We arrived back in Cincinnati around 11 pm last night. It was so strange to have been in the slums of the "ravine" in Port-au-Prince at 10 am that morning and have the ability to take a hot shower in my own home that night. The silence here last night was deafening. At Sherrie's the noises of the night from the surrounding city were the sounds of loud music, fire works/gun shots, and Snoopy and Shep (their two dogs) barking at anything strange. I awoke this morning to an alarm clock. You don't need an alarm clock there - the roosters wake you up each morning. In fact, you don't have much need for a clock at all there. You get up when you need to, you eat when the meal is ready, you go to bed when it is dark and you are tired. In between you serve and work together as a family to do what is needed.
There you go to sleep at night under a mosquito net, with December temperatures of high 70s/low80s and the noises of the night. You lay down at night feeling blessed to have spent the day doing God's work. Here you sleep under nice, cushy blankets, no bugs, and no noises. And, too often, you fall asleep without the satisfaction of truly doing the Lord's work that day. We get far too busy in our daily lives here in America. Our days are managed by our calendars, and our pace doesn't allow us to enjoy the many blessings we have been given.
As Christmas quickly approaches this week, let's remember why we celebrate this day and this season. It is the birth of our Savior. This season is not meant to be about buying expensive presents, but about love and kindness. The gifts we should be concerned about giving are those that come from the heart, through our hands and feet in service to others. There is nothing else more pleasing to God.
Until next time:
Merry Christmas! May God show you His blessings in a mighty way this season.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
A Little Perspective
Last night in devotional upstairs on the roof, Ryan led the group by talking about how we are supposed to be receptive and willing to do what God calls us to do. He shared some of his personal journey and how God has orchestrated so much of his path to get him here. Last night we were joined by a few of the older orphans from the home here as we had our devotional time. At the end of our time together, Patty asked everyone to tell the group one thing they were thankful for from the day. A variety of answers were given, and everyone took a turn (including the children). When we got to one young man, who is around 10 years old, his response was very humbling. He simply said, "I am thankful to still be alive". Another child shared that he was thankful that we like it here. How honest these children are. You can see their hearts and they certainly give you a new perspective.
This reminds me of a story Sherrie shared with us this week. The school here has started it's third Restavek class (praise God)! If you are not familiar with what a Restavek is, I encourage you to do some research. The term Restavek literally means 'live with'. Restavek children are children who are given away by their parents and live with other families who can supposedly give them a better life. This unfortunately does not happen most of the time. These children are treated as property rather than as children. They are slaves. They cook, clean, take care of the children in the house, and admittedly have no dreams for any better future. The Restavek Freedom Foundation works here in Haiti to help alleviate this problem by getting these children into school. They partner with Sherrie's school in this endeavor, and as I said, the third class just began. CNN was here a while back with Justin Dillon and the singer Common to shoot a documentary on this issue. It is truly amazing to watch! Anyway, back to the story Sherrie told us. They recently had a party for the Restavek children here at the school, where the children were told they would be the guests and the staff could serve them. It is customary in Haiti to give a toast at a party. One young Restavek girl gave a toast that brought grown men and the staff here at the school to tears. She stood up and said, "I would like to thank my teachers for not beating me when I make a mistake". Talk about a tremendous moment of "perspective"!
Today we were able to experience Haitian culture on a deeper level. This morning the children rode to church with Ms. Sherrie in the bus and a few of us walked. The last time we were here we didn't get to get out into the streets other than walking around a market for a few minutes. It was about a 10 minute walk. It felt more natural to be out in the streets with the Haitians than always riding everywhere in a truck or car.
Church this morning was awesome! On the left side of the sanctuary the first five rows of pews were full of people who are deaf. There was a group of young Haitians taking turns providing sign language throughout the service. We learned that one of the young men was a teacher at Ms. Sherrie's school and the others were students he has who attend the school. How cool! After much singing and praying, Pastor Lenny got up and spoke. Pastor Lenny is Philippine but speaks creole and pastors the church. As Sunday school groups reported out we learned that several pews behind us were filled with blind Haitians that are part of a special ministry in that church. As I sat there I began to realize this amazing picture God was giving us. On this one side of the sanctuary were several 'handicaps': some that could not hear, some that could not speak the language of the pastor and singers and therefore could not fully understand what was being said, and some that could not see. The really cool 'ah ha' that hit me in that moment was that our side of the sanctuary this morning is representative of the larger body of Christ. Alone we have weaknesses. Alone we are limited to our individual gifts and talents. But when we all work together in the body of Christ to do the will of God we have everything we need. So this morning, our small body of God could hear, understand, and see everything going on in that church service. As a body of Christ, we have no handicaps!!! Regardless of the culture in which we were born, people from several different parts of the world sat in one building worshipping the same God this morning. What a small picture of heaven! Praise the Lord!!!
This afternoon Edmond (Sherrie's driver) took us to a local restaurant to relax for a bit and get some food. (This was also a way to give Jacqueline a day off!) Again, it was really nice to be out in the middle of the culture. There were actually a number of other missionaries in there from other parts of the world, as well as a number of police and security personnel. We had pizza and crepes and drank Coke! Then Edmond drove us around downtown through some markets and past the palace. A few in our group had never been to Haiti before. Ryan and I got to see some parts of Port au Prince we didn't get to see last time. Again, a broader perspective.
