happy birthday, baby girl.

dear ada,

i remember when your mommy and daddy called your aunts and uncle in auburn to tell us they were pregnant. i started loving you at that very second. that night i started praying for you. i prayed that God would knit you together perfectly and that he would keep you safe. all of the family went to atlanta to find out that you were a girl. as soon as i saw the sonogram i started to cry [your aunt caitlin is pretty emotional, but you will have plenty of time to learn this]. we got to see your little heartbeat and your little brain. even though you were so tiny, God's handiwork was so evident in your little body.

on october 13, 2010 at 6:45pm God gave you your first breath. you were 7lbs. 5oz. of nothing but love, and you were absolutely perfect.

i talk about you all the time. some people make fun of me for how much i talk about you, but it doesn't bother me at all. sometimes i think my heart might completely burst from all the love. but it grows just enough to fill my heart to the tippy top.

it so hard to believe that you are one. you are growing so fast. the more you grow, the more your personality shines through. although i love how curious, mobile, and verbal you are becoming...i pray the days of wanting to wear pink, teenage boys and college are a million miles away.

i love you, and i feel so blessed to be your aunt.

love you to the moon and back, baby girl.

-aunt cate.

amblyopia.

in fourth grade i had a life-changing experience. in my past four school pictures, my glasses showed the glare of the camera flash. pretty embarrassing don't you think? when i got to fourth grade, i realized that i was now mature and was capable of making the right decision. this decision was obvious: get my picture made without my glasses on. brilliant. genius. why hadn't i thought of this before? needless to say i was super pumped to get this school picture back. when my teacher passed mine out one thought ran through my mind, lazy eye!! how was i just now figuring this out? you see, i'm blind and have been wearing glasses since i was eleven months old and never saw myself without my glasses...until that fateful day in fourth grade. i asked my mom, "why didn't you ever tell me i had a lazy eye?" her reply, "oh honey, it was never really that obvious." mom, i love you but here is a little proof...

my lazy eye has since settled down. however, she sometimes decides to act up, and i have to put her in her place. i'm serious, i blink my eyes, shake my head back and forth, and give a little tap to my right eye. works like a charm.

"i praise you, for i am fearfully and wonderfully made. wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." psalm 139:14

and yes, that cookie monster cupcake was the bomb.

the preeminence of Christ.

someone has said that Jesus Christ came from the bosom of the Father to the bosom of a woman. he put on humanity that we might put on divinity. he became Son of Man that we might become sons of God. he was born contrary to the laws of nature, lived in poverty, was reared in obscurity, and only once crossed the boundary of the land in which he was born-and that in his childhood. he had no wealth or influence and had neither training nor education in the world's schools. his relatives were inconspicuous and uninfluencial. in infancy he startled a king. in boyhood he puzzled the learned doctors. in manhood he ruled the course of nature. he walked upon the billows and hushed the sea to sleep. he healed the multitudes without medicine and made no charge for his services. he never wrote a book and yet all the libraries of the world could not hold the books about him. he never wrote a song, yet he has furnished the theme for more songs than all songwriters together. he never founded a college, yet all the schools together cannot boast of as many students as he has. he never practiced medicine and yet he has healed more broken hearts than all doctors have healed broken bodies. this Jesus Christ is the star of astronomy, the rock of geology, the lion and the lamb of zoology, the harmonizer of all discords, and the healer of all diseases. throughout history great men have come and gone, yet he lives on. herod could not kill him. satan could not seduce him. death could not destroy him and the grave could not hold him.

--as referenced on p.10 of The New Testament Commentary on Hebrews, J. MacArthur. (1983)

the coolest kids on the block.

people always ask me, "what is it like growing up as a quadruplet?" i answer the same way every time, "it's my normal." in fact, until i was about six years old, i thought everyone was supposed to have four babies. i can't imagine not being one of four. i also couldn't imagine elizabeth, sarah, and will not being the other three fourths.

will.

i only have one brother, and i think he is pretty cool. even though will grew up with all sisters, he did not let that stop him. we had countless adventures growing up. we went mud-riding, swimming in the creek, exploring in the woods, and we climbed on top of barns...then jumped off. oh, and there was that one time he dressed me up in his catcher's equipment and practiced his fast balls. it has been truly amazing to watch God transform will from a boy into a man. will, even though we are complete opposites, i couldn't imagine having anyone else for a brother.

elizabeth.

