For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 2 Peter 1:5-7, ESV  

Are we treating one another in love or in hate? That may seem harsh, even overdramatic, but really think about it. If we are not treating someone with love, what are w etreating them with? Big words in our society nowadays are “cancel culture” and “hate crimes”. Are we as Christians guilty of the same? I’ve heard many say “don’t hate the sinner, hate the sin” but do we truly only hate the sin? And do we hate our own sin and the sin of our loved ones as much as we do the sin of strangers or people we don’t have relationships with? Are we showing genuine love?

“If we are not cultivating strong, loving relationships with other believers, if we are not exhibiting genuine love for those outside the faith, then we are spiritually deficient, no matter how diligently we are trying to live for God. Growing in Christ means growing closer and deeper with His people. Growing in Christ means growing more loving.”

Nancy Leigh DeMoss, The Quiet Place

According to the quote above, if we don’t have loving relationships and show genuine love, we are spiritually deficient. Ouch! It does not matter how much we go to church, read our Bibles, say the right thing, wear the right clothes, do what we think is best, etc if we are not showing love.

Let’s stop making Christianity an exclusive club. Let’s stop gatekeeping. (Yeah, there is a popular word right now, too…it literally means controlling or limiting access.) Are we sharing our faith? And if we are, are we doing it with love or hateful judgment? Are we loving on people regardless of what they say, wear, or do? Regardless of how many tattoos or piercings they have? Regardless of their political affiliation? Regardless of their sins that happen to be different (or the same) as ours? Are we considering the fact that we are filthy, dirty sinners too? Are we remembering that God didn’t keep His love from us because of who we are? Are we considering that we can (and must) still choose to love someone even if they do not choose to put their faith in Christ? How can we choose to love God’s creation even if they do not choose to love Him? I don’t know all of the answers…but I know that we are called to love and love all.

Are we sharing our faith with other believers? Sure, it is easy to share and show love to those we are close with. Do we show love to Christians we have issues with? Did you know you can have issues with other Christians? Shocking, I know, that sinners would have issues with sinners. In case you were confused, yes, even Christians are still sinners. We should strive to be Christlike and not sin but we still do it. So, do we show love to those who we don’t agree with on the things that are not necessarily important? Do we show love to new believers by sharing with them? How many new believers have questions and how many of us answer them openly and honestly? Do we show love and build relationships with trust?

Maybe I have too many questions. That is probably true. While I don’t know all of the answers, I know the One who does. I am thankful that the Word is alive and can continue to touch us and cause us to grow and question the way that we do things. I am thankful that God gifts people like Nancy Leigh DeMoss who wrote the devotional that got me thinking about the way that I do things.

Are you living with love?

June was the first of two months of furlough. During these months, I visit the states to see family and friends, and visit with churches. As I sit here to write what went on it feels like a whirlwind…so much happened but I almost can’t remember it all. I have been thankful to see the family and friends that I have had time with so far and looking foward to catching up with others in July.

It was wonderful to catch up with family during the first weekend I was back and after all that our family has been through this year. My youngest sister, Olivia, graduated this year and I was able to go to a graduation party for her. Then I hit the ground running with visiting churches and supporters. This month I have been to: Fellowship, Pinetta 1st, Windsor Baptist (Gainesville, and got to see some Antioch folks while there), Cherry Lake Baptist, Creekside (Gainesville), and 1st of St Pete. It’s been fun catching up with my local churches and some RMI churches. Any time that I can chat about Haiti is a good time! Inbetween these visits I got to spend some time with sweet friends as well. Mama and I also made a weekend trip out of my visit to St Pete. It was nice to getaway in such a beautiful place.

My dear friend, Natalie, came down to visit towards the end of the month. We served in Haiti together for a few years before she moved back to the US. I loved getting to spend time with her and show her the middle of nowhere.

Please continue to pray for me as I am on furlough. It is wonderful to see everyone but hard to be away from home. I often feel out of place in the US anymore and furlough can be a difficult time. Please pray that peoples hearts will be touched through the words that God gives me.

I was asked a few weeks ago what is the hardest part of being in the states instead of being in Haiti. My answer is simple. It’s everything.

