a mild adventure

First we were going to climb a mountain and camp at the top. Then, we were going to climb half a mountain and camp in the middle. Thursday night, we decided instead to hike to a beach, and camp there. So, this Friday, we drove to the shore, rode a boat to a beach, and camped. Our friend and mom of four little ones said she would be quite happy with a "mild" adventure, and after a long hard week, that sounded best to everyone! And a mild adventure it was!
Ten adults and 5 children and a baby headed off Friday afternoon in the Uni-Mog that we've already told you about. Along with us came quite a sufficient amount of gear, especially considering that none of us actually HAD any camping gear (tents, sleeping bags, etc.) As a matter of fact, every Haitian friend we have except for the one that came with us, thought we were rather nuts for leaving the homes we all have to sleep on the ground without homes :) We drove the hour to the beach, and then boarded a rather sketchy looking "water-taxi".
A cruise ship was just leaving Haiti, and we got to pass right by it up close. None of us had ever been on a cruise, and after being in Haiti for so long, seeing this HUGE luxury boat was truly a BIG deal! The boat was barely above water the whole rocky trip, and in our minds we were thinking through what we had brought that would be permenantly ruined whenever our boat sank. For the most part, however, the kids thought this was a great adventure, and we made it safey to shore. (pictured: The newest member of the OMS HAITI family has just learned to wave...)

Our beach was perfect...no people, a few picnic tables (remember: MILD adventure), and even a little shack for changing in. It was already becoming dark, but we had a wonderful evenings with some swimming, Haitian hot dogs (this was not the best part of the weekend), a fire and a sky FULL of brilliant stars. The kids all slept a lot better than I had thought they would, but we hardly slept at all. It was SO COLD! The sands were so soft, but somehow sleeping on them, with nothing more than a sheet to cover you, is not quite as soft. The bright side of this night was that we had many many opportunities to study the stars, listen to the crashing waves, and thank the Lord for His creation, and for the opportunity to get away and enjoy it!
The next morning was equally cold, which did not keep some of us from "taking the plunge" before 6 o'clock. We had cookies for breakfast, and spent the day swimming the crystal clear waters, hiking, sitting and talking. How grateful we are for this dear group of friends. Their presence was so relaxing and restoring. We have positive, thoughtful and enjoyable family here, and that is such an answer to prayer!



We came back Saturday afternoon, a little burnt, dirty and really tired, but it was a wonderful weekend. After an overly-full week last week, we had prayed for time to re-focus on our blessings and relax. The Lord continues to give us EXACTLY what we need, EXACTLY when we need it. May we all be content, this Sunday, to rest trustingly in the Hands that care for each sparrow, each child, each family, each city, each country...each of us.