I saw kindess...

During the last two months in the states, there have been numerous acts of outstanding acts of kindness. Its been humbling and also, helped me to realize that our Father is a Father of kindness. He delights in seeing us smile in unexpected places!

I SAW KINDNESS IN------------

  My Mama-- for your extravagant kindness and generosity. She allowed us to use her upstairs, and shared her main living area with such grace it almost brings me to tears. How many times did she bring home grocery items to share, or specialty food items she knew certain of us liked. She listened to me when i was overwhelmed with hard things. She loved us well. 

In the people who get credit for my car being filled with gas at least 3 times during our stay, and two different times i went to check out at the grocery store, and my groceries were paid. 

In the stranger who saw my arms filled at Aldi, and shoved a bag into my hand. 

In the single lady who brought a meal, and  packages of bacon.  

In the ladies who brought a tower of casseroles, and made it so so easy to get a meal on the table when i wasn't in my own kitchen. 

In my brother, who allowed me to clean his offices, and giving the girls and i a perfect job , close to home, and a way to earn some grocery money. And to my mom, who alllowed us to clean the guest house across the field. It also provided some really good life lessons---"you mean our coffee shop stop cost this whole HOUR of cleaning?! I'll go to the grocery and but a bottle of ice coffee concentrate that allows me to have the enjoyment 4x for a fraction of the coffee shop stop"

In the random box in the mail that spoke " i love you and care about you"

In  the friends who came all the way from Lancaster, just to see us. 

in the friends that wanted to get together, but who understood that we simply couldn't do everything, and knew our friendship didnt depend on whether we visited or not. 

In the gift of a bag of coffee... roasted by some of our dearest friends

In the friends who brought our entire Peachey family supper, the week of the sale. 

In my brother in law and sister who gifted Jess and I a night at their beautiful cottage. 

In the gift of fabric from a sister i law...

In the friend who sent money through  Paypal with the note "use this for a coffee outting for you and the girls"

In the offering from a church of people we have never met....

In the friend who spoke life giving words over our family as we sat at lunch in a little church in Sarasota

In the stranger at Good will who bought the toy she saw Jorden wishing for, but we weren't going to buy. 

In my sisters---for their unwavering love and  and friendship that stands strong no matter what. 

In my "sisters of heart" who let me know what "big sisters" are like. 

we are surrounded by kindess

HOW BEAUTIFUL A DAY, WHEN KINDNESS TOUCHES IT, FOR " RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS ARE ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL AND  UNDERATED AGENTS OF HUMAN CHANGE. " -BOB KERRY

Jesus over my day....

Last week stretched me, and grew me.  I hope i look back on it as a memorial, and never forget the lessons i learned. 

I had moments of huge overwhelm. 

I didn't think i could manage what was before me. 

I was tired of giving, and giving and giving. 

But I had forgotten!! I lost sight of Who is in control of my day. Who it is that plans and brings each disruption, opportunity, and person (and sometimes thy are all in one) into my life!!  I forgot who i am really living for: The Glory of my Heavenly Father

I got past the hard. Into quiet. 

And i realized it had all gone just fine. Better than what i had anticipated.

I want to learn, REMEMBER---

This is a moment. These days, they are simply moments in my life. They come, they go. I can accept my days, my work, my place in this life, as a gift from my Father. We so often want the glamor. The mountain top. The glory. 

But often, serving in faithfulnss requires uncomfortable. Inconvience. And unplanned things. It isn't always fun or easy.  But HE IS WITH US. He is our strength. He is our Provider. 

I have found Him to be a Faithful, Faithful Father. 

Some things I've learned in 2023

That it really is ok to slow and savor. The mad rush to do ALL. THE. THINGS.  ends in frusteration, weariness, and an unsettled feeling of discontent. We simply are not meant to do it all.

My husband and family are the most important and my first priority. Leaning into my family is something that has become very important to me. At the end of my life, they are the ones who are most affected by how i have lived and how i expended my time and energy. If they are ever asked if i loved them,  I want them to be able to say "YES" without a doubt or hesitation. 

Today may be the best day of the week, or the month, even if it is ordinary and mundane. 

Chasing after more exciting activities, or sitting in pity over what i lack, has no place in my heart. When i am thankful for what is, and what i have, I open myslef up to abundance and joy. 

Life is journey. I can be frusterated over what i need to learn, or i can remember Jesus meets me right here, and gently leads me foward, one day at a time. He is with me on the way, not just waiting for me at the finish line. 

What you feed, will grow. What you starve, will weaken. 

Reading Gods Word consistantly will give you a hunger for more. I know this to be true. 

