So a very defeated me was reading Proverbs this afternoon when the girls were sleeping, and it changed things. One day, I will stop being surprised every single time His Word does that.
Just a verse I've known since Sunday School...
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
These last few days have held some major discouragements. We've been really disappointed, really frustrated, or really hurt by several things. I feel that I have understood the situations completely, and based on those understandings, we SHOULD be really disappointed, frustrated and hurt.
But when I read those simple words today...trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding...I realized that my take-away from these situations has been based on my own understanding.
I've been leaning on my perspective, on my feelings, on my understanding of things, and have felt thus shattered.
Maybe my understanding IS correct. Maybe (probably, based on my very limited perspective in light of His infinite dimensional perspective) my understanding is not correct.
But it doesn't matter what my lens is or if it is correct...doesn't matter what my filter is of these situations.
I'm not to lean on that. My understanding is not to be the rock I stand upon. It's to be nothing more than my limited understanding, chafe.
Instead, I tend to act like MY understanding of things is the end all, the standard, THE truth.
But there's only one of those, isn't there!...only one Standard, only one Above All and End All, only ONE The Truth.
Am I trusting in the LORD with all of my heart? Or am I trusting in my perspective, and asking the Lord to support me?
Man, I know this isn't rocket science, but it feels revolutionary to me. I feel like a different person since this afternoon than I have the last few days. If I'm leaning on and trusting in Him, then I can have peace and true comfort and joy (even without understanding) in even such dire circumstances as these.
And maybe I don't even have to know HIS understanding. I just have to know Him, and trust in Him.
As the verse goes...
In all your ways, acknowledge Him
and He will make your paths straight.
31 August 2011
30 August 2011
Convocation 2011
Monday we had the official commencement service for the year, and it was an awesome service.
29 August 2011
so He giveth
I don't think I'm going to get into any details tonight, but this afternoon and evening were very difficult for us both. A deeply discouraging and disturbing conversation followed by lots of little things, from spilled juice (x3), to a frustrating misunderstanding, to Matt and Sofie both feeling/acting sick...all have led to both of us feeling very defeated tonight.
"Let's just go to bed," Matt said a few moments ago, heading for the bedroom, but I wanted to spend a few moments with O. Chambers and the Lord, first, and I am SO glad that I did...
For any of you in the same place tonight:
Reader, as you retire to rest tonight, give your soul and God a time together;
mediate on these things and commit with a conscious peace
your life to God during the hours of sleep.
Deep and profound alterations will occur in your spirit,
soul and body by the creative hand of our God.
May God write over your heart and life tonight,
"So He giveth to His beloved during sleep."
We are not any different when we are born again of His Spirit.
Our human nature remains the same,
although it's mainspring is altered.
When the crises of life are reached,
we are astonished at the sudden power within us
to meet the new set of circumstances.
And in looking back, the soul is amazed in gratitude to God
as to how His grace performs...Praise the Lord.
Praying for His creative Hand to move and His unmerited grace to perform tonight while we sleep.
As always, grateful for your prayers.
28 August 2011
the last three days...
Matt was the godfather (similar to best man, but with multiple financial obligations) at a 3-hour wedding, complete with aisle interpretive dancers, cremas (a Haitian celebratory drink made up of cow milk, alcohol, chocolate powder, and vanilla, made months ago and kept in catsup bottles until the big day), satin gloves (for the men) and a LOT of really close up and very stern faced photography.
Junior led, Civil sang and Bryan preached at the first English chapel of the year on 1 Kings...it was a GREAT service.
We spent the evening with Jeff, OMS Haiti's International Regional Director, and stayed up late talking.
We joined the rest of the OMS Haiti missionaries and Jeff for brunch Saturday followed by a long, but really good, meeting about field issues and about how we can do things better. He brought candy bars. That's always a good thing in a country where you can't buy candy bars.
Lily played with the big bubbles Don left her...and kept asking when Don was going to play bubbles with her again.
I made pretzels for the third time, and they finally taste like real pretzels.
