Today was laundry day! However, two of the moms wanted to do our laundry for us! This was a huge blessing! This kind gesture really touched my heart because they have their own laundry to do, and children they need to take care of. But instead, they rode a tap tap to our house to show their love in the best way they know how. They do not have money or nice things to give to show their appreciation for me being here, so they did what they know best...that is to serve God by serving me (washing clothes) to show their thanks!! I wish we put more of a conscious effort into living that way...doing things for others (not just giving money to someone, but actually taking the time to do something for another person) without wanting anything in return...being a blessing to others!
It took Marlen and Madam Tite 5 hours to do laundry the Haitian way! It took me and Stacie like 2 hours to wash and hang everything up! These 2 women wanted to make sure our clothes were nice and clean. I thought our set up for washing clothes last week was a lot, but let me tell you these women were scrubbing every square inch of fabric. Plus, they had way more than just a wash, rinse, and fabric soften station! It was so interesting to see the way they wash clothes, but it was also a huge blessing to see the joy that washing others' clothes gave them!
Marlen and Madam Tite came over this morning to learn how to cook french toast and pancakes for the team that comes in Tuesday! Stacie taught them how to make the two items, and then of course, we had to taste them! We had syrup and Nutella to put on the pancakes and french toast, and you should have seen these two women when they got a hold of the Nutella!! They have never tried it, so it was so funny to see them put a little on their pancake only to realize how great that stuff is, and go back for more!!
While our clothes were still drying, it began to rain AGAIN!! Yay for rain!! The land is getting refreshed, and our clothes got another rinse cycle! Thank you all for your continous prayers...the Lord hears our prayers, and He is delivering the rain! Pray that the Haitian people realize that the rain is coming from our Father, and that He wants to "rain" down His blessings on their lives!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Set Free!
The lesson for today was about being set free! When we come to know Christ, we are set free from sin! Fritznel and the main dad in the community, Pierre, put on a skit for the moms and kids! Fritznel acted out the part of a cop while Pierre was a prisoner. The prisoner received the death sentence unless he could find someone to take his place. As I'm sure you all have guessed, the cop told the prisoner that a man (Jesus) died in his place, and that he was set free!
2 Corinthians 3:17 says, "For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." We dug deeper into this verse, and explained that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are 3 in 1. Then, we explained that the Holy Spirit came to us to be our helper, and He guides us in the way we should live. It's such a blessing when we really grasp the concept that we are free! So many times we find ourselves trapped in bondage to our sin because we do not forgive ourselves. But, Christ died in our place to remove our sins! We do not have to stay in bondage to sin...We are free to live as Christ desires for our lives!!
We also tied two kids up with jump ropes, and told them to get themselves out. They could not because their arms were tied beside them! The point was for them to realize that we need help...help from our Christian friends and most definitely, we need help from the Father and Holy Spirit!
Of course, after the lesson we all played with the jump ropes!! We used one of the jump ropes for limbo which everyone enjoyed! Even the moms were out there trying to limbo...you would have thought they were little girls again! It was so fun!
Being that I am white, my hair and skin texture is a lot different than the people here. Well the kids just find that so amusing, so today I was a pet! The kids were playing with my hair, and they would rub my arms and my legs too! It was so funny! Then they realized that if they pressed their hands on my skin it would turn a shade of red, so they enjoyed watching their fingerprints and palm prints show up on my skin! Then, they found out I had sun burn, and they were just mesmerized at my peeling skin!! They are all so sweet and cute!! I have tons of pictures from today! I will be uploading a few on here, but all of them will be on Facebook, so be sure to check them out!
On our way home, it started to rain again...Praise the Lord! In Haiti, the people are grateful for the rain, but they do NOT like getting wet! On the tap tap, there are two seats at the end of the truck that are not covered, and there happened to be two Haitians sitting in those spots when it started raining! I was sitting in the seat next to the end, so I traded seats because I do not mind getting wet!! Stacie was sitting across from me, and she did not mind getting wet either. So she traded seats with the other person on the end. I know that whole tap tap thought we were two crazy white girls because we wanted to sit in the rain!! We actually enjoyed the coolness! After we got off the tap tap, we had to walk a few feet to the house, and the rain started pouring! We were soaked by the time we got inside, but it was so refreshing!! A huge THANK YOU to all who have been praying for the rain! I can actually see a little running water in the dried up river now!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
2 Corinthians 3:17 says, "For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." We dug deeper into this verse, and explained that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are 3 in 1. Then, we explained that the Holy Spirit came to us to be our helper, and He guides us in the way we should live. It's such a blessing when we really grasp the concept that we are free! So many times we find ourselves trapped in bondage to our sin because we do not forgive ourselves. But, Christ died in our place to remove our sins! We do not have to stay in bondage to sin...We are free to live as Christ desires for our lives!!
We also tied two kids up with jump ropes, and told them to get themselves out. They could not because their arms were tied beside them! The point was for them to realize that we need help...help from our Christian friends and most definitely, we need help from the Father and Holy Spirit!
Of course, after the lesson we all played with the jump ropes!! We used one of the jump ropes for limbo which everyone enjoyed! Even the moms were out there trying to limbo...you would have thought they were little girls again! It was so fun!
Being that I am white, my hair and skin texture is a lot different than the people here. Well the kids just find that so amusing, so today I was a pet! The kids were playing with my hair, and they would rub my arms and my legs too! It was so funny! Then they realized that if they pressed their hands on my skin it would turn a shade of red, so they enjoyed watching their fingerprints and palm prints show up on my skin! Then, they found out I had sun burn, and they were just mesmerized at my peeling skin!! They are all so sweet and cute!! I have tons of pictures from today! I will be uploading a few on here, but all of them will be on Facebook, so be sure to check them out!
On our way home, it started to rain again...Praise the Lord! In Haiti, the people are grateful for the rain, but they do NOT like getting wet! On the tap tap, there are two seats at the end of the truck that are not covered, and there happened to be two Haitians sitting in those spots when it started raining! I was sitting in the seat next to the end, so I traded seats because I do not mind getting wet!! Stacie was sitting across from me, and she did not mind getting wet either. So she traded seats with the other person on the end. I know that whole tap tap thought we were two crazy white girls because we wanted to sit in the rain!! We actually enjoyed the coolness! After we got off the tap tap, we had to walk a few feet to the house, and the rain started pouring! We were soaked by the time we got inside, but it was so refreshing!! A huge THANK YOU to all who have been praying for the rain! I can actually see a little running water in the dried up river now!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Rain!
Praise the Lord it is raining as I type!! Thank you all for praying for rain! This country needs it so badly!
