alive, but laying low

Hi friends. It's been a while, huh?

Just wanted to let you know that we made it to Indiana safely. We are adjusting and getting settled at my parents' house. I'm having fun introducing American life to Arold. For example, we stopped at McDonald's yesterday and he ate his first Big Mac. As we left he said, "Now I know where it is and I can come by myself." I guess he has plans to eat more Big Macs.

I find myself in this strange place of wanting to show my husband everything on the list of stuff he needs to see/experience and knowing that I don't need to overwhelm him because we have plenty of time for him to experience American life.

Every day is a new adventure, and at the same time it feels like we are in a holding pattern. I have been hired by Goshen Community Schools (thank you Lord!), but I don't start until August. Arold is still applying to jobs, so any routine we have right now is only temporary. And then there's this funny feeling of our days having no purpose. We wake, we eat, we play with Isaac, we sleep, and then we start all over again. It's a strange thing to go from very full and purposeful days to this time of waiting.

Please keep praying for us as we transition to life in the U.S. So far we seem to be doing pretty well, but it's a process and it will take time. Pray that Arold will be hired for a job that he will enjoy. And pray that God will give some purpose to our days.

Change is hard

I wanted to keep things lighthearted on my blog for our last few weeks with MTM, sharing pictures and fun stories from students, but my heart is heavy today and I just can't do it. Change has never been easy for me. As an adult it's a little easier because I've seen how God has walked with me through big changes in the past, but I still don't like it.

Yesterday was the 4 week mark. We have four short weeks to say goodbye to the people we love and pack up our lives here. I don't know which of those things I like less--the packing or saying goodbye. We want to finish well, but I think both of us would like to ignore the suitcases that taunt us from their place in the corner and pretend our lives are not about to turn upside down.

Please pray for us over the next few weeks. Pray that we'll say proper goodbyes and find closure as we prepare to leave our home and Arold's family. Pray that Arold and I will draw closer during this time, that God would strengthen our marriage as we face this challenging and stressful transition. We are confident God is moving us to the States, but that does not exempt us from the culture shock that is sure to rock our little family. Pray also that God would provide jobs for both of us.

yo kraze kay la

I hesitate to share this because it has nothing to do with our family, and it doesn't exactly paint a pleasant picture of our "zone," as the Haitians call it. BUT, I've decided to share about what's happening because it does effect some of my students. 

*yo kraze kay la means they break the house

There has been a land dispute in our neighborhood (not near our house) recently. It's escalating into quite the feud. There's a gwo machine (back ho) tearing down houses on the land in question as I type this. And, twice this week there have been guns fired (no one has been shot, they just shoot to make noise and show their frustration). We are not in danger of any kind.

That brings us to today. The gwo machine was busy breaking houses, so the kids were at the top of the road when I arrived in Gramothe, just watching. I tried to get them to show me what they were looking at, but they weren't much help. It took me a long time to pinpoint the location of all the drama. I didn't understand why they were so interested in what was happening, so I just went to my classes. In class today, I was teaching my students the English words for "I'll Fly Away." At the end of our singing, someone popped in and said something to a boy who bolted out of the room. After most of the other students left, Kenson told me that the boy who left was running out because he had just heard his house had been broken. (I know most English speakers would say "torn down" but sometimes I get sucked into the non-native way of saying things.)

Until that point in time, the land dispute was just something to talk about for me. It didn't effect my life or family, so I didn't think much of it. All that changed as I left school today. Suddenly it is real to me. I know the people who are losing their homes. I know the faces of the ones who don't have beds to sleep in tonight. As I walked home, I could see the walls of those houses being pushed down. I could see the hopes and dreams of the men who built those walls come crashing down. My heart aches for the families who used to live between those walls, the families who now find themselves homeless and at the mercy of relatives or friends that might be able to take them in.

Please pray for my students and the families who have lost their homes this week. And pray for peace in Thomassin. Only Jesus can bring healing to this mess.

