From Haiti to Hospital

This past Sunday I found myself in the mountains of Aux Cadet Haiti in a tin roof building that resembled a chicken house more then a church. A small group of adults and students sweated, sung, and enjoyed a Sunday service together as our team of 12 learned from and experienced the beauty of this Haitian village. The rest of the day included bouncing along on rocky dirt roads, exploring primitive School houses, playing round after round of duck duck goose, smiling, laughing, and enjoying a perfect cross cultural day.

As we rolled into our host home for the evening my cell phone was turned on for the nightly round of updating text to families back in the states. But much to my surprise my phone light up with messages, missed phone calls, voicemails and the overwhelming sense that something big was happening back home.

Something big to MY FAMILY!

Over the previous days we had heard of the horrible child slavery issues for Rastevak children, we had visited Cholera clinics were epidemic sickness was battled for those who were carried (literally) over mountains (also a literal statement), where many would die due to lack of access to appropriate treatment, we assisted a community in building a water cistern in the attempt to provide a clean water source, and was generally exposed to the horrors of systemic poverty.

The only thing separating this life from being my life was that I happened to be born to a middle class, majority family in a nation where opportunities flourished.

The only difference was birth, a difference I had absolutely no control over.

It was with these vivid lessons in my mind as I talked to Mom across an ocean hearing that my father was en route to receive a treatment considered rare even for the most privileged in the world. My dad was being given a rare chance for a renewed life, a renewed life in a world that many never receive a descent first one to begin with.

As my emotions whirled from excited to guilt to anxiety to elation my cell whirled text and calls to parents, support staff, airline companies and family.

Due to the nature and potential volatility of our trip the choice was made for me to stay in Haiti until our students were out of all potential harm. My flight home was set for Tuesday at 3pm.

As our team returned to our host home for their last night of debriefing and packing I raced down the Haitian mountainside and through the energetic streets of a third world country. We whizzed by trucks overflowing with packed pedestrians, others with goats, past motorcycles, dump trucks and a world of faces in between. My driver was a master of the mountain and made a trip that should have taken 2 hours in just over one. As I gathered my bags to check in for my flight I said thank you both to him and to God for my safe arrive to the airport.

A quick flight up the Atlantic to Miami, a not so quick drive up the coast of Florida with a uncle who graciously picked me up (thank you again Rodney, ps it was great seeing you again) and I found myself stepping into the halls of a place I had heard of many times, thanked God for in my prayers and knew was now playing a special role in the story of my family, Mayo Clinic.

As my dusty hiking pack plopped to the floor family members throw loving arms around my neck. Jen walked me back to see my dad, who was now the proud and thankful protector of a new set of lungs and lease on life.

Dad looked amazing, well as amazing as one can after having body parts exchanged.

As he snored loud and long, something I asked if they forgot to fix while swapping out lungs, his nurse gentle stirred him a wake.

His eyes gentle opened and as they recognized his son before him grew wide and wet. We hugged, laughed, shared silly stories and simply marveled at the rare and precious gift our family had been given.

Today has been a sweet day. Uncle Ron and Aunt Connie helped to finalize housing for dad’s recovery, which is something we’re trusting God to help provide the resources for.  Jen, Pearl and I enjoyed our reunion by laughing and telling stories. Mom loved holding Zi, and Dad shared more stories about God’s amazing provision and chased hallucinations of bugs around the room, which is apparently a side effect of his anti-rejection drugs.

Being with family today has made my heart full, very full.

But as I write this I’m reminded that what we have experienced here is rare, very rare. It is not because of our planning, pedigree, our privilege, or us, it simply because of God’s provision and grace. Provision and grace that I don’t understand full why we’ve received so much of and others have not. Provision and grace that we do not what to take for granted or misplace.

Jesus, we don’t understand why you have been so good to us, we can’t rationalize or explain it, but we can simply say thank you for it. 