Today has been spent preparing for the team that is coming next Tuesday! A group of women from Virginia are coming to minister to the moms and kids in various ways. They will be building benches for the kids' classroom, as well as teaching the moms some new trades!
Also coming next Tuesday is my MOMMY!! I am so excited for her to be here to share in this experience with me! We are all going to be super busy, but it is going to be so much fun!
Tonight, I helped cook! I do not do a lot of cooking back home, but here there is no other choice! We do not have the option to run through McDonald's if we do not feel like cooking :) Tuesday nights we have tacos, but they do not buy taco shells. We have to make them, and that we did! I kneaded the dough, and rolled out the shells while Stacie cooked them in the skillet. Our homemade taco shells with hamburger meat and all the "fixings" were delicious!! Who needs fast food when you can make it homemade!
I also had the pleasure of making "Southern sweet tea" today! I have to say it turned out well, but it is definitely sweet! (Forgot to think that back home we make tea in a huge pitcher, but here the pitcher is a good bit smaller!) So in other words, when we pour a glass of tea, we have to add water to dilute it!! :)
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Today has been spent preparing for the team that is coming next Tuesday! A group of women from Virginia are coming to minister to the moms and kids in various ways. They will be building benches for the kids' classroom, as well as teaching the moms some new trades!
Also coming next Tuesday is my MOMMY!! I am so excited for her to be here to share in this experience with me! We are all going to be super busy, but it is going to be so much fun!
Tonight, I helped cook! I do not do a lot of cooking back home, but here there is no other choice! We do not have the option to run through McDonald's if we do not feel like cooking :) Tuesday nights we have tacos, but they do not buy taco shells. We have to make them, and that we did! I kneaded the dough, and rolled out the shells while Stacie cooked them in the skillet. Our homemade taco shells with hamburger meat and all the "fixings" were delicious!! Who needs fast food when you can make it homemade!
I also had the pleasure of making "Southern sweet tea" today! I have to say it turned out well, but it is definitely sweet! (Forgot to think that back home we make tea in a huge pitcher, but here the pitcher is a good bit smaller!) So in other words, when we pour a glass of tea, we have to add water to dilute it!! :)
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Monday, May 27, 2013
The Old Has Become New!
Our lesson to the women and kids today came from 2 Corinthians 5:17 "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"
Praise Jesus we have all been made new!!
We taught the moms that we are made new in Christ, and first and foremost, that means that we have accepted Him into our hearts and lives. Accepting Him means that we know, trust, obey, and believe in Him! Most of us already know the foundation of our faith, but for me, it is always so refreshing to be reminded how much God loves each of us...that He was willing to send His Son to die for me and you!
We related our old selves and our new selves to an egg and a chicken. (There are tons of chickens running around Haiti, so we knew that they would understand!) Our old selves are like the egg. We have no protection, we are lost in the world, we lack wisdom and purpose, we are in a growing process, and we need Jesus, but we do not realize we need Him because we cannot comprehend it at that time. Once we receive Christ, and we surrender to the Holy Spirit drawing us to Christ, we become like a baby chick. We are transformed, protected, found, growing in wisdom, and teachable. We are learning to submit and surrender to God's Will for us. We begin to grow and mature as well as make a difference in the world around us. People can see a noticeable change in us, and we are following God knowing that He has a purpose for our lives and that He wants us to lead by example! He tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 that He knows the plans He has for us, and they are plans to help us not to harm us. He wants to give us a hope and future!! We just need to surrender and accept His Will! We gave some examples of ways of thinking and actions that can take place when we are in our old selves. For example, our old selves would think failure, fear, and pride. Our old selves would act sinful, selfish, and we would lie. Then, we explained how we should act in our new selves by telling them what God's Word says in regards to those areas.
We wrapped up the lesson with John 14:6 "Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.'" We made sure the moms and kids understood that the only way to become new and live a new life is to first accept Christ!
Stacie and I both taught the moms while Fritznel translated, but then she celebrated Mother's Day (which was yesterday in Haiti!) with the moms while I taught the kids! It was definitely interesting, but a lot of fun! We had both the moms and kids repeat 2 Corinthians 5:17 ten times, so that they would memorize what God says when they are struggling with the temptation to return to their old selves!
I stated in a previous post that I did not think it would be long before I became a human jungle gym to these kids, and well today that happened! Thankfully, they were not jumping on me or climbing over me. They just wanted to lay all over me, hold my hands, and play with my hair which was all totally okay with me!! :)
Continue to be in prayer for the moms and kids as we share God's Truths with them. Pray that His Message would sink in, and that their lives would be transformed by His Word! Unfortunately, most of the moms cannot read, so they cannot go to the Word of God like you and I can when we face trials. So please be in prayer that they can memorize key phrases from God's Word that will help them in their struggles because satan attacks each of us, and they need to be able to fight off his flaming arrows.
I have to share a sweet story of one of the little boys in the feeding program. He is probably 3 years old, and he belongs to one of, if not, the poorest families in the program. He has the biggest brown eyes, and he is so precious. But, he probably only gets to eat whenever we have the feeding program on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. He cries a lot because he is so hungry. Well today, I had something on my shirt, and this little boy watched his mommy wipe it off for me. The next thing I knew, he had his little hand on my arm (because he realized after his mommy touched me that it would be okay for him too)! So I reached out and rubbed his hand, then I got brave and tickled him (normally if someone gets too close, he cries). He started grinning, and turning shy! It was so cute!
I share this because, yes, Jimsley is adorable, but also because the money you all donated for me to get here is helping feed this precious little boy!! Be in prayer for more sponsors for Empowering Haitian Moms, so that these kids can eat more than 3 times a week and that other kids can be able to eat as well. Maybe you would like to donate money to EHM for the feeding program, or maybe you would like to sponsor a child's schooling? Please be praying about ways you can help EHM!
Check out their website for more details...empoweringhaitianmoms.org.
Thank you all for your constant prayers...they are definitely being felt! To each of you who are reading my blog and praying for me and Haiti, I thank you so much! I do not know your names, but God does! And I am praying for each of you to be strengthened and ministered to through my experiences here! I know my heart and soul are being refreshed each day that I spend here! The laid back pace of life helps me to appreciate God's Beauty more and more, and I love it!!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Praise Jesus we have all been made new!!
We taught the moms that we are made new in Christ, and first and foremost, that means that we have accepted Him into our hearts and lives. Accepting Him means that we know, trust, obey, and believe in Him! Most of us already know the foundation of our faith, but for me, it is always so refreshing to be reminded how much God loves each of us...that He was willing to send His Son to die for me and you!