UPDATE/EDIT 2-28-13: My husband wants me to clarify that the buildings that were destroyed were only partial buildings. (But when they talk about them they use the word kay, which means house. How am I supposed to know they weren't completed houses?) Also, the people tearing down the houses had the right to do so. They even had support from the police in the form of road blockades to protect them while they worked. The people who built the homes don't own that land and were given the opportunity to make the situation right. Arold says no one is homeless because of the gwo machine.

Prayers for the Week

Here's what we're praying about this week.

• We are at the tail end of the dry season (I hope), and it is really, really dry. Please pray that we get some rain soon.
• I'm teaching my students the English words to a hymn we often sing in Creole, I'll Fly Away. Monday was ah-maze-ing! Praise God for students who enjoy singing praises to him.
• Pray for our health. I've been having problems with my back, and both of my boys have been sneezing. Pray that our bodies would fight sickness and that the Lord would protect us.
• Last week the Indiana-Iowa clinic team saw 886 patients in 4.5 days. They were AWESOME. Praise God for the health care they provide to residents of this area.
• The students have just two weeks before they start exams for this trimester. Pray that they would finish well.
• Please continue to pray for our safety and God's protection as we live and serve in Haiti. 

Prayers this week

Here's what we're praying about this week:

• Praise God for Arold's visa approval. We are sooooooooooooo thankful he has the visa and will be able to travel to the US this summer after graduation. 
• A clinic team is here this week. I think they'll have 4 days of clinic this week. Pray that God will give them wisdom as they serve the patients that come to the clinic.
• We were able to visit some friends in Fonds Parisien last Tuesday because of the holiday and break from school. Very exciting to see a new part of Haiti and also to fellowship with friends.
• We're so thankful for God's protection as we traveled to Fonds Parisien and the US Embassy last week.
• Continue to pray for the musicians' Sunday school class to grow closer to Christ. 
• Pray for our students as they get ready to finish this trimester and get ready for exams in about a month.
• The Illini Life Christian Fellowship delegation is here to work in the computer lab this week. Praise God for their commitment to our students and also for their donations to the MTM computer lab. Pray that they will be able to accomplish all they set out to do in the time they are here. 

Monday Prayers

Here's what we're praying about this week.

• Isaac is sick today. Please pray that he would feel better soon.
• Arold's visa interview is in 10 days. So excited, but nervous too. Pray for us. Pray for the interviewer and decision makers. Pray that we will get this visa!
• Praise the Lord for the team that is currently here. There are quite a few familiar faces, and it's encouraging to see the same people return to invest in our Haitian friends.
• I've experienced some discouraging things recently. Pray that I will rejoice in the Lord always--especially when I don't feel like it.
• Carnival season is coming. Learn more about Haitian Carnival here. I like having time off of school (3 days), but we're not really fond of the holiday itself. Pray that the light of Christ will shine on this nation.

Prayers for the Week

It's been a while since I posted our weekly prayer requests, but I'd like to get back into the habit. Here's what we're praying about this week.

• Thanking God that Isaac and Britney are both healthy again. Isaac was very, very sick shortly after the new year, but we're all healthy again!
• The first medical team of the year saw nearly 1100 patients in 5 days of clinic! We praise God that so many people in our area were able to receive medical care during the week. 
• The second clinic team arrived yesterday and start their busy week in the clinic today. Pray that they will have wisdom to treat the patients that come.
• Arold's visa application was accepted at the US Embassy, and he has an interview set for February 14h. We are very excited to be so close to the end of this process! We pray that God's favor would continue to be on us as we prepare for the interview and their final decision.
• We have hired a woman named Gerlise to care for Isaac while Britney is at school. We're thankful for her strong work ethic and that she and Isaac are getting along so well. 

prayers

We appreciate your prayers this week.

