Our Family Circus

What Christmas Eve looked like for me...minus the food preparation and dish washing and basic parenting that just happens.   1.  Go through the stash of goodies we have collected and outgrown and pick out gifts for our security guards to give to their children for Christmas.    2.  Listen to a grown man giggle when he is radioed to come to the security gate and to be handed toys for his daughter. 3.  See their love for one another as they radio their coworkers to come and meet us. 4.  See a man smile big with something as simple as 2 small balls. 5.  Go shopping on the street to give our local vendors some holiday cash. 6.  Make your shopping list of who to shop from next so everyone gets some business. 7.  Shop on credit...not a good idea.  "You take it.  You can pay me later."   They will get you every time! 8.  Share jokes, laughter, and love with young men you are beginning to really care about. 9.   Let your 9- year- old bake on her

My day is pretty normal, like most of the of world there is a routine in it.  I begin with time with the Lord, then school with the children.   We have lunch and I take off to work at Mountain Maid and then will have English Class 2 days a week and another day I am part of a ladies' Bible Study.  It is pretty routine and that works.  But something turned my ordinary into something pretty exciting!   I hope I do not get too wordy, but the details of God's plan have been so beautifully laid out. A month ago, I joined our sending church as they were with their partnering church in our country.   I stopped in for the day and allowed our children to play with the other children.  I noticed a precious girl outside of the gate of the school.   She was not in uniform and had a radiant smile.   I wondered if her family could not afford for her to go to school.  I stopped to talk with her and someone told me she was mute.   I wondered if she was mute or deaf.  I sat with her for awhile

Hurricane Matthew swept over our island taking roofs, fences, gardens, crops, trees, and even livestock with it. Some areas did not see any destruction while other areas are still devastated with loss followed by excessive rain that has lead to flooding.   The mission has been unable to get supplies to where they need to be because of the washed out roads.  Earlier this week, I found myself focusing on what we were unable to do instead of focusing on God, who is sovereign and holds every detail in his loving hands.   I looked at all that was wrong instead of what was right.   It was easy to see the struggles but harder to see that God has it already worked out.  He showed us this in many ways as we have seen Him at work, but how quickly I forget. I later challenged myself to look for that good!  And THIS "good" I had forgotten to share! My Dear posted on FB the need for greenhouse film that had been ripped off of the greenhouses by the hurricane.   He also shared abou

When God called Moses to lead the Israelites, Moses had excuses.   Well, we call them excuses but Moses knew himself.   He knew his struggles, his past, his character, all that was NOT RIGHT with him.  He knew his sinful, struggling self.   Sometimes we use those as excuses and sometimes we think perhaps, the Lord needs to be reminded of our faults.   Aren't we kind to be so helpful to THE KING OF UNIVERSE!  This is my Friday.    It happens pretty much every week that I am reminded of how unqualified I am to stand before a group of people and teach.   My Kentucky accent, that my southern friends say is northern and my northern friends say is southern, is not the best for teaching English.   I struggle with English and spelling!    Is there less judgment from others if I just admit it?  It will take me at least an hour to write this post and edit it.   I will publish it and edit it again.   After posting, I will find other mistakes... after it has been read and perhaps even shared

Two years of living in Haiti has taught us......we have a lot to learn!   We were ignorant to how difficult language learning would be and even more ignorant to how difficult it would be to understand another culture. This past week, a team come from the states to help do inventory, cleaning, painting, planting and repairing at Mountain Maid, the self-help program.  We are thankful for their "attack" on the never ending to-do list. The team worked indoors most of the time so a few cultural experiences were planned for them. My Dear took the team so our 12-year-old daughter, I refer to as Dolly, went along to a historical fort nearby.  You should know that  Dolly enjoys people, adventures, Jesus, and is passionate about animals.....especially dogs.  Her love for animals is unique to this country where animals are seen as a way of living and not as companions.  When Dolly received a goat, the employees of the mission could not understand why she would not eat her goat. 

1st Birthday-- cake is GOOD! 8th Birthday--sleeping bags, new pjs, and music with friends...sleepovers are fun! 10th Birthday--My friend Mary can make herself burp but sometimes it comes out of the wrong end. 14th Birthday--My girlfriend never let my birthday pass without celebration.   Life is worth celebrating.  Friends are worth celebrating.  16th Birthday--Friends will keep a secret for a surprise party even when you are with them all day for 2 weeks of band camp.  Friends love you enough to not give up on you when they see you making one destructive decision after another.  21st Birthday--I want to be a rebel.   Do something rebellious on my 21st birthday.   Talked a cute guy into going with me to give blood.   Being a rebel is being different!  I am pretty sure I read something about that in the Bible my girlfriend gave me years ago for my birthday. By the way, I married that cute guy. 27th Birthday--The sweetest gift I ever received sat in an infant car seat in front

  Dolly's garden is growing.  We are enjoying the sunflower her friend gave her.   My Dear is working hard with plants as well.   He has many seeds started so to produce flowers and plants to sell at the shop creating more income to go toward reforestation of the country.   Do you know that Haiti was 60% forest in the 1960s?   Now, there is less than 2% forest here.   The area where we live is beautiful with trees and gardens but that is a small, small part of the country.   When the Ts arrived in Haiti, there was nothing here.   Seventy years later, it is a botanical garden.   A sweet reminder that the Lord is faithful if we are diligent and intentional with what He has called us to do. The Lord has blessed our family with friends.   Friends move in and out of the country, but the Lord is faithful to give us who we need in the season we are in.   This precious darlin' loves animals and adventure just as much as our Dolly.   What a precious gift her friendship and lo

