A Day In Our Haitian Life

Several of you all have asked what a typical day is like here at the mission in Haiti.  In an effort to capture what this looks like, we have compiled a typical day's schedule to share with you.  It's nothing super-awesome or earth shattering, but it is interesting in some ways.  Hope you enjoy!

5:00  Wake to the sound of roosters, goats, pigs and dogs.  Haitians are waking up now and starting their day.  We hear the voices of people that live nearby.  Try to go back to sleep.

6:30  Light is streaming in the window and K and J are waking up.  We start to get moving.  Do we have electricity?  If so, turn on shower because the water will be warm.  If not, wait 20 minutes and try again.

7:00 Breakfast together.  Hear a Haitian man belting out "How Great Thou Art" in Creole while he works down the hill.  He's pretty good!  Prepare list of needed items from the market: Lettuce, Mangoes, Potatoes, Eggs, and Tomatoes.  Wash and bleach dirty dishes.

8:00 Scott heads to work.  Takes list of market items to Haitian BHM driver to pick up on his daily route.  (So thankful for this since I have no driver's license here yet!)

8:30ish Start school with Kilee.  Try to keep Josiah occupied and entertaining himself for the first half of the morning.

9:30ish Reading time with kiddos.  We read several books in Kilee's curriculum and Josiah joins in.

9:45  Run down hill to see if laundry facility is being used.  It's available!  Run back up hill to gather laundry and start a load.

10:00 Snack time for kiddos.  Decide what to make for lunch.  After snack, do math and science work with the kiddos. 

11:00  The house is a wreck!  "Everybody pick up your stuff!"  After pick up time, go outside and play.  I run down the hill and throw laundry in the dryer.

12:00  Daddy walks home for lunch.  Eat together and then put Josiah down for a nap.  Kilee goes outside to play with the other MKs.  Wash and bleach dishes.

1:00 Our Creole Lesson with Hassan

2:00 Scott goes to his office to have another hour of Creole study with Hassan.  I go inside to do housework, read email if internet is working, or just sit down and loaf a minute before Josiah wakes up.  Go get laundry from dryer.

3:00  Josiah's up.  All kids go outside to play some more.

3:15 Oops!  Tropical rain shower is coming!  Kids come inside and watch a movie instead.

4:30  Pick up stuff around house.  Bust up fight between kiddos.  Start to cook dinner.  Bust up another fight between kiddos.  (It's just that time of day, you know mommas?)

6:00  Eat dinner together.  Skype family. 

7:00  It's dark.  Wash and bleach dishes.  Hang out as a family for a bit.

7:30 Get the kids ready for bed.  Get filtered water from kitchen for brushing teeth.  Read story, pray.  Good night, kiddos!

8:00  Pick up stuff around house.  Work on blog, answer emails, put laundry away.  "Josiah, get back in bed!"  Work on lesson plans for homeschool tomorrow.  Read, study and/or watch a DVD.

After 9 but sometime before 11 : Good night!

 

Kouri Deye

Last Thursday, the kids and I got to visit an exciting new project that Baptist Haiti Mission is using to strengthen the church and Haitian families.  It's called Kouri Deye.  My friend Chelsea Salter has headed it up here at BHM.  Here's a brief description of the ministry from her blog:

Kouri Deye, a Creole phrase that means Pursue, is an organization designed to assist women in the churches of Haiti as they pursue trades that will provide financial assistance for their families.

The name of this organization developed from Proverbs 31:27, "She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness."

Every story is different for the women who are a part of the work of Kouri Deye. However, the women share a love for the Lord and for their families.

The jewelry made by Kouri Deye is made of recycled cereal boxes. These beautiful pieces come in a variety of colors and each is unique in its own way.

 

The women come faithfullly to cut the cereal boxes and fashion the jewelry by hand.

 

Here we are in front of several hundred of the finished products ready for sale!

 

 

Josiah's Birthday

It's been about a week since we've been able to blog.  Things have been a flurry of activity around here!  One exciting thing that has happened in the last couple of weeks has been Josiah's 3rd birthday!  His day started with a big surprise!  Scott had decided that the boy likes to dig so much, he needed a sandbox.  Scott and a few Haitian workers cranked out a sandbox in no-time-flat and we gave it to Josiah as soon as he woke up.  I think he loves it!



That's one happy birthday boy!

 

Later on that night, we were surprised and blessed by our missionary staff with a surprise party for Josiah!  They had decorated the entire dining hall with balloons and banners.  After we ate pizza together, we ate a birthday cake I had made for Josiah.  Then, they even presented our little 3 year old man with a few gifts!  After Josiah opened presents, all of the children went outside where they swung at a pinata made by our friends' eldest daughter, Naomi.  They were studying Mexico in homeschool that week and Naomi decided that she wanted to do a pinata for her unit craft, just for Josiah's birthday!  So sweet.  We were completely humbled and thankful.  It was a fun time!