Everything is hard because everything is different. And you miss your people and your home so much that sometimes you can’t sleep. You have to be careful or else you will fall into a constant whirl of sadness that you aren’t where you feel you are supposed to be. You miss the little things like watching the sunset over the palm trees, hearing the dog bark and your friends barking back at him, and the taste of fritay. You miss the morning devotions with your coworkers who are more like family and the pouring into one another that you do. You miss the relationships, the ones that come easy and the ones that you have to work at. You miss going to the grocery store and getting aggravated because you misunderstood something. You miss your life, your place.

What I have found and am slowly starting to incorporate into my life is remembering the call. Yes, I am called to Haiti to live and to serve. That is where I feel at home because that is where God has me during this time in my life. However, God also has me in the states for furlough, otherwise I wouldn’t be here. If I feel so comfortable in the call to Haiti, why do I not with the call to the states? I have to start looking at both as the call that God has placed on where He wants me to be at any given time. That doesn’t mean there won’t be difficulties. Transition is a very difficult part of missionary life. I didn’t instantly feel at home when I first moved to Haiti…at one point everything was hard there. So I may not instantly feel “normal” being back in the US for furlough, but I can strive to feel at peace where God has me.

So, while the hardest part of being away is still everything, in order to help myself find peace in the states I look for the things that I miss about here. I miss seeing my family and close friends. I miss the convience of fast food. I miss driving wherever whenever. I miss the relationships that I have here. So I try to hone into that.

If all else fails, we can remember the promise in Philippians 3:20.

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

ESV

May started off with a bang! We still had the team here visiting their sister church. They came in at the tail-end of April. It was good to spend some time with them and get to know them better. May 1st is a big agricultural day in Haiti. A friend’s mission holds a fair each year and we went to that. It was fun to see all the things for sale, kids running around, and eat good food.

Towards the end of April, my grandpa was hospitalized. After some testing, they learned that he had lung cancer. In the beginning, we were given hope of treatments and a few more years with him. After talking to my family, we felt there was no need for me to rush back to the states. My upcoming furlough was already planned and I would be back in plenty of time. He was sent home after his first round of treatments and was to return after three weeks for another round. He continued to have issues and was taken back to the hospital. Among other concerns, they realized that the tumor was pushing against his heart and causing it to not work correctly. He called in his children and announced that he wouldn’t be continuing with treatments. Preparations started being made for him to go home on hospice. Thankfully, during this time he chose to commit to Jesus and said to his family multiple times that he knew Where he was going. I was informed that it wasn’t even likely he would make it through the next few days…I wouldn’t have been able to close up my home for 2 months to return in time. He would already be gone. I stayed in close contact with family as we reminisced about the many good times. On the morning of May 10th, 2022 Pop went home to be with the Lord. While I will miss him so much, I am thankful for the grandfather he was to me and the many wonderful memories I have with him. On Saturday, the 14th a sweet friend (Tina, the angel that she is) came over to watch the funeral with me. I was so thankful to not have to do that alone. It felt fitting to honor Pop by watching his funeral with a basset by my side. That night, we had a steak dinner thanks to a cooler Mama had sent a while back. I am not sure that the friends I had dinner with are aware but steak would’ve been Pop’s go-to. Any time he was left to figure out a dinner on his own he would go outside and grill a steak. It was another good way to honor him.

Getting ready to leave home is hard. You are packing for several months with a limited amount of weight and space. You are closing up your house for several months. You want to spend time with everyone you can before you leave. And it’s almost guaranteed that things will go wrong. I am thankful to miss Haiti so much while I am in the states. I am so thankful for the people God put in my life here that makes it so hard to leave. I am thankful for the last week I got to spend with my people. Everyone’s furlough happens at different times so while I may be stateside for 2 months there are some I won’t see for many more months.

It was good to get in a few more trips out to schools before leaving for the states. Being with the kids just makes me feel at peace. Things may be crazy, but I know that these children are what God has called me for. And along with your help, we can give these kids hope for education but more importantly share the hope of the Lord with them.

Every once in a while Lee plans a kids’ night for our Wednesday night missionary service. I am always thankful that he asks me to tag along. It is a great reminder that we are supposed to have childlike faith. And nothing brings my spirits back up than watching little ones sing their hearts out for Jesus.

