The staff and leadership of Children of the Promise have been great about really wanting our family to get settled and acclimated before taking babies into our home. I (Holly) have felt ready for a while in regards to the babies but knew it was best to wait on the rest of the family, especially Zion Hope, who will no longer be the baby of the family.
I have been struggling more with the addition of Haitian staff to our home. We have been interviewing and talking with two women over the past two weeks about working in our home as the "aunts" of the home. They will help with child care, cooking, cleaning and anything else that gets done in our home. They also have helped select a few others who will work here. While I have been excited about talking with these women and hearing their thoughts, we have always had a translator. Soon these women will be in our house all day, every day and we have very limited Creole and they have even more limited English. While I knew this would be the case when we came, the reality has been settling in. How do we communicate? I can say a few things, but nothing beyond light conversation. How do I hear their hearts when I can't even understand their words? I want to really know these women. It is so important to me that we have a great relationship and that we learn from one another.
Can you imagine even having someone who speaks your language in your house all day. Seeing your ugliness, your faults, your sin struggles. Witnessing how you interact with your husband and children at every moment? Now throw in the fact that you can barely communicate with them. That you have to struggle for every word. That you don't even know how to ask them what their favorite food is? (I am going to learn that one before next week!) This has been producing anxiety in me.
However, God has been speaking to me about this. He is instructing me about peace. About not wanting to plan every moment, but to wait on Him and His plan. To depend on Him from moment to moment for His peace, and not to have my peace based on the circumstances in my life. To lean on Him and to trust Him every time we have a difficult moment or we just don't understand one another. To know that His plan is good and He called us here and everything will work out according to His will.
Will you pray with me? That the transitions will go smoothly. That our relationships with our nannies will be deep and that we will grow to love one another. That as babies come into our home they will be loved well, and that we will function together as a family growing in grace. That is the name of our home: The Grace House. May it be filled with grace each day!
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Beach Day!
There are some days that we think we might have been crazy for agreeing to live in a climate that is so different than the one we are used to. Our families back home are still experiencing cold and snow.....and we are still adjusting to being hot a lot of the time. Last week Friday was a day that we were not regretting moving here. It was beach day! We joined the Vande Lune family and drove about an hour with most of us riding in the back of a truck. We then climbed in to a small wooden boat and took a ride around the bend to a small, beautiful beach. While relaxing on the beach, a man came up from a fishing expedition and offered us some of his catch. Fresh lobster, cooked to perfection! Our day was filled with swimming, sand, laughter, ocean creatures, and sun.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Pictures and Prayer requests
Prayer requests for this week.
We will be talking to the nannies that will possibly be working in our house this week. Pray that everyone making this decision will have wisdom and that God would make it clear.
Pray for our relationships with one another, with our fellow staff, and with our new Haitian friends and neighbors.
Pray that we will have wisdom meeting needs in the community and knowing our limitations.
Pray for the children that will soon be transitioning into our home, the Grace House.
Pray for continued improvement in speaking and learning Creole.
Pray for us as we face spiritual warfare.
Pray for continued health and safety.
We so appreciate our prayer warriors!!!
Adventures
I think moving to a new country is an adventure in itself, but I thought tonight I would share with you a couple of the adventures we have experienced lately.
Earlier this week Dan went to Cap Haitian with Nick, Jadyn, and Gabe. They had a fun afternoon of picking out bikes and bargaining in the outdoor market. They even stopped for lunch and were able to enjoy pizza together! The children have enjoyed riding their bikes around on campus, but today I decided to take them for a ride down the road.
It had rained A LOT last night so I knew there would be puddles, but I didn't think about how many animals couldn't be out to pasture. As we rode we had to dodge puddles (I was probably the only one of us even attempting to dodge these), people, motos, and many, many goats. We often see goats as we drive or walk along the road, but usually most of them are in the grass along side the road. Today the road was full of them. I don't think Isaiah has ever ridden his bike somewhere other than a drive way, so I tried to talk him through this obstacle course but sometimes there was no talking, just avoiding goats!
We also came upon a few cows on their way home for the evening. As they walk home, their owners often leave the rope they use to tie them to something during the day dragging behind them on the road. Do you know how tempting it is for a 5 year old boy to ride over that rope? I could see the wheels turning in his brain. He got close a few times, but eventually we passed the cows, also.
We came upon a part in the road that was completely flooded. Someone had placed a piece of plywood as a bridge for the motos to pass, but I decided I wasn't up for that much of an adventure, and we turned around.
I know we were quite the spectacle as we rode....and several people tried to talk with us. Jadyn and I answered when we could, but we are still quite limited in our Creole. It was a fun afternoon activity, and I am sure many more bike rides are in our future.
