Love came down

The love of my (our) Father completely wrecks me. His kindness astonishes me daily. I am overwhelmed by His affection for us. The simple utterance of His name releases us from chains and brings freedom. I would just like to share a powerful testimony of the His kingdom pulled down to earth.

        As I walked from my third grade class I noticed one of our students sitting outside her room. She seemed unresponsive to the teacher manhandling her face. So I stepped in and kindly asked the teacher to go back to class so that she and I could talk. At this point I assumed she was merely acting out and with some encouragement would return to class. I soon realized that was not the case at all!
 
      She was not acting out or being stubborn, she very literally was unable to open her mouth or speak. I asked her multiple questions and her only response was a head shake. Eventually I asked her why she was unable to open her mouth and speak. Her eyes glanced downward with a slight panic in them. I then asked if she knew who had the power to set her free. Without hesitation her eyes darted up to the heavens. I knew in that moment we needed reinforcements. I called Lala, April, and Katie into the room  and explained what I believed to be going on. In a few short seconds we were all ready for battle. We laid our hands on this beloved child and began to call upon our Father. A few minutes later Katie told  her to try and say the name,  Jesus. We  all sat around her encouraging her to call upon His name. Every muscle in her body tensed as she tried with all her might to open her mouth and utter His name. Her lips jerked and then all at once she shouted JEZI!  You could sense the shattering of bondage in the room. Then just as quickly as her mouth opened you could see it was again held shut. We continued like this for a while until at last she said again JEZI! With each shout the grip of the enemy loosened. Until finally she was able to open her mouth and pray, giving thanks to her Father. Sitting on the floor in that room I could tangibly feel the love of the father poured out on His child. His kindness filled the space and I could not contain the joy I felt in my spirit. I just sat there laughing while tears of gratitude rolled down my cheeks. If I said thank you every minute of everyday, it would not be equal to the depth of gratitude in my heart for His undeserved loving kindness towards His children.

Daniel

         

So I recently have taken on the challenge of third grade teacher ! I'm not sure if anyone is aware of this fun fact but our third graders are at that wonderful age where HORMONES happen. Being an only child I never experienced younger brothers or sisters becoming teenagers and all range of mood swings that it in tales. All that to say.... it has been an adjustment from my small, fairly quiet kindergarten class; to my large, rowdy third graders. I must say though, as a class we have come a long way in the past few months!  Learning patience, understanding and the definition of inside voices! Which brings me now to Daniel.  

This precious young man and I have not always seen eye to eye on things. However, the other day he blew my mind and melted my heart with a very simple, yet powerful act of love. It all started when we passed in the hall a little after lunch time and I asked how he was doing. He responded "I'm fine. How you?" I told him that I was a little hungry because I had forgotten my lunch. He said "Oh." Then turned and walked away. I made my way back to my kindergarten class and got back to writing lesson plans for the next week. A few minutes later I see a face peeking in from my door. Its Daniel. "Sorry Tia there is no more rice today." I looked up from my papers to this beautiful face and could not have felt more loved in that moment. I thanked him for thinking of me and told him I would be alright. Grinning from ear to ear I turned back to my desk and kept working. But the story of kindness doesn't end there. About a minute later I see Daniel walking into my class room with his hands behind his back. He smiles, holds out his hand and puts a pack of cookies on my desk. "I bought these for you." He said. "Now you wont be hungry." He turned walked out of the room before I could pick my jaw up off the floor to say thank you. He didn't wait around for praise, or recognition. Only to make sure that his teacher had something to eat for lunch.
     
     "For it is in the giving that we truly receive" Francis of Assisi

There is no fear in love.But perfect loves drives out all fear. 1John 4:18

I have been back in Haiti almost two weeks now. Despite the heat and lack of running water at my house I must say it feels good to be home! My heart is overjoyed to be reunited with these beautiful faces. I am truly blessed to be surrounded by love. 

Within about five minutes of walking in the door some handsome faces greeted me at  my front door. They had lots of questions about my summer but really just wanted to know what gifts I brought them so I gave them as many hugs and kisses as I could until they informed me that those were not gifts!!

I spent the first 4 days working in my classroom getting it ready for the first day of kindergarten. I am a huge fan of Dr. Suess so this year I decided to have a Suess themed class. This year I am teaching kindergarten in the afternoon and partner teaching with Esther in the morning in her pre-k 5 class.