We stayed up late again watching (and for me, crying through) Soul Surfer. Carrie Underwood, not fantastic. But the movie? really good. Unless you're already deathly afraid of sharks. Dad, you've got to see it. Lisa, you would never swim again.
I dreamed that I made supper for the Renner family in our crock pot, left it on too long, and when I finally opened it to serve dinner, it had turned just into hot water. I was mortified. I wish you guys would come back now.
We went to Piat with 5 of the students for church...which started at 8:30, ended at 11:30, and still ran out of time for a sermon. It was kid's Sunday, which included lots of competitions, Bible recitation and singing and was figuratively very cool. Literally, it was a million degrees and a three hour service. Lily had a good time the last 30 minutes when I finally let her leave the sanctuary.
Bryan and I worked through some issues we've been having with QuickBooks, Matt prepped for classes, Bryan made us killer hamburgers, we did a bunch of laundry now that the sun is out again, the girls both took a nap at the SAME TIME on Sunday, we thought that 25 chickens got stolen, then found out they just got miscommunicated all the way to Cap-Haitian and we each took at least 5 cold showers.
This is going to be a GOOD week...
Junior led, Civil sang and Bryan preached at the first English chapel of the year on 1 Kings...it was a GREAT service.
We joined the rest of the OMS Haiti missionaries and Jeff for brunch Saturday followed by a long, but really good, meeting about field issues and about how we can do things better. He brought candy bars. That's always a good thing in a country where you can't buy candy bars.
Lily played with the big bubbles Don left her...and kept asking when Don was going to play bubbles with her again.
I made pretzels for the third time, and they finally taste like real pretzels.
We stayed up late again watching (and for me, crying through) Soul Surfer. Carrie Underwood, not fantastic. But the movie? really good. Unless you're already deathly afraid of sharks. Dad, you've got to see it. Lisa, you would never swim again.
I dreamed that I made supper for the Renner family in our crock pot, left it on too long, and when I finally opened it to serve dinner, it had turned just into hot water. I was mortified. I wish you guys would come back now.
We went to Piat with 5 of the students for church...which started at 8:30, ended at 11:30, and still ran out of time for a sermon. It was kid's Sunday, which included lots of competitions, Bible recitation and singing and was figuratively very cool. Literally, it was a million degrees and a three hour service. Lily had a good time the last 30 minutes when I finally let her leave the sanctuary.
Bryan and I worked through some issues we've been having with QuickBooks, Matt prepped for classes, Bryan made us killer hamburgers, we did a bunch of laundry now that the sun is out again, the girls both took a nap at the SAME TIME on Sunday, we thought that 25 chickens got stolen, then found out they just got miscommunicated all the way to Cap-Haitian and we each took at least 5 cold showers.
This is going to be a GOOD week...
25 August 2011
starting the year in Romans...
...a servant of Jesus, set apart for the gospel of God...
The 2011-2012 school year is officially underway, with more beds being moved into the men's dorm, 75 people eating lunch together and about 55 students (still working on a final number!) From the buzzing market, the crowded dusty streets, the tops of the mountains and the stretches of Haitian desert, one by one men and women have emerged and come together in one place with one purpose.
...now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God...
It is a beautiful thing to walk down the halls or past the chapel and hear the Word of God already being dug into. Matt is teaching Romans to third and fourth year students and an Introduction to the Old Testament to first year, Guenson, Biblical Interpretation and Systematic Theology, Vilmer: Biblical Culture and Geography and Methodology, Lucner: Christian Philosophy, Fan Fan: Pentateuch (1st five books of the Bible)...
...who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?...
The year hasn't begun without its peril...one of our first year students became so sick on Tuesday that he was rushed to the clinic, aggressively vomiting blood. He is still with his family and not doing very well.
One of our night watchmen, Augustine, lost his 5-year-old daughter on Monday morning to "sickness".
Pastor Elizay has been sick as well, and is facing surgery next week, a big deal (especially here). Belony is STILL not recovered from his stomach pains of last year, and not feeling great at all today...all things for your prayers.
