That’s right – 3 more days and I’ll be home! I hate to say it, but I’m betting I’ll be totally worthless at the Child Care office Monday and Tuesday. I’m mentally making lists, packing, cleaning, watering, and planning. My head is so full of home that I’m fairly sure it won’t be willing to reconcile or correspond to anything. We’ll see...
Monday morning, I went into the office early and put the finishing touches on the storage room. I wanted it to look fresh and clean for Marie Lucie and the pastors. I think it was a big success. When I get back, I’ll be tackling the old filing cabinets, outdated forms and procedures, and supply room where Pastor Joe used to work. In any case, it was nice to have this project finished! I can’t remember what I did on Monday night...I really can’t. It’s blank. Too much has already happened since then. Very often, I can’t remember what I’m wearing if I can’t see it. Whenever I would wear my winter coat in Indiana, I couldn’t recall what I had on underneath it unless I physically unzipped my coat and looked. So, it’s no big shocker that I have trouble recollecting my Monday when it’s Sunday.
Tuesday is blank, too. Sorry. Oh, wait. I remember now. Tuesday was tea at the Moses’ house and some of the S.E.E.D team came and joined us. Mary Honegger and I chatted about sea containers. It’s all coming back to me now. Bob and Mary were having supper that night at Johannes and Lusie’s house, so Doris invited Sheila and I to join them at the Nami for supper. It was a lovely night. I got to talk with Ricot, Mandy, and Micha, which was a lot of fun, and meet some more of the team. It was such a nice treat! On the way home, it started to rain and I noticed that someone left a light on a Child Care. I got plenty wet getting to the door. Then, since I was wet anyway, I decided to play in the rain. As it turns out, I have a kindred spirit in Sarah Reinhard. I met her at the swings in the pouring rain. After a charming, soaking bout of swinging, we decided to play chess at my place. Sarah and Bethany brought Dominos and taught me how to play while we drank cappuccino. It was a great way to spend a rainy night.
Wednesday, Bible study was packed! I’ve never seen it that full. Val and I ended up sitting in the very back of the classroom on top of a desk. Art Mueller gave us a history lesson about missions and the need for senders and goers. I spent a good hour after the service with Larry Kaufmann discussing Child Care, Haiti, and missions in general. Thursday, Bob and Mary came to Child Care to say hello and Regan met her little boy, as well. Thursday afternoon, I tagged along with Regan, Alisha, and Tess to the LSM home in Fond Frede. It was super fun watching the little girls color pictures. I traced their hands on their papers and they decorated them beautifully! We went into town after that and bought snacks and supplies for the weekend. That night, the girls came over for movies and popcorn.
Friday after work, I cleaned out my closet and made lists for the supplies I need to stock up on when I get home. I said goodbye to Mme. Marie and Mme. Emilio. I won’t be seeing them again for a month. I spend some quality time with Regan on Friday night. It’s been so nice to have her here this week!
Saturday was a beach day! Sun, lobster, surf, books, sleep, snacks. Yes.
Sunday, Regan and I went to Renault. The new permanent building is beautiful! They just put the roof on this week. The team was super fun! We had the most peaceful exit I’ve ever seen. Dwayne, from the Wray’s team, did an amazing job working the gate with me. He’s big, intimidating, and quick – a perfect combination for a Renault gate worker. In any case, I think Regan had a good experience and I loved being there for my last Sunday in Haiti for a while. After Renault, we went directly to the LSM home at Torbeck to take pictures of the girls in their Sunday best. After many hugs from the girls, I took Regan to Tet Simon. We soaked our feet in the spring and just relaxed for a few minutes. After working through Renault, being smothered in little girls and covered in road dust, it felt amazing to take a shower this afternoon and sit for a while. The girls are coming over in a minute to watch a movie, and then I’m going to call it a night. I have a couple of busy days planned for next week!
I’m going to keep blogging this next month. I think it’s good to record my thoughts and activities before all the days go totally blank....were was I? Oh, yeah – blogging. Maybe some of you readers will show up in my pictures these next four weeks!
