JEFFERSON LEDONNE
I have attached my support letter to my blog (the post below this) just in case I forgot to add anyone to my mailing list! If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive my newsletters and prayer cards, just send an email to medlin.melissa@gmail.com with your mailing address and I will be sure to add you!
Also....
I wanted to share a little bit about my time in Kentucky visiting CornerStone and the LeDonne family. :)
The first experience that I had, I must tell you, is that I could have driven to Wilmore, KY about five times in the time that it took me to fly from KC to Louisville. It was a long day, I remembered how much I really do not enjoy the actual traveling part of going somewhere. Not only was I stressed about being late to the airport but just as soon as I got through security I realized my flight had been delayed for an unknown amount of time. Chicago was having severe thunderstorms, which delayed all the flights out of Chicago. When I finally got to Chicago thinking that I would barely make my next flight, I found out it too had been delayed. I should have known. There were so many people in that airport you hardly had anywhere to stand. I also received several text messages upon my arrival to the Chicago airport that there was a tornado in KC that I apparently had just missed. Then, I finally made it to Louisville, KY to pick up my rental car and drive another hour and a half to Wilmore. I was so relieved to get into Wilmore! Arriving at the Joneses house I was made aware of the tornado warnings that were now there. So we drove out to CornerStone (a very cute house transformed into offices, in the middle of nowhere) and Duane and Suzanne equipped me with all the information, candles and matches in case of a tornado. I was extremely tired from traveling and sitting in airports all day, so the Joneses left and I went to sleep. I was asleep for maybe four hours with tornadoes on my brain when I woke up to a terrifying noise. I grabbed my pillow and ran to the basement, forgetting about the candle and the matches. After a few moments of silence and prayer I headed back upstairs. Worrying about the weather and if I would wake up if a real tornado came, I heard another noise like before. Again, I ran downstairs, this time with nothing else. I thought I was going crazy. After about the third or fourth time of hearing this tornado like noise and running downstairs for cover, it hit me that this “tornado like noise” was possibly a train. Finally I grew so tired that no noise mattered and hopefully if there was a tornado I would wake up to the call I should get from either Duane or Suzanne. The next morning I did in fact find out that there was a train very close to the house. Sometimes when carrying heavy loads it causes the house to shake. It's been said that trains and tornadoes do sound the same...so I am not completely crazy. Every night after that I had amazing sleep, just for the record.
Aside from that first day, my trip was PERFECT. I was extremely blessed to get to know some of my new family at CornerStone. The first full day that I spent at CornerStone was a Thursday. I think I mentioned before that on Thursdays they pray for their missionaries by name. I got to experience what a Thursday looks like at CornerStone and it was very encouraging. I woke up and after breakfast and coffee we started off the day reading through some of the Psalms together. After that we had a short lunch break and then went on to the missionary prayer set. They put up pictures of each of their missionaries and read aloud that persons prayer request. After discussing what was going on in each person's life there was a chance for anyone to get up and pray for whoever they felt led to pray for. I remember hearing names several times throughout the prayers. It was so encouraging to know that when I am in Shell, I will have people praying for me like that EVERY THURSDAY! At the end of the set everyone took turns praying for me. Everything that people were praying about for me or even the words of wisdom and encouragement that they had for me, was everything that had been on my heart and everything I needed to hear. God is so good and He knows us so well. <3
Friday I got to drive out to Danville to spend some time with the LeDonne family. They are the family who adopted Jefferson, who was in my kindergarten class. What an amazing thing that God allowed to happen! It was so incredible to see Jefferson with his family, where he fits in perfectly. God made him just for the LeDonne family. His personality completely matches theirs. You could tell how much he loves his family and how much they all love him. He is so happy and so comfortable. God worked in such a unique way getting Jefferson to the LeDonnes! His parents (Tim and Lisa) are some really neat people, with extremely huge hearts. We did a lot in the 2 days I spent with them. The first day Jefferson's brother and sister had softball and baseball practice. (Jefferson is also playing baseball!) While they were practicing Jefferson and I played in the skate park, one of his favorite places to be. After practice we went to his grandparents for dinner and after dinner we sat in the living room watching TV and talking. The next morning we ran a 5k. My first 5k ever. I got 3rd place for my age group 18-29! Jefferson's mom Lisa and his sister Lizzie also placed! After the race we did a little bit of shopping and then Lisa and I spent a couple hours talking about Jefferson's adoption. It was so moving to hear how God was in EVERY part of this adoption and how He set things up to work for their good.
I know that I never write blogs this long! There's so much about this trip that I wanted to share because it meant so much to me that I got to go. To meet with CornerStone and meet Jefferson's family. This blog is already really long and I don't think I even did the trip justice with describing how much of a blessing and how encouraging it was. This trip was even more of a confirmation that this is what I am supposed to be doing. I am so thankful that I get to be a part of what is going on at Casa de Fe and watch these kids grow more and more every year. Although it's not always easy, it is such a blessing that God has allowed me to be a part of the plans that he has for this place.
