We love to dress up. We love to sit in long hot services in layers of clothing. We love lots of special singing groups, singing lots of special songs. We love to use our French, love to merit a photographer, love to eat special food.
And today's one of those days. It's a triple-trumpet party...convocation for the new first year students, celebration of Matt as the new President, and honoring Dr. Bill as the President Emeritus.
The first two, cultural. The last, not so much. Trying to explain the whole Emeritus thing has been quite amusing...After many explanations, it has finally been pretty much settled that today, EBS is "stating that Dr. Bill is the best president Emmaus or any other school has ever had and ever will have and ever could hope to have, forever and ever, amen."
We can live with that :)
And of course, being a very food-focused culture, the lunch celebration has everyone (except the cooks) very excited as well.
Yesterday I enjoyed my work to the sound of butchering goats, which if you've never experienced this lovely achievement, sounds disturbingly like someone killing children. I find the sound frightful...Haiti finds it exciting...it means a party is on the horizon.
But for all the buzz and excitement of the day, there is struggle underneath.
Blaise's wife continues to persevere through a very difficult and increasingly dangerous first pregnancy, and is now living at the town hospital (which is unlike any hospital you've ever visited...just...awful.) Blaise is sleeping in a metal chair with her all night to make sure she is ok and leaving by 6 am so he can make it for class each day.
Frantz feels that the Lord is asking Him to do something that he really has no desire to do, and he's at the beginning stages of committing...but is really struggling with what to do with his own desires.
Belony is heartbroken over the cultural norm of getting married because you are pregnant or have children together, and shocked over how many people have asked him, a pastor, if he's getting married in a few weeks because Angeline is pregnant. He can't understand how this cultural norm has also become the norm for the church (Stacey, it cannot be so!) and for Christians, and is broken over the Body of Christ.
My sister is still looking hard for work. Julie just lost her dad. A friend we had to let go from part-time work at the Seminary came to visit tonight and cannot make ends meet. It's September, which means school starts soon, and literally everyone we know is burdened by the costs of school, uniforms and books for kids and grandkids.
Matt is leaving Saturday for a week, and from where I'm sitting this morning, I just don't know how we're gonna do it.
Yes, there is struggle underneath the suits...behind the camera...even after the goat.
That's life, isn't it. American life, Haitian life. Until we get to that place He's prepared, there will be struggle...sometimes on top of it all, and sometimes underneath.
Whatever struggles we're each carrying today, I'm so grateful they're transparent to our Father. So thankful that He is caring for all the ones I cannot see in others, and all the ones I can.
...So at peace knowing that He who follows the paths of the flighty birds and adorns what would be weeds with rich petals has a gentle scope on our hearts, a strong handle on our realities, and an active hand.
let the grateful heart
sweep through the day
that it may recognize in every hour
some sweet blessing
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