Please pray for traveling mercies on Wednesday. I have some tight connections. Thanks! Homeward bound...
http://picasaweb.google.com/aheartforhaiti/Feb20093?feat=directlink
Abby
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
25 Random Things About Me
Dear Friends and Family,
Well, I thought I would be in an organizing frenzy this week like a piranha on a goat carcass, but life has a way of removing your desire to feed. Monday and Tuesday were just normal days of writing letters and data entry. Wednesday, I went to the beach with the Waibel team. The Waibel team consisted of Matt and Lisa Waibel and six of their children! We had a great time and made it back for Bible study that night. Thursday, I left work early, and Tess cut my hair. She really is a very talented girl. Then, we all went to supper at the Nami. All of a sudden, I realized that it was Friday, and I had yet to start my major revamp of the storage area. So, I stayed a little later that night and got the heavy stuff moved out. My plan was to plunge into my project early on Saturday morning, but Regan from LSM dropped by to say hello, and we ended up chatting all morning.
Thankfully, after lunch at the Gutwein’s house, Regan and Tess offered to help me deal with the mess I had made on Friday. I was so thankful! In a couple of hours, we had that place lookin’ good! Tonight, I’m going to head up there for a final cleaning. I want it to look fresh for Monday morning. Today, Regan, Sarah, Beth, and I went to Torbeck for Sunday School. Then, we listened to the Bluffton services and enjoyed cheesy mac and chicken for lunch. I spent the afternoon working on my update, playing chess with Sarah, and cleaning at Child Care. I'm heading back up there in a bit - I lost power and there are no lights attached to the batteries. I don't mind meeting Bob, the resident Child Care tarantula, when the lights are on, but in the dark...well, I decided to wait until we had power again before I continued.
I like to keep track of my friends using Facebook, and there has been an interesting application going around for a few weeks – 25 Random Things About Me. I enjoyed reading the lists from everyone else, and because I am certainly prone to peer pressure, I did one myself. I decided to share them with you – maybe you’ll learn something about me you wish you hadn’t, but I hope you enjoy the glimpse into my mind (and don’t come out too twisted).
25 Random Things About Me
1. I hoard books. I literally can’t stand to give/discard/lose a single one, even if I thought it was poorly written, cheesy, and/or twisted.
2. I wish I were naturally musical. I would love to play the violin and make people weep, but I’m too lazy to actually put the effort into practicing.
3. I sometimes dream about living on a little farm by myself. I would raise goats and chickens and knit by the fire while listening to old reruns of Paul Harvey and A Prairie Home Companion.
4. My iPod is filled with a very eclectic mix of music, everything from Dean Martin to Guns N’ Roses, Tupac to Elvis, ABBA to Amy Winehouse with a little R.E.M and New Bethel. Lots of variety.
5. I think the space program is a huge waste of money. Who cares if there is water on Mars? But, I love to look at pictures from the Hubble telescope. It gives me perspective.
6. Sometimes, I waste a lot of mental energy thinking about imaginary numbers. We have an infinity of real numbers. Why do we need imaginary ones?
7. In the third grade, I totally made up a book and turned in a fake book report on it. It had something to do with worms bouncing on a trampoline. I did not get caught nor have I confessed.
8. My dad loves his job. He says things like, “Thursday is my day off. They won’t let me work," and looks genuinely sad. I want that.
9. I’m always unsure how to answer the question, “How do you like Haiti?” The question, and the many possible answers, keep me up at night.
10. I hate feeling incompetent or unprepared. God has trapped me in my worst fears like Jonah in the belly of the whale. I’m looking forward to being vomited.
11. Children that I used to baby-sit are now married and having children of their own. That makes me feel old and a little sad.
12. I like to think I’m immune to peer pressure, but I recently jumped off a waterfall simply because I was taunted.
13. I would let my sisters pick out my husband and marry him sight unseen. That’s how well they know me and how much I trust them.
