Faith with no boundaries

This week has been busy as we continue to adjust and learn to live here. We have experienced several frustrations.

We attended an English speaking church for the second week in a row and we have been really blessed by the genuine worship there. On the frustrating side, it has been difficult to meet other Americans or to move past "hello, what are you working on?" It is also hard because it takes 35-40 minutes to get there. There is always heavy traffic no matter where we are going and many roads are not maintained which makes for difficult travel.

We had to put significant money into our vehicle last week after it left our team sitting and it still isn't running properly. We don't trust it. It is stressful driving anywhere with the traffic normally and now adding the vehicle situation makes going even local places difficult.

The "beast" generator we thought was running as back up for when city power stays off so long our batteries go dead, in fact does not run. After a week of maintenence and expense, we had to order a part from the US and wait. Hopefully, next week, the part can be replaced and we will have electricity 24/7.

Despite these frustrations, God is very present and real to us. We continue to feel his guiding hand and provisions for us. We are blessed to have Max and Margarette (the parents of Good Samaritan Orphanage) to call on. They have helped us in so many ways with the car, meals, and support and encouragement. We are blessed to have 23 orphan girls living below us. They are great kids and building relationships with them has been so fun and will be very significant as we move forward with AWAKENHAITI. I am beginning to develop a "motherly" role with them, taking care of sick kids, boo-boo's, giving vitamins, etc. Never saw myself in this particular role, but God has a way of using us according to HIS plan, not our own!

We had the priviledge to travel to Grande Goave on Tuesday which is a beautiful area with both mountains and beach. We went to meet with a friend who is a nurse running medical teams. We knew she would have some very helpful information on illnesses and medications often used. This will help the planning process as we look to establish a mobile medical clinic for medical teams. Minus the stress of traveling 2 1/2 hours each way in a car that doesn't always run, it was a great trip.

We saw some beautiful sights, but as we made our way up the mountian, at first, my heart broke for what I saw. Homes that were barely there. The youngest kids at best partially dressed. No cars, only an occasional motorcyle(these people walk miles to go to town). Then God changed my perspective and what I also saw was people making the most of what they did have. Corn growing on a mountain top is not something we see in PA! People living in community with one another. Multiple generations still together.

When we reached close to the top of the mountain, we stopped to see a church where medical clinics are sometimes held. The building consisted of block walls in some places only stacked about 5 or 6 blocks high. No protection from the rain and only a little protection from the sun thanks to some surrounding trees. The inside consisted of concrete blocks for benches. And I can remember trying to find a seat in our church in PA where I would be most comfortable, I could see the front well, I wasn't too close to the speakers, all with coffee in hand. If anyone has a right to be frustrated about their circumstances, it is them, but once again, the spirit and faith of the Haitian people was very apparent. We were blessed to meet them and see their desire to worship God.

We also continue to experience confirmation in our decision to uproot our kids and our lives to come here. Our kids are jumping into everything we do so willingly and have been very patient with the frustrations we experience with electric, water, car, traffic, etc. They are learning to appreciate and recognize how blessed we are not because of material things and to share that with others. They are seeing God provide for people right in front of us and that is a gift!

As Thanksgiving approaches, we as a family will celebrate in a different way. We will celebrate not for the blessings we have in material possessions, electricity, water, transportation. We will celebrate the opportunity we have to serve our God here with brothers and sisters who teach us so much about faith with no boundaries.

thank you for your continued prayers as we settle into our lives here!

Blessings,

Deb