Dear Family and Friends,
As I sit here and eat another delicious Valentine’s Day cookie from my mother, I’m reminded again how blessed I am to have such a marvelous family. Jay and Ronda Grube and two of their children, Jamison and Reagan, came to Haiti on Thursday from Bluffton and delivered some gifts from my family – heart cookies, vitamin C, cards, candy hearts, and Peeps (yum!). Sophie, my precious little niece, sent me a card with all kinds of little “drawings” on it, and taped inside the card was a quarter from her gumball machine. How sweet is that?! My Mom always made us a Valentine’s Day feast, complete with big Jell-O hearts, shrimp, cheese ball, and some scrumptious dessert. I’ll be missing the feast, but I’m hoping they’ll save me a piece of the dessert (hint, hint).
I’m heading back home for a month in...24 days. Whoo-hoo! World Relief gives us two months of furlough each year, for which I’m extremely grateful. Marie Lucie and I both felt like it was wise for me to split my furlough instead of taking it all at once. The Gutweins go home for harvest and the Reinhards go home during the summer. Since I’m not connected to work teams, I can go whenever as long as Marie Lucie approves. Well, two months is a long time to leave the books and correspondence unattended, so I decided to take a month now and a month in August. So, I’ll be back in time to help Joe and Heidi serve lunch for the first time at Champaign/Urbana, vacation at Pokagon State Park with the Gerber family, celebrate my niece’s third birthday at Chucky Cheese, observe St. Patty’s Day with my friends, and watch Grace’s high school play at Kingdom Academy. In case you can’t tell, I’m super excited!
I’m excited for this coming week, too. The Reinhard’s are taking the Grubes out to a little island on Monday, and I get to tag along. We’ll be building benches for a small church in the morning and swimming in the afternoon. It will be good to get out of the office for a day of sun and surf. I’ve never taken a Haitian boat out onto the ocean before, so that should be an adventure. Wednesday morning, all the missionaries are invited to the MEBSH offices for a meet and greet. The MEBSH leadership want to know more about who’s who and what our particular missions are and have organized a time to share together.
This past week, I spent most of my time at Child Care, but in the evenings, I enjoyed the Love Comes Softly series from Hallmark. I just started the Beverly Lewis book series Abram’s Daughters about the life of an Amish family in the 1940’s. There was tea Tuesday and church Wednesday. Today, I went to Bambou church with the Gutweins and the new well-drilling team. The van died just as we entered Simon, so Val took a motorcycle taxis back to their house and got the Toyota. We piled a bunch of people in and on that vehicle! Check out the photos. After lunch at the Nami, we took a little tour of the wharf. I’ll be spending the evening making cookies for tomorrow, finishing my reading, and prepping for the week ahead. I like to feel like I have a plan even though it is Haiti, and nothing ever turns out quite the way you think it should.
I wanted to thank all of you who made encouraging comments on my blog or sent uplifting emails. I felt your prayers this week. In fact, I’m reading a book right now called Touch the World Through Prayer by Wesley L. Duewel, a former missionary to India and president of OSM International. I’m learning more and more about the importance and power of prayer. It does make a difference, so thank you again for the many prayers on behalf of Haiti and all who live and work here.
“Not only can your prayer reach heaven, but the arm of prayer can also span the miles to any part of the world, and you in your place of intercession can touch someone who needs you, even thousands of miles away. This is not make-believe. This is spiritual reality.” – Wesley Duewel
http://picasaweb.google.com/aheartforhaiti/Jan20093?feat=directlink
In His service,
Abby
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
MEBSH Child Care
Dear Family and Friends,
It occurred to me this week that I haven’t talked about my job much in this blog. Normally, I mention all the fun, after-work activities or adventures I’ve enjoyed that week. This week, I’d like to tell you a little bit more about what I do everyday in the MEBSH Child Care office.
