So Long, Rights

View from the mission house in Haiti.

While I was writing in my journal this morning, I reflected on many of the blessings of 2018.  We graduated our oldest daughter from homeschool and she is now the Children’s Director at our local library.  Our younger two kids had exceptionally positive experiences in Bible Bowl, making friends, learning to compete with integrity and storing huge chunks of God’s Word in their hearts.  A friend’s mom was diagnosed with cancer…and then miraculously cured.  Both Dave and I experienced relief from pain that had made life uncomfortable.  Dave also built a deck off the back of our house which we have enjoyed immensely.  So many good things!

I am not one for setting New Year’s resolutions per se, but I am a goal-setter.  Over the years, I have determined to learn at least one new skill each year, but I don’t necessarily decide what that skill will be on January 1st.  Usually, the skills I seek to learn are things I think I would enjoy–like making jam or smoking meat or crocheting a scarf.  Sometimes, though, the skills I strive to learn are things I feel like I need to know–like butchering a chicken, pressure-canning or improving my computer skills.  I haven’t decided what 2019’s will be yet, though I’m open to suggestions.

I often try to choose a passage of scripture as a theme for the year, too.  I confess that I haven’t done this for the past couple of years; I was in too much of a funk to muster the “want to”.  My spiritual life was kind of on auto-pilot for far too long.  Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been compelled to revisit this old habit.  I’ve been mulling over options for 2019 and not really coming up with anything that felt right.  This morning, however, I did.

Unfortunately.

The problem with wanting more of Jesus is that there has to be less of me involved.  Quite frankly, dying to ourselves hurts.  As an American, I have been highly indoctrinated in my rights.  As a Christ-follower, it is not about me and my rights at all.  It is about Christ and Christ alone.  This doesn’t always make me feel very warm and fuzzy.

While I was reading this morning, this is what grabbed my attention for 2019:

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  –Philippians 2:1-4

And the passage gets worse from there.  These first few verses oughtta keep me busy for a while.

I’ll be honest:  I’m struggling in a few key relationships in my life.  Big relationships, important relationships.  Relationships with people who live in my house and who have a place in my everyday life.  Relationships that are more significant to me than almost anything else in the world.  Relationships in which I feel like my rights are sometimes trampled.  In which I feel like I deserve something better.  In which I sometimes feel like I want to get even.

Heaven, help me.

I admit to typing these words with tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat.  I admit to not understanding so much about what the Lord calls me to do.  And, quite frankly, I admit to often not even knowing what the next right choice is.

But.  I am committed to trusting Him.  I am committed to trying to do what He has called me to do.  These relationships are too important to sacrifice on the altar of my rights.

I don’t know what your spiritual goals are for 2019, but I’d love to hear them.  I’d be honored to keep you in prayer as you strive to grow in Christ.  And I’d sure be blessed if you would keep me in your prayers as well.

Now to Him Who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen.  –Ephesians 3:20

Lessons from Haiti

Since my return from Haiti three days ago, my mind has been continually processing my experiences there.  I knew those 7 days would greatly affect my life, and yet I am still amazed by their impact.

I learned (or was reminded of) so many things, and these are the things upon which my thoughts continue to dwell.  (Click on the photos for additional comments.)

1.  The Haitians are a beautiful and generous people.
   We stayed in the home of a Haitian family, and their service to and sacrifice for us was humbling.  There were 26 of us on the team, and we all stayed in this one mission house.  The family lived downstairs and we lived upstairs.  We had plenty of space, but we truly took over that place.  They prepared a hot breakfast for us every morning (usually between 6:00 and 6:30) and they had a hot supper ready for us every evening.  They cleaned our bathrooms, answered our endless questions, put up with our (extreme!) loudness and even washed our sheets mid-week.  Almost every time I thanked Anna, the lovely woman of the house, she smiled and said, “You deserve it”.  I don’t know what I did to deserve that kind of hospitality, but the experience has made me want to be a kinder, gentler and more gracious hostess to my guests.  I hope that I can one day return the favor by hosting this family at our little farm some day and pouring love out all over them!
2. Hot, running water is perhaps my favorite luxury.
   Let’s just say that significant amounts of sweat + clouds of dust from travel + sunscreen + insect repellent + being petted by dozens (hundreds?) of children = its own kind of gritty stanky-ness which is not easily removed by cold water.  Even after having steeped myself like a teabag in hot American H2O, I am still discovering particles of Haiti in my ears.
   

