Snow. White. Pure. Clean. Bright.
I feel like snow is what I need right now. A washing, a cleansing. Purifying me and my life of all that is hard, dark, heavy...
Why God. Just Why.
Please let there be snow for Christmas this year. Let there be snow not only on the ground, but let what snow represents be in the lives of those I love. We need cleansing, purifying, and your redemption. There is so much evil, so much darkness, so much hate, so much filth on so many levels in the world. Purify us!
Snow.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Thursday, December 13, 2012
"so go DOWNTOWN. things will be great when you're DOWNTOWN..."
Today was one of the best days I've had in Haiti! First off, my next door ROOSTER didn't wake me up this morning at 4 am--definitely getting off to a good start. Next, today is my day off, which means I get to hang out with the awesome people downstairs (i.e. other people who work here but I don't get to hang out with on a regular basis). Then, I walked to the grocery store and got food (I love food). After that, one of our Haitian friends came over and we got Ashley a new phone. And the BEST part is next: the two of us, me and my friend Frantzdy, took a bus downtown and bought my family Christmas gifts (To be read in a sing-songy voice) in downtown PaP. That was really fun--bartering and looking at all the artifacts. Then he gave me a mini tour of the monuments and such; during part of the tour we sat on a playground in one of the parks and chatted. We decided to walk around a bit more and then looked for a bus to take us back to Petionville, however, it was really hard to find one as they were either full or were not going the right direction. Soooo, we started walking back to Pville. By the time we were barely out of downtown area, we realized that it was dark and that Pville really is quite a ways to walk...so we hopped on a motorcycle taxi and came home.
It was really quite exciting and I feel so much more Haitian now!
BUT what I'm REALLY excited about is my Christmas gifts for my family!! Can I just say that this Christmas is going to be the BEST CHRISTMAS EVAAARRR!!!! I get to see my family AND give them cool Haitian things. :) I'm so excited!!!
It was really quite exciting and I feel so much more Haitian now!
BUT what I'm REALLY excited about is my Christmas gifts for my family!! Can I just say that this Christmas is going to be the BEST CHRISTMAS EVAAARRR!!!! I get to see my family AND give them cool Haitian things. :) I'm so excited!!!
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Musings
I just want to eat Haiti. I feel
this so strongly sometimes. I desire to experience it more, deeply, soak in
everything that is Haitian. This is the first time I’ve ever tackled living in
another country, it takes time to soak up experiences. Even back in the States
when I experienced something new, I felt the same thing but nothing was as big
as a completely new country with a different culture and language. Speaking about
language, I realized that I can and will speak Kreyol as I am, speak it from
me, coming from who I am. I will choose my words as I do in English—I don’t
talk like everyone else—I choose my own lingo and define things my own way. I
am free to do and will do the same in Kreyol. In that way, I’m glad I look
different. I speak from who I am. Speaking of looking different, I am blan. Not
necessarily color as it was explained to me by Yvelyne and Glaphira when
Glaphira said “Sak pase, Blan?” to me in the DR. Rather, Blan means an open
mind. I am open minded and that will
never change the more I become part of Haitian culture or the more American I am. I am becoming more
secure and aware of who I am and not being afraid to admit it, own it, express
it without apology.
Actually, if I think about it, I
want to eat God, I want to eat Life. To experience it, to live it fully, to
taste it, feel it, let it fill me and change me.
GOD!! I WANT TO LIVE!!! Nothing has consumed me with my passion to Live, to really truly live. To Live is Christ. It is experiencing God and nothing less that will fulfill that desire to Live!!
I want to SAY. By the time I leave Haiti, I want to be able to Say, to truly be Alive. To not be afraid of who I am. To be able to express my thoughts. To say. Maybe someday I will learn to speak, to express, to say.
GOD! Let me experience you! You are Life. In you is Life. Apart from you I can do nothing. I can know nothing. Apart from you is death, whether or not I have the breath of life. AGAIN, LORD! Let me experience YOU!!!
O Come, Emmanuel
O Come, COME, Emmanuel!!
And ransom me. Redeem me. Abide with me, Thou Great Jehovah.
God with us.
Please take time to consider this great miracle.
Is this our plea?? Is this your heart's cry, my beloved ones? It must be or we have no life at all. In Him is Life and apart from Him you are nothing. NOTHING. You do not possess even yourself: breath, body, friends, family, possessions.
God with us.
Does this amaze you? Does it cause you to fall on your face in reverence, in gratitude--deep, heart-throbbing gratitude? If it does not, take time to consider where you would be without the great miracle of God becoming flesh, dying for sins he didn't commit, and becoming alive after dying! Or perhaps consider where you are, in your desperate need for Him. If that is where you are, oh loved one, call out to HIM!! Echo with the song
O Come O COME, Emmanuel!!
Friday, October 26, 2012
My God is SO BIG!
...So strong and so mighty there's nothing my God cannot do FOR YOU!
My God is SO BIG, so Strong and so Mighty there's nothing my God cannot do FOR YOU!!!
It's a children's song, yes. But isn't it those with that child-like faith that Jesus says will enter His Kingdom? Maybe it's a childish song, but it is simple, true, and straight to the point.
My fellow Warriors, please pray this for me:
Ephesians 3:14-19 "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father, from whom every family in heaven and earth derives it's name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God."