While my phone connects me to many good things, and people, it is often  thief of my time and a cheap substitute for something better. Like a face to face connection, a walk, or thinking in quietness. 

Reading is under-rated.  Good books are a wealth of opportunity for learning and growing. And  I'm not talking e-books. I mean real, turn the pages books.  

 

Walking is therapy. For body, mind, and soul. 

Habits are created by disciplining yourself to do a hard thing over and over until it becomes a part of your life. Then, the hard part of disciplining yourself to do it fades and it becomes a more natural part of your day.  The thing that used to be hard, can even  become a non negotiable... even enjoyable. 

When one is stricken with a grief  and you receive a  blow so hard you think you won't be able to go on, you will find  you actually do keep breathing. Living. 

And if you choose ot to be so, God will not allow the horrible,terrible pain to be wasted. There will be days you see a glimmer of goodness, and a new person emerging from the pain.  I have come to see that above all, HE IS FAITHFUL, and HE IS GOOD. 

I have no  hopes that the year will be free from  pain, or suffering. I will experiece hurt from friends, misunderstanding, and unjustice. 

There will be days that feel like deserts. 

There will be uncertainties,  temptation to fear. 

But one thing i am begining to see with a surety, a clarity, and deep in my heart, is this:

Whatver comes, is for my good. 

For my growth, and for His glory. 

I can choose to let it drive me nearer to Him, 

and He will carry me through, all the way Home. 

Without Him, I have nothing. 

With Him, I have all I need. 

Happy New Year, friends. ❤️ 

Resetting a day... resetting a blog (are they still a thing??)

I have been working at consistancy, you know.. a portion of balance instead of allowing the "all or none" side of me to take over. The older i get, the more i realize that the greatest progress i make in  any given area of my life is effected by CONSISTANCY. Its not the big fell swoop of something, but rather the "one small change done day after day". 

I am working on some sustainable, healthy habits, and being consistant in them. 

Blogging may be one of those. 

Stepping back to see what is really important to me and what i want to do with this one short life i've been given. 

Falling, but realizing i can get back up right now. I don't have to wait for another day to have a restart. It can happen now. 

So here's the first post to a new start. 

What new habits do you want to work on??

These days

Wars and strife on very hand

And violence fills the land

Still some people doubt He'll ever come again

Oh, but the Word of God is true

He'll redeem His chosen few

Dont loose Hope--Jesus Christ will soon decend!

As i saw another link, for another article, on what a terrible state our country of Haiti is in, my heart felt despair. Why do we even bother to try? What difference can we make??  Things aren't getting better. 

Discouraged. 

Negetative. 

Looking for a way out. 

These people are all around us. 

So why don't we leave. We dont' have to be here. We don't have to care or spend our time here. 

But God.

He has called us into this darkness, with HIS LIGHT. We have hope, in Jesus. We have the TRUTH. 

We cannot change Haiti, or anyone. We cannot feed all the hungry, or care for all the poor, or change the hearts of the gangs. 

But we can be FAITHFUL. We can be influencers. Ambassadors. 

TODAY. 

Feed the one. 

Care for one. 

Smile and give thanks. 

Show gratitude for what we have. 

We can live out the Gospel in our marriage, and in our family. 

Will it be easy? Comfortable? 

When was following Jesus ever promised to be that? On the contrary, we are promised hardship if we follow Jesus. We can expect that. 

Maybe we won't change Haiti,  or the world , but will we be found faithful? 

At the end, thats all God is asking. 

Life as it is now

September 13 found us going for the dreaded covid tests in town and then heading over the beautiful mountains to Jacmel, where we caught our little plane to PAP.  Furlough is always an anticipated time to be with family and friends. We came weary... the last few months have been intense and emotionally taxing. 

Furlough included extra special things like spending a few days in Ohio with Jess's brother Mark and his family being in PA for my parents annual Fly-In event, a wedding, and a  night away with my mom and sisters.  We purposefully kept alot of "white space" and said no to things we wanted todo , and invites we would have loved to accept, for the greater purpose of not running around frazzled. 

We barely hit PA before Jess and I both got sick.  That set us back enough that we requested an extra week of furlough, which we were granted. We planned to go home October 19.

October 18 found us finalizing our packing and cleaning up our spaces. The kidnappings of 17 missionaries on Saturday left our hearts aching and hurt. Then, on Monday, we realized the unsteadiness of the country was escalating. 7 gas trucks had been taken by gangs who then called randsom on the trucks and drivers after taking the gas. It was apparent we may not even be able to travel to our house. Getting stuck in Jacmel with a family of 8 was not a risk we felt was wise. 

We halted the packing and i found myself reeling into a hole of disbelief, and disappointment, all the while realizing we had so so much to be thankful for. We were safe, together, and had a place to stay. 

