God is King Over ALL the Earth

"Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! For God is King of all the earth." Psalm 47:6

In Haiti, not only did our team have the opportunity to work in an orphanage with so many precious children, but we also were able to attend church. We were told on Monday that the church we were to be attending that night was only 30 minutes away, so we cleaned up as best we could, loaded the bus and mini van, and started out "30 minute" road trip to church. 

2 hours later, after the sun had gone down, we entered a small village. The road was lined with fields of banana trees and few houses. When the bus finally stopped and we unloaded, our ears were filled with the beautiful sound of church members singing praises. Of course, we could no understand what they were saying, but we recognized the tune. These people had been singing while waiting for us to arrive- 2 hours late.

The church was unlike anything I could have ever expected. There were 4 cement walls, half the floor was paved- the other half was still dirt, the roof consisted of a tarp held up with a huge stick in the middle of the room, and the only light was from a small oil lamp in the front. The people didn't care though; they were praising. I've been to many worship worship services, but this one was unlike any other I have ever been to. No instruments, just vocals, hands raised, and amens or hallelujah's were being yelled. I think at first, our team was in so much awe we couldn't do anything but watch and listen. Then, as tunes became familiar, we chimed in singing in english. It was yet another display of how heaven will be. Beautiful. 

A member of our team was able to preach that night. A translator repeated everything he said. After a few words or a sentence, we would always hear a loud "Amen" or "Hallelujah!" I loved the loud roar that was heard while reading God's word. It was an amazing worship experience. 

After service, the church came up to us and gave us all huge hugs. The children were not one bit shy. They came up to us and hugged us tightly. A few young ladies grabbed me and started singing in creole. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but I knew the tune- This is the Day the the Lord has Made. After realizing this, I began singing with them. Just the three of us singing loudly. We didn't care. They were smiling at the fact that I knew the song and kept going for what seemed like an hour. I could have stayed and sang with them all night. This song will forever have a special meaning in my heart. For no matter where you are, you are still living in a day made by our Lord.

I pulled out my camera to take a picture with them and they were fascinated- truly fascinated- actually fascinated may be an understatement- with the flash and being able to see themselves in a picture. We took a few before we had to rush out to our bus and begin our "30 minute" aka 2 hour journey home. 

This experience showed me true worship, members truly loving each other, and the church truly loving every word they heard from The Word of God. So thankful for the opportunity. 

To The Least of These...

“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14:18


I've started this blog numerous times and could never finish it. My prayer is that through these words, people fully grasp the need and opportunities that God has given us to serve "the least of these." 
The plane ride to Haiti was an anxious one. For many members on our team, this was not only our first trip to Haiti, but our first trip out of the country. The few that had made this journey before us were in constant conversation about what to expect in order to prepare everyone for the experience the next few days were going to hold. Our team arrived in Haiti on Sunday. We were immediately taken to our guest house where we began praying for and preparing small activities for the children at Life is Hope.

Our Guest House

Monday came. We all woke ready to go see the children. It seemed like it took forever to get all the supplies, and ourselves loaded onto the bus and mini van that were to transport us back and forth from the guest house to the orphanage. The bus ride seemed to take forever. Then finally, on a quiet back rode in Haiti, the bus stopped next to a tall cement wall with barbed wire across the top. I wasn't sure we were really at the orphanage, but I followed the lead and helped unpack the supplies to be taken in. The team and I were led around the corner of this cement wall to a huge metal looking gate. When the gate was opened, my first sight was not faces, but hands. Hands that were reaching out to grab someone. Tiny hands wanting to grab on to you and hug you as tightly as they could. I tell people that I'm so thankful I wore sunglasses because I could not stop the trail of tears that were streaming from my eyes.  These children were latching on to complete strangers. I thought the whole reason for this trip was for us to show these precious children love, but in those first few moments, they showed me how to love. 

The children waving goodbye!