14. On that note, I miss my family dreadfully. I was blessed with an amazing family, all of whom I would choose for friends. Molly is my best friend (dearest seester), Joe is one of the wisest men I know, Will is wonderfully eccentric and hilarious, Carson is a musical vagabond, and Grace is incredibly smart and gorgeous, the whole package.
15. I want my future home to replicate the feeling of Grandma Gerber’s house. She always made you feel welcome and wanted. We played with her marble roller and toasted Shrinky Dinks in her little oven. I love playing Christmas BINGO and going there the first night of Street Fair for chili and potato soup.
16. I color pictures as therapy. I love the idea of using all the crayons in the box on a single picture or doing the whole page in shades of green.
17. I do not believe in soul mates.
18. If something takes me longer to cook than it does to consume, I consider it a waste of my time. But, I am secretly jealous of those people who truly enjoy cooking and do it well.
19. I handle Haitian tarantulas better than I handle Indiana wolf spiders. Figure that one out.
20. I’ve worked as a massage therapist, a secretary for a pulmonlogist and ENT doctor, a florist, an EKG/ECHO tech, a telecommunications operator, a health food store clerk, and a nanny. Now, I’m in a missionary field office working on accounting and correspondence, and I’ve never balanced my own checkbook.
21. I am constantly amazed at God’s sense of humor.
22. I love to dance. I’m no good and everything jiggles that isn’t supposed to, but I dance anyway.
23. Whenever I go to the dentist and get a healthy dose of nitrous oxide, I lay very still and soon it feels like my arms are twisting behind me and rotating at the shoulder. I love that feeling.
24. My financial goal in life is to never have to fill out anything more complicated than a 1040EZ form for my taxes.
25. I eat some form of peanut butter everyday. See #18.
http://picasaweb.google.com/aheartforhaiti/Feb20092?feat=directlink
These are some catch-up pictures and a few from this week. Sarah was kind enough to give me copies of my waterfall jump and some from past events - New Year's Eve and our island adventure. Enjoy!
Much love,
Abby
Well, I thought I would be in an organizing frenzy this week like a piranha on a goat carcass, but life has a way of removing your desire to feed. Monday and Tuesday were just normal days of writing letters and data entry. Wednesday, I went to the beach with the Waibel team. The Waibel team consisted of Matt and Lisa Waibel and six of their children! We had a great time and made it back for Bible study that night. Thursday, I left work early, and Tess cut my hair. She really is a very talented girl. Then, we all went to supper at the Nami. All of a sudden, I realized that it was Friday, and I had yet to start my major revamp of the storage area. So, I stayed a little later that night and got the heavy stuff moved out. My plan was to plunge into my project early on Saturday morning, but Regan from LSM dropped by to say hello, and we ended up chatting all morning.
Thankfully, after lunch at the Gutwein’s house, Regan and Tess offered to help me deal with the mess I had made on Friday. I was so thankful! In a couple of hours, we had that place lookin’ good! Tonight, I’m going to head up there for a final cleaning. I want it to look fresh for Monday morning. Today, Regan, Sarah, Beth, and I went to Torbeck for Sunday School. Then, we listened to the Bluffton services and enjoyed cheesy mac and chicken for lunch. I spent the afternoon working on my update, playing chess with Sarah, and cleaning at Child Care. I'm heading back up there in a bit - I lost power and there are no lights attached to the batteries. I don't mind meeting Bob, the resident Child Care tarantula, when the lights are on, but in the dark...well, I decided to wait until we had power again before I continued.
I like to keep track of my friends using Facebook, and there has been an interesting application going around for a few weeks – 25 Random Things About Me. I enjoyed reading the lists from everyone else, and because I am certainly prone to peer pressure, I did one myself. I decided to share them with you – maybe you’ll learn something about me you wish you hadn’t, but I hope you enjoy the glimpse into my mind (and don’t come out too twisted).
