It's the day AFTER Thanksgiving, but I'm still so thankful for so many things. We had a huge turkey yesterday....thanks to a concern for not having turkey for our English Bible Fellowship dinner on Saturday. One of the gals brought back, from the Dominican, a couple extras, in case they didn't show up on MFI. But they did, so we purchased one of the "extras". We had a small "family" dinner. It was Vero, Abbie, Betty, Savanah, Don and I. We got to the part where I said, "Okay, what are YOU thankful for?" Abbie, bless her heart...said school, and anything and everything connected with school. Then, Mom, Grandpa and Grandma got added in. The rest of us put our "thankful" things in. Then Vero said, "I'm just thankful for EVERYTHING!" Betty asked, "Even the bad things?" And Vero said, "Yes, because even then Jesus is with us." What an honest way to thank God for all things, as it says in 1 Thess. 5: 16-18. And we ARE thankful in all things.
And yesterday we received our daily devotional from our friend Roy. The thought he put forward in the first line really hits home. It was: "Today, suppose, just suppose, that when you woke up this morning, the ONLY things you had are those things you thanked God for last night." WOW... what a thought provoking thing that is. I can honestly say Abbie would be blessed, she is so thankful for EVERYTHING, EVERY DAY! But this also brought to mind the email that has been around a lot. The one where the person went to heaven and was given a tour. One area, angels were busily sorting and going through things. These were the "requests" sent to God. The next area the angels were busily sending the answers to the prayer requests. The third area was one lone angel, sitting doing almost nothing. This angel was handling the "Thank yous, sent back to God." Where are WE with those things? We do tend to send up a lot of "requests", but are we sending just as many "thank yous"??? I intend to start focusing on that more now. And it's thanks to Roy. He daily devotionals are always inspiring, but once in a while it really hits home.
Abbie is always a joy. Her excitement about Thanksgiving was something else. She had her turkey, with the thankful list on it's tail (hand prints). I was reading it and said, "Abbie, you are thankful for your drums and guitar? You don't HAVE either one." She very calmly said, "No, but if I DID, I'd be thankful." And the funny thing is, she doesn't even WANT either of them. It's hard to comprehend the mind of a child.
And then Savanah...she is growing by leaps and bounds. She smiles a lot more and is "talking" now when you talk to her. And she is eating a lot more. But she is still such a good baby and is a joy to have around.
Abbie has been counting the days till Christmas. She asked me to make a calendar, like I did last year, where she can mark the days off. I said, "But I didn't do that until December, and it's November now." Her response was, "But Grandma, I want to get started early this year." So, she has the days counted off until Christmas. And I marked on it when she has days off from school, when her program at school is, and anything else she is excited about. She said she wants a "Jesus birthday cake again." So, that is on the list of things to do.
Well, it's on to work and caring for baby. I hope you think on those things concerning being thankful. The Lord does walk with us daily and He is providing things we never even think about. I know I'll be more "tuned into" those things from this point on. And I do thank the Lord for YOU. For your care and concern for us as we serve here in Haiti. God bless and keep looking UP!!!
Friday, November 25, 2011
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Another quick update
Thought you might like to see a couple of photos of Savanah and Abbie. Abbie REALLY has decided to "help" me with her. Our good friends, Ray and Bonnie, sent over a car seat and a swing to use. I'll only have them for one month, since they had already been promised to someone else, but it's a help for now. Abbie sits by the swing and talks to the baby. And she tells her stories. Oh what stories she has.
Had a bit of a time the first 24 hours... she did NOT want a bottle, NO WAY (she had been breast fed until now)...but I just kept talking and trying and eventually, with a frown, she ate. She was probably REALLY hungry. She really is a contented baby, though.
Vero ended up taking her brother to the Dominican for medical help. Years ago he had been in an accident and had a pin put in his leg. (They didn't do a good job). Tuesday he fell somehow and really hurt it again. The doctors here said they could not help him, they didn't have the right "equipment". So, Vero took him to Santiago. She called a while ago and is headed back tomorrow. Had a hard time understanding her, bad connection. So, all we got was that she will be here tomorrow. Keep her and him in your prayers. I'm not positive on his name, or I'd put it here.