Also, Irene has dumped a lot of rain on us, but thankfully, never really "hurricane'd" us...just rain and some wind. Even our visitors were able to get out today without problem, and students and staff have had no major issues coming and going.
...be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Be at peace with all men...
Then, some playful new student "induction" traditions got carried away and really hurt some feelings. A very concerned and somewhat discouraged administration met yesterday and had a meeting with the whole student body this morning. Matt was dreading it, and just hates the discipline-side of administration in general (who doesn't!?), but then the meeting was fantastic...The problem was well articulated, and the students quickly agreed that they had taken playfulness too far, and left the chapel of the same mind and at peace...Praise the Lord!
...since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly...be devoted to one another in brotherly love...
Uncle Don, Emily and Phil all left this morning. I cannot begin to count the ways that Don has blessed us these past two weeks...here's just a few of his (and Phil, too) finished projects.
Lily woke up so sad this morning to find Uncle Don and "my friends" gone, and Matt and I feel the loss as well. We had such a good time getting to know Phil and Emily better. The help is fantastic...but the friendship is even better. Don is one of those rare people who doesn't seem to even think about himself or his own rights, but just pours out what God has given him freely and joyfully. Can't help but feel a bit lonely in the house this morning! (hint-hint...our guest room is empty!)
...how will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News of good things...
Let me squeeze a quick pitch in here! We have SO MANY men and women at Emmaus right now that are in great need of being under-written. While it costs $2500 each year to feed, educate, house, and care for every student, each is only charged $500. This is already a very difficult amount of money to obtain for the large majority of our student body, so part of what I do here is seek out the other $2000 to back each man and woman.
I have shared and will continue to share SO many stories of what God is doing in Haiti through the lives and ministries of the students at Emmaus, and we need help keeping these same students in training, fed and cared for. If you or your family or your Sunday School class or business or church or small group is interested in aligning life and ministry with His kingdom-building here, PLEASE contact me for a student name, photo, testimony and giving info.
Your "little bit" can go a long way in providing for beautiful-footed-preachers of the Word to learn It well and to take it out to those who have not believed.
...being fully assured that what God has promised, He is able also to perform...
At staff retreat on Saturday, we talked a lot about different visions everyone has for the Seminary and for Haiti. As I've pondered these, I've been going back to the basics in my heart: what has God promised? What's He promising for this year? There are a lot of unknowns, but here's just a few of the things He's PROMISING, just in Romans alone...
He will render to each person according to His deeds (2:6).
There will be glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good (2:10).
The doers of the Law will be justified (2:13).
The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus is for all those who believe (3:21).
The one who believes in Him, his faith is credited to him as righteousness (4:6).
We have peace with God through Jesus (5:1).
Tribulation brings about perseverance, perseverance, character, character, hope (5:3).
The love of God is poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit (5:5).
Christ died for the ungodly, while we were still sinners (5:6).
We shall be saved from the wrath of God through Christ (5:9).
We can be united with Him in His death and in His life (6:5).
Sin does not have to master over you, for you are under grace (6:14).
Though we deserve death, the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ (6:23).
We can serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the the oldness of the letter (7:6).
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Jesus (8:1).
The mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace (8:6).
He who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit (8:11).
We are not under obligation to the flesh (8:12).
We have received a spirit of adoption as sons (8:15).
The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us (8:18).
The Spirit helps our weakness (8:26).
God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him (8:28).
Nothing, nothing, nothing will separate us from the love of Christ (8:35).
In all things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him (8:37).
He loves us (8:37).
It all doesn't depend upon us, bot on God who has mercy (9:16).
Those who were not His people shall be called Sons of the Living God (9:26).
The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (11:29).
We are one body in Christ (12:5).
God will repay (12:19).
The authorities which exist are established by God (13:1).
Through perseverance and the encouragement of the Word we might have hope (15:4).
Christ accepted us to the glory of God (15:7).
There is power in the Spirit (15:19).
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet (16:20).
He is able (16:25).
I am SO fully assured that what He has promised, He is able to perform...which makes this new year just drip with hope!