   Rachel and Reba on dish duty…with cold water. I wish I would’ve taken a photo of the piles of dirty dishes.

3. Toilet paper is a beautiful thing.
   I think that’s all I need to say about that.
4. The need in Haiti is tremendous.
   Anyone who dedicates their lives to serving God in Haiti has received a noble calling.  So many children need a family.  They need education.  They need medical attention.  They need skilled training.  They need food.  They need Jesus.  In spite of their obvious need, though, they remain thankful for what they have been given.
   Our host, Pastor Maxeo, shared a little bit of his story with us; this is what I understood (hopefully correctly) of it:  His dad died when he was 9 years old.  Although he still had his mother, she struggled to provide for her family.  A Baptist Mission came alongside this family and offered Maxeo (and his brother, I think) the opportunity for academic and spiritual education.  Pastor Maxeo thrived in this environment and gave his life to the Lord at age eleven.  Since then, he has been faithful in making sure to do for the “least of these” what others had done for him.  If you ever want an opportunity to made an impact in Haiti, I know a guy who will hook you up with as many opportunities as you want.
   

   These girls were all orphaned in the 2010 earthquake. Fortunately, an American doctor and his wife have committed to running this girls’ home to feed and educate them. For every one of these safe children, there are hundreds who are being exploited or neglected.

   

   The girls’ orphanage. Once the girls reach 18, they are moved to a transition house that gives them further education and teaches them a trade.

   

   The courtyard at the orphanage.
5. Most Americans who attempted to drive through Port-au-Prince would never make it out alive.
   Stop signs are merely suggestions.  Two-lane roads routinely pack cars in four across.  Peddlers and beggars flock around the vehicles if white people are inside.  Curbs and sidewalks may be used as roadways when deemed necessary.  Pedestrians do not–I repeat, do not–have the right of way.
   

   Aye, yi yi…

   

   Two-lane road. Seriously.
6. I loved Haitian food!
   I was pretty sure I wouldn’t have any trouble with eating Haitian food.  I was surprised, though, by how very, very much I enjoyed it.  I don’t know if all Haitian food is as tasty as Anna’s cooking was or not, but I am going to try to duplicate a few of her recipes.  I had the best fried okra of my life, a fantastic vegetable casserole that reminded me of a very thick stew, several yummy soups and a delightful savory bean sauce to serve over rice.  We also enjoyed platters heaped with fresh avocado, pineapple and mango.
   

   A veritable Haitian feast! See that bowl with slivers of onions floating in a yellowish sauce? I dream about that stuff…

   

   Fried plantains.

   

   Pumpkin soup, chicken, bread and root veggies.
7. My kids are pretty awesome.
   My oldest daughter, Rachel, was her normal helpful, pleasant, relaxed self while we were in Haiti.  When my husband asked how she did, I responded with, “She was a trooper.  It was like going on a mission trip with you”.  She did what she needed to do (even though some of it was really hard), she never complained (in spite of being physically ill one afternoon/evening), she created no drama, she was kind to everyone, she tried one new thing after another and loved on every child that God set in her path.  I am super proud of her.
   

   Piggy back rides!

   

   Notice Rachel’s expression. This is TOTALLY payback from all of the times when she made ME hurt while doing my hair!

   

   Jamie and Rachel kill time at the airport by playing Skip-Bo under my sleep-deprived, caffeine-hyped instruction. They were very patient.
   
   My other two kids went above and beyond while we were gone.  They took care of all of our animals, prepared all of the meals, did more than their share of garden work (even putting up over 200 ears of corn while Dave was at work) and kept the house tidy (or at least had it tidy by the time I got home!).  They even watered my flowers and fed the hummingbirds while I was gone!  I haven’t heard a single complaint from them, either.  So proud!
8. Haitians are resourceful people.
   I don’t have much in the way of photos to prove this, because the last thing I wanted to do was to make anyone feel self-conscious.  With the language barrier, I’m not sure that I could have adequately conveyed my intentions when asking permission to take a picture.  There were many examples, though, of the ingenuity of the Haitian people.
   

   Petionville.

   

   Shack upon shack upon shack. If that doesn’t save real estate, I don’t know what does.
   