• Isaac and I leave on Wednesday to spend Christmas in the States. Please pray for safe travels, a calm mama, and a happy baby while traveling. My mom is meeting us in Ft. Lauderdale, so I only have to do the first leg by myself. Even with my mom meeting us, I am really nervous about traveling with Isaac by myself. 
• Pray for Arold as he spends the next two weeks by himself. And pray for me and Isaac. It's never easy to be apart. 
• Praise the Lord for our safety while driving the streets of Petionville and Port au Prince. The traffic is scary and we had a close call today with a motorcycle. We're so thankful for God's protection!
• The youth in Gramothe are hosting a week of prayer. They asked Arold to preach tonight. Praise God for these young people who are growing in their faith and leadership skills.
• Please pray for the administrators and teachers at the school as they wrap up report cards for the first semester. It sounds like there will be some changes in staff after the new year, so we appreciate your prayers for the right people to be hired and that the transition goes smoothly for the students and staff.

Prayers this Week

Hey, thanks for your prayers. We really appreciate them! Here's what we're praying about this week.

• Rosias (aka Mouse to those who have been here) fell after school on Thursday and broke his arm/wrist. Beth took him to the Baptist Mission, so he has a cast and an appointment to go back this Thursday to get it checked out. Pray that his wrist will heal quickly and completely.
• Praise God that Rosias's aunt found a job! 
• Another student, all I know is that she's 15, fell on her way to church Sunday morning and hurt her wrist, too.  Beth wrapped her wrist and loaded her up with some ibuprofen. Pray that she doesn't have any broken bones and that she heals quickly. Micka will check her wrist for swelling in the morning and keep her supplied with ibuprofen.
• Britney and Isaac went to church yesterday for the first time since he was born. Praise God for safe travels on the ATV and good fellowship with our church friends.
• As always, please pray for our safety and health. 

Prayers for the Week

Here's what we're praying about this week, and and an update from last week.

• Tania, the high school student who passed out at school, is doing better. She spent a few days at home after her visit to the hospital, but is now back at school. Please keep praying for her health.
• Jeff Smith, the student in grade 9--not my uncle in Indiana, preached a powerful message during church yesterday. Praise God for students who are willing to share the word of God with others!
• Pray for God's favor to rest on Arold's visa application as it passes through the hands of the Embassy employees. 
• I'm teaching several students how to crochet in the hope that they'll be able to earn a little money for their families by selling crocheted items. Please pray that I will be able to teach them effectively and that there will be a market for their crocheted items. Our next class is Dec. 1st.
• Rosias's aunt is looking for work. Pray that God will provide a job for her soon. She's been out of work since her former employer died about a month ago. 

Prayerful Monday

Update from last week and prayers for this week:

• The student who needed stitches last Monday is doing well. He busted his forehead open on the playground, so he got stitches and a tetanus shot. Arold said the bandages have been changed (probably at a clinic or the hospital) and he is doing just fine. Praise God!

Church closed with Ricky-J singing a closing song with
the 78 new believers behind him

• Praise God for the 78 people (mostly students) who made decisions to follow Christ at church yesterday. 
• One of our high school students had an episode at school earlier this month. It's not clear whether she passed out or had a seizure, but her parents came to get her from school and took her to the hospital. Reports are that she's at home now, but she hasn't returned to school yet. Please pray for her healing.
• We finally heard from the Embassy that the initial paperwork for Arold's visa was approved. Praise the Lord!!
• The end of the semester is about a month away. Pray for the students and teachers as they wrap up this semester.
• The youth choir that Arold is leading had their first performance last week. They are excited to sign praises to God and are planning a Christmas performance/party.

Yippeeeeeee!!!!!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow! We are definitely celebrating in the Charles house today.

We finally heard from the Embassy regarding the first round of paperwork we dropped of on October 15th. Our petition to file for a visa was approved, and we can begin working on the actual visa application. (It's a long and complicated process. I totally get why people go the States without the proper paperwork!)

We are incredibly thankful for God's faithfulness to our family. Now we are trusting that we can complete the paperwork and return it to the Embassy as soon as possible. I would say as soon as humanly possible, but the truth is if we want to be in the States for Christmas (and we do!) it will take a miracle. We would need to have approval for Arold's visa and the paperwork in hand exactly one month from today to be home for Christmas. That, my friends, will take a miracle.

But God has brought us this far, we are trusting that he will continue to give us favor in this visa process. Please pray with us that we'll be able to get the visa in time to travel for Christmas.

