Recently, an analogy came to mind for me. We have all heard analogies of how life is like a road, but it occurred to me that changes in our lives could be likened to the changes in the roads we drive.
In Kansas, we enjoyed smooth, wide highways and interstates that provided a pleasant and carefree ride. Even the gravel roads in Kansas were typically rather smooth and straight. In Haiti, our roads are filled with up and downs and lots of bumps. Then there are the curves - you never really know what might come zooming around the corner and which side of the road it will be on.
In a similar way, our lives have changed from a smooth ride of most things staying the same and knowing what to expect. We rode in the comfort of familiar surroundings, family and friends. Our life and activities stayed mostly the same from year to year with a few small changes along the way. The past year has been filled with many ups and downs and too many bumps to count. We have navigated around curves that held unseen possibilities and a few big and scary trucks. We are always watching for changes in the road from rain, use and manifestations. Even when you think you know the road, there can be changes.
The one thing that has stayed the same is the driver - our Almighty God. He was with us on the smooth roads and He is with us on the mountainous, bumpy and curvy roads that continue to change. The road and landscape have changed, but we still have the best driver to carry us along the way!
I will begin this post with a few pictures from when Scott & Dorine's family was here with a work team. They brought their children and the cousins had a great time being together.
We drove a very short distance down the mountain road to attend church on Sunday (MEBSH services were not held that day due to their annual convention in Cayes)
The kids enjoyed a scenic view from atop the landcruiser!
The kids joined the group that hiked to the hydro-electric plant and
were able to take a dip in this beautiful spring fed pool.
A waterfall along the route.
A group of very happy kids after their fun play time in the water!
Kalahan, Mara, Kamden, Krae, Klaire
Handing out clothing, food and Kreyol Bibles in a nearby community.
The kids had many other activities including making and giving out rubber band bracelets, visiting Jimmy's Honey Bees and going to the Beach. Unfortunately, I did not get pictures of these things. Overall, it was a great week. Scott and Dorine each had a day or two that they didn't feel well, but they seemed to recover quickly. The team was able to complete some nice work on the Chapel in the hospital as well. We are thankful for all who came to share with us!!
The time that we had family here was a real highlight, but we also had some low points in the road during that time. We had to replace the man who works in our yard. Mackenson, the young man who had been working for us since September experienced some social issues with other Haitians who live in the Bonne Fin area. He did not grow up here, but in a neighboring community. His family does not have a good reputation and he has brothers that are involved in gangs and stealing from others.
It had appeared that Mackenson was trying to break away from the reputation and activities of his family. He proclaimed to be a Christian, attended the Bonne Fin MEBSH church regularly, was learning English quite well and was attending a Business and Technical College.
Some of the locals believe that he has been involved with reselling some of the stolen goods from his brothers and there seems to be some evidence to support it. Because of this, some people in the community threatened to put him in jail or take his life so it is not safe for him to return to Bonne Fin. Unfortunately, he didn't tell me what was going on until he didn't show up for work for about 1 week. There is really nothing we can do to help him at this point but keep him in our prayers. My heart was broken as I really wanted to see this young man make a life for himself. It is so very difficult to break away from family, even when they are dragging you down.
Of course, he claims to not be involved in any immoral activities, but we don't have the level of trust with him to know if he is being honest with us or not. I just don't know...
One part of mission service anywhere is disappointment. We must leave the situation in God's hands for now and know that he has a plan for all.
One part of mission service anywhere is disappointment. We must leave the situation in God's hands for now and know that he has a plan for all.
So, we have hired an older man and he seems to be doing well and enjoys the work. He kept the yard for Dr. Rudy for about 7 years so he has some experience and has been bringing in some beautiful plants for our yard. If we could get some rain, they might take off and grow!
Selah and Berlika Reinhard enjoying Easter Weekend together!
We hope that Easter weekend was a blessing to all. We had a busy weekend, but enjoyed time with other missionaries at a Sunrise Service in Cayes (that was rained out - they are getting more in Cayes) and a wonderful breakfast potluck that followed. We returned to Bonne Fin in the afternoon and enjoyed time with the ACWR Caribbean Committee Support Team that was visiting Haiti that weekend. We were able to partake of Holy Communion on the evening of Good Friday. It was a special evening of remembering Christ's Broken Body and His Blood that was shed for our sins.
Now for some random pictures and stories:
This man is named George and he is demonstrating how to use a corn grinder that he made. He puts the corn into the top which is a plastic jug with a whole in the top and a whole in the bottom. He is turning the crank with his hands. It is a rather efficient manual corn grinder. George is married to a beautiful young lady named Nadia and they have three small children. They also attend the MEBSH church in Bonne Fin. They have a beautiful jaden or garden surrounding their home. George had several small plots of corn and beans and 4 good-sized pigs. He seemed like a natural born farmer! Here is a picture of some of their jaden.
