 weeks and another at 26 weeks (both babies died in hospital shortly after birth. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>One born at 35 weeks-required CPAP for 48hrs (with us)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>One born at 29.5 weeks- baby died in hospital shortly after birth. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>We had several first trimester miscarriages.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>We had two late term miscarriages at 20 weeks. Both moms delivered with us and held their babies. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>We had a 10% preeclampsia rate</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>We had a 30% transport rate (19% cesarean - also higher than past years) </b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); caret-color: rgb(29, 33, 41); color: #1d2129; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>When women are transfered to a hospital, they return to us to be cared for at Heartline until they feel healed and ready to go home. The postpartum stay is determined by the woman's need and is a flexible number of nights.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>We had a 3% hemorrhage rate </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>1,460+ private prenatal visits took place.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Each new mother was offered three postpartum consultations between one and six weeks postpartum.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>Each woman was informed and educated about three free birth control options available to her through Heartline Maternity Center.</b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><b>We take thousands of photos each year, choosing which ones to post is impossible, but here are a few of the women that delivered in 2019 ...</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i>Submitted to you today with love and gratitude from,</i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i>"The place of resistance and defiance,</i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i>The piece of ground from which we see the world</i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i>Both as it is an as it could be</i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i>As it will be;</i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i>The place from which we glimpse not only struggle,</i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i>But the joy of the struggle.</i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i><b>And we stand there, beckoning and calling,</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i><b>Telling people what we are seeing,</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i><b>Asking people what they see.”</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-73377832865416873182019-12-19T11:30:00.002-05:002019-12-19T11:30:45.928-05:0012 Days of Christmas : Years Ten Eleven Twelve (THE END) <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">The goal of this family tradition was two-fold. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">ONE - for memories of our kids as they grew up in Haiti. All parents know this all speeds by so quickly. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">TWO - to spread joy and maybe make you smile. We hope it brought you at least one laugh.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We are INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL to each and every one of you that have supported or prayed for the work of Heartline Ministries in Haiti and the staff and participants and clients. It is always humbling to meet people that say, "Hey, I've been praying for a Mom you shared about. Can you tell me how she is doing now?" </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #93c47d; font-size: large;">THANK YOU for caring about the beautiful people of Haiti, especially Moms in the most vulnerable time of their lives, awaiting a new baby. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The embed option on Blogger doesn't always work. For the last three videos I included the YouTube link in case the embedded video does not appear for you.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL & PRAYERS FOR YOU AS YOU CLOSE OUT THE YEAR THAT WAS A BIT OF A BUTT KICKER. GOODBYE 2019. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Year TEN: LINK - <a href="https://youtu.be/XPEetDNqcpE">https://youtu.be/XPEetDNqcpE</a></span><br />
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Filmed at Heartline Maternity Center -- HOPE as MARY - Baby Jesus played by newly delivered baby Jamesly ... We just saw him a month or two ago and he's walking and smiling and doing great.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XPEetDNqcpE" width="560"></iframe>br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Year ELEVEN: LINK - <a href="https://youtu.be/8i0IhGHt7EE">https://youtu.be/8i0IhGHt7EE</a></span><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8i0IhGHt7EE" width="560"></iframe>br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Year TWELVE - GRAND FINALE - LINK - <a href="https://youtu.be/LGn11w6My2U">https://youtu.be/LGn11w6My2U</a></span><br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LGn11w6My2U" width="560"></iframe></div>
T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-21848731137394568162019-12-17T08:41:00.003-05:002019-12-17T08:41:28.280-05:0012 Days of Christmas - Year Nine <br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H-yxxF_bBn0" width="560"></iframe>Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102781221785254982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-14193218137014060572019-12-16T23:40:00.002-05:002019-12-16T23:40:42.367-05:0012 Days of Christmas Year Eight (2013)<br />
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<br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X9fyFKoKCCE" width="560"></iframe>Troyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18102781221785254982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-75873934898674584972019-12-15T01:00:00.000-05:002019-12-15T10:19:22.852-05:0012 Days of Christmas - Year Seven <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In 2013, Paige moved to Waco Texas and I finished Midwifery studies. Because we wanted to help Paige transition AND I had to do a bunch of stuff for my studies that I could not accomplish in Haiti, we lived in the USA from mid August until December to get my required clinical experience in USA.<br />
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We went for a week to our friend Melissa's (well, her Dad's) cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains for one week. We had just bought the puppy (now an asshole - old dog). So, Chestnut was like fourish weeks old. He wasn't supposed to be away from his Mom but she had a Meth problem and couldn't feed him so we bottle fed him and got him at four weeks of age.<br />
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ALL THAT TO SAY --- this was the year we were in TN to film. We used Melissa's place to film the entire thing. I had the idea that Jesus and Santa would battle. OBVIOUSLY, Isaac was the only one that could play Jesus. He's the nicest person in our family.<br />
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Hope you enjoy it!<br />
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Tara </div>
T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-54292535360893869282019-12-14T02:00:00.000-05:002019-12-14T02:00:03.522-05:0012 Days of Christmas - Year Six <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YWbirAPUMSI" width="560"></iframe><br />
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This is all at the soccer field in the neighborhood we lived in from August 2008 until now. Troy wrote the extra verse for the song. This is from Christmas 2012 - the last Christmas we had Paige in Haiti with us before she moved out in mid 2013. </div>
T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-72878906191574117282019-12-13T02:06:00.003-05:002019-12-13T02:06:54.567-05:0012 Days of Christmas - Year Five <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z5I8xQjJX-8" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Troy wrote the new Christmas message lyrics to this well known song - this year was many laughs and not much rhythm. Filmed in streets of Port au Prince, at Heartline Education Center and at our house in Haiti.<br />