   On one occasion, I saw a Haitian man sitting on top of a pile of rocks.  He had a makeshift beach umbrella (improvised out of a pole and a tarp) planted in the top of the pile, and he was sitting under it with a standard heavy-duty hammer.  Clank, clank, clank went his hammer as he broke the large rocks (think of a junior-sized football) into pieces of gravel that you find in an American driveway.  This pile of rock had been dug out of the ground during an excavating project and left in a mound roughly equivalent to a heaping pick-up truck load.  Clank, clank, clank.  One rock at a time, this useless pile was being transformed into a commodity.  Impressive.
   Another example (and I know that this will stress some of you out, but remember that Haiti is a Third World country) of this resourcefulness is that, in the massive city of Port-au-Prince, animals were often seen “grazing” the city dumps.  Dogs, chickens, pigs, goats and even cattle were seen rooting through the garbage for food.  (Often the goats and cows were intentionally staked on a long rope and moved daily.)  On two occasions, I saw children sorting through the trash to find something worth selling or keeping.  These were sobering moments for me.  Lord, please provide for these children.
   
   
   

   Sorting sugarcane to sell.

   

   Street vendors used all manner of odds and ends to customize their stalls.

   

   Dick’s Sporting Goods, ala Port-au-Prince.

   

   Women have a rough go of things in Haiti. They often raise their children alone, doing whatever they can to make ends meet.
9. I don’t belong in a paddy wagon.
   Several years ago, our family traveled to the West Coast and back on vacation.  Part of our route traced the Oregon Trail, and I remember marveling at the fact that people like me endured that terrain in a covered wagon.  Those folks were made of some stout stuff!
   Well, our sole source of transportation while in Haiti was a vehicle that I affectionately dubbed “the paddy wagon”.  It was basically a heavy-duty cage on wheels, and we typically bounced and jounced for 2-3 hours on the way to the day’s work site…and then bounced and jounced 2-3 hours on the way back to the mission house.  I could not help but think of those folks on the Oregon Trail.  While the roads in Port-au-Prince were fairly smooth, the constant…ummm…assertive acceleration combined with the thorough application of the brakes could throw us around like rag dolls if we weren’t properly planted.  When we got off the main roads, our means of travel really took their toll as we traversed ground that was more like an excavation site than a roadway.  I was pleased (and mildly shocked) to discover that my back only needed a few minor adjustments when I saw the chiropractor this morning.
   

   The paddy-wagon.

   

   One must hang on at all times…or else.

   

   Poor Emily tried to get some sleep under the bench–safe from the falling-over of team members who were NOT adequately hanging on.
10. I’d rather garden in Indiana than in Haiti.
    I sure felt bad for the growers I saw hoeing around the rocks on the mountainsides.  And, truth be told, I felt bad for the spindly little plants I saw trying to struggle along to harvest.
    

    Baby peppers and sweet potatoes in a rocky garden.

    

    Corn.

    

    Corn, squash and I can’t remember what else.
11. Kids are kids all over the world.
    Between the girls’ orphanage, a transition home for girls just turned 18, a church in Petionville, the pastor’s four kiddos and a school/church in Gallette Chambon , we saw a lot of children.  Some were sweet; some were sour.  Most were thrilled to receive whatever we could give them.  The older ones were sometimes reserved.  The younger ones sometimes clung to us.  Sometimes they got so excited they needed reined in; sometimes we had to coax them into participation.  Either way, they were precious.  Absolutely, completely and totally precious.
    My favorite story was of a young girl (maybe 12 or 13) getting handfuls of candy and stuffing it in the little ones’ pockets so that the older boys wouldn’t snatch it from their hands.
    Another sweet moment was when a girl, probably around 9 or 10, came to me with a piece of the construction paper we gave her.  She held it up to my face and I saw that she had carefully printed “Love” on it.  In halting English, she told me that she loved me and wanted me to have that paper.  That paper is now on my fridge, a tangible reminder of a little girl in Haiti who was willing to show love to a complete stranger.  I will pray for her when I look at that orange piece of construction paper.
    One more story:  On our last day at the mission house, our hosts made arrangements to gift us with a day at a private beach on the Caribbean.  (Rough life, I know!)  The private property was owned by missionaries that used the house as a home for Haitian employees of the mission as well as a base for community outreach.  While we were there, we played in the warm, clear water, picked up sea urchins, swam to a coral reef, studied snails and crabs and just enjoyed a break.  We even got to hear a Christian Haitian band perform a few songs!  Toward the end of our time there, I noticed a group of four Haitian boys standing off to the side.  As soon as I made eye contact with them, the oldest one walked toward me with a bunch of handmade bracelets.  He wanted to sell them to our group.  I asked if he had made them, and he replied that his sister had. I then asked the price, which dropped very quickly from $5.00 each down to $1.00 each.  I then let the rest of my team know of their availability.  As a few of my team members were looking over their options, a young Haitian girl (probably early teens) approached the boys.  After a heated discussion in Creole, I correctly guessed that this was the older sister…and she was not happy about the steep decline in price.  From that point on, any time the boy said, “$1.00”, she said, “$2.00!!”.  It was entertaining to watch.  After everyone walked away with their purchases, the group stood off to the side and waited.  I walked back over and asked how many they had left; he counted six bracelets.  I bought the rest of them, and even the big sister smiled at the price I offered.  I told them that I was glad to meet them, that the bracelets were pretty and that I was proud of their hard work.  I then encouraged them to be good.  The boy shook my hand and asked, “Can I come back to bring more tomorrow?”  Lord, please provide them with opportunities for honest work among safe people who will lead them to You.
    