We related our old selves and our new selves to an egg and a chicken. (There are tons of chickens running around Haiti, so we knew that they would understand!) Our old selves are like the egg. We have no protection, we are lost in the world, we lack wisdom and purpose, we are in a growing process, and we need Jesus, but we do not realize we need Him because we cannot comprehend it at that time. Once we receive Christ, and we surrender to the Holy Spirit drawing us to Christ, we become like a baby chick. We are transformed, protected, found, growing in wisdom, and teachable. We are learning to submit and surrender to God's Will for us. We begin to grow and mature as well as make a difference in the world around us. People can see a noticeable change in us, and we are following God knowing that He has a purpose for our lives and that He wants us to lead by example! He tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 that He knows the plans He has for us, and they are plans to help us not to harm us. He wants to give us a hope and future!! We just need to surrender and accept His Will! We gave some examples of ways of thinking and actions that can take place when we are in our old selves. For example, our old selves would think failure, fear, and pride. Our old selves would act sinful, selfish, and we would lie. Then, we explained how we should act in our new selves by telling them what God's Word says in regards to those areas.
We wrapped up the lesson with John 14:6 "Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.'" We made sure the moms and kids understood that the only way to become new and live a new life is to first accept Christ!
Stacie and I both taught the moms while Fritznel translated, but then she celebrated Mother's Day (which was yesterday in Haiti!) with the moms while I taught the kids! It was definitely interesting, but a lot of fun! We had both the moms and kids repeat 2 Corinthians 5:17 ten times, so that they would memorize what God says when they are struggling with the temptation to return to their old selves!
I stated in a previous post that I did not think it would be long before I became a human jungle gym to these kids, and well today that happened! Thankfully, they were not jumping on me or climbing over me. They just wanted to lay all over me, hold my hands, and play with my hair which was all totally okay with me!! :)
Continue to be in prayer for the moms and kids as we share God's Truths with them. Pray that His Message would sink in, and that their lives would be transformed by His Word! Unfortunately, most of the moms cannot read, so they cannot go to the Word of God like you and I can when we face trials. So please be in prayer that they can memorize key phrases from God's Word that will help them in their struggles because satan attacks each of us, and they need to be able to fight off his flaming arrows.
I have to share a sweet story of one of the little boys in the feeding program. He is probably 3 years old, and he belongs to one of, if not, the poorest families in the program. He has the biggest brown eyes, and he is so precious. But, he probably only gets to eat whenever we have the feeding program on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. He cries a lot because he is so hungry. Well today, I had something on my shirt, and this little boy watched his mommy wipe it off for me. The next thing I knew, he had his little hand on my arm (because he realized after his mommy touched me that it would be okay for him too)! So I reached out and rubbed his hand, then I got brave and tickled him (normally if someone gets too close, he cries). He started grinning, and turning shy! It was so cute!
I share this because, yes, Jimsley is adorable, but also because the money you all donated for me to get here is helping feed this precious little boy!! Be in prayer for more sponsors for Empowering Haitian Moms, so that these kids can eat more than 3 times a week and that other kids can be able to eat as well. Maybe you would like to donate money to EHM for the feeding program, or maybe you would like to sponsor a child's schooling? Please be praying about ways you can help EHM!
Check out their website for more details...empoweringhaitianmoms.org.
Thank you all for your constant prayers...they are definitely being felt! To each of you who are reading my blog and praying for me and Haiti, I thank you so much! I do not know your names, but God does! And I am praying for each of you to be strengthened and ministered to through my experiences here! I know my heart and soul are being refreshed each day that I spend here! The laid back pace of life helps me to appreciate God's Beauty more and more, and I love it!!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Sunday, May 26, 2013
First Week Accomplished!
The power situation was crazy yesterday, so I did not get to post! However, yesterday was a special day because it meant I have been here for exactly one week!! Yay! Thank you all so much for praying diligently for my first week. Someone told me today at church that the first week is always the hardest. Thankfully after a week, I feel I have adjusted to the culture.
Yesterday, Stacie, Fritznel, and I did some garden work. They have planted a few vegetables, and we had to prune them. As we were working, of course the conversation went to how God prunes us. He cuts away all the dead "leaves" in our lives, so that we can be more fruitful and multiply! I encourage each of you to allow Him to cut away those unwanted "leaves", so that we may be fruitful and multiply His Kingdom. Be in prayer for me as God cuts away "leaves" from my life, so that I can be a blessing to others and further His Kingdom.
After gardening, Stacie and I went through all the donations that I brought with me! Thank you to the Godly Girls group for sending a lot of fun toys and crafts for the kids! We haven't taken them yet, but we are going to incorporate the items into our lessons!
Today was church day!! The pastor runs a big ministry in Montrouis, so for preaching, he shows podcasts. Well, the podcast would not work, so we all just sang songs in worship to God and shared Bible verses the whole time! It was really laid back, but still so moving that we did not have to necessarily hear a sermon in order to worship the Father!
Be in prayer for Stacie, Fritznel, and I this week as we start sharing with these moms and kids how to see themselves and each other like God sees them! Be in prayer that the Holy Spirit would be alive in each of these moms and kids so that God's Word will sink in, and they will put these lessons into practice!
One of the reasons we wanted to teach about how God sees us is because the moms have a bad habit of telling some of the kids that they are ugly or have no future. Just like any other child, when they see their mom do it, they in turn do the same thing. So now we have moms calling kids ugly as well as kids calling each other names. So we really want these kids to buid their self esteems, and know that God created them for a special purpose. And that they are beautiful!! We also want the moms to know the same thing!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Yesterday, Stacie, Fritznel, and I did some garden work. They have planted a few vegetables, and we had to prune them. As we were working, of course the conversation went to how God prunes us. He cuts away all the dead "leaves" in our lives, so that we can be more fruitful and multiply! I encourage each of you to allow Him to cut away those unwanted "leaves", so that we may be fruitful and multiply His Kingdom. Be in prayer for me as God cuts away "leaves" from my life, so that I can be a blessing to others and further His Kingdom.
After gardening, Stacie and I went through all the donations that I brought with me! Thank you to the Godly Girls group for sending a lot of fun toys and crafts for the kids! We haven't taken them yet, but we are going to incorporate the items into our lessons!
Today was church day!! The pastor runs a big ministry in Montrouis, so for preaching, he shows podcasts. Well, the podcast would not work, so we all just sang songs in worship to God and shared Bible verses the whole time! It was really laid back, but still so moving that we did not have to necessarily hear a sermon in order to worship the Father!
Be in prayer for Stacie, Fritznel, and I this week as we start sharing with these moms and kids how to see themselves and each other like God sees them! Be in prayer that the Holy Spirit would be alive in each of these moms and kids so that God's Word will sink in, and they will put these lessons into practice!