 



The kids' party table

Even in Haiti, we can still crank out a birthday cake.  Nothin' fancy, but it sure was tasty!

Blowing out 3 candles

A few of the partiers: from left (Ms. Elsa, Mr. Sandy, Ms. Connie, and Ms. Darlene)

Thomas train tracks!

 

Time for a Laugh: Top 10 Things We've Learned in the Past Three Weeks

So, in the spirit of trying to laugh in the midst of an intense season of adjustment for our family, we thought we would compile a top ten list.  This list contains a few of the most notable things we've learned since moving to Haiti.  Enjoy!

10. In a tropical climate, paint takes a really long time to dry.  Watch where you lean.

9. If you ask one of your Haitian friends to pick up some potatoes at the market for you, they will bring back a trash bag filled with 25 lbs. of tiny potatoes.

8. The local Baptist church uses a slightly stouter form of grape juice when serving the Lord's Supper.  Evidently, the way our eyes bugged out when we took the first sip was priceless!

7. Remember to use the high altitude setting when baking or you will not be pleased with the results.

6. Creole is a language full of exceptions and double meanings.  For instance, if you use the word "po" it could mean skin, flat, a pot, or an animal's shell.  It can make for some pretty interesting conversations!

5. Make sure your laundry has had time to finish in the dryer before 5:30 comes around -- the generator power will be AWOL until 8 the next morning!

4. Look up before venturing into the shower.  Showers are just never the same after an enormous waterbug falls on you while you're washing your hair.

3. If you see something you like in the local supermarket, you had better buy it right then.  They may not ever carry it again.  When it's gone, it's gone!

2. Haitian spiders can jump!

1. We often cook whole chickens in our crock pot and make two meals out of it.  Upon purchasing a Haitian fryer chicken, I discovered that the "giblet bag" is not a concept that has come to the nation of Haiti yet.  When you reach inside the cavity of a Haitian chicken, you will come out with a surprise!  See picture below.

I can't look at them!

Despite all of these opportunities to sarcastically laugh about the circumstances in which the Lord has placed us, we really love Haiti and trust that God has things to accomplish in us and through us! 

Mountains Beyond Mountains

Founder of Partners in Health (in the US) and Zanmi Lasante (in Haiti), Docter Paul Farmer has been serving the least of these in Haiti since the early 1980s. With his very modest upbringing, it is amazing how he persevered to become one of the foremost experts at treating TB in the world.  Kidder did an excellent job making Paul Farmer come alive to the reader by including great detail about his family's many misfortunes and many of his quirky sayings-his extreme use of abbreviations, his use of the word Comma (usually in place of an expletive)  etc. Overall, Farmer is a fascinating man who is pig-committed beyond belief to helping those who most desperately need it.   One of the most sobering thoughts for me throughout the book was when Paul stated that, “we are fighting the long defeat.”  He recognizes that ultimately that he is a treating a fraction of the people in Haiti who need the treatment, but he also correctly concludes that “he is winning some battles.” Unfortunately, while Farmer spends a great deal of time treating patients in Haiti and many other places around the world, he completely misses the fact that while someone's body can be healed for a time, ultimately they will still at some point die and without a relationship with Jesus Christ be separated from Him  for eternity.  I pray that I would be as motivated as Farmer to care for people the way that he does, because I do have a relationship with Christ and I understand that I'm called to make disciples of all nations.  While I enjoyed this book I do want to make mention of the frequent coarse language throughout the book.
Buy the book here: Amazon.com

From Amazon.com
Tracy Kidder is a winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the author of the bestsellers The Soul of a New Machine, House, Among Schoolchildren, and Home Town. He has been described by the Baltimore Sun as the “master of the non-fiction narrative.” This powerful and inspiring new book shows how one person can make a difference, as Kidder tells the true story of a gifted man who is in love with the world and has set out to do all he can to cure it.

At the center of Mountains Beyond Mountains stands Paul Farmer. Doctor, Harvard professor, renowned infectious-disease specialist, anthropologist, the recipient of a MacArthur “genius” grant, world-class Robin Hood, Farmer was brought up in a bus and on a boat, and in medical school found his life’s calling: to diagnose and cure infectious diseases and to bring the lifesaving tools of modern medicine to those who need them most. This magnificent book shows how radical change can be fostered in situations that seem insurmountable, and it also shows how a meaningful life can be created, as Farmer—brilliant, charismatic, charming, both a leader in international health and a doctor who finds time to make house calls in Boston and the mountains of Haiti—blasts through convention to get results.

