Well a bunch of stuff has transpired since the last post. Our "see ya later" party was a hit, we found a temporary home for Dax (the puppy we found), moving was a terrible and sad tragity, packing for our trip was quite a task, but dispite all of these things we managed to make it to the airport in ATL for our deportation.

The Party
First of all we'd like to give a big thanks especially to Nick, Sara, Clark, and Nancy for planning and implementing our party. We also want to thank Dan and Annie for hosting and Bobby for the ice cold refreshments and fire. Last but definitely not least thanks to all who braved the cold rain and made it out to say "peace out". Your last few words of encouragement ment a ton. Hopefully we will have pics to post if Clark ever sends them from his make shift photography studio. (Haha thanks bunches Clark)

Dax
Thanks to all who inquired about the pup, through networking we were able to give Dax over to the NC Hound Rescue. They will take good care of him until the find a suitable and loving home for him. In fact he has already been neutered, had a microchip implanted (so he won't get lost again!), and one family is giving him a 2 week trial/test run. Finally if you are somehow sorry you gave up your opportunity to own him... I'm sure all of the dog radars in GA will know when Jen gets home. So you know what that means... our "vacancy sign" will be on, blinking, and the strays will come running.

Moving
Our first "home" together was full of many memories on the second floor of Camp Merri-Mac/Timberlake. Sarcastically speaking, we will miss Bear and Zara's 3am monologue, midnight 3rd floor foot steps (were they getting dance lessons?), late night shop parties, business phones ringing at all hours, breaker fuses tripping in freezing weather, and overflowing toilets from upstairs...TWICE! Aside from thes memories and many others (good ones) we have learned to love where we first lived as a married couple. Now we have gotten to the point of finally reallizing how much crap we have. It's really tough deciding what to keep and what to get rid of, what to sell and what to give away... but I will tell you this, never get rid of your wife's childhood horse figure or your husband's Cabbage Patch kids just because you think they are silly! (just letting you married couples in on a little secret) Eating out seemed to be our source of nutrition since our kitchen being among the first to get packed. But our loving family and friends pulled together and managed to surround us with blessings by bringing us food, taking us out, and inviting us over for dinner. This was very special for us because it allowed us to have one last chat with our amegos. Back to moving, through pulling "all-nighters" and strained backs we managed to finally get everything semiorganized and into storage. (Special thanks to those foster homes of some our stuff: i.e. desk, t.v., longhorns,... not forgeting RUSH!)

Packing
Courtney Stillwell blessed us with her prescense the night our departure to help/hang out a bit and say goodbye. As chaotic and hectic our live are Jen and I managed to pack up a pair of underwear or two with each of us bringing about 150lbs (EACH!) with us. That's incredible... what were we thinking... it's only 5 months! We also managed to finally celebrate out 1 year anniversary... I know what you're thinking, "weren't the married in Sept.?". We were in Hawaii for our special day and long story short we; we kept putting it off. So after visitnig 5 different freezers the cake finally found a home in our bellies... along with a fine, deliciously chilled bottle of bubbly. I also had the opportunity to get Jen back for the "cake in my face" incident at our wedding. On top of all this the night before we leave I tried to figure out our new purchase... MacBooks don't quite work like PC's... who knew? Well anyway, thanks to Nick and Jes we are up and crawling so bear with us as we try to keep ya'll posted.

FREE OF CHARGE!!!

So Dax had his first (supposedly) vet visit today (1/2/07). He is about 4 months old and weighs 34 lbs. His physical exam revealed a good "bill of health". He recieved treatment for intestinal worms (hook and round), Heartworm, and fleas. Also was vaccinated for Rabies, DHLP (distemper), Parvo, and Corona. So... he should be set for the next year or so. (Just needs a few repeat things in 2-3 wks)

He still needs a loving home so don't be shy. See our previous blog for more information and our email addresses for contact.

P.S. We'll even throw in his first month of food for free.

Dax needs a good home!

For those of you who don't know... a quite little hound pup found us a couple days ago and won his way into our hearts. Unfortunately, as our previous blog posts say, we are leaving the country in just under 2 weeks. So that means it's up to you guys to help us find a good home for him. We have named him Dax but he really doesn't know that yet so if you want to change his birth certificate then you might want to check with him first. Anyway, we have guessed his age at approx. 3 months give or take a month, he has not been neutered yet and seems to be in good shape with the exception of mild malnurishment. He is extremely smart and very very loveable. In just the few short days we've had him he is nearly house-broken and has been successfully trained in walking on a leash and sleeping in a kennel. Please call us or email if you have any leads for a loving home. Jaymooky@gmail.com or JenRodHaynes@gmail.com

After researching on the web, we have concluded that he is a Treeing Walker Coonhound. Too bad he didn't bring his papers with him...we might be able to find him a home even quicker! If you are interested, here is a website that talks about the breed:

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/treeingwalkercoonhound.htm

Costa Rica or Bust!!!