As you are reading this, I am traveling back to the states. I will be there for the months of June and July before coming back home. I have somewhat of a schedule but have some things in the works still. I would love to see you if it’s possible. Let me know!

I have a little bit of news to share with you. Two things, unrelated, but both important.

Firstly, I am moving houses! I am very excited about this opportunity. It is something that I have been praying for for years. The move will lead me to a smaller home where it will just be Otis and I. I will have a guest room for visitors. This move comes with many pros for both Oti and I. I am really looking forward to a place that truly feels like my own. Because the house I was living in came furnished I am purchasing appliances and having furniture made. One of the RMI staff members is helping me out with this. He is so talented! This yard is currently enclosed but the fence is not in good shape. I would like to upgrade this fence for safety and privacy. It will also be good for Otis to have a yard to run in. I am not yet sure of the price of this fence but know that it will be a significant investment. If you would like to give towards this project, please let me know.

On another note, I am working on planning my furlough to head back to the states. It is hard for me to leave home but I look forward to visiting friends and family in the states when possible. Two months can seem like a very long amount of time or a short amount of time. I want to do my best to see everyone but it may not be possible. If you would like to get together, please let me know. I will be stateside for the months of June and July. Below are the dates I have scheduled this summer. There are more dates to come! If you don’t see your church and would like to, contact me and we will see if we can plan something.

Where can you find me this summer?

• Sunday, June 5th Fellowship @ 8:30am and 11am
• Sunday, June 12th First Baptist Church of Pinetta @ 11am
• Sunday, June 19th Cherry Lake First Baptist @ 11am
• Sunday, June 26th 1st Baptist of St. Pete
• Sunday, July 3rd Concord @ 11am
• Sunday, July 10th Lee UMC @ 9:30am, Hickory Grove @ 11am

I suppose I should apologize. It has been a long time since I have posted an update here. March was not an easy month and in some ways neither was April. I like to be honest and open but sometimes it is easier to hide the hard times. We all know that social media is fake. Influencers are the best actors, pretending that life is perfect. I never want to make people think that my life is perfect but I also don’t want to sit in a pity party.

March was a lonely month. I honestly don’t remember much of what happened or what I did. But I remember being lonely. That happens. It’s normal. But it doesn’t make for a very exciting blog post. I have a lot of dog pictures from the month of March and that is about it. There were several deaths that affected those close to me in the month of March. I am not going to claim to have had these wonderful relationships with those who passed, but I do have relationships with their family and friends. It is always hard to see the ones you love grieving and hurting. One death in particular hit close to home. A young man (22) was killed in a motorcycle accident. He was very close with some friends of mine and I knew him a little as well. The sudden loss of someone so young was and is hard on his family and friends. With all of this loss, it can be hard to look on the bright side. On the 31st, however, I thankfully got to go to the wedding of a friend of mine. It was a blessing to celebrate with her and her new husband. The following Sunday I was blessed to witness a good friend of mine and Otis’ marenn be baptized.

The first few weeks of April came with some of my closest friends returning home. To say that I was happy to see them is an understatement. There is something to be said about those that you can be your true, genuine self around and feel totally loved. Before they returned, we had a farewell party to a missionary family who are transitioning back to the states after years of living in Haiti. While sharing, another missionary shared a quote about some friends of hers that really touched me. “You know everything about me, even every ugly thing, and you love me, and you care.” Those people and relationships can be hard to find. The friends that returned, that is what they are to me. We attended two funerals in a week. It can be draining to be around such sorrow.

Don’t let me pretend as if there is only sorrow. There is also much joy. Not only in being together but in the experiences. Sometimes they are deep and emotional and sometimes they are silly. One day we were shopping and as we were pulling in, Tina pointed out a man holding a rabbit. I was driving and didn’t get a chance to look but she and Lydianne were watching him. He went into the store we were going to and put the rabbit on the ground. We were all shocked. The rabbit just sat there, seemingly unbothered. It was for sure a first for us! This same store also has a gorgeous cat (pictured below).