Mountains Beyond Mountains takes us from Harvard to Haiti, Peru, Cuba, and Russia as Farmer changes minds and practices through his dedication to the philosophy that "the only real nation is humanity" - a philosophy that is embodied in the small public charity he founded, Partners In Health. He enlists the help of the Gates Foundation, George Soros, the U.N.’s World Health Organization, and others in his quest to cure the world. At the heart of this book is the example of a life based on hope, and on an understanding of the truth of the Haitian proverb “Beyond mountains there are mountains”: as you solve one problem, another problem presents itself, and so you go on and try to solve that one too.

“Mountains Beyond Mountains unfolds with the force of a gathering revelation,” says Annie Dillard, and Jonathan Harr says, “[Farmer] wants to change the world. Certainly this luminous and powerful book will change the way you see it.”

Bruchko

Bruce Olson's radical obedience to God's call on his life to go to minister to the Otilone Indian tribe was both convicting and encouraging.  Bruce spends a significant amount of time explaining how he finally began to minister to this tribe and I think he captured a truth that I needed to be reminded of-I should not judge whether or not God is calling me to do something if all of the "doors are opening" or not, because the fact is many times God calls us to do things that are very difficult and often times do not seem to make sense.  While reading this book we were in the thick of trying to get moved to Haiti, but there was one major obstacle standing in the way-selling our house.  We were convinced that we were supposed to move to Haiti but we were both concerned by how we would pay for and/or take care of a house from a plane ride away.  Strangely enough, our house did not sell. It still isn't sold! But we are trusting the Lord for that and in the meantime he provided someone to rent our house.  Praise the Lord!

 
Buy this book at Amazon.com

Bruce Olson, born in Minnesota and now a citizen of Colombia, is a linguist and graduate of sociology from a South American university. He has won the friendship of four Colombian presidents and appeared before the United Nations. His first book, Bruchko, has sold more than 300,000 copies worldwide. He lives in the jungle on the border of Colombia and Venezuela.

What happens when a nineteen-year-old boy leaves home and heads into the jungles to evangelize a murderous tribe of South American Indians? For Bruce Olson, it meant capture, disease, terror, loneliness, and torture. But what he discovered by trial and error has revolutionized then world of missions.
Bruchko, which has sold more than 300,000 copies worldwide, has been called “more fantastic and harrowing than anything Hollywood could concoct.” Living with the Motilone Indians since 1961, Olson has won the friendship of four presidents of Colombia and has made appearances before the United Nations because of his efforts. Bruchko includes the story of his 1988 kidnapping by communist guerrillas and the nine months of captivity that followed. This revised version of Olson’s story will amaze you and remind you that simple faith in Christ can make anything possible. “[Bruchko is] an all-time missionary classic. Bruce Olson is a modern missionary hero who has modeled for us in our time the reaching of the unreached tribes.” —Loren Cunningham Co-founder, Youth With A Mission

Show More

Show Less

In Pictures: A Sunny Day in Fermathe, Haiti

Looking down the mountain from our front porch.  Port-au-Prince is at the bottom of the mountain.
 

Josiah and his new buddy!

The whole missionary kid gang.

Kilee and an MK friend.

The missionary kids' playhouse!  It's so cute. :)

Our home sweet Haiti home!  We live on the bottom floor.

Hidden in the Rubble: A Haitian Pilgrimage to Compassion and Resurrection - Gerry Straub

From Gerry Straub's Blog
http://gerrystraub.wordpress.com/books/

Orbis Books has published Mr. Straub’s book, Hidden in the Rubble: A Haitian Pilgrimage to Compassion and Resurrection. Mr. Straub was in Port-au-Prince just weeks before the earthquake, and returned just days after the earthquake. The experience had a profound and lasting impact on his life. During Holy Week of 2010, Mr. Straub returned to Haiti for a third time in order to try to better understand widespread death and the massive destruction in the context of the death and resurrection of Christ, and that week became, for him, the heart and soul of the book.

Buy this book from Amazon.com

From Amazon.com
In January 2010 a devastating earthquake struck the impoverished island of Haiti, killing over 100,000 people and causing unimaginable suffering. But even before the earthquake, as the photos and reflections in this book make clear, Haiti was already a disaster zone. Filmmaker Gerry Straub was there weeks before the earthquake, and he returned soon after, to continue his project: to capture in words and images the reality of Haiti s poor both their sufferings and their spirit and to find in this reality the face of God.