First, we need to ask the question, “Why was I sent here?” Primarily, I was sent here, to this particular field office, to fulfill the request of Madam Chavannes Jenue, known to the world in general as Marie Lucie, the director and administrator of Child Care. She asked the ACS (Apostolic Child Sponsorship) Board for assistance with the program’s bank reconciliations, sponsor/child correspondence, and general financial accountability. I work with issues in all these areas and a few others besides. Let me give you a theoretical vision of how the office is supposed to run. (Of course, as Rob Lehman likes to say, in the fog of war, it doesn’t always go as planned.)
The students are required to come to the Child Care office at least every three months for their support and to write and respond to any correspondence from their sponsors. At this time, Jean (receptionist, driver) checks for four items: a church attendance card, a report card, the last letter they wrote, and the last picture they had taken. When all is in order, he sends the students into the building where they either go directly to Pastor Amos for their support check or wait to see Marie Lucie about any questions or concerns. If they need shoes, books, extra money for food, a doctor’s appointment, or additional help, they speak to Marie Lucie about it. In turn, she will check their accounts and see what extra support they have available. We are able to help children who do not have any additional money for extras through a general fund called “Where Needed.” This is a huge blessing for the program as food and tuition prices have skyrocketed here in Haiti. When the student’s needs are met to the best of our ability, they go to Pastor Amos who writes the support check.
This ends the process for the student, but there is more to be done. The checks are all entered into Quicken, along with the deposits from the fundings for each of our support organizations. ACS is not the only donor to MEBSH Child Care, but it is by far and away the largest. I’m guessing that ACS supports about 75% of the students and costs of running this field office. We also received contributions from Puschendorf and German Missionary Fellowship (two German organizations), FOI (a French Canadian organization), and direct sponsors. All the money going in and flowing out is recorded first in Quicken and then again in the Child Care program. The Child Care program (gifted to us by the talented Rob Lehman) keeps track of all the details of the students – what school they attend, where they live, how old they are, when they are expected to graduate, the cost of their education, the support they receive, the money we pay out for tuition, uniforms, supplies, medical help, books, etc. It also can give us detailed reports for nearly every aspect of the office. We use Quicken to follow the money and deal with the banks.
So, it’s my job to take the bank statements and reconcile them with Quicken. Then, when I’m sure the statement is good and the information in Quicken is correct, I move on to reconciling Quicken with the Child Care program. It's a challenge with five different currencies, five different banks, and numerous accounts. In the meantime, I assist the Pastors by doing data entry into both programs and keeping up with correspondence from the children to the sponsors and vice versa. Lucner is our translator, and as he finishes letters, I reread them, note the date in the Child Care program, and individually label it with the correct funding organization, student, sponsor, and numbers. I write emails to our supporters and funding organizations and organize the files. In fact, I should be receiving two big filing cabinets soon to help me do just that. Right now, some of the files for 2008 are in a cardboard box. I love to organize, so I’m looking forward to a weekend when I can dig into the years of files stored in the office and categorize, label, and arrange them into some type of manageable system.
There are other facets of Child Care. For instance, we support 90+ schools by increasing teachers’ salaries. We give community aid to fix roads and host teaching seminars. We give education aid to help students who don’t have a steady sponsor pay for tuition by the semester, if we have the funds. We are starting a program to send out a school inspector to increase accountability among the staff and students. We distribute your generous gifts of school supplies, health kits, and extra money for food. My prayer is that my presence here will lift Marie Lucie’s burden, increase accountability, expand the program, and most importantly, glorify God.
But, I want a moment to speak plainly. Something my sister said to me has resonated within my heart for weeks. We are blessed to instance message nearly every day since we both spend most of our time at our computers. She said to me, “I read your blog and think everything is just great. Then, you IM and I see how things really are.” It’s not as if I’m making things up to put on my blog, but I do choose the best of the best that week. I work hard to make everything seem exciting and fun and blessed and uplifting, but you know what: This is life, and it’s hard to live here alone.
It seems to me that if I need your prayer support (and I do...desperately), then you should know the real issues that I deal with here in Haiti. These are the things that they warn you about in missionary training, the things you don’t write home about. So, let me be frank. I honestly believe that this is an amazing opportunity, a gift, and a blessing. I’ve learned a great deal about God and who He is and what He’s all about in the last five months. I’ve learned about relationships and culture and perspectives and conflict. I’ll be the first one to say that this has been an excellent time of refinement. But, I’ll also be the first one to say that it’s not a lot of fun – being refined by fire is not the most hilarious experience you can have. Trust me, it hurts.