25 Random Things About Me
1. I hoard books. I literally can’t stand to give/discard/lose a single one, even if I thought it was poorly written, cheesy, and/or twisted.
2. I wish I were naturally musical. I would love to play the violin and make people weep, but I’m too lazy to actually put the effort into practicing.
3. I sometimes dream about living on a little farm by myself. I would raise goats and chickens and knit by the fire while listening to old reruns of Paul Harvey and A Prairie Home Companion.
4. My iPod is filled with a very eclectic mix of music, everything from Dean Martin to Guns N’ Roses, Tupac to Elvis, ABBA to Amy Winehouse with a little R.E.M and New Bethel. Lots of variety.
5. I think the space program is a huge waste of money. Who cares if there is water on Mars? But, I love to look at pictures from the Hubble telescope. It gives me perspective.
6. Sometimes, I waste a lot of mental energy thinking about imaginary numbers. We have an infinity of real numbers. Why do we need imaginary ones?
7. In the third grade, I totally made up a book and turned in a fake book report on it. It had something to do with worms bouncing on a trampoline. I did not get caught nor have I confessed.
8. My dad loves his job. He says things like, “Thursday is my day off. They won’t let me work," and looks genuinely sad. I want that.
9. I’m always unsure how to answer the question, “How do you like Haiti?” The question, and the many possible answers, keep me up at night.
10. I hate feeling incompetent or unprepared. God has trapped me in my worst fears like Jonah in the belly of the whale. I’m looking forward to being vomited.
11. Children that I used to baby-sit are now married and having children of their own. That makes me feel old and a little sad.
12. I like to think I’m immune to peer pressure, but I recently jumped off a waterfall simply because I was taunted.
13. I would let my sisters pick out my husband and marry him sight unseen. That’s how well they know me and how much I trust them.
14. On that note, I miss my family dreadfully. I was blessed with an amazing family, all of whom I would choose for friends. Molly is my best friend (dearest seester), Joe is one of the wisest men I know, Will is wonderfully eccentric and hilarious, Carson is a musical vagabond, and Grace is incredibly smart and gorgeous, the whole package.
15. I want my future home to replicate the feeling of Grandma Gerber’s house. She always made you feel welcome and wanted. We played with her marble roller and toasted Shrinky Dinks in her little oven. I love playing Christmas BINGO and going there the first night of Street Fair for chili and potato soup.
16. I color pictures as therapy. I love the idea of using all the crayons in the box on a single picture or doing the whole page in shades of green.
17. I do not believe in soul mates.
18. If something takes me longer to cook than it does to consume, I consider it a waste of my time. But, I am secretly jealous of those people who truly enjoy cooking and do it well.
19. I handle Haitian tarantulas better than I handle Indiana wolf spiders. Figure that one out.
20. I’ve worked as a massage therapist, a secretary for a pulmonlogist and ENT doctor, a florist, an EKG/ECHO tech, a telecommunications operator, a health food store clerk, and a nanny. Now, I’m in a missionary field office working on accounting and correspondence, and I’ve never balanced my own checkbook.
21. I am constantly amazed at God’s sense of humor.
22. I love to dance. I’m no good and everything jiggles that isn’t supposed to, but I dance anyway.
23. Whenever I go to the dentist and get a healthy dose of nitrous oxide, I lay very still and soon it feels like my arms are twisting behind me and rotating at the shoulder. I love that feeling.
24. My financial goal in life is to never have to fill out anything more complicated than a 1040EZ form for my taxes.
25. I eat some form of peanut butter everyday. See #18.
http://picasaweb.google.com/aheartforhaiti/Feb20092?feat=directlink
These are some catch-up pictures and a few from this week. Sarah was kind enough to give me copies of my waterfall jump and some from past events - New Year's Eve and our island adventure. Enjoy!
Much love,
Abby
Sunday, February 1, 2009
An Island Adventure
Dear Family and Friends,
Check out that beautiful baby! That’s right...Baby Gerber, courtesy of Joe and Heidi (Knobloch) Gerber. I’m going to be an aunt again!!