Straub takes us into Cité Soleil, one of the most wretched slums on earth, where kids play amidst the stench of open sewers, where people eat pies made of clay. After the earthquake, he follows exhausted doctors and aid workers working desperately to relieve the suffering. Hidden in the Rubble opens a window on a scene of desperate crisis, but it is ultimately a powerful and haunting challenge to enter into compassionate solidarity with the poor at our doorstep.

Gerard Thomas Straub, an award-winning author, photographer, and filmmaker, is founder and president of the San Damiano Foundation. After leaving behind a lucrative career producing daytime television, he chose to document the plight of poor people around the world. His films include When Did I see You Hungry? and his books include Sun and Moon over Assisi and Thoughts of a Blind Beggar.

First Day of Kindergarten

We had not intended to start school this soon because we wanted to spend some relaxed time getting adjusted to life in Haiti.  However, the kids (and their mama) needed some structure to our days so that we would have a little bit of normalcy amid the abnormal.  So, since Haiti does not celebrate Labor Day and everyone was going about their normal daily business, we decided to start school this past Monday!  The night before, Kilee picked out her outfit and made sure all of her crayons and pencils were where they should be.  She is growing up so fast!!

Kilee Anne - 1st Day of Kindergarten

Haiti: The Tumultuous History-From Pearl of the Caribbean to Broken Nation

 This book was an incredible overview from the revolution and creation of Haiti to its current state.  Girard does not hold back in placing the blame for Haiti's current situation squarely on the backs of Haiti's failed governmental leadership.  He spends much time detailing also how the US "invasion" of Haiti was less than beneficial.  I felt like this was a great introduction to the history of Haiti and I was shocked to hear in detail about the brutality of prior dictators.  Also, I was shocked to read about how Haiti was incredibly prosperous early in its history.  I would definitely recommend this book for anyone wanting to gain a good understanding of the history of Haiti and how it effects the current culture of Haiti today.

Buy this book at Amazon.com

From Amazon.com
Why has Haiti been plagued by so many woes? Why have multiple U.S. efforts to create a stable democracy in Haiti failed so spectacularly? Philippe Girard answers these and other questions, examining how colonialism and slavery have left a legacy of racial tension, both within Haiti and internationally; Haitians remain deeply suspicious of white foriegners' motives, many of whom doubt Hatians' ability to govern themselves. He also examines how Haiti's current political instability is merely a continuation of political strife that began during the War of Independence (1791-1804). Finally, Girard explores poverty's devastating impact on contemporary Haiti and argues that Haitians--particularly home-grown dictators--bear a big share of the responsibility for their nation's troubles.

Praise for Clinton in Haiti by Philippe Girard:

"An engaging and wonderfully readable account of the circumstances leading up to the U.S. invasion of Haiti in 1994, and its restoration of Jean-Bertrand Aristide as Haitian president."--Elizabeth Abbott, Trinity College, University of Toronto

"This is an extraordinarily well written account that places Clinton's Haitian foreign policy in historical perspective. Linguistic wit and analytical sophistication prevail as Girard skillfully weaves readers through the complexities and tragedy of Haiti's history and the highly touted, but unsuccessful aftermath of the 1994 "invasion" by U.S. troops to restore Aristide and democracy to this Caribbean republic. Until Clinton administration classified documents become available this will remain the standard account and an object lesson for all future American cut-and-run attempts at peace-keeping and nation-building."--Joan Hoff, Montana State University, Bozeman

"Written by an outstanding young French scholar of recent American history, this examination of U.S. intervention in Haiti under Bill Clinton probes the motivations behind an unnecessary military action and explains the ways in which objective failure is translated into political success. The author's finely-calibrated sense of irony makes his work as entertaining as it is instructive."--Alonzo L. Hamby, Ohio University, and author of For the Survival of Democracy: Franklin Roosevelt and the World Crisis of the 1930s

About the Author

Philippe Girard is an Assistant Professor of Caribbean History, McNeese State University of Louisiana.

A Little Update

Well, it hardly seems possible that today wraps up our first week in-country, but it's true nonetheless.  To sum up, we have had a busy, fun-filled, humbling, blessed time thus far. 

Headed off to church

This past Sunday, we attended church in Thomassin just down the mountain from the mission.  Scott and I had been to this church before, but it was a first for the kids.  They loved it, although it did get to be a little bit long for them.  I am going to attend children's church with them next week.  It's the same format as "grown-up" church -- no crafts, games or activities.  Just a little more kid-oriented.  I think I will benefit from going since they will be speaking slower and using smaller words!  After church, we came home and I ran several loads of laundry in our facility down the hill from our house.  Our sweet friend Debra mixed up a batch of her homemade laundry detergent for us to try and it works great!  I will be hopping on the "make your own laundry detergent" bandwagon next, I think.  Then, we hung out with our new friends Roger and Judy who happen to live upstairs.  We had some good laughs!  They are a ton of fun.

