It was a simple, thoughtful question, asked the other day in a social media message.
"How are you? Things back to normal now?"
We recently returned to Haiti from time spent with family and friends in the states ranging from around Iowa, to Michigan, to Minnesota. We discovered we have become 'pansies' when it comes to cold weather. God arranged the circumstances so that partly we could 'just be' and we are thankful. We celebrated our son's ordination, we celebrated birthdays, we celebrated special time with those that care for us, we celebrated our Risen Savior, we celebrated hours with our grandkids.
We organized and packed what needed to accompany us back to Haiti. Included in that was a 2017 Mary Englebreit wall calendar. Eventhough it is long past January, it seemed God used the first-of-the-year colorful calendar page to send us off.
After this time of renewal it feels right to be focused again on daily mission and ministry with Many Hands for Haiti. Then comes that simple, thoughtful question, "How are you? Things back to normal now?" Here is the response in the message string..."Thanks for asking. Today seemed to feel challenging. Just some mental hurdles probably. We were talking with Appolon and Jean Ronel about a special select group they have chosen to offer some extra leadership training for. They talked about these 20 people and the possible persecution some may suffer because they were selected, which sets them apart from the remaining 80 people who are in our leadership development program of 100 participants." (Insert sad face emoji) The response continued, "Then we met with some leaders (some may be 'leader-wanna-be's') in Sylvain today. They had grievances to air." (insert another emoji!)
Reply from the message string, 'Ugh---That sounds hard! Did you find a solution to the leadership problem?' Then our response, "Not anything that seems like steps forward in our minds. Appolon and Jean Ronel said that it is the way it is here. It feels like if that is just the way it is... What a challenge for anything to change. Is it worse even than if the government is oppressive... that when your own fellow man must knock down anyone that strives to achieve some thing more than another??"
"OK...One more thing that caused stress today. There is a pentad, a guinea hen, that will not stop squawking. Claudin says it is lonely and crying for a mate. I asked Claudin how much it would cost to buy it from the neighbor and then eat it for supper!" Another message in this same message string at 11:32 PM... "There goes the pentad, AGAIN." The reply, 'Aiy, yai, yai!'
Hmmm, what a day that was.
The following afternoon there was time to get out the drill and the tapcon screws to hang that new 2017 calendar in a prominant place on the concrete block wall of our apartment. God used another calendar month's sentiment to encourage us and keep us on track.
These challenges must not become heavy. God will carry our burdens and show us answers in difficult circumstances.
We returned at the start of rainy season which means...THE MUD IS BACK. There is no complaining to be heard about the rain or the inconvenience of the mud because rain gives LIFE here. So, that same afternoon, Many Hands security guys Kalo and Regis, organized a few strong young neighbor boys to help with a little road maintenance. These boys worked hard loading rocks and broken concrete block from around MH campus into the three-wheel motorcycle bed. Then unloading in key places on the road in front of our campus to help create a barrier so the rain water flows at the side of road rather than all over the place. What fun it was to treat them to an ice cold 'pure cane sugar' Coca Cola and a snack. The hot sun and hard work makes a working man thirsty. Three of the boys were finished with their Coke and the bottle was still cold!
Little Oscar from next door worked hard too.
He was the chief horn honker on the road crew.
We apologized to his dad for giving him
a bottle of Coke which came nearly up to his waist.
We felt sorry for Oscar's mom.
Still that same afternoon a trip was made to Acassia, about 40 minutes away, to visit a mom and her son about a possible new house. If Mom can show ownership of the piece of land where their existing 'house' (using the term lightly) is located, there is a generous gift from a family in the US waiting to be used. Another very fitting calendar page....
The next morning offered time to go on a long-awaited hike to the top of Mount Pignon. A nice surprise, yet somewhat predicted, was to see a farmer friend that gardens at the top of the mountain. His name is Pastor Gregoir. Approaching his garden space the sound of his macheti 'clinking' against the rocks, to prepare the ground for planting, can be heard. If Pastor Gregoir were an artist making a calendar, one of his calendar pages would state his commonly used motto in life,
"IF I DON'T WORK, I DON'T EAT"
What's up with this? We spotted him on the path part way down the mountain.
