Before I explain the title of my post, I would like to catch you all up on what God has been doing!
Each time we have met in the community, people continue to show up! God is doing wonderful things in this community, and I am so thankful He chose me to be a part of it! We are continuing to max out our numbers each time we go and share God's Word with the community! We have had numbers like 40 or more kids, and about 15 moms the last few times! God is so awesome!
On Monday, we taught the moms and kids about God's LOVE! 1 John 3:18 says that "Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions." Of course, it always feels nice to hear "I love you!" from someone! Our parents tell us, our grandparents tell us, our siblings tell us, and our friends tell us how much they love us. But, is it enough just to tell someone we love them? No, Jesus tells us we must show others our love by the things we do! For the kids, that truth means don't hit each other, don't call each other mean names, stand up for one another, etc. For the moms it means showing your kids how much they mean to you, encourage each other, help each other out, etc.
There is a special group of young ladies, the Godly Girls, and their precious leader Mrs. Liz Bland who sent me with so many goodies for the kids!! They also sent me with a sweet card telling the kids that they are praying for them, and that they love them! They sent decorated hearts for the moms and kids, and thankfully there were just enough hearts for everyone! We used the hearts from the Godly Girls to demonstrate showing our love for others! We told the kids that this group of girls in America loves them and they are praying for the EHM kids! The kids LOVED their hearts, and I know they were so excited to know that people in America are praying for them and love them!!! Thank you Godly Girls, and Mrs. Liz Bland!!
We all need to show each other how much we care for one another! It's so easy just to say "I love you!", but when you show someone you love them, it means you took time out of your busy schedule just for them! I want to encourage each of you (and I want you all to encourage me!) to be better at showing people how much we love them and care for them! God loves us, so we need to love each other and show that love just as He did when He sent Jesus to die in our place for our sins!
We did not go to the community on Wednesday because we went to Port to pick up my sister, Cierra!! I am so blessed and thankful that she is here with me!! I have always wanted to do missions alongside my sweet sister, and now God has blessed me with the opportunity! So far, she is loving being in the community with everyone!
Yesterday was Cierra's first day in the community, and alot of the kids kept saying "There are 2 Ashley's!"!! It is so funny that people back home think we are twins, and people in Haiti think we are twins too! They picked up her name quickly, and all of the little girls LOVE playing with Cierra's LONG hair! She wasn't even here but one day, and she let Assefie braid her hair! It's so cute! I will post a picture of her hair soon!
We went to the community again today! The lesson was about being confident in the Lord! God told us and showed us numerous times in His Word that He keeps His promises, so we can rest assured and be confident that He will do the same for us! He has promised us a hope and a future! We can be confident in His love that NEVER FAILS! God loves us no matter what we do; however, we do suffer consequences. Stacie's example today was Saul who was converted to Paul. Saul had been killing many Christians, but God chose him to spread His Word. So God blinded Saul on his journey to get his attention (this was a consequence for his sins), but once he repented and accepted God's plan, he was able to see again. Because of his conversion, Saul became Paul who did amazing things for the Kingdom of God!! What a blessing it is to know that when we mess up, God is waiting with His arms open wide for us to run back to Him! He then will wash away our sins when we ask, and make us new!! We can be CONFIDENT in that truth!!
Okay so I am sure you all are wanting to know why my title is "She is HERE!!" When I arrived 6 weeks ago, there was a pregnant lady in the ministry. Her name is Jetride! She is so sweet, and such a Godly mom! She is a mother to 3 boys, and she was expecting a girl! Of course, we were all thrilled that after 3 boys, she was having a girl! She was supposed to be due in May. However, because their medical system is not as modern as in America, she was not really sure when she was due. Anyway, the moms told us yesterday that she was in the hospital. Then today they told us she was still there with no baby! So, after the feeding program, we rode to the hospital to check on her. When we got there, she was in the delivery room!! About 2 minutes after we got there, this sweet baby girl made her entrance into the world!! She is beautiful!! We have been calling her Erica for the past few weeks because the dad is named Eric, but we do not know for sure what her name will be! I will let you all know as soon as the decision is made!
This baby girl is such a blessing, and she is the first newborn for Empowering Haitian Moms!! Be praying for this baby girl, and her family as they all adjust to life with a newborn! Pray that she will grow up knowing how much God loves her and cherishes her! He chose her! Pray that she understands how to show God's love, and how to be confident in His love that never fails! Pray for her mommy and daddy to be able to pour into her how much God loves her and cares for her! Pray for fantastic health for mom and baby in the weeks and months to come!
Of course, the baby is such a blessing, and she is adorable! I will be posting a picture shortly! But it was also really interesting to see the maternity wing of the hospital in Saint Marc! It literally was pregnant moms laying on hospital beds throughout different rooms. There was a delivery room, but they did not take you to it until you were literally having the baby. As soon as you were finished and the baby was semi-cleaned, they wheeled you back to your bed in a wheelchair. Then, you climbed into your bed. The hospital keeps you for a few hours just to make sure everything looks okay, and then they send you on your way. For Americans, this seems crazy! However, they do not know any different, so it's normal to them.
Continue to be in prayer for a vehicle for Empowering Haitian Moms! Stacie is going home July 13th for a few weeks, and we are all praying and believing that she will be able to receive a vehicle that she can ship to Haiti while she is home! Also, continue to be praying about how you can help Empowering Haitian Moms! There are so many ways to get involved! :)
Thank you all for your continued prayers and encouragement!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Friday, June 28, 2013
The Next Generation!
There were a few questions about school sponsorship that I wanted to answer!
1) When is the money due? The money for school sponsorship is due by August 1st!
2) Can payments be made or is it all in full? We would like for the payment to be all in full by August 1st, because if for some reason something comes up and you are not able to pay for a month or so, then your child is not able to attend school until a payment is made :(
3) Where can I send my payment? You may send your payment to Empowering Haitian Moms' American P.O. Box address. The address is as follows:
Empowering Haitian Moms P.O. Box 4142 Chesterfield Mo 63006 4) Can I come visit my sponsorship child? Honestly, this was not a question, but I just had to let you all know that YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME SEE YOUR CHILD!!!! I pray that you all would consider your sponsorship child as part of your family! http://ehminhaiti.blogspot.com/
The above link is Stacie's blog for Empowering Haitian Moms! If you have not already done so, please check out her blog to keep up with all that God is doing in and through Empowering Haitian Moms! I know I linked the pictures of the kids from my Facebook page to my blog, but in case you didn't see it or it would not work, the kids are posted on Stacie's blog!
If you are interested in sponsoring a child, please let Stacie know at empoweringhaitianmoms@gmail.com or myself at ashley.crowe@hawks.shorter.edu
Thank you all so much!!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
1) When is the money due? The money for school sponsorship is due by August 1st!
2) Can payments be made or is it all in full? We would like for the payment to be all in full by August 1st, because if for some reason something comes up and you are not able to pay for a month or so, then your child is not able to attend school until a payment is made :(
3) Where can I send my payment? You may send your payment to Empowering Haitian Moms' American P.O. Box address. The address is as follows:
Empowering Haitian Moms P.O. Box 4142 Chesterfield Mo 63006 4) Can I come visit my sponsorship child? Honestly, this was not a question, but I just had to let you all know that YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO COME SEE YOUR CHILD!!!! I pray that you all would consider your sponsorship child as part of your family! http://ehminhaiti.blogspot.com/
The above link is Stacie's blog for Empowering Haitian Moms! If you have not already done so, please check out her blog to keep up with all that God is doing in and through Empowering Haitian Moms! I know I linked the pictures of the kids from my Facebook page to my blog, but in case you didn't see it or it would not work, the kids are posted on Stacie's blog!
If you are interested in sponsoring a child, please let Stacie know at empoweringhaitianmoms@gmail.com or myself at ashley.crowe@hawks.shorter.edu
Thank you all so much!!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
EHM Sponsorship Kids Pictures!
EHM Sponsorship Kids Pics!
I know some of you may not have Facebook, or you have not had a chance to get on Facebook to see the sweet faces of the precious kids I have been working with for the past 5 weeks! So, I have attached the link to my album on Facebook!! Stacie and I have been trying so hard to get the pictures to upload to our blogs, and then this morning God revealed to me the link button! He is so awesome!
Please let me know if you cannot get the link to open. Once the link opens, you can click on any smiling face to find out more about the child!
