Maranatha - worth the wait!

Maranatha is strange word.  In the Greek New Testament, it stands alone as an Aramaic word used by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 16:22.  Paul used it as a play on words, having just penned the word "anathema" in Greek to describe those who do not submit to Christ, he then employs the similar-sounding word to express the opposite, a hope in the return of Christ.  Even though scholars debate the exact meaning of the word, the church has generally interpreted the word to mean, "Come quickly, Lord," referring to the second and final return of Christ.

In Haiti, a place where focussing on the present can be depressing and looking ahead to a bright future is a necessary posture of hope, many things are called Maranatha.  Not just congregations, but lottery stops, beauty salons, and of course, water trucks.  Seeing these around town brings a smile to my face as I think about the meaning of the word and of a congregation I used to call home.

In the rest of North America, many congregations, eager to name themselves after a posture of faith in the return of Jesus, and perhaps more with an eye to sounding spiritual than sounding relevant (there were many times in Cambridge I was asked why we were called Marathon Church), this word became the name of many congregations.  There is a great congregation of Christ-followers in Cambridge, Ontario called "Maranatha."  I had the privilege of serving them as pastor for the past decade and many of my closest friends join me in calling the Maranatha family, their family.  Check them out at www.maranathacrc.com

Maranatha is our sending church as missionaries to Haiti.  While there are a number of other congregations who have invested time, money, and prayer into our work here, Maranatha is the one whose members raised a full 25% of our funding and who held the commissioning service to send us here.  Though our years together as pastor and congregation are over, our affection for and support of one another continues.  This is a deep blessing to me and to our family as we follow God's leading while no longer being a part of Maranatha's daily life.

Given all of these "warm fuzzies" you can imagine our delight that a large part of these two months -- January and February -- involves working with short-term missionaries from Maranatha who come and join us in the work here.  Let me tell you about this:

On January 5th, Clare Streutker joined us (wow! It is hard to believe he has been here nearly three weeks already!).  Clare, who owns and manages SKC Construction in Cambridge, has taken nearly two months off from work and come here to Haiti to oversee work teams and manage the construction project of building a significant and strategic addition to the leadership training center used by "Ministry of Christian Development" to train pastors and church leaders around Haiti to do practical, transformative, community-building work.  The first two weeks that Clare was here we had the privilege of hosting him in the apartment attached to our home and having him be a part of our daily life as he prepared for and then led the team from Immanuel Brampton at the work site.  It was a personal joy and ministry to me to have a good friend from Maranatha here with me as I showed him around and oriented him and as he connected with and joked around with my children.

Last week Saturday, the 17th, when the team from Maranatha came, Clare, who was then joined by his wife Sandra, moved to the Ministry Center Guest House to be with the Maranatha team and to make space in the apartment here for the Prince family, also of Maranatha.  While it was sad to see Clare move from our apartment to the Ministry Center Guest House, it was a new joy to have the Prince family stay with us.  You might think that having another family stay with you for ten days would be taxing but our time with the Princes, too, has been a great time of joy as we show them around Haiti.  While the rest of the Maranatha team is here for the work project, the Prince family with their three children aged 14, 12, and 11, are here on a "Look, Listen, Learn" trip spending each day with a particular focus -- history, children, poverty, education, markets -- learning about Haiti.

Some of our days are spent together with the two teams, like this past Wednesday when we all went to Restavek Freedom (www.restavekfreedom.org) to learn about the 300,000 child slaves in Haiti, and the afternoon when we toured the facilities of The Apparent Project (www.apparentproject.org) where the lives of 250 families are being changed as garbage is being turned into artwork and sold around the globe.  This coming Sunday we will travel into the mountains south of Port-au-Prince to see the work "Ministry of Christian Development" as they partner with a congregation and community in Badyo.  Next Monday, the Princes, Charles VanLingen, and the rest of the team return to Canada while Clare and Sandy head off to the Dominican Republic for three days of work there.  By Friday the 30th, we will have Clare back in our apartment hosting a team of 12 people from Woodland Christian High School.  These days are moving by rather quickly.

Despite the extra work of meals, laundry, shuttling, and lack of sleep all this extra activity brings, it has been deeply valuable to us as a family and we look forward with joy to the second wave of folks coming in February including the Woodland High group, a group of young adults led by Jon and Bethany Streutker, and a team including three young adults from Maranatha.  Mere words cannot communicate how encouraging it is to have all of these friends among us.  Like the return of Jesus, it has been worth the wait!  