Here begins TODAY! ALL IN A DAY! ALL ON MH CAMPUS!
Ground for a new garden has been worked by the current MH agronomy class students
Tomato plants growing
in the hydroponic system
Arranged here are some of the hand made items, from local artists, in our "Bon Bagay Boutique" which is the store upstairs in the Guest House where team members can find beautiful souveniers. This trivet was made by our neighbor, Elirose who is going to have a baby, hopefully THIS WEEK!
The cross was hand crafted out of tin by Oberne.
These paper bead bracelets were made by Judeline Pierre who lives down the Sylvain road about one mile.
Always within reach...
functional pen holding technic.
The weekly MH "Ti Legliz", little church service, was held this afternoon. In attendance were many kids, "timoun yo", from the community. The event offers a mid-week worship opportunity along with a biblical message to build people in their faith.
There was a very special song offered by these boys as praise to our Lord, Jesus.
"How are you? Things back to normal now?"
We recently returned to Haiti from time spent with family and friends in the states ranging from around Iowa, to Michigan, to Minnesota. We discovered we have become 'pansies' when it comes to cold weather. God arranged the circumstances so that partly we could 'just be' and we are thankful. We celebrated our son's ordination, we celebrated birthdays, we celebrated special time with those that care for us, we celebrated our Risen Savior, we celebrated hours with our grandkids.
We organized and packed what needed to accompany us back to Haiti. Included in that was a 2017 Mary Englebreit wall calendar. Eventhough it is long past January, it seemed God used the first-of-the-year colorful calendar page to send us off.
After this time of renewal it feels right to be focused again on daily mission and ministry with Many Hands for Haiti. Then comes that simple, thoughtful question, "How are you? Things back to normal now?" Here is the response in the message string..."Thanks for asking. Today seemed to feel challenging. Just some mental hurdles probably. We were talking with Appolon and Jean Ronel about a special select group they have chosen to offer some extra leadership training for. They talked about these 20 people and the possible persecution some may suffer because they were selected, which sets them apart from the remaining 80 people who are in our leadership development program of 100 participants." (Insert sad face emoji) The response continued, "Then we met with some leaders (some may be 'leader-wanna-be's') in Sylvain today. They had grievances to air." (insert another emoji!)
Reply from the message string, 'Ugh---That sounds hard! Did you find a solution to the leadership problem?' Then our response, "Not anything that seems like steps forward in our minds. Appolon and Jean Ronel said that it is the way it is here. It feels like if that is just the way it is... What a challenge for anything to change. Is it worse even than if the government is oppressive... that when your own fellow man must knock down anyone that strives to achieve some thing more than another??"
"OK...One more thing that caused stress today. There is a pentad, a guinea hen, that will not stop squawking. Claudin says it is lonely and crying for a mate. I asked Claudin how much it would cost to buy it from the neighbor and then eat it for supper!" Another message in this same message string at 11:32 PM... "There goes the pentad, AGAIN." The reply, 'Aiy, yai, yai!'
Hmmm, what a day that was.
The following afternoon there was time to get out the drill and the tapcon screws to hang that new 2017 calendar in a prominant place on the concrete block wall of our apartment. God used another calendar month's sentiment to encourage us and keep us on track.
These challenges must not become heavy. God will carry our burdens and show us answers in difficult circumstances.
We returned at the start of rainy season which means...THE MUD IS BACK. There is no complaining to be heard about the rain or the inconvenience of the mud because rain gives LIFE here. So, that same afternoon, Many Hands security guys Kalo and Regis, organized a few strong young neighbor boys to help with a little road maintenance. These boys worked hard loading rocks and broken concrete block from around MH campus into the three-wheel motorcycle bed. Then unloading in key places on the road in front of our campus to help create a barrier so the rain water flows at the side of road rather than all over the place. What fun it was to treat them to an ice cold 'pure cane sugar' Coca Cola and a snack. The hot sun and hard work makes a working man thirsty. Three of the boys were finished with their Coke and the bottle was still cold!