We would love for each of our children to have the gift of education! Please pray about sponsoring a child! The cost is $300 for the year, and this includes tuition, exams, books, and one uniform. If you would like to purchase an extra uniform and black shoes (black shoes are required for school!) for your child, that cost is $50. We are also working out details for children over 10 to be able to attend English classes a few times a week. The exact price should be coming really soon!
Our prayer for the sponsorship is that you would not just give the money, and be done with this child! Of course, these children need the money to attend school, but we would LOVE to see you invest into the child that you choose! Whether you choose to invest by sending letters by email to Stacie, or you plan a trip to meet your child!! I encourage the last one!! :) These kids have totally blessed my heart with their sweet personalities, and each one is so different but still so much fun!!
I understand that some people just cannot afford $300, and please do not feel bad....pray for EHM, the moms, and kids!! Prayer changes things!! Some ideas for everyone to think about to make $300 more affordable is to split the cost amongst a Sunday School class! Or maybe you and another family could get together and share the cost and share a child! Or maybe your business would like to sponsor a child! Or get some friends together and sponsor a child! Whichever way you do it, just know that you are changing these kids lives!!
I am so excited about what God is doing, and what He will do in the lives of these kids through a quality Christian education! I am believing, trusting, and praying that each child will have a loving sponsor who keeps in contact with him or her!!
I am so thankful for each of you who are praying for us...we can definitely feel the prayers! The Holy Spirit is giving us motivation to get a LOT accomplished for EHM and most importantly for God's glory!!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
I know some of you may not have Facebook, or you have not had a chance to get on Facebook to see the sweet faces of the precious kids I have been working with for the past 5 weeks! So, I have attached the link to my album on Facebook!! Stacie and I have been trying so hard to get the pictures to upload to our blogs, and then this morning God revealed to me the link button! He is so awesome!
Please let me know if you cannot get the link to open. Once the link opens, you can click on any smiling face to find out more about the child!
We would love for each of our children to have the gift of education! Please pray about sponsoring a child! The cost is $300 for the year, and this includes tuition, exams, books, and one uniform. If you would like to purchase an extra uniform and black shoes (black shoes are required for school!) for your child, that cost is $50. We are also working out details for children over 10 to be able to attend English classes a few times a week. The exact price should be coming really soon!
Our prayer for the sponsorship is that you would not just give the money, and be done with this child! Of course, these children need the money to attend school, but we would LOVE to see you invest into the child that you choose! Whether you choose to invest by sending letters by email to Stacie, or you plan a trip to meet your child!! I encourage the last one!! :) These kids have totally blessed my heart with their sweet personalities, and each one is so different but still so much fun!!
I understand that some people just cannot afford $300, and please do not feel bad....pray for EHM, the moms, and kids!! Prayer changes things!! Some ideas for everyone to think about to make $300 more affordable is to split the cost amongst a Sunday School class! Or maybe you and another family could get together and share the cost and share a child! Or maybe your business would like to sponsor a child! Or get some friends together and sponsor a child! Whichever way you do it, just know that you are changing these kids lives!!
I am so excited about what God is doing, and what He will do in the lives of these kids through a quality Christian education! I am believing, trusting, and praying that each child will have a loving sponsor who keeps in contact with him or her!!
I am so thankful for each of you who are praying for us...we can definitely feel the prayers! The Holy Spirit is giving us motivation to get a LOT accomplished for EHM and most importantly for God's glory!!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Five weeks!
I still cannot believe I have been here for five weeks! The weeks are dwindling down, and part of me is ready to be back for American food and an American shower!! The other half (more than half) is going to have a very hard time saying goodbye. But thankfully it will not be a goodbye, but a "see you later"!
I realized yesterday that although I have been updating my blog, I have not shared any funny stories lately! So here are a few...
Millie is 2 years old! She is Stacie's goddaughter, and she lives here with her mom Assefie. Anyway, Millie is a ham! Every morning I wake up I hear "Ashie (because she can't say Ashley) I missed you....I wove you!" She is so stinkin cute!! Last week, I was reading a book in my bed, and the next thing I kow Millie has climbed on the bed with me. She had a comb in her hand, and she kept asking me in Creole if she could braid my hair. She is 2, so of course she cannot really braid, but she went to brushing my hair. Every few minutes she would jerk my head and say turn, so she could reach the side of my hair! It was so funny, and it almost put me to sleep!! She has gotten in the habit lately of telling us "I wove you" when she knows she is being disciplined! We have to just keep a straight face in front of her, and then walk away and laugh! :)
Also on Friday I taught a mini English lesson. It was so neat to hear the kids say their alphabet, numbers to 10, and greetings in English. They are really good at it too! The funny part came when we got to the greetings. I said, "Hello, My name is Ashley" to which all the kids responded "Hello, My name is Ashley". I could not help but start laughing!! Apparently, we have 40 kids with the name Ashley now! After we all laughed, Fritznel explained that they were supposed to say their name in the blank!
On a Spiritual note, God has been blessing Empowering Haitian Moms with lots of people!! We have had like 13-18 moms in the past few days, and almost 40 kids! Praise the Lord! Thank you all for praying for Jesus' name to be spread! God is working!!
I also updated the EHM Sponsorship Kids on my Facebook page today! Now you can find the child's name, age, and grade next year on their photo under the Album EHM Sponsorship Kids! Please be sure to check it out, and pray about sponsoring one of these precious babies!! If you need more information, please feel free to contact me or Stacie!
On some of the kids' pictures you will notice that it says 1st year of Kindergarten, 2nd year of Kindergarten, or 3rd year of Kindergarten. This is because in Haiti the kids go through 3 years of Kindergarten, then they graduate and move on to 1st, 2nd, etc.. Just a little Haiti fact for you all!!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
I realized yesterday that although I have been updating my blog, I have not shared any funny stories lately! So here are a few...
Millie is 2 years old! She is Stacie's goddaughter, and she lives here with her mom Assefie. Anyway, Millie is a ham! Every morning I wake up I hear "Ashie (because she can't say Ashley) I missed you....I wove you!" She is so stinkin cute!! Last week, I was reading a book in my bed, and the next thing I kow Millie has climbed on the bed with me. She had a comb in her hand, and she kept asking me in Creole if she could braid my hair. She is 2, so of course she cannot really braid, but she went to brushing my hair. Every few minutes she would jerk my head and say turn, so she could reach the side of my hair! It was so funny, and it almost put me to sleep!! She has gotten in the habit lately of telling us "I wove you" when she knows she is being disciplined! We have to just keep a straight face in front of her, and then walk away and laugh! :)
Also on Friday I taught a mini English lesson. It was so neat to hear the kids say their alphabet, numbers to 10, and greetings in English. They are really good at it too! The funny part came when we got to the greetings. I said, "Hello, My name is Ashley" to which all the kids responded "Hello, My name is Ashley". I could not help but start laughing!! Apparently, we have 40 kids with the name Ashley now! After we all laughed, Fritznel explained that they were supposed to say their name in the blank!
On a Spiritual note, God has been blessing Empowering Haitian Moms with lots of people!! We have had like 13-18 moms in the past few days, and almost 40 kids! Praise the Lord! Thank you all for praying for Jesus' name to be spread! God is working!!
I also updated the EHM Sponsorship Kids on my Facebook page today! Now you can find the child's name, age, and grade next year on their photo under the Album EHM Sponsorship Kids! Please be sure to check it out, and pray about sponsoring one of these precious babies!! If you need more information, please feel free to contact me or Stacie!
On some of the kids' pictures you will notice that it says 1st year of Kindergarten, 2nd year of Kindergarten, or 3rd year of Kindergarten. This is because in Haiti the kids go through 3 years of Kindergarten, then they graduate and move on to 1st, 2nd, etc.. Just a little Haiti fact for you all!!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Thursday, June 20, 2013
God Chose YOU!
Ephesians 1:4
"Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us..."
I want you to just repeat that verse, and really let it sink into your heart that before the world was created God CHOSE YOU! How awesome is that?! Before God spoke and said "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3) He chose each one of us to carry out His plan! While He was speaking to Abraham, Moses, and all the prophets and disciples from the Bible, He was planning our future! WOW!!
Before I was ever even thought about, God chose me! I still am in awe that He chose me to be His hands and feet here in Haiti! But what blows my mind is to think that way before I was even born, He KNEW that at 20 years old, I would choose to come to Haiti for 8 weeks!
We taught the moms and kids this lesson today. We started off by letting them "choose" a piece of candy. We asked why they chose it, and they replied because they love it. So just like they chose their favorite piece of candy, God chose each of them because He loves them!
