1. A lizard runs over your foot and you don't flinch.
2. It starts raining and you run OUTSIDE of the house instead of inside it (and bring your shampoo).
3. You can't fall asleep without the aide of VooDoo drums.
4. When you look at the fly (a.k.a. "Flying Raisin" here in Haiti) floating in your drink and down it anyways, thankful for the protein.
5. When the absence of the smell of trash makes you feel uncomfortable.
6.You praise God for one week without the runs.
7. The trip to the air conditioned grocery store feels like a day at an amusement park.
8. You see a man with a shotgun in the cookie aisle and wonder if he is getting chocolate chip or sugar.
9. Before buying any item of food you check to make sure there are no more than five ants crawling inside.
10. You see tarantulas, snakes, and rats more often than birds and you still don't want to leave :(
Please remember to pray for us as we are home these next few weeks. We have fallen in love with the people here and are going to need prayer readjusting. We will try and post one more after we are home and get settled in!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Hope for Haiti? Week 6
“Hope for Haiti” is probably the most common slogan for the country since the earthquake. Being here for almost two months though, we have to ask ourselves…is there really any hope? After spending a week in a community, “Light on a Hill”, and holding VBS for over a 100 children, this question often came to mind. Do these children, half dressed with bloated bellies, have any hope? What is “Hope for Haiti”? Is it rebuilding a home the size of an average bathroom with a tarp for a roof? Is it having filthy water within walking distance? Is it being able to send one of your children to school? Sadly, these three situations are some of the biggest hopes many families have. A small house is much preferred to a tent or house made of sticks. Having clean water is a joke to many Haitians, and being able to send just one of seven children to school is a blessing. So what is “Hope for Haiti”?
Observing a few communities over the past weeks has made us realize that we might have more hope for these people than they do for themselves. You probably don’t know that in the school curriculum children here are taught there is a hierarchy of people. Whites are at the top with skin colors becoming darker and darker until blacks are at the bottom. Yes, this is in an actual textbook. Haitian children are often taught they are cursed, unable to make much more of themselves. When Kristi and I asked one of our translators what he would like to do with his life after school his response was, “Make enough money to send my children to school.” With no dreams of a job this Haitian, a minority as he has an education, is being schooled only to hopefully be able to send his children to school. Why? An education just to supply another education is putting the hope in the process of receiving and not using. The country will never prosper or even have a stable economy if the people don’t believe they can do anything to help their situations. Most Haitians we have met are living only to survive another day. CNN can show the “Hope for Haiti” so many organizations are giving, but at the core Haiti didn’t have hope prior to the earthquake. Other
countries can only go so far in providing temporary aid to these people. While the aid is needed, more of our focus really should be teaching them to provide for themselves. Haitians have a hard time developing pride in themselves or their work when we are developing everything for them. As Americans who have watched the news and consistently seen the money being poured into the country along with incredible stories, we would like to think big changes are taking place each day. Still, after driving these streets for two months, from Port-au-Prince to the Dominican border, we can’t help but wonder where all the money has gone. Please don’t misunderstand us. So much good is being done here and can be done through various organizations aimed at meeting medical, housing, and spiritual needs- only the spiritual is often the last need we think of as Americans.
So will this country ever have real hope? I think the answer can only be found one place- in Christ. It is Christ who said he came for the poor, for they are rich in His eyes. This past week we spent some time with the leaders of a local church, along with 12 young men being discipled by our friend Junior. Seeing their eagerness to study God’s word, and hearing their countless questions on how to meet the needs in their own community, gave us the first view of where hope begins for this country. My dad, Nathan, was here with my college group from the week. He said he struggled early on when he was deciding how to teach these leaders about church administration. He realized that just maybe these men shouldn’t do church like Americans. Their ministry is characterized by equipping their congregation to live out the Gospel in a much different way than is our aim back in the States. We are often more concerned with spending money to build a bigger gym and a nicer sanctuary to attract people to the church. This
community of believers is more concerned with bringing the church and the gospel to the people, not waiting for them to come looking for it. This is displayed in service such as carrying a woman’s load of water up the 700 foot hill or praying every day with the brother next door with Malaria. Sounds a lot more like the Gospel we read in the Bible doesn’t it? When more of Haiti grasps this and finds Christ, they will find hope. Hope for eternity yes, but hope for today also.