The 2011-2012 school year is officially underway, with more beds being moved into the men's dorm, 75 people eating lunch together and about 55 students (still working on a final number!) From the buzzing market, the crowded dusty streets, the tops of the mountains and the stretches of Haitian desert, one by one men and women have emerged and come together in one place with one purpose.
...now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God...
It is a beautiful thing to walk down the halls or past the chapel and hear the Word of God already being dug into. Matt is teaching Romans to third and fourth year students and an Introduction to the Old Testament to first year, Guenson, Biblical Interpretation and Systematic Theology, Vilmer: Biblical Culture and Geography and Methodology, Lucner: Christian Philosophy, Fan Fan: Pentateuch (1st five books of the Bible)...
...who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?...
The year hasn't begun without its peril...one of our first year students became so sick on Tuesday that he was rushed to the clinic, aggressively vomiting blood. He is still with his family and not doing very well.
One of our night watchmen, Augustine, lost his 5-year-old daughter on Monday morning to "sickness".
Pastor Elizay has been sick as well, and is facing surgery next week, a big deal (especially here). Belony is STILL not recovered from his stomach pains of last year, and not feeling great at all today...all things for your prayers.
Also, Irene has dumped a lot of rain on us, but thankfully, never really "hurricane'd" us...just rain and some wind. Even our visitors were able to get out today without problem, and students and staff have had no major issues coming and going.
...be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Be at peace with all men...
Then, some playful new student "induction" traditions got carried away and really hurt some feelings. A very concerned and somewhat discouraged administration met yesterday and had a meeting with the whole student body this morning. Matt was dreading it, and just hates the discipline-side of administration in general (who doesn't!?), but then the meeting was fantastic...The problem was well articulated, and the students quickly agreed that they had taken playfulness too far, and left the chapel of the same mind and at peace...Praise the Lord!
...since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly...be devoted to one another in brotherly love...
Uncle Don, Emily and Phil all left this morning. I cannot begin to count the ways that Don has blessed us these past two weeks...here's just a few of his (and Phil, too) finished projects.
new plants...
new house for Boone
new house for Lily
new blender for Mama!
new aluminum screens (so rats can't eat through!) THANK YOU Sharptown!!
...how will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News of good things...
Let me squeeze a quick pitch in here! We have SO MANY men and women at Emmaus right now that are in great need of being under-written. While it costs $2500 each year to feed, educate, house, and care for every student, each is only charged $500. This is already a very difficult amount of money to obtain for the large majority of our student body, so part of what I do here is seek out the other $2000 to back each man and woman.
Your "little bit" can go a long way in providing for beautiful-footed-preachers of the Word to learn It well and to take it out to those who have not believed.
...being fully assured that what God has promised, He is able also to perform...
At staff retreat on Saturday, we talked a lot about different visions everyone has for the Seminary and for Haiti. As I've pondered these, I've been going back to the basics in my heart: what has God promised? What's He promising for this year? There are a lot of unknowns, but here's just a few of the things He's PROMISING, just in Romans alone...
He will render to each person according to His deeds (2:6).
There will be glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good (2:10).
The doers of the Law will be justified (2:13).
The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus is for all those who believe (3:21).
The one who believes in Him, his faith is credited to him as righteousness (4:6).
We have peace with God through Jesus (5:1).
Tribulation brings about perseverance, perseverance, character, character, hope (5:3).
The love of God is poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit (5:5).
Christ died for the ungodly, while we were still sinners (5:6).
We shall be saved from the wrath of God through Christ (5:9).
We can be united with Him in His death and in His life (6:5).
Sin does not have to master over you, for you are under grace (6:14).
Though we deserve death, the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ (6:23).
We can serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the the oldness of the letter (7:6).
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Jesus (8:1).
The mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace (8:6).
He who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit (8:11).
We are not under obligation to the flesh (8:12).
We have received a spirit of adoption as sons (8:15).
The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us (8:18).
The Spirit helps our weakness (8:26).
God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him (8:28).
Nothing, nothing, nothing will separate us from the love of Christ (8:35).
In all things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him (8:37).