Immanuel Brampton

For months, I have been looking forward to the team from Immanuel in Brampton to be with us.  They have a special place in our hearts for three reasons, now four.  First, our friends, Erick and Ruth Ann Schuringa serve them as pastor and worship director.  Since Erick and Ruth Ann were coming as part of the team, we were simply looking forward to spending time with them;  Second, Immanuel's Ministry Director, Lesley Toussaint, was a part of the Sous Espwa team during her years in Haiti and so they came with a special connection to Haiti; Third, Immanuel is one of our supporting congregations.  Not only have they taken a number of offerings for us, but they regularly send us notes of encouragement and remember us in prayer, an exemplary way of engaging missionaries.

The fourth reasons they have a special place in our hearts is because of the way God used our week with them to deepen an already meaningful relationship.  Let me tell you how.

Our week with them began with a weekend trip to Jacmel, about three hours from Port-au-Prince.  On the drive there and back, we had a chance to have conversation and to hear there hopes for what God would do in them through this trip.  Some of them had been to Haiti before -- Al Bloemendal, Renee VanderKooy, and Anna Afful -- but Iona Buisman and Erick and Ruth Ann had not.  We listened as they adjusted to the driving conditions in Haiti, trying to resist coaching the driver with words like "watch out", "yikes", and "everybody lean to the left as we go around this corner."  But more, we listened to their hopes for the way this trip might change them, and by extension, shape the congregation they serve and love to serve and love the community back home in Brampton.

In Jacmel, we enjoyed seeing the natural beauty of Bassin Bleu where we swam, the picturesque cove on the Caribbean Sea where our hotel was for the Saturday night, and the deeper beauty of the movement of the Spirit in a Creole worship service at the Christian Reformed Church in Jacmel where Erick delivered (with the help of an interpreter) a solid and meaningful message.

Throughout the week, our times with the team from Immanuel were occasions of joy, whether at the work site or touring around Port-au-Prince, or in our home sharing dinner and conversation.  Throughout the week, one of the things the Immanuel team was burdened with was deciding where to spend some money given them by an individual back home.  This gift provided them with a real way of wrestling through the issues of providing meaningful support to ministries in Haiti and thinking through their and Immanuel's longer-term commitment to ministry in Haiti.

Over the first four months of our being here, our oldest and youngest daughters - Erin and Meghan - have been volunteering in two different Christian schools -- Adoration (www.adoration.net) and Maison de Lumiere (www.childhope.org).  On Thursday the 15th while they were at our home, they asked the girls to tell them more about these schools, listening to their stories and seeing a video presentation Meghan had put together a few months ago.  On the Saturday afternoon over lunch, the Immanuel Team shared with Carol and I that while their congregation's longer term commitment with Haiti would be in an area more directly related to the work of the CRC in Haiti, they felt called to give the money they had with them to be divided equally among the two schools Erin and Meghan are serving and for Erin and Meghan to determine how best to invest the funds.

As you can imagine, this was an incredible encouragement to us as parents.  When we first voiced the possibility of coming to Haiti over a year ago, Erin and Meghan were quick to commit a year of their lives to this serving and growth opportunity.  Like us, they have experienced the challenge of doing ministry in a country with broken infrastructure and diminished expectations.  Like us, they have wondered if their work was making any difference at all.  For them to have the Immanuel Team recognize the value of their work and to back that up with meaningful support that helps our daughters dream bigger, this was an incredible gift.  It is also the fourth reason the Immanuel Team has a special place in our hearts.

Though we were looking forward to the 17th because that would be the arrival of the team from our home congregation of Maranatha, Cambridge, we were also sad that the 18th would come and our friends from Immanuel would be on their way home.  They left behind a family deeply encouraged because of their words, their actions, and simply their presence.  If you are part of Immanuel, give a hug to any from the team -- Renee, Anna, Iona, Al, Ruth Ann, or Erick -- and tell them they left a little piece of themselves here in Haiti, in our hearts.  

Update on Jameson

It's been four months since the day I met Jameson at the Child Hope Feeding program.  I know that many of you have been praying for him over the past four months, so I thought I would give an update. 

