lifted

Today was one of those days we'll remember, always.

Glory, glory to God, today EBS was officially accredited by the Caribbean Evangelical Theological Association (CETA), affirming that EBS measures up to global standards for higher education, and establishing Emmaus as the first and only school in all of Haiti (or the Dominican) to be so accredited.

This journey, as you know if you've been with us for a while, has included hundreds of changes, improvements, purchases, policies, procedures, manuals, trainings, best practices, inspections, meetings and adjustments, and it has been by the hard work and perseverance of many over the past 12+ years, and the ultimate work of God's grace, provision and power.

If you know Matt, you know that he's totally at home in front of people.  Preaching on the spot doesn't phase him, speaking in front of a thousand people doesn't even make him hesitate.  But he was cracking me up, today, nervous as can be and searching for words while preparing to announce to our staff and students that we have received this accreditation.

He finally settled on a bottle of sparkling cider (a must for major celebrations in this culture) and made sure everyone was in chapel.

He asked Guenson if it was his birthday, to which Guenson wisely responded, "No, but if you want to celebrate me, I'm ready!" He asked Jodenel if it was his wedding day, to which he responded, "Not yet, but save some for me!"  In the end, he shared that even though it wasn't a particularly special day for any of our staff or students, that it WAS a special day for Haiti, for Cap-Haitian, for Emmaus, for us each.

We've worked hard, from the very beginning, to always be working to encourage and lift our brothers and sisters up.  It's why we send our kiddos to Haitian school, it's why we go to Haitian church, it's why we eat Haitian food, why we speak the Haitian language, why we're friends and family before we're missionaries.

But today was gloriously fun and incredibly worshipful because our staff and students and school and country were lifted up, not by a few passionate getting-old-and-fat fallen-short foreigners, but by being tested and tried and poked and prodded and stretched and interviewed and inspected...and successful...something everyone agreed today over and over could only have been possible by the Lord's hand, from start to finish.

And it was a JOY to sit in the back and witness, for all the times I've sat in the back and prayed as our brothers and sisters have been put down and defeated and hungry and persecuted and thrown rocks at and made fun of and witnessed and lived through such heart-break and tragedy, to sit back and witness their encouragement, today.

I've got 20 minutes of awesome video I won't bore you with, but after this Matt spoke for a few minutes and invited Lucner up.  Lucner gave a fantastic speech (he was so excited!) that had me in tears, and then various members of the staff came up and shook the sparkling cider...dancing and singing and celebrating with our students (my first worship service including all that :).  

The kitchen was dancing and hooting, the students were hugging the rest of the day, Matt and the rest of the staff have been glowing, for what seemed very definitely so impossible for Emmaus, even impossible for Haiti, God has helped and worked for many years to bring about.  

It was a fun, uplifting day to be at Emmaus...really wish you could have been here.  

You have been, as you have prayed and supported and come and encouraged...thank you.