We also tied in Jeremiah 29:11 where the Lord says, "For I know the plans I have for you...They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." God chose us to carry out His plan, but sometimes we like to do our own thing and not listen. So we explained how to listen for God's guidance. We can hear Him through reading His Word, praying, and being still in His Presence. There are many ways to hear God's voice, but those are just a few. We gave an example of how we should follow the Lord. With the kids we said what if you wanted to be a teacher, but God's plan was for you to be a doctor. What should you do? Their response was that you should be a doctor because that is what God desires for you! We asked one of the younger moms that same question, and the same reply was given. But also with the moms, we said what if your child wants to be a missionary in Africa, but you want him or her to be a doctor. The right choice would be send them on the mission field. However, a lot of times that is a lot easier said than done. Thank the Lord for His patience with us!
Some of you are doing what God has called you to do. But, there are some who do not know what God is calling them to or they are trying to follow their own path, but rest assured that it is never too late to follow His plan for your life! Seek Him and His Word, and He will make your paths straight!
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take."
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Remember He CHOSE YOU!!! He loves you too much to leave you where you are, and I am so thankful He did not give up on me when I turned down opportunities to go on missions before!
"Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us..."
I want you to just repeat that verse, and really let it sink into your heart that before the world was created God CHOSE YOU! How awesome is that?! Before God spoke and said "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3) He chose each one of us to carry out His plan! While He was speaking to Abraham, Moses, and all the prophets and disciples from the Bible, He was planning our future! WOW!!
Before I was ever even thought about, God chose me! I still am in awe that He chose me to be His hands and feet here in Haiti! But what blows my mind is to think that way before I was even born, He KNEW that at 20 years old, I would choose to come to Haiti for 8 weeks!
We taught the moms and kids this lesson today. We started off by letting them "choose" a piece of candy. We asked why they chose it, and they replied because they love it. So just like they chose their favorite piece of candy, God chose each of them because He loves them!
We also tied in Jeremiah 29:11 where the Lord says, "For I know the plans I have for you...They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." God chose us to carry out His plan, but sometimes we like to do our own thing and not listen. So we explained how to listen for God's guidance. We can hear Him through reading His Word, praying, and being still in His Presence. There are many ways to hear God's voice, but those are just a few. We gave an example of how we should follow the Lord. With the kids we said what if you wanted to be a teacher, but God's plan was for you to be a doctor. What should you do? Their response was that you should be a doctor because that is what God desires for you! We asked one of the younger moms that same question, and the same reply was given. But also with the moms, we said what if your child wants to be a missionary in Africa, but you want him or her to be a doctor. The right choice would be send them on the mission field. However, a lot of times that is a lot easier said than done. Thank the Lord for His patience with us!
Some of you are doing what God has called you to do. But, there are some who do not know what God is calling them to or they are trying to follow their own path, but rest assured that it is never too late to follow His plan for your life! Seek Him and His Word, and He will make your paths straight!
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take."
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Remember He CHOSE YOU!!! He loves you too much to leave you where you are, and I am so thankful He did not give up on me when I turned down opportunities to go on missions before!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
We are Redeemed!
Ephesians 1:7
"He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins."
What does it mean to be redeemed? Redemption is being saved from the bondage of sin. We all know how heavily our sins weigh upon us, but just remember during those times that it is satan who is placing the guilt upon us. Jesus died for each of us to FORGIVE our sins and to REDEEM us, NOT to punish us and hold our sins over our heads.
By God's kindness we are redeemed...we do not have to work for our forgiveness. It was through God's LOVE for us that He sent His ONE AND ONLY Son to die on the cross for us. By His grace we are redeemed...we do not deserve forgiveness. If anything, we deserve to be punished for our sins, but He is gracious enough to wipe it all away. We just need to accept His grace and kindness, and allow our sins to be wiped away! Then, we need to live each day knowing we are covered by His kidness and grace, and let other people see us living those truths out!
God PURCHASED us. He values us so much so that He bought us at a very high price...His Son's life. We demonstrated this point of value to the kids yesterday with Haitian money. I held up the money, and I asked who wanted it...of course, every child wanted the money. I asked why, and they said to buy things. I crumbled the bill up, and asked again who wanted the bill. The children still wanted the money to buy something. I threw the bill on the ground and stomped on it, and still all the children wanted the money even though it was dirty. Just like the bill, even when it's a dirty mess, God still looks down on us and speaks to us saying how much He LOVES us and VALUES us!
Only through Jesus' BLOOD are we set free from the bondage of sin! Without His death and RESURRECTION we would not be saved from our sins.
Isn't it the greatest feeling to know that we have been SET FREE! We are REDEEMED!! Go forth, and live as though you have been set free from your bondage! Show those around you what it looks like to live each day free from your sin, and Praise the Lord for His Forgiveness! Praise Him for His mighty work within you that allows you to wake up each morning, and be set free...you don't have to live in bondage to your sins! Ask for forgiveness, and then LIVE knowing that God has wiped your slate clean! He has poured down His GRACE upon each of us! Pray and encourage one another because it is NOT easy sometimes to ACCEPT His forgiveness and grace. A lot of times it is easier to be trapped in a feeling of despair and hopelessness, but REMEMBER that is satan's way of tearing you down. Do NOT let satan get a foothold in your life...pray in Jesus name for satan to flee, and then EMBRACE God's truths that He VALUES you and He LOVES you!!
Live today knowing that you are REDEEMED!!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
"He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins."
What does it mean to be redeemed? Redemption is being saved from the bondage of sin. We all know how heavily our sins weigh upon us, but just remember during those times that it is satan who is placing the guilt upon us. Jesus died for each of us to FORGIVE our sins and to REDEEM us, NOT to punish us and hold our sins over our heads.
By God's kindness we are redeemed...we do not have to work for our forgiveness. It was through God's LOVE for us that He sent His ONE AND ONLY Son to die on the cross for us. By His grace we are redeemed...we do not deserve forgiveness. If anything, we deserve to be punished for our sins, but He is gracious enough to wipe it all away. We just need to accept His grace and kindness, and allow our sins to be wiped away! Then, we need to live each day knowing we are covered by His kidness and grace, and let other people see us living those truths out!
God PURCHASED us. He values us so much so that He bought us at a very high price...His Son's life. We demonstrated this point of value to the kids yesterday with Haitian money. I held up the money, and I asked who wanted it...of course, every child wanted the money. I asked why, and they said to buy things. I crumbled the bill up, and asked again who wanted the bill. The children still wanted the money to buy something. I threw the bill on the ground and stomped on it, and still all the children wanted the money even though it was dirty. Just like the bill, even when it's a dirty mess, God still looks down on us and speaks to us saying how much He LOVES us and VALUES us!
Only through Jesus' BLOOD are we set free from the bondage of sin! Without His death and RESURRECTION we would not be saved from our sins.
Isn't it the greatest feeling to know that we have been SET FREE! We are REDEEMED!! Go forth, and live as though you have been set free from your bondage! Show those around you what it looks like to live each day free from your sin, and Praise the Lord for His Forgiveness! Praise Him for His mighty work within you that allows you to wake up each morning, and be set free...you don't have to live in bondage to your sins! Ask for forgiveness, and then LIVE knowing that God has wiped your slate clean! He has poured down His GRACE upon each of us! Pray and encourage one another because it is NOT easy sometimes to ACCEPT His forgiveness and grace. A lot of times it is easier to be trapped in a feeling of despair and hopelessness, but REMEMBER that is satan's way of tearing you down. Do NOT let satan get a foothold in your life...pray in Jesus name for satan to flee, and then EMBRACE God's truths that He VALUES you and He LOVES you!!
Live today knowing that you are REDEEMED!!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Monday, June 17, 2013
EHM Kids School Sponsorship
Proverbs 3:13
"Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding."
Part of Stacie's ministry, Empowering Haitian Moms, is to send the kids in her ministry to school. This past year she had 10 kids sponsored, and this year we want even more kids to be sponsored!! Education is so important in any country, but it is especially important in Haiti. We want these kids to be able to get a great education, so they can have good paying jobs that will provide for their future!
The school that the kids attend is a Creole speaking Christian school. The cost for the school year is $300. The $300 covers tuition, exams, books for the year, and one uniform. For an extra $50, you can provide your child with an extra uniform and black shoes. The school requires black shoes because it matches their uniforms. If you would like to sponsor a child, and he or she is over the age of 10, then he or she has the opportunity to attend an English class 2 days a week. There is no fee for the class, but we are asking that you would contribute $20 a month for transportation fees for the child. The English class is not mandatory, but it would help these children greatly to be able to speak English!