While at “Light on a Hill” we saw a family finishing up their dinner next to the church. They had a pot full of leftover rice and beans- enough to feed their starving neighbors. We watched in astonishment though as the mother put the pot outside her house for the strays to eat. Stray animals took priority over the people living a foot away. With a heart of Christ it would be only natural to share with their neighbors. Although they may not have material needs to supply for many, service is part of the call and can be performed at any level of income. The Christian life brings service, stewardship, and hope. Three things Haiti lacks…three things Christ can solve.
Towards the end of our week on “Light on a Hill” we realized that these half-dressed bloated-belly kids do have hope. Their bright-eyed faces with smiles ear to ear don’t scream hopelessness like that of their elders. Kids have dreams. The only difference between the dreams of an American child and the dreams of a Haitian child is we are told it is possible, and our dreams continue to live. Somewhere along the road, these children learn to stop dreaming. But with the joy and hope a relationship with Christ brings, and the comfort offered through fellowship with a local body of believers, these children will not just survive, they will learn to live these dreams.
Observing a few communities over the past weeks has made us realize that we might have more hope for these people than they do for themselves. You probably don’t know that in the school curriculum children here are taught there is a hierarchy of people. Whites are at the top with skin colors becoming darker and darker until blacks are at the bottom. Yes, this is in an actual textbook. Haitian children are often taught they are cursed, unable to make much more of themselves. When Kristi and I asked one of our translators what he would like to do with his life after school his response was, “Make enough money to send my children to school.” With no dreams of a job this Haitian, a minority as he has an education, is being schooled only to hopefully be able to send his children to school. Why? An education just to supply another education is putting the hope in the process of receiving and not using. The country will never prosper or even have a stable economy if the people don’t believe they can do anything to help their situations. Most Haitians we have met are living only to survive another day. CNN can show the “Hope for Haiti” so many organizations are giving, but at the core Haiti didn’t have hope prior to the earthquake. Other
countries can only go so far in providing temporary aid to these people. While the aid is needed, more of our focus really should be teaching them to provide for themselves. Haitians have a hard time developing pride in themselves or their work when we are developing everything for them. As Americans who have watched the news and consistently seen the money being poured into the country along with incredible stories, we would like to think big changes are taking place each day. Still, after driving these streets for two months, from Port-au-Prince to the Dominican border, we can’t help but wonder where all the money has gone. Please don’t misunderstand us. So much good is being done here and can be done through various organizations aimed at meeting medical, housing, and spiritual needs- only the spiritual is often the last need we think of as Americans.So will this country ever have real hope? I think the answer can only be found one place- in Christ. It is Christ who said he came for the poor, for they are rich in His eyes. This past week we spent some time with the leaders of a local church, along with 12 young men being discipled by our friend Junior. Seeing their eagerness to study God’s word, and hearing their countless questions on how to meet the needs in their own community, gave us the first view of where hope begins for this country. My dad, Nathan, was here with my college group from the week. He said he struggled early on when he was deciding how to teach these leaders about church administration. He realized that just maybe these men shouldn’t do church like Americans. Their ministry is characterized by equipping their congregation to live out the Gospel in a much different way than is our aim back in the States. We are often more concerned with spending money to build a bigger gym and a nicer sanctuary to attract people to the church. This
community of believers is more concerned with bringing the church and the gospel to the people, not waiting for them to come looking for it. This is displayed in service such as carrying a woman’s load of water up the 700 foot hill or praying every day with the brother next door with Malaria. Sounds a lot more like the Gospel we read in the Bible doesn’t it? When more of Haiti grasps this and finds Christ, they will find hope. Hope for eternity yes, but hope for today also.While at “Light on a Hill” we saw a family finishing up their dinner next to the church. They had a pot full of leftover rice and beans- enough to feed their starving neighbors. We watched in astonishment though as the mother put the pot outside her house for the strays to eat. Stray animals took priority over the people living a foot away. With a heart of Christ it would be only natural to share with their neighbors. Although they may not have material needs to supply for many, service is part of the call and can be performed at any level of income. The Christian life brings service, stewardship, and hope. Three things Haiti lacks…three things Christ can solve.
