10 really good things.

Since I'm never going to find the time to write real posts about these great things, I'm going to just sum 'em up!


1)  Last night, Sofie slept through the night for the very first time.  Last night, I slept through the night for the very first time in over 8 months.  8 weeks for Lily, 8 months for Sofie.  Really, really good.


2)  After over a year of praying for and thinking about and trying to help the struggling church here in Saccanville, we are overjoyed that the Lord spoke to Junior about it.  When the Lord puts something on Junior's heart, he gives his all, and that seems to be contagious.

Now, there are four students and a staff member teaching Bible studies, teaching Sunday School, and leading the youth group...and this morning, seeing everyone do their thing and seeing the church excited about the Word and FULL (major change!) was REALLY great.  The students are excited about the work, the congregation is excited about these young men--well trained and passionate--pouring into them.  SO good.


3)  On Friday, we were able to attend Wadner (yep, a lot of you know him!) and Brooke's wedding.  We were blessed to be a part of their big day, and praying for a beautiful marriage that furthers His kingdom!  (Lily was thrilled to watch the 'prince and the princess' tie the knot :)


4) On Sunday after church we got to spend the afternoon at the pool in the rain with friends.  Thought the rain would ruin the pool, but turns out the girls liked the rain more than the pool.  Having friends is...good.


5) Thursday afternoon, Matt and Fanfan drove over an hour to visit with Rosnal, the friend of ours who recently lost his wife.  While the cause of this reunion was so sad, this time was SO good for each of them.  And we praise the Lord for this community culture!


The images I had in my head of Rosnal trying to care for these seven kids alone, preaching and cooking and cleaning and kissing kids, is not at all the case.  


Instead, his entire extended family live in one block, and Matt found the yard and house and surrounding yards all full of family and friends of Rosnal.  They lived in community while she was well, when she was sick, and they live in community, now...lots of help, lots of aunts and sisters and cousins, lots of love for those seven children and for Rosnal. 

I hate that they are with out their beloved mom and wife.  But I love that they're not alone.


6) On the Rosnal note, Matt had a REALLY good time.  There is nothing in Haiti that I enjoy more than sitting in a yard, embraced in everyday life, and Matt rarely gets to do that.  By the end of the first hour, he was just a friend, not a foreigner, and he, Fanfan, Rosnal and his brother Samson sat for hours talking about life and ministry, Haiti and culture, the past and the future.


This was a great encouragement to Matt, a big day of learning, and when he came home well after dark he kept saying, "I am so thankful that God has us here."
  

7)  Maybe you prayed for Pehpay, maybe you helped build his house, or maybe you don't remember who he is, but this morning in church when it came time to share memorized portions of Scripture, I thanked the Lord for Pehpay's miracle yet again.


He was the first to jump up, boldy declaring his passage and joyfully taking his place back on the old man bench, always aware that he shouldn't still be here, that God gave him a second chance, and that his new life in Christ is so precious.  Such a good thing, a life redeemed.

8)  I was SUPER sick yesterday and SUPER better today...which is rarely the case with Haitian Happiness.  Really good.  Now.  


9)  Dodo and Bubba are on their way, set to arrive on Thursday!  Having folks (and friends) next door is always SO much better than being surrounded by empty houses!  We can't wait, and Lily is ready to wear back down the path in between.


10)  Things at Emmaus are just Really Good.  Our staff (not the staff that belongs to us...the staff that we are a part of) is working really well together and in gift/passion-fitting capacities.  We have a fantastic student body full of men and women that we have SEEN His fingerprint on. 

God's doing some pretty amazing things, and proof of that is the fact that EBS is clearly attracting some very called, humble and godly young men and women.  You can't FIND students like the ones filling the halls of EBS, and yet God keeps sending them and using them at the same time for ministry throughout Haiti.

Several conversations with various groups of nationals has helped us to realize that EBS truly is one of the top 2 places in Haiti to study His Word, and we're just thankful to be used by Him here.  


The need for GOOD, accurate, selfless, faithful Bible teaching continues to just be HUGE in this country.  Haiti has believed a lot of lies and has followed a lot of waves of doctrine the last 200 years.  

But I can testify that the WHOLE Truth is being taught at EBS, is being soaked up and changing a special group of people, and is being proclaimed brightly in a very dark and hopeless world.  


What could be more good than that?