Fathers day… first and 29th

Today is my very first father’s day as a Dad but also my 29^th with my dad. 
So to honor this day of being a father and of having a father I would love to share 29 lessons learned with my dad that I might possibly one day share with my own son. 

So in no particular order, and there’s many more lessons to share, these are just the first ones to come to mind:

1 - Always Play! Dad would grab my sleeping bag while I was in it and sling me around and around, It was such a silly thing but I loved it! I felt like my dad was a super hero and super spontaneous, you never knew when the fun would hit. 

2 - Don’t avoid, meet. Instead of us avoiding the “crazy-lady-who-lives-in-a-school-bus-by-the-river” Dad became her friend and she became mine. Don’t get me wrong, the lady was different then most but I learned more from her then I did most people. 

3 - Model Learning. Dad has a love of learning that I find rare. He modeled reading veraciously, learning continually, and always asking questions, lots and lots of questions. 

4 - Invite your kids into projects. Dad was always starting something new. Let’s build a barn, turn a hot tub into a fish pond, use telephone poles to craft a pagoda. We didn’t know what we were often doing, but we’d figure it out together.  

5 - Go some where new. Different countries, the backroad you’ve never been down, that restaurant or the long way somewhere. Dad loved getting out of life’s ruts and seeing what’s around.  

6 - Work hard. We have spent hundred of hours sweating together, muscles aching, pushing through the point of everything in you wanting to stop. I hated it then, but its silly how much those lessons apply now.  

7 - Take time off. Dad worked hard, but he also stopped.

8 - Whatever your kids are into, do your best to be into it as well. Even if it’s the very thing you hate doing. 

9 - Give loans not money. Dad has been gracious in helping Pearl and I start life together, but he also has held us accountable. 

10 - Create time to be together. Dad owned his own pharmacy while I was at home. He created ways for us to be together even if he had to be at the store. So it might be breakfast before school or a hidden Nintendo under the counter. 

11 - Make business time family time. As I said Dad had his own store, but instead of being away from us he turned business trips into family trips. He’d sneak away in the morning but explore with us in the afternoon. Best business expense ever!

12 - Be different. Dad has always been a hippy, literally and also in his heart. So perm your hair, lay down at the lincoln monument, buy a yellow jeep. Be Different, be you. 

13 - Buy an old car. My first car was a beater, but it was amazing and I deeply miss it (oh the dream to buy it back!). The reason I loved it was not only because it was my first car but it was a father-son project we spent hours together on. 

14 - Go to late night movies. When I was in college dad would call me up and spontaneously say “meet me at the movies.”

15 - Say the hard things. Dad has a way of knowing what needs to be said, even if it’s hard. He’d say it, I’d be angry, but then I’d know he was right. 

16 - Hold accountable. If I broke the rules, Dad would break me.

17 - Model forgiveness. Dad’s been hurt by people in his life, but instead of modeling bitterness, he modeled forgiveness. 

18 - Be willing to start something. Whether it’s a food panty, a business, a second degree, a project, a family, something just start. 

19 - Take risk. Dad not only started stuff, he risked stuff. He started a business, sold a business, moved, traveled, spoke up, lead…. All very risky 

20 - Serve others. Dad started a “honey-do” group with our church to help elderly / single ladies who didn’t have a “Honey to do” their chores. He served them, the community, people he liked, people he didn’t, nice people, mean people… you get the point. 

21 - Take vacations. Stay-cation, go-cation, just take time to get away from the normal and be a family. 

 

22 - Kids home, you’re home. When I come home now, Dad stops everything to be with me. When we’re home, he’s home. He shows his love by clearing his schedule. 

23 - Be willing to change… even if your angry. Not to boost or anything but I was an awesome kid, sort of, but there was times I really made dad mad and rightfully so (aka, peeing in the vent, wrecking his car, getting speeding tickets). I knew what the punishment should be, he knew I knew, but he showed grace and changed his mind and spared my life. 