One week was convention. So many people come to Simon for this event. This is a few days of worship and meetings of MEBSH churches. It is always fun to see how crazy Simon gets. With all these people come good street food and cool items to buy. Then, we celebrated Easter together as a missionary community with a sunrise service. Waking up so early isn’t easy but it is worth it. Worshiping and fellowshipping together as one. Sunday evening a few of us had dinner together. It is the little things that keep away the pesky loneliness I mentioned in the beginning.

I spent a day or two on the road assisting in gift delivery as well as getting some things together for some special projects. It always lifts my spirits to be around the kids. There is nothing as beautiful as the laughter of a child.

Lydianne and I started French classes this month. It is going to be challenging but I am looking forward to it. This will help us out a lot while living here in Haiti. It will help to develop our Kreyol skills. Many Haitians live in French as well as Kreyol depending on their background. Sometimes this can be hard when attending church, going to meetings, and dealing with officials. Learning French will be helpful to us and also will be fun to do together.

At the end of the month, RMI welcomed a team. It is always nice to have teams in country, to see them interact with their sister churches as well as to get to interact with them personally. I was thankful to spend the weekend with them out at Zanglais. I always feel renewed when I return home.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

This week makes 5 years since the first time I visited Haiti. I had no idea that trip would change everything and I would be here 5 years later, feeling more at home than I ever have. I am so thankful for God’s plan and the country of Haiti. This post will be a little different. I want to share some of my favorite memories…and there are a lot.

March 2017

March 2017 was my first visit to Haiti. I had been wanting to go for years and finally got the chance. I was excited but a nervous as well. Little did I know the joys I would find.
– driving through a market
– the little girl that I had sworn I had seen before in a dream
-hanging out with sweet ladies and cute kiddos while waiting on benches to dry
-this little boy knew how to strike a pose
-my happy place, covered in kids. the little girl giving a thumbs up was named “Janie” (or at least that is what I understood
-making bracelets
– finished product
-the whole crew (Scott, AJ, Doug, Janelle, Shelby, Kyrslie, Tessa, Gerald, Murrell, Cady)
– proof that Kyrslie and I did work!
– a conversation over a delicious meal with Lovely (Leah)… I had no idea she would become such a wonderful lifetime friend

March 2018

March 2018 I came to Haiti on my 2nd trip. At this point, I knew that I was going to be moving here in August of 2018. It was a week of learning.
– in the van leaving Port au Prince
– at Vieux Bourg, hanging out with the kiddos
– I was so in love with this little guy and he was in love with my sunglasses
– one of my favorite photos, just a beautiful girl
– hiding from the rain under the truck
– riding around with two good friends, Leah and Donna. both were serving in Haiti at the time and have sinced moved back to their passport countries (US and Jamaica). I miss them so!
– the first photo I ever took of the school I would come to work at
– the first of many, many photos I ever took in my yard… love that view!
– sweet girl gang: Karsyn, Chloe, Bri, Tessa, Leah, Gabby, Lana, Kyrslie
– sometimes the best thing to build is relationships

August 2018 – May 2019

August 2018- May 2019 concluced my first year of Haiti life. We were evacuated in February of 2019 but returned a few weeks later. It was my first year of teaching and I had some sweet students while getting used to the transition.
– going away party
– birthday celebrations with my Nat. Her birthday is a week after mine. I always loved sharing birthday ice cream with her.
– my kids… one of my students had broken is arm and was feeling bad about it. the other 3 wanted to make casts and have broken arms for the day to try and cheer him up
– a visit to some missionary friends led to visiting a Sunday school classes garden they were helping with
– my first photo with Rameau… love this Haitian grandpa of mine
– Mama and Gigi visited for a week
– confirmation of joining RMI officially
– hikes and a day at nearby waterfalls with some fellow missionaries (pictured Dawn, Lee and Tina)
– field trip to the diary farm. Miss Lana did such a great job
– the first of many photos that look exactly like this from Zanglais… one of the most peaceful places I have ever been

August 2019 – May 2020

August 2019- May 2020 concluded my 2nd year of living in Haiti and teaching. I didn’t go back to the states until December 2020 but I separated these months for reasons I will explain later.
– first day of school! this class gave me much joy and many challenges, I love them all so much
– Rameau and Oti meeting for one of the 1st times ever. Rameau was giving him a fist bump. now they are best friends
– family photo (Judeson, Noilita, Rameau, and Tessa)
– birthday dinner with friends (Isaac and Brit)
– RMIs Christmas celebration at Zanglais
– Mama and Gracie come for a visit
– a rainy, cold beach day. but one of my favorite was there. I miss Sheila every day. Thankful for her friendship
– Otis’ first (and probably last) beach day…he did NOT enjoy himself
– COVID hits Haiti, I helped my house staff to get masks as mandates came in
– Zoom chats with students… it was hard for me to not be able to tell them all goodbye and I know hard on them as well. I tried doing a few zooms of us just talking, no official schoolwork.