A tea party on the porch
with a friend

Josiah doing what he loves!

Monday and Tuesday were a flurry of activity.  Let me say, the dish situation takes a bit of getting used to.  I think I spend about 1 and 1/2 hours a day at the kitchen sink washing our dishes.  I scrub them in the cold soapy water from the cistern first, and then I rinse them in bleach water to make sure they are truly clean.  Since a lot of the modern conveniences like a microwave, ready-made dinners, etc. are not available, we use a TON of dishes making the food we eat.  Just something else to get used to, I guess!  The kids have really enjoyed hanging out with the other children on the mission and exploring everything.  It has been so good for them. We also officiallly started our in-country language study on Monday.  Our friend from church, Hassan, met with us to tutor us.  We will be meeting 4 days a week to study Creole! Judy (our upstairs neighbor), Scott and I will meet for an hour each time, and then Scott will continue for an additional hour.  It is intense but we want so badly to be able to communicate with the people.

Judy, Chelsea and I
in the truck

Then today, I got to get off the mission campus and venture down into Port-au-Prince with the ladies!  We had some house needs that we needed to shop for: some bulk groceries, garbage can, dish drainer, etc.  We started out at 9:00am.  Our driver Rico picked us up at Debra's house and we ventured down the mountain.  Traffic was pretty awful but we reached "MEGAMART" (awesome-sounding place, huh?) around 10:30.  If I had to compare it to something, it's like a Sam's Club except men follow you everywhere to try and help you and different things are available depending on when you come to shop.  It was pretty impressive, though!  I didn't think there would be a place like Megamart in Haiti!  After that, we went to the coolest place for lunch -- Eppy's.  It was huge!  They sold fast food items, deli food, but then they had a huge bakery full of delicious breads and desserts.  Unreal.  All four of us ate for $12.  Then, we headed off to a Home Store to see if we could find a few more items on the list.  By the time we made it back to the mission, it was nearly 3:00!

From left: Chelsea, Debra, Judy and Me
At Eppy's for lunch

Scott plans to take a trip into Port-au-Prince to help Roger finish one of his projects in the city on Friday.  His main focus right now is to learn Creole, however, and he is spending multiple hours a day studying.  I am trying to keep up as well, but most of my time is spent with the kiddos and. . .doing dishes.  Ha!  Not just dishes, but other household things.

Gorgeous mountain views!

The house is coming along nicely and we will upload photos soon.  Things are coming together so quickly on the housing end of things that we may be able to start homeschool as soon as next week!  We will see.  Our main focus is to settle in and acclamate to the culture.  We know that you are praying for us and we are so grateful.  We love you all!



Bonswa, tout moun!  Goodnight, everyone!

Home Sweet Haiti!

Bonjou! 

At the Nashville airport at 3am.

Still at the Nashville airport
 after 2 cancelled flights.

This is our first post from Haiti!  We have been in country since Wednesday and have been primarily focusing on getting settled.  Honestly, getting here was the hard part!  We experienced three canceled flights while in various airports, all for maintenance issues and so our quick half-day trip to Haiti was extended to nearly two days.  The kids were troopers, though.  I think the first day, we were all awake for about 22 hours!  Our first two cancelled flights were in Nashville.  Then, Scott found a flight to Washington DC that we could connect and fly on to Miami. We had an overnight stay in Miami since it was too late to catch the Haiti flight on Tuesday, so the airline put us up in the Miami airport hotel.  We walked up to our room only to find that the room number they had given us was actually a broom closet!  Not a very nice surprise after you’ve been awake for 22 hours.  We sorted that issue out , slept 4 hours, and boarded our flight to Haiti, it got cancelled, we deplaned and then boarded a different plane to Haiti.  As we started to see the coastland of Haiti out our plane windows, Kilee said "Home Sweet Haiti!"  Love that girl.  When we arrived, our friend Trey was there waiting for us.  It was so good to see a familiar face! 

Happy to finally
 be on a plane!

Day One:  Once we arrived at the mission, we found out that some of the items from our container had arrived, so we did some unloading and tried to get settled down in the house for the night.  Our fellow missionaries had made things so welcoming for us!  As soon as we walked in the house we found a welcome sign made by our friends’ kids, fresh-picked flowers, all of our previously-sent items unpacked and arranged, our beds were made, basic groceries were in the cabinets, and lunch was in the oven.  Talk about being spoiled from the beginning!  Before we ate dinner together at the dining hall, the kids played with the Bakers’ kids for awhile and held the bunnies at the mission petting zoo.  After dinner, we walked back home and fell into bed.  We crashed!