The morning after we met Jameson, Susette (the founder of Child Hope) told Jameson's aunt that she could bring him to the Child Hope Boys Home in the morning and he would be provided food there.  Since Jameson was very weak, Susette offered to take him into her home to nurse him back to health and get him the necessary medication from the Child Hope medical clinic.  As Jameson started eating more, the muscles in his little body were not able to cope with processing the food and after a few days, Susette brought him to the hospital where he was admitted.  His hospital stay lasted a month.  He slowly regained his strength.  Jameson's aunt told his father about the situation and requested that he go to the hospital daily to take care of his son.  As it turns out, the father was diagnosed with TB and was also receiving medical care, but somehow still went to the hospital from time to time to care for his son.  Susette brought him food on a regular basis as families generally need to provide food for hospitalized patients if they are to eat anything beyond rice and bean sauce and Jameson's family was not able to provide food for him. 

On the day Jameson was released from the hospital, he and his father were at Susette's door and the father asked Susette if she would please take care of Jameson because he knew that he was unable to care for his son.  Unfortunately, many of the children in orphanages in Haiti have families that are not able to care for their children.  Some are deserted and others are dropped off at orphanages.  Susette took him in and at this point he is still living with her and her family. The future is unclear and we trust that God's plan will be fulfilled in this little boy's life.  At this point, the Child Hope orphanage is at capacity.  

At the beginning of December, Jameson started school at Maison de Lumiere, the school that is part of the Child Hope Organization where Meghan is volunteering.  Jameson is actually in her class! He is gaining weight and looking healthy and his spunky personality is coming through.    

Thank you for your prayers for Jameson.  Please continue to pray for him and his father and extended family as well as the family who is currently caring for him.    

 Jameson on his first day of school

Jameson in front of the door to the school with the principal, Ivens

     

Jameson at his Christmas Program at Maison de Lumiere

tranbleman de te

January 12, 2010.  Almost 5 pm, just before sunset, the ground began to shake.  It wasn't a big water truck going by, a large sound people often hear in Port-au-Prince.  It wasn't a tropical storm.  It was an earthquake, a "tranbleman de te."

On that night, chaos, fear, death, and for months afterward, aftershocks.  In a country already on its knees economically, politically, socially, and nearly every other way, it was now, in the words of one pastor here, "being kicked in the teeth."

As doctors flooded the country from around the globe, bodies began to line the sidewalks, stacked outside those clinics and hospitals which were not already flattened in the quake.  Rescue crews, usually working with bare hands, frantically scratched their way through rubble, desperate to rescue those they hoped were still alive inside.  Those not crushed to death by buildings submitted crushed legs and arms to the surgeon's knife and, sometimes saw, creating a population of amputees who five years later are seen hobbling up crooked sidewalks on canes or sitting in the shade with a tin cup to receive from those who have Gourdes (currency) in their pocket and compassion in their hearts.  Those who bear no physical scars have scars none-the-less, deep inside.  One friend suggested, "all Haitians are suffering from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder)."  Our five months here so far have shown us enough that this is at least believable.

This past Monday, in addition to being a critical day politically as the senate was dissolving and the President is now ruling unchecked, was also the 5th anniversary of the "tranbleman de te."  I was with Clare Streutker and the team from Immanuel Christian Reformed Church in Caledon/Brampton over the weekend on a trip to Jacmel and Leogane, and so I woke up the morning of the 12th in Leogane, the very epicentre of the quake five years earlier.  The contrast was palpable as we awoke in the peace and calm of a large guest house property, enjoyed a grand breakfast of papaya, avocado, eggs, bread and coffee, and packed up our things to head back into Port-au-Prince.

Clare and I were on the road early, wanted to be through downtown Port-au-Prince before any "manifestations" or protests began.  As we drove through the suburbs between Leogane and Port-au-Prince, the largest of which is Carrefour, the streets were unusually quiet.  Even the trip through the bustling downtown of Port-au-Prince, though fairly busy, was virtually void of horn-honking, impatience, or hawking vendors.  It was as if the entire nation was holding its breath for the day.

As alluded to above, Haiti had two reasons to pause Monday.  One was the obvious remembrance of the earthquake.  People who had been burying memories too painful to recall were recalling them anyway.  Churches were beginning services early in the day, songs echoing off ravine neighborhoods in rich and poor sections alike.  Again, as on that day five years ago, all Haitians had something to unite around.  Pain, remembrance, and questions which ultimately would not be answered.