After we walked through the gate each morning, one of my most favorite activities took place- Singing! We never had to start the song, the children would. They already knew songs like this little light of mine, Jesus Loves Me, and-of course- Little Sally Walker :) These were the few they knew in English. Most of the other songs they sang were in creole. Most times we recognized the tune, but not all the time. The song that was sang over and over- and not only at the orphanage but that story will come later :)- was This is the Day that The Lord Has Made. The children would sing in creole and we would sing in English. It was such a beautiful example of how Heaven will be while everyone is singing praises to our King. These children's voices were magical and beautiful. I can still hear their sweet little voices singing. Thank you, Lord, for sweet memories.

Kinson-our translator- leading the children in song

Kinson and Junior singing beautifully.

After singing, our team would break into "centers" -there's my teacher side. There would be around 5 activities going at one time for the children to choose between. "Centers" could consist of anything from painting canvases, painting fingernails, making paper airplanes, coloring, sock puppets, soccer, even playing with stickers. "Centers" would only last for about two maybe three hours, then for the remainder of the day- usually for the last 4 hours- the kids wanted us to just hold them. The older ones would play with our hair as we would be holding a younger child. Everyday, a young child would be rocked to sleep and held for the duration of the his/her nap. I can't help but wonder how many of those precious children were rocked to sleep last night- or even if they've been rocked since we left. My heart breaks at the thought of those sweet babies not having anyone to hold them tonight. 

Smarc and I grew so close while I was in Haiti. 

He painted this canvas by himself- writing and everything.

He wrote, "I love you. Jesus loves you." 

Such a sweet memory that I will cherish forever!

On Wednesday, something happened that no one expected. A baby girl was brought in. She was so scared and wouldn't go to anyone. I honestly don't think she had ever even seen a "white" person. The only person this baby would go to was one of the older children, but she stayed busy with other activities. Of course we all kept our eye on her just in case. For most of the day she walked around taking in the new scenery- terrified of course. By the end of the day, I could tell she was getting sleepy, so I stayed close just in case. Then, after witnessing her head bobble a few times, I grabbed her praying she wouldn't mind, and held her. She fell fast asleep while holding on tightly to me. I thank God for that moment, that experience. That moment was one of my favorites of the week. I only wish I could be holding her now. 

God taught me so much while being loved  and loving on these children. We have so much love to give, and there are so many that need our love and care. 

A Whole New World

"Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!" 1 Corinthians 16:31


My eyes have never seen the sights that it saw for 7 days in Haiti. I was not prepared. Nothing could have prepared me. Thankfully, God knew what I was going to be seeing and he led me through the brokenness. 
The country itself was different as I viewed it from the plane. I was immediately thankful for our green grass, tall trees, and beautiful flowers that usually fill every inch of our yards. 

It is still evident that an earthquake hit Port au Prince two years ago. As we drove to the orphanage everyday, we passed numbers of broken buildings. Buildings that are either now vacant or being pieced back together in order to restore a family home. Those who lost homes or are too scared of the building collapsing on them again live in what is known as a tent city. These cities line the unpaved, bumpy streets of Haiti. It was mentioned on the trip that the tent cities were smaller than they were last trip which shocked me. There were still tents as far as the eye could see. These tent cities were dirty, unstable, but homes for so many families- families that have young children and families with elderly people. Nevertheless, these tents were home. 

I look around the house I grew up in and am ever so thankful for the walls, the ceiling, the roof, the paint, the soft couches, the carpet, the warm fire. The things I used to take for granted I now see as HUGE blessings. 


In Haiti, the heat was almost unbearable at times. I'm not one for being nasty, but I stayed in a constant layer of sweat ( sorry ) and disgust. Showers were cold and not very dependable. Meaning, the water could and would just completely shut off in the middle of a good hair washing. We were all thankful for those few minutes of a coolness once a day, though. This was a big change for me. I like cleanliness. I get made fun of how much I love it sometimes. 2 maybe 3 showers a day is just what I do. I've never been more thankful for a hot, dependable shower then I am now. 


One thing was universal between both Haitians and our group from Mississippi. A smile. Exchanging smiles with the young children we passed each day was precious and worth the bumpy, nauseating "30 minute" drive each day. 