At the risk of making this post too long, I will share another adventure we experienced last week.
Last Saturday Rob and Erin, staff here at COTP and great new friends, offered to take us to the Dominican Republic for a day trip to eat out and get groceries at a market they often use to stock up on some things they can't get in Cap Haitian. They have four children, Lizz was still with us at the time, and the seven of us. We rode in a little truck with seven in the cab and seven in the back. The DR is a little over an hour for us so we enjoyed each others company and took in the scenery on the way.
We parked the truck on the Haiti side of the border, walked a bridge over, and Rob asked the guard what time they were closing the gate that day. The guard told him 5pm. (Insert funniest thing I saw that day: A man carrying at least 25 live chickens on a rope. Two fell which meant he had to set the others down to pick the two up and it turned into utter chicken chaos. I felt sorry for the guy, but it was quite hilarious. I have been trying to be careful about what I photograph so as not to offend, and sometimes my camera just isn't available, but I wish I had a picture of that!) Anyway, 5 pm worked for our schedule so we walked to the restaurant from there. We enjoyed a great meal despite continuing to speak English or Creole when we were supposed to be speaking Spanish. Get too many languages in the mix and nothing makes sense! After lunch we were even able to take the kids to a little ice cream shop down the street. Asking flavors in Spanish was also interesting. (Side note of something that wouldn't happen in the States. The girl that was helping us gave us a sample of a flavor, and then continued using that same spoon to let others sample different flavors. No room for germaphobes here!)
Next we did our shopping. It was fun to see the different things that we could buy, and one thing we really stocked up on was yogurt. We don't eat much dairy here, so yogurt is a treat and we bought it by the gallon. Price comparison is even more difficult when you have to convert at times in Haiti and at times in the Dominican.
The fun part of the adventure is yet to come! We packed all of our groceries into a cart pulled behind a moto and Rob, Dan, and the kids all piled on.
When we got to the border, we discovered that they had closed early that day because of Easter. We had some choices. We could get a hotel and have a bunch of our food spoil and not make it back to COTP, or we could walk the river. So....nine children, five adults, and about $400 worth of groceries are going to have to get across the river. We gave the older kids a few bags, we all grabbed a few bags and the younger children, hired a few Haitians to help, and we were off. We walked through a little rock bed where many people lay their clothes out to dry after washing them in the river. Then we walked through an area with a lot of garbage on the ground. Next came the water. It was probably about knee deep for me, so the little ones were carried and the others just waded through. At the other side there was quite a steep bank we had to climb and it was not easy with groceries, children, and really wet shoes. Thankfully there were kind people along the way to help us up.
We finally made it to the truck, paid our Haitian help, and headed out. However, in order to get them to open the gate for our truck to leave, we had to pay the guard there. He was looking to make some extra money and Rob ended up having to pay him triple what he had paid last time. It was cheaper than a hotel stay, though.
We were relieved to be back on our way once we were out the gate. We were able to return to COTP without any more difficulty, and were glad to make it home that evening. And we had yogurt for dinner that night!
Earlier this week Dan went to Cap Haitian with Nick, Jadyn, and Gabe. They had a fun afternoon of picking out bikes and bargaining in the outdoor market. They even stopped for lunch and were able to enjoy pizza together! The children have enjoyed riding their bikes around on campus, but today I decided to take them for a ride down the road.
It had rained A LOT last night so I knew there would be puddles, but I didn't think about how many animals couldn't be out to pasture. As we rode we had to dodge puddles (I was probably the only one of us even attempting to dodge these), people, motos, and many, many goats. We often see goats as we drive or walk along the road, but usually most of them are in the grass along side the road. Today the road was full of them. I don't think Isaiah has ever ridden his bike somewhere other than a drive way, so I tried to talk him through this obstacle course but sometimes there was no talking, just avoiding goats!
We also came upon a few cows on their way home for the evening. As they walk home, their owners often leave the rope they use to tie them to something during the day dragging behind them on the road. Do you know how tempting it is for a 5 year old boy to ride over that rope? I could see the wheels turning in his brain. He got close a few times, but eventually we passed the cows, also.
We came upon a part in the road that was completely flooded. Someone had placed a piece of plywood as a bridge for the motos to pass, but I decided I wasn't up for that much of an adventure, and we turned around.
I know we were quite the spectacle as we rode....and several people tried to talk with us. Jadyn and I answered when we could, but we are still quite limited in our Creole. It was a fun afternoon activity, and I am sure many more bike rides are in our future.