Life on the mission field should not be romanticized. I still have to get up everyday at a certain time, report to my desk, sit at my computer, deal with difficult co-workers and office drama, and do boring and seemingly endless data entry. Then, I go home alone. I have a desk job, and I’d like to correct one misrepresentation: I’m not a missionary. I know, I know. You are all throwing up your hands and saying, “Abby, we are all missionaries! Our whole breath and life and purpose is to spread the Word of God, the Good News...Jesus!” I get it, and I agree. But, I support those on the front lines. I’m on the JV squad, the B list, a second-stringer, and that’s OK. The front line workers need the support of the senders or they would fail on the front lines. I support Pastors and teachers and schools who represent Jesus and are speaking the Gospel to their own nationals through education and the program requirements. It’s a good work. It’s just not a glittery, shiny, flashy work. It’s real life. It’s lonely here for a single woman. I miss my family. It’s not all zooming around on polished, red 4-wheelers or swimming in cold waterfalls or going to the beach in January.
I think I was very grounded when I first came here. Unfortunately, I didn’t even have that great honeymoon period where you think that your new culture is so fabulous and the people are so interesting and the work is so fulfilling. I expected it to be hard and lonely and different. I just got here and got to work, like everyone else does wherever they live. What I didn’t count on so much was the lack of fulfillment, the unsettled feeling, the lack of joy. It’s a war down here, and every single day, I have to choose to be happy. I consciously have to choose to be content. I think that was my biggest mistake, to think that something about serving God on the mission field would automatically make me fulfilled and content and happy. Please don’t worry about me, though. I’m fine. I'm deep into practicing contentment and happiness. I’m just attempting to be more transparent and truthful. There is a balance of good and bad in any occupation, and I’m just trying to present a more balanced perspective of my life and work.
In any case, please pray for me and the Child Care office. I want to continue to grow in dependency on the Lord, to be more like Him, to be His true disciple, to be a person of character, peace, joy, love, and contentment. Please pray that the program will continue to improve in accountability, efficiency, and influence. Please pray that all the changes that are coming will be wise and God honoring. Thanks.
Abby
It occurred to me this week that I haven’t talked about my job much in this blog. Normally, I mention all the fun, after-work activities or adventures I’ve enjoyed that week. This week, I’d like to tell you a little bit more about what I do everyday in the MEBSH Child Care office.
First, we need to ask the question, “Why was I sent here?” Primarily, I was sent here, to this particular field office, to fulfill the request of Madam Chavannes Jenue, known to the world in general as Marie Lucie, the director and administrator of Child Care. She asked the ACS (Apostolic Child Sponsorship) Board for assistance with the program’s bank reconciliations, sponsor/child correspondence, and general financial accountability. I work with issues in all these areas and a few others besides. Let me give you a theoretical vision of how the office is supposed to run. (Of course, as Rob Lehman likes to say, in the fog of war, it doesn’t always go as planned.)
The students are required to come to the Child Care office at least every three months for their support and to write and respond to any correspondence from their sponsors. At this time, Jean (receptionist, driver) checks for four items: a church attendance card, a report card, the last letter they wrote, and the last picture they had taken. When all is in order, he sends the students into the building where they either go directly to Pastor Amos for their support check or wait to see Marie Lucie about any questions or concerns. If they need shoes, books, extra money for food, a doctor’s appointment, or additional help, they speak to Marie Lucie about it. In turn, she will check their accounts and see what extra support they have available. We are able to help children who do not have any additional money for extras through a general fund called “Where Needed.” This is a huge blessing for the program as food and tuition prices have skyrocketed here in Haiti. When the student’s needs are met to the best of our ability, they go to Pastor Amos who writes the support check.