I hope your day is going great. And I pray that God will bless you in a real way in the coming week!! Keep Him in front of all you do!
Had a bit of a time the first 24 hours... she did NOT want a bottle, NO WAY (she had been breast fed until now)...but I just kept talking and trying and eventually, with a frown, she ate. She was probably REALLY hungry. She really is a contented baby, though.
I hope your day is going great. And I pray that God will bless you in a real way in the coming week!! Keep Him in front of all you do!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
A long, but VERY interesting day
Airport was interesting, to say the least. Not a lot of cargo, but very unusually hot and humid. Not sure what is going on with the temperatures here, but I think it's the same the world over right now.
When we got home, we had a visitor. A wonderful surprise. The daughter of some of our good friends came from Canada, and she stopped to see us. It's been a LONG time since we've seen Guerline and it was good to see her again. A month ago, her sister had a baby, and she is unable to keep it. Guerline came to set in motion the adoption of the child. She actually came to see if we had any information on adoption, but since we have not been involved, and it's changed drastically, we had nothing to share with her. She had little Savanah with her. She never asked, but was concerned about where the baby is staying. The home situation is not the best to say it mildly. They were about ready to leave, and Don and I had come in the house. We looked at each other, walked out and offered to care of the child while the adoption is being worked on. So, as of tomorrow, we will be foster care givers again. Abbie has offered her "services" to help me care for Savanah. She's a really good baby. Not fussy in the least. And as you can see, cute as a button. We are hoping this will bring Grandma and Grandpa (Sandy and Bibiana) down to see their new granddaughter. We would love to see them again.
So, you can see, my ministry stopped pretty much for a while, but now it will be back in full swing again. This will limit my working at the airport, but I will still go and do some of the work, with Savanah going along. Another change of pace in our life. But not a bad change. I'm just glad we can help out our good friends. Pray with us that the adoption process will go quickly. We've been told it has moved along pretty quickly now. Not sure about that, but I guess we'll find out. Adoption into Canada seems to go much quicker than the US.
Just got to thinking, humm.... gave all our baby items away. Guess we'll have to search and find some things again. Already have the crib here and ready to set it up. Vero gave them a ride home, and returned with the crib.
Our friends Ray and Bonnie, sent over a bunch of books for Abbie. Some are a little advanced, but last night she asked me to read one to her. I sat on the bed, and said, well, why don't YOU try to read it to me. It really surprised me when she read the whole book (a 2nd grade level) with only two words she got stuck on. She LOVES to read. And her comprehension level is great, too.
Abbie is now in here telling me I have to help her get ready for Savanah. When she first saw her, I thought she was a bit jealous. She said no, I'm not jealous, I'm just really unhappy. I asked why. She said because we had to stop the Tom and Jerry DVD to see the baby. Turned it on and she was happy again. She said she is sure Savanah will like Tom and Jerry when she "gets a bit older".
Okay, on to work. Abbie is reading over my shoulder and telling me to hurry!!
We are praising God that He has opened the door to this little child. We know the home situation and know the child would have a hard time surviving there. Pray for her, pray for her new family and pray for us. We know God is in this. And we are walking in His ways. I pray you are doing the same thing. Again, GOD IS AWESOME!!
When we got home, we had a visitor. A wonderful surprise. The daughter of some of our good friends came from Canada, and she stopped to see us. It's been a LONG time since we've seen Guerline and it was good to see her again. A month ago, her sister had a baby, and she is unable to keep it. Guerline came to set in motion the adoption of the child. She actually came to see if we had any information on adoption, but since we have not been involved, and it's changed drastically, we had nothing to share with her. She had little Savanah with her. She never asked, but was concerned about where the baby is staying. The home situation is not the best to say it mildly. They were about ready to leave, and Don and I had come in the house. We looked at each other, walked out and offered to care of the child while the adoption is being worked on. So, as of tomorrow, we will be foster care givers again. Abbie has offered her "services" to help me care for Savanah. She's a really good baby. Not fussy in the least. And as you can see, cute as a button. We are hoping this will bring Grandma and Grandpa (Sandy and Bibiana) down to see their new granddaughter. We would love to see them again.