Height chart

Job Chart

   

One of the first days of school while I was substituting in the third grade class we spent about an hour having fun with puzzles! They had so much fun that it was almost impossible to get them to do actually work the rest of the day!

Daniel 

Manickson, Elson, Daniel

Rosalinda

Singing in the rain

(This post has nothing to do with Haiti. It was just a beautiful moment I wanted to share)

 Yesterday was a dreary, cold, wet day. It was a perfect day for chinese food and a movie marathon on the sofa. A few friends and I gathered around the TV with junk food in hand and prepared to be lazy all day! After the first movie the rain seemed to be coming down in sheets while the thunder and lightning shook the house. After the first movie was over we decided we need a little break before starting the next one.  Do you ever feel like sometimes we talk because we just like the sound of our own voices? We have nothing to say really we just don’t know how to enjoy silence. As I sat there watching my friends play games on their phones and snack I could no longer ignore the pull to go outside into the rain.  I didn’t say a word I just slipped quietly outside and seated myself on the ground of the porch.  Do you remember when rain was a welcomed friend to play with? I can remember jumping in every puddle until my toes turned into little raisins in my shoes. When did rain become something to avoid?  As I sat on the front porch I closed my eyes and listened. As I listened to the rain hit the ground around me and the swaying of the branches above me an overwhelming sense of wonder began to fill me.  It was beautiful! Suddenly it became very clear to me that everything around me was worshiping. The rain, the wind, and the birds they had all joined together on this seemingly blah day to glorify the one true God. I was in awe. All of a sudden I was singing. I’m not sure if I decided to or if my soul just knew? Either way there I sat on the front porch worshiping with the rain in kreyol.  I stayed there for what seemed like hours making up my own songs to the rhythm of the rain and the wind. Before I went back inside I began just thanking God for drawing me out into the storm. As I walked in the door I thought I heard Him whisper Thanks for listening I’ve missed you! J I couldn’t believe that the God of the universe missed me and wanted to spend a little one on one time with me. Who am I?? I am His beloved and He is mine.  This is not about me being great or always obedient because truthfully I probably don’t listen half as often as I am called. I just want to encourage whoever reads this to get up and go out into the rain when you feel Him pulling at you. If I would have stayed inside I would have missed a beautiful moment between me and Jesus.

We are!

I wish I had something profound and extraordinary to say about my week spent in Haiti but I dont really ...... The school looks amazing and all the teachers seem to be doing a great job with the students! My feet got dirty (finally) and a cold coke never
tasted so sweet!. Most importantly all my favorite people in the world were there looking just like I left them. Some people have moved and roles have changed but there is an abundance of love and family there that permeates my very being! I have missed that more then anything else I think. To be in a place where I feel truly known, the good the bad and all the stuff in between.  We work together, play together, rejoice and weep together. We are a community of messed up people trying to do this thing called life well TOGETHER. We don't always want to do it but we love each other enough to do it anyway  We haven't always been a family and maybe we wont always be one. But right now in that place at this time WE ARE! I needed  to remember that!

Forward Motion

 "Go back?" he thought. "No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!" So up he got, and trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall, and his heart all of a patter and a pitter.”  - The Hobbit 

                 Sitting on the floor of my room, staring at an empty suitcase. Wanting to go sideways, backwards, upwards anyway but forwards! I cant, What if ?  Fear. Doubt. Pain. All these seem like perfectly good reasons to continue staring at my hollow suitcase, un moving. I have lived 2 years in Haiti and spent the last 6 months in the Middle East. Now its time to head back to the place that I call home, Goniaves, Haiti. I have been anticipating this since I left last June. But now here i sit overwhelmed and unable to shake my insecurities. Will it still feel like home? Will I be welcomed back? Can I even speak Creole anymore? But much like dear Mr. Bilbo I MUST GO FORWARD! Still feeling my way along the wall with my sword in hand. I dont know if I can still speak the language and my old house isnt my home anymore. But I will never know what adventures await me if I never get up and go!  My life up until this point has been filled with unexpected adventures that I could have missed  if I had never packed my bag and stepped out the front door. Living is a choice. It is my choice to become stuck in routine, mundane, just so so living afraid to take chances. OR it is my choice to live in the freedom of knowing that God has gone ahead of me and all His footsteps point FORWARD.  My heart is overwhelmed with excitement to get my feet dirty and hold my kids again! I have spent 8 months missing my friends and my students! The love I have for them and that beautiful place help to shatter any chain that the enemy would try and use to force me backwards. Look out Haiti here I come!!