This ends the process for the student, but there is more to be done. The checks are all entered into Quicken, along with the deposits from the fundings for each of our support organizations. ACS is not the only donor to MEBSH Child Care, but it is by far and away the largest. I’m guessing that ACS supports about 75% of the students and costs of running this field office. We also received contributions from Puschendorf and German Missionary Fellowship (two German organizations), FOI (a French Canadian organization), and direct sponsors. All the money going in and flowing out is recorded first in Quicken and then again in the Child Care program. The Child Care program (gifted to us by the talented Rob Lehman) keeps track of all the details of the students – what school they attend, where they live, how old they are, when they are expected to graduate, the cost of their education, the support they receive, the money we pay out for tuition, uniforms, supplies, medical help, books, etc. It also can give us detailed reports for nearly every aspect of the office. We use Quicken to follow the money and deal with the banks.
So, it’s my job to take the bank statements and reconcile them with Quicken. Then, when I’m sure the statement is good and the information in Quicken is correct, I move on to reconciling Quicken with the Child Care program. It's a challenge with five different currencies, five different banks, and numerous accounts. In the meantime, I assist the Pastors by doing data entry into both programs and keeping up with correspondence from the children to the sponsors and vice versa. Lucner is our translator, and as he finishes letters, I reread them, note the date in the Child Care program, and individually label it with the correct funding organization, student, sponsor, and numbers. I write emails to our supporters and funding organizations and organize the files. In fact, I should be receiving two big filing cabinets soon to help me do just that. Right now, some of the files for 2008 are in a cardboard box. I love to organize, so I’m looking forward to a weekend when I can dig into the years of files stored in the office and categorize, label, and arrange them into some type of manageable system.
There are other facets of Child Care. For instance, we support 90+ schools by increasing teachers’ salaries. We give community aid to fix roads and host teaching seminars. We give education aid to help students who don’t have a steady sponsor pay for tuition by the semester, if we have the funds. We are starting a program to send out a school inspector to increase accountability among the staff and students. We distribute your generous gifts of school supplies, health kits, and extra money for food. My prayer is that my presence here will lift Marie Lucie’s burden, increase accountability, expand the program, and most importantly, glorify God.
But, I want a moment to speak plainly. Something my sister said to me has resonated within my heart for weeks. We are blessed to instance message nearly every day since we both spend most of our time at our computers. She said to me, “I read your blog and think everything is just great. Then, you IM and I see how things really are.” It’s not as if I’m making things up to put on my blog, but I do choose the best of the best that week. I work hard to make everything seem exciting and fun and blessed and uplifting, but you know what: This is life, and it’s hard to live here alone.
It seems to me that if I need your prayer support (and I do...desperately), then you should know the real issues that I deal with here in Haiti. These are the things that they warn you about in missionary training, the things you don’t write home about. So, let me be frank. I honestly believe that this is an amazing opportunity, a gift, and a blessing. I’ve learned a great deal about God and who He is and what He’s all about in the last five months. I’ve learned about relationships and culture and perspectives and conflict. I’ll be the first one to say that this has been an excellent time of refinement. But, I’ll also be the first one to say that it’s not a lot of fun – being refined by fire is not the most hilarious experience you can have. Trust me, it hurts.
Life on the mission field should not be romanticized. I still have to get up everyday at a certain time, report to my desk, sit at my computer, deal with difficult co-workers and office drama, and do boring and seemingly endless data entry. Then, I go home alone. I have a desk job, and I’d like to correct one misrepresentation: I’m not a missionary. I know, I know. You are all throwing up your hands and saying, “Abby, we are all missionaries! Our whole breath and life and purpose is to spread the Word of God, the Good News...Jesus!” I get it, and I agree. But, I support those on the front lines. I’m on the JV squad, the B list, a second-stringer, and that’s OK. The front line workers need the support of the senders or they would fail on the front lines. I support Pastors and teachers and schools who represent Jesus and are speaking the Gospel to their own nationals through education and the program requirements. It’s a good work. It’s just not a glittery, shiny, flashy work. It’s real life. It’s lonely here for a single woman. I miss my family. It’s not all zooming around on polished, red 4-wheelers or swimming in cold waterfalls or going to the beach in January.