Prayerful Monday

Here's what we're praying about this week:

• Update @ 1:12pm: One of the students needs stitches (no idea what happened at this point), so Arold is taking him to the Baptist Mission Hospital. Pray that the student will get the medical care he needs in a timely fashion. 
• Saturday was the last day of clinic for 2012. This week the team saw some patients with pretty intense issues. Pray for their healing. The next clinic team will arrive in early January.
• Isaac is 7 weeks old today. Praise the Lord for our healthy baby. He is truly a blessing!
• Pray for smooth travels as the current team makes the long journey back to Northwestern U.S. and Prince George, Canada. It's a 2.5 day trip for the Canada group.
• Please pray that we will hear from the US Embassy today! We need to move forward with this visa application.
• We're thankful that Isaac's US passport and certificate of birth abroad (proving US citizenship) arrived this weekend. Now he can travel out of Haiti when we are ready.
• Pray for wisdom as we are in the process of hiring someone to stay with Isaac while we are working. We are both a little nervous about leaving him, but we're praying God will give us peace when we find the right person.

Prayers for the Week

Here's what we're praying about this week:

• Still waiting to hear from the Embassy. Please pray they'll call us soon.
• Praise God for the Oregon and Canada team that is here this week. They are working in the clinic and  building benches for the school. Pray for the patients that will come through the clinic and the providers who will treat them. 
• This week is the last clinic of 2012. Our next clinic week is in early January. Pray that all the people who come to the clinic this week will be able to be seen.
• Praise God for our health and well-being. Arold recently had a cold, but he's better now and Isaac and I didn't get it at all.
• Arold's after school computer classes are going really well. 
• We've recently been discussing some new ideas for our ministry here to Haitian young people. Pray that God will guide us and give us wisdom as we think about the future.

Prayerful Tuesday

Sorry this is a day late, but yesterday afternoon I had to make a critical choice. Isaac went to sleep and my options were A) write the blog post I just opened, B) make something to eat, or C) take a shower. Food won that round... kind of. I got to make lunch, but it took a while longer before I could eat it!

Anyway, here's what we're praying about this week.

• The IN/CA team is wrapping up their week in Haiti today. The California group is going home to discuss projects they'd like to get involved with here at MTM, and the Indiana group is going to Dumay today. Praise God for the work they've done this week (mini clinic, abstinence teaching in the high school, food distribution, sandal distribution, etc). Pray for both groups as they travel home tomorrow.
• Hurricane Sandy was worse than we expected. We had three days of heavy rains and intense wind. Beth said it was one of the worst storms simply because it lingered so long. We're thankful the sun is back out this week, but there were homes damaged by the storm here on the mountain, so I know the damage in the city and lower lying areas was bad. 
• All the rain from Sandy really messed with the riverbed. (Arold took a video I'll try to share later this week.) We're thankful for God's protection as the team (and students) crossed the riverbed this weekend for clinic and church. Pray for continued safety as the students and villagers brave the racing waters this week.
• We're still waiting to hear from the Embassy. I called yesterday and didn't get anyone helpful. Hopefully today is a different story.
• Arold's Sunday school class seems to be going well. Keep praying for the musicians to have genuine hearts of worship.
• I was able to Skype with one of Arold's computer classes. I can't tell you how exciting it was to talke to my students. I miss them. Praise God for technology!

Prayerful Monday

Things to pray about this week:

• October has bbeen a busy month for us. We've had two medical teams, a miscellaneous team that handed out school supplies and distributed food in Dumay, and later this week another team comes in that will do a mini-clinic, abstinence training for the high school kids, and a leadership training of some sort. I think there were 4 whole days that someone was not staying in the guest house. Pray for God to be glorified in all of this, and also lift up those of us who are here full time. 
• On Saturday I'm teaching some of my students how to crochet a project. We're hoping they can then sell it and make some much needed money for their families. Pray that I can communicate clearly with them and that this new skill would be a blessing in their lives.
• Praise the Lord for the good appointment we had at the Embassy last week. Now we're waiting to hear from them regarding Arold's visa application. Pray that they would call with good news soon!
• Pray for God to prepare the hearts of our high school students for the message about abstinence that they will hear next week. 
• Praise God for the construction work that's being done in Dumay.

