here we go...

...for a guaranteed 'nother exciting year in Haiti!  We are packed (mostly), prepared (as we can be) and ready (95%).  These past 8 weeks you have given us good food, lovely gifts, your time, good conversation, help, hospitality, great emails and blessings.   THANK YOU....we have had such a great 2 months!

What we're most craving now isn't ice cream (for once) or a round of golf (though he wouldn't mind!)  These next days and this upcoming year we're craving your prayers!  Being our fifth full year in Haiti, we know that we don't know what to expect.  But we DO know that we greatly need Him to be a part of us, our every moment and our work!

Here are a few specific things we're asking you to pray about these next months...

Lily and Sofie...
    -through these next few days of travel.  We fly to Florida on Friday afternooon/evening and into Haiti at 6 am on Saturday morning
    -that they would continue to grow in wisdom and in good health with God and with the community
    -that God would continue to protect them and keep them safe and healthy and help us to protect them the best we can
    -that they would adjust well to returning to their home culture
    -that God would help us as we strive to foster their relationships with Him
    -school starts at the end of August and we do not yet know what we'll be doing in regards to child-care. What we've been doing in the past isn't going to work out for this semester, and we are very much so in need of clear guidance and a godly, trustworthy, sensational person to help us walk alongside of the girls while I work at Emmaus everyday from 8-noon.  As a mom, I'm asking Him to help me trust Him with this and to flee from anxiousness.  (sidenote: If you are interested in this very fun position, it pays $100 US per month and includes steaming cow organs for breakfast at least once a week)

 Matt and I...
     -that God would continue to protect us and keep us healthy
     -that He would give Matt ongoing wisdom, patience and joy as he continues as the Vice-Director at Emmaus Biblical Seminary
     -that He would help us manage our time well, keep our priorities in line with His priorities, and help us carry out our daily lives through a process as Godly as the outcome we are seeking
     -that He would give us His energy as we work alongside of extreme heat and two little ones
     -that He would allow and direct whatever He will to make us hungrier for and walk closer to Him in all circumstances (we don't take that lightly!)
     -that He would provide family and friendship for our family members in our absence, just as He has provided family and friendship for us in theirs

Emmaus Biblical Seminary...
     -please be praying for all the staff and students at EBS as they finish their summer's of ministry and return to Saccanville
     -that the Lord will be preparing the currently 12 new students to be an awesome part of this awesome community
     -that EBS’s staff would continue to grow in unity and in Christ and in experience and wisdom, making Emmaus function better for His glory and bringing EBS closer to it’s goal of having well-qualified, well-established, self-dead Haitian leaders
     -that this year would be one of great growth and deepening maturity and knowledge for the staff and students


Haiti...

     -that this year would be one of peace, political stability, growth and good health

     -that Haitian believers would grow deeply in relationship with the Lord and that Haiti would change   because of it, for His glory

     -that non-believers in Haiti would come to not just know Him this year, but to truly embrace Him, give their lives to Him and be transformed