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(5 of 12)</div>
T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-30052583106222526902019-12-12T10:59:00.002-05:002019-12-12T11:05:49.888-05:0012 Days of Christmas - Year Four<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kbXy0MhHVLA" width="560"></iframe><br />
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The Earthquake of January 2010 was a painful time. So many lost so much. We were incredibly lucky to leave Haiti with our entire family alive. We had to live in Texas for 9 months that year because Phoebe was not legally our child yet and her adoption paperwork was all under rubble in an office building that had collapsed. This meant we started her adoption over in the USA. We even had a homestudy done in a house that Columbus Avenue Baptist Church (Waco) was letting us use<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">. The nine months turned out to be important to us. Troy and I got lots of help for some trouble we where having from a horrible thing that happened in 2008 and also got help from the earthquake trauma. Phoebe's adoption was completed in November of 2010. We spent the month of December 2010 preparing to go home to Haiti and left for Haiti on January 1, 2011.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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ALL THIS TO SAY -- the Christmas play was filmed in WACO, TX in 2010. Britt and Chris were newlyweds living nearby and going to school in Waco. Paige had a bad attitude about the play again this year but participated none the less. I will post year five tomorrow! </div>
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T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-34728279604793849592019-12-11T14:12:00.005-05:002019-12-11T14:12:58.333-05:0012 Days of Christmas - Year Three<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-65395213447853965742019-12-10T12:29:00.001-05:002019-12-10T12:29:47.725-05:0012 Days of Christmas - Year Two<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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TWO OF TWELVE --- 2008 </div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GX0TtS-BERY" width="560"></iframe></div>
T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-64574798396981540702019-12-09T18:43:00.002-05:002019-12-10T12:29:32.099-05:0012 Days of Christmas - Year One<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">ONE of TWELVE ... 2007 </span><br />
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T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-88906375376321517782019-12-01T17:50:00.000-05:002019-12-01T22:35:14.797-05:00Dedicated to the Sexy People & The Baptist Lady <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Several years back, too many to count, we spoke about Haiti and other stuff at a tiny little Baptist church in the middle of vast fields of wide open space in the middle-east portion of the sprawling state of Texas. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On that day, I did what I often do, I said more than people are comfortable with - maybe especially because we were in a tiny little Baptist church. I don't actually remember what I said. I only remember what happened afterward. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">At the end of the service when we were doing the stand around and be polite / do chit-chat thing, an older lady came to see me. She was older in the sense of actual age. Not just older than me. I would estimate her age on that day to be 84. She put her right hand on my wrist, squeezed and said, "Oh my Dear, thank you for visiting. We don't talk about those things in church." </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I initially thought that was meant as an admonishment. Sort of a, "I can't believe you said that in the house of the Lord." Now I don't know for sure. All these years later I have decided that maybe she meant it as a kindness. You know more of a, "you Go, girl" kind of statement. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I think it is weird that so many topics are off limits with certain crowds. My rebellion against that has been to freely talk about things most people find awkward. It probably helps a great deal that I am a midwife and because I deal in poop, puke, fluids of all colors and aromas, nothing seems off limits for discussion to me. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here's the thing about real stuff ... Real life is messy and unplanned. It is often disappointing or dull. It is not curated and lovely and linear. It it not always a perfect event like Internet "influencers" and advertisers wish us to believe. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Why do we still pretend otherwise? I honestly do.not.get.it. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Real life is an overflowing toilet, an unresolved medical bill dispute, and kids with hormones and emotions ruining your hopes for order or family unity.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I recently learned about the newest hyped up event in our American culture. Because of movies and television and curated social media, kids are now making up prom proposals as if life is some sort of fairy tale. It seems that just saying, "Hey would you be my prom date" is a thing of the late 90s or early 2000s. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">If my son wants to invite a girl to prom and get the date, he is going to need to compete. I'm going to have to help him get his pilot's license, rent a skywriter airplane, and compose a sonnet in the sky. Sadly, the other guy that is asking the same girl already hired Pavarotti to sing an operatic prom invitation posthumously. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sorry, Noah. Your skywriter is lame-sauce. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_psUm2163gY61gInMwFXTWxBqkh4ankBDhI7dAy-jD4SThVR6TnK0Bw1aKs8VdsXFfVH-BfFGKA7ecLl92GERNeZYBTSjtZ-lF-JpPNbbkKmVUHyfmBpigwoSP_yajqAmKNsE/s1600/skywriting.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="636" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_psUm2163gY61gInMwFXTWxBqkh4ankBDhI7dAy-jD4SThVR6TnK0Bw1aKs8VdsXFfVH-BfFGKA7ecLl92GERNeZYBTSjtZ-lF-JpPNbbkKmVUHyfmBpigwoSP_yajqAmKNsE/s320/skywriting.webp" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is the over the top stupid way of our world now. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Everything fancier, bigger, more expensive. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It makes my old-lady bones rage.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Who can live up to these expectations of grandiose gestures? </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>I will tell you what, youngsters ... Real life won't allow this nonsense for long!!</b></i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thanks in part to ridiculous prom invitations and all of the unrealistic romance and sex on television and in movies, kids these days all think ahead about the wonder of being madly in love and
how amazing the physical attraction and unhindered romantic gestures must be. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For certain, two
people that love each other a lot must be living <u><b>the best life ever </b></u>with