Towards the end of our week on “Light on a Hill” we realized that these half-dressed bloated-belly kids do have hope. Their bright-eyed faces with smiles ear to ear don’t scream hopelessness like that of their elders. Kids have dreams. The only difference between the dreams of an American child and the dreams of a Haitian child is we are told it is possible, and our dreams continue to live. Somewhere along the road, these children learn to stop dreaming. But with the joy and hope a relationship with Christ brings, and the comfort offered through fellowship with a local body of believers, these children will not just survive, they will learn to live these dreams.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Week 4-5
Hello! Sorry we haven't updated in a while! We have been running around like crazy lately. We got the opportunity to go to Santo Domingo for a few days to pick up a missionary. It was a very nice and unexpected vacation! We got a little bit of American food and a lot of relaxation. We even spent our last night at a resort! (compliments of G-daddy Ensminger...don't worry if you're a supporter, we didn't use your money!) Although it was a blast and we probably spoiled ourselves a little too much, we definitely needed it. We were starting to get slightly emotionally and physically drained the week before, so we were very thankful for the break. BUT, God also used this time in a different way that we did not expect...
Ever since we got to Haiti, we feel like we've been more spiritually focused than ever. Obviously, being on the mission field has made us more mission minded. We see every opportunity to share the Gospel with people we meet, and we rarely miss a chance to show love to the people here or hug on a little one. We've been praying that when we return we would have the same attitude and the same urgency to witness to others and to be used by God wherever we are. This "spiritual high" has allowed us to dream big and get excited about what the future holds for us when we get back to the states, but it has also blinded us to many things that the world is going to throw at us back home, difficulties that just aren't issues here in Haiti. In the Dominican Republic we were smacked in the face...with materialism, all kinds of idolatry, and the depth of our selfishness. While we were there, we didn't look for any ministry opportunities. In our very excited states of mind, we were solely focused on where we could eat, what we could buy, and where we could go for ourselves. Though none of this in itself is a bad thing, it was for us because we put our desires above recognizing the needs of others. We really believe the Lord had different plans for our mini-vacation. He knew we needed rest, but he knew even better that we needed a reminder of the struggles that lie ahead for us. We needed to be warned that coming back from an experience like this is going to be far beyond difficult, and that we're going to need even more prayer when we get back. A Dominican pastor we heard last sunday urged his congregation to "not have the American mindset." At first this kinda shocked us (and embarrassed us, as we were the only white people in the room), but his point had some validity. With evidence of growing materialism in the DR, they should be on guard not to adapt this mindset. Because, as it did to us that week, it becomes all too easy to forget that our ultimate goal as believers is the make much of Christ in the world, not ourselves. We don't want to be too greedy in asking for your prayers :), but please pray that when we get home, we will keep the same heart we have here.
In two days, the Immanuel College Group gets here! We are so pumped! Basically because Nathan is bringing Betty's cookies :) But for real, it's gonna be such a relief to see familiar faces...and what's even better is we will be leading them up in an area an hour from here called "Light on a Hill"...But the name doesn't do it justice..it's literally on top of a mountain overlooking the ocean and the city...probably the most beautiful place we've seen since we've been here..and we will be sleeping in a tent on the roof of an old missionary house! We'll be working with the group doing everything from cooking and cleaning to discipleship, ESL, and Vacation Bible School. Please pray for the community and the group coming, as this is the first project being done in the area. The most incredible part is how God is already moving there. Junior, the local Haitian pastor and leader of the community, is a modern day Paul. His church has been growing and has recently had many men step up to lead. (Church administration is going to be one of the main focuses of this group's task) But the thing that's so special about Junior is that he is so focused on the spiritual needs of his community, he won't even accept offers for physical needs such as medical attention and house building in the area. If you could see the poverty in this area (naked children, trash-filled streets, cardboard roofs, and rampant malnourishment) you would understand just how much faith this man has. He knows that without God is the community, no change will last and no real hope will be given.
As a side note, we had three girls (Casey, Abby, and Kimberly) come in this week. It's been so refreshing to have girls close to our age here to hang out with. (and has given me a break from Jordan :)) This one chick Abby had to one-up us and come here for 6 months, at the age of 19, by herself!!..show off!!! Just kiddin, please pray for her as she begins a VERY long journey...
Thank you so much for your continued prayer and support. We really do pray for you all and thank God for you every day.
