the ayars affairs: catch-up your Q&As

Are you one of those people who pray for us?

I want to tell you that we are running on His strength through your prayers...and a lot of coffee :) And we are so blessed to be lifted up by you. There is nothing stronger, nothing sweeter, nothing better that you can do for us than to pray for Matt and I, for our girls, for the Seminary, for the men and women we have aligned our lives with, and for His glory. THANK YOU.

Here's a few answers to some of the questions coming through our email that I haven't gotten back to yet!

Hello? Stacey? You're not getting back to my emails! Where are you?

Short answer: I am in the kitchen.

>insert Matt and/or Sam joke about that being every woman's office, why the fridge matches the wedding dress, blah, blah, blah<

>insert Stacey glare of un-appreciation<

With five visitors here right now, it's true :) I'm spending a lot of time in the kitchen....baking bread, chop-chop-choping, bleaching veggies, defrosting meat, making salad dressing, icing cakes, pasteurizing milk, making soups and stews and pastas and...washing a lot of dishes.

The girls craft table has been moved into the kitchen, and they are "helping" me stir and wash and knead, and Micheline and Gertha in rotation are learning how to do things they've never done before-- I am SO THANKFUL for and dependent upon their help and friendship right now. Thank you, Lord!

He's put a song in my heart about it all, reminding me over and over that every chop I chop and bed I make and nasty sock I wash unto Him with a grateful heart brings Him glory. What an opportunity!

"Towels, dishes, sandals and all the other ordinary things in our lives
reveal what we are made of more quickly than anything else.
It takes God Almighty Incarnate in us to do the most menial duty as it ought to be done.
If we do not steadily minister in everyday opportunities,
we will do nothing when the crisis arises." O. Chambers, 9/11

What is Lily doing about school?

Lily has been asking to go back to school every day since we returned to Haiti. Her experience at Pillatre Christian School down the road last year far exceeded our expectations...she learned Creole, she made friends, she loved her teachers, she has greatly grown out of her previously incredibly shy shell, and she even learned to write cursive :) The only downside last year was the increased exposure for our family to so many of the germs, parasites and bacterias that four-year olds pick up when they start going to school. (I'm sure many of you can relate!)

So, she was very disappointed when the national start to the school year was moved from September 2 to October 2. Her uniform jumper was just finished this week...

and now just has to have mom sew her name on the bib. Until October 2nd comes, I've been homeschooling Lily in the afternoons during Sofie's nap time.

yes, that IS an old dart board turned bulletin board :) Someone Pinterest that for me.

Once school starts in October, she'll go to Pillatre on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and continuing with homeschooling on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, making sure she's not only growing in her Creole, but in her English skills, too!

While homeschooling has proved to be a lot of work, I can honestly say that we are BOTH enjoying this undivided time together, and I am just continually impressed with what a sponge she is...soaking it up and growing in her writing, reading, time telling, counting, vocabulary, Bible verses, etc. every day.

Thank you for praying for our girls as they grow, and we're asking for your prayers for better immunities and health once school is underway!

What's happening at Emmaus?

We are three days into to Session 2 of Intensive courses. We've got four visiting professors teaching, three from the States and one from Haiti. Bill Moxen (not pictured) is living in Cap-Haitien and teaching our Inductive Bible Study course.

Chris Geyer, with the help of Aly-Donnson (class of 2013) is teaching Systematic Theology to 2nd year...

Bryan Easley, with the help of Junior (class of 2013) is teaching Leadership to 3rd year...

and Bob Petruccio, with the help of Simeon (class of 2013) is teaching Pastoral Theology to 4th year!

Meanwhile, the rest of us are working hard to support the current classes, and to prepare for the residential term that starts on September 23rd, and for all of our classes that begin then.

I'm preparing for English One, English Three and a new Advanced English course for upperclass students and staff members, Matt is prepping for Intro to the Old Testament and Old Testament Historical Books, Vilmer's prepping for Greek and Homiletics, Fanfan for Hebrew and Pentatuch, and Lucner is overseeing Senior Thesis-es (?) this year.

We feel incredibly blessed to have both the staff and the students that we have, representing so much of the island of Haiti and so many gifts of the Spirit and all growing and serving and working daily together.

Thank you for your prayers for this new school year and for all the parts of His Body here at EBS in Haiti!

How can we pray?

Giselaine's (Granny's) health continues to be very poor.

Claudin buried a 4-year old boy from his church yesterday when he choked to death on a kinep, a very common fruit in season here right now with a large pit.

Lucner's wife has had very poor health (malaria? sickle cell anemia?) since delivering their son almost 2 months ago, causing she and Lucner a lot of time, money and frustration.

The senior pastor at the Vaudreil church stepped down on Sunday, adding a huge burden to Lucner, who has told the church he simply cannot take the position (he is an associate pastor there.) Please pray for the church and community and for Lucner as they work to find a new pastor...

The Heckman family continues to transition and adjust to their new life in Haiti, homeschooling the kids, learning the language, etc. Please keep praying for this process for them!

Matt's brother and his wife are scheduled to deliver our new niece on MONDAY...we are very excited for them, and appreciate your prayers for her surgery and everybody's good health!

Many families are scrounging and struggling and working to make ends meet right now to send their children to school on October 2nd. We're helping as many people as we can in whatever ways He is prompting us too, but this is just a huge and overwhelming need for SO many. September is a very stressful month for many, and we know of several families personally who are selling the food from their gardens to pay for uniforms and books...and going hungry. Thank you for praying...

Many of our past and present students pastor churches that have schools inside their churches for their communities...and many of them are struggling to find ways to pay staff, get ready for the new year, etc...again, we're doing all we can, but would appreciate your prayers. Ezechiel, Enick, Petit-Sauvelt, Belony...

What's been GOOD?

Matt has been having SUCH a good time with our VP's, with Phil and Sam...it's hard to remember the days that we lived alone with empty houses all around us and Lily's only friends were 35 year old students! Sunday he got to jam with Phil, Emily and Bryan in the chapel...he and Ryan are hitting up the Heckman's bowflex and hitting the punching bag, Matt and all the VP's are engaging in all kinds of theological conversations that I have little to no understanding of, the evenings are filled with man movies and games, the girls are loving having so many "monsters" to chase them around the house and loving the new kids next door...yesterday evening we all chatted and played frisbee in the yard until it was too dark to see...working and living in community is good.

Bob brought his wife Launa with him, and they are setting up all three of our missionary couples for a date night Friday night...paying for us to go out to eat together AND watching all of our kids AND feeding the kids and all the visitors for us. Needless to say, this does NOT happen often...what a gift! We are all really excited!

Friends. On Monday night, Emily fed the visitors (THAT has been good, too!), freeing the girls and my afternoon up to do something we wanted to do...visit Noel's huge family! When we first arrived, the girls weren't sure what to "do"...Sofie asking incessantly to play with the kids toys (there WERE none) and Lily being shy.

But within minutes, Nata and Mausha pulled out a big bucket with about an inch of water in it, and before I knew it, all 6 kiddos were elbow's deep in "making soup"...gathering sticks and leaves and rocks, chattering away in Creole, charging about the yard...freeing me up to sit with Noel, her parents, her brother and six sisters and visit, listen, laugh, encourage, pray and relationship.