Prayeful Monday

Here's what we're praying about this week...

• There were 22 people here for a long weekend (arrived Thursday night). They were only here for three days, but they were able to accomplish a lot. They sorted and distributed school supplies, presented a Bible lesson to all the elementary classes, painted some classrooms, loved on some orphans, distributed dry food in Dumay, live streamed the church service on Sunday morning, and probably a few other things I'm missing. Praise God for these new friends and pray for them as they travel home today. Our last two teams have had to deal with major delays in Miami, and I hope this team can avoid that.
• We are headed back to the Embassy today for an appoint about Arold's visa application. Pray that we will be able to move forward in this process and that our interview will go well today. (It's just a preliminary interview, not the final one.)
• Arold is starting worship team practice this week. Pray for him as he teaches and guides this group of musicians. Pray also that the musicians would learn what it means to be worship leaders.
• Lots of exciting construction is being planned in Dumay (where MTM's second school is located). Pray for God's guidance as things move forward there. Also, we're really thankful for the guy who is the driving force and financial sponsor of the work happening there. Praise the Lord for his partnership with MTM!
• Isaac has a little bit of jaundice. The doctor said to put him in the sun for 5 minutes twice a day for 5 days and it should clear right up. Pray for this mama not to freak out and that Isaac would be jaundice free soon.

Prayerful Tuesday

Here's what we're praying about this week:

• Praise: Last week was a great week of clinic with more than 500 patients being seen in 4 days.
• Pray for God's favor to rest on us as we go to the US Embassy tomorrow morning. We will register Isaac's birth abroad and hopefully submit the paperwork to start Arold's visa. Pray that our paperwork is accepted, and also pray for the logistics of taking a two week old baby to the Embassy and waiting in line for who knows how long. We have an appointment, but I know from others that the appointment time doesn't mean much. Plus our appointment is at 7:30am and the Embassy is on the other side of the airport. We'll be on the road before the sun comes up.
• Praise: School is off to a good start. There were about 475 students at school yesterday, which is almost 80% of what we expect our total enrollment to be for Gramothe.
• None of our students who took the grade 12 national exam for the second time passed the exam. They've already spent two years in grade 12 in Gramothe, some of them did grade 12 at another school before coming to Gramothe, so they are officially finished with high school. As sad as it is for me to see them go, I'm excited to know that some of them are pursuing vocational training. Pray for these young people as they seek God's will for the next step in their lives.

Prayers Answered & More Requests

I just got word that we can file for Arold's visa and report Isaac's birth abroad next Wednesday October 10th. Yahooo!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a definite answer to prayer. I have been trying to contact the US Consulate about the visa application process for many weeks and could never get a real person on the phone.

Please pray that God would go before us and that we would be successful in both of these endeavors. We want to visit my family in Indiana at Christmas and we need a visa for Arold and a US passport for Isaac before that can happen. We are trusting God to provide these documents so we can travel in December.

Prayerful Monday

So much is going on this week. Please join us in praying...

• Praise God for the birth of our son Isaac!! I had a super fast labor and delivery (3 hours!), breastfeeding is going better than expected, and we are all doing well. We're so thankful that Isaac is healthy and there were no complications during birth.
• After much anticipation (maybe only on my part), the 2012-2013 school year starts TODAY! Pray for the students, teachers, other staff, and principals as they begin this school year. 
• Praise God for the 12 (of 14) Philo students who passed the national exam! Only 4 students passed the test the first time they took it, but the other 10 were able to retake the exam. Only two of our students did not pass. (The only girl in the class confused one of the test times, so she missed that test and didn't get enough points to pass.  Otherwise we may have had 13 students pass.)
• Our second clinic team is arriving today. They'll see patients Tuesday through Friday. Pray that God would give them wisdom as they treat the patients who come this week.