taking a break without breaks!

Mmmm...what a lovely weekend! Saturday we spent Ayars Family Day at the beach and at home, with weather rivaling Haitian Hotness, and today, it was our joy to be "at home" at Sharptown UMC. This is the church of Matt's youth, the pastor that married us and sent us to OMS, and the church that sent us off to Haiti and one that continues to "hold our ropes".

Matt and Pastor Doug preached together in a really neat "teach-preach" style, and after the services, we spent the afternoon with Uncle Don and his family and many friends, enjoying all the foods and the cool water that we had talked so frequently about over suppers in sweltering Haiti! He and Brenda had shrimp for Matt and ribs for me...MMMM, so good. I ate until someone finally said "Weren't you a vegetarian, like, for YEARS???" :)

We're so blessed by these dear friendships, and it was such a joy today to just be "one of the gang", to be ourselves and to enjoy simple pleasures like blueberries and swimming and laughter without some of the constant struggles of life that we face in Haiti.

It cannot be forgotten that such a huge majority of the world live in abject poverty. So many of His children suffer so greatly...we have to remember that EVERY day, have to remember and do what we can (and then MORE) to help our brothers and sisters, have to remember the many that suffer for the Gospel and the many who have yet to hear It and do all we can to share It EVERY where we are.

Our brothers and sisters and their situations and struggles and faith and joys are firmly planted in our hearts, along with our dear friends serving in Muslim countries, dear friends serving underground and in situations of severe persecution with other national believers. We cannot allow the realities of His world and His children and His Message and a lost and dying world to "move" us and touch us but not radically change our day-to-day living!

We are so thankful for this "break" from ministry in Haiti, and at the same time are so aware that there IS no break from the ministry He has called us each to as Christians!

...to die to each other and to our enemies, to tell all the world about His salvation (even the very-often most-difficult world we live in daily), and to live as redeemed people (NOT blending in people but SORE THUMB people) who bring joy and restoration wherever we go in the midst of this dark world!

NO BREAKS, Family!

It is a joy to walk alongside of so many of you! Thank you for your prayers and the encouragement so many of you have given us over these past days at New Bedford, Seeds of Greatness, Cornerstone and Sharptown!