My beautiful friends and family,
After many weeks of preparing for this survey, we finally began. As most of you know, we have been working with a community in Luly and today for the first time we were able to really get into the lives of the people. For many hours I sat with the Haitian people, in their home and hear them talk to me about their life. I of course had specific questions I needed to ask but the general idea was that they got to tell me about their life and how they live. Although I have been living here for a short while now, I feel like I was able to communicate and start understanding the Haitian people. Simply by hearing what they had to say I felt like I experienced their lives more completely. Obviously there is still much that can be learned from this culture and the Haitian people and much that they can be taught. But, a process began, a relationship was built that I dream will last for years to come.
Today is my last day in Haiti. I knew this day would eventually come, although I tried to pretend it wouldn't. Although, it will be extremely difficult to leave a place that has loved me and I have come to love, I leave with the knowledge that God is still in control of this country and will redeem it in His time.
(That's all I can process for now...)
HOME TO YOU MOM!!!
All my love....
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Our God is Greater!
So I probably owe you all an update, considering its been way too long since I have written. I hope that you have been keeping up with my friends blogs, as they have been great about writing. To begin to describe everything that happens down here is nearly impossible and not always important. So I will attempt to sum up a few thoughts and events.
Since the high school team left a few weeks ago we have had another medical team come through who did a few clinics in the city and then traveled to the mountains for a few days to do some more work out there. It was an amazing experience to be able to help those in need, especially in the country side. In talking with me, many of the members said that they were glad they were able to help out those in need who lived in the city. They often came across people who knew what was wrong with them and just needed more medication, which our med team was able to provide for them. However, as they traveled further out they came across people who had no idea what was wrong with them and were in desperate need of their medical wisdom. I think this goes along with our earthly desire to feel needed. We often feel that we are not useful if someone does not desperately need us. However, this is not true. God can use us in many ways big or small to bring glory to His name. A good daily reminder.
Or focus then turned to the city of Luly. A city with so much potential, a city filled with wonderful people, and a city that we desire to see shining on the hill as a model to the rest of Haiti. With many new projects being started in this city it has been our goal to get the essential information needed. After creating a potential survey of what we may want to ask these people, we began to discover just how many people lived in the city of Luly. 864 houses later...we realized surveying each household will take more time than we were originally thinking. We are still in the process of deciding what would be the wisest decision in this surveying process, so your prayers would be much appreciated.
As we were driving back from a food and shoes drop in the city of Miroguan, a city where Ginette one of our Haitian staff grew up, we witnessed the most amazing sunset I have ever really experienced. This side of the country had lush green hills, covered in coconut, mango, bread fruit and other various types of trees, with mountains surrounding it. At one point as we neared the top of a big hill I looked out and saw the green filled mountains meeting the waters edge just as the sun was setting. The sun turned the waters edge to a dark orange color and reflected a pink color upwards onto the mountains and the clouds above. And I thought to myself, if I could capture this image, no one would believe me that this is Haiti. The beauty that was created made me want to worship the one true Creator, to cry out and say thank you for this beauty and revealing your beauty to a humble servant like me. God is good and his creation is beautiful. Although Haiti may have been "destroyed" by the earthquake, God is greater. God was greater than the earthquake then and He is greater than the destruction that it left behind. Seek the Lord for He is greater; something I am beginning to understand.
Well, I officially leave Haiti in one week! How crazy; the time has flown by. It is bittersweet to think about leaving this country and these people but I am more than excited to be back with family and friends. I know that the Lord has plans for my life and I am excited in discovering them as I continue to seek the Lord. I would ask for your continued prayers as I finish out my time here, that the Lord would show me all that He has to teach me here and that He would prepare me in departing from this life back into my life at home. I am thankful for you all and how impact my life each and everyday.
1Thessalonians. 3:9 "How can [I] thank God enough for you in return for all the joy [I] have in the presence of our God because of you?
All my love to you from Haiti...
Since the high school team left a few weeks ago we have had another medical team come through who did a few clinics in the city and then traveled to the mountains for a few days to do some more work out there. It was an amazing experience to be able to help those in need, especially in the country side. In talking with me, many of the members said that they were glad they were able to help out those in need who lived in the city. They often came across people who knew what was wrong with them and just needed more medication, which our med team was able to provide for them. However, as they traveled further out they came across people who had no idea what was wrong with them and were in desperate need of their medical wisdom. I think this goes along with our earthly desire to feel needed. We often feel that we are not useful if someone does not desperately need us. However, this is not true. God can use us in many ways big or small to bring glory to His name. A good daily reminder.