One of the reasons we wanted to teach about how God sees us is because the moms have a bad habit of telling some of the kids that they are ugly or have no future. Just like any other child, when they see their mom do it, they in turn do the same thing. So now we have moms calling kids ugly as well as kids calling each other names. So we really want these kids to buid their self esteems, and know that God created them for a special purpose. And that they are beautiful!! We also want the moms to know the same thing!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Friday, May 24, 2013
You are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made!
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
Psalm 139:14
Today, Stacie and I figured out what we would be teaching the moms and kids for the next 7 weeks while I am here. Over the next 7 weeks, we want to show these moms and their kids how God sees them, and how He wants them to pray effectively and be in communion with Him.
Our lesson for today was how God made each of us unique...we are "fearfully and wonderfully made"! Yes, some of us are similar...take me and Cierra for example. Half the time people think we are twins because we look SO much alike, but yet we are different! God created us uniquely for His Glory!
We used seashells to demonstrate this to the moms and kids because seashells look alike, but when you study them and look closely, you see that they are uniquely designed. God sees us for who we are, but satan has tried to make us judgemental of one another. We wanted the moms and kids to understand that God made us uniquely beautiful...every single one of us!! He knew us before we were even born...before we were even thought of! Just let that sink in...HE KNEW YOU AND ME BEFORE WE WERE EVEN THOUGHT OF!!!
We played a game with the moms and kids to show how unique we are. First, we taught the moms the Scripture. Then, we blindfolded the moms and gave them a seashell to memorize the way it felt. Next, Stacie wrote their initials on the seashells to know who it belonged to. We then mixed up the seashells and gave them back to the moms. They had to figure out by touch which seashell belonged to them, and it was really cool to watch because they knew which one was theirs! We did the same thing with the kids, and they had so much fun too!
I am so grateful for the prayers that you all are sending our way! The Holy Spirit is moving, and it is so cool to experience!!
On a side note, congratulations to all of you who are graduating tomorrow! I am praying that you all stay safe, and enjoy this huge accomplishment! Give God the Glory!
I posted some pics from laundry day yesterday! There are more pictures on my Facebook, so be sure to check them out!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Psalm 139:14
Today, Stacie and I figured out what we would be teaching the moms and kids for the next 7 weeks while I am here. Over the next 7 weeks, we want to show these moms and their kids how God sees them, and how He wants them to pray effectively and be in communion with Him.
Our lesson for today was how God made each of us unique...we are "fearfully and wonderfully made"! Yes, some of us are similar...take me and Cierra for example. Half the time people think we are twins because we look SO much alike, but yet we are different! God created us uniquely for His Glory!
We used seashells to demonstrate this to the moms and kids because seashells look alike, but when you study them and look closely, you see that they are uniquely designed. God sees us for who we are, but satan has tried to make us judgemental of one another. We wanted the moms and kids to understand that God made us uniquely beautiful...every single one of us!! He knew us before we were even born...before we were even thought of! Just let that sink in...HE KNEW YOU AND ME BEFORE WE WERE EVEN THOUGHT OF!!!
We played a game with the moms and kids to show how unique we are. First, we taught the moms the Scripture. Then, we blindfolded the moms and gave them a seashell to memorize the way it felt. Next, Stacie wrote their initials on the seashells to know who it belonged to. We then mixed up the seashells and gave them back to the moms. They had to figure out by touch which seashell belonged to them, and it was really cool to watch because they knew which one was theirs! We did the same thing with the kids, and they had so much fun too!
I am so grateful for the prayers that you all are sending our way! The Holy Spirit is moving, and it is so cool to experience!!
On a side note, congratulations to all of you who are graduating tomorrow! I am praying that you all stay safe, and enjoy this huge accomplishment! Give God the Glory!
I posted some pics from laundry day yesterday! There are more pictures on my Facebook, so be sure to check them out!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Thursday, May 23, 2013
First Laundry Day!
Before I share with each of you about laundry day here in Haiti, I have to tell you that this morning the Lord convicted me. As soon as I woke up this morning I came to my laptop, and I got online to make sure I did not have any new emails or Facebook happenings. The Lord spoke to my heart, and said the first thing I need to do is get up and head straight for His Word. I tried to justify getting online because of the craziness with the power, but the truth is, it should not matter about the power because that stuff can wait. After pondering this, it hit me....I should have the same (and MORE) excitement for getting in God's Word first thing in the morning than I do for checking Facebook or email.
After 5 days of being here, today was laundry day! And I needed it!! SOOOO....most of us have the luxury in the states of throwing everything in the washing machine, and then tossing the clothes in the dryer! This is NOT the case in Haiti! I felt like a pioneer woman today! The process of washing clothes Haiti style goes as follows....step one, fill 3 big tubs full of water. Step two, add detergent to the first tub and fabric softener to the last tub (the middle tub is for rinsing). Step three, separate all clothes into lights, darks, and whites and separate towels and sheets too! Step four, begin to wash clothes BY HAND in the first tub (making sure that you scrub the dirt and stink out of the clothes!). Step five, toss the washed clothes in the rinse bucket and let them sit for a few minutes. Step six, rinse out the clothes in the rinse bucket, and place them in the last bucket. Step seven, after the clothes have sat in the last bucket for a few minutes, rinse them out and then step eight, hang them up! This process went on and on for probably 3 hours!! The sun was beating down on me and Stacie, but thank the Lord, He did not give me a complaining spirit...even though I wanted to a few times!
Washing clothes by hand is a hard job, but I can understand how some women enjoy it because it gives you a chance to communicate with whoever you are washing clothes with. Stacie and I had a great 3 hour spiritual conversation, and it was so nice to not have to be in a hurry to go somewhere or get something done! It was also empowering to know that I helped wash ALL those clothes by hand! :)
Again I just want to thank you all so much for praying over this mission trip!! God is doing amazing things! One of the things I asked specific prayer for was the language, and it is really cool to see how much I am picking up! I have been here for only 6 days, and already I have learned a good many words as well as some phrases! The power of prayer is amazing!!
Continue to pray for Empowering Haitian Moms' vehicle situation.
If there is anything any of you would like for me to be praying about, please do not hesitate to send me an email, Facebook message, or leave a comment on here!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
P.S. I did take pictures of the clothes washing today, and I will be posting pics soon!
After 5 days of being here, today was laundry day! And I needed it!! SOOOO....most of us have the luxury in the states of throwing everything in the washing machine, and then tossing the clothes in the dryer! This is NOT the case in Haiti! I felt like a pioneer woman today! The process of washing clothes Haiti style goes as follows....step one, fill 3 big tubs full of water. Step two, add detergent to the first tub and fabric softener to the last tub (the middle tub is for rinsing). Step three, separate all clothes into lights, darks, and whites and separate towels and sheets too! Step four, begin to wash clothes BY HAND in the first tub (making sure that you scrub the dirt and stink out of the clothes!). Step five, toss the washed clothes in the rinse bucket and let them sit for a few minutes. Step six, rinse out the clothes in the rinse bucket, and place them in the last bucket. Step seven, after the clothes have sat in the last bucket for a few minutes, rinse them out and then step eight, hang them up! This process went on and on for probably 3 hours!! The sun was beating down on me and Stacie, but thank the Lord, He did not give me a complaining spirit...even though I wanted to a few times!