I will be posting pictures of the kids, so you can put faces with names! They are so precious! Please be praying about sponsoring a child this coming school year! Please join us in praying for our kids to have the opportunity to receive a great education!
If you have any more questions, or one of the kids steals your heart :) and you need more information about him or her, feel free to email me or Stacie!!
ashley.crowe@hawks.shorter.edu
empoweringhaitianmoms@gmail.com
"Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding."
Part of Stacie's ministry, Empowering Haitian Moms, is to send the kids in her ministry to school. This past year she had 10 kids sponsored, and this year we want even more kids to be sponsored!! Education is so important in any country, but it is especially important in Haiti. We want these kids to be able to get a great education, so they can have good paying jobs that will provide for their future!
The school that the kids attend is a Creole speaking Christian school. The cost for the school year is $300. The $300 covers tuition, exams, books for the year, and one uniform. For an extra $50, you can provide your child with an extra uniform and black shoes. The school requires black shoes because it matches their uniforms. If you would like to sponsor a child, and he or she is over the age of 10, then he or she has the opportunity to attend an English class 2 days a week. There is no fee for the class, but we are asking that you would contribute $20 a month for transportation fees for the child. The English class is not mandatory, but it would help these children greatly to be able to speak English!
I will be posting pictures of the kids, so you can put faces with names! They are so precious! Please be praying about sponsoring a child this coming school year! Please join us in praying for our kids to have the opportunity to receive a great education!
If you have any more questions, or one of the kids steals your heart :) and you need more information about him or her, feel free to email me or Stacie!!
ashley.crowe@hawks.shorter.edu
empoweringhaitianmoms@gmail.com
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Madanm Tite!
Last week whenever the team was here, Madanm Tite cooked for us everyday which was such a blessing! Madanm Tite is one of the moms in Stacie's ministry. Of course, we all got really close to her because she was here all the time! Stacie told us bits and pieces of Madanm Tite's story during the week, but one night after dinner, we asked if Madanm Tite would share her testimony with us. She was happy to, and I want to share with each of you her story...
Madanm Tite used to live in Port Au Prince, and she was there when the earthquake struck in January of 2010. She told us she was out of the house, but her children were at home when the earthquake happened that afternoon. She told us that she just knew Jesus was coming back when the earthquake occured because Haiti has not had a huge earthquake like that in a LONG time. (I think I would have thought Jesus was coming back if I had never experienced an earthquake, and all of a sudden the ground started to tremble and buildings began to crumble) Once she realized what had happened, she began to praise the Lord that she was still alive. She went back home, but her children were not there. They were at a nearby home, and they were upset because they did not know where she was. Madanm Tite and her four children realize how blessed they are to have lived through the earthquake because so many people were not so fortunate.
After the earthquake, Fritznel (Stacie's husband) and some of his friends and youth group wanted to help out the refugees of the earthquake, and that is how Stacie and Fritznel got to know Madanm Tite. She moved into Montrouis (which is about 2 hours from Port) where she was provided a house for her family to live in since the earthquake destroyed her home. Now, 3 years later, she is still in Montrouis! Praise the Lord!
She does not live in the original home provided to her, but she now lives on top of a small mountain with others who were displaced after the earthquake. An American team came in and built a row of houses for the remaining refugees. There are now only about 8 women left from those who moved into Montrouis with Madanm Tite. The rest have all moved on to other places, or gone back to Port to rebuild. These new homes are almost like duplexes in that one family lives in one side, and another family lives on the other. The home has only two rooms...no bathroom, no running water, or electricity. The house is made out of cinderblock with concrete floors. To us, this seems terrible for her to live like that, but in comparison to other houses here, she has a very nice (and well-taken care of) home.
One of the things that is lacking from these homes that were built for the refugees is a well. Madanm Tite has to walk to get water, then take this huge jug of water on a motorcycle back to the top of the mountain. To her, that is just part of life, but it's really sad that the people who built the houses did not think to build a well for these families on top of this mountain. (I'm going to try and get a picture to show the distance Madanm Tite has to travel to get to her house, but let's just say we were trying to take a truck up the mountain, but we had to jump out of the back because the truck began to slide backwards...that's how steep this hill is to get to the houses).
Madanm Tite loves her 4 children (we all met two of them, her youngest son and daughter, and her daughter is beautiful and her son is handsome!). She used to wash clothes for people in order to make money to put her children through school! That is a sacrifice to hand wash people's clothes, but she wants her children to go places, and not just be stuck in poverty.
I am not sure exactly when Madanm Tite got saved, but I do know that she is a Christian. Whenever we shared with her that we were doing communion, she said that she felt she could not partake of communion because she had never been baptized. We explained to her that in order to take part in communion, she did not have to be baptized, but if she wanted to be baptized one of the ladies on the team (Mrs. Pam) was a pastor. Mrs. Pam was more than willing to baptize Madanm Tite! Madanm Tite said she wanted to be baptized, so Friday afternoon we all went down to the beach, and Mrs. Pam baptized Madanm Tite!!! It was so neat to experience! Madanm Tite kept asking Stacie, "Are y'all coming to pray over my house?" So on Monday afternoon, after all the good byes were said to the moms and kids, we all went and prayed over Madanm Tite's house. We asked that God would shine in her home, and that she would spread His Name throughout her community. The team anointed her home with oil, and prayed that no evil would enter. Madanm Tite was so excited to have her house prayed over!
Many times, people get baptized, and you never see the change in them. However, Madanm Tite's change was immediate! Not that she was living a lifestyle of sin or anything, but you could just tell that she was really grasping the true meaning of having a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus instead of just following a religion.
Continue to be in prayer for Madanm Tite as she journeys on the path with Christ! Pray that she would be encouraged by other believers, and that she would spread the Gospel in her community and everywhere she goes! Pray that her words and actions would glorify God! Pray that her children would see God in their mom, and that they would desire to follow after Christ like their mom does!
While you are praying for Madanm Tite, pray for each other! Life is hard. We are all on different paths that God has chosen for us (some of us are on different paths because of choices we have made), but we should all have the same goal to Glorify God in all we say and do! We should be spreading His Word throughout our communities and throughout the world. It doesn't matter whether you are new to the faith in Haiti, America, or some other country, we all serve the same Father!! Isn't it awesome to just sit back and think that the same God that Madanm Tite serves is the same God you and I serve too?!
I pray that each of you would be inspired by Madanm Tite's story!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Madanm Tite used to live in Port Au Prince, and she was there when the earthquake struck in January of 2010. She told us she was out of the house, but her children were at home when the earthquake happened that afternoon. She told us that she just knew Jesus was coming back when the earthquake occured because Haiti has not had a huge earthquake like that in a LONG time. (I think I would have thought Jesus was coming back if I had never experienced an earthquake, and all of a sudden the ground started to tremble and buildings began to crumble) Once she realized what had happened, she began to praise the Lord that she was still alive. She went back home, but her children were not there. They were at a nearby home, and they were upset because they did not know where she was. Madanm Tite and her four children realize how blessed they are to have lived through the earthquake because so many people were not so fortunate.
After the earthquake, Fritznel (Stacie's husband) and some of his friends and youth group wanted to help out the refugees of the earthquake, and that is how Stacie and Fritznel got to know Madanm Tite. She moved into Montrouis (which is about 2 hours from Port) where she was provided a house for her family to live in since the earthquake destroyed her home. Now, 3 years later, she is still in Montrouis! Praise the Lord!
She does not live in the original home provided to her, but she now lives on top of a small mountain with others who were displaced after the earthquake. An American team came in and built a row of houses for the remaining refugees. There are now only about 8 women left from those who moved into Montrouis with Madanm Tite. The rest have all moved on to other places, or gone back to Port to rebuild. These new homes are almost like duplexes in that one family lives in one side, and another family lives on the other. The home has only two rooms...no bathroom, no running water, or electricity. The house is made out of cinderblock with concrete floors. To us, this seems terrible for her to live like that, but in comparison to other houses here, she has a very nice (and well-taken care of) home.
One of the things that is lacking from these homes that were built for the refugees is a well. Madanm Tite has to walk to get water, then take this huge jug of water on a motorcycle back to the top of the mountain. To her, that is just part of life, but it's really sad that the people who built the houses did not think to build a well for these families on top of this mountain. (I'm going to try and get a picture to show the distance Madanm Tite has to travel to get to her house, but let's just say we were trying to take a truck up the mountain, but we had to jump out of the back because the truck began to slide backwards...that's how steep this hill is to get to the houses).