And so the weeks have passed. Limbo. Its hard to describe how it really feels. 

Displaced, because its not home.

Heavy, because you know the reason you can't go is because the country you are wanting to go back to is in serious chaos. 

I have been a firm believer in practicing GRATITUDE. 

I still practice it. This time has given us opportunity to make more memories with family and friends. 

We have a place to stay, and its warm (inside)

The children are able to continue school. 

Jess has a job. 

There is a space between accepting what is, acknowleging that hard, and then moving forward with acceptance and purpose. 

There is the Truth to be embraced. God is still God. He has allowed these change of plans for us. He has our good in mind, and He cares for us more than we can imagine. 

I am so grateful that God always, always keeps His promises, and that in these days where change is at every hand, He never changes. 

Blessed are the flexible......

Blessed are the flexible, for they will never be bent out of shape. 

Well, after this week, we should be contorchanists. Let me explain.

I went into last weekend excited about a quiet, family weekend. No plans, Dorcas was going to the mountains, and we were just going to be HOME. It was also exciting to thing about Gary, Anne and family coming on Sunday afternoon, and then Monday evening, we planned to have Rhonda come, and some Haitian friends, for supper. Tuesday Rhonda, Anne and I were planning to take a boat to a remote beach , have breakfast, and some quiet hours together before the men , Dorcas and children arrived with lunch.

Well, about Tuesday we found out one of our friends sisters died. Rhonda and Rose needed someone to take them to the funeral on Sat. Jess agreed to take them, and he left later afternoon on Friday, drove the two hours to Rhondas, and then drove 3 hours early Sat morning. When the road was no longer passable, they hiked the rest of the way. It was late Sat when they returned to Rhonda, and Jess planned to come home Sunday morning.

Before he left, however, Weston had a very freak accident. A button snapped on a string he was playing with, and it hit his eye. The longer it went, the more they realized it was a serious injury. Jess called and asked if Josh and I could change the tire on the truck so he could quickly swap from UTV to truck. (first time for everything!) They arrived and got some clothes packed and left for a hospital in Cayes. In the meantime, Gary and Anne are caught in roadblocks and demonstrations, and had to turn around. Predictions for bad roads on Monday and Tuesday took beach plans off the radar.

Upon examination, Weston was scheduled for surgery on Monday. No hope was given for his sight to return.

After a long and delicate surgery, Weston is stabilized but unable to be discharged.

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Purpose-- having as ones intention or objective

This year, PURPOSE has been my theme. I have started writing down goals, making lists, and being intentional about what my purpose is, even in little things.

I am finding that when my purpose is bigger than my feelings, bigger than "what will people think" , bigger than my comfort zone, and written down where i can see it, I can walk valleys with confidence, tackle work that looks daunting, and carry through when the odds are against me. Purpose takes the focus off myself, and onto a greater goal.

And this is what carried me, to a large degree, this last week. I have purposed, that by Gods grace, i will make it as easy as i can for Jess to be fully present at his job. This time, it meant that instead of feeling sorry for myself that i had to be alone most of the week, i made a deliberate decision to care for the children well, count our blessings that even tho Daddy wasn't here, he wasn't gone forever. It meant remembering that mission is doing whatever is in front of us, with faithfulness, as unto the Lord. My attitude so largely effects my children's, and trust me, when you take a bad attitude x 7 it sure isn't pretty.

 

Being purposeful is grounding. 

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And so we took one day at a time. Words of affirmation, blessing and encouraging messages flooded my phone on my birthday. Dorcas and Maritta blessed me with a little party. I felt loved and cared for.

Tuesday past, then Wednesday.

On Thursday we finally saw Jess, Weston, and Rhonda, arrive. What a happy reunion!

How blessed our children are to have a Daddy who loves and cares for them. How grateful i am to have a husband who cares for people in need, and willingly sacrifices comfort and family to do the next right  thing, willingly. He loves us well, and loves us first. 

This is mission. This doing the next thing purposefully, faithfully, for the Lord. f

We head into the weekend, laying aside any previous plans so we be together as a family.

(at least that the current plan;))

All the way my Saviour leads me,

What have I to ask beside?

Can I doubt His tender mercy,

who through life has been my Guide.

Heavenly peace divinest comfort,

Here by faith, in Him to dwell,

For i know what'ere befall me,

Jesus doeth all things well

Recently i had several moms ask me about the order of our days, how we schedule and work everything in that needs to be done. 

When i think about our home, and what i want the tone and atmostphere of it to be, i realize that it largly depends on me, as a mom. My attitude, my responses, the tone of my voice, and how i approach the things that are thrown into our day, can effect the entire family in short order.   This also effects my productivity. 