    
    

    The classroom at Gallette-Chambon was packed with kids for our VBS on 2 different days.

    

    The Doko Church was a beautiful testament to what sound biblical teaching from parents and the church can do for children.

    

    The jump ropes we took were a huge hit.

    

    Megan and I put on the BEST game of musical chairs EVER at Doko!!

    

    Rachel with one of her many snuggle bugs.

    

    Samuel, our host family’s 5 y.o. gave Rae a run for her money. This kid had NO FEAR of water–even when he discovered that he doesn’t float!
12. I like cold drinks.
    Unlike my husband, I don’t have to have ice in my drinks, but I was reminded that I find cold water much more refreshing than tepid or warm water.  As a matter of fact, I was so hungry for something cold by Wednesday of last week, that when the team stopped at this Americanized grocery store to use the facilities (which were, sadly, out of order), Rachel and I went on the hunt for some ice cream.  Mission accomplished!
    

    Oh, Haagen-Dazs, we love you! (And thank you for making those tiny-sized cups with a spoon built right into the lids!)

13. Haitians use their heads.
    We saw Haitian men and women carrying all kinds of things on their heads–lumber, 50-lb. bags of rice, huge baskets of produce and dried plantains, dozens of eggs and even half of a concrete block!  Let’s just say that I’ve decided to stick with using my hands when carrying our farm-fresh foods!
    

    Everything we had would be damaged if I was forced to carry it on my head.

    

    Such grace and poise!
14. America’s young adults need solid, biblical counsel.
    If I remember correctly I was the second-oldest woman on the trip. (Thank you, Robin!)  This was mostly fine with me, because I like young people.  And, fortunately, I have learned that every phase of life has its advantages and disadvantages, so I can usually maintain a healthy perspective regardless of whom I’m with.  This came in very handy last week.  You see, I’ve already been where most of my teammates are.  I’ve struggled through not feeling supported by some of my family.  I’ve graduated from college.  I’ve succeeded and failed in relationships.  I’ve weighed the pros and cons of marriage in general and a husband in particular.  I’ve gone through seasons of letting the devil whisper in my ear, telling me how worthless and hypocritical and completely “not enough” I am.  I’ve struggled with body image.  I’ve been lazy in my faith.  I’ve made mountains out of molehills and held grudges when I should forgive.  I’ve judged other people’s decisions without ever considering their perspective, and I’ve acted on impulse (over and over and over again).  I love those girls I worked alongside last week, and I was honored time and time again when one of them would trust me enough to ask for my counsel.  In that 7 days, we went from learning one another’s names (Churning Butter Caroline, Racing Rachel, Artistic Anissa, Trusting Trista) to covering some tough topics on friendship, discipleship, family issues, sex, faith, self-worth, homeschool and so on.  Some of these girls felt like they had no one they could ask these questions of.  Dear Church, this should not be!  These young people need our support!  The world they are encountering is more difficult than what most of us encountered at their age, and we have some of the skills necessary to help them navigate it.  Wisdom.  Love.  Patience.  Grace.  Truth.  We can keep redirecting them to Jesus and to His Word.  Even if our hearts our willing, we must prove our availability.  We need to go out of our way to invest in this generation of believers.  Some of them might end up married to our own children and grandchildren!  Let’s invest in them as though we know this to be true.
15. Haiti is a country of stunning beauty.
    For some reason, this surprised me.  I had obviously never taken much time to research this island nation’s topography.  It is beautiful!  The mission house was on Black Mountain, which (I think) is the highest mountain in Haiti.  The view from our little balcony every morning and every evening was so soothing–even during a thunderstorm!
    