Just got to thinking, humm.... gave all our baby items away. Guess we'll have to search and find some things again. Already have the crib here and ready to set it up. Vero gave them a ride home, and returned with the crib.
Our friends Ray and Bonnie, sent over a bunch of books for Abbie. Some are a little advanced, but last night she asked me to read one to her. I sat on the bed, and said, well, why don't YOU try to read it to me. It really surprised me when she read the whole book (a 2nd grade level) with only two words she got stuck on. She LOVES to read. And her comprehension level is great, too.
Abbie is now in here telling me I have to help her get ready for Savanah. When she first saw her, I thought she was a bit jealous. She said no, I'm not jealous, I'm just really unhappy. I asked why. She said because we had to stop the Tom and Jerry DVD to see the baby. Turned it on and she was happy again. She said she is sure Savanah will like Tom and Jerry when she "gets a bit older".
Okay, on to work. Abbie is reading over my shoulder and telling me to hurry!!
We are praising God that He has opened the door to this little child. We know the home situation and know the child would have a hard time surviving there. Pray for her, pray for her new family and pray for us. We know God is in this. And we are walking in His ways. I pray you are doing the same thing. Again, GOD IS AWESOME!!
Friday, November 11, 2011
A short note
Well the weather is something else again....after the heat not letting up, the temps dropped WAY down. Now, those of you in the northern US, and even some in the south...will think we are a bit goofy. But the temps dropped down to the upper 60's, and everyone here was looking for heavy coats, blankets or some other way to "stay warm". We RARELY get below 70 degrees. For those here, that is like below freezing for those of you in the north. Thank goodness it does warm up during the day, up to the low or mid 80's. When you consider most people here, because of bad nutrition, have no resistance to colds and such, you can see why they get sick when the temps change so much. Keep them all in prayer.
I looked at the date and it surprised me. It's 11/11/11. THAT doesn't happen often, does it? But then I remembered it's Veterans Day. Thank you to all the veterans, and to those who are serving now, to defend our country. Our prayers go out to all of them. They put themselves in harms way to keep us safe and we appreciate their service. Back when they started the "thing" about when you saw a service man or woman, to simply put your hand on your heart and then move it toward them, to show your thanks, I was able to do that. I don't remember where we were, except it was in an airport...I saw a serviceman walking toward me. When he looked up, I did that....no words, just a simple gesture. He smiled and nodded. It made ME feel good to have put that smile there. Then I saw some others do the same thing. He had been walking with his head down when he got off the plane, but with each person who made that small effort, he stood a bit straighter. When he was about out of sight, he was walking straight up and smiling. Remember to thank those who served for YOU!!
Well, with it being 11/11/11, it also brought to mind something else. Tomorrow is 11/12/11....that is the 28th anniversary of our moving to Haiti. We landed here in Cap Haitian around noon on Nov. 12th, 1983. Don and I and our twins had been here on teams before that, but that was our "moving day" to Haiti. And God has blessed us beyond measure for being here. Oh, make no mistake, there have been days when we wondered what we were doing here. But those were not the normal. MY only drawback to all of these years here is missing our kids, grandkids and now GREAT grandkids. But guess that is a mother's heart speaking. I cherish our kids and their kids, etc...and miss them a LOT. But I also know we are to be here. So, we'll let the Lord handle it all.
I have a daily devotional book, with the entries by Max Lucado. Today's was about our being clothed in robes of pure white when we get to heaven. Then he said ' "Jesus is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God" (Rev. 19:13). Why is Christ's robe not white? Why is His cloak not spotless? Why is His garment dipped in blood?....Paul says simply, "He changed places with us" (Gal. 3:13)...He wore our coat of sin to the cross." WOW... I KNEW this, yet seeing it put like that really brings it home. Have YOU thought about all that Jesus Christ did for YOU? I hope you are in the place where you can say AMEN and Praise the Lord for all He has done for ME!! We really do serve an AWESOME GOD!!