Madanm Tite loves her 4 children (we all met two of them, her youngest son and daughter, and her daughter is beautiful and her son is handsome!). She used to wash clothes for people in order to make money to put her children through school! That is a sacrifice to hand wash people's clothes, but she wants her children to go places, and not just be stuck in poverty.
I am not sure exactly when Madanm Tite got saved, but I do know that she is a Christian. Whenever we shared with her that we were doing communion, she said that she felt she could not partake of communion because she had never been baptized. We explained to her that in order to take part in communion, she did not have to be baptized, but if she wanted to be baptized one of the ladies on the team (Mrs. Pam) was a pastor. Mrs. Pam was more than willing to baptize Madanm Tite! Madanm Tite said she wanted to be baptized, so Friday afternoon we all went down to the beach, and Mrs. Pam baptized Madanm Tite!!! It was so neat to experience! Madanm Tite kept asking Stacie, "Are y'all coming to pray over my house?" So on Monday afternoon, after all the good byes were said to the moms and kids, we all went and prayed over Madanm Tite's house. We asked that God would shine in her home, and that she would spread His Name throughout her community. The team anointed her home with oil, and prayed that no evil would enter. Madanm Tite was so excited to have her house prayed over!
Many times, people get baptized, and you never see the change in them. However, Madanm Tite's change was immediate! Not that she was living a lifestyle of sin or anything, but you could just tell that she was really grasping the true meaning of having a RELATIONSHIP with Jesus instead of just following a religion.
Continue to be in prayer for Madanm Tite as she journeys on the path with Christ! Pray that she would be encouraged by other believers, and that she would spread the Gospel in her community and everywhere she goes! Pray that her words and actions would glorify God! Pray that her children would see God in their mom, and that they would desire to follow after Christ like their mom does!
While you are praying for Madanm Tite, pray for each other! Life is hard. We are all on different paths that God has chosen for us (some of us are on different paths because of choices we have made), but we should all have the same goal to Glorify God in all we say and do! We should be spreading His Word throughout our communities and throughout the world. It doesn't matter whether you are new to the faith in Haiti, America, or some other country, we all serve the same Father!! Isn't it awesome to just sit back and think that the same God that Madanm Tite serves is the same God you and I serve too?!
I pray that each of you would be inspired by Madanm Tite's story!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Saturday, June 15, 2013
ONE MONTH!
As I typed the title of this post, I still cannot believe I have been in Haiti for a month! That's 30 days that I have been here!! I still have a month to go, but if it goes by as quick as the first month, then it will be time for me to go before I know it. I cannot even begin to think about leaving!
It occured to me today (through an email from my mom...thank you Mom for reminding me!) that I have been keeping everyone updated about what God is doing in and through me here, but I have not shared much about Haiti's culture or much about what Empowering Haitian Moms is doing here! So, over the next four weeks, I want to include facts about Haiti, and what I am experiencing first hand. I also want to share with you stories about the moms and kids of EHM!
As I look back over the last four weeks, I am so thankful for all of the prayers, and words of encouragement. I do not think I would have made it past the first few days without y'alls prayers and love! It is so funny to think back to my feelings the first week I was here. I remember thinking 2 months is a LONG time, but now I am thinking 2 months is not long enough to stay with the moms and kids that I have grown to LOVE!! However, no worries everyone, I will be returning July 13th!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
It occured to me today (through an email from my mom...thank you Mom for reminding me!) that I have been keeping everyone updated about what God is doing in and through me here, but I have not shared much about Haiti's culture or much about what Empowering Haitian Moms is doing here! So, over the next four weeks, I want to include facts about Haiti, and what I am experiencing first hand. I also want to share with you stories about the moms and kids of EHM!
As I look back over the last four weeks, I am so thankful for all of the prayers, and words of encouragement. I do not think I would have made it past the first few days without y'alls prayers and love! It is so funny to think back to my feelings the first week I was here. I remember thinking 2 months is a LONG time, but now I am thinking 2 months is not long enough to stay with the moms and kids that I have grown to LOVE!! However, no worries everyone, I will be returning July 13th!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Friday, June 14, 2013
Check-Ups!
Stacie, Fritznel, and I have not been back to the community since Tuesday because we needed REST!! Normally when we go to the community, we walk through the community. This means everyone knows we are coming! However, today, we took a different path to throw everyone off. We did this because a lot of times the community associates us with the feeding program which is a good thing because these kids need food, but they also need to feast on the Word of God. What happens sometimes is that people we have never seen before will show up when teams come because they associate a team with "free stuff", and they fail to really hear God's Word. Or, they will show up for food only which means they miss the Word of God entirely :(
So, it was really interesting to surprise everyone today! It was also cool to see how quickly word spread that we were there! When we first arrived at Marlen's home, only her children and a few community kids were there, but within a matter of like 10-15 minutes, there were like 30 kids!
The name of my post today is Check-Ups because we went back to some of the moms' homes who were blessed by the team last week. Everyone was doing well, and very thankful to have received these blessings! We made sure we bought juice from the grandma who was blessed with supplies to start up her business again!!
After going to the community, we came back to rest again! I don't think any of us realized how much we were on the move last week! It has taken us a while to get back in the swing of things!
I never thought I would say this, but I missed being on the tap tap last week when the team was here! Not that I didn't like having our own transportation, but I LOVE being with the Haitian people on tap tap!! Even if we are all crammed together, and it's hot and sweaty! It brought so much joy to my heart today to get back on the tap tap!
Continue to pray for Haiti!
The rain is still coming down, so thank you so much for your prayers for rain!!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
So, it was really interesting to surprise everyone today! It was also cool to see how quickly word spread that we were there! When we first arrived at Marlen's home, only her children and a few community kids were there, but within a matter of like 10-15 minutes, there were like 30 kids!
The name of my post today is Check-Ups because we went back to some of the moms' homes who were blessed by the team last week. Everyone was doing well, and very thankful to have received these blessings! We made sure we bought juice from the grandma who was blessed with supplies to start up her business again!!
After going to the community, we came back to rest again! I don't think any of us realized how much we were on the move last week! It has taken us a while to get back in the swing of things!
I never thought I would say this, but I missed being on the tap tap last week when the team was here! Not that I didn't like having our own transportation, but I LOVE being with the Haitian people on tap tap!! Even if we are all crammed together, and it's hot and sweaty! It brought so much joy to my heart today to get back on the tap tap!
Continue to pray for Haiti!
The rain is still coming down, so thank you so much for your prayers for rain!!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Rest for the Weary!
This morning I slept longer than I ever have! I did not even realize how tired I was after this week. I slept in until 9:45! I am so thankful for the rest God provides to those who are weary!
Today has been a lazy day! This morning, I organized my goodies and activities for the kids, and mapped out the lessons and activities for the next four weeks. I also folded some laundry, and got things back in order. After that, I retreated to my room to read a great book! It is called A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers. I don't like to read unless a book is really interesting, and this one is! Francine Rivers writes Christian books set during Bible times. She takes characters from the Bible, and elaborates on their stories. Her books are fictional Christian and so good!
Tonight, Stacie and I made homemade sloppy joe's. Then, halfway through making the meat mixture, the gas ran out. So, we had to light a fire outside, and finish cooking over an open fire! The sloppy joe's were really good though!
I just got off of Skype with my family a few minutes ago...they are in Jacksonville waiting to send Cierra off in the morning to Honduras for a month! Keep Cierra in your prayers tomorrow...pray that she would have safe travels, and that God would prepare her for what He has in store for her over the next month! I know she is going to be a shining light for Him!!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Today has been a lazy day! This morning, I organized my goodies and activities for the kids, and mapped out the lessons and activities for the next four weeks. I also folded some laundry, and got things back in order. After that, I retreated to my room to read a great book! It is called A Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers. I don't like to read unless a book is really interesting, and this one is! Francine Rivers writes Christian books set during Bible times. She takes characters from the Bible, and elaborates on their stories. Her books are fictional Christian and so good!
Tonight, Stacie and I made homemade sloppy joe's. Then, halfway through making the meat mixture, the gas ran out. So, we had to light a fire outside, and finish cooking over an open fire! The sloppy joe's were really good though!