    The view from my balcony.

    

    View from the mission house.

    

    Look at those clouds!

    

    Lovely!

    

    Much of the mountainside is terraced for agriculture.

    

    These stone “fences” (much taller than they appear in this photo) keep the animals–and the soil–where they belong.

    

    A Haitian rain storm. Rachel and many of the other girls (the young ones!) danced–and even bathed–in this rain.

    

    A jetty at the beach in Haiti.

    

    Palm trees!

    I know this is a looooong blog.  In spite of that, I have only scratched the surface of my experiences regarding my time in Haiti.

    Thank you so much to those of you who have prayed and given and counseled and encouraged us on this journey.  We are so blessed to have your support!

    So thankful to be back home again in Indiana…with a piece of our hearts left forever in Haiti.

    

1 Day ’til Haiti

Petion-ville, Haiti: Next week’s home away from home.

With the exception of a couple more quick checks here and there, I am getting ready to log off the internet for a week.  Rachel and I leave for the airport at 2:30 tomorrow and are scheduled to be back late next Saturday night.  We are taking no means of communication at all, so we’ll be completely unplugged.  While I am looking forward to that from a ministry standpoint, I will miss touching base with Dave and the kids in the worst way.

Please take care of them for me, Jesus.

The gifts and supplies that have covered our pool table for the better part of a week are now tucked carefully into our luggage.  We are still checking (and quintuple checking) our carry-on bags against our packing lists.  Even though I know we will forget something, my prayer is that whatever we forget can be easily done without.

Rachel has been burping garlic all day from the garlic capsules we’re taking to ward off mosquitos.  I told her it will be worth it if we can avoid coming home with malaria and/or chikungunya.  I hope she gets it under control by the time we are cozily seated next to complete strangers on an airplane tomorrow.  Haha!

I’ve got surprise goody bags ready for the kids I’m leaving behind.  I’ve also made a list of things they need to remember for next week.  Like I told my sister, though, it will all work out.  Even if everything isn’t done exactly the way it needs to be done, it will be fine.  My biggest hope is that everything just stays alive.

So many people have pledged to pray for us, and it gives this momma great comfort.  I don’t know exactly what we will face, so I thank you for every second you spend in prayer on our behalf.  Pray as the Lord leads you.  And, if you’re not sure how to pray, here are a few things that are especially weighing on my heart:

• Travel–especially hitting our connecting flights on time.  We have lots of layovers in unfamiliar airports.
• Good health–for all of us.  Rachel and I really want to be able to serve without restraint while we’re in Haiti, so we pray that we are not slowed down by illness (or by my back pain which has been making itself known for the first time since last winter).  I also appreciate your prayers for those of us staying home.  They will have a lot more on their plates than they usually do, and I know that things will be easier for everyone if they can stay strong and healthy enough to do it.
• Courage.  All of us are going to be experiencing new things, and we want to have the courage to experience them without fear.
• Ministry.  Please pray that we see the people we encounter through the eyes of Jesus.  No matter how people respond to us, we want to be Christ to them.
• Peace.  This is the first time I’ve ever taken one of my children to a third-world country.  This is also the first time I’ve ever left any of my children behind while I’ve gone to a third-world country.  It’s messing with my head a little bit.
• Reunification.  I told God this morning that I really do want to go to be with Him, but that I’d like to finish my job here first.  So, unless He’s done with me here, I’d really like to tie up some loose ends in this world before I move on to the next.
• Impact.  I honestly don’t know how in the world I could impact the country of Haiti for the Kingdom of Christ in 7 days.  BUT, I serve a God who uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things all the time.  Rachel and I want to be extraordinary for Him next week–even if it’s just for one precious person.

