Today was our last Sunday in Gramothe. It has rained a lot lately and the road has been getting worse and worse. There are some really big holes in the road on the way down to the riverbed, and this morning they threatened to swallow us up. There's a team of 18 people here right now, but we didn't take the truck to church. The road is just too bad. So some people walked (bless their hearts) and the rest of us rode the ATVs. I have taken Isaac on the ATVs before--always in his moby wrap--but today was scary. That road is crazy! It was a relief to get to the riverbed because there were no giant holes to swallow us up. If it wasn't our last time at church in Gramothe, I would have kept Isaac at home!
Church was really great--except for my cranky son. I listened to the sermon from the cafeteria because he was so restless/cranky/crying. I tried to keep him in the sanctuary the other parts of church, but we left a lot because he was making so much noise. Silly boy. The great parts of church were the singing time, the English sermon on following Jesus, and the part where Willem called our family up on stage. We actually were up there twice. Before the sermon Willem called us up and talked a lot about Arold and then let him say something to the church. Isaac was going crazy, so we left the stage after that. But after the sermon Willem called me back up to say something (through tears of course) to the church. It was good to say goodbye. Then the church prayed for us. Prayer send offs are one of my favorite parts of being part of a congregation. I cried the whole time, and I saw my husband wipe away tears too.
The best/hardest part of church was when everyone was dismissed and so many people made their way to Arold and me. It was like a wedding receiving line. Except I was by the door and Arold was on stage. So it was two receiving lines of one person. Rosias and Monley were some of the first people to come and hug me. They were both crying, so of course I burst into tears again. (And I had just gotten myself under control from the prayer time!) Then other students and adults in the church came to find me and bless me and Isaac before we left. It was really sweet to be told over and over again that I am loved and they will miss me. Of course I got to tell them that I love them too and God bless them. Such a perfect way to end my time in Gramothe.
Tonight Arold's family is coming over after church. It's nice to spend time with them before we go. We will miss them so much more than words can say.
It's always been difficult for me to process changes in life--especially when it means saying goodbye to people I love. When I taught 8th grade reading, I was always an emotional basket case at the end of the school year. Since I moved to Haiti I haven't had that problem because, for the most part, I had the same students the following year. It's been awesome to teach the same students for three years. I've seen my students grow in academics, but also in maturity. It has been a true blessing from the Lord to serve the same students year after year.
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| Tania, Ogimene, & Ameline |
We're in the midst of some very frustrating "teething" days. My normally happy baby is quite fussy and can't sleep for very long without waking up to fuss some more. These pictures help me remember that good days will come again. Hopefully sooner rather than later!
10. the church is the social hub--There's something to be said for having a social life that revolves around the church, especially when the church is within walking distance from your house.
9. the slower pace of life--I don't have meetings to attend. I don't keep a day planner. I don't have places to go after work, so I don't have to think about making dinner between work and other stuff. It's nice not to rush around like a crazy person every day.
8. the mountains--I don't think gazing at mountains, near or far, will ever get old. I also love the fact that the temperature is a good 10* lower on the mountain than in the city. And I love/hate the exercise I get walking up and down the mountain to school. (I curse the mountain when I'm doing the walking and bless the mountain when my pants feel baggy.)
7. the beauty--have you seen the flowers here? Or the mountains? Or the waterfalls, beaches, and lakes? The landscape is gorgeous.
6. the chivalry--I don't think I've carried anything heavier than Isaac since I arrived in Haiti. The very clear gender roles mean that any nearby male will come to my aid if a task is "too difficult" for a woman. Some women might be offended, but I rather enjoy it!
5. the fresh produce--Have you ever had a banana or mango fresh from the tree? So much tastier than the stuff Americans buy in the grocery store. We buy most of our produce from the local farmers' market, and most of it is so fresh it's still covered in dirt from the field.
4. the cultural focus on relationships and people--I'm a task oriented person, so I still get sucked into the "gotta get this done" mindset, but I'm learning to enjoy people and the time I have with them--even if I don't accomplish all I set out to.
3. the weather--This is a no-brainer. I live on a tropical island and 60* is considered cold. I'll take the humidity and heat over winter any day.
2. the resiliency of the people--Life is hard here, but my friends are making it work. My students are rolling with the punches, making lemonade when life gives them lemons, and generally showing me what it means to keep on going when all you want to do is give up.