August 2020 – June 2021

August 2020- June 2021 was my 3rd year living in Haiti and my first year working in HFKz. While I didn’t go on furlough in summer of 2020, I wanted these months separated because they were two different pieces of the puzzle. I did go back to the states in December 2020 and then again in June 2021.
– Tina and I helped another friend, Katye host a retreat for the girls in her ministry. It was such a rewarding and exhausting weekend. I loved watching our RMI ladies interact with the kids.
– one of my first school visits, still wearing masks
– a day at the park with some cute little girls
– more schools visits
– I always love watching how excited the kids are about the cameras
– Judeson and his family get the keys to their new house
– a coworkers new baby girl and her helpful big brother
– a team member shows a child something in his Bible
– little cuties ready to receive a team in their town for the first time
– my good friend, Doris. what a friend she is…
– when your hands are covered in flour but you still need to talk on the phone
– I just love the smile on this baby
– Franchette came to visit me in the office and brought along baby Tessa
– a day at the island of St. Louis to meet some new friends and say goodbye to some old ones
– Mama and Renata come for a visit
– I can’t take the credit…Renata took this photo but it is one of my favorites of all time
– Sheila says goodbye to some merchants that she bought from often
– Lee and I returned to the states in June 2021. It was a hard flight. It was interesting to see all of the things put into place because of Corona. Lee was documenting it all…so I documented him documenting

August 2021- March 2022

August 2021 – March 2022 (aka present)
this will be my 4th year living in Haiti. there have been so many things that’ve happened. and I haven’t written them all down or shared photos of everything either. on August 14th, southern Haiti suffered a major earthquake. this came shortly after the president was assassinated and right before a hurricane (tropical storm?). I was not sure that I would be allowed to come back. thankfully, they encouraged me to.
– after the earthquake, we were mostly in the depot. we need a place for people to sit like an office but the fear of aftershocks were very real. they made this makeshift desk in the depot where anyone sitting could run and quickly be out from under anything.
– I was glad when the Nunes returned, that’s no secret. I am thankful for this afternoon (yes, THAT afternoon) of catching up with Tina and seeing baby goats
– a more recent sunset photo with the same view from back in 2018.
– the HFKz staff is so gentle with our babies. some of them are so scared
– students enjoy lunch at school
– the HFKz team (Gardine, Patrick, Windy, Tessa, Frantz, Merry, Isaac, Kerline)
– one of my favorite (they’re all one of my favorites) missionary kids… Otis loves him so much and the feeling is mutual
– visiting a school that some RMI staff members have started
– a school completely destroyed by the earthquake
– a weekend in Port Salut with good friends and co-workers
– that is MY baby…my sponsored kid.
– little cutie receives her box of food sent as a gift from her sponsor
– showing a child her photo after it was taken
– Mama comes for a visit…and cooks with Noilita
– a beach trip. I am sure I said something ridiculous for Lydianne to look at me that way

Thank you for coming with me down memory lane. I know it isn’t the typical post. And I haven’t given as much info as I maybe should. These are some of my favorite, core memories of my time in Haiti. Some of them seem so little but they mean more to me than I can explain. I pray that God allows me to have many more beautiful memories here in Haiti. If you have any questions about any photos or want more information on any stories, feel free to ask!

February has been a whirlwind. Some days I don’t even know what day it is or what is going on. Typically, I put out two posts a month. Not this month….

I always try to be real and honest. This month may be more raw than I typically get. So much has gone on. I don’t want to forget the way that God has worked. And I feel it is important to show people more than just the smiling face you typically see.