Ever since we got to Haiti, we feel like we've been more spiritually focused than ever. Obviously, being on the mission field has made us more mission minded. We see every opportunity to share the Gospel with people we meet, and we rarely miss a chance to show love to the people here or hug on a little one. We've been praying that when we return we would have the same attitude and the same urgency to witness to others and to be used by God wherever we are. This "spiritual high" has allowed us to dream big and get excited about what the future holds for us when we get back to the states, but it has also blinded us to many things that the world is going to throw at us back home, difficulties that just aren't issues here in Haiti. In the Dominican Republic we were smacked in the face...with materialism, all kinds of idolatry, and the depth of our selfishness. While we were there, we didn't look for any ministry opportunities. In our very excited states of mind, we were solely focused on where we could eat, what we could buy, and where we could go for ourselves. Though none of this in itself is a bad thing, it was for us because we put our desires above recognizing the needs of others. We really believe the Lord had different plans for our mini-vacation. He knew we needed rest, but he knew even better that we needed a reminder of the struggles that lie ahead for us. We needed to be warned that coming back from an experience like this is going to be far beyond difficult, and that we're going to need even more prayer when we get back. A Dominican pastor we heard last sunday urged his congregation to "not have the American mindset." At first this kinda shocked us (and embarrassed us, as we were the only white people in the room), but his point had some validity. With evidence of growing materialism in the DR, they should be on guard not to adapt this mindset. Because, as it did to us that week, it becomes all too easy to forget that our ultimate goal as believers is the make much of Christ in the world, not ourselves. We don't want to be too greedy in asking for your prayers :), but please pray that when we get home, we will keep the same heart we have here.
In two days, the Immanuel College Group gets here! We are so pumped! Basically because Nathan is bringing Betty's cookies :) But for real, it's gonna be such a relief to see familiar faces...and what's even better is we will be leading them up in an area an hour from here called "Light on a Hill"...But the name doesn't do it justice..it's literally on top of a mountain overlooking the ocean and the city...probably the most beautiful place we've seen since we've been here..and we will be sleeping in a tent on the roof of an old missionary house! We'll be working with the group doing everything from cooking and cleaning to discipleship, ESL, and Vacation Bible School. Please pray for the community and the group coming, as this is the first project being done in the area. The most incredible part is how God is already moving there. Junior, the local Haitian pastor and leader of the community, is a modern day Paul. His church has been growing and has recently had many men step up to lead. (Church administration is going to be one of the main focuses of this group's task) But the thing that's so special about Junior is that he is so focused on the spiritual needs of his community, he won't even accept offers for physical needs such as medical attention and house building in the area. If you could see the poverty in this area (naked children, trash-filled streets, cardboard roofs, and rampant malnourishment) you would understand just how much faith this man has. He knows that without God is the community, no change will last and no real hope will be given.
As a side note, we had three girls (Casey, Abby, and Kimberly) come in this week. It's been so refreshing to have girls close to our age here to hang out with. (and has given me a break from Jordan :)) This one chick Abby had to one-up us and come here for 6 months, at the age of 19, by herself!!..show off!!! Just kiddin, please pray for her as she begins a VERY long journey...
Thank you so much for your continued prayer and support. We really do pray for you all and thank God for you every day.
Monday, June 28, 2010
"Refiner's Fire"
Well the Lord has very literally "lit me up" this past week. Just wanted to share with you my lesson about selfishness. So....
It was just me and Delores on the compound...which never happens. Usually there is at least 5 people here during the day. It was also one of the only times Kristi was out doing something without me. Well anyways, I got a bright idea to make a cake since Kristi was gone. No, not to be nice...just because we usually fight over the cake batter and it was my opportunity to get it all...wa ha ha ha (evil laugh). I get a little selfish when it comes to cake batter just so you know. I usually try sneaking a few licks before Kristi notices and then she gets really mad and we fight like a couple fourth graders. So, as you see, this was the PERFECT situation for victory.
The preparations for the cake went smoothly. I greased my pan and got all the ingredients out. I also lit the gas oven...a task I hadn't done before. I spent the next ten minutes mixing my batter while the oven was preheating...or so I thought. When I went to put the cake in the flame was gone from the stove! So naturally I went to relight it. Found out this isn't such a good idea when the gas has been on for ten minutes along with the oven switch. The next thing I saw was an oven engulfed in flames and I soon found myself blown into the wall behind me. Luckily the flames went down right away and nothing was hurt..well except my right arm which was covered in black ash which I soon found out was the remains of my arm hair. Gross. Delores, luckily a nurse, handled the situation like a champ. I was in shock of course for the first five minutes and didn't know what emotion to have. As she ran to the warehouse to get cream for my arm, I didn't really concentrate on anything else besides the cake batter sitting a few feet away from me. With my crispy arm under a stream of cold water preventing the pain from coming to the surface I reached for a lick of the batter. To my dismay my body was too shocked to taste it!! Mission failed. Now I wrap my arm up in an ugly cast every day with a horrible story to go along with it. God has taught me my lesson! Share the batter...or get someone else to light the stove!