I looked at the date and it surprised me. It's 11/11/11. THAT doesn't happen often, does it? But then I remembered it's Veterans Day. Thank you to all the veterans, and to those who are serving now, to defend our country. Our prayers go out to all of them. They put themselves in harms way to keep us safe and we appreciate their service. Back when they started the "thing" about when you saw a service man or woman, to simply put your hand on your heart and then move it toward them, to show your thanks, I was able to do that. I don't remember where we were, except it was in an airport...I saw a serviceman walking toward me. When he looked up, I did that....no words, just a simple gesture. He smiled and nodded. It made ME feel good to have put that smile there. Then I saw some others do the same thing. He had been walking with his head down when he got off the plane, but with each person who made that small effort, he stood a bit straighter. When he was about out of sight, he was walking straight up and smiling. Remember to thank those who served for YOU!!
Well, with it being 11/11/11, it also brought to mind something else. Tomorrow is 11/12/11....that is the 28th anniversary of our moving to Haiti. We landed here in Cap Haitian around noon on Nov. 12th, 1983. Don and I and our twins had been here on teams before that, but that was our "moving day" to Haiti. And God has blessed us beyond measure for being here. Oh, make no mistake, there have been days when we wondered what we were doing here. But those were not the normal. MY only drawback to all of these years here is missing our kids, grandkids and now GREAT grandkids. But guess that is a mother's heart speaking. I cherish our kids and their kids, etc...and miss them a LOT. But I also know we are to be here. So, we'll let the Lord handle it all.
I have a daily devotional book, with the entries by Max Lucado. Today's was about our being clothed in robes of pure white when we get to heaven. Then he said ' "Jesus is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God" (Rev. 19:13). Why is Christ's robe not white? Why is His cloak not spotless? Why is His garment dipped in blood?....Paul says simply, "He changed places with us" (Gal. 3:13)...He wore our coat of sin to the cross." WOW... I KNEW this, yet seeing it put like that really brings it home. Have YOU thought about all that Jesus Christ did for YOU? I hope you are in the place where you can say AMEN and Praise the Lord for all He has done for ME!! We really do serve an AWESOME GOD!!
Monday, November 7, 2011
Rains...
Well, the heat is slowly receding. We have had some really heavy rains the last couple of days. Wish I had taken a picture of our yard, but when I thought of it, too late. Abbie stood on the porch and said, "Grandma...we have a beach! Can I go swimming?" Our whole big yard was water...and yes, it looked like a beach. You could see very little grass or ground anywhere. It came down in buckets for about 2 hours. Many places needed the rains, but not sure if they needed it like it came!!
I did get a picture of one of our candles in the living room, between the door and window. That shows you what the heat was like in our house. And, our place is cooler than most, with insulation over the ceiling.
Brings back memories of YEARS ago. My folks were on vacation in the summer, and asked my sister and I to take turns checking their house out. One day we both met at the house, opened the door and were hit with a blast furnace. For some reason the furnace had kicked on, and never shut off. A friend came and shut it down and then called the repair man. But on the dining room table, mom had two candles with a centerpiece. Both long candles were melted completely around the base, in a circle. I think we took a picture of it, but don't remember. Well, that's almost Haiti weather.
We had some excitement last night. I think I wrote that our guards were really pushing to get the gate finished. And it's been done enough to close at night now. About 2 weeks ago some guys broke into the OMS compound next to us. Our guard said they tried to come through our drive, but couldn't get in. So, they went to the other side of the OMS compound and climbed the fence. Last night about 3:15 AM, our dogs went wild. I got up and was checking out the windows. Saw our watchman with a flashlight, but nothing else. This kept on for over half an hour. We got one strange phone call...no one answered me. Then a while later, the man who is heading up their mission called (3:45 AM?) and asked us to have the guard open the gate for the police when they got there. Guys again had scaled the walls to the other mission and broken in. Our guards keep telling us how happy they are with the gate. We also have 3 stray dogs who have adopted us and stay here (we had tried to get them out, but no way would they leave). But now...we don't complain, they sure do keep everyone out at night!!