Anytime i get on this subject with my mom friends, we nearly always walk away with this nutshell conclusion; it comes down to self discipline. 

Self discipline will leave its mark on every one of our days, just like the lack of self discipline leaves its own mark. 

You will see a difference in positive, versus, negative, results in your day. 

"Discipline is choosing between what you want now, and what you want most" -Abraham Lincoln.

Without further bunny trails, i'll jump right into answering a question from my friend "Amy". 

" How do you plan out your days? Do you have a planner? Do you do certain things on certain days?" 

 

For those of you who know me well, it may be a surprise that i do not have a planner, for our days. I only recently learned to love list making, (and wow, i am benefiting  from that!) 

I am a huge HUGE fan of being proactive. I thrive on it. Because of this, almost all of my housework is done because I GET TO do it, and not because i  HAVE TO. 

Let me explain. Because I clean very throughly every week, i actually wouldn't't HAVE TO clean each week.  (But because its never terrible, its actually not even hard todo!) 

* Thursdays is cleaning day, and typically we all work on it together. We also wash bedding that day. 

Because i do laundry every day, i wouldn't't even have to do it every day. (But because i do, there isn't't a lot and I cannot even relate to mountains of laundry piled up)

Get what i mean? 

So our days have more rythms  than schedules. Maintaining every day, by doing a few small loads of laundry, sweeping floors, wiping surfaces, putting things in their "home" after we use them, and putting one project away before we start another.... it all adds up to reaping the reward of chaos being rare, filth and clutter minimal, not to mention stress of getting ready for guests is very little. 

Before you think our life is perfect and we never have any issues, thats not true. But  i can tell you this. 

You reap what you sow.

 If you are intentional with teaching your children to work along side you, if you are consistent and lovingly disciple them, you will reap blessing. 

And its always good to remember this :

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

And here we are....

To everyone who thought we disappered, here we are, quite alive and well. Its been almost a year since i came into this space. I will not try to fill in the year, but rather, go over some different areas of interest, and fill you in on our lives, currently. 

We are loving our life in Petite Guave. Town life is far different from the mountains, and there are pros and cons of course. I miss our friends in La Baliene, but otherwise, i think we mostly feel pros. Our dead end street means less through traffic, and of course, no road blocks. The fact that the Carribean Ocean is 1/4 mile from our house is a defenite perk. I never get tired of hearing the waves come and go, and watching the "mood" of the sea. 

I like that markets are nearby, in several directions, and that i can easily run out, or send a taxi, for a great number of staples. Flour, sugar, rice, oatmeal, eggs, and many vegetables are very available. While our diet doesn't feel like we are deprived, we have definitely learned that our list of "staples" isn't as big as it used to be. I am realizing how easy it is to eat simply. It takes less time to prepare meals, and we def eat healthier without all those additives. 

We have some beautiful friends who live in town, native and American. And, our location offers passer-bys little reason to go by without stopping. We love the flow of people that come through our gate... whether a quick stop or overnight guests. Some weeks we hardly have a day where there isn't someone here at some point or another, and other weeks we have few days without anyone. 

Jess's job with SALT has been a blessing and opportunity for blessing and being blessed. I love to pop in occasionally, but am grateful that i am seldom needed.  Maritta and I do help with serving food and preparing sleeping quarters during the big seminar, but otherwise the work is deligated to office employees. 

So in general, my life is very normal to those who live in the states. My primary focus is our family, and my heart is to do that well, so that Jess is free to do his work. I love to keep our home a haven for him and the children... a welcome, tidy, and enjoyable place for us to be together, and then to share with those who stop by. 

Lord willing, i plan to post various aspects of our life here, and various thoughts on experiences we've had, or just things i am learning. I may do Q and A post, or a "day in the life"

  Feel free to share your thoughts in comments, or just let me know you are here. 

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Our corner of the world has been a hub of activity. Sometimes i wonder if i even know what "normal" is supposed to look like. 

We love our location in the fact that we are at a great spot for people who are traveling through to stop and refresh, whether that means a cold cup of water, food, bathroom, bed for the night; one or all of the above. Our vision is to serve and to have the resources we have been entrusted with be a source of blessing that flows to other people. Horded blessings stink, and i feel sorry for people  that have the mindset that their are certain classes of people who can give and the thought that you don't have enought to be able to give to others is for the birds. If you have breath to breath, you can give words of affirmation, and if you have running water, you can offer a drink in His name. 