I think I was very grounded when I first came here. Unfortunately, I didn’t even have that great honeymoon period where you think that your new culture is so fabulous and the people are so interesting and the work is so fulfilling. I expected it to be hard and lonely and different. I just got here and got to work, like everyone else does wherever they live. What I didn’t count on so much was the lack of fulfillment, the unsettled feeling, the lack of joy. It’s a war down here, and every single day, I have to choose to be happy. I consciously have to choose to be content. I think that was my biggest mistake, to think that something about serving God on the mission field would automatically make me fulfilled and content and happy. Please don’t worry about me, though. I’m fine. I'm deep into practicing contentment and happiness. I’m just attempting to be more transparent and truthful. There is a balance of good and bad in any occupation, and I’m just trying to present a more balanced perspective of my life and work.
In any case, please pray for me and the Child Care office. I want to continue to grow in dependency on the Lord, to be more like Him, to be His true disciple, to be a person of character, peace, joy, love, and contentment. Please pray that the program will continue to improve in accountability, efficiency, and influence. Please pray that all the changes that are coming will be wise and God honoring. Thanks.
Abby
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Zanglais 2009
There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. Joshua 1:5-7
The Word of God encourages us four times in the first chapter of Joshua to “be strong and courageous.” This weekend, I attended a missionary retreat at the RMI Center in Zanglais. It was very, very spiritually uplifting, and I thank all of you who were praying for our time of renewal and learning. Our Bible teachers were just wonderful women with amazing testimonies of God’s love and faithfulness. We were encouraged again and again to dig into the Word of God for our shelter, hope, guidance, restoration, direction, comfort, and strength. It was a time of refreshment, conviction, and change.
When I sat down to write this new blog entry, I really had to think about the beginning of the week. It seems like a l-o-n-g time ago! Monday, I spent some time at the Gutwein’s house, playing with the kids and chatting with the adults. Tess and I watched Sabrina that night. Tuesday, I enjoyed ladies tea. Wednesday, the Ohio team had their church service on our roof, and we all said goodbye to Shane. He took the crutches with him, and I told him that if he gets to ride one of those little handicap carts in the airport, he should get someone to take a picture of him. That would be classic. Thursday, I attended a Child Care meeting at the MEBSH office and tried to finish my work before we had supper at the Nami with the Ohio team. We bid them farewell on Friday morning.
Friday afternoon, I traveled out to Zanglais. It’s a beautiful area, but more than that, the teachings from the Word were beautiful. We covered Joshua, chapters 1, 2, and 4. Our teachers were knowledgeable, gifted, and wise women. Saturday, we explored more of Joshua, spent time in fellowship and worship, relaxed at the beach, crafted, shared our memorial testimonies, and played Skip-bo late into the night. Sunday, we were challenged to leave the retreat changed women, strong and courageous, with the understanding that God will never leave us nor forsake us. We talked about the Promised Land, deserts we encounter as we cross the Jordon river, obedience to God’s direction, faith in God’s power and truth, and the utter importance of the Word of God in our lives. It was such a wonderful time!
I’m not quite ready to start the week, yet. I’m heading to bed early to make up for those late nights of fellowship, Skip-bo, and Phase 10. While I’m refreshed in spirit, my body is tired. Nothing a good night’s rest won’t cure! Everyone is busy this week. The Gutweins are hosting their Simon orphanage team, and the Reinhards have family here, Joan’s mother and sister. I’ll be working hard at Child Care, and Sheila will be prepping for a new team coming on Friday.
Please pray that I can carry the lessons I learned at the missionary retreat through the week and apply them to my life for the glory of God. A huge thank you to all of you who prayed for our Child Care meetings and the retreat at Zanglais. I believe both encouraged positive changes, in my personal life and the MEBSH Child Care office. Much love! Remember, be strong and courageous for God will never leave us nor forsake us...
http://picasaweb.google.com/aheartforhaiti/Jan20092?feat=directlink
Abby
The Word of God encourages us four times in the first chapter of Joshua to “be strong and courageous.” This weekend, I attended a missionary retreat at the RMI Center in Zanglais. It was very, very spiritually uplifting, and I thank all of you who were praying for our time of renewal and learning. Our Bible teachers were just wonderful women with amazing testimonies of God’s love and faithfulness. We were encouraged again and again to dig into the Word of God for our shelter, hope, guidance, restoration, direction, comfort, and strength. It was a time of refreshment, conviction, and change.