For anyone who didn't receive our support letter we have pasted a copy below:


Dear Friends and Family,
I hope this letter finds you all well and that you have had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Jen and I are writing to you for your support and prayers for the upcoming year in our lives. As many of you may or may not know we are about to embark on a new journey to Costa Rica and Asia for 6 months starting in January. In Psalms 37:7 it says “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…” This has been in the making since before we were born, on our hearts for several years, and in the planning for about 6 months through prayer. God explains in Matthew 7:7-11 to ask the Lord for new things that He has in store for you. We have felt called to obey God as he has blessed us with gifts and a passion to reach out to the multitude of his children. He says in 1 Peter 4:10 “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” After being married for our first year, Jen and I began talking with each other and our families about our future plans. As we searched for answers, neither of us could deny our deep passion to serve people, to spread the gospel and to experience different cultures. We realized that this could be the perfect time and opportunity to try and follow this undeniable calling. In a surprisingly short time, God had flung the door wide open for the two of us to join Youth With A Mission. By joining Youth With A Mission (YWAM) we will be able to serve our brothers and sisters by learning to love each other as we were intended to do since the beginning of time. Providing medical aid, construction, and feeding the hungry are just a few areas in which we will be able to share and “administer” this love. “Blessed are the feet of those who bring good news…” YWAM is a nonprofit-nondenominational Christian ministry that provides these means of reaching regions of the globe that would unlikely hear of the “good news”. “To those to whom it was never proclaimed about Him, will see and those who have never heard will understand” The first step in becoming a part of this organization is to join a Discipleship Training School(DTS) team. The aim of the DTS is to prepare people like us to be messengers of the gospel, build character, and to seek a more intimate relationship with our creator through cross-cultural exposure and global awareness to current and future generations.

Each DTS consists of two parts. The first part consists of us being based at a stationary location for three months and the second part would involve all of us to travel for three months reaching a broad range of people and locations. Originally we intended on Costa Rica being our affordable option but have been placed in a position out of our comfort zone. Our team was scheduled to spend three months at the stationary base in San Jose, Costa Rica. Next we were going to travel in Costa Rica and nearby Latin nations for the remaining three months. After recent prayer and counsel, our leaders believe that there exists a large need for our team in Asia. Travel to Asia as our outreach portion of missions will require more money for transportation (i.e. plane tickets, bus rides, etc.) Fortunately if you can help, it will not only be able to support us as a couple but also for a cause that you might not be able to otherwise experience. We all have our places in this world but have different expectations of how God can really work. In Ephesians 4:11-13 it says, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” It is extremely humbling for us to ask for help but this is why God has set forth so much effort in the “church”, fellowship, and community.

Both of us have given up our jobs and home at this point in our lives to pursue our greater calling. Jesus said in 2 Corinthians 12:9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” This is incredible, it means so much more for us to rely on Him in our time of need. It also speaks to those of third world countries who have nothing, to know they are loved far greater than wealth or worldly possessions.

As January 12th 2007 quickly nears I urge you to pray for us. We just wanted to let you in on our plans and most of all wanted you to be a part of our lives. Whatever contribution you may have can be sent to our church for a tax-free gift. Or you may send money to us here at camp before Jan 12 or to the YWAM base after we arrive. All proceeds will go directly towards our trip. Remember prayer can be just as powerful as anything with monetary value, so please don’t feel obligated to give anything. We will be keeping in touch to show our progress so that you can indirectly track how God is working through us. Thank you so much for your love for us and the people of Costa Rica and Asia. Hope to see you soon.

Jason and Jen Haynes

P.S. If you'd like more information (personal) please feel free to email us at either Jaymooky@gmail.com or JenRodHaynes@gmail.com

P.S.S. We greatly appreciate those who have already contributed. For those of you who are commited to keeping up with us, reading our blogs, and praying for us, we are forever indebted.

To infinity and beyond!!!!

Hello everyone! Welp, as you may have heard we are starting our first blog together... Just to explain, "Butt prints" is a poem we love coming from Jeff Whisenant. It goes a little something like this... If you are familiar with "Foot prints in the Sand", when we need help God picks us up and carries us but in "Butt prints in the Sand" God only carries us so far before He puts us down and we end up landing on our butts. Not that He leaves us but we sometimes need to experience hardships to make us stronger, smarter, passionate about His grace, and most importantly trust in Him (a.k.a. FAITH). This is extremely true at this point in our lives. He has turned our lives upside down, we are leaving our comfortable lives here to seek out His greater calling for Jen and I. So sit back relax and enjoy watching our struggle become an amazing adventure... Stay tuned for more!