Speaking of blessings, its been really fun to have special items that our recent team brought to share with people stopping for a minute. Who knew that a bag of precooked bacon bits, a bit  of cheese and a torilla is the perfect quick meal for the road? Thank you so much, for everything you all brought. Its so fun to share the joy. 

School is in full swing, and the freshly painted schoolroom makes it feel so bright and cheery! I cannot be grateful enough for the way God brought us just the teacher we needed, and having a classroom is so great for school to be structured and stable. 

I am doing first grade with Jorden and really love watching the miracle of how little minds can grasp and comprehend new information every day, and in building on that, they start to open up to whole new worlds. Its amazing!

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Sometimes i don't blog because i feel like i have nothing  new to say under the sun. But,  some of my favorite reads are the people who are down to earth, normal moms who take the time to write and we come away knowing we really are normal women with normal struggles; not alone. ( see wocketinmypocket.com for one of the most inspiring, real lady i know) I've had friends encourage me to write; something i do enjoy. 

I've been thinking alot about ordinary things. 

About life and ministry. About Christianity and issues that are in our face. 

About the FAITHFULNESS of God throughout history,and specifically in our life as a family. 

What have you been thinking on?  

Intentional Gratitude and my heart cry ....

Taking each task that is handed you with joy, and doing it for the glory of God, enables you become a storehouse of joy and blessing. We must do the mundane, the little, everyday things, as a mission to bring God glory. Dont think that if you would move to a remote village in Africa, or to some other remote or "exciting" place in the world that you would be fullfilling a better place in Gods kingdom. 

Where God has you, right now, is where He is asking for faithfulness for the thing in front of you. He wants to teach us that the little things add up to big things, and that when you are no longer focused on what is "big" or " little", but simply act in intentional obedience, He can do amazing things through His children. 

Do those dishes with joy. Do the laundry as an act of service with love. Do you know that the "missionary" you so admire is doing laundry and dishes too, but likely has no hot water, and no automatic washer? If it rains, she likely doesn't have a dryer, either. 

There are some things we cannot choose. 

Like our circumstances. 

But we can choose our response to those circumstances. 

When you think of  daily chores as Holy work, it changes everything. 

When you choose joy and celebration in what other people have, or their successes, it changes everything. 

And it brings ABUNDANT JOY. 

It brings a feeling of respect for yourself and other people, and it takes away jealousy and negetivity. 

I challenge you to try it, it will change your life. 

Life in the states...

We've been here in the states, staying with my parents for two weeks. I keep thinking of how hard it was to leave home, and all our earthly belongings so suddenly, but in comparison to some of the refugees in Greece, I have it so so good!

We have a family who was eagerly awaiting our arrival.

We have a great place to stay.

We have our entire family with us, and we are safe!!

If we are going to compare, lets compare with those that have less. There is ALWAYS ALWAYS a way to gratefulness, and when you walk that road, you will find contentment and happiness. ENOUGH. 

We are very very grateful that the children are able to have their teacher from Haiti set up school and teach in the basement of Beth-El Mennonite School. This has brought stability and an anchor to our day.  It has put being in the states under a different light for the littles; they are used to furlough which is a lot of dinner invitations, outtings and fun with the aunts and uncles, spoiling by my mom, and more "vacation" type of stay. Now they see that life in the states isn't all fun and games:)

I've enjoyed seeing friends and family.... spending time with my mom and sisters. Its a battle for me to enjoy the time that wasn't planned, not settle in to much, but live with an open hand. We do not know when we will return home, but for sure not til the end of the month. We plan to go to Fl to see Jess's parents and there, my parents have a house we can use. 

Our family theme song, and one that I ministers to me so so often is this...

He is a gentle Father, and in all this upheaval, unknowns and uncertainty, His grace is sufficient, and He has our journey planned perfectly. 

He is a good Father. 

A road less traveled...

I feel like i'm on a very unfamiliar road right now. Our whole family, really. I love schedule, nesting into a home, and routine.

We had just gotten settled, mostly nested, and a good routine going when the storm started to brew. Unrest in Haiti is not new, but it has come and gone many times. This time, it didn't go so fast.

For about 7 weeks lived in a state of immobilization. We couldn't travel freely, which ranged anywhere from not going to the city to not feeling safe to go to market several miles down the road at times.

In any case, it has been  wearing. I think in my desire to not be dramatic, I've  maybe not acknowledged the emotional wearing and the weariness it brings. "evacuation" was something I didn't want to think about. Haiti is our home, and how do you take 6 children and live in a state of limbo when there is school todo and you have no home of your own and you have no idea when you will return. How long can you live in a temporary state when you have no idea how long the temporary will last??


The riots and upheaval continued and soon started effecting the office, employees, and Andy and Jess. On Thursday, October 31st. , at noon, we got a call from the board saying they have made the decision. Its time to evacuate.