1. my students--I haven't shared as many stories about my students lately, but they are still as charming as ever. They always ask how Isaac is doing and often want to know why I don't bring him to class. My students are dedicated to their education and determined to rise above their current circumstances. They want to learn and put forth great efforts to get an education.
Arold's visa interview was on Valentine's Day. We got to the Embassy quite early, but there was still a really, really large group of people waiting to get in before 7am. Seriously, it was twice the number of people we've ever seen at the Embassy before! I was a little nervous about getting in there in a decent amount of time, but having a baby is like a free pass to the front of the line in Haiti. We didn't have to wait in line and were some of the first people inside. Awesome!
The interview was scheduled for 7am, but we knew from experience that we would initially only be called to the window to give them our papers and then have to wait a while for the actual interview. I thought we would have to go into the little room for our interview, but when the time came we just stepped up to the window. Our interviewer was really nice. She asked some very basic questions (where did you meet, do you have kids, what kind of a job does your wife have, where did you get married). They were so easy we thought it was a trick! Then she said,
So much to say and so little time to write! I hope this weekend to get caught up on some posts I want to write, but I make no guarantees. Here's the quick version to tide you over until more pictures and stories can be shared.
I wanted to write a nice post wrapping up 2012 and looking forward to 2013, but here it is January 10th (happy b-day Mandy) and I've got nothing written... or even thought out. So will Isaac sleeps in my lap, I'll slowly peck out some thoughts.
The year 2012 was a year of watching and waiting for God's faithfulness. We were newlyweds learning what it means to be married and merge two lives into one. We became parents. We watched our bank account closely and saw God provide for our needs time and time again. We were blessed with new supporters, consistent renters, a property management company that rocks, and new opportunities for ministry. God was faithful to his promises to never leave us and to provide what we needed.
As we look to 2013, we know that God's faithfulness will continue to be a theme in our lives. I' also looking forward to a new theme. I just don't know what it will be yet.
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.
I don't often talk about Dumay on this here blog because, well, I don't generally go there. And for me, out of sight is out of mind. For those of you who don't know, Dumay is a village about 2 hours from Gramothe where MTM has an elementary school. I think the plan was eventually to develop more there, but it just hasn't happened.
Earlier this year a group from Nebraska partnered with MTM to jump start the ministry in Dumay. They have already started building a wall around the property and a work group is scheduled to be here later this year. It's exciting to hear about what is being planned there!
This month a few people from Nebraska were here and they did a dry food distribution in Dumay. The story is that as they approached the village, Willem stopped and told two people what they were planning to do. Those people ran to tell the neighbors and this is what ensued. Sorry you can only see half of the video; I can't figure out how to resize it. (Also worth mentioning is the fact that everyone reported the distribution went very smoothly. People only ran to get in line, they didn't cause any problems once they were in line.)
I caught myself praying a very Haitian prayer the other day. (Not a bad thing.) I think I was praying before our meal, but it really doesn't matter if it was mealtime or bedtime or just anytime. While I was praying I heard myself say, "thank you for the life you've given us." It's an English variation of the Creole prayer merci pou lavi ou bay, which translated simply says thank you for the life you give.
I often hear Haitians say this phrase while praying. It's used during church prayers, mealtime prayers, and prayers said at school and other events. I used to think of it as a nice general prayer. You know a good ole, Thanks God for my life. But ever since I heard myself pray that way I've been thinking about what it means.
I used to have a different life. A very different life. I taught 8th grade reading at a school I loved. I was part of a teaching team that worked together and supported each other. My students and I spoke the same language. I was deeply invested in my students and knew many details about their families and home lives. I also was very involved in the youth group at my church. I walked along side those teens as they figured out what it meant to follow Christ--and thoroughly enjoyed being with them. My family and friends were close by and I connected with them frequently. I was gainfully employed (something I really miss). In my old life if I wanted something, I bought it. I enjoyed the stability and predictability of my life, as well as constant electricity and warm running water. Shopping, restaurants, gas stations, nearly every store or business I needed were mere minutes away. I was independent and self-sufficient. My life was full and more importantly fulfilling. It was a good life.