only really great movie-like love scenes and trips to Venice or Paris happening on the regular. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Because I am curmudgeonly, I would like to dispel some myths this afternoon.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We had not seen each other in a few weeks. The 20+-years married attraction is still quite strong for us, but life, it gets in the way. We were tired and our bodies ached from the busy day we had both had. We fell into bed and I said, "Rain-check for middle of the night or tomorrow morning sound okay?" </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">(This is<i><b> actual </b></i>sexy-talk.) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He looked deep into my eyes and said, "Heck yes, babe. Goodnight!"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A very short time later I sort of woke up. Disoriented, I wondered why there was tapping on my shoulder?? Does he think *this* is already the middle of the night or morning?!?!? GOD HELP HIM. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Once I realized the tapping was a smaller person, the words I heard helped me snap to. It was not my dear husband with a rain-check in hand. It was a little girl saying, "I puked all over my bed."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I hopped up. I saw the massive destruction. I went to kitchen for a spatula. I stripped sheets and took them to the bathroom. I used said spatula to remove scoops of food off of bedsheets and place into toilet. I started the first load of stench laundry. I put new sheets on the child's bed. I washed my hands, face, arms with soap. Pieces of fried rice came off of me. I came back to bed with the man I love and had not seen in two weeks.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We laid there, staring at the ceiling. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I finally said it. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"We're awake now. Wanna go for it?" </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And so, the incredible unimaginably hot scene unfolded. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Several moments into the rendezvous, I said, "Hold up. Argh! I cannot get the smell of vomit out of my nostrils. I still smell it. That is really jacking with me, would you please go put a ton of cologne on for me?"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A sexy-love-scene like this is what real life is. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My man, he jumped right up and ran to his cologne bottle for me. He covered up the smell of our child's puke like the sexy-beast that he is. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">These kids and their silly prom-posals don't even know what there is to look forward to. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The 84 year old lady at the Baptist church will never read this post. Nevertheless, I dedicate it to her. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>~ ~ ~ ~</b></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Facts for your enjoyment:</b> </span></span><br />
<div class="match-mod-horizontal-padding hide-focus-ring cbphWd" data-hveid="CA4QAw" data-kt="Ki_a1IyyhKXroDr6qdj4gaqawinp5szFvvCR7-oB8u6ct5jOwOx7tN_KobDPud32AQ" data-ved="2ahUKEwjJzaqehZXmAhVSb60KHX5yCiEQuk4oAHoECA4QAw" style="padding-right: 40px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">How much does it cost to get something written in the sky?</span></span></div>
<div class="match-mod-horizontal-padding hide-focus-ring cbphWd" data-hveid="CA4QAw" data-kt="Ki_a1IyyhKXroDr6qdj4gaqawinp5szFvvCR7-oB8u6ct5jOwOx7tN_KobDPud32AQ" data-ved="2ahUKEwjJzaqehZXmAhVSb60KHX5yCiEQuk4oAHoECA4QAw" style="padding-right: 40px;">
</div>
<div aria-level="3" class="LGOjhe" data-hveid="CA4QBQ" role="heading">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="ILfuVd NA6bn"><span class="e24Kjd">If winds are strong, visibility of the skywriting can vary from a seconds to 5-10 minutes. Skywriting starts at $3,500.00 for a single writing,
plus any ferry fees to move aircraft into your desired location.
Multiple writings per day can be discounted depending on location. (Maybe ask two girls to prom to be sure you end up with a date?) </span></span></span></span></div>
<br /></div>
T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-89240208920221114442019-11-26T21:10:00.003-05:002019-11-26T22:13:15.905-05:00FROM A DISTANCE <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Today Noah and Isaac went over to the Navarro household for a movie. These are our "neighbors" in the 25 minute away sense - and also new friends. Melissa was the realtor that found our house and showed it to us and put an offer in for us without us ever setting foot in the house. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The boys have convinced the Navarro clan that the entire Marvel movie series must be watched in order. Today they started with Iron Man, circa 2008.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I left the guys there and went to run errands and adult like the quickly developing adult that I am. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Later, I saw a photo of them with high-end snacks in hand and wondered why I ever let them leave the house. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Now they know about movies with a variety of snacks. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Gone are the days of Corn Flakes or Pasta with bugs with movie tonight. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(I'm exaggerating. The pasta only had bugs <i>sometimes</i>.)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Anyway, that's not the story. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The story is that when I picked them up from MarvelFest2019 they got in the truck and Isaac said, "Holy cow, the Navarros use A LOT OF ICE with their drinks." </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I snort laughed. (JUDGERRRR!)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Noah said, "Oh my gosh, I thought that same thing!"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Troy and I have raised children to believe that there is a scarcity situation when it comes to frozen water products. Isaac and Noah could hardly believe Melissa Navarro and her 3/4 full glasses of ice. Scandalous. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">America, man. It's crazy. Excess. Excess. Excess. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On the ride home I was explaining to the guys that Troy has mentioned I am spending too much on the house and getting set up. I shared this to discourage their dreams and crush their childhood hopes. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I went on to tell them that if we leave a balance on the credit card we then pay something like 19% interest on that. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Isaac said, "Oh so is 19% a really fast interest rate?" </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I hope you can now see clearly how awesome our parenting and preparation for adulthood has been the past decade. If you want us to work with your kids, please make contact. Our rates are competitive. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Hope is busy being seasonally employed at Target. She is the only employed person if we want to be technical about it. She is equal parts <b>proud </b>that her first job is an awesome one that pays a really great hourly wage and <b>SAD </b>at how it cuts into the reading and larding and reading and larding time. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The other day she forbid me to check out at her aisle if I came in the store. I have no idea why she thought that was the thing to say to me. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">REAL curious, that kid. It's like she never lived a day with me.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Before I went to her check out line I attempted to send Troy a message written in Christmas stockings. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I want you to know that Target DOES NOT OFFER A STOCKING WITH A "Y" on it. I thought this was America, but no. There are 25 letters to chose from and I only really wanted the Y to finish my message. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm learning a lot about me too, here in 'Murica. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The more laid back Tara that emerged in that decade plus in Haiti seems to have left the vicinity. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For example, in Haiti I don't care about a pile of dirty dishes for a time or stacks of random kid crap left by the front door area. In America I need the measuring cups stacked up with the handles facing left inside the drawer at a 45 degree angle adjacent to the silverware tray. I need every dish loaded at bedtime. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I would consider spending a little time feeling like a dick about this, but I happen to know from years of counseling that when I get like this it means things feel out of control. It is my attempt to be in control. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The measuring cups are all I have, okay?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Troy is doing the same thing. He currently controls the thermostat from Haiti. That's right. I said that. He did that. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If we are cold and turn it up past 68F, he's going to know about it. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On the warmer days when the kids have feeling in their fingers they are actively writing a parody song based off of this Bette Midler song from the olden days ...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: orange;">THE VIDEO WILL NOT EMBED DUE TO MY ELDERLY AGE -- </span></span></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="background-color: #fff2cc;"><span style="color: orange;">SO GO HERE:</span></span></b></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kmetg3Izw6I">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kmetg3Izw6I</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(Sidenote: DO NOT see how many words are misspelled in this video. It will give you a deadly and painful DESEASE.) (start at 1:34 if you must)</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">From a distance, Troy is watching us. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He sees it all. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Between 'Find my Friends', the doorbell camera, and notifications when I charge something on the credit card with the fast interest rates, we basically live in communist China. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I cannot remember anything in this season of transition. I cannot remember anything in seasons of calm either, but I'm pleased to have a reason for this memory failure. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Anyway, I set alarms for everything from eating to restroom breaks to laundry switching. I only ever mess up on taking pizza out of the oven. Home is where the burnt pizza is. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So, the other night I told my phone "Set an alarm to go get Hope at 9:15." </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_nazTH0pS1Zk75UZzFrY4-U1EahI9LvN9jd619ou7SqqvJmIOvp1l_gpFyf4taNFHvwnN5gl08js7d2ioajSNHn8HHuvYzLVVG3ncECxQaZ1jWJTpwksYojOtsl5ERMwvmEQE/s1600/IMG_1950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="967" data-original-width="786" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_nazTH0pS1Zk75UZzFrY4-U1EahI9LvN9jd619ou7SqqvJmIOvp1l_gpFyf4taNFHvwnN5gl08js7d2ioajSNHn8HHuvYzLVVG3ncECxQaZ1jWJTpwksYojOtsl5ERMwvmEQE/s400/IMG_1950.jpg" width="325" /></a></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Off to find help now. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In my next installment we will discuss driving at high speeds with
teens that don't know anything about America and embarrassing
teens by wearing a side pony in public. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Also, side note ... I went to London and Haiti since I last posted here and my brain is more scrambled than Boggle dice. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(Troy knows when we play Boggle too!!) </span></span></div>
T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-79373736528735202982019-10-25T13:47:00.001-04:002019-10-26T11:19:59.073-04:00Come On, Let's Go <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Chestnut, the tiny <a href="https://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/shih-tzu#/slide/1">Shih Tzu</a> dropped a dookie in the Fort Lauderdale airport. He was walking along minding his own tiny-guy business in Ft Lauderdale International Airport and a turd just fell from him. It wasn’t even intentional, we don’t think. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This was a case of involuntary fart pebbles. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lydie saw it happen. She stopped mid-traffic to address the situation. A woman standing nearby was not too kind or patient. Lydia was verbally assaulted while she made her plan to clean it up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The size of Chestnut’s whole entire self is about the size of a size 6 women's shoe. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">His poop could best be compared to three Milk-duds stuck together, or maybe two Whoppers. These are not large pieces of excrement. Lydie was standing over the milk-duds and protecting ALL airport travelers from stepping in it while Phoebe ran to a bathroom to get toilet paper. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The woman that was berating Lydie kept saying she needed to pick it up barehanded right that minute. Lydie just said, “I will wait for the toilet paper.” Another woman, standing within hearing distance, whispered to Lydia, “Sorry, honey.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There are always nice people to offset the grouchy ones. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Why did Chestnut fly to Fort Lauderdale?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Troy made him go. Sort of. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Truthfully, Troy and I had a really excellent counseling session. Maybe a LONG OVERDUE counseling session??? Troy FINALLY admitted that he has never liked that tiny dog or his ear-piercing bark and he wanted him gone. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">No, not really.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Really … Troy and I realized that after six weeks of diesel shortage and added stress on Troy to keep the <a href="http://www.heartlineministries.org/">Heartline Ministries</a> employees working and programs operating and keep the Livesay kids fed and fanned off in the night (need diesel for that) - he was at his stress breaking point and he felt like the kids needed to be out of Haiti for a while so he could buy less food, buy less water, buy less diesel, and just generally be out on the roads less buying all of those items. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Besides that, most of our kids had not left home or school for 6 weeks. Each weekday they travel three blocks by car to school and return the same way after school. None of us think that is the worst thing in the world and we are really aware of our privilege to have a safe home and a school house a few blocks away — but as you might imagine, being inside of cement walls for six weeks straight can make everyone a little stir crazy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After the counselor helped Troy and I hear each other better during that session, we made a really emotionally intense decision together. We talked about every variable and what it would mean longer term and we talked to the kids after sitting with the plan a bit to see if it felt right. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The key question the counselor asked Troy and I was this: “What is it that you are waiting for before you decide to move your kids?” I won’t go into details on our realizations. Suffice it to say, that was a clarifying moment for us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">For us, peace in decision is important. We don’t often think there is just one right choice, we just know that each decision needs to bring some sort of true peace, even if it is a really REALLY hard decision. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Truthfully, we love Haiti and the work of Heartline so much that we know at times we have put it before our kids. We have always been aware of the pitfalls there, but sometimes the needs and desperation can cause a disordered priority list. We are guilty of that here and there, for sure. I own the mess-ups of the last 13 and a half years in Haiti.