What a refining fire the Lord is.
In better news, Campbellsville has written an article on our trip! Check it out at www.campbellsvilletigers.com.
Jordan
It was just me and Delores on the compound...which never happens. Usually there is at least 5 people here during the day. It was also one of the only times Kristi was out doing something without me. Well anyways, I got a bright idea to make a cake since Kristi was gone. No, not to be nice...just because we usually fight over the cake batter and it was my opportunity to get it all...wa ha ha ha (evil laugh). I get a little selfish when it comes to cake batter just so you know. I usually try sneaking a few licks before Kristi notices and then she gets really mad and we fight like a couple fourth graders. So, as you see, this was the PERFECT situation for victory.
The preparations for the cake went smoothly. I greased my pan and got all the ingredients out. I also lit the gas oven...a task I hadn't done before. I spent the next ten minutes mixing my batter while the oven was preheating...or so I thought. When I went to put the cake in the flame was gone from the stove! So naturally I went to relight it. Found out this isn't such a good idea when the gas has been on for ten minutes along with the oven switch. The next thing I saw was an oven engulfed in flames and I soon found myself blown into the wall behind me. Luckily the flames went down right away and nothing was hurt..well except my right arm which was covered in black ash which I soon found out was the remains of my arm hair. Gross. Delores, luckily a nurse, handled the situation like a champ. I was in shock of course for the first five minutes and didn't know what emotion to have. As she ran to the warehouse to get cream for my arm, I didn't really concentrate on anything else besides the cake batter sitting a few feet away from me. With my crispy arm under a stream of cold water preventing the pain from coming to the surface I reached for a lick of the batter. To my dismay my body was too shocked to taste it!! Mission failed. Now I wrap my arm up in an ugly cast every day with a horrible story to go along with it. God has taught me my lesson! Share the batter...or get someone else to light the stove!
What a refining fire the Lord is.
In better news, Campbellsville has written an article on our trip! Check it out at www.campbellsvilletigers.com.
Jordan
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Week 3
Hello to our four readers! We've had another amazing few days, so we had to share!
- We're finally getting some ministry started at the orphanage. We went a few days ago and did a craft with the kids. We traced each of their hands on a paper plate and let them paint "inside" along with our shirts :) We plan on using them to decorate the walls there, along with the verse that went with the bible story we shared today. Our friend Patrick (he and his brother Jimmy run the orphanage) translated for us while we told the story of David and Goliath. The kids were adorable acting out the part of David and "stabbing" Patrick, aka Goliath, with a "sword" (old lollipop stick). We can't wait to put the decorations up and try to add some color to the concrete walls they spend every day in. We plan on going to the orphanage more often to share bible stories with the kids, and are hoping to start some VBS stuff soon with the children in the surrounding areas.
- We also got the chance to talk with one of the teachers at the orphanage (an 18-year old girl named Esther that is far more mature than us...hard to believe). She and the other two ladies that work with the children are very interested in possibly being involved in a women's bible study in the area. Esther knows a fair amount of English and agreed to help us lead. She wants to go through the book of Matthew, so we'll be beginnning with Matthew 1 on Saturday! We're really excited! Please be in prayer, as the language barrier could be difficult..
- Two days ago we took a trip up to a place called "Light on a Hill." We've officially mastered peeing without a toilet here :). It's a community located on the top of a mountain that could serve as the potential sight for groups to come in and teach ESL, administer theological training, hold VBS, start discipleship groups, and/or teach music to the locals. Construction is also a possibility and is being considered in the next few days. Be in prayer as this is an area my dad, Nathan, might be put along with the college group from Immanuel.
- After visiting "Light on a Hill" we went to Petit Guave, a town on a mountain about 3 hours from here. A church from Brentwood, Tennessee is partnering with a church in this area to build a few houses. Our friend Parker is leading the teams as they "rough it" at the local hotel with air conditioning, right on the beach! Kristi was very disappointed when we got there, though. She'd been "professionally trained" to administer shots earlier in the day by Delores, but the guys weren't sick anymore by the time we got there!