when we were born, the doctors thought elizabeth and i were identical twins. it didn't take long for them to figure out we weren't. honestly, sometimes i wish we were because she is absolutely beautiful. besides her striking features, elizabeth has one of the biggest, most beautiful hearts of anyone i know. people are naturally drawn to her kindness and warmth. lizzy, you are the oldest and i am the youngest. even though you are only older than me by two minutes, i admire you more than you will ever know.

sarah.

sarah and i are so different. but we are more alike than either of us would ever admit. growing up, sarah marched to the beat of her own drummer. it was a beat that everyone wanted to follow, but we couldn't. because sarah is one of a kind. sarah has always been so loyal, and there is no doubt that she always has my back. it's really hard to describe, but sarah just gets me and i her. sarah, i have loved watching God grow you. i can't wait to see how he continues to use you.

anna.

anna lee, you were four months shy of three years old when your world was completely rocked. you never skipped a beat and transitioned into your role as big sister with such grace and maturity, even at such a young age. it was truly amazing to watch you take on the role of a wife and now the role of a mother.

happy 21st birthday to the coolest people i know.

now, a trip down memory lane...

when we were little, we used to hide in my mom and dad's shower. my mom would open the curtain and we would all scream. pretty. darn. cute.

popsicles on a hot summer day. elizabeth changing things up with grape.

child proof cap? nothing for elizabeth haynes. this girl opened the bottle, and the four of us ate the entire bottle. poison control and ipecac were involved.

our first birthday.

our christmas play at church. sarah and i were angles, will a wise man, and elizabeth...a donkey. making the family proud.

call alfa. fo real.

at the beach. i love everything about this picture.

grace.

amazing grace.

it is such a sweet sound, isn't it? as i was sitting in the special needs room at casitas kennedy on monday, this word kept ringing in my head and my heart. i have known and used this word for most of my life, and up until monday i thought i knew exactly what it meant. grace fellowship is my home church. it is a place filled with believers who continually pray and support me. i have been "justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" romans 3:24. as i was pondering all of the grace in my life, i realized that i was always on the receiving end. in fact i have come to expect grace. i almost demand it, as if it is something i deserve. but, that's not grace at all, is it?

"for grace you have been saved through faith. and this is not your doing; it is a gift of God." ephesians 2:8

It is only by God's grace that i am not a child at casitas kennedy or any other orphanage. while spending time with these kids, God's grace has become so tangible to me. i can show and give grace because Christ has bestowed grace upon such an unworthy sinner, myself.

God has also been so gracious in giving us his Holy Word. while here, the Bible has really come to life, and my time in the word has been so much sweeter. i am reading "the pursuit of God" by A. W. Tozer. in it he writes, "if you would follow to know the Lord, come at once to the open Bible expecting it to speak to you. do not come with the notion that it is a thing which you may push around at your convenience. it is more than a thing; it is a voice, a word, the very Word of the living God." may his Word and his grace be extended to all the nations.

"for it all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving to the glory of God." 2 corinthians 4:15

art.

first want to apologize for my major lack of blogging. thankfully, sarah and mary elizabeth have been better than me in keeping everyone updated. it is safe to say that teaching english is not what i expected to be doing. yet, the Lord saw fit to put me right smack dab in the middle of one of the poorest areas in tegucigalpa. each morning, 50 kids [ages 8-11] greet kimberly and i with "good morning teacher!!" absolutely adorable? maybe just a little. the Lord has also blessed us with the opportunity to minister to the orphans at casitas kennedy. because we usually don't know what age group we are working with or what activities we are doing until we arrive, each day is an adventure.

what has the Lord been teaching me?

right before we left for honduras, all of the interns at buckner had a sweet time of worship and prayer. during that time we sang the words, "your will above all else, my purpose remains; the art of losing myself in bringing you praise." as i stumble through teaching english, speaking spanish, and painting countless toenails the Lord continues to refine me.

"and I will put his third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested." zechariah 13:9a

the Lord has revealed sin upon sin. fear, selfishness, pride, discontentment, and anger are just a few. the reveling of this sin is painful, it hurts. i have mourned, and i have been comforted. i know that the trials will still come and sin will continue to be mourned. but i am confidant that God is refining me and all believers to be more like his son.

the one doing the refining is truly an artist. the only way he knows when the process of purifying is complete is when he sees his own image reflected in the silver. i know that the Lord has a lot more refining to do until he can see his own image when looking at me.

here's to sanctification!!

"therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. the old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 2 corinthians 5:17

three of my students.

we're here!!

i first want to thank all of you for your prayers!! we arrived in dallas on wednesday (early) morning. we met up with our fourth intern, kimberly. she is too precious and has such a sweet spirit. honestly, i am hoping she can handle us haynes sisters. i think she is up to the challenge. training was wonderful. i can't speak highly enough of buckner. not only did they prepare us physically for the challenging month ahead, they made sure to prepare us spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.

we arrived in tegucigalpa with all of our luggage. woohoo!! sidenote: did you know that the tegucigalpa airport is the second most dangerous airport in the world? well, we didn't until after we landed. we were picked up by nettie, our in country missions coordinator, and louis and karla (our translators for the next month). all of them were so welcoming and even laughed at my jokes...BONUS!! we quickly checked into our "apartment" and headed off to casitas kennedy orphanage. when we arrived we were told that we would not be allowed to take pictures. at first we were all bummed, but God has a purpose. i can tell you that each individual there is absolutely beautiful!! although you won't be able to see their faces, rest in the fact that God knitted them together and he sees them.

hopefully i will be able to update every few days. thank you again for your prayers!!

rejoice in hope.

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5:1-5

two weeks. fourteen days. 336 hours.

in two short weeks i will be traveling back to the beautiful country of honduras!! words cannot describe how truly humbled i am that the Lord has chosen to send me back to the country i love so much. the past two summers i have worked in san pedro sula, honduras. however, this summer the Lord saw fit to send me to honduras's capital, tegucigalpa. although my heart aches at the thought of not holding and loving on my sweet babies back at nueva esperanza and talking and praying with my precious girls at casitas, i am beyond excited to meet more of God's precious creations in tegucigalpa!! i will be serving at casitas kennedy orphanage and ctc-el eden [a community center]. did i mention i get to serve along side my two best friends? that's right, sarah, mary elizabeth, and i are all heading down to good ol' honduras together. how sweet is the Lord to allow us this opportunity?

honduras be prepared. the haynes girls don't mess.

"...that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19

abide with me.

ABIDE with me! fast falls the eventide,

The darkness deepens: Lord, with me abide!

When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,

Help of the helpless, O, abide with me!

Thou on my head in early youth didst smile;

And, though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,

Thou hast not left me, oft as I left thee;

On to the close, O Lord, abide with me!

I need thy presence every passing hour:

What but thy grace can foil the tempter's power?

Who like thyself my guide and stay can be?

Through cloud and sunshine, O, abide with me!

I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless;

Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness:

Where is death's sting? Where, grave, they victory?

I triumph still if thou abide with me.

Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes,

Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies.

Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee:

In life and death, O Lord, abide with me!

Henry Lyte, 1847

july 29, 2010

“to belong to Jesus is to embrace the nations with Him, that He will one day rule entirely…your heart was made for this.” -john piper

july 29, 2010 is a day that will forever be etched in my mind. it was on this day that the Lord revealed his heart to me through three orphaned boys. i, along with two members of a mission team from texas, was making my way through nueva esperanza orphanage delivering a coke (a rare luxury) to the workers. as i opened the door to one of the rooms i heard mumbled yells coming from the corner. the room was separated by a locked gate. i opened the gate to find three severely mentally retarded orphaned boys. each one of them was painfully malnourished and each of their heads were full of lice. they had no food, no toys, no sunlight, and what seemed like no hope. i could feel the heat rushing to my face; i was so angry. why weren't these boys getting the care they needed? why didn't anyone fight for them? why were they not receiving the love they so desperately needed? although i couldn't find the answers to any of these questions, i found peace in knowing that "the LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." i didn't have much time with them, but i am so thankful that the Lord allowed me to love them and pray for them. the Lord used these three little boys to bless me more than i could ever bless them. i felt such a strong love for them, and i didn't even know their names...

in his book Radical david platt writes: “Orphans are easier to ignore before you know their names. They are easier to ignore before you see their faces. It is easier to pretend they’re not real before you hold them in your arms. But once you do, everything changes.” my friends, i take comfort in the fact that God knows their names, He has seen their faces, and He has held them in his arms. i must tell you what a humbling experience it is to hold something so dear to His heart in my own arms.

"Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy." Proverbs 31:8-9

romans 12:15

"Rejoice with those who rejoice,

weep with those who weep."

Thank you sweet Maryuri for living out God's word in front of me, and for teaching me more than you will ever know.