Thank you so much for following along with us and for praying for us.  We know that this next 7 days will go very quickly, and then we will be home to inundate you with photos!  Until then, orevwa!

2 Days ’til Haiti

I thought the week started off busy, but apparently we were just getting started!  We are doing all of our normal stuff with the canning, freezing and pickling the bushels of produce coming out of our gardens as well as caring for our poultry and livestock.  Our 49 meat birds are growing quickly and able to be out on grass through the day, so we are moving them in and out of the garage.  We hope to have them permanently relocated to their movable outdoor pen in the very near future, which will save us the hassle of hauling them back and forth.

We have also had lots of visitors this week–some more welcome than others.  Friends and family have been the welcome ones; a small herd of wandering cattle…not so much.  Fortunately, we got the cows away from the gardens and fruit trees with minimal damage and into our pasture where Rue and T-Bone will entertain them until their owner returns from Tennessee early next week.

See all these cows? Only 2 belong to us. The rest were standing in my yard when I went to let the chickens out yesterday morning.

I have been cooking some of the kids’ favorite foods each evening for supper.  I don’t know why exactly, except that I tend to show love through food.  We’ve had Cheesy Chicken Bundles, calzones made with Samantha’s Pizza Crust, chicken parmesan, Zucchini Garden Chowder with Zucchini Cheddar Drop Biscuits, burgers on the grill and Farmgirl Chocolate Chippers.  Maybe I’m trying to make sure my younger kids miss me while I’m gone. I know I’m going to miss them!

It occurred to me on Wednesday evening that I should check with our group leader to see if there was something we could take to give to the missionaries who are hosting us.  I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner, but I didn’t.  I’ll be honest:  I was thinking a smallish gift…like in the $20-$30 range.  You know, good chocolates, books, school supplies…something like that.  The leader checked with her contact and said that the husband could really use a “nice watch” and that their youngest daughter (10 months old) could use a “nice, frilly dress” for church.  “Nice watch” and “nice, frilly dress” are not things that I would typically pick out for people I’ve never met…and the two of them together definitely don’t fall into the $20-$30 price range.

I remembered that a friend from college said that I could expect $100 from her in the mail this week, so I texted back to the group leader that I had $100 to spend and asked if that could buy what would qualify as a “nice watch”.  She said that “nice” just meant “new” because this host family rarely gets anything new.  They felt the man needed a reliable watch that was somewhat dressy and that the baby girl could use a pretty dress.  (Most of the various Caribbean peoples really spruce up for church on Sundays.)

I very rarely buy new clothing or accessories for my family or for myself.  We have always been content with secondhand items, and I imagine that we always will.  However, I cannot imagine what it would be like to live in a situation in which my husband went to work every day without a watch because he couldn’t afford one.  Or, imagine the delight of having one new outfit for your baby girl.  I remember my baby girls receiving more beautiful brand new clothes than they could be reasonably expected to wear before they outgrew them.  I really wanted to fill this order for these people I’d never met.

So, thanks to the check in the mail from one friend and another friend who was willing to do the shopping for me while I pickled cucumbers, we have a sweet little summer dress for a precious baby girl and a handsome watch for her daddy.  We were hoping to find “Latin American frilly” for this baby, but that just wasn’t what could be found on the rack at Marshall’s yesterday.  That kinda frilly just isn’t en vogue here in the Hoosier State.  Hopefully they like it anyway.  The friend who did the shopping for me added the fuzzy sandals as a gift especially from her.

Because every little girl needs fluffy pink sandals, right?

I can only imagine how strange it was for my personal shopper to pick out this watch for a man she’s never met. I think she did a good job, though, and we hope he likes it!

Because of the generosity of another encouraging friend we bumped, the rest of the children in this family will have their choice of a variety of athletic equipment, craft supplies, toys and snacks.  The mom will have some scented soaps and a stockpile of hand-crocheted dish cloths.  Perhaps we will be given insight into other needs while we are there and can meet those needs as well.

Tomorrow, Rachel and I will finish packing.  I also hope to have a much more organized list for the family that will hold down the fort while we’re gone and tie up a few remaining loose ends.  After that, I hope to soak up time with my little family:  homemade ice cream, maybe a movie or some games and just reinforcing over and over and over in a dozen different ways how very blessed I am to be part of their world.