Or focus then turned to the city of Luly. A city with so much potential, a city filled with wonderful people, and a city that we desire to see shining on the hill as a model to the rest of Haiti. With many new projects being started in this city it has been our goal to get the essential information needed. After creating a potential survey of what we may want to ask these people, we began to discover just how many people lived in the city of Luly. 864 houses later...we realized surveying each household will take more time than we were originally thinking. We are still in the process of deciding what would be the wisest decision in this surveying process, so your prayers would be much appreciated.
As we were driving back from a food and shoes drop in the city of Miroguan, a city where Ginette one of our Haitian staff grew up, we witnessed the most amazing sunset I have ever really experienced. This side of the country had lush green hills, covered in coconut, mango, bread fruit and other various types of trees, with mountains surrounding it. At one point as we neared the top of a big hill I looked out and saw the green filled mountains meeting the waters edge just as the sun was setting. The sun turned the waters edge to a dark orange color and reflected a pink color upwards onto the mountains and the clouds above. And I thought to myself, if I could capture this image, no one would believe me that this is Haiti. The beauty that was created made me want to worship the one true Creator, to cry out and say thank you for this beauty and revealing your beauty to a humble servant like me. God is good and his creation is beautiful. Although Haiti may have been "destroyed" by the earthquake, God is greater. God was greater than the earthquake then and He is greater than the destruction that it left behind. Seek the Lord for He is greater; something I am beginning to understand.
Well, I officially leave Haiti in one week! How crazy; the time has flown by. It is bittersweet to think about leaving this country and these people but I am more than excited to be back with family and friends. I know that the Lord has plans for my life and I am excited in discovering them as I continue to seek the Lord. I would ask for your continued prayers as I finish out my time here, that the Lord would show me all that He has to teach me here and that He would prepare me in departing from this life back into my life at home. I am thankful for you all and how impact my life each and everyday.
1Thessalonians. 3:9 "How can [I] thank God enough for you in return for all the joy [I] have in the presence of our God because of you?
All my love to you from Haiti...
Monday, July 11, 2011
Fun of the Day
Since I am blogging...here are some fun things.
Today I got to go swimming in the ocean with Haitian children and then I "learned" how to wash clothes with a basin of water and soap in the river with all the Haitian village women of Luly. Life couldn't get much better than that. Thank you Lord.
From the Haitian village of Luly...
Today I got to go swimming in the ocean with Haitian children and then I "learned" how to wash clothes with a basin of water and soap in the river with all the Haitian village women of Luly. Life couldn't get much better than that. Thank you Lord.
From the Haitian village of Luly...
Still Human
Dearest Friends,
For the past week we have had the opportunity to have a group of high school students here. They have worked on many projects from painting to building benches. They also spent quite a bit of time at the children's home Tree of Life. During their time there they were able to play with the children, paint their toe nails, play futbol and build them a swing set. It was incredible to watch this team of high school students (guided by chaperons) build this swing set. After it was finished the joy that the swing set brought to the children was amazing. They immediately began to play on it, swinging, climbing and of course begging for it to be their turn.
As this team was nearing the end of their final day at Tree of Life, we were able to pray over the children and their new play set. Then the children at the home began to ask when the students would be returning to see them. Realizing at this point how attached the students had become to these children they began to cry knowing they were not sure of when/if they would be returning. At the sight of this not only were the students in tears but the children began to cry as well.
Having this experience brought me back to earth. I often feel like I can become immune to the brokeness surrounding me, however, as I sat there holding a sobbing little girl who didn't know if she was ever going to see her high school friends again, my heart broke. A familiar song to many of us is Hosanna. In the bridge of this song it says, "Break my heart for what breaks Yours." I often pray for this to be true of me, that the Lord will show me what breaks his heart and break mine. In this moment, I realized I am in Haiti. A place where children don't get enough to eat, water is a privledge, and good education is rare. I am in a country where there are more missionaries per capita than any other country and the love of Christ still needs to reach these children.
My heart was broken. I know I can only give so much to these children but I will attempt to give as Christ set the example. And I boldly ask you to do the same. We cannot continue to ignore the issues of our broken world, now is the time for action. The Lord has given each of us a specific purpose to glorify His name and make it known to the nations. If He has called you to the world, search deep and pursue hard until the Lord says yes or no, but move into action. If you feel as if the Lord has called you to give financially, a great organization to give to is http://www.worldwidevillage.org/ :) And mostly importantly pray. Pray for guidance in your purpose, pray for people, PRAY BIG. God is good and He always will be.