That’s my most exciting news by far, but I did have an amazing adventure on Monday. The Reinhard family had planned a one-day construction project on Lazile Rameau for the visiting Grubes, and they let me come along. We started out early on Monday and drove to the Zanglais area loaded down with the makings for ten benches. Along the way, we stopped to drop off a piece of tin that went missing from the last construction team. Whenever there is a walk-in project where the team and their Haitian helpers need to carry in all the supplies, it’s not uncommon to have a piece of tin or tool “walk” away from the site in-route. Once, Tim had a completely pre-constructed rafter disappear in-route to the worksite!
After that delivery and subsequent reorganizing of the supply trailer, we headed to the area the Pastor had indicted he would meet us and direct us to the boats we would take to the small island. We carried everything to the little beach where three Haitian boats were docked. I thought, “Oh, good. We’ll only need two, one for the people and one for the supplies, but it was nice of them to bring three.” I’ve been here for nearly six months, and I still don’t think like a Haitian. Why would you need two boats? The people can sit on the lumber and tools, and there is always room for one more person. That’s right – we piled all the tools, lumber, water jugs, bags, and people into a single boat. In addition to the twelve of us, several Haitians took the opportunity to appropriate a free ride home to the island. All in all, there were 21 people on that boat, and we were riding low....really low. Praise God, the sea was relatively calm. Everything and everyone made it safely to the island. Some of our wood got wet and needed to be sun dried before we could varnish it, but there no other problems. See, there IS always room for one more.
The people of this island were poor, even for Haitians. Their little village was constructed of mud and thatch. They planted corn in the rocks, up and down the mountainside. The little MEBSH church was one of the nicest building on the island, but it only had two, skinny little benches inside. The people would come to service and just stand. It was a blessing to be able to fill their sanctuary with ten quality benches. After we finished the benches, we took a boat tour to a tiny little rock island where we snorkeled and swam. The beaches were covered with hermit crabs. I think the girls brought home 82 or something like that. They were everywhere. On the island, two fishermen were cracking open shells and removing the little slimy creatures inside. It’s a good protein source. (Gross.) Joan found two large sea urchins while snorkeling and Gabriel had a good time digging a “shelter” for them.
The next stop was on the mainland in an idyllic cove. The village people there apparently found us extremely entertaining as Sarah built a sand castle and Gabriel was buried in the sand. It’s very common to have a large audience for just about everything out on a worksite. I imagine it’s like being a celebrity. The Haitians watch us, even if we’re just sitting and resting. In any case, after a good time on the beach, we headed back to our original island to collect our gear, move the benches into the church, and have a quick supper. We were breathing easier on the way back without all the lumber and extra Haitians! As we drove home, we sang hymns and chatted. It was a very pleasant day!
Bright and early Tuesday morning, the sea container was unloaded, and I got my filing cabinets and two boxes of goodies from my family. My sister, Molly, sent me some wonderful snacks – Twizzlers, Skittles, chocolate covered caramel corn, movies, books, magazines, Crystal light, Lemon Heads, and other delights! My mom sent me a whole box of diversions and some lavender flowers for Luise. I had a Tootsie Pop last night that tasted faintly of lavender! Did I mention that I love my family and they are fabulous people? Well, they are! Tuesday Tea was at Joan’s house, and I caught up on all the compound news, bought bread from the breadman and eggs from SEED, and generally enjoyed myself. Everyone is so busy these days with teams that tea has become a good time to fill people in on what’s going on, who’s going out, and who’s coming in.
Wednesday, the MEBSH leadership had organized a time of discussion at their offices, and all the missionaries were expected to attend. Pastor Luders, the president of MEBSH, talked about the body of Christ, how each of us needed to effectively communicate to the other for the greatest glory for God. We spent time discussing concerns and giving updates for each department. Marie Lucie translated for those of us who lack in Creole.