I just got off of Skype with my family a few minutes ago...they are in Jacksonville waiting to send Cierra off in the morning to Honduras for a month! Keep Cierra in your prayers tomorrow...pray that she would have safe travels, and that God would prepare her for what He has in store for her over the next month! I know she is going to be a shining light for Him!!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
I LOVE MY MAMA!!
I am so sorry for keeping you all waiting so LONG to see what happened in Haiti while my mama was here! She left today, and I would be lying if I didn't say I miss her already! I will see her in 4 weeks though!! Keep us in your prayers as I have another month left here, and Cierra leaves Thursday for Honduras for a month!
This week has been so amazing! First of all, it was so refreshing to have my mom here! This ministry is Empowering Haitian Moms, so it was such a blessing to have her be an example to these moms! The moms and kids LOVED meeting my mom! To the kids she was Lisa, but to the moms she was Mama Ashley!
Mom arrived last Tuesday along with a group of 5 women from Virginia. Our week was slammed full of ministry activities! We went to the community everyday to play with the kids and talk with the moms. It was SO HOT, but these ladies were troopers! God did so many amazing things in the lives of the EHM moms over this past week! One mom was blessed with a new house...originally all she wanted was a tarp to build a house with, but God provided so much more! Another family was blessed with bunk beds for the children to have more than a mat on the floor to sleep on. A grandmother who has taken in two orphaned children was blessed with bags of charcoal and sodas to sell to start her business. God showed up in a mighty way, and I know these families will forever be changed and blessed!
On Friday, the group of women from Virginia wanted to wash the womens' feet and serve communion. So, we sent the moms on a tap tap, and we all rode in our rented truck with four babies...I'm sure we looked like a bunch of white girls starting an orphanage! Between the community and the house, we passed the moms on the tap tap, and they all started yelling and cheering like they were little girls! It was so nice to see them beginning to form bonds. They spend time with each other, but when there is so much to do and children to take care of, it gets tough to really sit down and talk. The moms enjoyed every minute of getting their feet washed, pampered, and their toe nails painted! I'm sure they also enjoyed being away from their children for a while too! After everything, we sent them on their way on a tap tap, and they were smiling from ear to ear! It was so nice to be able to serve these women, and actually have the opportunity to do something for them. The moms are always blessing me as well as this group of women that came this week, so it was great to be able to give back to them.
On Saturday, we did an outreach at an orphanage! We enjoyed playing with these kids who don't have much at all...they were so excited to get new bouncy balls, and they went crazy over bubbles! Some of the moms from EHM and the older kids came to the orphanage to help with the outreach. The moms cooked, and the kids played with the orphanage kids. My favorite part was watching the EHM moms and kids love on the orphanage kids and provide for them. Fritznel told us later that the moms told him they were glad they could cook for the orphanage because they did not have money to give, but they could give of their time! It was so sweet! I also loved seeing how the moms interacted with one another after being together Friday night. They were beginning to form a bond amongst themselves, and it was so great to see!
On Sunday, we went to the beach! It was beautiful! The walk to the beach however was disgusting...we had to walk through so much filth, but at the end was this beautiful beach! As Stacie said, it's like life...we go through life seeing and accumulating filth, but once we accept Christ, we see Him and all His beauty!! What an awesome way to think about it! That night, we enjoyed fellowship with another missionary family. They grilled hamburgers and hotdogs for us, and they were delicious!!
Yesterday was probably my favorite day from the whole week! I chose verses from Proverbs 31 to teach the moms what being a Proverbs 31 woman is all about! At the end, my mom served as an example of a Proverbs 31 woman, and I was an example of what a Proverbs 31 woman's child looks like after much discipline, love, and my mom pouring Jesus into me! I am so thankful for her, and for the example she provides for me and Cierra!! We don't thank her enough, but she is truly a TREASURE and a HUGE ENCOURAGER for me!! :)
After the lesson, Fritznel told the kids we were going to the beach, and all the kids took off to find their bathing suits! I almost started crying watching the excitement in their faces when they found out we were going to the beach with them! They live right across the street from the beach, but no one ever takes the time (because they don't have the time after all their daily duties) to take the kids to the beach. We all had a blast! A few times I felt like I was going to drown because I had like 5 kids hanging on me, but it was so much fun! Mom's teacher side came out, and everyone had to take turns on the float!! They need to learn how to share, so she was a huge blessing!
After we all had our fair share of swimming, we parted ways with many tears. I wasn't even leaving, but it was really sad to watch the goodbyes. Especially my mom's goodbyes with the little boy she got so close to over the week. He is a sweet boy named Clifford! He is very smart, and he just fell in love with mom! She played hand games with him, and he saved her seat for her everytime! He would help her translate what the kids were saying to the best of his ability! Throughout the whole week, he was like her protector! He was such a gentleman! He lives with his grandpa because he does not have any parents, and I think that's probably why he fell in love with mom! Because she is such an awesome mom! He does not respond that way to everyone, so that just confirms what I have always thought, my mom is something special! I don't know how I got so blessed!! It was hard to watch her say goodbye to Clifford, but I promise Mom I will take good care of him for the next 4 weeks!
Today was interesting! It was emotional saying goodbye to my mommy for 4 more weeks, but praise the Lord He has been preparing us for being apart by me going away to school! Even with the preparation, it's still tough because we are SO CLOSE! I LOVE MY MAMA!! I am definitely a Mama's girl, and no matter how old I am or where God takes me, I will always need my mama! I miss her already, but God's Strength is going to carry me until I see her, Cierra, and dad in 4 weeks! I am so blessed to have a mom like I do!
After dropping everyone off at the airport, we drove all over Port Au Prince...it was nice to see everything, but the houses are almost on top of each other, it smells, and trash was everywhere. We also went to the National Museum of Haiti which was really neat to learn the history of the country. Then, we were trying to get back home....however, our transportation had other ideas! What should have taken us like an hour and a half to get back home took like 4 hours! We had to stop every 10 minutes to fill the radiator with water because the poor van was running hot...all I could think was Praise You Lord for letting this happen on the way home instead of going to the airport because everyone would have missed their flight! We were a little over halfway to the house when we stopped and waited for someone to come tow the van back here! Needless to say, it took us all day to get to Port and back! We finally got back to the house around 7:20 which was about the time Mom should have arrived at the Jacksonville Airport!
This week has been tough living with 7 extra people, but God did amazing things this week! If you could not already tell, yes I miss my mommy (and prayers for strength are well appreciated), but God is not finished with me here yet! I miss my family (and American living!), but the thought of saying bye to all these moms and kids in a few weeks makes me tear up! I have fallen in love with this country and these people, and I don't know what God has in store for me and Haiti in the coming years, but I will trust Him and obey Him in whatever He says! I know for everyone 4 more weeks seems so far off, but this Saturday marks ONE MONTH of me being here, so 4 weeks flies by! Be praying for me over the next few weeks as God prepares my heart to say goodbye. Pray that I will not fight the emotions that come with saying goodbye!
I know I am in for a waterfall of tears because this morning as we walked out of the door (mom and I were last), Millie (Stacie's 2 year old goddaughter who lives here along with her mom) started crying because she knew my mom and the 5 women were leaving, and I started to cry and so did mom (but I wasn't even leaving)! It just breaks my heart!
From here on, I will be back to normal about blogging! I am so sorry for leaving everyone hanging for a week, but it was CRAZY BUSY!! Mom and I took TONS of photos, so be sure to check those out on Facebook! Thank you all so much for your continued prayers...they are being felt! Pray this week for recooperation! We are so exhausted, and I know my mom and the other women are too! So, keep us all in your prayers that we would be able to get some much needed rest! Thank you all!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
I LOVE YOU MAMA! Thank you for giving of yourself (like you always do) to come stay with me for a week in Haiti! I know it was definitely different, but you blessed me and these moms and kids SO MUCH! I look forward to MANY MORE missions trips with you! You are such an awesome mommy, and I know I don't tell you that enough! And if this were a written letter, it would be filled with my tear stains! :) I do miss you already, but I know God is going to give us the strength for the next 4 weeks! Then, have your debit card ready because we are going to go crazy over American food!! :)
I LOVE YOU!! :)
This week has been so amazing! First of all, it was so refreshing to have my mom here! This ministry is Empowering Haitian Moms, so it was such a blessing to have her be an example to these moms! The moms and kids LOVED meeting my mom! To the kids she was Lisa, but to the moms she was Mama Ashley!