Little Oscar from next door worked hard too.
He was the chief horn honker on the road crew.
We apologized to his dad for giving him
a bottle of Coke which came nearly up to his waist.
We felt sorry for Oscar's mom.
Still that same afternoon a trip was made to Acassia, about 40 minutes away, to visit a mom and her son about a possible new house. If Mom can show ownership of the piece of land where their existing 'house' (using the term lightly) is located, there is a generous gift from a family in the US waiting to be used. Another very fitting calendar page....
The next morning offered time to go on a long-awaited hike to the top of Mount Pignon. A nice surprise, yet somewhat predicted, was to see a farmer friend that gardens at the top of the mountain. His name is Pastor Gregoir. Approaching his garden space the sound of his macheti 'clinking' against the rocks, to prepare the ground for planting, can be heard. If Pastor Gregoir were an artist making a calendar, one of his calendar pages would state his commonly used motto in life,
"IF I DON'T WORK, I DON'T EAT"
Here begins TODAY! ALL IN A DAY! ALL ON MH CAMPUS!
Workers, hired from the community, are planting peanuts
Tomato plants growing
in the hydroponic system
Ewand and Erilner assembled a child sized PET cart to be delivered to a young boy
living in Gonaives, Haiti. The connection was made when a seventh grade girl
named Grace contacted the organization, Mobility Worldwide, asking
if there would be a way her friend, Evenson, could receive a PET cart.
Mobility Worldwide contacted MH and the cart will soon be on it's way to Evenson.
New seedlings
are soon to be ready for transplanting by the
agronomy class.
Tomatoes are doing well
due to the rain that comes
nearly every afternoon.
Epina means Spinach in Creole. These plants have been allowed
to go to seed so that these seeds
can be saved
to plant in the future.
No this is not a 'lacey' variety
of cabbage.
The bugs are getting the best of it even with insecticide.
A new structure being built on MH Campus will house longer term visitors and staff.
This is how you get concrete up to pour in the second story. Can you find the bucket?
The rain has also brought an abundance of mangoes ripening on the tree.
This variety is called Jean Marie.
The branches are heavy and hanging low
like tree branches during an Iowa winter ice storm.
Again, abundance! Ti Loran is the name of this variety.
The skin on these is tender, with the flavor and texture resembling a peach.
Do they look like decorations on a Christmas tree?
See beyond the Batis variety of mango tree as Ewand is ready
to go out for a day of PET cart maintenance.
AND our favorite ladies in all of Haiti,
Evenie and Beatris, were hard at work today.
They do all of the
cooking, cleaning, and laundry
when MH hosts short-team mission teams
in the MH Guest House.
The cross was hand crafted out of tin by Oberne.
These paper bead bracelets were made by Judeline Pierre who lives down the Sylvain road about one mile.
This afternoon some potential
rental land was investigated
for a future MH animal husbandry program.
The location is ideal.
There is a water source from a stream that will run through during the heart
of the rainy season.
Always within reach...
functional pen holding technic.
The weekly MH "Ti Legliz", little church service, was held this afternoon. In attendance were many kids, "timoun yo", from the community. The event offers a mid-week worship opportunity along with a biblical message to build people in their faith.
There was a very special song offered by these boys as praise to our Lord, Jesus.
These two ladies were focused on the prayers being prayed.
Neither of them could stand straight but nonetheless they stood.
The music continued through the afternoon as did the planting of peanuts
that started early this morning.
(Look closely in the background of the picture.)
The rain would come after the participants and workers were gone.
This day reflects finally the current calendar page for May 2017 ....
"How are you?" Today, no doubt about it...
Filled with HOPE because of Jesus Christ and God's goodness
that can be seen all around,
even in the hard stuff.
Are these sentiments from a calendar? Or might they be words from God to cling to
day by day, week by week, month by month.
Praying for hope for you and all of those you come into contact with each day! May the Lord bless you and sustain you and provide for you in His perfect timing and way!
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