Here are a couple of pictures of a mushroom variety that has been popping up in our yard. They like to grow near an old tree stump that sits on the edge of our yard.
These guys are rather exotic looking. When I asked my yard guy about them, he replied that they are "pa bon" or not good and yanked them out of the yard. I had to wait a few more days until some more came up to get a picture. An internet search revealed that these mushrooms are call Clathrus Crispus. They are more commonly known as the Lattice Stinkhorn. Upon closer inspection, the kids and I discovered that Stinkhorn is an appropriate name as the mushroom smells like rotting meat. Oh yes - YUCK is the first word that came to my mind too! Flies are attracted to them too just like raw meat. Interestingly, the Clathrus Crispus was first documented by a French botanist who found them on the island of Haiti in 1820.
Another fun picture is this one of the biggest Pineapple I have ever seen. Typically, the pineapples we buy in Haiti are smaller than what you find in the US grocery stores. I have a young lady named Brimarie Venieze (I call her Miss Bri) who comes to my door once a twice a week with Anana or pineapple. Because I will pay a bit more for my pineapples, she usually will come here first and give me first pick. She brought me this one last week and my cleaning lady, Elina was so impressed by it's size that she insisted I take a picture of it. It was very sweet and enjoyable as well as being large.
We are asked often, "How should we pray for you." There are so many needs here and so many facets of mission service that require prayer. On a general level, we ask that our loved ones join us in praying that we will serve in Haiti in accordance with God's will and always seek His wisdom and guidance. Also, we ask you to pray that the mission statement of the hospital be understand and carried out by our staff. Along with that, we want our loved ones and supporters to know that our mission here is about operating a hospital to provide healthcare to people who might not have access if Hospital Lumiere did not exist. Our primary goal is not evangelism, although we many times have opportunity to introduce Christ to someone who does not know him. Our primary goal is not to provide food and clothing to everyone on the mountain, although we do have opportunities to give these from time to time. Our primary goal is not to provide education for Haitian children, although we have many opportunities to help children fund their education. The needs are great, but to be effective, we must focus on the reason God asked us to move to Haiti.
Please read the mission statement and then pray for the leadership team at HL, the staff at HL, and all of us that live here and impact the operations of the hospital.
Now for some random pictures and stories:
This man is named George and he is demonstrating how to use a corn grinder that he made. He puts the corn into the top which is a plastic jug with a whole in the top and a whole in the bottom. He is turning the crank with his hands. It is a rather efficient manual corn grinder. George is married to a beautiful young lady named Nadia and they have three small children. They also attend the MEBSH church in Bonne Fin. They have a beautiful jaden or garden surrounding their home. George had several small plots of corn and beans and 4 good-sized pigs. He seemed like a natural born farmer! Here is a picture of some of their jaden.
Here are a couple of pictures of a mushroom variety that has been popping up in our yard. They like to grow near an old tree stump that sits on the edge of our yard.
Another fun picture is this one of the biggest Pineapple I have ever seen. Typically, the pineapples we buy in Haiti are smaller than what you find in the US grocery stores. I have a young lady named Brimarie Venieze (I call her Miss Bri) who comes to my door once a twice a week with Anana or pineapple. Because I will pay a bit more for my pineapples, she usually will come here first and give me first pick. She brought me this one last week and my cleaning lady, Elina was so impressed by it's size that she insisted I take a picture of it. It was very sweet and enjoyable as well as being large.
We are asked often, "How should we pray for you." There are so many needs here and so many facets of mission service that require prayer. On a general level, we ask that our loved ones join us in praying that we will serve in Haiti in accordance with God's will and always seek His wisdom and guidance. Also, we ask you to pray that the mission statement of the hospital be understand and carried out by our staff. Along with that, we want our loved ones and supporters to know that our mission here is about operating a hospital to provide healthcare to people who might not have access if Hospital Lumiere did not exist. Our primary goal is not evangelism, although we many times have opportunity to introduce Christ to someone who does not know him. Our primary goal is not to provide food and clothing to everyone on the mountain, although we do have opportunities to give these from time to time. Our primary goal is not to provide education for Haitian children, although we have many opportunities to help children fund their education. The needs are great, but to be effective, we must focus on the reason God asked us to move to Haiti.
Please read the mission statement and then pray for the leadership team at HL, the staff at HL, and all of us that live here and impact the operations of the hospital.
The mission of Hospital Lumiere is to provide excellent
and effective medical care with compassion and Christian love.
We will also share the vision of Hospital Lumiere and ask that you keep these two statements in context as you pray for our work in Haiti. The vision is:
Hospital Lumiere will seek to transform the lives of the people living in the Bonne Fin area to the highest degree possible by delivering excellent medical care and sharing the love of Jesus Christ.