When we returned to the school this afternoon the children were so happy to see us. As I sit here writing this blog, I can hear the kids playing ball with the teenagers outside. There is much laughter and fun being had by all. I found my special 'monkey boy' Herode (who is about 3 or 4 years old) who gives the tightest hugs of any child I know. He stole my heart the minute I met him in July. Some of the girls are preparing cup cakes for a birthday party this evening for the children with November or December birthdays. All is right with the world!!!
We hope your evening is as blessed as ours!
This reminds me of a story Sherrie shared with us this week. The school here has started it's third Restavek class (praise God)! If you are not familiar with what a Restavek is, I encourage you to do some research. The term Restavek literally means 'live with'. Restavek children are children who are given away by their parents and live with other families who can supposedly give them a better life. This unfortunately does not happen most of the time. These children are treated as property rather than as children. They are slaves. They cook, clean, take care of the children in the house, and admittedly have no dreams for any better future. The Restavek Freedom Foundation works here in Haiti to help alleviate this problem by getting these children into school. They partner with Sherrie's school in this endeavor, and as I said, the third class just began. CNN was here a while back with Justin Dillon and the singer Common to shoot a documentary on this issue. It is truly amazing to watch! Anyway, back to the story Sherrie told us. They recently had a party for the Restavek children here at the school, where the children were told they would be the guests and the staff could serve them. It is customary in Haiti to give a toast at a party. One young Restavek girl gave a toast that brought grown men and the staff here at the school to tears. She stood up and said, "I would like to thank my teachers for not beating me when I make a mistake". Talk about a tremendous moment of "perspective"!
Today we were able to experience Haitian culture on a deeper level. This morning the children rode to church with Ms. Sherrie in the bus and a few of us walked. The last time we were here we didn't get to get out into the streets other than walking around a market for a few minutes. It was about a 10 minute walk. It felt more natural to be out in the streets with the Haitians than always riding everywhere in a truck or car.
Church this morning was awesome! On the left side of the sanctuary the first five rows of pews were full of people who are deaf. There was a group of young Haitians taking turns providing sign language throughout the service. We learned that one of the young men was a teacher at Ms. Sherrie's school and the others were students he has who attend the school. How cool! After much singing and praying, Pastor Lenny got up and spoke. Pastor Lenny is Philippine but speaks creole and pastors the church. As Sunday school groups reported out we learned that several pews behind us were filled with blind Haitians that are part of a special ministry in that church. As I sat there I began to realize this amazing picture God was giving us. On this one side of the sanctuary were several 'handicaps': some that could not hear, some that could not speak the language of the pastor and singers and therefore could not fully understand what was being said, and some that could not see. The really cool 'ah ha' that hit me in that moment was that our side of the sanctuary this morning is representative of the larger body of Christ. Alone we have weaknesses. Alone we are limited to our individual gifts and talents. But when we all work together in the body of Christ to do the will of God we have everything we need. So this morning, our small body of God could hear, understand, and see everything going on in that church service. As a body of Christ, we have no handicaps!!! Regardless of the culture in which we were born, people from several different parts of the world sat in one building worshipping the same God this morning. What a small picture of heaven! Praise the Lord!!!
This afternoon Edmond (Sherrie's driver) took us to a local restaurant to relax for a bit and get some food. (This was also a way to give Jacqueline a day off!) Again, it was really nice to be out in the middle of the culture. There were actually a number of other missionaries in there from other parts of the world, as well as a number of police and security personnel. We had pizza and crepes and drank Coke! Then Edmond drove us around downtown through some markets and past the palace. A few in our group had never been to Haiti before. Ryan and I got to see some parts of Port au Prince we didn't get to see last time. Again, a broader perspective.
When we returned to the school this afternoon the children were so happy to see us. As I sit here writing this blog, I can hear the kids playing ball with the teenagers outside. There is much laughter and fun being had by all. I found my special 'monkey boy' Herode (who is about 3 or 4 years old) who gives the tightest hugs of any child I know. He stole my heart the minute I met him in July. Some of the girls are preparing cup cakes for a birthday party this evening for the children with November or December birthdays. All is right with the world!!!
We hope your evening is as blessed as ours!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Return to Haiti
Bonswa from warm, sunny Haiti (90+ degrees):
It has taken a while to get an Internet connection working so we can post. As you know by now, Ryan and I made it to Haiti yesterday! Praise the Lord! It was long trip here but well worth it! I personally wondered what it would feel like to get back here, remembering what it was like when we were here in July. It was all new then and I was curious about how I would feel this time. Now that we are here I can't explain it. It doesn't seem like it has been 5 months since we left. Strangely (or not) if feels like home. The newness and curiosity that accompanied our first trip are not there. I have thought about this a lot since I got here and honestly in the middle of the night last night I found myself praying, asking God why I didn't feel him the same way as I did the last time I was here. As we have gone through today I think I have my answer. He is definitely with me but in a different way. Last time I needed Him to reassure me, as I stepped out in faith, that He was with me and that things would be ok. This time I already know. Perhaps it is like teaching a child to walk. First you have to hold his hand and help him. Then as he grows and becomes more experienced you hold his hand less but continue to give him the support and encouragement he needs. That's our Father!