Just two years later, my life is a bit different. I'm a foreigner in a strange land. I teach in a school where I can't communicate with most of the staff or students. I can't be deeply invested in my students' lives because we don't understand each other. I attend church, but I'm not a vital (or even non-vital) part of ministry there. I talk to my family and friends via Skype now--when it's working. I live in a developing nation where important paperwork is completed by hand. Corruption plagues the government. Riots are commonplace (though we haven't actually had any for quite some time). I am now dependent on the generosity of others to be paid each month. If we need to buy something, we have to budget for it. I get charged more at the farmer's market because of my white skin; beggars are especially persistent with me for the same reason. Electricity is not guaranteed. I need help ordering at restaurants and sometimes checking out at the grocery store. I can't remember the last time I went anywhere on my own. The convenience of life is gone. But this life, this inconvenient and sometimes frustrating life, is still good... and fulfilling.
I'm thankful for this life God has given me. I have an amazing husband (cheesy, but true) who loves me and takes care of me. Arold and I are part of a ministry that is literally changing lives. Even with my limited Creole, God uses me to impact the lives of young Haitians. I am blessed with fellowship and encouragement by the myriad of people who come through the guest house to serve with MTM. Learning to budget has been a good skill to add to my toolbelt, and learning to live without the things I think I "need" has been a good exercise in what Haitians call degaje, making do with what you have. It also causes me to come face to face with my own selfishness and sense of entitlement. (while not fun, it's good for me, right?)
I never could have imagined living this life, but it's the one God has give me and I truly am thankful for it.
Blue pens have special power here in Haiti. For some reason blue is the OFFICIAL color for documents and exams. Kids can only use blue pen
on their exams and are supposed to use it for all homework too. Sometimes they won't even take notes or do classwork in another color or with a pencil. If they don't
have a blue pen in class that day, it's like the world has ended and they can do nothing. Nothing. It's pretty ridiculous.
Part of Haitian culture is that they are pretty formal when it comes
to "official" things. Like uniforms are a big deal. Once in my senior
English class last spring I had each student stand and read something. One boy got
up there with his shirt untucked. I didn't notice, but the rest of the
class stopped him and made him tuck it in before he could continue.
That's how serious they are! So if they are supposed to use a blue pen for something, then they refuse to use anything else.
With that said, here's a picture of our blue pen bin from the supply closet. We'd like to give all the students a blue pen with their back to school packet of supplies. If we don't have blue pens, we'll give them whatever color we have. But we don't even have a lot of other colors right now.
If you are coming to Haiti this year, at any point, would you consider bringing a few packages of blue pens with you? If you aren't coming, but would still like to help our students, you can mail donations to the MTM office in Terre Haute, IN, at any time and someone will carry them into the country for us.
Mountain Top Ministries
c/o school supplies
PO Box 7053
Terre Haute, IN 47802
Also, see my post about other school supplies.
My husband made a trip to the farmer's market for some veggies earlier this week, and he saw some of my favorite students. They asked about me, and he said they could come visit me that same afternoon. So they finished their walk and then headed over to our house. It was so great to see them!! (all but the second from the left came to visit) I love summer vacation, but I really miss my students. I haven't really interacted with very many since I got back a couple weeks ago, and I haven't been able to come up with a way to meet up with them regularly until school starts.
Remember the team that came way back in February to paint the elementary school? If you don't remember them, they were only able to prime the outside of the buildings. Another group of people worked on the classrooms and still another group started the final coat of blue paint, but only were able to finish the 5th and 6th grade area. Well, this week the project was finally finished. And it looks amazing!! (Click on the pictures for a full screen view.)
Here's a little preview of our art class. Yesterday we dabbled in oil pastels and today we did charcoal portraits. The best part of art class is they are letting me do the projects too! I haven't been artistic in a while, and it feels nice to draw and color again. My students even think I have talent.
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| Our instructors are some students from WA state. |
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| Half of the class, drawing faces for the charcoal drawing today |
In early March a team from Maple City Chapel in Goshen, Indiana, came to serve in Gramothe. They had a good sized clinic team, and also had enough people to do some construction. They put in a sidewalk to the bathrooms, that should hopefully keep out the mud during the rainy season. And they also built a see saw for the preschool playground. It is a favorite for people of all sizes!
We have a little surprise we'd like to share with you.
A new ministry partner will be joining us in late September.
He or she will be living in our apartment, so we'll need to spend the summer months preparing the house.
We're pretty excited about this new adventure because it means...
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