Saturday, July 13, 2013

Craziness!!!



Oh man!!! These last few weeks have been crazy.  I’ve done everything from making a ten hour car ride in one day with half of that being with throwing up kids, to multiple trips to Port-Au-Prince for airport runs or shopping trips, to playing chauffer (a lot), to running into someone (more like I nudged him a tad), to eating eggrolls, to finally moving into my new room, to going to buy mattresses, to playing with kids, to going to Port-Au-Prince with the Montrouis soccer team, to getting called beautiful by a male Haitian police officer, to celebrating the Fourth of July, to my birthday, to blah blah blah.  You get the picture. I’ve been busy with a lot of things.  However, these last two weeks have been amazing to see God at work. 
Ever since this craziness started I’ve had multiple days in a row where I’ve had to awake at 4:30 and haven’t gone to bed until late.  God has been supplying an extra measure of alertness when on the road and an extra portion of strength for each day…also he’s provided a little bit of time each day for a power nap ;)  He’s given an extra amount of patients as having to deal with seven kids throwing up all over a van is not fun to deal with.  Fortunately I was one that remained without being thrown up upon...Sorry to Emily and Love who had to suffer that. God’s given wisdom when it’s been needed…both to myself and to the rest of the Giving Hope staff and God’s given protection to me as I have been on the road a ton.  
SO!!! Why has life been so crazy here?  Let me tell you.  When God’s children stand for purity in a world that is so caked by impurity the light that shines forth from that little bit of holiness is hated and despised.  The Devil doesn’t like when God’s light is shining forth in “his” world.  So the reason life has been busy is because Heather Elyse and Giving Hope Rescue Mission stands for purity.  We as a ministry have been under major attack from Satan because he hates what Heather has started here in Haiti.  We’re a bright light shining in such a dark place…and that’s why we’ve been so busy, because we’re in a war.
However even in the trials, even in the attacks, even in the times of seeming defeat, even in all of the crazy of things to do, like always, God remains faithful by keeping us sustained in Him and by continuing to fulfill His promise of never leaving or forsaking us and for fighting our battles when we cannot fight.  God is always with us, He always with me, and I just want to make a public declaration to Him and say,
“Thank you Jesus for being the one and only, most amazing God.   Thank you for keeping me constant in you and thank you for offering to me everything you have: love, joy, peace, patients, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, and temperance.  Thank you Lord for fighting for your children.”    
Please continue to pray for strength and wisdom for myself but for all of the GHRM staff. 

In His forever service,
Shane

Friday, July 5, 2013

Things I've Realized While Living in Haiti

1.       Unless you know your stomach can handle the squash, pig, gooey stuff, than stay away from it.
2.       If you do not replenish yourself with Jesus you will easily be burnt out
3.       Cockroaches are harmless…but REALLY nasty.
4.       Centipedes are just REALLY gross and REALLY harmful.
5.       It’s hot
6.       If a bug falls into your water (or other beverage) don’t dump the whole cup out…just take the bug out and keep drinking.  Otherwise, you’ll just end up going through all of your water.  Bugs in your drink are a common occurrence.
7.        Mopping is a necessity and is done multiple times a day, but rarely is our floor ever clean due to the dozens of dirty feet that walk through our house.  But I guess it’s better than those who sweep their dirt floor :p
8.       One gallon of kerosene can power five lanterns for a long time.
9.       Ice is a rare and beloved thing.
10.   Sometimes deodorant seems like a pointless battle, but let me tell you that if you don’t wear it, the battle is already lost…dramatically.
11.    Ants SUCK!!!
12.   If you leave out a coffee cup with a little bit of coffee and sugar it works good as an ant attractant/killer.
13.   Cockroaches like hiding in piles of avocadoes.
14.   It is possible to go more than a day without showering ;) …I wouldn’t advise it though living in an all-the-time-sunny-and-hot place.
15.   Apparently without mosquitos there wouldn’t be any chocolate because along with sucking my blood they also pollinate flowers…and somehow (I was told, I just don’t remember the specifics) they’re the ones responsible for all of our chocolate.
16.   Skype is a beautiful things =)
17.   If you want privacy while showering at the public showers then don’t go there.  There’s a reason why they call them public…come to think of it, if you want privacy at all than don’t move here to Haiti :p  Luckily I’m a single guy who doesn’t need much privacy…just a little every once in a while.
18.   People will try and steal your money if it’s visible.
19.   I like motorcycles and tap taps.
20.   I can’t dance and it seems that a lot of Haitians can…I wish I could.
21.   Kids have a lot of energy.
22.   Turns out that if your hair is any longer than a buzz cut (which most Haitian guys have) the kids think you’re a girl (not literally).
23.   I have started to enjoy vegetables…quite a lot actually J
24.   Cats are messy little creatures.
25.   The most random things that I would never eat at home are desired a tremendous amount here in Haiti…just because of the fact that we can’t get them here.  E.I.  Fruit rollups. 
26.   If you are putting your faith in a generator to give you your daily power, than you may be disappointed at times…or like us, seemingly every week.
27.   I wouldn’t be surviving here without the prayer of all of y’all (So southern sounding) back at home.