The congregation where our family normally attends worship services, Quisqueya Chapel, held a service at 4pm, wanting to be sure to be in worship at 4:53, the local time that the 7.0 earthquake struck.  There would not be an additional 52 services for the 52 aftershocks of 4.5 or greater that occurred in the two weeks after, so this one service would be our worshipping communities one remembrance.

In a scene reminiscent of 2010 where people were afraid to go indoors, we met out on the soccer field rather than in the chapel, sitting in a large circle of chairs.  There would be no one main speaker or leader; we were there to share -- in story, song, scripture, grief, and hope.

a circle of remembrance

a participant offering a solo of hope sung in Haitian Creole

 Pastor Bobby Boyer made it clear that this was a time of sharing, of grieving, of hoping.  He welcomed any and all to contribute in any way they felt led.  The circle started small, as did the participation, but eventually stories and songs and scripture and prayers cascaded upon one another.  A few brought guitars and song sheets, one brought a recorder or maybe it was a flute.  All brought heavy hearts.  No one brought answers.  Haiti, in addition to the 10,000,000 whose ancestral origin hails from Africa from where they were brought as slaves in the 1700's, is also a country of NGO's.  In addition to the nearly 20,000 foreign troops in Haiti, there are countless Non-Governmental Organizations, mostly faith-based, who do work in nearly every sector -- health, infrastructure, faith, community building, etc.  These NGO workers seem to hail from every corner on the planet.  In the service we heard stories of Haitians and of folks from Britain, Kenya, Canada, and the United States.
At the end of the service, Pastor Bobby pulled pastoral privilege and appointed me to lead in a parting blessing.  I knew he would as the Holy Spirit had been preparing in me something that needed to be said.  While I can't recall my exact words, I spoke first about the great and terrible power of the tranbleman de te and how its power is a devastating destructive power which has impacted us all.  I then spoke about the greater power, of the Holy Spirit, who is continually active throughout Haiti in and through the work of God's people, reminding all there of the words of 1 Corinthians 12 "Now you are the body of Christ, each of you is a part of it" and of 1 Corinthians 6 that each of them are temples of the Holy Spirit, and that as Paul wrote in Philippians 1:6, "He who has began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus."

In a place where the economic and social aftershocks of the earthquake continue to reverberate, this posture of faith is a secure place.  It is also the safest place to be as we consider the second reason Haiti had to hold its breath Monday:  politics.

Politically Haiti has nearly always been an unstable place.  A country barely 200 years old (independence was 1804), Haiti has seen more than their fair share of presidential coups and assassinations.  In fact, of the 44 Presidents so far, only 8 have served their full term.  This carries into recent history as 9 Presidents have been overthrown since the end of World War II.

Monday January 12, 2015 was a day of breath-holding politically as that was the day that terms of office of Senators would expire, effectively dissolving the parliament, and leaving President Michel Martelly with the legal right to rule by decree.  In a country where the population has memories of past dictatorial rule, and where corruption is an assumed norm, this is, to put it mildly, not ideal.

And so, the parliament has dissolved, the country has not spiralled into deeper chaos than it is already in, although it could.  Each day, we who are filled with the Spirit are called to pray and work and hope against the grain of despair and disorder that mark daily life here.  We pray that the power of renewal and rebuilding will overwhelm the forces of destruction and that one day, when people of Haiti refer to "the quake" they will be referring to that greater power of God making all things new.

Adoration Christian Centre - Part Two

Randy Lodder, director of Adoration Christian Centre (ACC) asked me if I would be willing to lead a workshop for the kindergarten and special education teachers on ‘Hands-On Learning”.  He told me that the workshop would begin at 10:00.  When I arrived at 9:45, Randy told me that they were running late.  It is normal for things to start later than advertised in Haiti.  I was thankful to arrive early and have them running late because it gave me the opportunity to hear Randy give his teachers a ‘pep’ talk reminding them of the vision and mission of the school.  Their mission statement is clearly written on the wall when you enter the school.

“Prepare and equip students to have an impact on their community and the world for the glory of Jesus Christ.” 