At the risk of making this post too long, I will share another adventure we experienced last week.
Last Saturday Rob and Erin, staff here at COTP and great new friends, offered to take us to the Dominican Republic for a day trip to eat out and get groceries at a market they often use to stock up on some things they can't get in Cap Haitian. They have four children, Lizz was still with us at the time, and the seven of us. We rode in a little truck with seven in the cab and seven in the back. The DR is a little over an hour for us so we enjoyed each others company and took in the scenery on the way.
We parked the truck on the Haiti side of the border, walked a bridge over, and Rob asked the guard what time they were closing the gate that day. The guard told him 5pm. (Insert funniest thing I saw that day: A man carrying at least 25 live chickens on a rope. Two fell which meant he had to set the others down to pick the two up and it turned into utter chicken chaos. I felt sorry for the guy, but it was quite hilarious. I have been trying to be careful about what I photograph so as not to offend, and sometimes my camera just isn't available, but I wish I had a picture of that!) Anyway, 5 pm worked for our schedule so we walked to the restaurant from there. We enjoyed a great meal despite continuing to speak English or Creole when we were supposed to be speaking Spanish. Get too many languages in the mix and nothing makes sense! After lunch we were even able to take the kids to a little ice cream shop down the street. Asking flavors in Spanish was also interesting. (Side note of something that wouldn't happen in the States. The girl that was helping us gave us a sample of a flavor, and then continued using that same spoon to let others sample different flavors. No room for germaphobes here!)
Next we did our shopping. It was fun to see the different things that we could buy, and one thing we really stocked up on was yogurt. We don't eat much dairy here, so yogurt is a treat and we bought it by the gallon. Price comparison is even more difficult when you have to convert at times in Haiti and at times in the Dominican.
The fun part of the adventure is yet to come! We packed all of our groceries into a cart pulled behind a moto and Rob, Dan, and the kids all piled on.
When we got to the border, we discovered that they had closed early that day because of Easter. We had some choices. We could get a hotel and have a bunch of our food spoil and not make it back to COTP, or we could walk the river. So....nine children, five adults, and about $400 worth of groceries are going to have to get across the river. We gave the older kids a few bags, we all grabbed a few bags and the younger children, hired a few Haitians to help, and we were off. We walked through a little rock bed where many people lay their clothes out to dry after washing them in the river. Then we walked through an area with a lot of garbage on the ground. Next came the water. It was probably about knee deep for me, so the little ones were carried and the others just waded through. At the other side there was quite a steep bank we had to climb and it was not easy with groceries, children, and really wet shoes. Thankfully there were kind people along the way to help us up.
We finally made it to the truck, paid our Haitian help, and headed out. However, in order to get them to open the gate for our truck to leave, we had to pay the guard there. He was looking to make some extra money and Rob ended up having to pay him triple what he had paid last time. It was cheaper than a hotel stay, though.
We were relieved to be back on our way once we were out the gate. We were able to return to COTP without any more difficulty, and were glad to make it home that evening. And we had yogurt for dinner that night!
Sunday, March 24, 2013
New Experiences
I keep thinking about new things we could blog about, but then have a hard time finding the time to do it. I decided that instead of writing a long blog about each thing, we could just share a few of our experiences from the past week.
In Michigan in March we typically experienced a few snow storms, much rain, and maybe a sunny day or two. This morning it was 80 degrees at 6 am.
Cold showers would be much more miserable if it wasn't so hot, but they actually feel pretty good most of the time. Zion Hope still hates them, but we heat water and give her a bath more now that our friends gave us a bin to use. Also, if you take a shower in the middle of the day, the pipes have been heating in the sun, and the shower is pretty warm for at least a minute or two!
Lizards, toads, spiders, and many other bugs are pretty common in our house. Thankfully none of us are TOO freaked out about this. I have to admit I just try really hard not to think about one of those HUGE spiders crawling on me in the night.
You can see, hear, and smell most everything going on around us all of the time. Drums from the village, garbage burning, babies crying, children playing, nannies singing, roosters crowing, dogs barking, and toads croaking. When you only have screens on your windows (no glass) you are more in tune with everything going on around you! And it means people can hear everything going on INSIDE our house also!
Jade, Dan and I usually take turns doing our individual quiet times on the roof of our house in the morning. We have a beautiful view of the mountains, can watch the little birds play in the sugar cane and chase lizards on the tree, see men walking their cattle and goats out to graze, and view horses helping haul the harvested sugar cane.
We see hungry people. The pictures you see of people that look hungry in the news or in magazines are not just pictures. People are hungry.
