A Surprising Gift: Making Plans to go to Haiti

Dear Friends & Family,


We recently sent out an update newsletter to help you know where we are on our journey to Haiti. It’s only been a few weeks but we already have some exciting and unexpected news to report to you all.

We just found out that we are pregnant! Yes, this is a bit of a surprise to all of us. We certainly were not expecting this timing but we are thrilled to grow our family with a new life. We consider any children a gift from God and trust that our Maker has all the details under control. Meilani and Giada are especially excited to have a new baby brother or sister coming this year. The theme of this year has truly been learning to be thankful in all things. Appropriately, our baby will be due right around Thanksgiving 2011.

Please join us in praying for wisdom and discernment as we seek God’s will in making plans for going to Haiti. Right now we are praying about going to Haiti for the summer (June-September) with the financial support we have raised. We are excited about being in Pignon for the summer months to host the short-term teams, spend time with the Haitian leaders and help start a new building project - a new orphanage in St. Raphael. We are partnering with Richard and Gina Wathen of Wathen-Castanos, Inc. in Fresno who have a heart for orphans and are taking on this new project.

We plan to return to Fresno in September to prepare for the birth of the baby, continue raising support and re-evaluate our timeline for 2012. We are clinging now to Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen to God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.” (The Message)

We also continue to pray for the sale of our house. A new roof went up last week and our real estate agent (Dorina’s brother) has since received 5 phone calls on the house since then and we’ve shown it to 3 different families. God is moving! This weekend we will be having an Open House. Pray for that one buyer!

As God surprises us with different time lines for going to Haiti and now the joy of this new baby, the one thing He continues to make clear to us is our call to serve long-term with Christian Friendship Ministries connecting resources to Haiti. We praise God for the 60% of our budget that’s come in for our year in Haiti, and for the ways you all have (and continue to) contributed to that. Thank you for standing with us in our vision. Please join us in praying for the remaining amount we need. We’d be delighted to talk with you personally if you have further questions – please don’t hesitate to contact us. (Dorina’s cell: 559.908.0004; Ericlee’s cell: 559.908.2775).

Partnering with you,


Ericlee & Dorina, Meilani & Giada


& baby bean Gilmore




PRAYER REQUESTS:
-sale of house

-healthy pregnancy

-finding a doctor for Dorina with our new MediCal insurance

-plane tickets to Haiti this summer

-an affordable vehicle for our family to use this summer in Haiti

-continued fundraising efforts