It's back to work again. I hope your days aren't quite as exciting as ours have been lately. We sure are praising God that He is there with us and keeping His eyes on us. Remember to keep your eyes on the the Lord and walk with Him!!
I did get a picture of one of our candles in the living room, between the door and window. That shows you what the heat was like in our house. And, our place is cooler than most, with insulation over the ceiling.
Brings back memories of YEARS ago. My folks were on vacation in the summer, and asked my sister and I to take turns checking their house out. One day we both met at the house, opened the door and were hit with a blast furnace. For some reason the furnace had kicked on, and never shut off. A friend came and shut it down and then called the repair man. But on the dining room table, mom had two candles with a centerpiece. Both long candles were melted completely around the base, in a circle. I think we took a picture of it, but don't remember. Well, that's almost Haiti weather.
We had some excitement last night. I think I wrote that our guards were really pushing to get the gate finished. And it's been done enough to close at night now. About 2 weeks ago some guys broke into the OMS compound next to us. Our guard said they tried to come through our drive, but couldn't get in. So, they went to the other side of the OMS compound and climbed the fence. Last night about 3:15 AM, our dogs went wild. I got up and was checking out the windows. Saw our watchman with a flashlight, but nothing else. This kept on for over half an hour. We got one strange phone call...no one answered me. Then a while later, the man who is heading up their mission called (3:45 AM?) and asked us to have the guard open the gate for the police when they got there. Guys again had scaled the walls to the other mission and broken in. Our guards keep telling us how happy they are with the gate. We also have 3 stray dogs who have adopted us and stay here (we had tried to get them out, but no way would they leave). But now...we don't complain, they sure do keep everyone out at night!!
It's back to work again. I hope your days aren't quite as exciting as ours have been lately. We sure are praising God that He is there with us and keeping His eyes on us. Remember to keep your eyes on the the Lord and walk with Him!!
Friday, November 4, 2011
November has arrived
I can't believe it's November already. Wow, time sure flies. I also can't believe it's still so VERY hot here. I can't remember how many people at the airport on Tuesday were complaining about the temperatures. It's still in the 90's during the day. Okay, it does cool off to mid 80's at night, but doesn't seem like its much cooler.
Looking at things in perspective, the whole world is going through "unusual" times right now. Look at Matthew 24: 4-8. "Jesus answered: 'Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen but the end will come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains."
Does this sound like what is happening? Does this mean the Lord will be coming soon? I know "soon" is a relative term, and no one knows the time, but it is exciting. All we have to be concerned with is if we are ready. Are you ready? I know I need to be better equipped, and need to start delving deeper into the Bible and what God has for me. I don't have "fear" of what is to come. I read the end of the Book, and we win!!! Getting there may not be easy, but we have the Lord walking through it all with us.
With this in mind, we have to take each day and make the best of it for the Lord.
I do have some prayer requests for you all to add to your list. We have several good friends who are facing cancer. Many find it hard to understand why the Lord allows this to happen to good, strong Christians. I can't even begin to answer that, except to say that God knows more than I do. I do know we are living in a world controlled by evil. And yes, I do pray for healing for these wonderful people. But we leave that part in the Lord's hands, once we lift them up to Him. And then I wonder, if it were me in that situation would I be the kind of person they are? I know two of these men are being a strong, positive witnesses for the Lord and all He stands for. Would I be that kind of person? I pray I would, but I don't know. So, I'm praying that the Lord will work in my life to let others see what He has done for me in so many areas. God IS my light and my salvation. I want others to see that and be drawn to His light, too.
Another prayer request is for the IDADEE orphanage. They are meeting some difficult times and have some hard decisions. Please keep them lifted up and close to the Lord.
Vero has been having a really hard time lately. She is doing what the Lord called her to, plus she has been overburdened with work at the orphanage. But she has almost no support and is really feeling the hard times now. She is praying about finding a job to help out. So please keep her lifted up in prayer. If the Lord wants her to continue on this path He has set her on, she will need Him to show her how to do it.
One of our "kids" is planning a December wedding. I thought I was out of this area, but I guess not. I have a very short time to get things together for this day. A dress, flowers, and all the added items need to be gotten. Please pray for me to be able to accomplish this for her and her future husband.