24 - It’s ok to screw up. Dad is pretty awesome, he was a great dad growing up, but he made mistakes, but that’s cool, I still love him. I will make mistakes with Zi, but it’s ok, I don’t have to freak out about it, he’ll more then likely love me to. 

25 - Never give up on your marriage. Mom and dad have been married for like forever (haha, I just called them old!) They’ve had lots of sweet times, but also some really tough times. Tough times that most would bail out in. But they stuck it out, they never gave up. 

26 - The world is too big to stay in one place. Go see what you haven’t. 

27 - Tell stories and value the past. I love hearing his stories, stories of who he is, what he’s done, his great moments and his not so great. 

28 - Follow Jesus, even when you can’t explain why. Yeah, exactly that. 

29 - Love. Dad has always loved us kids, loved our mom, loved our family, our God, our community, our lives. 

Dad, thanks for 29 great years, you truly are one of the worlds best dads. 

Love ya. 

Lesson's learned and truths reminded

Life is full of truths, wisdom, stupidity and ignorance I’m realizing it just up to us to slow down enough to realize what is what.

Here’s some lessons from this week, in no particular order. 

• Old men like to talk... and I should listen (no Dad this isn’t about you!)

• When your wife cries your brilliant logic doesn’t mean a hill of beans at that moment, she wants your emotions not your wisdom.  Hug first... talk second.

• Security is an illusion. We fight to keep somethings we really can't. We cannot guarantee our future but we can choose to slow down, identify what matters most to us, and not let today’s present crisis steal from what matters most. 

• Take time to be play. We did as kids, and who said we should grow out of that?

• Sometimes the best culinary creations are discovered the day you realize you either cook it or trash it.

• Shots hurt... especially as a kid, but you get much cooler bandaids.

• There’s a million worse way to start your morning then by standing next to a major highway in your pajamas, holding a cup of coffee, watching your dog poop knowing that in just a few seconds you’ll be picking that up... so go ahead and wave.

• Under-committing doesn’t cause your blood pressure to spike and your hair to turn white or turn loose, but it also doesn’t change much. Balance is hard but worth it. 

• Stop complaining about your work and just do it. It gets done much faster that way. 

• Enjoy today, this moment, this inconvenience, this laugh, this smile, this hardship cause there’s something beautiful in it.

Megan & Andy

There's always something about every wedding you'll remember. Sometimes it's not exactly what you'd hope to remember like ripping your pants wide open 3 hours into an 8 hour commitment, mistaking the father for the grandfather, or hilarious drunken dancing and singing to "don't stop believing" (a new favorite for Pearl and I, the song that is), but other times it's exactly what you hoped for. 

Megan and Andy's wedding was one of these times. 

Our first interaction with Megan was so delightful. We sat at Prince St. Cafe, we laughed, we talked, we laughed some more. Then as we got closer to her wedding we meet Andy. He immediately made Pearl feel fabulous (which was perfect as she was 8.5 months pregnant!) and made me secretly want to be his best friend.  

They both are wonderful people who make you feel like rock stars and cause you're inner fear of being a huge nerd to be overshadowed by renewed awesomeness. 

Their wedding was perfect. Rain was on the forecast, and rain it did, but you would have never known. Spirits were high, groom and groomsmen looked sharp, bride and bridesmaids looked dazzling, mom's looked proud and happy and Dad's looked relieved and engaged. 

It was simply perfect. 

Things I loved about their day!

Megan's Mermaid dress! It was my first mermaid cut and I simply loved it!

Andy's glasses... their just cool

The reception was filled with dancing, laughter, families hugging, and a spirit that said everyone belonged and everyone was happy. 

The fact that the groom had Lucha Libre figure to hold his rings!

and when the groomsman on the cake and took a dive off just moments before everyone entered Megan simply laughed and went with it.

Below are a few of our other favorites. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed their day!

Thank you again Megan and Andy for inviting us to be a part of your wedding. 

We Simply Loved It!

life's randomness...

Hello. 

We hope you had a delightful weekend. A weekend with lots and lots of laughter, smiles and simply good vibes. 