When the month began, I felt like I had everything planned out. If you know me, you know that I am a planner. I like for things to go the way that I have decided they will go. God has been working on me with this and I have gotten better, but I have a long way to go. The first day of the month went mostly as planned, we visited a school. It was supposed to be two schools but one of the schools was closed due to an excessive amount of rain. In that area, kids can’t get to school when there is too much rain. Then the second day came. We were going to two schools again. I left my house at 6:30am and got back into Simon about 5pm. Things went well that day. When we got back, I was exhausted but decided to stop by a friends before heading home. About 5:30pm we got a terrifying phone call. There had been an accident. There wasn’t much info, we just knew that we were needed. That night was a very long night. I can’t say that I remember everything that happened. Things come and go into my memory. I did write down what I remember for the family. A father and his two youngest children had driven a fourwheeler off of a cliff. Their full story can be read at this link: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/schrockfamily. I saw God work that night in ways I can’t say I have seen so vividly before. I would prefer for the family to tell their story, not me. The 3rd was a much better day, the two members of the family who were the most injured were doing much better. Emotions were (and are) still crazy, but physically things were looking hopeful. It was amazing to see how the missionary community and our Haitian family and friends came together.

The next few days were a little crazy. Trying to stay out of the way but keep helping with the family, trying to keep emotions at bay but process things. I told a friend that when the adernaline wore off we could have a good cry together. It’s one of those life things. We all know that bad things can happen at any time. But they would never happen to us. I don’t really remember much of that weekend. I just know I was looking forward to Monday.

On Monday the 7th, Mama was to come in. Her flight from Jax got delayed which forced her to stay overnight in Miami. After the normal stress of work and the stress and emotions of the accident, I just wanted to see my Mama. Because of her delay, she came in 24 hours late and wasn’t able to make up that day. Plans kept changing around what we would do while she was here and with who. We wound up having a wonderful time regardless. A day at the beach, a day at work where she met her sponsored child, restful evenings together, spending time with other missionaries, etc. It is always nice to have her here but never long enough. Oti quite likes it too!! Mama flew out on the 14th.

Some of my closest friends left on the 12th to find the other half of their family in the States. I am thankful that they are able to be together but pretty sad that they aren’t here with me. With all that has been going around here, I feel like there seems to be a constant swirl of tragedy and change around us. It’s hard to face when you feel alone.

To say that it has been a hard month would be an understatement. But it also wouldn’t be telling the entire story. There have been so many wonderful times, evenings chatting with Mama, having dinner with a friend, puppy snuggles galore, a beach day, devotions that touch the heart, and so much more. It’s been a month of learning and growing, of seeing beyond the hard to the good. A friend going through a tough time right now shared with me the other day that the days may be hard but God is still good. And that’s it, God is still good. I’ve been reading The Path of Loneliness by Elisabeth Elliot. What a book….sometimes I wonder why I do these things to myself. I know I feel lonely but wow…I didn’t realize how bad it was until I started reading what others have been through and the proper way to combat it. At one point she talks about God giving the Israelites manna. They wanted the good food they had in Egypt, not manna. But if God would’ve given them the option, they never would’ve eaten the manna. Sometimes God makes us hungry to realize just how much we need Him. And if you’re like me, you forget often.

This month has been a month of reminding me just how much I need the Lord. And for that I am so thankful.

January started off on the break. We didn’t go to work until the 4th. It was nice to wrap up the remaining days with good friends. An island day with some and out to lunch with another. The 1st in Haitian independence day. Unlike most, I didn’t celebrate by eating soup joumou (pumpkin soup). It is always a good time to sit back and remember the resilience of Haitians from the very beginning. There is a lot of history and firsts in the story of Haitians gaining their independence from France.

As we went back to the office, the HFKz team prepared to spend another month or so on the road. During this time, we are working on any photos or letters that were missed during our first round of visits. We are also taking any new kids that are needed as well as completing field monitor reports. These reports help us to keep up with exactly what is going on in the kids’ lives. Sometimes we surprise the schools, we do this to ensure that they are doing what we require of them each day, not just when they know that we are coming. We strive to have schools that are truly giving these kids an education.

We started traveling during the 2nd week and were able to visit 8 schools. This work doesn’t take as much time as the work that we did in the late fall did so we can sometimes visit more than one school in a day. Then we head back to the office to update everything in our system.