Between my mind going numb, yet feeling relieved the decision was made for us and we didn't have to battle weather we were staying to long, or leaving to soon, I immediately began preparing, packing, and organizing. Kinda ridiculous, considering we basically all only had a carry one with enough clothes for several days. Heading to Pa in Nov when you are coming out of 90* temperatures is no joke, let me tell you.

Within about 36 hours we were headed out. We were trusting God to get us across the mountains to a small , paved airport in Jacmel. We had two national employees along to help with any road block complications. This part of the trip was the "mountain" in my mind. If we could just get there, the rest felt like downhill.

God was so so good to us!! We left early, knowing that that was our first step of wisdom and doing what we could to avoid problems. The drive was beautiful as we climbed the mountain and went around many sharp curves. We saw the remainders of many roadblocks but simply went around them. Only one was impassable, armed, but not volatile, and with about 500 gds we were able to pass. The airport was a welcome, welcome sight. We had 3 trips lined up, with Andys family leaving first, and our family splitting into two. I've always wanted to see Haiti from a small plane, but not under these circumstances.

The mountains dotted with little houses and tin roofs, the trails that wind up and down and around, and river beds that run long and wide, never cease to amaze me. No wonder a trip that takes us 2 hours by truck took about 20 minutes.


Since we got into PAP to late to catch a connecting flight into Pa, we got a hotel in Ft. Lauderdale. My mind was still in survival/ do the next thing mode, but we were so grateful for safe trip, and how well the children did. They've become very used to flying, and they were amazing.

I'll pick up from here in my next post. And yes, since I have better internet, a little organization to my life, I hope to make this blog a little more active.

pray for us... and let me know if you will commit to that?? I'd love to hear from you.

The blessing of Acceptance

So this week my phone fried. Its been throwing a few fits lately, but I was trying to be patient and not just think i need to rush out and buy another one.

Then one morning I woke, and it was dead. Like completely and totally wouldn't charge or turn on. Nothing. 

I soon had a decision to make. Feel utterly frusterated at all the pictures, messages, recipes, and notes that were now totally gone, 

or accept the loss and go on.  ( and remind every friend and their brother, and myself, to always, always back up your pictures on a regular basis)

It seems to have been a theme in the last few years, this acceptance. I don't mean the kind where  you are lazy and just allow everyone to run over you; being a carpet, but the kind of acceptance that can weather storms, and where, even in very disappointing times, your spirit remains at peace, and you aren't all bent out of shape.

I have a paragraph written in my Bible that i think on often.

In acceptance lieth peace, 

Oh my heart be still;

Let Thy restless worries cease, 

And accept His will.

Though this test be not thy choice,

 It is His, therefore, rejoice!

In His plan there cannot be, 

Aught to make thee sad,

If this is His choice for thee, 

Take it, and be glad!

Make from it a lovely thing, 

To the glory of the King.

Cease from sighs and murnering, 

Sing His lovely grace, 

This thing means thy furthering, 

To a wealthy place. 

From thy fears He'll give release. 

In acceptance lieth peace. 

Whatever storms you are facing today, whatever inconvenience, interruption, or trial,

may you find walk in grace, acceptance, and therefore, 

PEACE

The racetrack

Seems like a fitting title for a description of life since we landed in Haiti on July 24. Getting settled into a new home, going through several households things to furnish our own house, helping one family move out and another in, jess getting dengue for a week, butchering two pigs and having the biggest conference within salt happen all within the first two months we are here, besides the normal things that come with being a mom of 6, and is it any reason I can hardly catch my breath? There have been pockets of time where I breath , and do some things that refuel my being, and I'm grateful.


The house and property are located on the bottom edge of town, about a 3 minute walk to the coast. It's quiet and peaceful, and even when there are road blocks and chaos in town we can hardly tell from here. So much so, that one day when I walked up the street to get a taxi to go to market, I discovered town was "hot" (our term for when town has conflict, road blocks and/or burning tires) a little to late. We came up on a tractor trailer blocking the road. My driver got off, told me to walk around the truck...he pushed his cycle under the trailer and through the blockade and we net in the
other side, and were soon on our way. More blockades and I was feeling quite uncomfortable with being out and about. I told him to take me back where he picked me up but he drove up through town and soon had me at market. Let's just say I was thankful to be back home that day. Extra thankful.


Back to the house. We specifically prayed for various things and I can tell you, God handpicked this place. The children have place to play, there is a beautiful outbuilding for a schoolroom, we have guestrooms and our teacher has her own space. It's more than I dreamt!

