updates...

Man alive.  Friday evening or Saturday I must have picked up some kind of parasite, because it was a miserable weekend.  VERY thankfully, Matt and the girls didn't get whatever "Haitian Happiness" I did, and once Matt got home from preaching Sunday afternoon, he was just dad and husband of the year...diapers, dishes, princess parties, dinner.

Very thankful that "I think I'm going to die" turned into a 24 hour thing, and very thankful this morning to be feeling almost myself again, and down 6 pounds.

For some answers to several of you and updates...

-Belony is still sick, and after a visit to Milo clinic, still unsure of what is wrong.  He's not the only one who is starting to feel concerned over this ongoing "sickness".

-Elizay did NOT have surgery last week because whenever he went to the hospital, the price he had previously been given for the surgery went up 9x's.  He was told that that was the new price.  Corruption + no medical insurance in existence = no surgery.  He's looking into some other clinics...

-I've been doing lots of investigation through different Bible studies many of you have presented, and a lot of them seem fantastic.  With some of the women I'd like to do the study with being unable to read and none of the women being able to read in English, I am feeling a tad limited!  Use a study and translate the lessons and study into Creole?   Use the Creole Bible and try to facilitate good questions that will help the woman find meaning and application on their own?  Still praying and researching...

-Oswald Chambers.  I most often use two different devotionals by him...Either "My Utmost for His Highest" or "Devotions for a Deeper Life."   Both of them go through the calendar with a passage and a meditative thought for the day.  Both of them are just fantastic, and I've been using "My Utmost" for years now.

-No, there are no other missionaries living with us right now.  We are NOT on the main OMS compound in Vaudreil (about 45 minutes from down town Cap-Haitien), but are 30 minutes from there (about 1:15 minutes from Cap-Haitien).  While OMS Haiti has 6-8 short or long-term missionaries in Haiti right now, we are currently the only ones at the Seminary, which is where we live (on the Seminary campus).  But, 75 of our Haitian brothers and sisters are on campus with us all day, 50 live with us all week, and 4-6 stay with us on the weekends.

-ice cream.

Ok, so nobody asked anything with the answer ice cream.  But goodness.  I can't stop thinking about it all the same.  Dairy Queen buster bar.  or Blizzard.  or Ben and Jerry's anything.  I need to stop.

Matthew 5:16, another well known verse that is hitting me in a new way right now:

Let your light shine before men
in such away 
that they may see your good works
and glorify your Father


What way IS that?  What way can I better be letting Him shine through me that causes people to glorify Him?  How can I be more absent!?

thank you all for your prayers

president? prayers

Haiti plans for today to be a big day!  Tonight around 6 pm, an announcement is supposed to be made announcing the new president.  Everyone seems to be quite tired of waiting, especially in an election where "everyone KNOWS" who will be the next president.  If "everyone" is right, the announcement should be relatively peaceful (partying only.)  However, if the opposing candidate is announced as having won, there are plenty of threats circulating for complete chaos and rioting.

With plans to head to Port-au-Prince this weekend and a team of 11 coming in next Saturday, we are hoping the announcement will finally come tonight (it's already been pushed off several times), and that whatever is going to happen will happen so that, after FIVE months of political uncertainty, we can finally have some kind of better stability.  Everyone is ready for some political peace.

We are putting our confidence in Christ as the king of Haiti no matter what the announcement reveals.

Meanwhile, we've had not a touch of internet all weekend again, and found 56 messages in my inbox this morning just from Saturday and Sunday...if you're waiting to hear from us, it's coming!  (but the internet cut out as soon as the 56 messages came through, so...someday :)

We had a good weekend, with a quiet work day at home on Saturday, a visit to Elizay's church on Sunday, a surprise request for Matt to preach during that service, and a great family afternoon at the pool in town.  Time for just the three of us is very rare, and we had an idyllic afternoon at a hotel, swimming with Lily, having lunch together, and not talking about work!

This is one of our favorite churches to visit, built on top of a huge garbage dump in downtown Cap-Haitien.  It is built smack in the middle of a community, with houses literally 2 feet around it on all sides, meaning that when the Gospel is being preached in front of 100, it is being heard by 1000.  Just seeing children, men and women stopping in the doorways to listen when they passed is such good community evangelism and outreach!

There were several people and several problems waiting for us upon arriving home...please be praying with us for wisdom, love and truth as we have the opportunity and challenge to live life alongside of some major dissension issues in the Saccanville church, several friends blatantly not walking with the Lord and seeking counsel, different burdens and crises of the students, etc.

We are anxious to only follow His guidance and leading as to what we do, what we say, how we help, how involved we are, etc.  His kingdom and His name is too precious to hinder with our own good intentions, "good ideas" and desires to serve Him.  It has to be His way in His time or not at all!    Always relying on your prayers!

IF we have the internet capacity, we'll keep you closely posted on political happenings these next few days!