 In a recent newsletter, Randy expanded on this mission by saying “At its core our mission is to proclaim Christ, focusing on providing Christ-centered education that will equip, train, build up, encourage, and develop the community in which we are serving; helping and strengthening families who are in poverty and are “at risk”, meaning they are living in some very harsh conditions.” That day, he reminded the teachers of the difficulties their students are facing which block their path to effective learning.  He challenged the teachers by suggesting that if they were all doing their job well, they would equip their students to serve Jesus Christ by serving others as they become leaders in their community.  Their education will help them achieve this goal.  To help them understand their students better, he explained that many of their students come from difficult situations as they are trying to reach the poorest of the poor.  Then Randy asked the principal of each section in the school to give an example of one (or more) of their students to help the teachers better understand the community that they are serving. 

Ketia (Special Education and Kindergarten Principal)

Ketia shared with us that some of her students would not be accepted into other schools because they don’t have the means to get shoes, uniforms or basic school supplies.  She spoke passionately that these are the students that Adoration Christian Centre wants to help.  She suggested that her teachers are able to give more than what they would receive at a local government school because they try to share the love of Christ with each one.  She stressed the importance of loving each child and being sensitive and understanding knowing that so many of them have difficult lives.

Alix (Primary School Principal – Grades 1-6)

Alix shared that one of the main objectives of this school is to help families who are in great need.  He gave an example of a family with 13 kids.  Adoration Christian Centre has a policy that they can only accept two kids per family with a goal of reaching and giving hope to as many families as possible.  This family lived across the street from the school in the ‘tent city’ since the earthquake in January, 2010, but was recently displaced due to the government coming in and telling everyone they needed to move in order to build a new hotel on this land.  The school helped this family build a house in the place where they were ‘moved’.  It would take hours for these children to walk to school and the cost of a tap tap (public transportation) would be prohibitive.  For now, ACC is paying for their transportation, however, there are others in the same situation and eventually, ACC will no longer be able to provide transportation.  There are many students who were moved and are at risk of continuing their education at ACC.  Alix told teachers to show compassion and understanding to these students when their homework is not complete as they are likely exhausted by the time they get home and might not eat again until the next day when they receive lunch at school.  He reminded teachers that children don’t learn well when they are hungry.

Evenz (High School Principal – Grades 7-10)

Evenz shared a story about a student in Grade 12 who is currently at the ‘off-site’ location. This student asked if he would be able to go to afternoon school instead of morning school.  (Some schools offer two sessions so that more students will have the opportunity to go to school.)  Evenz thought that it was an odd request as most students desire to go to school in the morning as it is believed to be when the higher quality of education occurs.  Evenz probed the student and discovered that he lives in a tent very far from the school with his mom and aunt, both of whom do not work.  His dad is not in the picture.  If he can go to school in the afternoon, he has the opportunity to make 35 HTG (equivalent to $0.80 USD) which would help buy a few supplies or food so that he has enough energy to learn.  Although ACC paid for him to get to school, he often opted to walk for one and a half hours so that he could use his tap tap money for food.  He is determined to get his education no matter how high the personal cost so that he can get a job and help his family. 

When the principals were finished sharing, Randy continued by giving a portrait of what he hopes their students will look like upon graduation.  His desire is that they will be able to support themselves with a job, serve their community, become active members in their churches and above all have a relationship with Jesus Christ.  He hopes that they will excel in school and earn a Grade 13 education.

The task is daunting and would be impossible except that God is using an incredible staff of Haitians here and a host of supporters in North America!  I am thankful for the small roles that Erin and I can play while we are here this year.  Erin is teaching Art two days each week to all of the students together with a few others, we are both involved in developing Art Curriculum for the school.  I have also been involved in leading or helping with teacher training.

As mentioned earlier, I presented a workshop that day for the kindergarten and special education teachers on ‘Hands-On Learning’, but in the end I felt like I was the one who learned the most.  

We are able to do this because of the financial support and prayer of many of you. If you would like to learn more about this school or consider sponsoring a child yourself, check out www.adoration.net. 

Adoration Christian Centre - Part One

Adoration Christian Centre is a school that was founded and currently directed by our new friends, Randy and Karen Lodder (a couple from Southern Ontario) who are supported by the Canadian Reformed organization, “Word and Deed”.  They started this Christian School seven years ago for Haitian children who are taught by Haitian teachers.  The school has grown to nearly 300 students from pre-kindergarten to Grade 10 with students in Grades 11-13 going to school off-site.  Listening to Randy talk about the joys and challenges of the school over the past few months has been both disheartening and inspiring.

