Back to Basics

Our new Praying Pelican Missions missionaries arrived three weeks ago:  Marlo will be here for one year, and Bethany will be here for four months.  Both of these young women have a passion for God and for children that inspires me! 


Some of the questions I was asked upon their arrival was "What are our goals?", "What exactly do we do?", and "What will our typical week look like?".  I have thought about this long and hard and decided that I should share my ideas and answers to these questions with you, my prayer warriors, supporters, and friends.


So...


What are our goals?
As Praying Pelican Missionaries, our main goal is to develop relationships with pastors, churches, communities, orphanage directors, children, and any one else who is placed in our path to learn about their history, vision, heart for ministry and encourage them in whatever way we can to achieve the vision that God has laid on their heart.  This means that we visit and pray for our different contacts, find new contacts, learn a lot about different areas, find where we can place teams, and figure out how we can best serve our pastors, leaders, and orphanage directors.  All of this we do for the glory of God.  


Sometimes we have more tangible goals we can reach on a daily basis, but, overall, this is what we do.


What exactly do we do?
We have been given the amazing opportunity to meet with and encourage pastors and leaders in Haiti.  When we are meeting with a pastor, we ask him about his history and about what God has laid on his heart.  We learn a lot before we do anything else.  We are beginning to write down the history for each pastor like a biography and also write down where he sees his ministry going.  This is an exciting part of the "job".  I have loved learning about these pastors.  We ask him how we could encourage him and explain to him who we, as Praying Pelican Missions, are. After building a relationship with the pastor, if the pastor desires, and it's a good fit, we offer to bring a mission team to partner with him in ministry. We work with the pastor to determine ways that the team can encourage him and his congregation as well as serve his community


Basically, we make sure our relationships with our partners are healthy, we develop new partnerships, and we work to encourage them in their ministry as much as possible.


What does a typical week look like?
Each of our weeks will look a little different.  Some weeks, we have teams, so we are leading them on their mission.  Some weeks, we are doing set up for the big mission season coming up--which includes finding lodging, transportation, cooks, and effective ministry for our teams.  Some weeks, we are visiting our current partners to see how ministry is going, asking them follow up questions, and learning more about them.  


We have different weeks, but we are typically pretty busy with everything that is going on.


I think it is so exciting to know so many different men and women of God doing so many wonderful things and being able to just learn from them, be inspired, and pray for them.  Maybe God will even allow me to be  in some way involved in their ministry from time to time.  What an exciting life and ministry.  I am again humbled and blessed to be where I am doing what I am doing.  


I am so glad Marlo and Bethany stopped and asked me these questions so I could reflect on how God has chosen to use me.  I am so glad He has chosen me.  I am so blessed.  


And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.--Hebrews 10:25

I Remember that Day.

When the earthquake hit Haiti on January 12, 2010 that left thousands and thousands of people dead, many more people injured, and a city filled with the dust of collapsed buildings I wasn't there.  I remember that day.  I remember getting a call from my boss.  I remember talking to my co-worker and friend, Jim, who had connections in Haiti.  I remember hearing from my grandpa that my missionary relatives in Haiti were okay.  I remember that day.  I remember it well.  I didn't know how much that day would change my life.  I didn't think it would really affect me.  But it did.

Praying Pelican Missions was praying about opening a new country in 2011:  Haiti.  The organization hadn't served in Haiti before the earthquake at all, but, after much prayer, we decided to move forward in planning trips the July of 2010.  A year earlier than we thought.  I volunteered to go help lead groups in Haiti in August that year.  I didn't know that God would call me to this place.  I had already been in Belize and Jamaica that spring and summer and I was ready to be home for a while, but it was time to go to Haiti.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti, January 13, 2012

In those first days here, I found a great friend in Almando Jean Louis who is now my fiance.  He was here when that earthquake hit.  He has a story about that day.  He was spared along with his family on that day.  I've heard him tell the story several times.  I've heard him talk of the dust and the hope after the dust settled.  I've heard him talk about the fear people had and still have two years later of falling concrete.

I didn't think that January 12, 2010 would still have an impact on me, but it does.  It really does.  As I have been living in Haiti for a while now, each of my friends here have a story from that day.  Most of them were here. Almost all of them lost someone.  I remember that day, so do they.

January 12, 2012 marked the second anniversary of the earthquake and it was a day when shops and schools were closed and 4,000-5,000 people were remembering that day and praising the Lord for the life they have been given.  We heard testimonies of the rescued.  We heard shouts of praise to the King of Kings.

That day will be remembered for a long time.  That day will continue to impact the people of Haiti.  I remember that day.

Random Thoughts I'd Like to Share

I have been having a lot of random thoughts lately and would like to share some with you as I have experienced life here in Haiti.

1. I've always wondered why missionary women tend to braid their hair.  I still don't really know, but I braid my hair often--it adds a little variety to a ponytail.
2. The chill in the air here in the evening, night, and early morning combined with the heat of the day really reminds me of a Minnesota early fall or late spring--no frost here though.
3. Almost everyone here gets a cough during the winter months because of the lack of rain.  It is really dusty.  Even the trees aren't as green, but it's cool so a lot of people enjoy it.
4. You can recognize a taxi by a red ribbon hanging from the rear-view mirror.  Good to know in downtown Port.
5. Waiting for 3 hours at a hospital is sometimes frustrating--especially after the doctor I was waiting for was in his office the whole time, but the relief of finally getting what I need far out-weighs the frustration with JOY!
6. Living with a family in Haiti is the best thing I could have done for the past several months.  They have adopted me and I have had a chance to learn what living in Haiti really looks like.
7. I may be gone all day long, but only get couple of little things done.  Those little things MUST be looked at as important little things because they ARE.  They just take a lot of time to get done.
8. Planning and preparing for too many things at once can be overwhelming.  Remembering that GOD is in control is KEY!
9. When a small child on a tap tap turns to me and says "Blanc, wi?" (meaning "White Person, yes?"), I can't help but smile!  As the child turns to get off the tap tap and says "Orevwa, Blan."  I don't have a choice.  A smile, a wave, and a laugh is sure to follow.
10. My favorite part of church has been when the whole church is worshiping and praising and suddenly, the power cuts out.  All that can be heard are the 3,000 voices singing praises to the Lord!  It's amazing!  It's beautiful!  I love it!

Praise the Lord for random thoughts.  For all the things I am learning.  For all the things He is teaching me.  For how He chooses to use me.  And that He calls me His child.  I am so blessed!