- We were spoiled and got to travel again yesterday to Jimani, a city in the Dominican Republic right past the border. We went to help move some items from the last location Sam and Delores lived. The house was much different than our home now! It is called "Casa Blanca" in the community as it is a HUGE white house with a very large yard. Six bedrooms, six bathrooms, and an incredible view of the mountains...need we go on? It was neat though to travel just a few hours and be in such a different culture. One minute over the border and it is obvious how much better off the DR is from Haiti...even though it would be the slums of America. We practiced our Spanish finally! We were great with "No comprendo" and got plenty of frustrated "Aye aye aye"s at the bank. Crossing the border on our return was quite an adventure as well. As we rushed to make it in time, we were stopped by officials from both the DR and Haiti. For a minute it appeared that we might be spending the night in between the borders, but with God's hand we crossed with about ten minutes to spare. The ride was incredible..we were literally five feet from the ocean on one side, with endless mountains on the other. Sounds like we may even be going back tomorrow to sort through some more stuff.
Hopefully we'll get some pictures up soon. These stories really don't do justice the sights, sounds, and smells we experience every day. If you really wanna experience the smells, though, just stick your head in a dumpster for a few hours. As crazy as things may seem, we're really starting to fall in love with the people here. Haiti seems more like home every day.
Please continue to be praying for different teams as they come and go and that they bring energy and a willingness to serve in whatever way they are needed. Also remember the bible study we are beginning and the kids at the orphanage. Your prayers mean so much to us and we feel them all the time.
Also be in prayer that Nathan Cornett starts listening to the voice of God and comes a week early ;).Saturday, June 19, 2010
Happy Father's Day Daddy
Ok fathers...we have come up with your father's day gifts from here in Haiti.
1. Gary and Nathan-Mom will make you your favorite meal tonight! ANYTHING you want :)
2. Nathan and Gary-Mom will give you a nice neck massage.
3. Gary- Lauren will rub your feet...as long as you would like.
4. Nathan-Mom and the boys will watch all the Star War Movies with you today...and you can rub your nails together the whole time.
5. Gary- Tyler will mow the yard, wash the dishes, wash the cars, and any other chores you so desire.
6. Nathan- You may take the afternoon off to put up the basketball goal and start remodeling my bathroom.
7.Gary- You may go to Waffle House for breakfast.
8. Nathan- JB and Justin will paint your office.
9. Gary- You can wear a black belt with brown shoes and/or shorts that go above your knees...but not both.
10. Nathan-Nana will make you biscuits and gravy for breakfast.
11. Gary- Lauren said it is ok to feed the dogs a Hershey's Bar for lunch...but not the off brand.
12.Nathan- You may rub your belly in public.
13. Gary- I'll have a cup of coffee in your honor..yes I have finally crossed over thanks to 5 o'clock mornings.
14. Nathan- After you are done with your relaxing afternoon of remodeling you may lay on the couch and read your new Haiti book...and even throw in a few chapter summaries.
15. Gary- Spoil yourself...get in the hot tub twice.
16. Nathan- Spoil yourself...buy us a hot tub.
1. Gary and Nathan-Mom will make you your favorite meal tonight! ANYTHING you want :)
2. Nathan and Gary-Mom will give you a nice neck massage.
3. Gary- Lauren will rub your feet...as long as you would like.
4. Nathan-Mom and the boys will watch all the Star War Movies with you today...and you can rub your nails together the whole time.
5. Gary- Tyler will mow the yard, wash the dishes, wash the cars, and any other chores you so desire.
6. Nathan- You may take the afternoon off to put up the basketball goal and start remodeling my bathroom.
7.Gary- You may go to Waffle House for breakfast.
8. Nathan- JB and Justin will paint your office.
9. Gary- You can wear a black belt with brown shoes and/or shorts that go above your knees...but not both.
10. Nathan-Nana will make you biscuits and gravy for breakfast.
11. Gary- Lauren said it is ok to feed the dogs a Hershey's Bar for lunch...but not the off brand.
12.Nathan- You may rub your belly in public.
13. Gary- I'll have a cup of coffee in your honor..yes I have finally crossed over thanks to 5 o'clock mornings.
14. Nathan- After you are done with your relaxing afternoon of remodeling you may lay on the couch and read your new Haiti book...and even throw in a few chapter summaries.
15. Gary- Spoil yourself...get in the hot tub twice.
16. Nathan- Spoil yourself...buy us a hot tub.
We know what you're thinking...we shouldn't have to sacrifice this much, seeing how we are so busy and have so many responsibilities here. But hey, you're our daddies and we love you...so no thanks needed.