 

On our first visit to the school in September, Randy shared with us that parents need to go through a long application process because so many people want to send their kids to this school.  Adoration Christian Centre, in an effort to affect as many families as possible, has a policy of accepting a maximum of two children from any given family.  Their first priority is to Christian families with hopes to strengthen Christian leaders to make a difference in their communities.  The children who attend are on a sponsorship program through generous donors in North America who provide $38 per month, similar to how World Vision or Compassion International works.   For some families, the fee is very difficult to pay.  The school provides the t-shirt part of the school uniform.  Adoration Christian Centre’s vision is to help these kids who are in especially difficult situations. 

Until this year, many of the families lived in a ‘tent city’ across the road from the school.  After the earthquake, many tent cities were erected around the city and some have remained until this year.  Recently, the government moved everyone off the land because they plan to build a hotel in that space.  Many of the families moved far from the school to a place named Canaan because that is the only place they can afford to live.  Although you may recognize the name Canaan from the Bible, believe me, it is not a land flowing with milk and honey as the name suggests.  Many of these families do not have the resources to get their children to school now and some have stopped coming to school. 

It was lunch time when we arrived so we were able to witness lunch being served to all of the students.  Until this year, they also provided breakfast since many children come to school hungry, however the funds are no longer available to provide a breakfast program.  For some kids, this is their only meal of the day which usually consists of rice and beans (diri ak pwa).

   

The original school building came down in the earthquake (and by the grace of God, no one was in the building at the time as students and staff who were still at school were all outside watching a basketball game).  The school is currently housed in a former construction company office building with rooms that are rather small.  The average class size is 25.  The kindergarten room was maybe 12'x12' max with 18 students and I felt overwhelmed thinking about my large kindergarten classroom in Drayton with all of its space and supplies and saw these children who need to sit at their table all day because there is hardly enough room to get up and move around.  Randy’s hopes and dreams are that they could buy a piece of land and build a new school as they are currently renting this space.  It would include larger classrooms.  Having said that, if there were larger rooms, the Haitian community there would suggest that the school could hold lots more kids and there might not be a solution to the crowded classrooms. 

    

Adoration Christian Centre has three classes for children with special needs demonstrating beautifully that ALL children are unique, special and created in the image of God.  Special needs classes are rare in Haiti. 

Although it was very difficult to see and hear about the poverty that many of the students are experiencing, I was encouraged that these children have been given the opportunity to receive an education.  Most of the students would not be able to go to a local government school because they would not have the necessary funds to pay for the basics –uniforms, supplies and transportation.  By the fourth grade, students are learning in French only (which is the language of the educated) and will help provide more opportunities for them in the future than if they only speak Creole.  Their education will help provide them with skills that will enable them to provide for their families and make a difference in their communities.  My utmost respect goes to Randy and Karen for their vision and perseverance to help children who can in turn help their families makes a difference in their communities.   

Visitors!

Since we are only here for one year, I am constantly aware that much of what we are learning is not so that we can cope or flourish long term in Haiti but so that we can share with the rest of the "normal-people-world" (non-missionaries) (all tongue-in-cheek).  My hope in sharing is that all of us who read these posts can be better equipped to be encouragers and advocates of global missions and those who serve away from home.  When you live over 3000 kilometres from home, having visitors is a huge deal.  Over the past two weeks, we have been privileged to have three visits from family or friends close enough to call family.  I'd like to share what that was like so that you can get a sense of how encouraging it is for missionaries to be remembered in ways that are personal and life-giving.

My younger brother Stephen is a lawyer in Boston.  He and his wife Neda, a real estate broker, and their delightful daughter, Serena, have been great personal encouragers.  Though their beliefs would make supporting our agency, CRWM ingenuine and therefore they cannot, they have gone out of their way to communicate their cheerleading posture to us as people.  About a month ago, in the midst of a very hectic time of purchasing a new home, Stephen booked a flight to come and visit us for the weekend preceding my birthday: November 7-10.