When I sat down to write this new blog entry, I really had to think about the beginning of the week. It seems like a l-o-n-g time ago! Monday, I spent some time at the Gutwein’s house, playing with the kids and chatting with the adults. Tess and I watched Sabrina that night. Tuesday, I enjoyed ladies tea. Wednesday, the Ohio team had their church service on our roof, and we all said goodbye to Shane. He took the crutches with him, and I told him that if he gets to ride one of those little handicap carts in the airport, he should get someone to take a picture of him. That would be classic. Thursday, I attended a Child Care meeting at the MEBSH office and tried to finish my work before we had supper at the Nami with the Ohio team. We bid them farewell on Friday morning.
Friday afternoon, I traveled out to Zanglais. It’s a beautiful area, but more than that, the teachings from the Word were beautiful. We covered Joshua, chapters 1, 2, and 4. Our teachers were knowledgeable, gifted, and wise women. Saturday, we explored more of Joshua, spent time in fellowship and worship, relaxed at the beach, crafted, shared our memorial testimonies, and played Skip-bo late into the night. Sunday, we were challenged to leave the retreat changed women, strong and courageous, with the understanding that God will never leave us nor forsake us. We talked about the Promised Land, deserts we encounter as we cross the Jordon river, obedience to God’s direction, faith in God’s power and truth, and the utter importance of the Word of God in our lives. It was such a wonderful time!
I’m not quite ready to start the week, yet. I’m heading to bed early to make up for those late nights of fellowship, Skip-bo, and Phase 10. While I’m refreshed in spirit, my body is tired. Nothing a good night’s rest won’t cure! Everyone is busy this week. The Gutweins are hosting their Simon orphanage team, and the Reinhards have family here, Joan’s mother and sister. I’ll be working hard at Child Care, and Sheila will be prepping for a new team coming on Friday.
Please pray that I can carry the lessons I learned at the missionary retreat through the week and apply them to my life for the glory of God. A huge thank you to all of you who prayed for our Child Care meetings and the retreat at Zanglais. I believe both encouraged positive changes, in my personal life and the MEBSH Child Care office. Much love! Remember, be strong and courageous for God will never leave us nor forsake us...
http://picasaweb.google.com/aheartforhaiti/Jan20092?feat=directlink
Abby
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Happy New Year!
Dear Friends and Family,
I hope you all had a fantastic time welcoming in the New Year of 2009! It’s going to be an interesting 12 months for me, and I’m praying for a year of fulfilling service and the ability to establishing new relationships by embracing the Haitian people with a loving and compassionate heart.
It’s been a relatively quiet week here in Haiti, except for the general ruckus we made on New Year’s Eve, of course. Monday night was the volleyball championship. Our girls won the whole shebang in three straight games. The Gutwein/Wray/Reinhard team rocked! While the girls were playing, Grant Bucher was being swarmed by Haitian children. (Grant, Trent Bahler, and Randy Lehman all helped with Reinhard’s new house construction this week.) The kids were attempting to drag Grant down, but it was like a bunch of little midgets trying to attack a white giant. I think the guys had a good time and were very helpful as construction workers. The roof to the basement was poured on Monday and Tuesday; it’s a huge job to mix and pour concrete in this country. Enjoy the pictures! After I inspected their worksite and deemed it fit, I went to tea. The ladies of the compound are due for their annual retreat in Zanglais. I’ll be attending Jan. 9-11, and I’m looking forward to a spiritually invigorating time.