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> * * * *</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.fathommag.com/stories/the-successful-pursuit-of-god">Last night I read this piece </a>a friend of mine and a Board Member of Heartline Ministries wrote. (worth your time!) This resonates in that I think we always ride that line of putting "ministry" or "mission" as our first priority and I have come to a place of believing God is not nearly as harsh on me as I am on me. I really don't think He is up there wishing we would all suffer more. I originally moved to Haiti thinking that was the thing you do if you want to prove yourself as a legit faith-person. (And, I could be wrong - on either or both of those thoughts and probably every other thought ever.)</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.fathommag.com/stories/the-successful-pursuit-of-god"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">https://www.fathommag.com/stories/the-successful-pursuit-of-god</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">To be clear, we don’t think our own decisions need to be compared to what others decide. We don’t feel that what we decide for five older kids is what some other family with passports needs to decide for theirs. I don’t want anyone to think there is only one way for expats to deal with political unrest and instability. Each individual situation warrants its own personal examination. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The house we lived in 11 years together - also, the longest I ever lived in one place.<br />Prior to moving to this home, we lived just under three years outside the city of PAP.<br />I said, "I WILL NEVER live in PAP." Don't say things like that! </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There were many tears, some anger, some joy and anticipation when the decisions were shared. The packing began after the tears. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We packed up 12 bags (48 to 52 pounds each), 5 carry-ons taking full and LIBERAL advantage of the fact that nobody weighs them. We found unstained shirts and long enough jeans for five kids ages 12 to 18 and we put those on along with backpacks that would barely zip closed. We had papers from our Veterinarian friend, Kelly for our five pound pooper, Chestnut. All of that, along with the very last shred of my sanity, we boarded a flight bound for the USA. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After the milk-dud debacle in Fort Lauderdale, we got on a second flight to Austin, TX. At the Austin airport we found THREE giant carbon footprint vehicles waiting to take us and our 748 pounds of luggage to Temple, TX — where we are now sitting in 45 degree weather. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Walnut lost his therapy human but Stefanie Raleigh (kids’ teacher and education-wizard of our lives) and Walnut (Isaac’s dog) are coming here to TX soon. He just could not fly out with us due to heat. You know, our dog drama with travel is now a trilogy being made into a motion picture.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Stef and Walnut headed for the airport together. Next they will road trip for several days.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Stefanie is going to continue teaching the kids until Christmas and then we know she will stay with the two Seniors and the Sophomore to help them finish the year out in May of 2020, but we don’t yet know what we will do for Phoebe and Lydie and we don’t know where quite yet either. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">We are heart-linked to Haiti and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://www.heartlineministries.org/">Heartline </a><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.heartlineministries.org/">Ministries</a>. We will continue on like this in Temple and in Port<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>au<span style="color: black;">Prince and back and forth between for the next several months. Troy will spend the vast majority of his time in Haiti. I will mainly be with the kids but I will take turns going to Haiti and we are working out a new plan day by day. I am glad you're not here listening to it all unfold. It can be dramatic at times.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoz88U192zzQlqY-z1Lj3FGh2nAinfnGBbBMeKmjAxDFEd2BmqoEfe7_UgvVsmil-jyaPXnseaYFxI2hKVrEkUksKbYbAD83EV4pqlVNNgROExw9I7jXVLpb9nbqSA3o55hH1T/s1600/IMG_1031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="640" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoz88U192zzQlqY-z1Lj3FGh2nAinfnGBbBMeKmjAxDFEd2BmqoEfe7_UgvVsmil-jyaPXnseaYFxI2hKVrEkUksKbYbAD83EV4pqlVNNgROExw9I7jXVLpb9nbqSA3o55hH1T/s320/IMG_1031.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My best friend and Midwifery partner is a key part of all of this. She is in Haiti at the Maternity Center now and she and I are a team and will continue to be as we develop <a href="http://www.thestartingplace.com/">The Starting Place </a>and work to see the model of care expanded all over the world. We will work hand in hand with the Midwifery staff - which just grew by another member this week, we hired a new person!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The travel from Austin is very easy, there is an option to leave Austin, TX at 11am and be in Haiti at 5:30pm. This is part of the reason we chose to live in close proximity to Austin in the more affordable Temple, TX. (I cannot travel seven miles in Haiti as fast as I can travel to the Austin airport from Temple.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We originally set foot on the island of Haiti to meet smiley baby Isaac in April of 2002. He brought us to Haiti for the first time three-and-a-half years before we decided to move to Haiti full time. He is 18 years old now. He was 7 months old then. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Long before this most recent round of political upheaval Troy and I knew we wanted to remain available to Isaac and Hope as they begin a new and intimidating chapter of their lives. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We feel that Haiti is a cord of our DNA as a family, but we feel equally certain that our kids will need us close to them in the coming couple of years while they navigate a culture they did not grow up in and get used to new bizarre things. Both kids have expressed how scary it would feel to do the transition to another country without us. In the spirit of full vulnerability, I regret not being near Paige and Britt during their transitions. No rewind button available for that but it does inform my decisions for Isaac and Hope starting college.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>We really wanted to get this information to donors that specifically support our family budget and salary.</i></b> I tried to email everyone privately but many emails returned undeliverable. If you’re reading this and wondering why you did not get an email from us, please know I tried and we honor your sacrifice to help us do this weird, wonderful, and heart-breaking Haiti life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(It is ALL those things.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I am not linking recent news stories here, but if that is something you would like to read, let me know and I can send you links to some news we feel is accurate. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We are incredibly grateful for the 60+ employees of Heartline Ministries. Their lives are far more difficult than any of us can really understand. We want more than anything for them to have a way to feed their families and for their hard work to equal opportunities for housing, sufficient food, and education for their children. We added health insurance and tried to improve wages where budgets and finances would allow. We have made it our goal to encourage the the men and women on staff to grow personally, professionally, and spiritually. We have attempted to make life a teeny tiny bit less stressful for them. I wish I could say we succeeded, but Haiti is not an easy place to live. Stress and trauma are a daily thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our hope going forward is to carefully and intentionally begin to turn over much more responsibility to these local leaders, the employees we have been investing in for years.