Learning Creole is challenging, but we are working on it. Sometimes we get laughed at, especially Gabe and Dan. I think it is because Dan tries much more than me. He is more brave than I. I think Jadyn might end up being the family translator!
We didn't have any mirrors in our house for the first week we lived here. Lizz took one, but I broke it about 4 days in. I had one tiny 2 inch mirror. Try not looking into a mirror for a day or two. It isn't easy, but there is no vanity!
We like Haitian food, with one exception. Spaghetti for breakfast was not a favorite
but Zion Hope really loved it. Most of the time the meal includes rice and beans, but there is always a sauce and some vegetables included. We have enjoyed the meat that is served, also.
Guava smoothies are a new treat! Dan was the smoothie maker and we enjoyed them so much we decided to make them for our friends tonight after worship together. Thanks to some tips from the Stolbergs, we have a treat to enjoy when guavas are in season.
We are dirty a lot. Everywhere we walk there is sand or dirt. It brings foot washing to a whole new understanding!
There are things that AREN'T new. The older kids still do not enjoy math. We still have to work through things together as a family. We are forming great friendships here, and continue to appreciate all of our friends and family in the States.
The main thing that isn't new is that God is good and kind and patient all of the time. He knows everything we are facing, just as He did before. Praise Him with us for the ways He blesses us each day.
In Michigan in March we typically experienced a few snow storms, much rain, and maybe a sunny day or two. This morning it was 80 degrees at 6 am.
Cold showers would be much more miserable if it wasn't so hot, but they actually feel pretty good most of the time. Zion Hope still hates them, but we heat water and give her a bath more now that our friends gave us a bin to use. Also, if you take a shower in the middle of the day, the pipes have been heating in the sun, and the shower is pretty warm for at least a minute or two!
Lizards, toads, spiders, and many other bugs are pretty common in our house. Thankfully none of us are TOO freaked out about this. I have to admit I just try really hard not to think about one of those HUGE spiders crawling on me in the night.
You can see, hear, and smell most everything going on around us all of the time. Drums from the village, garbage burning, babies crying, children playing, nannies singing, roosters crowing, dogs barking, and toads croaking. When you only have screens on your windows (no glass) you are more in tune with everything going on around you! And it means people can hear everything going on INSIDE our house also!
Jade, Dan and I usually take turns doing our individual quiet times on the roof of our house in the morning. We have a beautiful view of the mountains, can watch the little birds play in the sugar cane and chase lizards on the tree, see men walking their cattle and goats out to graze, and view horses helping haul the harvested sugar cane.
We see hungry people. The pictures you see of people that look hungry in the news or in magazines are not just pictures. People are hungry.
Learning Creole is challenging, but we are working on it. Sometimes we get laughed at, especially Gabe and Dan. I think it is because Dan tries much more than me. He is more brave than I. I think Jadyn might end up being the family translator!
We didn't have any mirrors in our house for the first week we lived here. Lizz took one, but I broke it about 4 days in. I had one tiny 2 inch mirror. Try not looking into a mirror for a day or two. It isn't easy, but there is no vanity!
We like Haitian food, with one exception. Spaghetti for breakfast was not a favorite
but Zion Hope really loved it. Most of the time the meal includes rice and beans, but there is always a sauce and some vegetables included. We have enjoyed the meat that is served, also.
Guava smoothies are a new treat! Dan was the smoothie maker and we enjoyed them so much we decided to make them for our friends tonight after worship together. Thanks to some tips from the Stolbergs, we have a treat to enjoy when guavas are in season.
We are dirty a lot. Everywhere we walk there is sand or dirt. It brings foot washing to a whole new understanding!
There are things that AREN'T new. The older kids still do not enjoy math. We still have to work through things together as a family. We are forming great friendships here, and continue to appreciate all of our friends and family in the States.
The main thing that isn't new is that God is good and kind and patient all of the time. He knows everything we are facing, just as He did before. Praise Him with us for the ways He blesses us each day.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
It is difficult to even begin to write about what has been going on in our lives the past week. We keep saying we need to update the blog, but sitting down for long enough and thinking about what we are experiencing and feeling does not come easy.
What we do know, is that God is good. He is good in the fun, in the hard, in the sad, in the new, in it all.
Many people have asked about our travel. It went very well considering the details of traveling with 5 children and 3 adults, 10 suitcases, planes, cars, different airlines, and a total of 5 ascents and descents. A few instances of motion sickness and several of those fun little bags they supply, but we survived it fine. What a blessing to have Lizz traveling with us.
Our friends here waiting for us blessed us, also! Our house was stocked with some food, our beds were made, and they welcomed us with open arms. So excited to be living life with these people.
