Eight Things We're Thankful For

In no particular order, a glimpse at a few recent scenes. 

The "backyard" of the mission home

8. The view of God's creation.  Haiti is a country where beauty collides with garbage.

Beautiful farmland meets rolling mountains and the bluest skies one can imagine, but

the cities are smoggy, dirty, and polluted. The ocean surrounding the island nation is the most inviting crystal blue, until a heavy rain washes trash and waste by the trainload out of the riverbeds and into the Caribbean. When we see God's splendor in the physical features of the landscape clash with the rubbish strewn about, it speaks to me about the people of Haiti as well.  Although Haiti has become a place that's drowning in corruption, false religion, lying, and indecency, we can remember that every person here was created by the same God who created the majestic landscape.  He created them with a desire to see them turn to Him and be redeemed from their sinful, polluted state.  

7. Visitors From Home.  After two months back in Haiti following furlough, it was a blessing to have others here to see what's been happening. They were updated on everything from the equipment, to the mission-house project, to the school in the mountain, to the lives of various individuals that have been in contact over the years.

Bobcat being repaired under plenty of supervision

School children in the mountain

6. Churches to Preach in. The time has not yet been appointed to build a church facility we can call home, but thankfully there has been somewhere to go to church nearly every Sunday since we've lived in Haiti, where Barry has the blessed opportunity to share his heavy burden with many souls.

5. A Translator to Help Preach the Message. Josnel has been doing a fine job translating for Barry on Sundays and as needed. This particular Sunday, pictured, something came up and he was late for church. It was a reminder, after being a little shook up, that the message can't go out without an interpreter!

Counseling with two young ladies after the service

4.  Large, eight-legged visitors don't make it inside often.  There's no doubt that spiders are everywhere in Haiti. Some of them are big enough to make a grown-up squeal, but relatively harmless. Others are small, discreet, and dangerous enough to bring great harm, or worst case, death, to a small child.  God has been faithful in this area in keeping our children protected from yet one more potential hazard, building our faith and trust in Him.

3. Work Ethic.  There seems to be a growing number of able-bodied young men who have become afraid to perform any manual labor. Many of them have had everything handed to them and have no idea what it means to work.  "Give me one dollar" and "I am hungry" are the English phrases that everybody in Haiti seem to know. However, there are some who are not afraid to do whatever it takes to earn a day's wages. They'll eagerly push up their sleeves and dig in until they're exhausted. These are the ones who continue finding work and  putting food on the table.

2. The progress on the mission house. The result of hard work and close supervision is the future home going up at an exceptional rate.  

1. God's Promises.  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

With fervent, righteous prayer and the zeal to continue preaching there will be revival here!