crazy days!

I'm just gonna keep trying to catch up...and then slow it all down for a bit!


After the last day of classes on Friday, Sam had a million kids for his global birthday party...which the girls loved.

This weekend, Phil, Emily, Cindy and Annika came from New Jersey to help with a few projects and for Emily and Cindy to do a women's retreat for expats and missionaries on the Haiti field. Because Matt was gone, I wasn't going to be able to attend, even though the retreat was here at Emmaus, and at the last minute Cindy and Emily roped Annika in and she came and helped with the girls!! Such a gift. 

We all needed this time of rest and teaching and the girls had a great time, too.  

(plus a few more friends who left before the last session!)

And then Saturday evening Dad got home...and we were all so very glad...and then Ben got into the cake I made for staff Christmas party.

Sunday night, we had our traditional Christmas Eve (but not :) Lasagna Dinner, and it was so fun. 

God has been so faithful to Matt Ayars and I. But I’m not going to lie. We miss living in community with Phil Heckman and Emily Heckman every single day. 

One of the traditions I miss the most each year was our family Christmas Eve lasagna dinner....and it is a big deal to me that while they are here for only five days (serving and loving on the women on the Haiti field through an awesome retreat with Cynthia Dutton), they still somehow took the time and energy and money and thoughtfulness to bring in everything they needed to serve us lasagna dinner, to give wrapped, thoughtful gifts to all of us, to bring things to help with the staff Christmas party tomorrow, to bring special foods and cook them for women’s retreat, to love on and speak truth to thirteen other expat and missionary women and to bring a good friend to help with child-care, to love on the kids, to help out with a few campus projects, and to do all of it while stepping out of their very busy lives in the middle of a very busy season.

I mean...who does that? 

So thankful tonight for good friends who still act like good neighbors...for good friends who moved away, but didn’t leave. ❤️😭

Then Monday we had our EU staff Christmas Party, which is by far one of my favorite days of the year.  SO. MUCH. FUN.

It’s taken a lot of courage, a lot of determination, a lot of hard work and a lot of sacrifice (and a lot of trust!) from this good-looking crew right here to carry Emmaus through the past semester, by His grace! 

What fun today to worship together, to play some games, to eat together, and to celebrate as the faculty and staff of EU. 

All that we have given, Christ gave us first! 🎄🥰

OK, I'm wiped just celebrating through all that again.

Today the Heckmans, Cindy and Annika left Emmaus at 1, and Matt pulled in again at 7 pm. Their flight was at 5 pm and they almost missed it.

That means the 12 miles to town and back again took 6 hours.  Six. Driving, the entire time.  Flooding and rain, mud, traffic, congestion, loaders, trash, roads underwater...it was a nightmare.

Life that seems like it couldn't get any harder for Haiti just NEVER STOPS.

It was nice to celebrate for a few days all that He has brought Haiti through these past months...even as there is so much, so much, that is so heavy.

Thank you for your continued prayers!