 

 

4 Days ’til Haiti

Rachel and I spent much of today shopping for VBS supplies, donations for the orphanage and last-minute necessities for our trip to Haiti.  We enjoyed our time together, and we found some good deals which stretches our dollars even further than we’d hoped.

One of the things I’d been wanting to get was a passport/document pouch.  It discreetly holds passports, insurance cards, extra cash, etc. and can be worn across the body underneath clothing with very little discomfort/annoyingness.  It is also hands-free and will not prohibit my ability to play frisbee, jump rope or kick the soccer ball with the Haitian children.  I’ve carried one every time I’ve gone out of the country, and I thought I knew where my old one was, but I couldn’t find it.  I’m thinking it went to the thrift store in my last big purge a couple of years ago.  Anyway, I had priced them online, and I just didn’t want to spend the money.  I am very aware that part of what we are spending has been given by other people, and I just want to be a good steward of that.  I pulled up the website one more time yesterday, looked for a little while, and then just decided to skip the pouch for this trip.  I felt peace with the decision.

Guess what I found at the first thrift store we stopped in today?  Not only that, but we also found one at the last store we stopped at today, which was a dollar store!  So, now Rachel and I both have access to a passport pouch for the total investment of $3.50.  Now that’s provision!

Speaking of provision, I have been amazed and humbled by God and His people as we gear up to leave.  We have had friends come to our house just to hug us before we leave(which is a huge gift when you consider that we live in the middle of nowhere!).  We have received encouraging emails, sweet texts, beautiful letters, promises of prayer, wise counsel, craft supplies, ministry donations, checks in the mail, deposits in our PayPal account and cash pressed into our hands.  This is such a lovingly awkward position to be in for me.  Part of me rebels at receiving these gifts.  (Pride, maybe?)  Part of me revels in Jehovah Jireh, our Lord Who provides!

One of the prayers I’ve often prayed as we prepare for this trip is that God enables Rachel and me to be His hands and feet to the people we will encounter while we are gone.  I find it reassuring that we have been so surrounded by Him before our plane even leaves the ground by all of YOU who are being His hands and feet to us right now.

We truly thank you.  We are prepared to pay it forward, and we ask that the Lord multiplies it by His grace.

 

5 Days ’til Haiti

We are finally getting lots of solid information on where we’ll be staying, the work we’ll be doing and what we should take for the Haitian people.  Rachel and I plan to go shopping tomorrow to buy for our VBS supplies and donations to the ministry as well as to pick up any odds and ends we still need to take with us.  We plan to dedicate at least one of our checked bags to donations.  Ideally, it would be nice to donate the contents of both checked bags–as well as the bags themselves–to the Haitians, which would leave us without any checked luggage on the return trip.  Seems like a win/win to me.

Contrary to earlier information, we will be staying in Petion-Ville, Haiti while we are there. It’s a suburb of Port-au-Prince, and it looks like it’s up in the mountains a bit. This may mean cooler nights, which will be a relief. We will be working with an orphanage, which I know will change us forever. We were told that 1 in 15 Haitian children are enslaved. Very few have active fathers in the home, and many are sold–knowingly or unknowingly–into some form or other of slavery. Heartbreaking. Lord, help us to show these little ones Your hope.

I called the airline yesterday to talk to an actual real person about what we could and could not do.  Things have changed a lot since the last time I flew, which was when Rachel was six months old.  Apparently, even sealed bottled water could be a national security threat, so we will need to buy water at the airport if we want anything to drink on the plane.  I’m sure that works well for them.  The other shocker was that the airline recommends that we arrive 2 1/2 hours before departure.  Our flight is scheduled to leave at 6:21 a.m on Sunday.  While Rachel and I are fairly certain that we’ll be too excited to sleep Saturday night, I’m pretty sure that Dave would have no trouble getting a full night’s rest.  Instead, he will be taking his favorite wife and oldest daughter to the airport in the middle of the night.  Poor guy.  If he snores through church on Sunday, please give the man some grace.

While researching our malaria-prevention options, again and again I have been advised that the single best malaria preventative is to not get bitten by a mosquito.

Huh.  Go figure.

Suggestions for mosquito-bite-avoidance include consuming lots of citrus fruits (especially grapefruit, limes and lemons), eating garlic, dosages of cinnamon, slathering on the insect repellant and wearing long sleeves/skirts/slacks when bearable.  I personally will be doing all of the above.  I was told there was no need to take mosquito nets, but now I’m second-guessing that and wondering if perhaps I should.  I figure that if I’m going to buy them, today would be the day to do it.

