The Little Joys

As an American missionary to Haiti sometimes the common drinks, Coke and Sprite, and the main dish, rice and beans, becomes a little less desired and sometimes our taste buds crave more specific foods and drinks.

Our week started last Monday with a long but fun couple of Tap Tap rides to Port-Au-Prince and then a couple Moto rides around Port.  We were there picking up the newest member of our team, Emily Brown. (www.beconsecrated.wordpress.com).  However, before we went to the airport to pick her up we made a little stop at The Eagle Superstore.   This is a missionary’s dream store.  They have pickles, hummus, a very wide variety of meats and cheeses, pops and cereals that cannot be obtained anywhere else, and all kinds of other goodies.  I specifically scored on a few desired items.  

I was strolling down the beverage isle when all of the sudden there it was!  It caught my eyes like nothing has in quite in a while.  Sitting there shinning beneath the light was a beautiful, wonderful stack of A&W Root Beer.  I was definitely a happy camper.  Since we were limited to space I only got five cans. So they have been savored each and every time I have cracked the tab on one of them this week.

When I was a child there was a certain cereal that we would get every once in a while that we all enjoyed very much.  It brought us much joy and great entertainment as we did the same search and find that has been on the back of the box ever since I can remember.  Coming in second place at 280 Gourdes (which is about $6.50) was King Vitamin.  This delectable source of 11 essential vitamins and iron made this twenty year old man smile in giddy delight as I looked back upon my good ole’ childhood days of eating this cereal.

And nothing is complete, whether a Haitian meal or an American meal, unless it is topped with Franks Red Hot Sauce.  Well, in third place was exactly that.  I missed my hot meal companion ever since I have been in Haiti.  But thanks be to super grocery stores I no longer have to stoop to the off brand hot sauces anymore…mmm, mmm, good!

Along with the joys of food, was also the joy this week of finally getting to play Settlers of Catan.  I found out when I first moved here to the crèche that I was living with three other avid Catan players.  So, from the light of kerosene lanterns we enjoyed a fun game of Catan this past week.

A family arrived on Thursday to assist in some medical areas around the crèche.  It has been fun having them as company.  On Friday, we hiked up the mountain to some beautiful springs where the Haitian people harvest some kind of green leafy plant you can eat.  It was pretty beautiful.

The kids here have definitely enjoyed having this family around as we have gone to the beach, played Red Light Green Light, soccer, arm wrestled,  and had a little dance party where I made a fool of myself (we have some skilled dancers here.) 

Even though we were without electricity and water for all of last week I still had super fun with the joys and comforts that God blessed me with.  And to top off everything, I also got to take a real hot shower last night.   

I believe the theme of my time here in Haiti is God’s faithful and once again He does prove true.  I have learned that along with the everyday needs that God take care of, that God does also take care of the little meaningless things too.  So, I can end last week and start this week with saying God is good and God is faithful.

Mwhen travay poo la Bondye bo …I work for my good God.

My little joys last week

                                       

Another Post

Another minute, another hour, another day, and another week has gone by since last we talked.   It’s hard to believe I’ve been here a month and a half already!  I already feel at home here and would miss Haiti terribly if I had to leave.  But thanks be to God I don’t.  I get to enjoy this wonderful country with its wonderful people for at least eleven more months. :)

 

These last couple of weeks have been pretty crazy and fun.  I’ve been living at the crèche now for at least two weeks and life here feels normal and more like what it should be as a missionary to a foreign land…living on a nice beach resort while doing mission work just didn’t quite feel right. 

Some things that have come out of living here are: since I take my bucket bath at the local showers I have started to make connections and friends in the community.  I have a place to practice my Creole and get to interact and enjoy some quality bonding time with the local Haitians around the cleanliness of our human body.   Also, I have made some of the Haitian nannies’ smile as they see a white American male wash his clothes by hand...not something you see very often in Haiti.  I’ve brought joy, or God has brought joy through me, to all the kids that live here because I live here with them.  I’ve had some great times of jammin’ to music with the kids around our charcoal grill as I make my dinner.   I have connected with more Haitians living at the crèche because I am no longer this white guy that comes in each day and then goes back to his nice resort.  I’m the guy that does things a little more like a Haitian and because of that I think it has opened a few more doors into friendships here. 

I bought two bracelets since being here and now all of the bracelet venders are showing up at my door asking me to buy some of their products.  How many bracelets does one man need? :P

Since moving here to the crèche I have felt like a judge, determining who is the offender and the offended amongst the kids…and at times having to punish the offender.  I feel like a big brother, a parent, a teacher, a best friend, an authority, a handy man(in very little ways) and just a man called here to show these kids Christ’s love.  The truth is, this is what I feel, and all these roles are part of who I am to the kids. 

Also in the last two weeks I had the privilege to be part of a going home party for a little boy and girl.  After such a long wait, their adoption finally went through and they went home to be with their family.  This definitely was one of my highlights of being here thus far.  I also had the opportunity to work alongside of a group that came here from Snyder Texas to do some works projects.  They did things like: repair both our water tanks, build a cooking shed, build a swing set, and paint our baby house for us.  They also brought encouragement to us along with a giant bag full of granola bars and snacks.   It was a huge blessing having them here for a couple of weeks.  It was sad to see them leave on Thursday.  

