pray day

Upon dropping his briefcase on the floor yesterday evening, Matt sighed, "Man, have I earned my paycheck this week!"  :)

It has been just an incredibly busy week with tons of tasks, lots of illnesses and an exceptional number of hours in the classroom!  Please be praying for and with us!

Praise the Lord that Uncle Don is here, helping out with SO many things and making sure that maintenance issues are NOT ones Matt's been checking off his list.  He goes Monday :(

Praise the Lord for Sharon (and later, Martin!), who is on her way to help us for the next several weeks!  His timing couldn't be better as that our business office is feeling swamped and so is....well...life!  Sabetha is always ready to help in a BIG way, and we're SO glad.

Praise the Lord for the girls, who have had a GREAT first week back with Noel, Micheline and Gertha.  They've done so well, are having a really good time being back home and with their friends, and we both just continue to thank the Lord for providing such trustworthy, fun and faithful child-care so that we can minister at Emmaus.

Praise the Lord for a great start to the new year, for several new students and fifty fantastic returning students, and for lots of great new things taking place, like Language Tutorial Fridays (three hours of English, Greek, Hebrew and French), Symposium Thursdays (yesterday was a conference on Jehovah's Witnesses), and Small Group Tuesdays.

Please pray with us for Maxi, struggling with low blood pressure, Giselaine, dealing with the death of her sister, Belony, who despite meds and help is still not feeling well, and Shayla, struggling with high fever.

Please pray with us for the work.  This semester, Matt and I are both teaching more hours than we ever have before.  We're teaching new classes we haven't taught before.  One of our main teachers, Guenson, is still in Port-au-Prince, and with a staff that is all still relatively new in their positions, there is a lot of learning taking place for all of us!  In addition, we're working to find funds for students, working to find funds for the budget (newsletters, correspondence, photos, translating), working to manage all the finances (receipts, expense reports, reporting, QuickBooks).  Add in trying to prioritize relationships with God, the girls and each other, then relationships with the people around us each day, then survival stuff like laundry, cooking, cleaning...  Yes.  Please pray with us for the work.

Please pray with us for wisdom in disciplining those around us to DO the work...teaching, assisting, watching, and leaving it.  We want to empower those around us to do the work God has called them to, not over-babysit them nor abandon them.  Finding that balance and finding the time to help disciple well is a challenge!

Please pray with us for Haiti.  The lives of our friends and family here are so difficult...living in the midst of so much need will never cease to be a challenge.  I was reminded yesterday when a little bird was stuck in the house of His promise to intimately care for each of His children, and we continue to daily try to be pro-active in His watch-care AND deliberate in trusting Him to provide, according to His leading.

Please pray with us for our perspective.  While we cannot control stressful circumstances coming into our daily lives, we can "take every thought captive to Christ."  We are working hard to be deliberate in running all our responses through His perspective, His priority and His glory.  THIS is the mission-field, isn't it...to live, speak, act, emotion and react as one fully devoted to Christ.

The Lord has never released from us a burden for you: people supporting, following, praying for us.  We therefore continue to carry you in our hearts and prayers.  Thank you for carrying the burden of us!  We love knowing that you are talking to Him about us.