We just love you all so much. And we don't know what we would do without you! Don't worry about all the sacrifices we have made for your Father's Day :)
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Updates and Prayer Needs!
The last couple days have been extremely busy. We know it hasn't been a week since our last post, but so much has happened we wanted to go on and write. This past Sunday we had the opportunity to give our testimonies at a church that may be a possible plant. We found out the night before that we'd be speaking, so if you know us at all you know God had to come through major to calm our fears! It went really well though. Turns out speaking through a translator is way easier than we expected, since we have time to think of the next line while they're still translating. Anyways, this house is where we chose to have the medical clinic for the past few days. We took turns taking blood pressures and praying with each patient in Creole as they left. We saw over 430 patients in two and a half days. The same guy that allowed us to use his house (not a believer at the time) prayed to receive Christ just as we ended the medical clinic! Delores let us watch as she witnessed to him and his sister. Please be in prayer for Yves as he begins his walk and his sister as she claims to be a Christian but is still struggling in some sin. We also had the chance during the clinic to discuss the Bible with a Haitian man named Jeff, who spoke very good English. He, as well as many other Haitians, has so many questions about God and His Word, but doesn't have anyone to turn to for answers. We've realized that many of these people who are seeking Christ, and those who are already Christians, are passionate but have very little if any discipleship.
It is also very disheartening that one of our translators, Desire, had a father who recently passed away. Even more sad is that just the day before we had an opportunity to hear his testimony. He asked us the question "Are you blessed enough to have both parents alive?" After we answered, we asked him and he said yes. He then began to explain that his father was very sick, and he worried about him because he was not sure he was saved. Pray that he would experience peace through the Holy Spirit during this time and he would continue to lean on Jesus.
Another amazing witnessing opportunity is right across the street with not Haitians, but Pakistanis. The UN base for Pakistan is literally ten feet from our front gate. Delores met them a few months back when she got locked out of our compound and had no place to go. They fell in love with her and she even has one man in particular call her "Mom". Since then she and some of the teams have continued to go visit. We have had the opportunity to go twice in the past couple weeks. Our typical conversation isn't what you would expect. Commander Malik is quite the jokester as he called a man on our team last week "sexy" and made jokes the entire time. He loves to play the "Age Guessing Game" and is pretty right on usually...besides thinking I (Jordan) was 13 and Kristi 23...I guess she looks 10 years older! For dinner Kristi and I made cupcakes and a cake...with green icing that looked like mold...but nevertheless we made it! Fortunately they loved it. Who can blame them? But besides that they invite us to come play sports with them (Cricket, Volleyball, etc.) any night we want to at 5:30. Hopefully as we develop relationships with them some doors will open for witnessing. Until then we'll continue to dress in full body suits :)
We are off to the beach again this morning, one plus of having new groups every week. I can feel your jealousy :).
It is also very disheartening that one of our translators, Desire, had a father who recently passed away. Even more sad is that just the day before we had an opportunity to hear his testimony. He asked us the question "Are you blessed enough to have both parents alive?" After we answered, we asked him and he said yes. He then began to explain that his father was very sick, and he worried about him because he was not sure he was saved. Pray that he would experience peace through the Holy Spirit during this time and he would continue to lean on Jesus.
Another amazing witnessing opportunity is right across the street with not Haitians, but Pakistanis. The UN base for Pakistan is literally ten feet from our front gate. Delores met them a few months back when she got locked out of our compound and had no place to go. They fell in love with her and she even has one man in particular call her "Mom". Since then she and some of the teams have continued to go visit. We have had the opportunity to go twice in the past couple weeks. Our typical conversation isn't what you would expect. Commander Malik is quite the jokester as he called a man on our team last week "sexy" and made jokes the entire time. He loves to play the "Age Guessing Game" and is pretty right on usually...besides thinking I (Jordan) was 13 and Kristi 23...I guess she looks 10 years older! For dinner Kristi and I made cupcakes and a cake...with green icing that looked like mold...but nevertheless we made it! Fortunately they loved it. Who can blame them? But besides that they invite us to come play sports with them (Cricket, Volleyball, etc.) any night we want to at 5:30. Hopefully as we develop relationships with them some doors will open for witnessing. Until then we'll continue to dress in full body suits :)
We are off to the beach again this morning, one plus of having new groups every week. I can feel your jealousy :).
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