it's complicated.

so i made this decision to move and go volunteer in Haiti, participate in microfinance and development, sell my things, quit my job, leave California friends and boyfriend and in doing so grow closer to God and lean on Him in all circumstances. blah, blah, blah. ideally all this was so fun and exciting; as I like to say, a no-brainer. everyone kept saying, follow your heart and the encouragement was pouring all over me! so wonderful!

until... God reallllly started working on my heart. to summarize- this was hard. for three whole months- i started packing and saying my goodbyes and stepping out of my dream job- yet i had no idea where i was headed. no organization in Haiti wanted me. (so it seemed) i emailed, connected and i networked with everyone i knew yet NOTHING was happening. no doors were opened. patience is a virtue right?

I heard lots of "no's", "not right nows" and "you don't speak creole" or "you have never been to Haiti". I would come home everyday from work and email new connections and friends of friends who had 'such and such' a connection in microfinance or Haiti or a volunteer organization. or fill out application after application. yet, still. no options.

i can not express how frustrating these months became. discouraging. there were times I wanted to give up. i was willing to be 100% flexible. i kept saying this whole time if God was calling me to go file papers in Pennsylvania then I would. if God was calling me somewhere other than Haiti then that is where i would be. but, why did i have no options? why was this so difficult?

during this time of frustration God was so good and kept encouraging me. He surrounded me by fellow believers and His Word. thank you to all my friends and family and co-workers who would lift me up and knew just what to say. i was lifted up on prayers during this time and you all kept reminding me that God would reveal His plan. Stepping out on faith means NOT knowing where the next step is.

Happy to FINALLY report... (drum roll please)

side note: received this information in the middle of Wyoming on my birthday.

I, Kaitlyn Marie Evans, will be traveling to Haiti on the 3rd of September in the year two-thousand ten with a wonderful organization called Child Hope International. www.childhope.org I will be doing a plethora of activities (operations, admin, microfinance, career development, coordinating) right up my alley. more details to come. honestly, the perfect spot for me.

but the main point is: Answer to prayer. Answer to prayer. God is so good. He has an ultimate plan. Praise. Praise. Praise.