As of Wednesday, I just returned from leading a team to Haiti where our team focused on welding bed frames, welding rafters, unloading a container, and setting up solar panel frames…not to mention the non-stop plowing and planting of the tractor. Many things stuck out to me on this trip and I would like to share some of my observations with you. Haiti has much more sun action going on since many trees were blown over or lost quite a bit of foliage. Shade is in far less supply than it used to be…and you can see for longer distances than before for the same reason. I also realized how dependent on landmarks I was to know when to turn, and have more than once passed the turn off point, because the tree that marked the spot now looks completely different or the church with the wall around it now has a collapsed roof and rubble remaining as the wall. On the road to the Center I saw one church that wasn’t touched at all by the storm and then a few hundred yards away another church in a heap of blocks, rafters, and tin.
I know for a while that Haiti was all over the news during the storm and many people gave to the relief effort. Now, however, the elections and their results have taken the spotlight off of Haiti and the reality is that Haiti is still in need of help. The day before I was to return to the States, students were protesting by blocking the main road by the Torbeck bridge…because their schools were still being used as shelters for people who lost their homes. The national exams were taking place and these students had no teachers coming to give the tests since the schools were still full of people. Haiti’s election is coming up on the 20th and they also want to use the schools as voting locations…which may mean putting people out on the streets that still have no place to go. Their need is great, their desperation is high, and the time for us to act is now!
If you are interested in coming on a team please contact us! And as always keep Haiti in your prayers!
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I don’t usually write blog post very often that’s more Olivia’s area of expertise but at this time I feel I should say something in regard to the hurricane that happened in Hati. First of all, thank you to everyone who has been praying. We know that we had a lot of people lifting up their voices in prayer and it meant so much to us to have the body of Christ unite in prayer. Everyone is safe, praise God! There were no injuries or casualties that we have heard of, but there was a lot of destruction and devastation to the projects that we are involved with. Dad says that there are months of rebuilding and recovering from this hurricane, some Haitians have even said that it was the worst hurricane they’ve ever see.
Haiti has been the recipient of so many devastation’s within the last decade, earthquakes, hurricanes, droughts, etc. But one thing that the country of Haiti has proven, is that its natives are experts at bouncing back and recovering from such devastation. We should continue to pray that the people of Haiti would see the hand of God in the midst of all of this. That the result of this tragedy would bring people to their knees and looking for answers. Many times it takes times like these where we’ve reached rock bottom to finally put our attention and focus on the Lord. Haiti is in need of your prayers your resources and your hands. I truly believe the Lord blesses us so that we in turn can be blessing to those around us. “Sometimes God lets you hit rock bottom so that you will discover that He is the ROCK at the bottom” ~ Dr. Tony Evans
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” Psalm 18:2
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As many of you know, we have been in the lengthy process of purchasing a house in Iowa. This is an exciting time for us as we close on our first home and start the process of building a home base for our little family. Since we started a family, we have strongly desired to find a home in the United States as a “home-base” when we are home from Haiti and a place to come back to when our time in Haiti is finished. Please pray for this process, that we would continue to seek God’s will and wisdom in the closing on our home.
Another prayer request…
For the past three months we’ve been trying to get Jude’s Birth Certificate. Don’t ask why it’s taken us this long…the only words I have for you are “Communist” and “Government.” Those two words are the reason WHY it has taken us SO long to get a birth certificate . . . and naturally, we can’t get a Social Security Card until we have the certificate AND we can’t get a passport until we have the SSC. So, yeah it’s been fun (…sarcasm intended). This would be discouraging, except we know that the Lord is in control and has our circumstances at hand. In the meantime, please pray for our paperwork that it would be completed speedily and promptly.
(this will be us soon……..we hope)
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Great intentions are just that. Great. But at some point, life happens and the great intentions don’t always come to fruition. Which is what happened to our blog the past few months. When we got to the U.S. we had a spinning vortex of appointments, fellowship, and surprises. One of those surprises pertained to our baby.
Some of you may know that for the longest time (i.e. the past three months) Zachery and I were under the impression that we were going to have a baby girl. We had received several ultrasounds, and the doctor who had performed the ultrasounds was 97% certain that we were having a girl. While in Maryland, the crisis pregnancy center where I formerly worked, offered for us to come in for a sonogram and to visit. So one rainy day in May, we marched into the office, visited, and had a sonogram. When looking at sonograms the only thing I can make out is the heart beat….because it’s actually beating….but what I saw on the screen was the unmistakable resemblance of a boy. I looked at the sonographer, probably wide-eyed and asked, “Is that what I think it is?” She chuckled, “You said you were having a girl? I’m pretty sure you’re having a boy.” She even pulled out her textbook of sonography images and showed me what a male ultrasound picture looks like. Our little bambino boasted an even better example than the textbook image.
So, we prepared for a baby boy. We were thrilled, albeit a little surprised, but the health of our baby was the most important factor.
Fast forward two months and two weeks before my due date I went into labor in the middle of a family get together and 3.5 hours later, Jude Adam was born at home (intentionally!) At 5 lb 11 oz, he was a tiny guy but makes up for his small size by being irresistibly adorable. God is so, so good!
Pretty soon we’ll reconvene our updates and biographies on the kids…so stay tuned!
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