God works miracles and teaches us new things everyday. I'm so thankful that He gave me the opportunity to go see and minister to the people in Haiti. 

"Calm My Anxious Heart"

"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:7

Tonight, as I sit on my floor folding clothes to pack for Haiti with no noise other than the soothing sounds of the rain, I couldn't help but have a "girly moment". I started thinking and reflecting back on this week. I learned of another childhood friend who just found out she is having a baby, caught up on blogs and pictures of my sweet friend and her beautiful baby girl, had dinner with my bestie and her husband, and viewed another friends engagement pictures. Hey, life! Can you believe I am old enough for all of this to be happening? It still blows my mind and takes me a minute to digest each time I think about it.

Tonight, I couldn't help but think how different this silent room would be if I were not in the position I am now. Would I still be preparing for  Haiti? Would He be preparing to go with me? Would we be laughing about all the things I am trying to fit into this small suitcase? Or would we be in separate rooms, not even paying attention to one another? That thought scared me. I  immediately started praying for my prince. Praying that my heart stays calm, not anxious, as God prepares us for one another. Thanking God for this season of singleness.

I know Satan put those thoughts in my head as a way to try to distract me from my true focus. Haiti. He knows how excited I am about this experience- ministering, loving, paying, packing, traveling. Everything. God has me exactly where I need to be for a reason. It's true I can't wait for the day to know who I'm spending the rest of my life with, to see what ring takes the place of this TLW ring,  and to see who the father of my children will be, but for now, I have accepted God's sovereign control over this situation and am content.

"I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of, for to have been thought about, born in God's thought, and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest, and most precious thing in all thinking."

5 days....

"Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you." James 1:27

I consider it a huge blessing to be a spiritual role model for over 80 students a day. But, I've always felt like there was more I needed to do. After all, God does tell us to "GO" doesn't he? I've been ready to go, and started praying really hard for the opportunity to go. I've always had a heart for orphans, and I can remember telling people that ONE day, God was going to send me to work in an orphanage. There have been many opportunities come along for missions that would allow me to go, but for some reason or another, nothing ever fell through. BUT GOD made a way recently.
"E-Dawg, you adoptin?" This was the response I got from all 4 of my classes after expressing how excited I was about going over Thanksgiving Break to work in an orphanage in Haiti. "No, I'm not adopting. I'm going to share my love with the kids since I don't have any of my own." Can you believe after that response, the majority of my students began inquiring about bringing clothes, toys, or writing letters for the children in Haiti? WOW God! What a beautiful heart these students have.
It's hard for me to believe that I broke the news to my students over a month ago. Now, here I am 5 days away from departure. 5 days away from landing in a country far away from my family, friends, and comfort zones. 5 days away from the opportunity that i've been praying years for.
"You must worship the Lord your God and serve Him only." Matthew 4:10
My prayer for this trip that God is glorified through every action that is taken. One thing that keeps being stressed, and I know it is God talking directly to me, is that there will be NO SCHEDULE. If you know me very well at all, you know I have an agenda for each day. A schedule of events. We were told at our first meeting that Haiti doesn't pay attention to time. Whoa. My prayer since then has been that my attitude is not one that is distracted because we aren't doing certain things at a certain time, but that my attitude is humble and focused strictly on the interest and needs of the sweet children.

"Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait...

"The Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly." Psalm 84:11

Today, oh today, not my favorite day- To start with at least. I was trying to be a big girl and march on through my daily routine even after being diagnosed with walking pneumonia, upper respiratory infection, and bronchitis. Well to say the least, I didn't make it. 2 hours after getting to the school, I was told to go home, and home is exactly where I went. Definitely blessed to have administrators who look out for not only the health of the students, but also the health of their teachers. I left my children in the hands of a co-worker that I trust so much. She continued the days routine: Daily Review, Unit Test, Present and turn in projects. Before I left for the day, one of my administrators told me she was going to have to kids write essays to turn in with some paper work I have due on Monday.