We are staying at the Christian Light Ministries school/orphanage here in Port au Prince. Ms. Sherrie is the director and she is an amazing lady. We are really enjoying getting to know her more and learning more about her work here in Haiti. There are several others staying here this week as well. There is one adult lady and five teenagers. They are wonderful! There is also another young lady who is a nurse that is here for a few weeks. She is considering coming back in January to stay until the summer so she can help Sherrie with the kids. It is really like a family here! Everyone always feels welcome and the kids love the attention and love.
So far we have helped hang curtains, sort and prepare Christmas goody bags for the school children (200+), and color and prepare envelopes for a large mail out to the school's sponsors and supporters. And of course we have been playing with the children!!! What a blessing they are. And they keep you on your toes! A few of the group tried to put up a Christmas tree, but some of the children tried to eat the branches and the tinsel, so that idea was abandoned.
I took a side journey today. Pastor Odvin picked me up at 10:30 am and we went to have our first "committee" meeting for the women's ministry. We were joined by Pastor CJ and Vanita, a nurse that works in Pastor Odvin's clinic. This is such an amazing opportunity for ministry! I will admit, however, that as we sat discussing their vision for this project I felt so very small and insignificant- how in the world would I be able to help them put this project together? The answer is one step at a time, with God's strength and direction. We identified a name for the ministry, plans on how to organize and get the ministry recognized in both the U.S. and Haiti, and outlined the major functions of what will be included. This was such an important step to moving this work forward.
You never know what will happen here...as I sat here at a desk in the kitchen writing this blog, the stove (oven)caught on fire and flames shot up the back of the wall. Now Ryan and Drew are working on trying to rig up some way to connect a new line for the gas so Ms. Jacqueline can prepare dinner this evening! Creativity is the key as there are no Lowes, Home Depots, or ACE stores nearby! So goes the mission field!
We will go for now, more later...God bless!!!
It has taken a while to get an Internet connection working so we can post. As you know by now, Ryan and I made it to Haiti yesterday! Praise the Lord! It was long trip here but well worth it! I personally wondered what it would feel like to get back here, remembering what it was like when we were here in July. It was all new then and I was curious about how I would feel this time. Now that we are here I can't explain it. It doesn't seem like it has been 5 months since we left. Strangely (or not) if feels like home. The newness and curiosity that accompanied our first trip are not there. I have thought about this a lot since I got here and honestly in the middle of the night last night I found myself praying, asking God why I didn't feel him the same way as I did the last time I was here. As we have gone through today I think I have my answer. He is definitely with me but in a different way. Last time I needed Him to reassure me, as I stepped out in faith, that He was with me and that things would be ok. This time I already know. Perhaps it is like teaching a child to walk. First you have to hold his hand and help him. Then as he grows and becomes more experienced you hold his hand less but continue to give him the support and encouragement he needs. That's our Father!
We are staying at the Christian Light Ministries school/orphanage here in Port au Prince. Ms. Sherrie is the director and she is an amazing lady. We are really enjoying getting to know her more and learning more about her work here in Haiti. There are several others staying here this week as well. There is one adult lady and five teenagers. They are wonderful! There is also another young lady who is a nurse that is here for a few weeks. She is considering coming back in January to stay until the summer so she can help Sherrie with the kids. It is really like a family here! Everyone always feels welcome and the kids love the attention and love.
So far we have helped hang curtains, sort and prepare Christmas goody bags for the school children (200+), and color and prepare envelopes for a large mail out to the school's sponsors and supporters. And of course we have been playing with the children!!! What a blessing they are. And they keep you on your toes! A few of the group tried to put up a Christmas tree, but some of the children tried to eat the branches and the tinsel, so that idea was abandoned.
I took a side journey today. Pastor Odvin picked me up at 10:30 am and we went to have our first "committee" meeting for the women's ministry. We were joined by Pastor CJ and Vanita, a nurse that works in Pastor Odvin's clinic. This is such an amazing opportunity for ministry! I will admit, however, that as we sat discussing their vision for this project I felt so very small and insignificant- how in the world would I be able to help them put this project together? The answer is one step at a time, with God's strength and direction. We identified a name for the ministry, plans on how to organize and get the ministry recognized in both the U.S. and Haiti, and outlined the major functions of what will be included. This was such an important step to moving this work forward.
You never know what will happen here...as I sat here at a desk in the kitchen writing this blog, the stove (oven)caught on fire and flames shot up the back of the wall. Now Ryan and Drew are working on trying to rig up some way to connect a new line for the gas so Ms. Jacqueline can prepare dinner this evening! Creativity is the key as there are no Lowes, Home Depots, or ACE stores nearby! So goes the mission field!
We will go for now, more later...God bless!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)