Birthdays and Baptisms

Yesterday was Matt's Dad's birthday...wish we could have been there to help celebrate! Matt's birthday is coming up next...he will turn 24 on Saturday! All he wants to do, he's decided, is eat good food, play the guitar his parents sent him for his birthday, and read :) It will be a nice day, though again we wish you could be with us to celebrate!

Last Friday was "Baptism Day" at the Seminary, which is something like Freshman Initiation, we guess :) All the the first year students got "baptized" by the 4th year students (who were decked out in some 80's choir robes ) and then everyone drank Tampico (something like Kool-Aid). It was a little bit bizarre how much it reminded us of OUR college days (LONG, long ago) :)
The students have really become a joyful part of our lives. One of the questions that arose in my English class today was about why is is so easy for Americans to come to Haiti but so difficult for Haitians to come to America...They were appeased, however, with my assurance that it is very hard for a lot of people to get into America, not just Haitians! Matt's class, on the other hand, has told him that IF he would teach them something they already knew (like, NOT Hebrew), then they wouldn't have to ask so many questions :)

Our daily Creole lessons are coming along really well...though we are both wishing someone could just open our heads, pour all of Creole in, and away we go! It is a lot of work, and will probably take a year or two, even after we become fluent, to really have it become second nature!

We are preparing for a new team to come in today from Colorado, and tomorrow evening we will have a special time with them in which we can talk about the Seminary, the students, and student sponsorship. We embrace any chance to talk about this truly unique and invaluable school!

Isaiah 25:4
"But You are a tower of refuge to the poor, O Lord,
a tower of refuge to the needy in distress.
You are a refuge from the storm
and a shelter from the heat."