Friday, I finally got the filing cabinets to the Child Care office, thanks to Mark. He helped me load them in the Ranger and drove, very carefully, up to the office. I had planned to take a long walk on Friday afternoon to shake off a lingering case of the Haitian blues, but I got stopped four times in the first lap by people who were asking for more than a smile and wave. I wonder what they would do if I actually gave them my shirt one time? You know, that kind of thing gets pretty old, pretty fast. I gave up and went home. Thankfully, Tess came over and asked if I wanted to come watch a movie with the girls. As it turned out, their inverter gave out before we started, so they came over to my place. That was even better – nothing like junk food, a chick flick, and a bunch of friends to kick your depression to the curb. Am I right, ladies?
Mandy and Ricot are a young couple from Canada. Ricot is Haitian, and he and Mandy moved here to explore the possibility of full-time mission work. For now, they live at SEED. Mandy invited me to go to Rainbow beach with them on Saturday, and I gladly accepted. We were joined by Micha, a German here doing his year of civil service. We had a very interesting discussion about the differences between German, Haitian, Canadian, and American politics on the way there. The day was perfect! We drank coconuts, read, swam, walked the sand, and slept. Saturday night, I watched a series called Sue Thomas, F.B. EYE with Tess and Alisha. Apparently, Sue Thomas is a real deaf person who worked for the F.B.I. reading lips and doing undercover agent work.
Today, I listened to the Francisville service with the Gutweins and enjoyed lunch with Beth, Susanne, Irene, and Sheila at Beth and Susanne’s home. It was a great time of fellowship and German chocolate, an excellent combination! I don’t have a lot of plans for tonight – just some reading and maybe a few emails. I’ll be an organizing whirlwind this week, but for now, it’s nice to relax.
http://picasaweb.google.com/aheartforhaiti/Feb20091?feat=directlink
I took a bunch of pictures this week. I hope you enjoy them! Much love and congratulations to Joe and Heidi!
Check out that beautiful baby! That’s right...Baby Gerber, courtesy of Joe and Heidi (Knobloch) Gerber. I’m going to be an aunt again!!
That’s my most exciting news by far, but I did have an amazing adventure on Monday. The Reinhard family had planned a one-day construction project on Lazile Rameau for the visiting Grubes, and they let me come along. We started out early on Monday and drove to the Zanglais area loaded down with the makings for ten benches. Along the way, we stopped to drop off a piece of tin that went missing from the last construction team. Whenever there is a walk-in project where the team and their Haitian helpers need to carry in all the supplies, it’s not uncommon to have a piece of tin or tool “walk” away from the site in-route. Once, Tim had a completely pre-constructed rafter disappear in-route to the worksite!
After that delivery and subsequent reorganizing of the supply trailer, we headed to the area the Pastor had indicted he would meet us and direct us to the boats we would take to the small island. We carried everything to the little beach where three Haitian boats were docked. I thought, “Oh, good. We’ll only need two, one for the people and one for the supplies, but it was nice of them to bring three.” I’ve been here for nearly six months, and I still don’t think like a Haitian. Why would you need two boats? The people can sit on the lumber and tools, and there is always room for one more person. That’s right – we piled all the tools, lumber, water jugs, bags, and people into a single boat. In addition to the twelve of us, several Haitians took the opportunity to appropriate a free ride home to the island. All in all, there were 21 people on that boat, and we were riding low....really low. Praise God, the sea was relatively calm. Everything and everyone made it safely to the island. Some of our wood got wet and needed to be sun dried before we could varnish it, but there no other problems. See, there IS always room for one more.
The people of this island were poor, even for Haitians. Their little village was constructed of mud and thatch. They planted corn in the rocks, up and down the mountainside. The little MEBSH church was one of the nicest building on the island, but it only had two, skinny little benches inside. The people would come to service and just stand. It was a blessing to be able to fill their sanctuary with ten quality benches. After we finished the benches, we took a boat tour to a tiny little rock island where we snorkeled and swam. The beaches were covered with hermit crabs. I think the girls brought home 82 or something like that. They were everywhere. On the island, two fishermen were cracking open shells and removing the little slimy creatures inside. It’s a good protein source. (Gross.) Joan found two large sea urchins while snorkeling and Gabriel had a good time digging a “shelter” for them.