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In mid 2020 we will get out of the way so to speak. We have determined that as long as we are physically present in Haiti 100% of the time, we are a deterrent to their ability to truly have a chance to lead. We all talk a lot about empowering Haitians and sustainable ways of doing ministry, but lip service is only that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We would like to offer the best and the brightest at Heartline Ministries the chance to lead the day to day work. It is their country and they stand to gain or lose the most. We think they are ready. We are ready to test that next year and hold the hand of those that are rising up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We will continue on as Executive Directors of <a href="http://www.heartlineministries.org/">Heartline Ministries</a>, but we will be changing our home base to the US in June of 2020. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At that time we will both (Troy and Tara) travel to Haiti quarterly, and be in contact with the key staff, but we want to see them have an opportunity to grow and take on more, we feel that we have to remove ourselves to offer them true power to make decisions. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We hope this frees up time to do more development of key partnerships. (This is the non-offensive way you say - <i>We hope we will now be able to meet with people with money and love for Haiti.</i>) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Several weeks ago I was at home when the Midwife on duty called. She shared the details of the client that had arrived in very early latent labor. She asked me, “Should I admit her or send her home?” I said, “Yes, should you admit her or send her home. That is the question.” She asked again, frustrated with me. I said, “You are a Midwife. You can make decisions. I support you. There is not a wrong answer here and you can decide.” The next day, the Mom returned in active labor and had her baby and I asked the midwife how she felt about her decision to send the Mom home to do her early labor at home. The Midwife said, “I think it was a good choice. I thank you for telling me I could decide and for being confident in me.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That is what we have learned. When we are here, people will always defer to us. It is not necessary or healthy. We believe they have the answers and the ability. The cultural realities mean they just need a little encouragement and accountability. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Our hope is that for the next two to three years, we will be able to support this transition by traveling in and out of Haiti and encouraging and offering accountability. We know there will be set backs and mistakes and maybe even some heartache as these changes are made. We also know that if we don’t try it we will never know what each employee is truly capable of if we were out of the way. Heartline’s board of directors has been involved in developing this plan and Troy and I remain grateful for their leadership, wisdom, dedication, and love.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">We are hoping that those of you that have supported so much of this Haiti journey might consider sticking with us and sticking with Heartline.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-converted-space">We have created a FAQ page of questions </span>asked by the first few people we told, we hope they clear a lot up but we welcome any other questions you may have. If you would like a copy of the FAQ please email us and we will send it on to you. (LivesayFamily@gmail.com) </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">With our love and thanks and unrelenting hope.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Troy & Tara Livesay</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">(18) Isaac, (18) Hope, (15) Noah, (13) Phoebe and (12) Lydia<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="s2"><a href="http://www.heartlineministries.org/">www.heartlineministries.org</a></span><span class="s1"> & <a href="http://www.thestartingplace.com/"><span class="s2">www.thestartingplace.com</span></a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Heartline Ministries USA Mailing address:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRCqRfPw0_7PGiuiSYcGz-405dl3j_vlktYdU2sER7jX6IZ-vpixW-m3VkMe2Mp8gwxgG9Bn2F4IrF6lfmDKFOZInT4vTzuTdGqmnfLTdKwq5XDtZjKyaMH6RvAR9hc2K6Oxy/s1600/IMG_1073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1060" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRCqRfPw0_7PGiuiSYcGz-405dl3j_vlktYdU2sER7jX6IZ-vpixW-m3VkMe2Mp8gwxgG9Bn2F4IrF6lfmDKFOZInT4vTzuTdGqmnfLTdKwq5XDtZjKyaMH6RvAR9hc2K6Oxy/s640/IMG_1073.JPG" width="422" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>"Felt cute, thought I'd move to TX."</i></span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;"> </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">First photo of new home in new location - same kids. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTZF3g-uT3kWknmhMNMZFOF4B6A_wJegvkJIZ7l34IMxoDGi3foZZzNrXzEWKhSyNI9rDymxj2G2AXn6PcLQi_EZXOzk72TlTJsyQ7Dwz5wpLHD-HM8C96TsNcNVspBXvxPyA/s1600/IMG_1144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTZF3g-uT3kWknmhMNMZFOF4B6A_wJegvkJIZ7l34IMxoDGi3foZZzNrXzEWKhSyNI9rDymxj2G2AXn6PcLQi_EZXOzk72TlTJsyQ7Dwz5wpLHD-HM8C96TsNcNVspBXvxPyA/s400/IMG_1144.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Our cute 1908 house. <br />The emoji house was modeled after this house. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lastly today, the part that is important for me to say- on a more personal note. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The Heartline Maternity Center is a place I feel and experience a lot of hope. I love that place and I love the women it attempts to walk with in pregnancy and postpartum. It is a bit painful to be far away from the women I have worked with daily for more than a decade and to know we will be making this a new norm. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At the same exact time, I know that a lot of us make our work or our "mission/ministry" <b>the whole </b>of our identity. That is not what I want and I am trying to be a whole person apart from my work. I love the work and believe it is holy, but - it DOES NOT need me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Because I knew that no work should be dependent on the leader, we have spent the last two years turning the vast majority of deliveries and more of the risk-management decisions over to the national staff. They are learning a ton and stepping out of their comfort zone. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I share this to say, I want to be clear that the Maternity Center can and SHOULD function without my (or Troy/KJ's) presence constantly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Mission or humanitarian work should not be about the (expat) people that came to do it. It should be forward thinking and while "sustainable" tends to be an exaggeration that many non-profits use too freely ... it ought to be the long long range goal and hope. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Please rally with us to support the work and the workers. The care provided is something that is desperately needed. We cannot do it without a team. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">You are the team. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There is no o or u in team - but there is no i either. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There is an <b>e</b> and the <u>e</u> is for <b>WE </b>- WE are the tEam. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Come on, let's go.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">💙Tara </span></div>
