This month has been quite the whirlwind.  We’ve literally had hundreds of guests come in and out of our doors, thousands of pounds of loaded suitcases hauled in and out, prepared enough food to feed several armies, and answered the same questions over and over and over…  I’m not going to lie – it’s been really tough and exhausting.  But I rest in the fact that Christ never said following Him would be easy.  A verse comes to mind from Luke 9 when a man told Jesus he would follow Him wherever He went.   Jesus replied,

 “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

I know we can in no way come close to comparing ourselves with what Jesus went through.  However, I’m getting a good idea of how His ministry was constant, with people always coming up to him – needing something, asking questions, always having to be available without the option of saying, “Sorry, it’s my day off.”  So, we continue on to strive to follow Christ and do what he has called us to do here.

Here are a few highlights from these past few weeks to catch you up:

• Our two best friends, Matt and Tammy Morken, came to visit us for five days!  We were able to show them around a bit, hang out, and they were very helpful around the house doing whatever was needed!  Ryan and Matt worked tirelessly to install a solar hot water system that does not require electricity.  Pretty ingenious!   I wouldn’t say we have hot water yet, but at least it’s not freezing cold now!

 

• Some of Melissa’s former piano students donated money to buy Clarel, one of our workers, some church clothes.  (In Haiti, they won’t let you into church unless you are dressed very nicely.)  So he went to the market and found a snazzy outfit, and then was able to attend church the following Sunday!

• Melissa got to teach at the Heartline cooking school this past Thursday.   We made banana bread and scalloped corn bread.  I had to type out the recipe in advance – IN CREOLE!  It was a fun challenge, and it stretched my vocabulary skills.  I also taught all IN CREOLE!  I used a lot of charades – showing things with my hands, but I think they got the general idea 🙂

• Ryan is on a motorcycle ride today with several of the men from church.  They will be going up into the mountains to enjoy some beautiful scenery!  It’s always great to get out of Port-au-Prince to see more of Haiti.

Here’s a verse that has been helping me get through each day:

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  Galatians 6:9