the last three days...

Matt was the godfather (similar to best man, but with multiple financial obligations) at a 3-hour wedding, complete with aisle interpretive dancers, cremas (a Haitian celebratory drink made up of cow milk, alcohol, chocolate powder, and vanilla, made months ago and kept in catsup bottles until the big day), satin gloves (for the men) and a LOT of really close up and very stern faced photography.

Junior led, Civil sang and Bryan preached at the first English chapel of the year on 1 Kings...it was a GREAT service.

We spent the evening with Jeff, OMS Haiti's International Regional Director, and stayed up late talking.

We joined the rest of the OMS Haiti missionaries and Jeff  for brunch Saturday followed by a long, but really good, meeting about field issues and about how we can do things better.  He brought candy bars.  That's always a good thing in a country where you can't buy candy bars.

Lily played with the big bubbles Don left her...and kept asking when Don was going to play bubbles with her again.

I made pretzels for the third time, and they finally taste like real pretzels.

We stayed up late again watching (and for me, crying through) Soul Surfer.  Carrie Underwood, not fantastic.  But the movie? really good.  Unless you're already deathly afraid of sharks.   Dad, you've got to see it.  Lisa, you would never swim again.

I dreamed that I made supper for the Renner family in our crock pot, left it on too long, and when I finally opened it to serve dinner, it had turned just into hot water.  I was mortified.  I wish you guys would come back now.

We went to Piat with 5 of the students for church...which started at 8:30, ended at 11:30, and still ran out of time for a sermon.  It was kid's Sunday, which included lots of competitions, Bible recitation and singing and was figuratively very cool.  Literally, it was a million degrees and a three hour service.  Lily had a good time the last 30 minutes when I finally let her leave the sanctuary.

Bryan and I worked through some issues we've been having with QuickBooks, Matt prepped for classes, Bryan made us killer hamburgers, we did a bunch of laundry now that the sun is out again, the girls both took a nap at the SAME TIME on Sunday, we thought that 25 chickens got stolen, then found out they just got miscommunicated all the way to Cap-Haitian and we each took at least 5 cold showers.

This is going to be a GOOD week...

everything is already well!

Two weeks ago our field leader jokingly referred to a book called "Death by Meetings." By today, it was no joke! We have had a record number of meetings since September 1st, and we are quite happy this evening to be finished and back to "normal" work :)

Friday morning we were able to be a part of a quarterly half-day of prayer that all the OMS ministries participate in. We meet under the mango tree at the front of the mission, and are always blessed to sing praises together, hear about what God is doing in the different ministries OMS Haiti is a part of, and to pray together.

This time, in particular, I was touched by a specific song we sang. While quite simple, the more we sang it over and over, the more the truth of the words washed over me, melting much of the concern and stress we've been feeling lately...

Everything is already well

Everything is already well!

Because Jesus is on the throne,

Everything is already well,

Everything is already well.

AMEN, I thought, giving Him the sick baby, many meetings, conflicts and stresses of daily living, remembering that everything is already taken care of, because of the cross and because He is still on the throne!

With that, we headed into 8 90 minute sessions of "Team Building" seminars with a couple from headquarters. Half of Friday, Sunday, and all of Saturday we spent as a missionary team, talking about unity, conflict and forgiveness.

Lily was quite sick the whole time, and I think we got less than 8 90 minute sessions of sleep the entire weekend! However, I was so blessed by how our OMS Family came around us and helped...holding a very fussy Lily, playing with her, distracting her, holding her while she slept, having us over for supper, coming by to check on her, checking up on us, etc... We are praising God for the great gift we can be to each other!

Now back to class! The new year is in full swing, and tomorrow Matt will also begin teaching in town...Please be praying that this would be a beautiful time of learning and teaching and discliping and that the Lord would show clearly through Matt, giving all wisdom and teachable hearts!

We had a rather elderly evangelist that we have worked with a few times previously come to the door Saturday night, brimming with joy.

"I will learn Hebrew and the book of Psalms this week?" he asked Matt excitedly.

"Yes," Matt told him. "Beginning this Monday, every Monday, from 2-4, at Samarie Church in town."

"And I can come?" he asked, still shaking Matt's hand.

"Yes, yes," Matt said. "You can come."

"And how much money will I need to find before then?" he asked.

"Nothing, nothing. It is free!" Matt replied. "I'll see you Monday?"

"Oh OH!" the evangelist said, practically jumping back and forth from one foot to the other. "I WILL be there! I will be the first one there!"

We are just SO thankful for this opportunity. Matt has been given SO many opportunities to learn and study the Bible: through teachers, pastors, church, college, books, his masters, professors, etc...And SO many here have had SO little opportunity to ever learn more about the Word...What a gift this could be for Matt and the men and women in attendance!

Please pray for good strength, boldness, wisdom and purity in our lives this week!