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

Broken….

“Sometimes what we think may break us, is but a brake to save us. Sometimes what we believe is weighing us down is the way He draws us closer. Sometimes what we believe is keeping us from more is a way to keep us close enough to know more of who we are; BELOVED. What feels like to much can give you more of God.” – Ann Voscamp

If you haven’t read “The Broken Way” I highly recommend it. Living broken is living whole in Him. It doesn’t matter if you live in America, or Africa, or Haiti, if you are living in surrender to God you have endless opportunities to live broken. Its choosing the highway, when you feel like defending yourself. Its choosing to be misunderstood, when you are living out of conviction. Its never the easy way, and always the right way.

Whatever pieces of broken are laying around you today, choose Jesus to be the Saviour of your wrecked hopes, dreams, misunderstanding, and hurting heart. “Broken is beautiful, when Grace sings the melody”

And He is our abundant Grace. –Shalom!

Seasons

Seasons....have you ever thanked God for seasons? Since we live in the carribean, we only have two seasons; warm, and hot. OK. There is rainy season and hurricane season, but they hardly make this equation. And so, I am especially grateful for my friends who send me picture of their springtime. Many times I can smell the fresh spring air, feel the coolness giving to warm sunshine and remember the days of planting my garden and mulching flower beds. 

There is a benefit to no seasons, tho, believe it or not. There isn't the hurry and scurry to do the aforementioned spring prep. Really,  we hardly have peer pressure at all. THAT takes a whole dimension out of life:)  the plants that surround is thrive in the constant sunshine and this year,  lovely lovely rains. 

There is never a season to be ungrateful. So where you are,  look for all that surrounds you and thank the Creator. He loads us with benefits, daily.