Squares and Circles

Last week, I held a training session in my home for some of our Haitian staff and we talked about getting into the minds of the short-term missionaries that come here.  How do we help them transition from their culture to ours?  How do we help them process what they are seeing and learning while they are here?  How do we help them transition back from our culture to theirs?  I shared with them a diagram from one of the many books I have acquired on this process.

I explained to them that cultures can be represented by shapes.  For example, United States culture can be a square and Haiti culture can be a circle.  When an individual leaves the square culture and enters the circle culture, everything will seem strange and different.  The individual may feel overwhelmed or afraid or out of place.  As time goes on, the individual will start to make sense of the circle culture and appreciate different values within it.

Since our teams only come for a week, it is our job--as leaders--to help them through this process quickly.  To help them see the benefits and value in our circle culture.  We have to ask the right questions at the right times throughout the week to help them see the value in the circle while--at the same time--be preparing them for the transition back into the square.  This is a challenge.  The balance of preparing to come, coming and serving and growing, and then leaving changed.

I tried to help our staff see the responsibility each of them has to help our teams through this process so they can go back into "normal" life changed.  If they have been changed, they will go back into the square culture looking like a rounded square.  They may see things differently.  They may be shocked by the square culture.  They may be wondering how they can continue to live as a rounded square in this square culture.  The transition isn't easy--from personal experience, I know this well--but, I know that it is possible to remain changed.

Something that teams don't necessarily realize is that while they are leaving Haiti as a rounded square, those they have had an impact on--our Haitian staff in particular--are staying in Haiti as a squarish circle and have the same questions to deal with.  How do I continue to live as a squarish circle in this circle culture?  It's another tough transition and reality our staff have to recognize.

As I talked through this with our staff, they reminded me of something very important.  The transitions are important, but you can't do them without prayer.  This is so true.  I am glad they recognize this.  Whether we are in the square culture or the circle culture, whether we end up as rounded squares or squarish circles--we must remember the one thing we can always cling to is Christ.  The One who brings us together.  The One we have in common, no matter where we are from.  Beautiful.

6 Months and Counting

It's been 6 months since we have been blessed with this little bundle of joy!  People are telling us all the time what a relaxed, peaceful, and calm baby we have--even on the 17 flights she has been on so far! They are always surprised when I tell them "Yes, she sleeps through the night."  And always comment on how she looks like her daddy (or like her mom depending on who is talking).

As I was laying her down for one of her three naps of the day today, I thought to myself, "I love being a mom."  On Sunday, Al was watching her jump in her Johnny-Jump-Up and he looked over at me, smiled, and said, "I still can't believe she is mine."

We are both in awe of how being parents is such a blessing.  We are learning about how God loves us as His children--no matter what.  We are learning how we should be as His children--completely trusting and depending on Him.  How beautiful this is!

There are so many more lessons that we have learned and we have yet to learn.  So, we have only been parents for 6 months (and counting), but we are enjoying the ride.  I hope you enjoy the pictures of our little family and remember to pray for us as we continue to serve the Lord!

Be Blessed, Friends!

A suitcase?

A couple of weeks ago, I got a call from Al who was in Jacmel with a team. He was in the hospital. "Why? What happened? Are you okay? Can you drive?" My string of questions went on and on. I was really concerned and wanted to make sure he was okay. After I heard what happened and what the plan was going forward, I decided I would tell his parents what happened with his brother there to help me if I stumbled through my creole.

I proceeded to tell them the following: Al was in a little accident at the worksite. They were working and a suitcase fell on his head. He went to the hospital and has stitches now. He is okay. 

They looked at me-stunned. And asked me what they were doing with a suitcase at the work site and if it was big. 

I looked at Daniel, who looked at me and smiled. He asked me in English: didn't you tell me a hammer fell on his head? 

I looked at them-stunned. I had mixed up the word for hammer and suitcase--both start with a "ma" sound. I blushed. I laughed. I corrected myself. I left. Embarrassed.

Guess I still have lots to learn. Guess I needed humor in that situation too. 

Al came home the next day. Head shaved and a bandage right on top. He is doing great now. He also finds my language blooper a little funny. 

The stories...

This week the stories I am hearing amaze me. Al is leading a team from Madison, MS that partners with our home church here in Haiti. It's a wonderful thing to see this church partnering in such intentional ways. Our church here doesn't need a building-they have one, so what did the team do if they were not building a building for their partner church? Many other things. 

1. They are among the many teams that have contributed to an have served at a daughter church, Mariani. This week, they smoothed out the insides of the church walls--meaning the church is getting done! Through this they built relationships with the Haitian workers and the kids who wanted to help.

2. Door to door evangelism. This got people out of their comfort zones for sure as they told people about Jesus. So many stories poured out of this ministries of people being blessed by the community as community members prayed over the team and team members led people to The Lord!

3. While part of the team was out Mariani, at Cote Plage there was aesical clinic going on. Nurses from the states and doctors from Haiti saw many patients and made an impact on the community there.

4. On the side, the two worship teams from the two churches met together and talked about what true worship is and why it's important to lead well. On Sunday, they led the worship service together. How beautiful to invest so intimately in the church here.

5. On Sunday, the men met with therm of the church and on Monday, the women met with the women. Sharing life together. Really loving each other as brothers in Christ and sisters in Christ. 

This team invested in the partnership they have. They truly are partners in the Gospel. For them, it's more than just building a building--although that is definitely sometimes the need that is to be met--it's investing in and building relationships with the people. Sharing life. Sharing stories. Sharing Christ.

I am thanking God for them tonight because, although I wasn't able to go out with them, the stories I heard about each ministry and how God was moving blessed me and I can't imagine how they blessed the people who lived them--both Americans and Haitians.