Please bow on your knees and ask the Holy Spirit to grant me this inner strength and power to understand His love for me. For the purpose of living fully, having a full life. "Empower me; strengthen me so I can understand Your love for me!" This is my plea--it is power from His Spirit in my inner being to do this. And this is something that He must grant--I cannot work for it, or earn it, or do something to get it (which is hard for someone who is so task and solution oriented). He must grant it of His own accord.
Thank you, my fellow Kingdom Seekers.
Keep your heart set on things that are above (i.e Eternal) and pray that for me as well!
Remember that our God IS SO BIG, so Strong and so Mighty there's nothing our God cannot do FOR YOU!
My God is SO BIG, so Strong and so Mighty there's nothing my God cannot do FOR YOU!!!
It's a children's song, yes. But isn't it those with that child-like faith that Jesus says will enter His Kingdom? Maybe it's a childish song, but it is simple, true, and straight to the point.
My fellow Warriors, please pray this for me:
Ephesians 3:14-19 "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father, from whom every family in heaven and earth derives it's name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God."
Please bow on your knees and ask the Holy Spirit to grant me this inner strength and power to understand His love for me. For the purpose of living fully, having a full life. "Empower me; strengthen me so I can understand Your love for me!" This is my plea--it is power from His Spirit in my inner being to do this. And this is something that He must grant--I cannot work for it, or earn it, or do something to get it (which is hard for someone who is so task and solution oriented). He must grant it of His own accord.
Thank you, my fellow Kingdom Seekers.
Keep your heart set on things that are above (i.e Eternal) and pray that for me as well!
Remember that our God IS SO BIG, so Strong and so Mighty there's nothing our God cannot do FOR YOU!
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Time for life
On our many treks between St. Trinitè in down town Port-au-Prince and where we live at St. Jacques in Pètion-ville, I observe the people. They walk. They sell things. They are out and about. Talking.
I see conversations happening. People taking time to talk to each other. There is time. Time to rest and talk and even if you're busy, there is not the pressure to get things done.
It's the Caribbean, mate...gotta experience it. It'll change your life. The Western World is not the entire world, mate. Time to experience a different culture is time worth taking.
Please, take time to live life and don't squelch it with "things that you have to do".
I see conversations happening. People taking time to talk to each other. There is time. Time to rest and talk and even if you're busy, there is not the pressure to get things done.
It's the Caribbean, mate...gotta experience it. It'll change your life. The Western World is not the entire world, mate. Time to experience a different culture is time worth taking.
Please, take time to live life and don't squelch it with "things that you have to do".
I DROVE IN HAITI!!!
And if you don't know what that entails, let me enlighten you:
Haitian Rules of the Road book:
Chapter 1 "Communication on the Road"
Honk before you do anything
Honk when you intend to but don't do anything
Honk when you want to pass, let another driver in, tell them to get out of the way, etc
Honk when you want to communicate anything to anyone
Honk when you feel like honking
Feel free to honk as long and as loud and whatever rhythm you desire
Personalized horns are awesome so get one
Honk to your hearts content
Hand signals should be used whenever possible in addition to honking.
Chapter 2 "Road Signs and Signals"
Stop signs are definitely optional
Look, Honk and Go is the name of the game.
Yellow light means hit the gas.
If you have a turn signal, you can use it, otherwise just honk and use hand signals.
Chapter 2 "Speed"
The smoothness of the road determines your speed
If there's no one around, hit the gas pedal
Go fast and honk your horn and people move out of your way
Chapter 3 "Chaotic is a Matter of Opinion"
There are a lot of people around, so stick to your guns
Don't ever let a tap-tap get in front of you
Be nice, but not too nice.
There is no such thing as tailgating.
U-turns are a must.
Traffic happens.
PAY ATTENTION ALL THE TIME!!!
END OF RULES OF THE ROAD
So let me just clarify that is very exciting, quite intimidating, and definitely a challenge. Let's just say it's a really good thing that I pay attention when I'm driving with others and am observant on how things are done here. After the fact, the person who asked me to drive told me that the area I drove in was the worst place to drive in Haiti, so if I can drive there, I can drive anywhere.
Haitian Rules of the Road book:
Chapter 1 "Communication on the Road"
Honk before you do anything
Honk when you intend to but don't do anything
Honk when you want to pass, let another driver in, tell them to get out of the way, etc
Honk when you want to communicate anything to anyone
Honk when you feel like honking
Feel free to honk as long and as loud and whatever rhythm you desire
Personalized horns are awesome so get one
Honk to your hearts content
Hand signals should be used whenever possible in addition to honking.
Chapter 2 "Road Signs and Signals"
Stop signs are definitely optional
Look, Honk and Go is the name of the game.
Yellow light means hit the gas.
If you have a turn signal, you can use it, otherwise just honk and use hand signals.
Chapter 2 "Speed"
The smoothness of the road determines your speed
If there's no one around, hit the gas pedal
Go fast and honk your horn and people move out of your way
Chapter 3 "Chaotic is a Matter of Opinion"
There are a lot of people around, so stick to your guns
Don't ever let a tap-tap get in front of you
Be nice, but not too nice.
There is no such thing as tailgating.
U-turns are a must.
Traffic happens.
PAY ATTENTION ALL THE TIME!!!
END OF RULES OF THE ROAD
So let me just clarify that is very exciting, quite intimidating, and definitely a challenge. Let's just say it's a really good thing that I pay attention when I'm driving with others and am observant on how things are done here. After the fact, the person who asked me to drive told me that the area I drove in was the worst place to drive in Haiti, so if I can drive there, I can drive anywhere.
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