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T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-33368707826564480312019-08-07T17:09:00.000-04:002019-08-07T17:11:11.312-04:00A Tale of Two Generations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">“<i style="background-color: white;">It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way--in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.</i>” -Charles Dickens</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>It was the age of Tara being foolish, it was the age of Paige being foolish. It was the epoch of flying dogs through the air, it was the season of idiocy, it was the season of shame, it was the spring of another generation of dim women, we had everything before us, especially an ass-load of stress, the period was so much like the period that proceeded it that some of its noisiest authorities insisted history was repeating itself, for good, or for stupidity, there was much to be compared. </span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> -Tara Livesay</span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Today we lament the poor decisions of the mother becoming the poor decisions of the daughter.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>In an effort to preserve history for the next generation, I bring you this story wherein my daughter Paige is doing EXACTLY the incommodious thing that I did back in Aught-Seven.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i><b>And there is nothing I can do to stop her.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b></i></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">In 2007 Brittany, Paige's big sister, was 17 years old and leaving for college at Baylor University. She was to have a three month period in the USA before she began her University classes. During those three months we would welcome Lydia to the world and reside mainly in Minnesota.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> Brittany</span> played on all my Mom guilt and sorrows over the ending of her childhood and she insisted her 130 pound Mastiff be in the USA with her for three months.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I wrote about it here. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.alifeoverseas.com/a-cautionary-tale-expats-expets-what-not-to-do/"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">https://www.alifeoverseas.com/a-cautionary-tale-expats-expets-what-not-to-do/</span></a><br />
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">That decision became one of the greatest debacles and sources of shame of my life, but I learned, by God, I learned. (Being by yourself, at the mercy of an airline employee, without a car, a home, or cash, at 5am with a three month old baby and a giant sedated dog and far too much luggage will teach you something, by-golly.) </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sadly, my learning is not transferrable to Paige.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Paige announced to me that her dog was going to go to South Korea with them. It was over the internet and just a voice message. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I physically cringed.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I forced my lips together and said nothing. I continued like this for a commendable time period. (I was commended by KJ.) </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I only lamented and complained to Troy and KJ. “WHY would she do that?", I asked repeatedly.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">And so, like sand through the hour glass, so are the days of our lives.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>History has a way of repeating itself.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>She will do it because she wants her kids to have their dog.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The same reason I did it.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> Mother guilt. The strongest force in the universe. </span>Two generations of loving, guilt-ridden, mothers.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Paige’s dog, Cooper, is going to South Korea.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">A poorly behaved dog from the humane society in Waco, TX is moving abroad, seeing the world as it were.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">And what dog shouldn’t see the world?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>What are you doing for your pet, exactly?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>If your pet has not left the country in which it was born, please explain yourself.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Cooper the humane society dog cannot fly out of Texas because of course he can’t. (You may recall the Mastiff debacle of Aught-Seven included driving from MN to TX because MN was TOO COLD for the dog to fly out and return to Haiti with us.)<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Texas is too hot in the summer.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>August is no joke. Just try to find a Texas tarmac that is not hotter than the center of the sun. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Originally we were to drive all the way to Seattle. My girlfriends heckled me and said, "My Lord, Tara, why would you do that? Haha, I guess you are a supportive Mom, but, I mean, where is your sense of pride?" </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Anna, a Heartline donor, stepped in. She couldn't allow a four year old, a two year old and a poorly behaved dog road trip of 34 hours. She researched temperatures and weather patterns. She all but laid down her life for the cause. She booked us tickets from a slightly cooler city in the midwest. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Later in August, we (Paige and I) will drive Cooper and his favorite boys to Kansas City, where, if God loves us, it will be under 85 degrees on the morning we fly out of that airport at 6am. We then fly direct to Seattle for a couple days before Paige, her boys, and her Humane Society dog fly away to South Korea.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Obviously, before arriving in Korea, Cooper the poorly behaved dog has requested a chance to see the Space Needle and Pike Place Market and Puget Sound. (Der.)</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The newest PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) initiative is being headed up by Cooper. He is calling it DETA - (Dogs Enjoying Traveling Abroad).</span></span></div>
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<i style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>It was the age of Tara being foolish, it was the age of Paige being foolish. It was the epoch of flying dogs through the air, it was the season of idiocy, it was the season of shame, it was the spring of another generation of dim women, we had everything before us, especially an ass-load of stress, the period was so much like the period that proceeded it that some of its noisiest authorities insisted history was repeating itself, for good, or for stupidity, there was much to be compared.</span></i></div>
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T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-37334765745148391992019-07-24T15:28:00.000-04:002019-07-26T14:32:34.299-04:00Philosophy of Culturally Competent Care<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><a href="https://heartlineministries.org/the-starting-place/">THE STARTING PLACE- A MATERNAL MORTALITY PREVENTION INITIATIVE</a></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>What better place to start to address systemic and structural issues than with Moms and their</b></span></span> <b style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">soon to be born babies?</b></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>We are preparing for the upcoming three <a href="https://heartlineministries.org/the-starting-place/">Starting Place classes</a> being offered at the Heartline Maternity Center. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>These classes (sharing the model of care) will be offered this coming October, February and May.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Today we are focusing on the portion of our model that addresses cultural competency and how that relates to short term volunteers.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>In 2016 we made a decision to invest in local midwives and medical professionals by increasing the size of our staff and pouring into them by offering continuing education and support. Finding jobs in Haiti is VERY difficult, we are happy to provide 12 jobs at the Maternity Center, 7 of those 12 jobs are medical professionals.