The children are experiencing new things everyday. I believe the favorites are the new friends they are making, the babies they are helping with, the lizards, and the spiders (as long as they are not in their room). They do miss their family and friends, but it is fun to have technology to cross the miles for us. There are also other challenges each of us are facing, and we know there will be many more.
We are so grateful for the prayers and words of encouragement people are sending. In the rough moments, it is what helps give us perspective. Prayer requests at this time are for health, patience for all as we adjust and experience many emotions, adjustment to weather and a new schedule, and for us to have the ability to learn Creole quickly. We are reminded of John 15. Jesus spoke to his disciples just before His arrest. His will is that they bear fruit, more fruit and much fruit. But they must abide in Him. He is the vine, we are the branches. We must abide in Him. That is a key command in this passage that is repeated several times. In verse 5 Jesus said, "...without me, you can do nothing." Please pray that we will truly abide in Christ.
Our first day in Haiti. New friends are a blessing!
What we do know, is that God is good. He is good in the fun, in the hard, in the sad, in the new, in it all.
Many people have asked about our travel. It went very well considering the details of traveling with 5 children and 3 adults, 10 suitcases, planes, cars, different airlines, and a total of 5 ascents and descents. A few instances of motion sickness and several of those fun little bags they supply, but we survived it fine. What a blessing to have Lizz traveling with us.
Our friends here waiting for us blessed us, also! Our house was stocked with some food, our beds were made, and they welcomed us with open arms. So excited to be living life with these people.
The children are experiencing new things everyday. I believe the favorites are the new friends they are making, the babies they are helping with, the lizards, and the spiders (as long as they are not in their room). They do miss their family and friends, but it is fun to have technology to cross the miles for us. There are also other challenges each of us are facing, and we know there will be many more.
We are so grateful for the prayers and words of encouragement people are sending. In the rough moments, it is what helps give us perspective. Prayer requests at this time are for health, patience for all as we adjust and experience many emotions, adjustment to weather and a new schedule, and for us to have the ability to learn Creole quickly. We are reminded of John 15. Jesus spoke to his disciples just before His arrest. His will is that they bear fruit, more fruit and much fruit. But they must abide in Him. He is the vine, we are the branches. We must abide in Him. That is a key command in this passage that is repeated several times. In verse 5 Jesus said, "...without me, you can do nothing." Please pray that we will truly abide in Christ.
Our first day in Haiti. New friends are a blessing!
Monday, February 18, 2013
Moving On
We continue to prepare for our new adventure! We have said many farewell's, packed many boxes, and driven many miles. We are now in the VERY cold state of Minnesota and tonight we are awaiting the birth of our niece! We want to spend some time with her before we leave, so we are praying for a safe and healthy delivery TONIGHT! I was really hoping to be there, but the Minnesota winds are preventing travel.
There are many things that we still need to do. It is amazing how much paperwork goes into moving out of the country! We are looking forward to our getting to know our roles at Children Of The Promise and getting away from all the planning and packing and forms to fill out! Anyone have a guess on how much our luggage might weigh? I am supposed to have an estimate....and really have nothing!
God has been so good to us! Relative health for all of us over the months of traveling to family and different speaking engagements, safe travel for us and our parents as we moved to MN, wonderful friends and family who provided for us and prayed many prayers, and meeting our financial needs in amazing ways. Thank you to those of you who have prayed and also all the other ways you have blessed us. We are so grateful.
We will leave for Minneapolis on March 12, Florida on the 13th, and Haiti on the 14th. Until then we will be preparing, meeting with stateside staff of COTP, packing, presenting our ministry, and spending time with family. We would love your continued prayers as the date draws near for our departure. We can't wait to meet the little ones that will be in our care!
There are many things that we still need to do. It is amazing how much paperwork goes into moving out of the country! We are looking forward to our getting to know our roles at Children Of The Promise and getting away from all the planning and packing and forms to fill out! Anyone have a guess on how much our luggage might weigh? I am supposed to have an estimate....and really have nothing!
God has been so good to us! Relative health for all of us over the months of traveling to family and different speaking engagements, safe travel for us and our parents as we moved to MN, wonderful friends and family who provided for us and prayed many prayers, and meeting our financial needs in amazing ways. Thank you to those of you who have prayed and also all the other ways you have blessed us. We are so grateful.
We will leave for Minneapolis on March 12, Florida on the 13th, and Haiti on the 14th. Until then we will be preparing, meeting with stateside staff of COTP, packing, presenting our ministry, and spending time with family. We would love your continued prayers as the date draws near for our departure. We can't wait to meet the little ones that will be in our care!
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