Washing clothes by hand is a hard job, but I can understand how some women enjoy it because it gives you a chance to communicate with whoever you are washing clothes with. Stacie and I had a great 3 hour spiritual conversation, and it was so nice to not have to be in a hurry to go somewhere or get something done! It was also empowering to know that I helped wash ALL those clothes by hand! :)
Again I just want to thank you all so much for praying over this mission trip!! God is doing amazing things! One of the things I asked specific prayer for was the language, and it is really cool to see how much I am picking up! I have been here for only 6 days, and already I have learned a good many words as well as some phrases! The power of prayer is amazing!!
Continue to pray for Empowering Haitian Moms' vehicle situation.
If there is anything any of you would like for me to be praying about, please do not hesitate to send me an email, Facebook message, or leave a comment on here!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
P.S. I did take pictures of the clothes washing today, and I will be posting pics soon!
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Thankful!
I am so thankful for each of you who prayed for Stacie and me as we battled stomach issues. We were feeling a lot better today! The power of prayer is amazing! Continue to pray for $3,000 to be raised by Monday, so the ministry can purchase a vehicle.
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are ministry days. So today we took a "tap tap" into Montrouis to feed the moms and the children. Fritznel, who is Stacie's husband, teaches the moms and the kids. He teaches Bible stories to the kids, and then he teaches the moms business skills. Today, the kids learned about Cain and Abel, and the moms learned how to get the most for their money. For example, Fritznel asked the moms what would be better...driving into Port Au Prince to buy things you need at the market for a cheaper price, or traveling to Saint Marc which is closer but may be a little pricier. The moms really had to think about it because items in Port Au Prince are cheaper, but it takes more money to get there. Plus, you would have to buy something to eat and drink because you would be gone for a long time. Even though the prices in Saint Marc are a little more expensive, you are saving money because it is not as far, and they would not have to spend money on food or drink. These business skills I learned at a young age like most of you did, but it wasn't until today that I realized how much I take basic business skills for granted. These moms do not know these important life skills, but thankfully through Stacie and Fritznel's ministry they will soon learn.
Another thing that is really important for these moms and kids to learn is cleanliness. The kids will play in the dirt, and then immediately stick their hands in their mouths. This is common nature for them, but Stacie and I just cringe and tell the kids to stop that. Thankfully they listen! I realized today how much I have taken cleanliness for granted. It's second nature for us to wash our hands and take a shower...we love to be clean! Right?! But these kids do not know how to keep themselves clean. No one has taught them to be neat and tidy. This group of women are learning how to keep their children clean and themselves as well. Pray that Stacie and I will be able to help these moms realize how much influence they have on their children. It is one thing for us to tell the children to wash their hands before eating, but when they see that their moms aren't doing it then they wonder why they should have to.
I have read on Facebook that you all have been receiving rain! Praise the Lord! Pray that it would come this way! Haiti needs it so badly...thank the Lord some rain fell this afternoon, but we need more!
Tonight while Mom and I were Skyping, Millie (Stacie's 2 year old goddaughter) came in my room, and she got to talk to her for a little while! It was so cute! Then Millie's mom, Assefie, came in to Skype as well! That was interesting because Assefie does not know much English, so Mom would say something and I would have to try my best to translate what was being said! I guess that's one way to learn how to speak the language!
Overall, today has been another blessing for God! The kids are so precious! Some are more shy than others, but I give them a few more visits and I will be a human jungle gym!! Some are not afraid of white people (as their moms and Stacie put it) and they just get all in my face!
Still no pictures of the moms or kids because I do not want to make them too crazy! I think just having another white girl around is enough for this first week!
I believe tomorrow is laundry day, so be in prayer for me as I have to wash everything by hand! That will definitely be an adventure!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are ministry days. So today we took a "tap tap" into Montrouis to feed the moms and the children. Fritznel, who is Stacie's husband, teaches the moms and the kids. He teaches Bible stories to the kids, and then he teaches the moms business skills. Today, the kids learned about Cain and Abel, and the moms learned how to get the most for their money. For example, Fritznel asked the moms what would be better...driving into Port Au Prince to buy things you need at the market for a cheaper price, or traveling to Saint Marc which is closer but may be a little pricier. The moms really had to think about it because items in Port Au Prince are cheaper, but it takes more money to get there. Plus, you would have to buy something to eat and drink because you would be gone for a long time. Even though the prices in Saint Marc are a little more expensive, you are saving money because it is not as far, and they would not have to spend money on food or drink. These business skills I learned at a young age like most of you did, but it wasn't until today that I realized how much I take basic business skills for granted. These moms do not know these important life skills, but thankfully through Stacie and Fritznel's ministry they will soon learn.
Another thing that is really important for these moms and kids to learn is cleanliness. The kids will play in the dirt, and then immediately stick their hands in their mouths. This is common nature for them, but Stacie and I just cringe and tell the kids to stop that. Thankfully they listen! I realized today how much I have taken cleanliness for granted. It's second nature for us to wash our hands and take a shower...we love to be clean! Right?! But these kids do not know how to keep themselves clean. No one has taught them to be neat and tidy. This group of women are learning how to keep their children clean and themselves as well. Pray that Stacie and I will be able to help these moms realize how much influence they have on their children. It is one thing for us to tell the children to wash their hands before eating, but when they see that their moms aren't doing it then they wonder why they should have to.
I have read on Facebook that you all have been receiving rain! Praise the Lord! Pray that it would come this way! Haiti needs it so badly...thank the Lord some rain fell this afternoon, but we need more!
Tonight while Mom and I were Skyping, Millie (Stacie's 2 year old goddaughter) came in my room, and she got to talk to her for a little while! It was so cute! Then Millie's mom, Assefie, came in to Skype as well! That was interesting because Assefie does not know much English, so Mom would say something and I would have to try my best to translate what was being said! I guess that's one way to learn how to speak the language!
Overall, today has been another blessing for God! The kids are so precious! Some are more shy than others, but I give them a few more visits and I will be a human jungle gym!! Some are not afraid of white people (as their moms and Stacie put it) and they just get all in my face!
Still no pictures of the moms or kids because I do not want to make them too crazy! I think just having another white girl around is enough for this first week!