He loves us (8:37).
It all doesn't depend upon us, bot on God who has mercy (9:16).
Those who were not His people shall be called Sons of the Living God (9:26).
The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (11:29).
We are one body in Christ (12:5).
God will repay (12:19).
The authorities which exist are established by God (13:1).
Through perseverance and the encouragement of the Word we might have hope (15:4).
Christ accepted us to the glory of God (15:7).
There is power in the Spirit (15:19).
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet (16:20).
He is able (16:25).
I am SO fully assured that what He has promised, He is able to perform...which makes this new year just drip with hope!
24 August 2011
...and the winners are...
We had 50 names in our Haitian bowl, and when Matt came home from lunch I had him draw two names...
BOTH names drawn are girls we went to college with, and both of their names have the same first five letters...which just cracked us up...what are the chances of that!
The beautiful bowl goes to Elisa, and the box of yummy Haitian goods goes to Elisabeth! Send me your addresses, and I'll send your things off with Uncle Don. Yay!
While this was not our intention, doing this giveaway was so good for Matt and I and at the perfect time! I have been SO encouraged by what so many of you have shared and so blessed to be loved and prayed for by you. Thank you all for sharing, and for following!!
BOTH names drawn are girls we went to college with, and both of their names have the same first five letters...which just cracked us up...what are the chances of that!
The beautiful bowl goes to Elisa, and the box of yummy Haitian goods goes to Elisabeth! Send me your addresses, and I'll send your things off with Uncle Don. Yay!
While this was not our intention, doing this giveaway was so good for Matt and I and at the perfect time! I have been SO encouraged by what so many of you have shared and so blessed to be loved and prayed for by you. Thank you all for sharing, and for following!!
last chance....
to get your comments in before we draw names this afternoon! Uncle Don is leaving in the morning and will take the Haiti boxes with him to mail out from New Jersey....
Reading your comments and emails has been SUCH a joy and an encouragement! Can't wait to share these first few days of the school year with you as well!
Reading your comments and emails has been SUCH a joy and an encouragement! Can't wait to share these first few days of the school year with you as well!
22 August 2011
giveaway!
Our first blog post, January 20th of 2007, was entitled "Snow Camp" and ran with this photo:
We'd been in Canada studying French for a few weeks, and after sending repetitive emails to various family members every few days, we thought it would be a good idea to just write ONE update, and let close family members check it out with a few photos every couple of days. One country, five followers.
Soon, we had a small group of churches and family members joining our financial support team, so we sent them a link to the blog as well so they could follow along.
And suddenly, here we are today, a million miles from Snow Camp and THIS is our 1000th post. A thousand posts and 4.5 years later, with several hundred hits a day from dozens of different countries, I have to admit that most blogs are still written with our family in mind...Our family has just grown a lot!
In celebration of this 1000th blog, we've decided to do our first ever Haiti giveaway!
From noon on Monday until noon on Wednesday, every single person who leaves a comment after this post will have their name put in the the drawing. Feel free to leave an "anonymous" comment (so that you don't have to log in), but be sure to sign your name after your comment. If you can't comment for some reason, send us an email instead: staceyhaiti@gmail.com.
Tell us how you found the blog, or why you follow it, or what it has meant to you, (or whatever you want) and leave your name!
We'll put all these names in a basket and draw two names on Wednesday evening. We'll let you know who won, and then those two people can send us their contact information and we'll get your Haiti gifts out to you!
The first name we draw will win this gorgeous Haitian bowl, made in Port-au-Prince by a man named Albert Einstein. Smaller bowls just like this one sell for $120 at Macy's:
The second name we draw will win this large assortment of Haitian goods...Haitian coffee, vanilla, cookies, crafts, and a great book on Haitian Voodoo.
We have been SO thankful for your prayers, encouragement, emails, love and interest in what He is doing in our lives and here in Haiti...we're excited for a chance to say thanks!
Thank you for reading!!!
We'd been in Canada studying French for a few weeks, and after sending repetitive emails to various family members every few days, we thought it would be a good idea to just write ONE update, and let close family members check it out with a few photos every couple of days. One country, five followers.
