Sunday Seven

So, the internet situation here in Haiti has been sparse at best over the past couple of weeks, but today it seems that we have a good enough signal to go for a blog post!  Prepare yourself.  It's a long one, but it's light on words and heavy on pics. Enjoy!

Welcome to Haiti!

1. We had a great visit last week with Monica's parents!
What a treat!  We spent most of it up here at the mission, but we got to take them to the beach at Camp LaPhare (BHM's camp property), a trek up into the mountains, down into Port-au-Prince, and a few other landmarks as well.  Best of all, though, was the time we got to spend at the house together just visiting, playing with the kiddos, and spending down-time together.  Despite a short bout with a nasty stomach flu for Scott and Kilee, it was a fun-filled 10 days together!  Much needed for this missionary fam.  We'll do another post with more pics from this special visit later.

Grabbing hugs at every turn

Always a UK family!

Nana and Spidey

Papaw and Kilee (with cast in grocery bag, ready to swim)

2.  The Annual National Pastor's Conference
Each year around this time, ASEBACH (Haiti's Association of Conservative Evangelical Baptist Churches) meets here at the mission for a week of encouragement, teaching, discipleship, and giving reports of the work being done in each of the 6 zones it occupies in Haiti. Several hundred pastors and lay leaders converge upon BHM Fermathe for this event and it is an exciting time!  Some of these men have to travel two days across mountains on a motorcycle to come.  It is incredible to see their fervor for evangelism and reaching out to their communities for the sake of the gospel.  We have enjoyed meeting many of the pastors and lay leaders this week as they have been here with us.

Our friends Trey and Chelsea took pictures from the conference.  Young and old gathered to hear the Word.

3. New Friendships

Monica and Ruth

The sweet woman who works in our home, Madam Ruth, and Monica have developed a special relationship as they spend several hours each day together.  Recently, Monica has been encouraging Ruth to bring her little girl to come play on Saturdays while she works.  She finally consented and brought her each Saturday last month.  Ruitchnadine, or Nadine (as Kilee calls her) is 7 years old and has been a fun playmate!  Kilee absolutely adores her and is learning quite a bit of Creole while they play!  In turn, Ruth desires Nadine to learn English and so Monica is giving Nadine (and Ruth) short English lessons each week.  Josiah likes to play with Nadine and he may just have a tiny crush on her, too.

Nadine and Kilee, the Haitian princesses

4. Gettin' Fit
Now in Haiti!  Introducing Denise Austin's Haitian workout girls, coming to a mission near you!  We tone, we tighten, and we burn fat -- then we go home, bake sweet bread and cookies and the cycle continues.  Lol.  This workout time 2-3 times a week has been a big blessing.  Love you ladies!

Adele, Monica and Chelsea

5. The Season of Ra Ra
Most things are very unpredictable in Haiti -- the weather, vehicles, technology, etc.  One thing that has been incredibly predictable lately has been the Haitian Ra Ra band.  Ra Ra bands are groups of people that walk through the streets of Haiti playing homemade horns, banging drums, and singing and dancing all hours of the night.  From Mardi Gras to Easter, you can bet that you will not get much sleep because they will be marching down your street from about 11 at night until 7 in the morning.  There's usually drinking and rough-housing going on, too.  Haitian culture?  Yes, we are experiencing it fully. :)

6. The Simple Life of Missionary Kids
The following pictures show what our children have been up to lately.  There is not much to go out and do like there was in America.  No Chick-fil-a playgrounds, no malls, lessons/practices, no parks, so we are learning to use our imagination a bit more to fill the time.  Josiah recently found an old pushmower with dull blades and has been doing some yardwork for us.  Kilee has been into making kites lately and has been flying her own creations around the mission.  She's doing loop-the-loops and figure eights already!

Lawnmower man

Kilee with her latest and greatest kite!

7. Festival Day!
Today, we had a little taste of America in Haiti!  A friend invited us to his granddaugters' school Easter festival.  Everyone there spoke English, which was funny because we started speaking Creole to them and they looked at us like we were nuts. There were bouncies, playgrounds, carnival games and great food!  It felt like the fall festival at our home church in Kentucky.  Thank you for the invite, Angus family!

A broken arm won't keep this girl off the bouncies!

Scott buying Josiah a snow cone while eating a little Chinese food.

Cookies and cream ice cream!  It just doesn't get any better than this!

While Scott and Josiah walked around, Kilee and I went to the arts and crafts booth.

They had a very nice playground.

Josiah thought the snow cones were awesome!