And then there is Abbie. What a joy in a sometimes hard world. Aside from her regular school work, she is taking Spanish and French daily. And how she loves it. She is doing really well in all areas of school, and she really enjoys school and learning. She is such an extrovert and it shows when we pick her up from school. Even the older kids make sure they come and tell her goodbye for the day. She is also taking piano lessons now. (Does anyone remember having their kids take music lessons? Whew...ear plugs would be nice!)
And our final prayer request is for us. Please keep us lifted up before the Lord. We seem to be on this roller coaster ride. Some really great days and then the real downers. But that is life, isn't it? It just seems doubly hard here.
We are thankful for so many things, though. I still rejoice in the time we spent with our kids this summer. And am SO VERY thankful for Bud and Sharon who shared their lives and home with us. And each and every day we are completely in awe of the Lord and all He has done for us. We praise Him and thank Him for being there for us and for keeping watch over us.
We pray you are totally connected to Him, too. Oh, yea, HE IS AWESOME, TOTALLY!
Looking at things in perspective, the whole world is going through "unusual" times right now. Look at Matthew 24: 4-8. "Jesus answered: 'Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen but the end will come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains."
Does this sound like what is happening? Does this mean the Lord will be coming soon? I know "soon" is a relative term, and no one knows the time, but it is exciting. All we have to be concerned with is if we are ready. Are you ready? I know I need to be better equipped, and need to start delving deeper into the Bible and what God has for me. I don't have "fear" of what is to come. I read the end of the Book, and we win!!! Getting there may not be easy, but we have the Lord walking through it all with us.
With this in mind, we have to take each day and make the best of it for the Lord.
I do have some prayer requests for you all to add to your list. We have several good friends who are facing cancer. Many find it hard to understand why the Lord allows this to happen to good, strong Christians. I can't even begin to answer that, except to say that God knows more than I do. I do know we are living in a world controlled by evil. And yes, I do pray for healing for these wonderful people. But we leave that part in the Lord's hands, once we lift them up to Him. And then I wonder, if it were me in that situation would I be the kind of person they are? I know two of these men are being a strong, positive witnesses for the Lord and all He stands for. Would I be that kind of person? I pray I would, but I don't know. So, I'm praying that the Lord will work in my life to let others see what He has done for me in so many areas. God IS my light and my salvation. I want others to see that and be drawn to His light, too.
Another prayer request is for the IDADEE orphanage. They are meeting some difficult times and have some hard decisions. Please keep them lifted up and close to the Lord.
Vero has been having a really hard time lately. She is doing what the Lord called her to, plus she has been overburdened with work at the orphanage. But she has almost no support and is really feeling the hard times now. She is praying about finding a job to help out. So please keep her lifted up in prayer. If the Lord wants her to continue on this path He has set her on, she will need Him to show her how to do it.
One of our "kids" is planning a December wedding. I thought I was out of this area, but I guess not. I have a very short time to get things together for this day. A dress, flowers, and all the added items need to be gotten. Please pray for me to be able to accomplish this for her and her future husband.
And then there is Abbie. What a joy in a sometimes hard world. Aside from her regular school work, she is taking Spanish and French daily. And how she loves it. She is doing really well in all areas of school, and she really enjoys school and learning. She is such an extrovert and it shows when we pick her up from school. Even the older kids make sure they come and tell her goodbye for the day. She is also taking piano lessons now. (Does anyone remember having their kids take music lessons? Whew...ear plugs would be nice!)
And our final prayer request is for us. Please keep us lifted up before the Lord. We seem to be on this roller coaster ride. Some really great days and then the real downers. But that is life, isn't it? It just seems doubly hard here.
We are thankful for so many things, though. I still rejoice in the time we spent with our kids this summer. And am SO VERY thankful for Bud and Sharon who shared their lives and home with us. And each and every day we are completely in awe of the Lord and all He has done for us. We praise Him and thank Him for being there for us and for keeping watch over us.
We pray you are totally connected to Him, too. Oh, yea, HE IS AWESOME, TOTALLY!
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