snow day!

(Matt's new fourth year class)
(Stacey's old first year class...now second year students!)

Well...kind of! For the first day since we've moved to Haiti, the seminary (and everything else!) is closed! One of the hurricanes brought in so much wind and rain last night and all day today that all of our externs (50% of our students) couldn't possibly make it in for Day 2 of Orientation. Our furthest extern rides his bike in for the 2 HOUR trip every morning and afternoon! So, after getting all ready in the chilly, yes CHILLY air this morning, we were all asked not to leave our houses until the hurricane passed (all we have is rain now).

This was a huge blessing, not just for the unexpected change in schedule, but also because today was Matt's first day at Wesley Biblical Seminary, and it gave him a whole day to focus on the four classes he is taking, getting him ahead for the week. We lit a couple of remnant pumpkin candles from last fall and stayed in our pj's until 11, Matt starting in on his homework and me working on the fall Seminary newsletter and tweaking all of the student body's individual pictures from yesterday.

This was also a huge blessing, because 2 of our 4 professors that were to begin teaching tomorrow morning are stuck in Florida, unable to get in. Now orientation will carry over an extra day, giving them an extra day to get in. Day One of orientation went really well. I will have 14 new students in my first year class, 2 of which are women. Matt was able to spend part of the day working with his new fourth year class, and we are both feeling the excitement and the weight of the discipleship opportunities we are facing with 9 full months with these same guys. We could not have created from scratch a job we felt to be more important, meaningful and joyful for us personally...

Keep praying for all of the bad weather. It means a chilly day indoors for us, but for many it means flooded mud huts, floating garbage, malaria and sickness.