New Year’s Eve was surprisingly fun! Let me clarify my position on the last day of the year – it’s terrible and to be avoided at all costs. I’ve gone to bed early for many years now. It has something to do with a bad combination of never accomplishing any of the resolutions from the year before and looking at a whole other year of uncertainties. I know, it’s an appalling perspective. I should be looking at a new year as 12 months of unlimited possibility and hope. That’s what I tell myself until about 10 PM, and then I generally give up and go to sleep. This year, the Reinhard children forbade me from going to bed early, and I’m thankful they did. We played games (a very confusing one with cups and chanting), set off fireworks, went to a bonfire that Johannes started at the Bible College, drank homemade Haitian hot chocolate courtesy of Joan, and went nuts at midnight with pots and pans and horns and explosives. (The Reinhards are big on blowing things up – it’s pretty fun!) The Wrays had a party at the missionary school for the teens. We made an appearance there to watch them play Rock Star and have some delicious treats. The Gutwein girls always make wonderful snacks like cheese ball and cookies. I stayed up until 2:30, and they taught me to play Dutch Blitz. I know, I know. What kind of AC doesn’t know how to play Dutch Blitz?! Well, now I know.
It’s been quiet for me since New Year’s Day. Friday, I spent most of my day at the Child Care office doing updates on the computers there. Shane and John Vrooman stopped by to lend a helping hand as Rob Lehman worked remotely on the Child Care program. Then, Shane hooked up a new battery charger for those rare times when we lose electricity in the office – like six times a day. Jan, Shane, Tess, and I all watched a shoot’em-up action movie that night and chatted until the wee hours of the morning. That made Saturday an even lazier day for me, but get this – I woke up with a fat lip. A spider had bit my lip during the night and made it swell up. Did I mention that it bit MY LIP?! That means there was a sizable spider on MY FACE, right on my MOUTH. Yucko! The swelling went down during the day, but gross.
Friday evening, a team from Ohio flew in for the next week. They have three separate jobs planned, and Sheila, Sarah, and Bethany left with them on Saturday morning.
I did a couple chores on Saturday, but mainly I watched the History series by Louie Giglio and Andy Stanley. It always good to be reminded about how big God is and where I fit in this whole story of His glory. I was encouraged to “die a glorious death” to self and live in “furious rest,” trusting that His ways cannot be traced out. Saturday night, Shane came over and fixed my brand-new yet broken fan (yea!) and worked on my and Val’s computers to make them more secure. I went to sleep fairly early, but I didn’t sleep all that well. For some reason, I kept thinking there was something on my face and waking up to swat at imaginary bugs.
The Wrays didn’t go to Renault this morning, as most of the Haitian youth leaders are away visiting their families for the New Year. I stayed home and attempted to listen to the Bluffton service, but my phone battery is so small, I only caught about 15 minutes. It hasn’t been working all that great, and even when it does work, it can’t hold much of a charge. Maybe the crummy power fried its little battery, who knows? So, I enjoyed the Pineapple Story Series by Otto Koning as I made chocolate chip cookies.
I learned some new things this week.
1) It IS fun to blow things up.
2) Dutch Blitz.
3) New Year’s Eve should not be avoided like the plague.
Thanks for your support and prayers; I have two prayer requests for this coming week. There are going to be Child Care meetings in the States on Jan. 9-10. Please pray for God’s direction and wisdom for the members of the Child Care Committee. Also, as we compound women learn more about God and each other in Zanglais this coming weekend, that we can grow together and be spiritually edified in Christ.
http://picasaweb.google.com/aheartforhaiti/Jan20091?feat=directlink
Again, Happy, Happy New Year!! Much love,
Abby
I hope you all had a fantastic time welcoming in the New Year of 2009! It’s going to be an interesting 12 months for me, and I’m praying for a year of fulfilling service and the ability to establishing new relationships by embracing the Haitian people with a loving and compassionate heart.
It’s been a relatively quiet week here in Haiti, except for the general ruckus we made on New Year’s Eve, of course. Monday night was the volleyball championship. Our girls won the whole shebang in three straight games. The Gutwein/Wray/Reinhard team rocked! While the girls were playing, Grant Bucher was being swarmed by Haitian children. (Grant, Trent Bahler, and Randy Lehman all helped with Reinhard’s new house construction this week.) The kids were attempting to drag Grant down, but it was like a bunch of little midgets trying to attack a white giant. I think the guys had a good time and were very helpful as construction workers. The roof to the basement was poured on Monday and Tuesday; it’s a huge job to mix and pour concrete in this country. Enjoy the pictures! After I inspected their worksite and deemed it fit, I went to tea. The ladies of the compound are due for their annual retreat in Zanglais. I’ll be attending Jan. 9-11, and I’m looking forward to a spiritually invigorating time.