At the airport in Haiti.  Glad to finally be here!

Day Two: We awoke to the sound of massive amounts of dogs barking, goats whining and roosters crowing.  It was a pretty day with lots of sun!  Oh, and the biggest surprise of all?  We have a hot shower!  If we wait until after the generator comes on, the tiny water heater kicks on, and even though the water just falls out like it’s being poured out of a bottle, it is GLORIOUS!  We began the day cleaning items that had come off of our container.  It turned out that some of our furniture had gotten a little moldy during its overseas voyage, so we moved it outside in the sun and cleaned it from top to bottom and left it out to bake.  Then, that afternoon our sweet friend and next door neighbor Chelsea offered to watch the kiddos at her house while her husband Trey took Scott and I to the supermarket in Petion-ville.  We jumped at the chance to go and rode down the mountain.  The supermarket was surprisingly nice, although it does cater to the few wealthy in Haiti as well as to the foreigners.  We found anything and everything you could find in a Kroger store, although the prices were nearly double what we usually pay in the States.  We went home, unloaded groceries, played with the kids and went to bed. 

We didn't get this huge avocado
at the supermarket.  They grow
 on the mission property!

Day Three: So, evidently a tropical storm was on the way today.  Scott made a quick trip to Camp LaPhare (a BHM camp) to pick up some things and then hurried back before the winds started to blow.  Tropical Storm Isaac began to pick up speed by midday and by early evening the palm trees were swaying hard in the breeze!  Friday is pizza night in the dining hall and so we trekked down in the blowing rain to eat pizza and fried plantains and drink Coke.  Usually everyone gets together after supper on Friday nights to play games together, but Scott had a bad headache.  I paid a visit to Dr. Bernard, the chief physician/surgeon at the BHM hospital because I had a huge red swollen bite on my leg.  He gave me some anti-inflammatory drugs and I offered to pay for them.  He shook his hand in the air and said, “No, no.  You are home.”  So sweet.  The meds helped quite a bit.  The winds blew all through the night and the rain poured down.  We got 18 inches of rain overnight thanks to Tropical Storm Isaac.

A home-cooked meal
helped us to feel settled.

Today: We woke up to the wind still blowing, but the rain had tapered off.  We did a LOT of unpacking today.  The kids were great sports and helped along the way.  By midday, the sun was starting to peek through the clouds.  BHM incurred little to no damage here on property, although Scott donned his rain gear and helped a couple of the guys cut up a tree that had fallen.  We watched an afternoon movie and continued our unpacking.  Then, we cooked some familiar food for dinner.  We had found whole fryer chickens at the supermarket and some of the Haitian BHM employees grabbed some potatoes for us from a street vendor.  Dinner ended up being Crock Pot whole chicken (shout out to Paula Evans for that recipe!), green beans and mashed potatoes.  Then we had cut up pineapple for dessert.  YUM!  We had a good Kentucky dinner tonight!

Tomorrow, we will be attending a local church!  More news to come.

Thanks for bearing with us for this long post!  We wanted to catch everyone up on what was happening.  Our future posts will be shorter and more frequent once we get our internet set up here in our house.  We love you all!  Thank you so much for your prayers, your support and your encouragement along the way.  You have no idea how much it means to us.

Cramming Life In

These past couple of weeks have been, well . . . eventful.  After clearing out our house by sending stuff to our parents' houses and to Haiti, we have been left with a very interesting house to function in!  Phrases like, "Are we out of plastic forks AGAIN?"  "Kids, stop jumping on the air mattress!" and the dreaded "I've been looking for *blank*".... "Oh, sorry honey, I took it to Goodwill!"  But, it's been fun camping out at home.  We've definitely had more time together since there's really only one good room to sit and hang out in!

As far as some experiences we've tried to pack in, I've listed them as follows:

• Well checks for everyone
• All dental work completed for everyone
• Trip to the zoo
• Family night ice skating
• Lots of swimming
• Visits with family
• Use up all gift certificates/cards, etc.
• Playdates with the kids' friends
• Dinner with friends (almost every night til we leave!) 
• Many many many many trips to drop off items at Goodwill
• Selling larger items
• Finish scrapbooks I've started
• Pick up medical records
• Getting shots we still lack
• Just sitting and enjoying the air conditioning
• Chinese food, often!

We are really enjoying special times as a family and treasuring all of the friendships the Lord has given us while we've been in Louisville.  Only 15 days until departure!