Soon, we had a small group of churches and family members joining our financial support team, so we sent them a link to the blog as well so they could follow along.
And suddenly, here we are today, a million miles from Snow Camp and THIS is our 1000th post. A thousand posts and 4.5 years later, with several hundred hits a day from dozens of different countries, I have to admit that most blogs are still written with our family in mind...Our family has just grown a lot!
In celebration of this 1000th blog, we've decided to do our first ever Haiti giveaway!
From noon on Monday until noon on Wednesday, every single person who leaves a comment after this post will have their name put in the the drawing. Feel free to leave an "anonymous" comment (so that you don't have to log in), but be sure to sign your name after your comment. If you can't comment for some reason, send us an email instead: staceyhaiti@gmail.com.
Tell us how you found the blog, or why you follow it, or what it has meant to you, (or whatever you want) and leave your name!
We'll put all these names in a basket and draw two names on Wednesday evening. We'll let you know who won, and then those two people can send us their contact information and we'll get your Haiti gifts out to you!
The first name we draw will win this gorgeous Haitian bowl, made in Port-au-Prince by a man named Albert Einstein. Smaller bowls just like this one sell for $120 at Macy's:
We have been SO thankful for your prayers, encouragement, emails, love and interest in what He is doing in our lives and here in Haiti...we're excited for a chance to say thanks!
Thank you for reading!!!
21 August 2011
staff retreat
We spent the day at a retreat center for annual staff retreat. Everyone from the night watchmen to the director to our visitors were there, enjoying some good vision casting, a large Haitian meal, an hour in the pool and some good time together. I always feel so blessed when everyone is together to be a part of such a special group.
The half of our team from the city stayed away from the water, unable to swim and afraid to. The half of our team from Saccanville (a few blocks from the bay) ALL swam. Lily was happy to be the go-between :)
Everyone had a good time, and was grinning the whole time...until of course, I took out the camera for our staff photo!
Everyone's been oriented...everyone's had retreat...it's time to get the school year going!
Everyone's been oriented...everyone's had retreat...it's time to get the school year going!
19 August 2011
bittersweet
I hate how remarkably thin almost every single student has become after not having steady meals for 3 months.
I love the looks on the students faces when they reunite with each other after summer break.
I hate how much the upper classes make fun of first year students for being new.
I love how the first year students grinned and made jokes right back.
I hate living on the seminary campus by ourselves...it has been so quiet!
I love how soccer-cheering, laughter, singing and shouting have filled the air.
I hate how difficult it is for so many of our students to scrape together the $60 it takes to start the semester. ($250 for the whole semester)
I love how everyone was trying to speak English with each other today...just because they can.
I hate sweating through these two days of orientation in our dress clothes.
I love how open, interactive, energetic and positive orientation was today...everyone is so excited about a new year!
I hate how terrified everyone is of Ti-Boone.
I love how the first year students responded to Matt's question (while hiding from Ti-Boone) about their first day..."This place is GREAT!"
I hate leaving the girls every morning, five days a week.
I love coming home to find Sofie sleeping and a delighted Lily and hysterical Micheline crawling around on the floor playing "Mommy Baby Doggie."
I hate that the textbooks we ordered to start the year haven't come yet.
I love that for the first time ever, EBS is offering and using textbooks for every course!
I hate how each year, it seems like some of the new students are sullen and serious.
I love how, after a real, one-on-one conversation with several of them yesterday, their exterior immediately softened into humble, funny, excited and albeit, nervous, young men!
I hate it when I don't understand cultural jokes.
I love how completely and utterly hilarious everyone thinks it is to joke about dating.
I hate how many people in Haiti live under the fear and oppression of Voodoo, acting and living like so many have before them, just because it's how Haiti has always lived, and because they are afraid.
I love, this moment, listening to the bold, fearless, joyful sound of 60 young men and woman singing in the chapel, clapping and dancing their hearts out before the Lord, anxious to study His precious Word and to take that Light into the immense darkness.
Be with us, Lord Jesus.
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