In preparation for his trip to us, Stephen started asking what sorts of things he could bring and kept on pressing for more and more and more and more.  And more.  We had some things we needed (mostly particular items we couldn't find here) that we ordered from Amazon to be shipped to his house, but most of what he took was the result of his and Neda's driving around Boston and picking up as many items as Stephen could fit into his three checked bags!  When he arrived with one very large suitcase, two large duffels, a carry-on, and a back-pack, let's just say he didn't look like a tourist on a three-day trip.  When he got to our home, it was like a Festivus celebration (Seinfeld reference), with the unpacking of flip flops, soccer balls, light duvets, pillows, candy, cheese,  and articles of clothing for each of us.  The biggest item he packed was a 32" television -- which apparently, you can put in your checked luggage!

Picking up Stephen and his five bags of luggage at the airport

It was great to be able to show Stephen around the city.  A month before he came he had done some volunteering in Boston, packaging medical equipment for a hospital here in Port-au-Prince, St. Francois de Sales.  In addition to seeing the hospital, we toured downtown Port-au-Prince, viewed the city from the mountain top to the south, and toured the many places we spend our time here:  our boys' school where we played a game of 2-on-2 soccer, my office, the schools the girls are volunteering at, and some souvenir shops.  When we brought him back to the airport on Monday the 10th, we were all sad to see him go, but even more glad that he had come.

That same week, on Thursday the 13th, although Erin didn't know it, she had a visitor en route to see her.   A month earlier, Kelsey DeGier, made a plan to come and surprise Erin with a weekend visit.  She landed Thursday at 2:00 while Erin was teaching at Adoration Christian School just a few blocks from the airport. After Carol, Meghan, and I picked up Kelsey, we went to Erin's school where Carol pulled Erin out of class.  Though we had a camera malfunction and didn't quite capture "the moment" of Erin's surprise, it was imprinted in our memories as a startlingly good gift.  Kelsey had not been to a developing country before and was wide-eyed as we drove down rutted roads past garbage piles, goats, stray dogs, women balancing baskets over their heads, uniformed school children, armed guards, barbed wire, and tropical plants.  When we dropped her off on Monday for her flight home we asked her what her impression of Haiti was.  His answer was one word:  crazy.  And in saying so, reminded us that we weren't crazy for often feeling the same thing.

Erin delighted by the Surprise of Kelsey's Presence!

The day after Kelsey arrived, we received a visit from Carol's uncle and aunt, Harv and Diane Geerlinks, who are still with us.  Diane is with NILD (National Institute of Learning Disabilities) and has come to lead some talks and workshops with Carol at the ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) Conference being held just outside of Port-au-Prince.  Harv and Diane are unique in that their children have served in missions in many places:  India, Philippines, Vancouver, Kenya, Rwanda, and likely more, and this perspective has helped them engage us as close friends in helpful conversations about our adjustment here.

Harv and his helper, Franklin, trying out the playground equipment they repaired together with the parts Kelsey's dad Wes DeGier sent with her.  

In just a few days, this season of 'visitors' will be over and we will be back down to the six of us working our way through the adjustments of life in Haiti.  We will continue to need the prayers and encouragements of so many of you who are supporting us, but we will also have been helped in a significant way by our visitors:  Stephen, Kelsey, Harv & Diane.

It's funny.  When we arrived in Haiti one of my colleagues said to me with sincerity, "thank you for coming, it means a lot."  At the time I didn't get what she was saying and thought she was just being nice, but now I get it.  Visiting your missionaries -- even if you don't do any 'work' like laying block or painting walls -- is a mission of its own.  Showing an interest in their work, asking questions, learning, listening, taking pictures, and packing your suitcases with things they might need (Kelsey brought chocolate and some parts to fix a playground at Adoration School) are all great things to do and a way of coming alongside your missionaries.

As an organization here in Haiti -- Sous Espwa -- we encourage teams to come.  Some of those teams - Service and Learning Teams - come and build, providing the funding and the encouragement of working alongside Haitians to help create infrastructure such as the leadership training center which our friends Clare and Sandy Streutker will be overseeing the construction of in January and February.  These gifts are an invaluable blessing that will reap benefits for years to come.  Some teams though - Look, Learn, Listen Teams - come simply to learn, to show a genuine curiosity about the challenge of mission in Haiti, asking questions, and simply visiting.  They are not tourists, but interested advocates, and they might not have a trowel or paint brush in their hands, but they are providing a meaningful service.  They are showing, just by showing up, that they care.

Thanks for visiting.