The house is full of character but needed alot of cleaning and tlc. It's so much fun to see our work pay off with "after " pics that show such a difference. The yard will take awhile, but we enjoy that kind of work so it doesn't look overwhelming.


The racetrack is loosing it's grip on me as I realize how valuable it is to take a day at a time and put my all into it. I tend to be proactive; doing what doesn't need done badly to avoid it feeling huge. It pays off.

I'm settling in and nestling my family, and I am very very grateful for this time, this place, these people. I love this country and it's people; and there's no where I'd rather be than right where I am, with husband and family I have.

posted from Bloggeroid

Revival of the blog

Hey everyone! After almost a year of quiet, here I am, ready to step our into the cyber world and put some thoughts out there. Sometimes I feel like my life is so normal, who would want to read about it? Or, what is new under the sun that would even inspire anybody?

But with a lot of thought and a dear friend who gave me the encouragement to do this, I'm ready to start blogging again.

It's been a year for the books in so many ways. I don't know how much I will go back, but for now, I want to welcome you here.

I hope you find this spot encouraging, relatable, and where you can know you have a friend who cares. It'll be where I share of our life here in Haiti, our home of 3 years. You might learn about some of my passions and dreams, about the things that work for me and some that don't.
Whatever the case,
Welcome! I'm glad you are here.

Summer things…..

The summer has come and flew and is soon to go out just as quickly. We are living our days, some planned and yet having many opportunities to have our plans changed and be flexible. Truly, each moment is a gift to be savored, and opportunities come daily that we do not want to miss or take for granted.

We started out summer normally…. the Haitian school left out, the Dorcas Center closed and Becca went home.  The children finished out the 2017/2018 school year and had about 2 weeks of break before Lynita came on May 16. This is the second year she came to teach summer school and so it was easy for her to jump in and start the 2018/2019 year. I was so grateful for the break, even tho i scarcely knew what todo with all the extra time. It was really fun tho, to be able to sew, and do some things that i didn’t have time for before, as well as have the school load shared. We enjoyed taking random days off, and I enjoyed having a coffee buddy. Lynita was such a blessing and encouragement to us, and we enjoyed having her here very much.

It was a special blessing to have Lynita here while i took my trip stateside. She kept school going and the house running. It was disappointing to not be able to spend any time in Labaliene together before she left, but God knew that all along.

We looked forward to welcoming Katrina Musser , who was coming to teach for several weeks this summer as an opportunity to learn more about school and classroom. God knew we would need her for domestics much more than for teaching. She has served and given in amazing ways, and I was so blessed by how she utilized spare time to come up with creative crafts and learning games that supplemented their lessons. ( But they hardly knew they were learning)

We enjoyed visiting friends, a trip to the river, a trip to the mountains,and many other everyday things.

So summer is ending and we are anticipating some concentrated family time before plunging into a busy new year of school ( for us, and also Haitian school, which means the end of a quiet courtyard) finishing up some projects on the compound and other things we have on our plate. Life here is not always easy, and some days i need to intentionally  count blessings. I need to remember God is good, and He is writing out our story one day at a time, and even the hard and the difficult and the uncomfortable, are all being used to make a beautiful tapestry. By the grace of God we will be faithful one day at a time.

 

Stateside... July 2018

                                                                                                                          

 What a gift to be able to go to the states for a little time with family, esp after having poured more energy than I felt at the time, during the last year of being mom and teacher. A special thank you to Jess and Lynita for your extra work, to Luke and Joyce, David and Hannah, and Ruth, for our tickets. It was so very very generous and thoughtful of you!

                                                                                        

  

Our dear Abe and Mimi picked us up in Pittsburg, and took us to a beautiful motel for the night. What a refreshing way to start out our time!  This lady is absolutely amazing, and we had the best breakfast right there in our suite. When we got to the house, some of the family was there to see us. Later, more came, then more!  I  went to sleep with the full moon streaming across the bed,and the beautiful sound of the waterfalls outside.

                                                                                                                                                                          

The next morning i walked in on our family camping, in a bear costume. I had a box of fruit snacks that i passed out…. Dad and mom  and most of my nieces and nephews thought i was arriving Monday. It was absolutely epic. Shocked would be a good word to describe how my parents felt. Yessss!!!!!!!

                                                                                                                        

Meeting the new nephew. ALL THE BABY SNUGGLES….

No place like Moms house. We got up early on Monday morning. The world was quiet and beautiful. The birds were singing their praises, and the grass and trees and flowers were joining in silent worship.

I loved helping mom around the house, working in the garden

and talking together.

Attending Andrew and Priscillas wedding was a highlight for me, even though i esp missed Jess that day.