All my love to you...
For the past week we have had the opportunity to have a group of high school students here. They have worked on many projects from painting to building benches. They also spent quite a bit of time at the children's home Tree of Life. During their time there they were able to play with the children, paint their toe nails, play futbol and build them a swing set. It was incredible to watch this team of high school students (guided by chaperons) build this swing set. After it was finished the joy that the swing set brought to the children was amazing. They immediately began to play on it, swinging, climbing and of course begging for it to be their turn.
As this team was nearing the end of their final day at Tree of Life, we were able to pray over the children and their new play set. Then the children at the home began to ask when the students would be returning to see them. Realizing at this point how attached the students had become to these children they began to cry knowing they were not sure of when/if they would be returning. At the sight of this not only were the students in tears but the children began to cry as well.
Having this experience brought me back to earth. I often feel like I can become immune to the brokeness surrounding me, however, as I sat there holding a sobbing little girl who didn't know if she was ever going to see her high school friends again, my heart broke. A familiar song to many of us is Hosanna. In the bridge of this song it says, "Break my heart for what breaks Yours." I often pray for this to be true of me, that the Lord will show me what breaks his heart and break mine. In this moment, I realized I am in Haiti. A place where children don't get enough to eat, water is a privledge, and good education is rare. I am in a country where there are more missionaries per capita than any other country and the love of Christ still needs to reach these children.
My heart was broken. I know I can only give so much to these children but I will attempt to give as Christ set the example. And I boldly ask you to do the same. We cannot continue to ignore the issues of our broken world, now is the time for action. The Lord has given each of us a specific purpose to glorify His name and make it known to the nations. If He has called you to the world, search deep and pursue hard until the Lord says yes or no, but move into action. If you feel as if the Lord has called you to give financially, a great organization to give to is http://www.worldwidevillage.org/ :) And mostly importantly pray. Pray for guidance in your purpose, pray for people, PRAY BIG. God is good and He always will be.
All my love to you...
Monday, July 4, 2011
Refocus
I often find myself watching the ground while I am in Haiti. Probably because the roads are filled with obstacles and I feel it is neccessary to watch my step. But I lose out on so much. Today as we were walking through a tent city to deliever some items to a family who shared their story with us, it was so easy for me to stare at the ground, looking for my next step. But I really just wanted to be looking up and taking in the area and the people. This confliction of wanting to look down at the immediate but also desiring to look forward and around can also be reflected of ministry.
I feel that there are so many days while I am here that I remain focused on the small tasks of today and tomorrow. Then I often forget to look up and see what the Lord is doing in Haiti. The beauty of the land, the people and the joy that He has brought to this country. We were reading through James 4 last night and this was a fresh reminder to refocus my view on the Lord's will and not about the small things of today and tomorrow.
13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
I hope you all are doing well. E-mail me an update of your life...I would love to hear.
lamoreau.step@uwlax.edu
All my love to you...
I feel that there are so many days while I am here that I remain focused on the small tasks of today and tomorrow. Then I often forget to look up and see what the Lord is doing in Haiti. The beauty of the land, the people and the joy that He has brought to this country. We were reading through James 4 last night and this was a fresh reminder to refocus my view on the Lord's will and not about the small things of today and tomorrow.
13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
I hope you all are doing well. E-mail me an update of your life...I would love to hear.
lamoreau.step@uwlax.edu
All my love to you...
A Trip to the Mountains
After a few weeks of being here the interns felt it was neccessary to take a day of rest. So today, we enjoyed the fellowship of church (white church); where we got to praise the Lord with other missionaries who live in the area. Then we headed off to the mountains! I was so excited because I have starred at the mountains day after day and longed to drive in them and today was the day.
We kind of knew where we were going (and by we I mean Alex and Tipap-our driver). Either way we just took off driving toward the mountains and figured we would find our way to the top. After traveling through some of the most beautiful sites of Haiti; with flowers growing on vines spilling over gorgeous rock walls, with smiling people selling items from their stands, with giant beautiful houses, with farming carved into the side of the mountain and the sun peaking through the clouds. It was one of the most peaceful drives I have taken here.