New Year’s Eve was surprisingly fun! Let me clarify my position on the last day of the year – it’s terrible and to be avoided at all costs. I’ve gone to bed early for many years now. It has something to do with a bad combination of never accomplishing any of the resolutions from the year before and looking at a whole other year of uncertainties. I know, it’s an appalling perspective. I should be looking at a new year as 12 months of unlimited possibility and hope. That’s what I tell myself until about 10 PM, and then I generally give up and go to sleep. This year, the Reinhard children forbade me from going to bed early, and I’m thankful they did. We played games (a very confusing one with cups and chanting), set off fireworks, went to a bonfire that Johannes started at the Bible College, drank homemade Haitian hot chocolate courtesy of Joan, and went nuts at midnight with pots and pans and horns and explosives. (The Reinhards are big on blowing things up – it’s pretty fun!) The Wrays had a party at the missionary school for the teens. We made an appearance there to watch them play Rock Star and have some delicious treats. The Gutwein girls always make wonderful snacks like cheese ball and cookies. I stayed up until 2:30, and they taught me to play Dutch Blitz. I know, I know. What kind of AC doesn’t know how to play Dutch Blitz?! Well, now I know.
It’s been quiet for me since New Year’s Day. Friday, I spent most of my day at the Child Care office doing updates on the computers there. Shane and John Vrooman stopped by to lend a helping hand as Rob Lehman worked remotely on the Child Care program. Then, Shane hooked up a new battery charger for those rare times when we lose electricity in the office – like six times a day. Jan, Shane, Tess, and I all watched a shoot’em-up action movie that night and chatted until the wee hours of the morning. That made Saturday an even lazier day for me, but get this – I woke up with a fat lip. A spider had bit my lip during the night and made it swell up. Did I mention that it bit MY LIP?! That means there was a sizable spider on MY FACE, right on my MOUTH. Yucko! The swelling went down during the day, but gross.
Friday evening, a team from Ohio flew in for the next week. They have three separate jobs planned, and Sheila, Sarah, and Bethany left with them on Saturday morning.
I did a couple chores on Saturday, but mainly I watched the History series by Louie Giglio and Andy Stanley. It always good to be reminded about how big God is and where I fit in this whole story of His glory. I was encouraged to “die a glorious death” to self and live in “furious rest,” trusting that His ways cannot be traced out. Saturday night, Shane came over and fixed my brand-new yet broken fan (yea!) and worked on my and Val’s computers to make them more secure. I went to sleep fairly early, but I didn’t sleep all that well. For some reason, I kept thinking there was something on my face and waking up to swat at imaginary bugs.
The Wrays didn’t go to Renault this morning, as most of the Haitian youth leaders are away visiting their families for the New Year. I stayed home and attempted to listen to the Bluffton service, but my phone battery is so small, I only caught about 15 minutes. It hasn’t been working all that great, and even when it does work, it can’t hold much of a charge. Maybe the crummy power fried its little battery, who knows? So, I enjoyed the Pineapple Story Series by Otto Koning as I made chocolate chip cookies.
I learned some new things this week.
1) It IS fun to blow things up.
2) Dutch Blitz.
3) New Year’s Eve should not be avoided like the plague.
Thanks for your support and prayers; I have two prayer requests for this coming week. There are going to be Child Care meetings in the States on Jan. 9-10. Please pray for God’s direction and wisdom for the members of the Child Care Committee. Also, as we compound women learn more about God and each other in Zanglais this coming weekend, that we can grow together and be spiritually edified in Christ.
http://picasaweb.google.com/aheartforhaiti/Jan20091?feat=directlink
Again, Happy, Happy New Year!! Much love,
Abby
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