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