I got bit by a monkey...

 

...No, not really but I thought you might look at our post if you thought I really did. (p.s. there are no monkeys in Haiti. :)

A few updates on where we are in our fundraising and some blessings that have come upon us.  We initially were planning on shipping a 40 ft container to Haiti full of our belongings, furniture, household items, donations etc…but we received a huge blessing from North Carolina Men’s Baptist who were occupying our home in Haiti.  They said they were going to leave us all of the furniture, household items, refrigerator and stove!  That blessing saved us about $15,000 in shipping costs, not to mention the stress of shipping all of that stuff overseas!  The next blessing was from missionaries in Haiti; unfortunately they had to return to the US and had a Nissan Patrol that they left that we can purchase; it will also save us about $15,000 in shipping and import taxes.  Two huge blessings, God is making our path to Haiti easier and easier each day!

We are so close!! We currently are in need of monthly sponsors; our goal is to be fully funded in the next week or two so we can head out to Haiti by the end of September.  We are currently at 53% of budget and need to be at 85% before we can leave.  If you haven’t become a monthly sponsor, please join our support team today.

Current Monthly sponsorship 53% or $3,195          Needed Monthly Sponsorship 85% or $ 5,000

To become a monthly sponsor please go to:

sponsor by pay pal: http://www.globaloutreach.org/missionaries.html#ToddB

sponsor through checking: http://www.globaloutreach.org/donations.html

suggested levels of sponsorship

*$15  *$25  *$50  *$75  *$100  *$150  *$200 *$250  *$300  *$400  *$500  *$750  *$1,000 *other

 Ohh, I love me a garage sale!

 

A few posts back I said I would share some of “God’s Stories” and I thought I would share one I was thinking about this weekend.  Since we won’t be shipping any furniture or household items we have made the decision to sell or give away basically everything we own, keeping only a few keepsake items.  Let me tell you, I love having garage sales, almost as much as going to the mall or sitting in traffic, they’re awesome!! ;)  So this past weekend we had another one, I believe our 4^th since we started this whole process and it reminded me of a basic truth I had reinforced last summer.  We had planned on only having one garage sale but so many people were moved by us moving to Haiti they not only purchased things but they also brought us some of their own belongings for us to sell, it was at times overwhelming, the generosity of strangers.  Since we had so many donations we decide to have an additional sale the next weekend. 

Around 4pm on our 6^th day of sales, the last Saturday, we we’re basically down to just junk and broken toys.  Nobody was stopping by so we we’re trying to figure out what we were going  to do with the remaining items, looking for charities that could possibly pick it up, if they would even want it.  I decided to take a break for a minute and went to check my bank account to see if I received my direct deposit from work.  I had, but I had a dilemma.  A few years ago, Carrie and I made a commitment to tithe, or give 10% of our income to our church.  When I see my direct deposit hit my account I go directly to my church’s giving page and donate 10% of my gross pay before I spend it on something else.  My dilemma was this, it would be my last paycheck before we left for our first three months in Haiti and we weren’t funded yet.  We had already bought the tickets and I thought for a moment, “we could really use this 10% to help our mission”, after a quick prayer I went ahead and kept my commitment and gave the 10% tithe to our church.  I prayed, “I know you will take care of us” and I pressed the button. 

   I went outside and we began to pack up the remaining leftovers when a man came from around the corner and asked if we had closed yet.  I had met him earlier in the day and had struck up a conversation.  He had lost his family and job to drug addiction.  He was a few months sober and was trying to get his life in order, I lent him my ear for a while and after we spoke I asked him if he minded me praying for him.  He said “please do”,  so I prayed for him right there that he would continue his sobriety, that he would earn the love and trust of his family back and that his relationship with God would become stronger than ever.  He thanked me and went on his way.  So now he had come back and was asking if we were still open, he was asking because after I prayed for him he went home and called his daughter for the first time and she told him she loved him.  Then he went to his landlord and asked if he could rent the store front on the front of his sobriety house so he and his fellow roomates could start a small thrift store.  The landlord thought it was a great idea, so he rented a U-Haul van and it was parked around the corner and he wanted to buy everything we had left!  He bought everything, didn’t haggle about prices & knew anything he paid would be a blessing to our mission & wouldn't accept any generosity from me trying to give him a deal.  All I can say is WOW!

The simple truth I learned was the 10% isn’t about the church or God needing my money, it’s about obedience and commitment to my faith.  The man bought enough to triple my tithe, what else is there to say.

God Bless!

Barrett

 

 

My Biggest Fear

 

 

My Biggest Fear

 



Tomorrow is our goal date to be funded and head to Haiti.  We are currently 50% funded and need an additional $2,200 in monthly sponsors to get to the 85% point which is the required amount by our organization, Global Outreach International, to leave.  I’ve been trying to come up with clever quotes and stories to share for the final rally, but nothing seems to fit, so I thought I would just share my heart.