Haiti After The Earthquake-Paul Farmer

 This book is not for the faint of heart.  It is filled with tragic accounts of January 12, 2010 and the few weeks to follow.  Paul Farmer, author and doctor, tells the story of the underfunded, underequipped and understaffed hospitals before the earthquake and then clearly demonstrates how these this tragedy began long before the earthquake.  According to Farmer, the loss of life and property were greatly amplified due to the poor conditions prior to the earthquake.  Throughout the book Farmer describes, in sometimes grotesque detail, the "hospitals" a.k.a. tents out in the middle of the yard where doctors were forced to perform amputations, and surgery without the proper supplies.  Overall, Farmer did an excellent job creating a unique perspective of the days following the earthquake.  His love for Haitians, especially those suffering from decades of oppression and poverty, is evident throughout.

 Buy this book at Amazon.com

From Amazon.com
Publication Date:July 10, 2012

“Paul Farmer, doctor and aid worker, offers an inspiring insider’s view of the relief effort.”—Financial Times “The book’s greatest strength lies in its depiction of the post-quake chaos… In the book’s more analytical sections the author’s diagnosis of the difficulties of reconstruction is sharp.” —Economist “A gripping, profoundly moving book, an urgent dispatch from the front by one of our finest warriors for social justice.” —Adam Hochschild “His honest assessment of what the people trying to help Haiti did well—and where they failed—is important for anyone who cares about the country or international aid in general.” —Miami Herald

President Bill Clinton
"A gripping recollection of the quake's ruin, chaos, and despair, and the story of remarkable persistence, hope, and love in the aftermath. Once you've seen Haiti through Paul Farmer's eyes, you'll never see Haitians, or any of the world's poorest people, quite the same way again."
Adam Hochschild
"Profoundly moving....An urgent dispatch from the front by one of our finest warriors for social justice. With eloquence and wisdom, Paul Farmer shows how we cannot fully comprehend one of the great natural disasters of history without understanding the man-made suffering that Americans and others have inflicted on Haiti.""Madison Capital Times," July 14, 2011
"Through the sharing of his experiences and the essays of fellow relief workers and survivors, the book serves as both a first draft of history and a call to action for rebuilding a country devastated by natural and unnatural disasters...

Loading the Container

This past Friday we loaded piles of our stuff onto a shipping container headed towards Haiti! Crossings had been planning to ship many items over to the camp we are partnered with and they were gracious enough to let us also put some of our personal items on there as well.  Sweet friends, Crossings staff and even some of Kilee and Josiah's little buddies came out to help!

Medical supplies ready to be loaded.

The past several weeks have been spent getting our house packed up and getting items purchased for Crossings.  We have been hugely blessed by several local businesses here around the Shelbyville/Louisville area like Sherwin Williams, Ace Hardware, Lowes, and even a generator manufacturer in Maine!  Also, we had the privilege of meeting a man named Ralph.  Ralph is a retired gentleman who recently took his first overseas mission trip to Haiti.  Ralph's son, Rod, commented that Haiti is all he talks about now!  Ralph made a connection with an organization in Birmingham that works to refurbish medical equipement.  He decided he wanted to help get some of the medical supplies to the Baptist Haiti Mission Hospital, so he and Rod rented a truck and drove all of the supplies up to Cedarmore where we loaded them on the container.  It was a huge encouragement to meet a gentleman like Ralph who is in his retirment years, who continues to love Jesus and desires to see the gospel go to the ends of the earth!

Just a few of our Crossings staffers, a.k.a. Servants.

As I drove to camp early Friday morning I couldn't help but think to myself, "Are we REALLY loading our stuff up and shipping it to Haiti?"  "Are we actually doing this?" As my nerves settled down throughout the day I was reminded again and again how the Lord has called our family to serve with BHM. 

Monica has been packing/cleaning/reorganizing for the past several weeks while I've been working on logistics for the move and the shipment of the container.  At night, we tend to just crash.  Since the mass exodus of our furniture on Friday, we have been semi-camping out at home. It's been fun! We have a pallet on the floor in the living room to watch the tv, which happens to be sitting on some milk crates in the corner.  We are trying to recall all of the makeshift furniture tricks we used in our college days!  Of course the kids are loving all of the open space.  Kilee is "skating" across the wood floors and Josiah's has turned the living room floor into a gigantic train track.

Our departure date of August 21st is coming fast!  We have been so blessed by our Crossings family through this transition and we are incredibly excited about serving with BHM!

From left: Corky White (Cedarmore Director), Butch Gleason ( Facilities Director), Me, David Melber (President and CEO), Rob Allen (Guest Services Director), and Joe Ball (Program Director for KY Changers)

 

Haiti here we come!

