nou fini!

What a great day!  We all did it!  What a great feeling today having a chance during the Thanksgiving Service to think back over the past year and realize how much has been accomplished, how much He has done and moved, how He has put us all together and worked through EBS as His Body.  Taking a few hours at the end of the school year to reflect and praise Him was such a great idea!

A few highlights...

Despite the fact that I am 36 weeks pregnant, COUNTLESS people this week have mistaken Lisa for being me, and she is constantly feeling rude when people start talking to her in Creole, wait for her to respond, and then she can't even explain to them that she is NOT me.

 We had a great turnout made up of students and staff, lots of past students, area pastors and other Christian leaders from Northern Haiti.

 Excellent, Jean Marie and Devicouer all did solo performances....

 ...and Lily fell asleep soon after.  I also got some great pictures of several other people sleeping throughout the service, but I'm saving them for future use :)

 Matt broke the Haitian tradition of keeping formal services VERY formal by joking around a bit and by calling on several sleeping students...

 ...which got laughs from them as well.

 Belony was also able to come for the first time in a long time and take part in the ceremony.  It ended after 2.5 hours with a special communion service...a great way to finish.

Then, everyone shared in a huge meal of goat (poor Speckles was purchased on Wednesday, Lily fell in love, and then eaten on Friday) chicken (which Lily took to the new chicken coop and tried to feed to the baby chickens), spicy pasta, rice and beans, plantain, beets and salad.

As always, we feel so blessed to a be a part of the Emmaus Community, and I personally was really overjoyed and touched today to have so many students come find us before heading home for vacation just to thank us and make their prayers known.  For all the days that we work as teachers and administrators and missionaries, all that ever really matters is that we have real relationships with the brothers and sisters that He has shared with us.

I feel gifted, as well, that He has given us all the strength and endurance and energy, patience, perseverance and good health to finish this year well!  Six months ago with our Sofie-scare, I didn't think I'd even get to be a part of this semester.  To have seen its' successful completion today was a gift and blessing.  He has been, is and continues to be so Faithful, not because of who or what we are or do, but simply because He Is. 

Thank you for all your prayers!

full days, full hearts

I will forever love this picture.  Given, yesterday was a bit overcast and rainy.   But it is May in Haiti, and I was still dripping.  Berthil, however was miserable, and I actually caught him blowing warm air into his hands :)

This is a fun time to be in Haiti...our hearts are about as full as our days!

It's hard to believe that another full year is drawing to a close at Emmaus Biblical Seminary...our fourth! Once again, it was a year of instability in Haiti, with cholera and then all the political excitement, but once again the staff and students endured and persevered and are ready to step into the next stage of ministry and training for their lives.

Everyone is tired and excited for the weeks off ahead, but still buckling down to finish well and test well.  Having fun activities (see the EBS blog for the full schedule) in the afternoons helps, and it really has felt like a week of celebration of all He's done and been this past year.

On the homefront, it also feels like a celebration with a full house of friends and family, friends coming to visit and wish us well for our time in the States and Lily elated 24/7.

She has only asked for Mommy or Poppy one time since Aunt Lisa and Uncle Adam arrived.  Yesterday, when scaling the outside of the bunk beds in her room, Aunt Lisa told her that it was not safe, and put her back on the ground.  Quickly realizing that Aunt Lisa was not going to budge, Lily let out a big sigh and said, "Hey, where's Poppy?"

Are ALL dads known for being push-overs when it comes to their daughters :)?

The staff/3rd year soccer match yesterday was a little sad (while the oldest person on our staff is only 43, we looked...old :), we only lost by one point, and everyone had a blast playing and watching.  Soccer competitions bring out this child-like and joyful side to our Haitian brothers and sisters that rarely show elsewhere, and I always love sitting in the middle, listening, and just enjoying being a part of so much happiness and excitement and comedy.

NorthRidge, Chris also proved himself well during the match (the first visiting professor ever to be allowed to play) and we believe that "soccer skillz" needs added to his repertoire in Sabetha!

We feel blessed to be a part of so many different cultures and surrounded by so many different lives and callings and giftings day in and day out!

(every time the ball went over the wall, everyone would collapse :)

a week of thanksgiving and elbow grease

It's about all we can do to hang on lately!  There is SO much going on!

Most exciting news: Junior spent the afternoon in Konpech this afternoon, sharing the Gospel, and today, the witchdoctor who owns the property/runs the community came over to listen.  For whatever reason, after Junior was finished the witchdoctor told him that he could see that what Junior is doing is a good thing, and to keep coming!  This could change everything for everyone, as that many people have been concerned that listening to Junior could cause the witchdoctor to kick them off the land...we'll see where this goes!

For now, it looks/feels a lot like a miracle...something only God can do!

Other very exciting news: tomorrow morning Matt is proctoring my first year English final exam and then teaching both of his courses while Lily and I go to the airport to get Aunt Lisa and Uncle Adam!  Adam's going to help out Don, and Matt where he can, and Lisa is going to help me...get everything done at the office (month end finances, year end finances, financially register all 45 students for next year, grade all 45 finals, create/print diplomas, create/print 150 programs, finish making our "year at Emmaus" DVD, etc.) by watching Lily, help me get the house ready for us to go, and help me go through all of Lily's old stuff, sort things for Sofie, rebuild Lily's crib, see what we'll be needing for Sofie, etc.

I am REALLY beginning to feel 35 weeks pregnant (swollen feet, sore everything, can NOT cool down, can't sleep...you know) and WOW, I would be COMPLETELY overwhelmed by this upcoming week if my little sister (who also happens to be incredibly organized and shockingly efficient) weren't coming to take care of me :)

Other fun news: This week, in lieu of a "normal" graduation ceremony due to the fact that there are only 3 students graduating from the fourth year program, we are doing a full week of activities followed by a large "Thanksgiving" service on Friday involving members of the community, local church and past-graduates.  That means that this week will also be full of soccer matches, musical chairs (this is a BIG and frequently VERY passionate party game here in Haiti :), Coke drinking competitions (last year, Borgella won by drinking 12 large glass bottles of Coke in less than 30 minutes), egg races, dramas, musical performances, a talent show, a Bible trivia competition and...I can't even remember what else.

Lily, Sofie and I head for Ohio a week from tomorrow, so we also have a lot of friends to visit/farwell this upcoming week!

Praise the Lord for the invaluable help of so many Americans/Haitians/Canadians during this time to finish the school year WELL, to help the students finish well, and to relationship-build, kingdom-build, and literally build-build with Emmaus at this time!

Don's sidewalk project complete and already decorated by Lily...

Prayer request: tomorrow Matt, Lucner and Paul have the very unpleasant and painful responsibility ahead of them to let a student go.  While everyone involved is increasingly confident that this must be done and is the right thing to do, it's looking as if this will not go well and Matt's been dreading it all weekend.  Please pray for everyone involved.