Also....
I wanted to share a little bit about my time in Kentucky visiting CornerStone and the LeDonne family. :)
The first experience that I had, I must tell you, is that I could have driven to Wilmore, KY about five times in the time that it took me to fly from KC to Louisville. It was a long day, I remembered how much I really do not enjoy the actual traveling part of going somewhere. Not only was I stressed about being late to the airport but just as soon as I got through security I realized my flight had been delayed for an unknown amount of time. Chicago was having severe thunderstorms, which delayed all the flights out of Chicago. When I finally got to Chicago thinking that I would barely make my next flight, I found out it too had been delayed. I should have known. There were so many people in that airport you hardly had anywhere to stand. I also received several text messages upon my arrival to the Chicago airport that there was a tornado in KC that I apparently had just missed. Then, I finally made it to Louisville, KY to pick up my rental car and drive another hour and a half to Wilmore. I was so relieved to get into Wilmore! Arriving at the Joneses house I was made aware of the tornado warnings that were now there. So we drove out to CornerStone (a very cute house transformed into offices, in the middle of nowhere) and Duane and Suzanne equipped me with all the information, candles and matches in case of a tornado. I was extremely tired from traveling and sitting in airports all day, so the Joneses left and I went to sleep. I was asleep for maybe four hours with tornadoes on my brain when I woke up to a terrifying noise. I grabbed my pillow and ran to the basement, forgetting about the candle and the matches. After a few moments of silence and prayer I headed back upstairs. Worrying about the weather and if I would wake up if a real tornado came, I heard another noise like before. Again, I ran downstairs, this time with nothing else. I thought I was going crazy. After about the third or fourth time of hearing this tornado like noise and running downstairs for cover, it hit me that this “tornado like noise” was possibly a train. Finally I grew so tired that no noise mattered and hopefully if there was a tornado I would wake up to the call I should get from either Duane or Suzanne. The next morning I did in fact find out that there was a train very close to the house. Sometimes when carrying heavy loads it causes the house to shake. It's been said that trains and tornadoes do sound the same...so I am not completely crazy. Every night after that I had amazing sleep, just for the record.
Aside from that first day, my trip was PERFECT. I was extremely blessed to get to know some of my new family at CornerStone. The first full day that I spent at CornerStone was a Thursday. I think I mentioned before that on Thursdays they pray for their missionaries by name. I got to experience what a Thursday looks like at CornerStone and it was very encouraging. I woke up and after breakfast and coffee we started off the day reading through some of the Psalms together. After that we had a short lunch break and then went on to the missionary prayer set. They put up pictures of each of their missionaries and read aloud that persons prayer request. After discussing what was going on in each person's life there was a chance for anyone to get up and pray for whoever they felt led to pray for. I remember hearing names several times throughout the prayers. It was so encouraging to know that when I am in Shell, I will have people praying for me like that EVERY THURSDAY! At the end of the set everyone took turns praying for me. Everything that people were praying about for me or even the words of wisdom and encouragement that they had for me, was everything that had been on my heart and everything I needed to hear. God is so good and He knows us so well. <3
Friday I got to drive out to Danville to spend some time with the LeDonne family. They are the family who adopted Jefferson, who was in my kindergarten class. What an amazing thing that God allowed to happen! It was so incredible to see Jefferson with his family, where he fits in perfectly. God made him just for the LeDonne family. His personality completely matches theirs. You could tell how much he loves his family and how much they all love him. He is so happy and so comfortable. God worked in such a unique way getting Jefferson to the LeDonnes! His parents (Tim and Lisa) are some really neat people, with extremely huge hearts. We did a lot in the 2 days I spent with them. The first day Jefferson's brother and sister had softball and baseball practice. (Jefferson is also playing baseball!) While they were practicing Jefferson and I played in the skate park, one of his favorite places to be. After practice we went to his grandparents for dinner and after dinner we sat in the living room watching TV and talking. The next morning we ran a 5k. My first 5k ever. I got 3rd place for my age group 18-29! Jefferson's mom Lisa and his sister Lizzie also placed! After the race we did a little bit of shopping and then Lisa and I spent a couple hours talking about Jefferson's adoption. It was so moving to hear how God was in EVERY part of this adoption and how He set things up to work for their good.
I know that I never write blogs this long! There's so much about this trip that I wanted to share because it meant so much to me that I got to go. To meet with CornerStone and meet Jefferson's family. This blog is already really long and I don't think I even did the trip justice with describing how much of a blessing and how encouraging it was. This trip was even more of a confirmation that this is what I am supposed to be doing. I am so thankful that I get to be a part of what is going on at Casa de Fe and watch these kids grow more and more every year. Although it's not always easy, it is such a blessing that God has allowed me to be a part of the plans that he has for this place.