 I originally went to Haiti unwillingly.  It wasn’t something I desired or wanted to do.  I told my wife it’s unsafe, what can we do for them in a week, it costs too much etc…I had all kinds of reasons.  But deep down, which I didn’t share with her was, I didn’t want to get my heart  broken.  I didn’t even want to think about it, a half a million orphans, babies without someone holding them, many of which wouldn’t make it to age 5 because of  simple lack of care.  How do you go to a place like that, how do you even grasp that type of desperation?  How do we not come back without them? 

Well you all know the story by now, I did go, I did get my heart broken and broken and broken.  I’ve had people try to give me newborns because they can no longer care for them, I’ve seen a boy beaten severally because he had epilepsy and his family thought he was demon possessed, children beaten because they were sick, thousands of families burned out of their homes chased by mobs with guns and clubs because they were sold a fraudulent deed.  I’ve held starving children, while knowing they might not make it, I could go on and on.  Yes, my biggest fear was getting my heartbroken and that’s exactly what God wanted to happen.

I am moving to Haiti.  I am moving there because I don’t like my heart to be broken and I don’t plan on coming back until it heals with the rest of theirs.  Some will say I’m heading into a losing battle I say the battle has only just begun. 

We chose tomorrow, August 17^th as our goal date.  It’s the 17^th anniversary of me breaking my neck, God said I wasn’t going to die on that day, He didn’t give up on me, He had specific plans for my life.  Today I’m asking you to partner with us to become a monthly sponsor.  I’m asking you to have faith that through Him nothing is impossible. 

To become a monthly sponsor please go to:

sponsor by pay pal: http://www.globaloutreach.org/missionaries.html#ToddB

sponsor through checking: http://www.globaloutreach.org/donations.html

 

17 years ago

 

 

 

 The picture you see is my Jeep Cherokee that I flipped off an overpass in Florida. I was trapped for several hours before I was found by a Good Samaritan. After the fire department cut me out of the car I was life flighted to Tampa General. I know now that it wasn’t luck that the best spinal surgeon in the country happened to be there. I crushed c-4 & c-5 vertebrae, the break that kills most everyone it happens too. Although my vertebrae were crushed and my spinal cord was bent, it didn’t severe. One in a million. Through a very complicated surgery, one of its kind at that time, I was given my life back. Everyday I’m thankful that God had other plans for me, I’m thankful for my family and thankful that He has chosen us to serve Him in Haiti.

5 Days Until Goal

 

 

 

 

This morning I was humbled by an email I received from a great friend and Christian Brother.  He told me he was awoken in the middle of the night and felt compelled to write this and send it to me. Please take a moment to read:

 

 

Dear Friends,

 

Rarely in life do we have a chance to step forward and make a significant difference to humanity by making a small sacrifice. If we really stop and consider the invitation that has been put before us all, it is impossible to sit on the sidelines and not want to participate in supporting the Todd's calling to Haiti.

I have seen first hand the passion and devotion they have expressed in helping the nation of Haiti through reaching the children of that devastated country. I have seen first hand the sacrifices the Todd's are making to reach the unreached. 

Please take the step forward that in your heart you know is a blessing and make whatever contribution you believe you are called to . You, in turn, will be blessed.

At the end of the day, we all are blessed beyond our true needs but we can't say the same of the children of Haiti. Making a pledge to support the Todd's is not a trivial matter and one that takes thoughtful consideration. However, I know you will not want to miss being filled with joy when we hear the many praise reports that are to come. 

Join me and my family in supporting the Todd's mission to Haiti.

Thank you,

John Chomeau

 

John is sending this letter to all of his friends and family and I thought if all of you who support our mission could do the same, today could be a  moment that marks a turning point in thousands of people's lives, now and generational.

 

Our goal date of being funded is only 5 days away and we are praying that today is the day people join our team. 

 

God Bless you all!

 

Barrett

 

to sponsor by pay pal: http://www.globaloutreach.org/missionaries.html#ToddB

 

to sponsor through checking: http://www.globaloutreach.org/donations.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Be a Good Steward of His Story - Moving Status update





Be a Good Steward of His Story

     A couple of weeks ago Carrie and I went on the date night “Marriage Cruise” with our church, River Valley.  It was great seeing so many friends and making new ones!  I had a chance to speak with one of our Pastors, Anthony Richards, and I was sharing a story with him when he asked me “are you writing these down?”  When I explained I hadn’t, he gave me some incredible advice.  Now he’s Australian, so you have to imagine the accent, “Barrett, you need to write these stories down, they’re not your stories, they’re God’s stories.  He’s given you amazing experiences to share with others and if you don’t write them down they’ll be forgotten.  Just like you are a good steward with His money for your Mission, you need to be a good steward with His stories, they are meant to be shared.” Wow, I never really thought of it that way.  I could write a book already with the amazing journey God has taken us on over the past couple years.  I plan on sharing a few of them here on the blog, hopefully you will enjoy hearing them.  He is always there, you just have to pay attention.