                                                                                                              

Im not sure how many mornings we met for early coffee, but it was so fun to talk in person!

And with my other big sister…..<3

So proud of my sister and their new business!!!

                        

One of my favorite pictures from my trip.

I’m so blessed to have these people be my family.

More friends and more coffee… more beauty and more memories. And then, the unexpected extra days. As Haiti found its self in a turmoil and upheaval, days before our scheduled return, we waited.

We met my Sil as planned, so we would be near the airport. Jess made the final call to reschedule our return. Although we could fly, it was unsafe for him to travel to pick us up.

Even though the circumstances were less than ideal, we had the pleasure of a few days with Mark and Lois. Wow. What an unexpected gift!!!! 

Not only that, Abe and Judy stopped by on their way home from Ontario and spent another 14 hours or so with us. How sweet was that!?!?!?

We flew back into Haiti on July 12. So happy to see Jess and the other children again, and Lynita! We made some stops in town, esp for Lynita, and then enjoyed a lovely late lunch together before going to CAM guesthouse for the night.

Lynita and I shared coffee together the next morning and then we took her to the airport. We sure are going to miss her!

Its good to be home.

so so good.

on School and some Q and A’s

This past year has been very stretching for me, and although I can say without a doubt I enjoyed the season, I am thankful that i have this current season of rest. .

As we entered into homeschooling very unexpectedly, it took me some time to learn what worked for us. But, we got into a good routine and as we learned to work together even more, i started to enjoy teaching more than i ever thought possible. Here are some Q & A……

Will we homeschool again next year? At this point we will probably homeschool at last until we get back from furlough. God knows about the rest. We think that i will be involved more than i was the first two years, but not do it totally alone.

What kind of routine worked for you?

We had a pretty formal type of homeschool. I was/am very thankful for the fact that we have a classroom on the lower level of our house. Each day we “went to school” around 8am. Somedays (at first, most days) Kiara would go to a very dear friend of mine, for the morning. Although this was hard for me, Jess encouraged it, and honestly, with having grades 1, 3, 5 and 6, I’m not sure how i  could have done it otherwise. We had a break mid morning, and tried to finish up the major subjects, along with checking and correcting before 12. After lunch, we sat outside and did our history together as a group study. The children def had to pick up extra chores but since haitian school is active right outside our house, they couldn’t really play our there until after 2pm. This gave them time todo the majority of their chores before that, and then still have plenty of play time before supper.

What curriculum do you use?

We currently use CLE for Math, Language Arts and Reading. We use The Good and Beautiful for  handwriting and some preschool books. This year we will use their typing program for our 7th grader, and also their History program.

Does Jess teach or do you do it all alone?

We have an aim for Jess to do Bible with Josh and Zoey at 6:30 am. This doesn’t always happen because he is on hospital run duty pretty much 24/7. Our family devotion time together fills in the time when they don’t actually do the CLE Bible book, but i do love when they have this time alone with their Daddy. He often took Jorden with him, if he could, or if he wasn’t in the office and there was something he was doing that Jorden could be involved with, he did. He also blessed me with a trip to the states this summer. That feels really huge in being rejuvenated.

 Would we homeschool if we had a CDS nearby that we felt was a God honoring, kingdom focused school, Mostly likely not. I hope i never take our Christian Day School for granted, because we are more aware than ever just what all they do for us, and the blessing it was to be able to have them walk with us in the educational part of our childrens lives. For this time and season, it is what God has for us. This past year has been full proof that He enables us to do what we think we cannot do. His grace was sufficient, and it will continue to lead us…. whatever that entails.

                                                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                        

 Zoey--- 12 and in 6th grade

Josh—11 and in 7th grade

Abby – 9 and in 4th grade

Kaytlyn—7 and finishing 1st grade

Jorden— 5 and in and out of school. He  is picking up an amazing amount of the above sisters work

Kiara –18 months  and is in and out too. Her Haitian Aunt is a gift that i treasure!        

Why only a 2 week break before heading into the 2018/2019 year??

Because we have the privilege of having a dear friend and teacher come for a few months in the summer, we school “year round”.  This propels our year forward to that when furlough comes, we can take off without any worries of being behind, or needing to go late into the year. Also, the winter months are our “visitor season” and who would want to be in school when there are cousins or friends to play with? Besides the fact that if Mom is the teacher, she can’t host visitors very well.  I love the fact that having little breaks sprinkled through the year prevents that “ back to school slump and regressing and keeps our days stable with routine.  I feel freer to take a spontaneous day off when i don’t feel  the pressure of being behind.                                          

                                                                                             

I love the opportunities our children have for learning outside of school. They have very few toys here, but they are becoming so creative!

But i think that’s another post