In Reality

I have had "remember to blog" written on my calendar every day since Christmas this week and each of those days, I even had something to blog about.  

On Christmas, the blog was going to be called "Christmas at Our House" and it was going to talk about all the festivities that took place whether it was getting over a sickness or cooking the second Christmas dinner (Al had to cook two because I was in bed with the flu), exchanging gifts and sharing the Christmas story here or skyping into the Christmas gathering my family was having in the states.  

The next day, the blog would have been called "No Balance" as Almando and I crashed hard that day and didn't know what to do with ourselves because we weren't working and didn't have anything to build.  We slept.  We learned that we don't have a balance and need to figure that out in the near future--so you can be praying for us.

Thursday night we went to church and I was reminded of how important it was to be filled up before serving and pouring out.  "You can't give" would have been the blog title that day, because when you don't have anything, you can't give anything.  That night, I watched a 5 year old worship the Lord with such innocence, passion, and joy and I prayed that I would be drawn into that place.  Filled with the love, joy, peace, passion, and Spirit of the Lord.

Friday would have been called "Changed Plans" as we were helping out another PPM Trip Leader with an airport pick up that was delayed so we couldn't make it home that night.  But, the conversations I had with the group that evening were refreshing and a blessing that made the changed plans look not so  bad.

Yesterday--if you saw my facebook status, you would already know--would have been called "Long Day".  From the car breaking down to cooking food all day long for a group of hungry people from the church, it was a humorously long day.  In the end, all was completed, everyone was happy and had a wonderful time of fellowship (and food), and we rested.

In reality, today is Sunday, and I am much too late to write all of these blogs, but you can see bits and pieces from these little snippets!  So, today's blog is called "In Reality" where sometimes life gets too busy and sometimes you just need to rest because tomorrow is another day.  And in this reality we live, for now.  It's fitting because it's almost the end of the year and it's time to look again and see how we spend our days and our limited time.  I want to learn to balance my time better and learn to keep things in perspective so I am not easily stressed or overwhelmed.

The pastor today preached on Psalm 90.  Verse 12 stuck out to me and it will be my prayer.  "So teach us to number our days so we may get a heart of wisdom."  Wisdom to know how to use our days for the glory of God.  Wisdom to know when to rest.  Wisdom to know when to speak and when to be silent.  This week showed me that I need this wisdom.  Maybe some of you do too.  

It's my prayer today.  Please join me in praying too!  

The Middle of the Sandwich

We all know that the middle of the sandwich is always the best part.  This is definitely true for our trip to the DR.  You may have read about our adventure on the way there and our time on the way back was a learning experience to say the least, but our time with Pastor Espady in Santo Domingo was phenomenal!

When we woke up the morning after the day like no other, we met Pastor Espady for real.  He was ready to share his vision and he did.  He went to the DR as a missionary in the 80s and has been there ever since.  He planted a church in a bad part of town and prayed.  The church started with 7 people (including him and his wife) and 5 of them left.  They prayed and prayed.  Three more people came and in 1991 the church grew a lot.  Now, they have over 400 members and so many more that want to come to their church.

Pastor's heart is for the Haitians who have moved from Haiti to the DR, so he has programs for the children to help them transition into a Spanish speaking school environment.  He welcomes individuals and families into the church when they first arrive and have no where to go.  Many people sleep in the church every night.  He helps with finding lodging, clothing, and schooling.  He gives all the glory to God.

In our time with Pastor Espady and his family, we were blessed beyond what we could have imagined. We felt like members of the family by the second day.  Almando and Giovanni (Pastor's son) were fast friends as they had so much in common with drumming, loving the Lord, and languages.  The fun didn't stop as we explored the city and helped our friends from the states catch Pastor's vision for his community.

We packed so much into the time that we were there and were so blessed by our time that we didn't notice we were tired until we got home.  Then, it was time to rest.

We never know what our week will bring, but we are glad that in the middle of the bread is the best part of the sandwich!

A Day Like No Other

This morning we woke up in Hinche, one of the larger cities in the Central Plateau.  We had traveled from our home to Pignon and back to Hinche yesterday for a meeting with one of our pastors.  We were delighted to find that the road to Pignon has been worked on quite a bit, so when we went to bed we were in good spirits and ready to see what today would bring.  