Pain As We Leave Home, Affirmation As We Move

Our living room,
a place with many
wonderful memories.

Sitting here this morning, I just can't help but think about what a blessing life has been here in Kentucky.  Specifically here at 105 Rolling Ridge Way, our home.  We brought our two babies home here, their first steps were here, good fellowship with friends happened here.  From this house we walked to tee ball and soccer games, hosted Bible studies, attended preschool just 2 streets over and enjoyed the company of wonderful neighbors. We have been able to enjoy visits from all the grandparents on a regular basis as they all live 2-3 hours away. What an incredible blessing!  There are some days like today that these memories just bring tears to my eyes.  Yet, are not these blessings directly from God's hand?  James 1:17 says "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change."  God gave them, and they belong to him.  And we belong to Him.  Therefore, we are His servants and we must be ready to go where He calls us when He calls us.

Oh, how this world has such a grip on us sometimes!  We have to be quick to remember Philippians 3:20 that tells us that "our citizenship is in heaven."  We are to be sojourners just passing through, "making the most of the time, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:16)  There is great joy in knowing that perfection awaits us with our Father! 

Bidwell home in Fermathe, Haiti.
Future site of many
wonderful memories.

All of this is hard to remember when we walk through the mall and see all of the beautiful home decor, the stylish clothes and shoes. . . heck, I'm a mom -- even walking through the appliance section at Sears sets my heart to racing!  I mean, here in America we are conditioned to want more and more, to desire the next thing constantly.  We are never satisfied. "My kitchen is not as nice as hers."  "They have so much space in that huge house, that must be so nice!"  "How does she lose her baby weight so fast?"  "She always dresses so cute.  I wish I had nicer clothes."  All of these things cross my mind on a regular basis.

The abundant life Jesus promises us in John 10:10 has got to mean more than a gigantic home, a 54 inch flat screen and a list of friends a mile long.  Doesn't it?  There's nothing inherently wrong with any of these things, but when it becomes the focus of your heart as my heart is prone to wander, then it is a real problem.  Jesus teaches us in Matthew 16:25 that "whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever wants to lose his life for my sake will find it."  Lord, teach us that all of these petty things are just passing away!  They will not last.  Help us to desire a "better country" as you spoke of the saints of old in Hebrews 11:16. 

This is what I am trying to focus on as we move to Haiti.  It's not easy.  There are good days and bad days.  There are days when I start to drool as I browse Pinterest.  There are times that I gaze lustfully at window treatments and wish I had the money for something better.  But ultimately I am trying to remember that the Lord is faithful and He is the only thing that will satisfy the deepest longings of my soul. 

Please continue to partner with us in prayer!  We've got 35 days til departure!

8.21.12

We have a departure date!  Booking those one-way airline tickets was definitely a "gut-check" moment!  The words from an old hymn came to mind . . . "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back".  We have a lot going on over the next few weeks, packing, closing on the house, visiting family, and finishing strong at Crossings.  We appreciate the prayers that so many of you are offering on our behalf!  Keep 'em coming! :)

If you sense the Lord leading you to partner with us in this mission to Haiti, please check out the "Partner With Us" tab above.  We'd be thrilled to get to talk with you!  Thank you so much, friends!

Highview Baptist Church

This weekend we had the opportunity to share our story with our Highview family. The staff were extremely encouraging and even took the time to share our story with the entire church through a video. We are thankful for our friends at Highview and we are going to miss them dearly.   We hope that our story encourages you to consider how God might be calling you to be involved in carrying the Gospel to the ends of the earth.


BidwellsinHaiti from Crossings on Vimeo.

Crossings in Haiti

Returning home from Haiti last night from a Crossings in Haiti trip, I am both exhausted and humbled at how the Lord has worked. Throughout the week our teams worked at the camp in Montrouis (Mo-wee) to help prepare it for camp for Haitian boys and girls. Also, the teams had the opportunity to go to local BHM churches and lead Vacation Bible Schools for around 100 kids at a time. Towards the end of each day one of the American students had the opportunity to share the gospel using a translator. By the end of the week, 100 students crossed over from death into life!!! We know that the angels are rejoicing and we are as well. It is also comforting to know that these children have the opportunity to be shepherded by the local churches and pastors.

I am deeply grateful for the staff at the camp in Montrouis. They are passionate first for the gospel and then for people. Chris and Kelly Lieb are amazing examples of what Deuteronomy 6 proclaims.

Overall it was an incredible week, but like always it was great to get back home to our family.

A note from Josiah and Kilee left on the door for me. They know the key to dad's heart.