Last Thursday as one of the students from our church graduated Pearl and I babysat her two middle school brothers. One, in the most sincere manor possible, paused in mid sentence and asked if I, like him, was ADHD, cause his momma thinks I am...

I wish I could say that was the first time I had a momma accuse me of being ADHD. But, as much as my life may deny it, there has never been an “official” pronouncement of the ol’ ADHD. 

But in true ADHD form, here’s the most recent thoughts passing between my eyeballs as of late. 

1 - Boneless chicken wings is just another fancy name for chicken nuggets.
Some guy somewhere wanted to look cool in front of his friends and just couldn’t pull himself to order chicken nuggets, so he went for the “boneless chicken wings” and his inner child and outer tough guy were both delighted. 

2 - Obsessions, Tornado warnings, and belching Hippos! 
I know this will make me look like a dork, but I love frisbee golf, like LOVE IT. In the past week I’ve been chased off the course twice from massive thunderstorms, once from a Tornado watch (which I knew about BEFORE starting and decided I could play through it anyway), and have played till my elbow felt like it was just coming out of a boxing match... yes all for the love of throwing the fool out of a little round piece of plastic towards a pole with chains and a metal basket that looks like something left over from my grandfather’s garden. I’m obsessed. The awkward moment came when I was a part of a teaching team for our High School program at church and I said we should talk about the random story of Tamar (2 Sam 13). She was the kings’ daughter but her brother obsessed over her, raped her, then hated her more then he ever loved her before, basically his obsessions destroyed him! But I was kicked in the face with my own obsession leading me to potential disaster as I was running for the car as raindrops the size of golf balls pelted all around me and the sky belched like hippos. Hobbies make you well rounded, obsessions make you into the crazy cat woman. 

3 - Don’t change baby in lap! Seriously, just don’t! 
Picture it, we’re late to a student’s play. Had to do the awkward 15 minute entrance of shame. All eyes notice the horribly late and irresponsible couple entering. We sit. Zion waits just enough for all the eyes to refocus back to Alice on the stage, then he EXPLODES from his butt! ALL EYES BACK TO US. He’s gotta be changed, it smells horrible. Do we get back up, reopen the large door to the bright lobby? Or, crawl to a side aisle and pray the people next to us don’t look down? Or, go for the diaper change right there in the seat, in our laps? We choose the last option, to change that boy’s nasty diaper, right there, in the seat while Alice dances with some cat thing on stage. All eyes were back to the stage while our eyes went to the nasty load our son just produced. We go into navy seal stealth mode, passing wipes, cloths, and diapers, it was amazing. Until, well.... Until Pearl passed the dirty diaper to me as I passed her the clean one and Zion decided while we were busy in this interchange of passing he’d pass his on last load and exploded a second time, but this time he was targeting a frantic mom who was left grabbing to block, catch, stop, contain in some form or fashion what was being hellishly released in her general direction. All we could do was laugh... and clean. 

Well... that’s all for now.
Hope you enjoyed laughing at our crazy lives. 
We’d love to hear your random thoughts, silly obsessions, or newbe parent mishaps. 
Thanks for reading and sharing. Matt

It's time for a new blog

(written by Matt)

Pearl and I have had blog sites for years now. There's seasons we have each blogged a ton and seasons we've not touch em.

Well, our lives have changed so much over the past year we're now ditching our old blogs and combining forces.

This is where we'll talk about our individual lives, thoughts and contemplations. Stories and memories from watching Zion grow up. As well as share stories from our photography business Pearl Street Photography.

If you're interested in checking out our old blogs the list is below. But for now, we're excited you're reading here and hope you enjoy finding out more about our lives, hearts, families and all the random adventures along the way.

Have a delightful weekend.
Matt

PAST BLOGS:
http://journeyingpearl.blogspot.com/

http://ponderingloudly.blogspot.com/

http://cohort12goestosoutheastasia.blogspot.com/