Since we moved to Gressier in February, I have had to learn a lot of things like when it is the right time to buy food, what foods are "in season", and what day is market day in town. If I want to buy chicken, I can't do it at 3 in the afternoon. If I want to buy salad, I must do that before noon. Potatoes don't really matter and fresh spices you can find almost any time. It is mango season now, but not in the mountains or up north. Avocado will be coming soon and it's always time for bananas. When different things are in season, our menu will look different, but the market will always be the same.
Market days are Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday in Gressier and you can tell! The street where the market gets set up is lined with merchants trying to sell their goods from fresh vegetables and fruits to frozen or fresh meats, from fresh spices to packaged ones, from huge bags of rice to packages of spaghetti and cans of milk. You can find almost anything at the market if you go early.
On Saturday, we went to the market with Daniel, Almando's little brother. He walked with me looking for chicken, onion, spices, and oranges while Al was on a mission to find all things needed for a fresh salad. Daniel is a great negotiator. We found a woman selling chicken and asked how much for two of the large pieces which could easily feed 3 people. She told us we would pay 100 gourdes. I thought that was a great price, but Daniel said (in Creole), "My dear..." and continued on negotiating. She threw in an extra drumstick.
The same thing happened with the onions. The lady started bagging them up and Daniel and Al both said, "Dear...those small ones?" We ended up with so many for a low price we were able to share with Al's mom. Carrot, garlic, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, limes, and oranges followed in the same fashion. Almost all of them for a lower price than the original or extra for the same price. All of them fresh! Crisp sandwiches for lunch and a fabulous salad for supper. Fantastic!
My goal is to be able to negotiate just like Daniel one day on my own. To run down to the market and find what I need, get to know the sellers at the market and find the best prices. Living and serving in a foreign country is a little different than living in the states for me, where even going to find food to put on the table is challenging, but praying that God would continue to help me learn and live and serve Him well here in Haiti!
All for His Glory!
Monday, May 28, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
Here we are...
Almando and I just delivered messages from a team in Washington to the kids they fell in love with while they were serving here in Haiti. Seeing these relationships continue to grow and the kids light up when they hear the messages is such a blessing. This is how partnership looks. This is how lives are impacted, not just here, but in the states as well. In fact, I have been thinking about that a lot lately as I look at how our time is divided up.
I have found that our ministry has changed some to being a missionary not only to the people of Haiti-- working with pastors churches and orphanages-- but also being a missionary to the teams who come to serve as well! It sometimes surprises me--even though it shouldn't--how many of them leave changed and more in fire for God. Helping them through the culture shock experience, assisting them to serve and learn as much as they can while they are here, and preparing them for their journey home is really rewarding! I find myself encouraging them to continue to minister when they return to the states because their mission trip doesn't end in Haiti. It's just part of the mission that God has called them to. I pray that they remain changed and serve God more in the states now.
We have begun to encourage the pastors we work with and our in-country staff to share their stories and encourage the short-term missionaries to continue to grow in their faith and be bold in the US as well. Almando and I are grateful that we are involved in such a ministry--encouraging pastors, church and community leaders, orphanage directors, teams, and our staff as well as many others to continue to serve the Lord well! Praise God for giving us such an opportunity as this!
I have found that our ministry has changed some to being a missionary not only to the people of Haiti-- working with pastors churches and orphanages-- but also being a missionary to the teams who come to serve as well! It sometimes surprises me--even though it shouldn't--how many of them leave changed and more in fire for God. Helping them through the culture shock experience, assisting them to serve and learn as much as they can while they are here, and preparing them for their journey home is really rewarding! I find myself encouraging them to continue to minister when they return to the states because their mission trip doesn't end in Haiti. It's just part of the mission that God has called them to. I pray that they remain changed and serve God more in the states now.
We have begun to encourage the pastors we work with and our in-country staff to share their stories and encourage the short-term missionaries to continue to grow in their faith and be bold in the US as well. Almando and I are grateful that we are involved in such a ministry--encouraging pastors, church and community leaders, orphanage directors, teams, and our staff as well as many others to continue to serve the Lord well! Praise God for giving us such an opportunity as this!
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