I have been wrapping up the story of Moses over the last week and the theme of that story, to me, is God’s faithfulness.   He remained faithful even when the Israelites strayed time and time…and time again.  God has remained and will continue to be faithful to me too.  There have been times where God could have said to me, “oh you screwed up so I’m leaving you to fend for yourself.” But no!  He doesn’t do that.  The verse the kids and I have been memorizing this week is this:  It is the Lord who goes before you.  He is with you.  He will not leave you or forsake you.  Do not fear!  (Deuteronomy 31:8) 

No matter what we do (or don’t do), no matter what kind of mistakes we make, God will NEVER EVER EVER leave us.  What a comforting thought.  This doesn’t give us free reign to do whatever we want knowing that He’ll forgive us, it’s quite the opposite.  It gives us free reign to do that which pleases God.  Think about this way: if someone has pledged their life to you, to never leave or abandon you, the last thing you’re going to want to do is going to destroy trust with that person.  No! Because that person is so faithful and honorable you want to bless and honor them back in return.  That’s how it should be with God.  Knowing that there’s nothing that will turn Him away we should bless Him with a full commitment of our lives to Him.  He is faithful to us, we need to be faithful and faith filled to Him.

Anywho…your prayers are definitely felt here.  I have had no other encounters since I think last I told you with little creepy crawly critters…except for that nasty centipede a few nights ago :p

Have a great night and a peace filled week knowing that Jesus is with you through everything.  Blessings my dear friends and family.

The Road Thus Far...

Hello World,
You're going to have to tap on the link to watch (yes I said watch) my latest update.  This also happens to be the surprise I mentioned in my last post.  I hope you all enjoy my newest and most fun Haiti update yet. 

  
The Road Thus Far...

Orevwa!!!

One Month Of God's Faithfulness

WOW!!!  It truly has been a crazy week.  I’ve experienced this week just a little bit of what it means to be a Haitian.

I moved from my nice, cozy, air conditioned, electricity all day, running water 24/7, unlimited WIFI access, and an actual bed apartment on the white sandy beach to the crèche.  Here I have only a limited amount of water which contributes to showers only a couple times a week…unless I do a bucket shower.  The electricity is limited to a couple hours at night and subsequently no air conditioners.   I have a charcoal grill to do my cooking on and a nice tile floor or a broken down futon with large holes in it for my bed.  Instead of waking up to the sound of my alarm at around 7am I will be waking up now at about 6am to the sound of children running around and playing.   Also, I get a ton of company here at night. I’ve been visited by geckos, mosquitoes, gnats, flies, big nasty spiders, and last night I had a friendly cockroach decide to climb up my arm.  So, it’s been a little bit of an adjustment (and it will continue to be) from the American living I am used to.   However, it is giving me more of a glimpse of what Haitians go through on a daily basis.  Making food takes twice as long.  Cold showers are a treasured thing…at least I’ve been told.  I haven’t had one yet since moving in here.  And then seeing as how there isn’t a washer or a dryer I will be learning how to wash clothes by hand.     

Nonetheless, despite all of the changes and differences one thing hasn’t changed…and that’s God’s faithfulness.  This week I was reading through the story of Moses and time and time again God proves faithful and true to the Israelites.  I have felt like the Israelites ever since I’ve been in Haiti.  Moving to an entirely different country where the culture is totally different than anything I am used to isn’t always an easy thing.  Yet, just like how God proved true to the Israelites through every circumstance, He has done so with me as well.  Just some examples of His faithfulness within this first month here: God has provided finances for me to be here.  He has given me creativity with what to share with the kids every day.  He has helped me adjust to the totally new everything here in Haiti.  He provided a fridge, a microwave (boo radiation…but I’ll use it some :p) a soccer ball and a basketball, a dirt bike for me to use, a coffee pot (probably the most important item ;) and most of all, He has given me peace about everything here and He has shown me that He never leaves or forsakes His kids. 

After Moses and the Israelites crossed the Red Sea they (millions of people) worshiped and praised God.  Last night, as I sat on the rooftop I read Exodus 15 which is titled The Song of Moses.  It is an amazing chapter and an amazing song about how God is faithful to those that follow Him.  I want to share a few of those verses with you. 

Exodus 15:1, 2, 6, 7, 11, 13, 17, & 18

“I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider He has thrown into the sea.  The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.  Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power, your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.  In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries; you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.  Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods?  Who is like you majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders? You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed.  You have guided by your strength to your holy abode.  You will bring them (your people) in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O Lord, which your hands have established.  The Lord will reign forever and ever.”

This song blessed me a tremendous amount…and I hope it does with you.  I would suggest to all those that haven’t read through Exodus in a while to do so.  It’s a story we’ve heard a thousand times, but there is so many truths and if you’re like me, one looking for God to prove Himself faithful, then it’s a great book to boost your confidence in Him. 

So to wrap up, it’s been one month since I’ve been here.  The time has gone by so fast.  And since it has been a groundbreaking month I thought it would be fun to do something different on my blog.  So, within the next couple of days up to a week, be looking for a surprise on hereJ  I’m sure you will enjoy it…whatever it is ;)  

Stay strong my friends and know God IS faithful…no matter what you are going through.  So until next time my fellow soldiers…

My new room :)