I believe tomorrow is laundry day, so be in prayer for me as I have to wash everything by hand! That will definitely be an adventure!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Welcome to Haiti!
I hear this phrase a lot from Stacie! Whether it is because the power goes out when it is not expected too, or like today when she and I both experienced "stomach problems" :( I was praying not to get sick while I was down here, but at least someone else was experiencing my pain!
We were troopers! Even though we felt puny, we went to the market today. It was truly an experience. There were tons of people walking up and down the street, and motorcycles and vehicles were in abundance. There were more guys who passed by and made kissy faces...more guys to say bel to me as they passed which means beautiful!
You would think that in a country where I cannot speak their language, and I do not know anything about them, that I would be terrified. However, it is SO awesome to serve a God who "does not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, LOVE, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT) Not once today did I get scared or anything when these guys were flirting, or a woman or little child walked up asking for money. Just thinking back on it gives me "God bumps" (thank you Gina for reminding me of this phrase!). The cool part is having Stacie (who has lived here for a while and knows Creole very well!) tell me that I have no fear or anything when I am out and about! These are God's people just like you and I, so WHY would I treat them any differently? They can't come to know Jesus if I don't first LOVE them!!
It is only day 4 of being here in Haiti, and already the Spirit of God is moving in my life! I cannot wait to continue writing to you all to share the many more blessings he will bestow upon me and Haiti!
Often times we go on missions thinking we are going to bless so many people, but what God does is makes us think that so we will go. Then, He does what He really intended which was to change us! SO thankful to serve and be obedient to God, who knows SO much more than I do! "For His ways are higher than my ways and His thoughts higher than my thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9 NLT). He has a plan for each of us! Please do not miss out because of FEAR or anything else.
I ask that you would continue to heavily lift up Oklahoma as they go through this devastation. I could not imagine having my house destroyed or losing a loved one from a tornado. Pray for strength in the community as well as healing of hurting hearts.
Pray for complete healing for mine and Stacie's stomachs. Tomorrow is ministry day, and neither of us wants to miss that. Ask and believe in Jesus Name.
Thank you all!
Blessings and Much Love,
Ashley
We were troopers! Even though we felt puny, we went to the market today. It was truly an experience. There were tons of people walking up and down the street, and motorcycles and vehicles were in abundance. There were more guys who passed by and made kissy faces...more guys to say bel to me as they passed which means beautiful!
You would think that in a country where I cannot speak their language, and I do not know anything about them, that I would be terrified. However, it is SO awesome to serve a God who "does not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, LOVE, and self-discipline." (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT) Not once today did I get scared or anything when these guys were flirting, or a woman or little child walked up asking for money. Just thinking back on it gives me "God bumps" (thank you Gina for reminding me of this phrase!). The cool part is having Stacie (who has lived here for a while and knows Creole very well!) tell me that I have no fear or anything when I am out and about! These are God's people just like you and I, so WHY would I treat them any differently? They can't come to know Jesus if I don't first LOVE them!!
It is only day 4 of being here in Haiti, and already the Spirit of God is moving in my life! I cannot wait to continue writing to you all to share the many more blessings he will bestow upon me and Haiti!
Often times we go on missions thinking we are going to bless so many people, but what God does is makes us think that so we will go. Then, He does what He really intended which was to change us! SO thankful to serve and be obedient to God, who knows SO much more than I do! "For His ways are higher than my ways and His thoughts higher than my thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9 NLT). He has a plan for each of us! Please do not miss out because of FEAR or anything else.
I ask that you would continue to heavily lift up Oklahoma as they go through this devastation. I could not imagine having my house destroyed or losing a loved one from a tornado. Pray for strength in the community as well as healing of hurting hearts.
Pray for complete healing for mine and Stacie's stomachs. Tomorrow is ministry day, and neither of us wants to miss that. Ask and believe in Jesus Name.
Thank you all!
Blessings and Much Love,
Ashley
Monday, May 20, 2013
EHM!
Today was such a blessing! I felt like I was at home this morning because Stacie made egg sandwiches!
We left the house around 10 to head to the community where the ministry site is. I had my first experience on a tap tap this morning! A tap tap is a truck (like a Toyota truck) that has a wrap around bench. The driver tries to fit as many people on this truck as possible because that is how he makes his living. We had to ride in the back of this truck for 30 minutes!
When we finally arrived in Montrouis, we walked to the Christian school where some of the children attend thanks to sponsors who pay for their tuition and uniform...if you would like more information on sponsoring a child, please check out Empowering Haitian Moms' website!
The school day for the Christian school in the community goes from 8 AM to 12 PM. We arrived in the community around 11, so we went to one of the mom's house where the ministry takes place. About an hour later the kids arrived from school and from the community! They were so cute!! :) Of course, they were all excited to meet another "white" girl! Most of them were really shy at first, but after about an hour they started to inch closer and closer. It was precious!
Thank you all for the prayers about the language! I am learning actually pretty quickly because I keep asking Stacie or Fritznel every 10 seconds what a word is, or how do you say this in Creole!! :) Thankfully there are some phrases that I have learned to pick up, and I can answer in Creole! God is SO good!
Being here around the people will definitely give you a confidence boost, because I cannot count how many times someone complimented me or stared at me today! :)
The country as a whole is so different than the US. Stacie was telling me that the parents here encourage others to discipline their children. For example, Stacie let this little boy sweep her front yard, and she was giving him food in return. Well, the little boy stole food from her, and Fritznel went and found this kid. He asked the little boy if he stole from Stacie. Of course, the little boy lied, but finally he told the truth. Fritznel then spanked the little boy. In the US you could be sued for spanking someone else's child! Especially if the child is not related to you! The culture differences are very interesting!
Tomorrow thankfully I get to sleep in a little! Stacie and Fritznel have a rooster and chicken. They are wanting to have baby chicks that they can give to some of the kids in their ministry to help them become self-sufficient. Anyway, most of you know what roosters are used for....waking farmers up at the crack of dawn! Well, this rooster has a problem because he starts crowing at 4:30 every morning, and the sun doesn't even come up until like 6!!
Please continue to be in prayer for the vehicle situation.
Continue to pray as well for these moms and their children. It was so sweet to be around them today, but it was so eye opening to see the conditions they live in. They have two room cinder block houses with 7 people or more living in them. Most do not have running water. The children's feet were so dirty because they could not afford shoes, so they walk around the dusty rocky paths without shoes which causes cuts and scrapes. But it was so awesome to see them worshipping God in their own language, and giving thanks to Him even though they live in these terrible conditions. God really spoke to my heart about all the things I take for granted everyday! For example, the electricity goes out everyday from 5-8 at night. Back home, I can just roll my plush chair up to the computer and get on the internet whenever I want. Being here, I know, is going to show me what is really important in life. And that is to LOVE GOD and HIS PEOPLE!! I am so thankful for each of you who donated and prayed for me to be here! I love each of you!