This afternoon, Dr. Mom drove me back to the school to pick up everything so that I would not get behind on grading papers. I also picked up these essays. On the way back, I started reading some of the essays out loud, and tears filled my eyes. Here is just a taste of the beautiful essays that were written:

"Miss Easterling is a great teacher because she makes things fun, listens to us, helps us, and helps solve problems. She loves and cares for us. She has a passion and desire to teach ,and if we don't understand a topic, she will not give up on us."
"Miss Easterling always looks to the positive side of everything. I remember one time, she did a cartwheel in class in celebration of a successful assignment. It was hilarious."
"She cares about us and wants us to succeed."
"Thank you for being there for me when I need you. I love you so much Miss E-Dawg!"

I could write so much more about the sweet things that my students wrote. I know I say all the time on FB or in a blog that I have truly been blessed with wonderful students, but today proved it more than ever to me. God bestows good things. Good things like reminders that we are exactly where we are supposed to be.

I have to choose 3 of these beautiful essays to be sent off with paperwork. Paperwork for being nominated Moselle's Teacher of the Year. Blessing after blessing. I do not know how I'll just pick 3. They are all written so beautifully, with a sincere heart. "For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children."

Reading these essays brightened my day by showing me how beautiful a child's heart can be. I wish we had hearts that reflected these children. Hearts that see only the positives in people. I pray I can lead by my students examples and find the good in everyone. This afternoon I have been even more thankful for the good things that come from our Lord. I hope these children know they inspire me everyday to be a better person.

So Truly Be Glad...

"So truly be glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold- though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."   1 Peter 1: 6-7

I love these words that God spoke through Peter in a letter. Last year, I clung to these words- day and night. I'm pretty sure that if you hung around me for more than an hour, I somehow brought these verses up in conversation. That's how much I loved and still love these words written by Peter. God reminded me of these beautiful words that have meant so much to me over the past year while talking to a friend this past weekend. I remember last year, at this exact time, beginning a journey that was a complete leap of faith. I was an unemployed, single college graduate. Now, that was never MY plan in life.
But God.
Two beautiful words.
But God- Our God who is so rich in mercy; One who loves me, no matter how undeserving I am, He had an even better plan for my life.
God promised joy ahead. Today, exactly one year after beginning my journey of complete faith, I see now more than ever that joy. Joy in Serving.
God knew what He was doing when He made me wait a year to get a position as a 5th grade teacher at Moselle Elementary. Never in a million years did I ever see myself teaching 5th grade. But God. There are those two words again. But God brought me to it and today I realized why. This morning, I was sitting at my desk preparing last minute things for the day, minding my own business, when I heard a co-workers voice at my door, "Miss Easterling, Can you come here for a minute?" Now, if there is ever a sentence that I do not like to hear, it's that one. My co-workers get a kick out of my "Oh no, what did I do now?" face when I walk towards the "meeting grounds". This morning was different though. The voice, demeanor, everything. So I did, I went into the next room with my fellow 5th grade teachers for a minute and what happened next was a "But God" moment. We prayed and wept over our students for not just a minute, but for a many minutes. A prayer of thanksgiving for God trusting us with this wonderful group of students, a prayer for their safety, a prayer for their lives away from school where we keep a close watch on them.
I've heard it said before that the biggest ministry opportunity is found at school, but that was always heard during a sermon to youth. I never took it to the context of a teacher to his/her students. After beginning my career, I've realized how much of an opportunity I have to be a role model. One that shows love. God's love. Love that is patient, kind, not irritable. Love that never gives up, never loses faith, and is always hopeful. My prayer is that myself and other believers use the description of the attitude of Christ found in Philippians 2. That we are humble and take interest in others instead of ourselves. My heart longs to comfort my students. I've been known to say more than once about a few students, "I just want to take them home and bake cookies with them." I pray my students know they are loved. Not only by me and the other 5th grade teachers, but also by our Heavenly father.

Thank you, Father, for this joy ahead. This joy in serving that allows me to truly be glad. Thank you for testing my faith and holding my hand through all the trials. Thank you for the perfect plan YOU have for us that exceeds our own plan.