Mom arrived last Tuesday along with a group of 5 women from Virginia. Our week was slammed full of ministry activities! We went to the community everyday to play with the kids and talk with the moms. It was SO HOT, but these ladies were troopers! God did so many amazing things in the lives of the EHM moms over this past week! One mom was blessed with a new house...originally all she wanted was a tarp to build a house with, but God provided so much more! Another family was blessed with bunk beds for the children to have more than a mat on the floor to sleep on. A grandmother who has taken in two orphaned children was blessed with bags of charcoal and sodas to sell to start her business. God showed up in a mighty way, and I know these families will forever be changed and blessed!
On Friday, the group of women from Virginia wanted to wash the womens' feet and serve communion. So, we sent the moms on a tap tap, and we all rode in our rented truck with four babies...I'm sure we looked like a bunch of white girls starting an orphanage! Between the community and the house, we passed the moms on the tap tap, and they all started yelling and cheering like they were little girls! It was so nice to see them beginning to form bonds. They spend time with each other, but when there is so much to do and children to take care of, it gets tough to really sit down and talk. The moms enjoyed every minute of getting their feet washed, pampered, and their toe nails painted! I'm sure they also enjoyed being away from their children for a while too! After everything, we sent them on their way on a tap tap, and they were smiling from ear to ear! It was so nice to be able to serve these women, and actually have the opportunity to do something for them. The moms are always blessing me as well as this group of women that came this week, so it was great to be able to give back to them.
On Saturday, we did an outreach at an orphanage! We enjoyed playing with these kids who don't have much at all...they were so excited to get new bouncy balls, and they went crazy over bubbles! Some of the moms from EHM and the older kids came to the orphanage to help with the outreach. The moms cooked, and the kids played with the orphanage kids. My favorite part was watching the EHM moms and kids love on the orphanage kids and provide for them. Fritznel told us later that the moms told him they were glad they could cook for the orphanage because they did not have money to give, but they could give of their time! It was so sweet! I also loved seeing how the moms interacted with one another after being together Friday night. They were beginning to form a bond amongst themselves, and it was so great to see!
On Sunday, we went to the beach! It was beautiful! The walk to the beach however was disgusting...we had to walk through so much filth, but at the end was this beautiful beach! As Stacie said, it's like life...we go through life seeing and accumulating filth, but once we accept Christ, we see Him and all His beauty!! What an awesome way to think about it! That night, we enjoyed fellowship with another missionary family. They grilled hamburgers and hotdogs for us, and they were delicious!!
Yesterday was probably my favorite day from the whole week! I chose verses from Proverbs 31 to teach the moms what being a Proverbs 31 woman is all about! At the end, my mom served as an example of a Proverbs 31 woman, and I was an example of what a Proverbs 31 woman's child looks like after much discipline, love, and my mom pouring Jesus into me! I am so thankful for her, and for the example she provides for me and Cierra!! We don't thank her enough, but she is truly a TREASURE and a HUGE ENCOURAGER for me!! :)
After the lesson, Fritznel told the kids we were going to the beach, and all the kids took off to find their bathing suits! I almost started crying watching the excitement in their faces when they found out we were going to the beach with them! They live right across the street from the beach, but no one ever takes the time (because they don't have the time after all their daily duties) to take the kids to the beach. We all had a blast! A few times I felt like I was going to drown because I had like 5 kids hanging on me, but it was so much fun! Mom's teacher side came out, and everyone had to take turns on the float!! They need to learn how to share, so she was a huge blessing!
After we all had our fair share of swimming, we parted ways with many tears. I wasn't even leaving, but it was really sad to watch the goodbyes. Especially my mom's goodbyes with the little boy she got so close to over the week. He is a sweet boy named Clifford! He is very smart, and he just fell in love with mom! She played hand games with him, and he saved her seat for her everytime! He would help her translate what the kids were saying to the best of his ability! Throughout the whole week, he was like her protector! He was such a gentleman! He lives with his grandpa because he does not have any parents, and I think that's probably why he fell in love with mom! Because she is such an awesome mom! He does not respond that way to everyone, so that just confirms what I have always thought, my mom is something special! I don't know how I got so blessed!! It was hard to watch her say goodbye to Clifford, but I promise Mom I will take good care of him for the next 4 weeks!
Today was interesting! It was emotional saying goodbye to my mommy for 4 more weeks, but praise the Lord He has been preparing us for being apart by me going away to school! Even with the preparation, it's still tough because we are SO CLOSE! I LOVE MY MAMA!! I am definitely a Mama's girl, and no matter how old I am or where God takes me, I will always need my mama! I miss her already, but God's Strength is going to carry me until I see her, Cierra, and dad in 4 weeks! I am so blessed to have a mom like I do!
After dropping everyone off at the airport, we drove all over Port Au Prince...it was nice to see everything, but the houses are almost on top of each other, it smells, and trash was everywhere. We also went to the National Museum of Haiti which was really neat to learn the history of the country. Then, we were trying to get back home....however, our transportation had other ideas! What should have taken us like an hour and a half to get back home took like 4 hours! We had to stop every 10 minutes to fill the radiator with water because the poor van was running hot...all I could think was Praise You Lord for letting this happen on the way home instead of going to the airport because everyone would have missed their flight! We were a little over halfway to the house when we stopped and waited for someone to come tow the van back here! Needless to say, it took us all day to get to Port and back! We finally got back to the house around 7:20 which was about the time Mom should have arrived at the Jacksonville Airport!
This week has been tough living with 7 extra people, but God did amazing things this week! If you could not already tell, yes I miss my mommy (and prayers for strength are well appreciated), but God is not finished with me here yet! I miss my family (and American living!), but the thought of saying bye to all these moms and kids in a few weeks makes me tear up! I have fallen in love with this country and these people, and I don't know what God has in store for me and Haiti in the coming years, but I will trust Him and obey Him in whatever He says! I know for everyone 4 more weeks seems so far off, but this Saturday marks ONE MONTH of me being here, so 4 weeks flies by! Be praying for me over the next few weeks as God prepares my heart to say goodbye. Pray that I will not fight the emotions that come with saying goodbye!
I know I am in for a waterfall of tears because this morning as we walked out of the door (mom and I were last), Millie (Stacie's 2 year old goddaughter who lives here along with her mom) started crying because she knew my mom and the 5 women were leaving, and I started to cry and so did mom (but I wasn't even leaving)! It just breaks my heart!
From here on, I will be back to normal about blogging! I am so sorry for leaving everyone hanging for a week, but it was CRAZY BUSY!! Mom and I took TONS of photos, so be sure to check those out on Facebook! Thank you all so much for your continued prayers...they are being felt! Pray this week for recooperation! We are so exhausted, and I know my mom and the other women are too! So, keep us all in your prayers that we would be able to get some much needed rest! Thank you all!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
I LOVE YOU MAMA! Thank you for giving of yourself (like you always do) to come stay with me for a week in Haiti! I know it was definitely different, but you blessed me and these moms and kids SO MUCH! I look forward to MANY MORE missions trips with you! You are such an awesome mommy, and I know I don't tell you that enough! And if this were a written letter, it would be filled with my tear stains! :) I do miss you already, but I know God is going to give us the strength for the next 4 weeks! Then, have your debit card ready because we are going to go crazy over American food!! :)
I LOVE YOU!! :)
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Spreading the Word!
This week we have been going to the community everyday! The team taught the moms and kids today. The lesson was from Luke 6:46-49, the wise and foolish builders. The foolish builder built his house on the sand, and the rains came and wiped out his house. The wise builder build his house on the rock, and when the rains came it stood firm. We need to live our lives that way! We need Jesus to be our ROCK and FOUNDATION that sustains us through everything!!
The team brought a bench kit for the kids to finally have somewhere to sit in their classroom! All the kids that were there today signed the uderside of the bench which was a really cool idea! They LOVED writing their names on the benches...they kept pointing at their names for me to take a picture of it! By the way, pictures will be posted on Facebook TONIGHT even if I am up til midnight! Speaking of pictures, the kids got a hold of our cameras today (normally we don't give our cameras out because the kids love to take pictures and see themselves, but we made exceptions today!), and they were so funny taking pictures of themselves and wanting their pictures made with us! They are so stinkin' cute!!
One of the little girls in the community started playing a clapping/hand game with mom, and soon other groups joined in trying to play the game with others. After a few minutes, most of the kids were playing this clapping/hand game with each other! Tonight, mom and I were talking about it, and she mentioned how cool it was to watch this game spread from one group to another, to another, and finally have almost everyone playing the same game! She related it to the Gospel! Wouldn't it be awesome if we shared God and His Word with one person, and then that person shared with a group, and then that group shared, and so on and so forth?! That's the way we should be about sharing God...we should let it spread!! We need our foundation to be solid, so that we can share God and His Word with everyone!!