Blessings and love,
Ashley
We left the house around 10 to head to the community where the ministry site is. I had my first experience on a tap tap this morning! A tap tap is a truck (like a Toyota truck) that has a wrap around bench. The driver tries to fit as many people on this truck as possible because that is how he makes his living. We had to ride in the back of this truck for 30 minutes!
When we finally arrived in Montrouis, we walked to the Christian school where some of the children attend thanks to sponsors who pay for their tuition and uniform...if you would like more information on sponsoring a child, please check out Empowering Haitian Moms' website!
The school day for the Christian school in the community goes from 8 AM to 12 PM. We arrived in the community around 11, so we went to one of the mom's house where the ministry takes place. About an hour later the kids arrived from school and from the community! They were so cute!! :) Of course, they were all excited to meet another "white" girl! Most of them were really shy at first, but after about an hour they started to inch closer and closer. It was precious!
Thank you all for the prayers about the language! I am learning actually pretty quickly because I keep asking Stacie or Fritznel every 10 seconds what a word is, or how do you say this in Creole!! :) Thankfully there are some phrases that I have learned to pick up, and I can answer in Creole! God is SO good!
Being here around the people will definitely give you a confidence boost, because I cannot count how many times someone complimented me or stared at me today! :)
The country as a whole is so different than the US. Stacie was telling me that the parents here encourage others to discipline their children. For example, Stacie let this little boy sweep her front yard, and she was giving him food in return. Well, the little boy stole food from her, and Fritznel went and found this kid. He asked the little boy if he stole from Stacie. Of course, the little boy lied, but finally he told the truth. Fritznel then spanked the little boy. In the US you could be sued for spanking someone else's child! Especially if the child is not related to you! The culture differences are very interesting!
Tomorrow thankfully I get to sleep in a little! Stacie and Fritznel have a rooster and chicken. They are wanting to have baby chicks that they can give to some of the kids in their ministry to help them become self-sufficient. Anyway, most of you know what roosters are used for....waking farmers up at the crack of dawn! Well, this rooster has a problem because he starts crowing at 4:30 every morning, and the sun doesn't even come up until like 6!!
Please continue to be in prayer for the vehicle situation.
Continue to pray as well for these moms and their children. It was so sweet to be around them today, but it was so eye opening to see the conditions they live in. They have two room cinder block houses with 7 people or more living in them. Most do not have running water. The children's feet were so dirty because they could not afford shoes, so they walk around the dusty rocky paths without shoes which causes cuts and scrapes. But it was so awesome to see them worshipping God in their own language, and giving thanks to Him even though they live in these terrible conditions. God really spoke to my heart about all the things I take for granted everyday! For example, the electricity goes out everyday from 5-8 at night. Back home, I can just roll my plush chair up to the computer and get on the internet whenever I want. Being here, I know, is going to show me what is really important in life. And that is to LOVE GOD and HIS PEOPLE!! I am so thankful for each of you who donated and prayed for me to be here! I love each of you!
Blessings and love,
Ashley
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Day 2!
While most of you were enjoying the nice cool air conditioning as you went to church this morning, I was sweating like a pig!! Even though it was SO hot in the cinder block building, God was still present, and the Holy Spirit was moving! It was so nice to worship in English and sing the contemporary songs most of us sing in the United States. The church here is about 45 minutes away, and it is led by an American missionary. He and his wife work with an orphanage, and all the children attend this church. It was the sweetest thing to see them sing a song they had learned in English! It was really nice to meet other Americans who are here on missions like running an orphanage or bringing clean water to Haiti. Most of the people I met today have been here for years, and to see their love for the people and for God was so encouraging!
After church, we went to a local restaurant which was really good. I had barbecue chicken, "french fries" (definitely not like you get in the United States) and fried plaintains. Thankfully they had ketchup to bring some flavor to the fries and plaintains!!
After lunch, we went to a ministry meeting. Stacie and Fritznel had never been, so it was a first for all of us. There were probably 20 people in the meeting. We sang contemporary songs, then had a short Bible lesson, and then prayer time. It was really cool to see first hand how important encouragement is especially for missionaries. It was neat to hear them share how they go through different season in their lives where it's not easy to live in a third-world country, but they know that God is in control!
When I say third-world country, I want you all to understand EXACTLY what I mean! This means the electricity works sometimes...meaning at any point my laptop could shut off while I am in the middle of typing this post! This means it gets SO HOT when the fans stop blowing because the electricity is off. It also means covering your windows so your neighbors don't know you have electricity because if they find out they could come and steal your wires to make money. :( This also means NOT using my cell phone except as an alarm clock...praise the Lord for Skype!! It also means showering with cold water (which is actually really nice because it's so hot and sticky here). My shower head is a hose pipe with a nozzle attached at the end! I say all of this not to make you feel bad about living with wonderful amenities, but to encourage you to be in prayer for Haiti because honestly Stacie and Fritznel have a nice house compared to many who call Haiti home.
We were so blessed to be able to visit a missionary couples' orphanage this afternoon. There were probably 7 girls and 10 boys, and they were so cute and sweet! I definitely am finding it a little frustrating not being able to speak the language. Thank the Lord Stacie and Fritznel know Creole, so after going to the orphanage, we had a Creole lesson! Pray that God will give me grace to learn quickly, but for me to give myself grace to know that I will not learn it all in one day!
Please continue to be in prayer for me as I adjust to the culture! I get to go to the feeding program tomorrow which will be so exciting!! Pray for safe travels as we go into the community tomorrow. Also, be praying for Empowering Haitian Moms...Stacie's landlord just shipped a Honda CRV over from the US that he wants to sell. He is asking $7,000 for it, but he is willing to let Stacie make 3 payments on the vehicle. However, in order to get the vehicle she has to come up with $3,000 by Monday! Please pray knowing and believing that God will provide if this is His Will and His time.
Thank you all again for your continued prayers...I can feel them! Feel free to leave encouraging comments on my blog! I will definitely need them as time goes on, and I am away from all of you longer and longer! I am so thankful to have a loving God who is always present and near me because without Him I would get lonely quickly especially at night when there is nothing to do! So be in prayer that God will strengthen me to hang in there, and give myself grace because it is only Day 2!
Blessings and love,
Ashley
After church, we went to a local restaurant which was really good. I had barbecue chicken, "french fries" (definitely not like you get in the United States) and fried plaintains. Thankfully they had ketchup to bring some flavor to the fries and plaintains!!