 

 



Man’s Night and Lemonade

   A few months ago our church was holding a Man’s Night conference that my son Braxton and I almost didn’t attend.  We are very budget conscious, count every penny and save as much as we can to apply towards our mission, so when I heard it would be $45 for the 2 of us to go I argued with myself (I’m sure you all do it) about justifying the extra expenditure.  After looking at our budget and knowing how much fun we would have I decided to we could afford it.  However, when I found out a few of our friends were going to get hotel rooms so they wouldn’t have to travel back and forth for the 2 sessions I opted out figuring that would definitely be out of budget.  It was great, awesome speakers, lots of fun hanging out with the over 600 men that attended.  The next morning, during the last part of the conference, they announced that they would be taking an offering.  Apparently there was an opportunity to purchase the land across the street from the church at a discounted price and they’re taking a special offering for a down payment.  I thought “boy, I didn’t work that into my budget.”  As I prayed about the offering I felt that I have had so much growth, so much encouragement and loved delivered to me and my family at this church, I went ahead and gave an offering of $100. I decided although it would make us tight, I would fast during the day and find other ways to save until next pay day.  I came home and told Carrie so she could expect to see it come out of our account and she was happy I gave and completely understood.

Two days later, when the mail arrived, I received a letter from a mortgage company that held our mortgage 8 years prior explaining that they had overcharged us for something, I believe escrows.  Include with the letter was a check for a little over $300.  You can say this is a coincidence, but I have had so many “coincidences” in the past couple years I know different.  But the story doesn’t end there.

The next morning I headed to work, I usually take a short cut through this neighborhood to get to the highway.  This time as I drove through the neighborhood I noticed some kids selling lemonade.  I remember hearing somewhere that you should never pass kids selling lemonade without buying some, they’ll be overjoyed that you did and you also might be the only one to buy some.  Problem was, I never carry cash, and the place I work has a snack bar that I will nickel and dime myself to death if I carry money to work.  As I drove I searched my glove box and console for change and found 3 one dollar bills.  So of course I turned around to go buy some lemonade.  As I pulled up into the culde-sac , I noticed a sign I hadn’t seen earlier “all proceeds go to providing clean water in Haiti”…I thought that’s awesome!  The kids came running over, smiling ear to ear, asking how many lemonades I wanted.  I told them I actually didn’t want any lemonade, but they could have the $3 to go towards their cause and told them I wish I could give them more but it’s all I had.  They ran back to their parents excited, jumping around like I had given them a million dollars.  Later that night, around 10:30, I shared with Carrie what had happened and we both smiled, just a nice story.  Then she said, “you’re not going to believe this, but I just received an email from someone that is blessing our mission with a significantly large donation”  “they said they were heading home after having dinner out and both of them all of a sudden felt compelled that they had to let us know that they would be sponsoring us, they said it was almost like God told them both at the same time, contact the Todd’s and bless their mission” we were floored!

The reason I love this story is because it tells some simple truths.  God provides for our needs.  Even when I struggled with the $100 He multiplied it by three, but when I gave my last dollars with joy He multiplied it by thousands!  Now, I never give anything be it love, my time or donations expecting anything in return, it's just awesome to know that we can't out give God, He's the ultimate giver!

 



Moving Update

We are only 12 days away from our goal date of August 17^th.  We are so thankful for the many of you who have joined our support team; it’s always humbling to see friends and family give to help us and our vision.  Below are the requirements set forth by our organization, Global Outreach International, and our current status.  We need some big things to happen quickly, please pray that our vision reaches people and they’ll find it in their hearts to become a sponsor!

Global Outreach’s requirements for full-time Missionaries:

• 3 months budget in reserve and 85% of monthly sponsorship

Current Financial Status:

• 3 months reserves donated -Yeah!    And  $2,570 in monthly sponsors or 44%

What we need before we can leave: Step 1

• $5,000 in monthly sponsors which is 85% of our actual monthly budget.  Monthly sponsorship is the easiest way for many people to help, please consider one of the below suggested levels.

*$15  *$25  *$50  *$75  *$100  *$150  *$200 *$250  *$300  *$400  *$500  *$750  *$1,000 *other

•   New or newer full size passenger van to ship to Haiti; we need a reliable vehicle for our family as well   as transporting the teams that come in from the states.

Estimated cost $20,000 + $3,000 for shipping + up to $14,000 in import tax. Total - $ 37,000

•  Additional $10,000 in moving expenses, tickets and for items to ship that we can’t get in Haiti.

Prayer requests and future Soccer program: Step 2

•  Our Vision to put together the prototype for a national youth Soccer / Mentorship program will begin as soon as we get settled in Haiti.  Please watch for news on this exciting program!

•  Donated UTV or 4 wheelers – indispensable tools for transportation of equipment back and forth between our multiple facilities on the property and outlining area

 

Please become a sponsor today at www.supportthetodds.com