Be in prayer for God's Word and Salvation through Christ to spread like wildfire! Pray the Holy Spirit is awakened in each of us, and that we are filled with boldness to share the Gospel with so many others! Pray we get out of our comfort zones to share the Good News of Jesus and forgiveness! Stay encouraged, and continue to pray for each other!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
The team brought a bench kit for the kids to finally have somewhere to sit in their classroom! All the kids that were there today signed the uderside of the bench which was a really cool idea! They LOVED writing their names on the benches...they kept pointing at their names for me to take a picture of it! By the way, pictures will be posted on Facebook TONIGHT even if I am up til midnight! Speaking of pictures, the kids got a hold of our cameras today (normally we don't give our cameras out because the kids love to take pictures and see themselves, but we made exceptions today!), and they were so funny taking pictures of themselves and wanting their pictures made with us! They are so stinkin' cute!!
One of the little girls in the community started playing a clapping/hand game with mom, and soon other groups joined in trying to play the game with others. After a few minutes, most of the kids were playing this clapping/hand game with each other! Tonight, mom and I were talking about it, and she mentioned how cool it was to watch this game spread from one group to another, to another, and finally have almost everyone playing the same game! She related it to the Gospel! Wouldn't it be awesome if we shared God and His Word with one person, and then that person shared with a group, and then that group shared, and so on and so forth?! That's the way we should be about sharing God...we should let it spread!! We need our foundation to be solid, so that we can share God and His Word with everyone!!
Be in prayer for God's Word and Salvation through Christ to spread like wildfire! Pray the Holy Spirit is awakened in each of us, and that we are filled with boldness to share the Gospel with so many others! Pray we get out of our comfort zones to share the Good News of Jesus and forgiveness! Stay encouraged, and continue to pray for each other!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Catch Up!
So sorry to not have updated you all for a few days! It has been crazy!
On Monday, we visited another missionary in the area. His ministry is doing a lot in this area of Haiti. The main focus is on agriculture…they hire Haitian men to tend to the plots of land. Then once everything is ready, they will hire people to sell the items. This provides people with jobs, and a way to make money for their families. The ministry also wants to build an English speaking pre-school. Another project they are working on is bringing street lights to the community. There are about 15 posts up right now around the area. The next step is to install the lights. It was very interesting to see what God is doing through other ministries in the area!
Yesterday, MY MAMA arrived! I am so excited that she gets to experience everything with me! J We had an adventure coming back from the airport! We had that truck loaded with 13 people, and ALL the luggage! There are plenty of pictures to come!! We ran out of gas on the way home! Praise the Lord someone on the side of the road had gas, so we were able to make it home! Then we all had to unpack! J
Today was a lot of fun having the team here and of course my mom! The kids were cute as always! We have lots of pictures!! J Our lesson was on freedom. We taught that if God had not sent His Son to die for us, we would have to pay for our sins. Since Jesus Christ died for us, we are set free! We do not have to live as slaves to our old sinful ways! We need to embrace His forgiveness, and know that we are set FREE! Live as though you are free, and let others know of the JOY that comes from knowing we have been set free by our Savior!!
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Living for Jesus!
Today was church day! We sang worship songs to God, and learned about submitting to His Will!
My favorite part of today was the ministry meeting! Every 2 weeks, the ministries in Montrouis get together to fellowship. This is the second meeting we have attended, and I enjoy seeing what other organizations are doing for Haiti. Each meeting, we sing worship songs, and someone gives a message. Today the message was from Isaiah 64 which speaks about doing things for the world or allowing God to be the Potter and I the clay! We don't know how long we will be on the earth...we are not promised tomorrow, so we need to live for JESUS each day! We should not do things so that others will praise us, but so that JESUS gets the GLORY! It was so neat to hear the testimonials from some of the missionaries because they were sharing that sometimes the praise and adoration they receive from people back home can be a slight distraction from God getting total Glory! Who doesn't like to be praised, and who hasn't fallen guilty to letting the praise of others get to us! And for a slight second, we do forget to give God complete praise. However, He is quick to remind us that it was His work in us that allowed us to accomplish anything in the first place! What an awesome God we serve! I am so thankful for His work in me! I am grateful He has a plan for my life, and for each of you as well! Continue to seek Him first, and He will reveal His plan to you!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
My favorite part of today was the ministry meeting! Every 2 weeks, the ministries in Montrouis get together to fellowship. This is the second meeting we have attended, and I enjoy seeing what other organizations are doing for Haiti. Each meeting, we sing worship songs, and someone gives a message. Today the message was from Isaiah 64 which speaks about doing things for the world or allowing God to be the Potter and I the clay! We don't know how long we will be on the earth...we are not promised tomorrow, so we need to live for JESUS each day! We should not do things so that others will praise us, but so that JESUS gets the GLORY! It was so neat to hear the testimonials from some of the missionaries because they were sharing that sometimes the praise and adoration they receive from people back home can be a slight distraction from God getting total Glory! Who doesn't like to be praised, and who hasn't fallen guilty to letting the praise of others get to us! And for a slight second, we do forget to give God complete praise. However, He is quick to remind us that it was His work in us that allowed us to accomplish anything in the first place! What an awesome God we serve! I am so thankful for His work in me! I am grateful He has a plan for my life, and for each of you as well! Continue to seek Him first, and He will reveal His plan to you!
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Two Weeks!
I cannot believe it, but yes I have been in Haiti for 2 weeks already! The time is just flying by!
Yesterday we taught the moms and kids about prayer. We compared our Father to our earthly fathers. Stacie asked the girls if they want something, do they call their dad papa or papi? Of course, when we really want something we call our dads, daddy or papi in Creole! That's the same way we should approach our Daddy God all the time! He wants to give us His desires for our hearts (Psalm 37:4). That does not mean that He will always give us what we want, but He promised He would meet our NEEDS! We taught them it is okay to ask things from God believing He will do it. We encouraged them to pray all the time, and not to just some big blue sky, but to our Creator! Be praying that this message sinks in!
The classroom that the kids use has been upgraded! Pierre, the main dad in the community, hand braided tree leaves for walls and a roof! They are put in place, and provide wonderful shade!! It looks SO GOOD!! He also placed a tarp over an area in front of the house, so we can all sit and enjoy each others company in the shade!!
I have to share this funny story...after we finished with the lesson, we had some free time before the food was ready. Stacie asked Falto (the little boy who got the jump rope on Wednesday) to go get his jump rope, so we could play with it. He told Stacie that he had sold the jump rope! Some people would be upset that this little boy went and sold the jump rope that they brought for him, but he is so cute that no one could stay mad at him! But I also have to give him credit for being a little 6 year old business man! Get something for free, and turn around and sell it to make money to buy food!
It rained again today! The rain has been such a blessing because the land is so dry, but also because it cools the earth off!
In three days the team comes, and my Mama is coming!! :)
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
Yesterday we taught the moms and kids about prayer. We compared our Father to our earthly fathers. Stacie asked the girls if they want something, do they call their dad papa or papi? Of course, when we really want something we call our dads, daddy or papi in Creole! That's the same way we should approach our Daddy God all the time! He wants to give us His desires for our hearts (Psalm 37:4). That does not mean that He will always give us what we want, but He promised He would meet our NEEDS! We taught them it is okay to ask things from God believing He will do it. We encouraged them to pray all the time, and not to just some big blue sky, but to our Creator! Be praying that this message sinks in!
The classroom that the kids use has been upgraded! Pierre, the main dad in the community, hand braided tree leaves for walls and a roof! They are put in place, and provide wonderful shade!! It looks SO GOOD!! He also placed a tarp over an area in front of the house, so we can all sit and enjoy each others company in the shade!!
I have to share this funny story...after we finished with the lesson, we had some free time before the food was ready. Stacie asked Falto (the little boy who got the jump rope on Wednesday) to go get his jump rope, so we could play with it. He told Stacie that he had sold the jump rope! Some people would be upset that this little boy went and sold the jump rope that they brought for him, but he is so cute that no one could stay mad at him! But I also have to give him credit for being a little 6 year old business man! Get something for free, and turn around and sell it to make money to buy food!
It rained again today! The rain has been such a blessing because the land is so dry, but also because it cools the earth off!
In three days the team comes, and my Mama is coming!! :)
Blessings and Love!
Ashley
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