After lunch, we went to a ministry meeting. Stacie and Fritznel had never been, so it was a first for all of us. There were probably 20 people in the meeting. We sang contemporary songs, then had a short Bible lesson, and then prayer time. It was really cool to see first hand how important encouragement is especially for missionaries. It was neat to hear them share how they go through different season in their lives where it's not easy to live in a third-world country, but they know that God is in control!
When I say third-world country, I want you all to understand EXACTLY what I mean! This means the electricity works sometimes...meaning at any point my laptop could shut off while I am in the middle of typing this post! This means it gets SO HOT when the fans stop blowing because the electricity is off. It also means covering your windows so your neighbors don't know you have electricity because if they find out they could come and steal your wires to make money. :( This also means NOT using my cell phone except as an alarm clock...praise the Lord for Skype!! It also means showering with cold water (which is actually really nice because it's so hot and sticky here). My shower head is a hose pipe with a nozzle attached at the end! I say all of this not to make you feel bad about living with wonderful amenities, but to encourage you to be in prayer for Haiti because honestly Stacie and Fritznel have a nice house compared to many who call Haiti home.
We were so blessed to be able to visit a missionary couples' orphanage this afternoon. There were probably 7 girls and 10 boys, and they were so cute and sweet! I definitely am finding it a little frustrating not being able to speak the language. Thank the Lord Stacie and Fritznel know Creole, so after going to the orphanage, we had a Creole lesson! Pray that God will give me grace to learn quickly, but for me to give myself grace to know that I will not learn it all in one day!
Please continue to be in prayer for me as I adjust to the culture! I get to go to the feeding program tomorrow which will be so exciting!! Pray for safe travels as we go into the community tomorrow. Also, be praying for Empowering Haitian Moms...Stacie's landlord just shipped a Honda CRV over from the US that he wants to sell. He is asking $7,000 for it, but he is willing to let Stacie make 3 payments on the vehicle. However, in order to get the vehicle she has to come up with $3,000 by Monday! Please pray knowing and believing that God will provide if this is His Will and His time.
Thank you all again for your continued prayers...I can feel them! Feel free to leave encouraging comments on my blog! I will definitely need them as time goes on, and I am away from all of you longer and longer! I am so thankful to have a loving God who is always present and near me because without Him I would get lonely quickly especially at night when there is nothing to do! So be in prayer that God will strengthen me to hang in there, and give myself grace because it is only Day 2!
Blessings and love,
Ashley
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Hello from Haiti!
Thank you all so much for your prayers! I am safely in Haiti! While I am so excited to be here, I can already tell the Lord is going to stretch me SO much!
Ephesians 6:10-17 speaks about the Full Armor of God, and as I get up each morning for the next 8 weeks, I will definitely be putting on the Full Armor of God. I encourage each of you to look up Ephesians 6:10-17, and as you get dressed each morning, put on your Armor. Stand strong knowing God WINS!!
All of my flights were great! I was able to make it to each gate on time without looking completely lost :) God blessed me with the opportunity to sit by a Haitian man who was very friendly. We talked the entire flight from Miami to Haiti in what ways we could communicate. At that moment it hit me that God's love does not have a communication barrier!!! It was difficult for me at times to understand this man's broken English, and it was hard for him to understand my "southern" accent. However, during those misunderstood times, we just smiled and nodded like we understood! That man may not have taken away the same message that I did, but I am so thankful to serve a MIGHTY God who chose me (a shy little girl who never wanted to be away from her family) to come miles away to Haiti to show His love without being able to speak the language!! He is AWESOME!!
Once I arrived in Haiti, I had the wonderful pleasure of riding in the back of a truck for 2 hours! I loved being able to see the scenery and learn some of the history. On the way out of Port Au Prince there were tent villages where families literally lived in tents with no running water or electricity. This devastation was caused from the earthquake 3 years ago.
Today was Flag Day, which is Haiti's Independence Day. The streets were pretty crazy! And the drivers were even crazier! We drove by Montrouis (pronounced Mon-wee) to see some of the moms who were selling cooked food to make money since everyone was out for Flag Day! They were so sweet!
Montrouis is right on the ocean, and the water was beautiful!
Haiti is in a dry season right now, and I mean DRY! Where rivers should be, there is NO water! However, we felt a few sprinkles on the way from the airport, and God blessed us with a beautiful rainbow!! Such a special gift upon arriving in Haiti! :)
Please be in prayer for me as I adjust to my new surroundings! It is definitely not going to be easy...AT ALL! However, I know God is in control! Pray that I get used to everything quickly, and that God would give me grace to learn the language enough to have small conversations!
I will try and post some pictures tomorrow, but for now it is TOO HOT! :)
Thank you again for all of your love and prayers!!
Ephesians 6:10-17 speaks about the Full Armor of God, and as I get up each morning for the next 8 weeks, I will definitely be putting on the Full Armor of God. I encourage each of you to look up Ephesians 6:10-17, and as you get dressed each morning, put on your Armor. Stand strong knowing God WINS!!
All of my flights were great! I was able to make it to each gate on time without looking completely lost :) God blessed me with the opportunity to sit by a Haitian man who was very friendly. We talked the entire flight from Miami to Haiti in what ways we could communicate. At that moment it hit me that God's love does not have a communication barrier!!! It was difficult for me at times to understand this man's broken English, and it was hard for him to understand my "southern" accent. However, during those misunderstood times, we just smiled and nodded like we understood! That man may not have taken away the same message that I did, but I am so thankful to serve a MIGHTY God who chose me (a shy little girl who never wanted to be away from her family) to come miles away to Haiti to show His love without being able to speak the language!! He is AWESOME!!
Once I arrived in Haiti, I had the wonderful pleasure of riding in the back of a truck for 2 hours! I loved being able to see the scenery and learn some of the history. On the way out of Port Au Prince there were tent villages where families literally lived in tents with no running water or electricity. This devastation was caused from the earthquake 3 years ago.
Today was Flag Day, which is Haiti's Independence Day. The streets were pretty crazy! And the drivers were even crazier! We drove by Montrouis (pronounced Mon-wee) to see some of the moms who were selling cooked food to make money since everyone was out for Flag Day! They were so sweet!
Montrouis is right on the ocean, and the water was beautiful!
Haiti is in a dry season right now, and I mean DRY! Where rivers should be, there is NO water! However, we felt a few sprinkles on the way from the airport, and God blessed us with a beautiful rainbow!! Such a special gift upon arriving in Haiti! :)
Please be in prayer for me as I adjust to my new surroundings! It is definitely not going to be easy...AT ALL! However, I know God is in control! Pray that I get used to everything quickly, and that God would give me grace to learn the language enough to have small conversations!
I will try and post some pictures tomorrow, but for now it is TOO HOT! :)
Thank you again for all of your love and prayers!!
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