Wish List

Hey friends!
I've had a few people ask about sending me a care package, but I don't have an address here where I can receive packages.  I am coming back to the states soon so I made a wish list on Amazon in case anyone is interested in purchasing items that I need/want before I return to Haiti.  Amazon may not be the best place to purchase the items, but it was the easiest place to make a list so feel free to purchase them elsewhere instead :)

Wish List

Brokenness and a Rainbow

Every day here is heart breaking but some are more heart breaking than others. Today was one of those days. I hadn't seen my friend Kersland in a couple of weeks and I was starting to wonder about her.

Mwen avek zanmi'm Kersland - 6/23/13

I finally saw her today because she came up the mountain during English class. She had some really bad scrapes across her nose and when I asked her what happened she said that her mom hit her with a cinder block because she didn't go get water when she asked her to.  I had to just hug her really tight, tell her how much I love her, do my best to hold back tears, and pray that God will surround this sweet girl with His love and protect her from harm.

During a break in class I started talking to her about school and we practiced some math problems.  I found out that she couldn't really do any of them even though they were simple addition problems so I went with Bernard after class to ask her mom if she could come to our tutoring program.  Her mom wasn't home, but we talked to her grandma and she is going to start coming to our tutoring program three times a week.  I'm really glad that I will be able to see her more often.  Megan and I are also going to go talk to her mom sometime this week about appropriate discipline.  Please pray for her mom's heart and mind to be opened.

After coming back up the mountain from taking Kersland home I looked over and noticed this beautiful rainbow.

Genesis 9:16  "Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.”

Somehow the Lord always finds a way to remind me that He knows exactly what He is doing.  I am praying and trusting.  I am glad that His promises are trustworthy and He is bigger than I can even imagine.

My God is Awesome

Here's just a short clip of my english class.......singing praise songs with them is one of my favorite things to do!

English Class

I give it all to you God

I've been busy so this post is a little late, but I still wanted to share it :)

6/20/13

"I give it all to you God trusting that you'll make something beautiful out of me"  As we sang those words tonight during worship I looked up at the beautiful full moon and I just thought about how the moon reflects the light of the sun and how I want to be a reflection of God's love.  My prayer is that He can make something beautiful out of me.  That He will use me.  That I will glorify Him.  I hope that I am able to reflect God's love to each person that I meet here.  I can't stop thinking about walking down the street yesterday and stopping to say hello to the neighbor kids.  After I picked one of them up they all wanted to be picked up and hugged.  They are so thirsty for love and I just want to show them how much they matter and that God has not forgotten them.

Precious neighbors

Gratitude Reminder

There are so many times here when I am reminded to be grateful. Today was one of those times. I walked with sweet Fifi (she helps cook and clean at the guest house) to see the house that she was getting ready to move into. We sometimes spend so much time worrying about what color to paint our walls or that our house is too small or outdated, but this sweet lady couldn't stop praising Jesus for the place she was going to be able to live in. It is a single room with no bathroom and no kitchen, but when Megan told her that she would help her get it she smiled so big and immediately raised up her arms and said "Merci Jezi!" I was just so humbled to see her instantly begin to express her gratitude to the Lord and am challenged to be more thankful for the many blessings I have received.

Colossians 2:6-7 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

Surprise visit

We stopped in to visit Sarah yesterday! She is doing so well!! It was great to see her and know that she is getting the care she needs. This is Sarah with my roommate Sharon.

Lespwa

I am so glad that we are to fully set our hope on the grace of Jesus.  We cannot do anything on our own, it is Jesus working through us to accomplish His tasks.  Sometimes I think that there are a lot of things I need to do to be productive but what I really need to do is stop making to do lists :)  I've been going on a lot of what I like to call "community hikes" lately.  I call them community hikes because I'm with people that I live in community with, out in the community where we live, and even though we're typically walking along "roads" it's more like a hiking trail than a road (which I love!)

Last Saturday, five of us set out to go to the other side of Bellevue Mountain to walk around the community there.  I've been over there before, but we took some different paths this time.  It was incredibly beautiful!  It rained most of the time which was a welcome blessing because then it was nice and cool!

Using banana leaves as umbrellas :)

We came upon a soccer field (basically a clearing with a couple of sticks in the ground for goals) where we took some photos and waved across the valley to some kids who were super excited to see us.

Adam, Jake, Megan & Sharon

After leaving the soccer field we walked through an area that had several houses.  There were voodoo symbols everywhere and drawings on the ground where we were passing through.  Although I know that voodoo is a common practice here, this was my first actual encounter with it.  Honestly it was a little surreal.  We greeted the people who lived around there and they were all very friendly, but there was just a feeling of darkness that is hard to describe.  I just prayed for those people and prayed for the Holy Spirit to come flood this place.  Our hope is in Jesus alone.  Please continue to pray for the people of Haiti and for the Lord to push back darkness in this place.  

Tree just beyond where we saw the voodoo symbols.  There was a place at the bottom of this tree where they burn things as a part of their rituals/ceremonies

We're planning to go on another hike today, starting where we ended last time so I'm sure I'll have more photos to share next week.  

For now, I'll leave you with a few photos from a walk we took last night around the area where we live.  I love just being out in the community to greet people and give them a smile or encouraging word.  God is so amazing and I am in awe at the beauty of His creation.

Psalm 28:6-7  Blessed be the Lord!  For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy.  The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.