During the 3rd and 4th weeks of this month, we visited 9 and 7(ish) schools respectively. I wish I could share every detail about each visit. But that would take too long. And honestly, there are already things I have forgotten. How awful of me! I should be writing things down to remind myself of all of the ways that God is working. The days get busy and time slips away. You’ll notice this post is shorter than others. This month has been so busy I haven’t had as much time to work on it.

Two stories are very much worth sharing. One on a Tuesday and one on a Friday, both in the same week. On Monday afternoon, we decided to visit 2 schools on Tuesday. We drive out (about an hour and a half) to find that both schools are closed. This is pretty frustrating. It feels wasteful, with time and gas. But I often forget that God knows what we need. We didn’t get to do all of our work but we did have some gifts to deliver. So we chat and decide to try to get to some of the kids’ houses. The last house we got to….wow. This child’s sponsor had sent several gifts. All of them were wonderful and greatly impactful in his life. But then we see his house, no roof… not even 4 entire walls. The sponsor had sent for tin sheets to be bought for him and a lot of them. Enough to more than cover the house and continue to bless him, his family, and probably his neighbors for years. Something that we never would’ve seen if the school had been open. Something that we so quickly forget and yet we are surrounded by it… poverty. It set a fire in my heart as well as the staff members who I was with. On that Friday, I met my sponsored kid. I have met him before, he has quite a story. We were visiting a school one day and the pastor had made him come. They knew we weren’t planning on taking kids but he knew this kid was in need. His mother has several children, no father seems to be present. She clearly has some mental health issues that keep her from caring for these precious kids. And I just fell in love with him. I had to have him. I hadn’t seen him since that time. I was excited to see how he would be. Now he was in school (again), would have a uniform and shoes, and his school has the feeding program. Thankfully, he was doing well. It did my heart good to see him again.

A friend sent me some podcast suggestions recently. This friend, wow I love her. She is so sweet. I can always depend on her to point me towards God, even when it hurts. I know she is always praying for me. We don’t get to see each other now and I miss her every day. So when she sends a suggestion, I take it. Because of her, I have been listening to the podcast ” A Deep Well”. I highly recommend it. Start at the beginning, that’s where I am. The first season is about the 7 feasts found in Leviticus. I will admit, I didn’t know much about them. And I have learned so much. I won’t spoil any of the podcast but I will spoil something I have learned. The host, Erin, is so passionate. You can feel it in her voice. And she is not afraid to share. It is a reminder, share what you are passionate about. Not everyone will get it and even agree, but share.

Dear Lord, thank You for another year. Thank You for bringing us into this year. So much has happened in 2021 but we know that all things work together for the good of those who love You. We know that Your promises are yes and amen. We know that You have cared for us in each and every way. We know that You have been with us.

Lord, as we enter this new year it only makes sense to begin by praising You. We praise You and honor You for all that You are and all You have done. Without You, we would be nothing. For some reason, You chose to love and support Your creation even in the midst of our sin. We praise You for the way you have protected and watched over us. We praise You along with the wind and the rain and the mountains that bow at the sound of Your voice. We thank You for sending us Your Son who died for us, the ultimate sacrifice.

Lord, we ask You to walk with us this year. Whatever trials and tribulations come, we know that You walk alongside us, Your rod and staff comfort us. Lord, be with our friends and family. Be with those who are hurting, who are healing. Be with those suffering loss. Those who are struggling with anxiety and depression. Be with those suffering great illness. Be with those who have decisions to make. Be with those who are doing great, too, Lord.

Lord, be with our enemies. Be with the gang leaders in Haiti. Be with the politic situation in both Haiti and the US. Be with those we don’t get along with. Be with those who have hurt us.

Lord, be with those who don’t know You. Lead them in our direction that we may help them to see the Truth. Allow them to see Your Light.

Lord, be with the hungry. Be with the ones who are still suffering from events that happened months or even years ago.

Be with us in our ministry, Lord. Help us to keep our eyes on You. Help us to bring glory and honor to You and You alone. Lord, guide us in Your ways.

Lord, let our cry for 2022 be that you will be with us. Let us not forget the promise of Emmanuel, God with us. Amen.