One of my goals this week is to can, pickle or freeze something every day in order to leave our basement fridge empty for newly-picked produce next week.  This is not an unusual goal for this season, but it seems more of an undertaking this year due to our trip preparations and the push to get the kids’ school planning well underway.  I must confess that I feel a significant relief in only have two students in my classroom this year!  I have been so focused on kind of grieving Rachel’s graduation/move to adulthood that I am thrilled to find a lovely silver lining!

I have also decided that it would be smart for me to take our next child for her first cross-cultural missions experience before she graduates.  This way we can include certain aspects of her trip on her high school transcript.   Why didn’t I think of that the first time?!  Live and learn, I guess.

As I continue to prepare for this trip, Lord, help me to keep things in perspective.  Any of the concerns I have today are the concerns of a person living in luxury.  Help me to fix my eyes on You and to empty myself of the self-centeredness that tends to take the form of worry.  You have gone before us, and You will follow behind.  I trust You.

 

 

6 Days ’til Haiti

My oldest daughter and I leave for a mission trip to Haiti in six days.  It seems like we’ve waited forever, but I have a hunch these last few days are going to fly by.

I have a stack of paperwork to navigate:  medical insurance, flight insurance, air travel guidelines, packing lists, reminders of what I’ll need once we get to Port au Prince, lists of what we still need to buy for VBS supplies, lists for what I need to do before we leave and a list for what my other kids need to do while we’re gone.  With all of our gardening responsibilities, I’ve kind of procrastinated on some of it.  I’m thankful for the rain today; it will give me a perfect opportunity to tie up some of the loose ends I’ve been putting off.

People have often asked us why we are doing this.  Basically, Dave and I want to give each of our kids the opportunity to slip out of the American teenage mindset and to see how much of the rest of the world lives.  Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world, and its history is steeped in spiritual oppression and turmoil.  I have no doubt that we will leave that country, and its people, with changed hearts.

However, I confess that my mother’s heart has begun to feel some apprehension.  Haiti has been in a political mess this summer.  There has been rioting and killing.  Plus, Haiti is incredibly poor…so very dirty…and lost…and so very, very HOT in July.  Why am I putting my precious daughter at risk? What if something happens and she gets hurt or sick? What if our plane crashes and my other two kids have to subsist on Dave’s cooking for the remainder of their childhood?  What were we thinking???

Actually, my other two kids would be completely fine with Dave’s cooking (and their own).  So, no major worries on that point.  Whew.

We recently received a check from some friends of ours.  With the check came a letter that I will cherish forever.  The Holy Spirit has used it to bring perspective, confirmation and peace to my heart, and I want to share it with you.

Dear Trista and Rachel, 
You will serve in ways you never expected.  You will bless people you will never see again this side of heaven.  You will grow at a deeper level than you can anticipate.  You will exemplify Christ for your fellow team members.  You will come back exhausted by wearing a long-lasting smile.  You will gain memories on which you will reflect over and over.  You will bow before God humbled that He has allowed you to do this.  You will gain wisdom for life and ministry.  You will appreciate even more those who serve long-term in missions.  You will thank the Lord repeatedly for your family and your home.  You will stand in awe of the faith you see displayed.  You will rejoice in worship that is rich yet different.  You will have stories to tell, and I’ll want to hear them.  Thank you for letting me contribute to your mission trip.
Yours & His,
A Friend

I will keep the letter anonymous just because I think my friend would prefer it.  Having said that, he is certainly not anonymous to my heart, and I am so thankful that he acted on the urging he had to send this beautiful letter to us.

There have been so many friends who have come alongside us with prayer and counsel, encouragement and financial help, and it has been tremendously humbling to us.  We are so thankful for the people God has placed in our lives, and I have been continually reminded that we work best when we work as a community.  So very thankful for so much!

Lord, as I navigate the paperwork today and try to prepare for this trip mentally, physically and financially, I pray that You would prepare Rachel and me spiritually and emotionally.  You know who we’ll meet and what we will witness.  Please prepare us to serve with Your hands and to smile with Your heart.  Thank You for this opportunity.  May it root us more deeply in You.