When we arrived at the "top" we stopped at the Baptist Mission. It was a musem and resturant and there was also a hospital. However, it was Sunday and the musem and resturant were closed. So instead of going in we just wandered around and the merchants tried to sell us bracelents and machetes (none of which I purchased). It was fun to be in community with my friends enjoying the beauty of Haiti. I finally have some pictures to add...but I can't load them on the computer...so just look at Bre's:
http://www.aladyinhaiti.blogspot.com/
I love and miss you all...
We kind of knew where we were going (and by we I mean Alex and Tipap-our driver). Either way we just took off driving toward the mountains and figured we would find our way to the top. After traveling through some of the most beautiful sites of Haiti; with flowers growing on vines spilling over gorgeous rock walls, with smiling people selling items from their stands, with giant beautiful houses, with farming carved into the side of the mountain and the sun peaking through the clouds. It was one of the most peaceful drives I have taken here.
When we arrived at the "top" we stopped at the Baptist Mission. It was a musem and resturant and there was also a hospital. However, it was Sunday and the musem and resturant were closed. So instead of going in we just wandered around and the merchants tried to sell us bracelents and machetes (none of which I purchased). It was fun to be in community with my friends enjoying the beauty of Haiti. I finally have some pictures to add...but I can't load them on the computer...so just look at Bre's:
http://www.aladyinhaiti.blogspot.com/
I love and miss you all...
Thursday, June 30, 2011
In the Spirit
Galations 3: 1-3 "You foolish Galations! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly protrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: did you recieve the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?"
How ture is this passage in my life. I often feel that I have so many things that I need to "fix" while in Haiti. I need to train the teachers, love the children, discover the community and the people, I need to learn the language, I need to give medical attention to people, I need to get clean water, food and shelter to those in tents, I need to share the gospel and make Christ known...etc. But the reality is I am powerless.
When I forget to look to Christ Haiti seems huge, endless and unsolvable. Yet, how foolish am I? After beginning with the Spirit am I now trying to attain any goals by human effort? The Lord is not asking me to solve Haiti's problems by myself; problems will always remain. The Lord is calling me to remain in the Spirit, abided in Christ. He has the power and vision to restore Haiti in his own time. Christ came so that the law would be nullified. He was "clearly....crucified" so that we are freed from the law and are no longer bound to deeds. There is nothing that I can do by my own human effort, I must continue to rely on the Spirit. As I continue my time here in Haiti, I ask that you would join me in praying so that we would never loose focus of this idea. Christ is at the heart of this country and only through Him can we attain a goal.
"Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?"
Galations 3:3
More fun facts of the day. We got stuck in a traffic jam, due to a demonstration of students. I am still not sure what was really happening there. The children we give medika mamba to were all under weight this week, so pray that next week they gain more weight. I tried eating a coconut (kokoye) and avocado (zaboka). I really enjoyed the zaboka but not so much the kokoye. This sunday we are going to cook dinner with Dennis, one of our cooks. We are making Creole. Yum.
I love you all very much and am blessed to have your support.
All my love to you from Haiti (a beautiful land)!
How ture is this passage in my life. I often feel that I have so many things that I need to "fix" while in Haiti. I need to train the teachers, love the children, discover the community and the people, I need to learn the language, I need to give medical attention to people, I need to get clean water, food and shelter to those in tents, I need to share the gospel and make Christ known...etc. But the reality is I am powerless.
When I forget to look to Christ Haiti seems huge, endless and unsolvable. Yet, how foolish am I? After beginning with the Spirit am I now trying to attain any goals by human effort? The Lord is not asking me to solve Haiti's problems by myself; problems will always remain. The Lord is calling me to remain in the Spirit, abided in Christ. He has the power and vision to restore Haiti in his own time. Christ came so that the law would be nullified. He was "clearly....crucified" so that we are freed from the law and are no longer bound to deeds. There is nothing that I can do by my own human effort, I must continue to rely on the Spirit. As I continue my time here in Haiti, I ask that you would join me in praying so that we would never loose focus of this idea. Christ is at the heart of this country and only through Him can we attain a goal.
"Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?"
Galations 3:3
More fun facts of the day. We got stuck in a traffic jam, due to a demonstration of students. I am still not sure what was really happening there. The children we give medika mamba to were all under weight this week, so pray that next week they gain more weight. I tried eating a coconut (kokoye) and avocado (zaboka). I really enjoyed the zaboka but not so much the kokoye. This sunday we are going to cook dinner with Dennis, one of our cooks. We are making Creole. Yum.
I love you all very much and am blessed to have your support.
All my love to you from Haiti (a beautiful land)!
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