His grace so needed, every day

It was a big weekend!  Saturday we spend the morning finishing up homeschool, chores and finances, and spent the afternoon and evening hanging out with friends, hiking up the mountain with 8 small children (and 800 small village children :), swimming in some icy springs and eating ribs (the joy of good friend pig and chicken farmers!  I need to find some ice cream farmer friends.)

Matt then preached both services at Pastor Childric's church in town...the 6 AM and the 10 am.  The kids and I decided NOT to join him for the 6 AM service, but we did enjoy worshipping together for the 10 am, though it's by far the less crowded and "not as fun" Anne-Yolie told me :).  Somehow, today was the FIRST time I've done the whole church thing (getting everyone and me ready, getting us all there, and attending the 2 1/2 hour service) alone with four kids!  Since Ben has been born, I have ALWAYS had another adult with me, either Matt or Nikki or Sharon or someone!!  What a huge blessing is that?!  

All the same, Lily and Sofie are so faithful to help with Ben and Nora and we did it...no tears, no lost shoes, no lost minds, and only 1 snack :)  

On the way home Matt and the bigs picked up some produce and visited their dear friends from school...their mother has been terribly ill and everyone's been praying! It's very cultural to spend Sunday afternoons after church visiting the sick, orphans, widows (I love that about Haiti!) and we were thankful to see her doing a bit better today and for the girls to remind their friends of their prayers and love.

The littles and I picked up diapers, hand soap and spaghetti sauce, all three of those items being almost impossible to find...in one day, at one gas station!!

Unfortunately, gas has actually been the impossible thing to find again, with none available all week and the deep-seated fuel+economy issues not just fading away.  (I guess they don't really DO that, do they).  We have diapers...but the car is done until fuel returns to the North. 

Plans continue to shift as more teams and visitors have cancelled due to Haiti continuing to be a level four for the US Department travel advisory rating...putting us on the short 4 list.  Yikes.  

South Sudan Travel Advisory	Level 4: Do Not Travel	December 11, 2018
North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) Travel Advisory	Level 4: Do Not Travel	December 19, 2018
Somalia Travel Advisory	Level 4: Do Not Travel	December 26, 2018
Afghanistan Travel Advisory	Level 4: Do Not Travel	February 13, 2019
Haiti Travel Advisory	Level 4: Do Not Travel	February 14, 2019
Yemen Travel Advisory	Level 4: Do Not Travel	February 14, 2019
Venezuela Travel Advisory	Level 4: Do Not Travel	March 12, 2019

While I can assure you that Northern Haiti is very un-level 4, it reminds me that those "scary ratings" and rankings are actually people's lives, lots of children, people's every. single. days. What a renewed burden for prayer, prayers for His power, His presence, His people, for His deep peace despite circumstances. Keep praying for Haiti. Keep praying for the world, His grace so needed every day.  

On we go, with your prayers, by His grace!