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>We made a decision that every woman that is pregnant deserves to meet with someone during her consultation that speaks her language, understands her culture, her life, and her challenges. When I was pregnant, I always had care providers that spoke to me in my own language, and that is what we think Haitian moms deserve too.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>We believe that the best way to build trust with clients is to begin by building relationships. We decided that relationships can't be built in a week or two or three. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br />We made a decision that the Midwifery Model of Care cannot take place in a clinic or birth center where people rotate in and out and there is not a consistent and predictable face providing the clients with consultations. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>We decided that Haitian care providers are best prepared to understand Haitian clients. We decided to train only Haitian care providers because they are the ones that will likely live here for the next forty years. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Please hear this. We did not decide we dislike North American medical professionals. We did not decide we don't want Americans to train as midwives. We simply decided that if Haiti is ever to see any true and lasting change in the care that is provided, it is going to depend on Haitian medical professionals being excellent and ready to respond to the needs of patients, therefore we prioritize investment in local midwives. </b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Cultural competence refers to the process by which individuals and systems respond respectfully and effectively to people of all cultures, languages, classes, races, ethnic backgrounds, religions, and other diversity factors in a manner that recognizes, affirms, and values the worth of each individual. </b></span></span><br />
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cultural awareness is the deliberate, cognitive process in which health care providers become appreciative and sensitive to the values, beliefs, practices, and problem solving strategies of their clients' culture.</b><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>The number one way we practice cultural awareness and competence is by remaining committed to providing Haitians with jobs and giving them a lovely work environment wherein they can serve their neighbors, the women in their own country.</b></span><br />
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heartline Maternity Center is not closed to visitors. We are always happy to schedule and provide tours of The Maternity Center and would love to talk more with you when you're in Haiti. We just don't have work for you to do because the people doing the work really love it and they need their jobs. </b><br />
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T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-3714025652141557822019-07-19T22:03:00.001-04:002019-07-19T22:04:43.860-04:00Love, Loss, and Ismael<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; white-space: pre-wrap;">In every culture, the loss of a pregnancy or newborn child or the inability to have a desired pregnancy can be indescribably painful.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you’ve followed stories in Haiti for long, you know that far too many Haitian families have experienced great loss. Loss is more common in cultures that lack resources and medical infrastructure. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Your continued compassion toward the women we care for and walk with at the Heartline Maternity Center has meant so much to us over the last twelve years.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Compassion is one of the greatest gifts we can offer.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In mid 2016, Celia came to the Heartline Maternity Center for care. She was early in her second pregnancy. In her initial interview, Celia shared that her first baby was born at home and had struggled to breastfeed. That precious baby girl died in the first week of her life. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Understanding how painful loss is, we wanted Celia to have the very best chance at a healthy pregnancy. She began attending our prenatal program and class every week. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In December of 2016, she went into preterm labor at just 29 weeks. Sadly, just before Christmas, Celia’s baby boy died at the hospital and she and her husband, Robert, again experienced the loss of a beloved child.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: large;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">To read the entire post, <a href="https://heartlineministries.org/23444/love-loss-ismael/">please visit the Heartline Blog HERE. </a></span></span></div>
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T and T Livesayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17612227041383997608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18825780.post-4782344804104460592019-06-12T09:08:00.000-04:002019-06-12T09:08:22.595-04:00By Isaac Livesay <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hello folks! This is Isaac writing to spill the tea on what my family and I are going to be up to this summer! You ready? It is exciting for us.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To start things off everyone, including KJ but excluding my Dad, will head to Florida. From there we fly to Tennessee and spend a week at friend’s cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains. I am so happy about being in Tennessee, not only because of the people I will get to see but also because of the environment. I love a change of scenery, and Tennessee’s change of scenery is definitely a good one. I also enjoy photography so I’m hoping to take a lot of pictures on that visit.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After our trip to East Tennessee comes to an end Hope, Noah and I will break away from the group and head our own ways. Hope will be heading to Minneapolis, Minnesota to hang out with our oldest sister Brittany. Not only will she be there to hang with Britt, but she will also help with caring for Gideon and Eleanora (Brittany’s young children) while their mom is away at work. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Noah will be traveling to Colorado to stay with his godfather and godmother for a week. They are friends we made in Haiti and Noah told them he wanted them to be his Godparents and that was that. While there in the Denver area he will see and do many things including ice skating for the first time in his life. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.295; margin-bottom: 8pt; margin-top: 12pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lastly I will be venturing to Michigan for two weeks. I will be staying with Lee Ann, my amazing and brilliant veterinary medicine professor, and her husband at their little farm house. While I am there I will helping them around their farm with whatever they need. I will also be going on a few adventures with Lee Ann. I’m not exactly sure where yet, but I know that it will be awesome. Here’s the big catch about going to Michigan; other then getting to spend time at the farm with Lee Ann, I will also be shadowing her at her work. What this means is while she is doing her thing at the clinic I get be by her side and watch and maybe assist her. It sounds so exhilarating and I cannot wait. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When my time at Lee Ann’s is done I will fly to El Paso, where by second oldest sister Paige lives, and meet up with Hope, Noah and the rest of the fam just in time for the Fourth of July. We watch fireworks at Fort Bliss, it is very fun. After all that action and excitement my Mom will leave with the two little girls to go back to Haiti and its pretty much just going to be hanging out with Paige and her two boys for the rest of the summer. To me that’s a summer well spent.</span></div>
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