The plan was to travel from Hinche to the Domincan Republic border in the morning and reach Santo Domingo by mid-afternoon, but the road held many surprises for us.  We left Hinche ahead of schedule and turned onto a gravel road.  That road, we found, should not be taken to the Dominican border.  We drove through the rivers and around the woods and and over the mountains and asked for directions multiple times--everyone gave us different directions--but found ourselves on those gravel roads (that weren't in the best condition) for a very long time.  

When we finally made it to the Dominican border, we were so grateful that Almando speaks Spanish because he had to talk to guard after guard at the many check points on the very long paved road.  We drove through town after town having to ask directions for how to stay on the main road.  I was at a complete loss because the little Spanish I used to know left my brain when I started learning Creole.  Finally, as it was getting dark, it started to rain and the roads were not lit, so we had to slow down as we neared our destination.  

Since we didn't have a map and the city was so confusing, we stopped.  We don't have a phone that works here, so we were lost and tired.  We walked from Burger King--where we parked--to the gas station next door to see if we could find a phone.  I, again, was at a loss and there were no phones.  Then a gentleman walked up to us and asked us if we needed help...in English.  We were both so glad to hear those words.  He let us use his phone to call the pastor we were going to meet with and actually talked with him for us to make sure he knew exactly where we were.  After everything was settled, we thanked him over and over and turned to go back to Burger King to wait, but not before our "Good Samaritan" said, "God bless you" as he turned to walk away.

We sat in Burger King and waited--and enjoyed a burger of course.  When the pastor arrived we were so relieved--Almando because we wouldn't be lost anymore and me because he speaks Creole and I could actually talk to him!  He had us follow him to a hotel not far from his church through tunnels and back roads (we never could have gotten here on our own) which is where we are now.  All checked in and exhausted.  

There are so many things we saw today that we haven't seen before.  So many beautiful things!  We were blessed with safe travel and the wisdom to know where and when to stop.  Our "Good Samaritan" will not easily be forgotten.  And we are here.  We are safe.  We have a place to sleep.  We had an unanticipated adventure today, but, again, we will be going to sleep looking forward to what God has in store for us tomorrow!  This has been a day like no other.

Hospitality is Key

During the last couple of weeks, we have been doing our fair share of hosting guests in our home.  I find this part of ministry wonderful and tiring.  We have been hosting pastors and friends in our home sharing with them what we are doing and what the vision of Praying Pelican Missions is in Haiti.  It has been great to be able to share this with others, but very tiring too!  Here's what those days look like.

We wake up early, have breakfast, and take some time for prayer before one of us heads into town to pick up our guests.  For this case--we will say Almando went to town.  Before he goes, we make a list of the things we need from the market to be able to make a wonderful meal for our guests.  Then, we usually send someone to the market for us.  After they leave, I sweep, mop, wash dishes, and begin preparing the meal (while listening to Christmas music of course).  I text Al to see how much time I have before they return.  I rush around always thinking of more things to do.  I shower, I finish cooking, and I try to set the table before they get back.

When they arrive, they tour the house while I'm finishing up.  I give them water (sometimes I need to be reminded about that one...) and we announce the the food is ready and call everyone to the table.  I serve the food and then sit down with everyone else.  I hear comments like "we are not used to this kind of food...is it good?" or "this is really good, we are used to eating it with rice."  I laugh to myself as the cultural differences in cooking are obvious even though the spices are the same--even the ingredients.  All goes well, we share our hearts and answer their questions.

At the end of the time, we usually pray together and Al says goodbye to me again as he brings our guests home.  I stand at the sink and do dishes wondering where the time and the food went.  I am happy that we shared our heart.  I am happy that they understand.  I am happy that they came.

Making those around us aware of who we are and what we are doing is so important as we have waited too long to do this in some cases so others thought we were avoiding them--when really we were simply busy working.  Relationships are needed in everyone's life--even here.  Being able to host people is such a blessing.  Knowing how to show hospitality is needed.  I am so grateful for these opportunities.