The next stop was on the mainland in an idyllic cove. The village people there apparently found us extremely entertaining as Sarah built a sand castle and Gabriel was buried in the sand. It’s very common to have a large audience for just about everything out on a worksite. I imagine it’s like being a celebrity. The Haitians watch us, even if we’re just sitting and resting. In any case, after a good time on the beach, we headed back to our original island to collect our gear, move the benches into the church, and have a quick supper. We were breathing easier on the way back without all the lumber and extra Haitians! As we drove home, we sang hymns and chatted. It was a very pleasant day!
Bright and early Tuesday morning, the sea container was unloaded, and I got my filing cabinets and two boxes of goodies from my family. My sister, Molly, sent me some wonderful snacks – Twizzlers, Skittles, chocolate covered caramel corn, movies, books, magazines, Crystal light, Lemon Heads, and other delights! My mom sent me a whole box of diversions and some lavender flowers for Luise. I had a Tootsie Pop last night that tasted faintly of lavender! Did I mention that I love my family and they are fabulous people? Well, they are! Tuesday Tea was at Joan’s house, and I caught up on all the compound news, bought bread from the breadman and eggs from SEED, and generally enjoyed myself. Everyone is so busy these days with teams that tea has become a good time to fill people in on what’s going on, who’s going out, and who’s coming in.
Wednesday, the MEBSH leadership had organized a time of discussion at their offices, and all the missionaries were expected to attend. Pastor Luders, the president of MEBSH, talked about the body of Christ, how each of us needed to effectively communicate to the other for the greatest glory for God. We spent time discussing concerns and giving updates for each department. Marie Lucie translated for those of us who lack in Creole.
Friday, I finally got the filing cabinets to the Child Care office, thanks to Mark. He helped me load them in the Ranger and drove, very carefully, up to the office. I had planned to take a long walk on Friday afternoon to shake off a lingering case of the Haitian blues, but I got stopped four times in the first lap by people who were asking for more than a smile and wave. I wonder what they would do if I actually gave them my shirt one time? You know, that kind of thing gets pretty old, pretty fast. I gave up and went home. Thankfully, Tess came over and asked if I wanted to come watch a movie with the girls. As it turned out, their inverter gave out before we started, so they came over to my place. That was even better – nothing like junk food, a chick flick, and a bunch of friends to kick your depression to the curb. Am I right, ladies?
Mandy and Ricot are a young couple from Canada. Ricot is Haitian, and he and Mandy moved here to explore the possibility of full-time mission work. For now, they live at SEED. Mandy invited me to go to Rainbow beach with them on Saturday, and I gladly accepted. We were joined by Micha, a German here doing his year of civil service. We had a very interesting discussion about the differences between German, Haitian, Canadian, and American politics on the way there. The day was perfect! We drank coconuts, read, swam, walked the sand, and slept. Saturday night, I watched a series called Sue Thomas, F.B. EYE with Tess and Alisha. Apparently, Sue Thomas is a real deaf person who worked for the F.B.I. reading lips and doing undercover agent work.
Today, I listened to the Francisville service with the Gutweins and enjoyed lunch with Beth, Susanne, Irene, and Sheila at Beth and Susanne’s home. It was a great time of fellowship and German chocolate, an excellent combination! I don’t have a lot of plans for tonight – just some reading and maybe a few emails. I’ll be an organizing whirlwind this week, but for now, it’s nice to relax.
http://picasaweb.google.com/aheartforhaiti/Feb20091?feat=directlink
I took a bunch of pictures this week. I hope you enjoy them! Much love and congratulations to Joe and Heidi!
Abby
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Looking Ahead
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
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 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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