I used to pride myself on not crying.   My winning ticket was the fact that I did not cry during Charlotte's Web!   Aren't I cool?   So, I was just a girl but that pride hung on for a long time.   Now, my niece, at a young age, would cry over almost anything.   I recall one time, she tripped and everyone was looking at her and she just cried.   She was not hurt just embarrassed and she was a toddler.   Toddlers trip.   During my wedding, she saw my sister cry, so she cried too.   I used to call her "tender" but the truth is, life has not been easy on her and instead of having a hard heart, she has a mushy one.   I love her compassionate heart.   In fact, when she is ticked off and mad, it is because of injustice and triggers her "tender" compassionate heart.  My friend "Care" is much the same.   I think they would probably say being "tender" is a blessing and a curse. Not so long ago, I hugged a young woman who had received some diffic

We are finally pulling our summer schedule together!   You know what it is like to schedule a vacation?   Well, mix vacation planning with family that you only see a time or 2 a year along with kids wanting to see friends.  Now, add camp schedules, all of your medical and health appointments as well as speaking engagements in different churches and you have the puzzle that is furlough!  We had planned to do some traveling as "field trips" but had to back out of those plans as time is limited and perhaps take a few day trips instead. For those of you who have asked, here is the schedule as of today! June 12th   am service     Bible Baptist, NV June 12th   pm service      First Baptist, NV June 22nd  Wed.              Central, PKY June 26th  am service      Central, Winchester* *My Dear will only share in part of the service.   Hope to see you at one of these locations!

Recently, I was able to enjoy a refreshing trip to Florida to surprise my father for his birthday.   My siblings also flew to the Sunshine State and then drove to the international airport to pick me up.   We piled into the back of my uncle's minivan and he drove us to our parents where my sister had informed my parents that a delivery would be made.   My father loved it and was taken completely by surprise!   He disappeared for a moment and returned after calling his boss and letting him know he would not be working the rest of the week.  We ate, laughed, visited a botanicals garden, laughed, enjoyed a road trip, laughed, did some shopping...or should I say looking, and laughed some more.   I enjoyed some time to myself swimming and enjoyed sitting in the sun with my sister and chatting with my mom.   Mom and Dad drove me to the airport to return home and I enjoyed my time alone with them.  My sister used to say I waited to have children because I had issues with sharing my toys. 

Thank you to those of you who gave towards Dolly's Zoo Birthday!   I have been told that more money is coming in but as of today, the total received for the zoo fund is over $600!!  It is not too late to contribute.   Dolly wrote a persuasive essay today for her school work to push along the process on the zoo.    THANK YOU for being a part of that!!! A team from our sending church is here this week!   You can imagine the kiddos excitement to see friends.   We have a heavy school week ahead of us. I am pretty sure school will travel over into Saturday this week as we try to do work and participate in the cool stuff the team will do.   It will be a game of balance.   I hear visitors ask the kiddos if they "have to school" today.   I am sure at times it just does not seem cool to be doing school with opportunities all around us. The Lord has not called us to "unschool" so we school....and yes, I used school as a verb.  This is a struggle for many homeschoolers

This year, the zoo at the mission will turn 50 years old.   Next month, our Dolly, the zoo keeper, will celebrate a birthday as well.    For those of you who know our Dolly, you know her love for all things furry.   The zoo has a variety of birds and a couple of small crocodiles that she checks in on as well as the rabbits and goats that she enjoys so much.  This is Jade.  Jade of Joy was born Feb. 10th making Dolly the mama of 2 goats.  The zoo is about the size of a nice petting zoo in the states, but it is the only zoo I know of in Haiti.  Dolly was gifted 2 animals for the zoo last year for her birthday but with changes in staff and issues with space, she has yet to receive them although the sender waits patiently.  We have not given up hope and are dreaming on the best way to make accommodations in the zoo for these new animals.  My camera lovin' friend Jen captured this mama and her chicks. Yes, this critter is in our zoo.  NO, I did not take this beautiful

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says,  " Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." This Thanksgiving, we gathered together as a mission to enjoy our Thanksgiving feast.  We were told that after we ate, we would share what we are thankful for.  No big deal, right!  I could come up with a list of what I am thankful for each day of the year and never repeat myself.  But this Thanksgiving was different.   I ate pretty much in silence with My Dear staying close by.   I prepared my assigned dishes and arrived just in time for the festivities.  As we finished up, I recalled there would be a time of sharing.   But, my head knew it should be thankful and my heart was hurting so much louder that my head and heart were certainly not in agreement.   My Dear got a call from the shop where he works and let me know he needed to go.  I took the opportunity to slip out.   Just the thought of communicating before a crowd and struggling with gratitude was too

Whenever we get in our car and travel any further than PV, the city near us where we frequent the store, we stop traffic.   LITERALLY! You see, we are foreigners, blan, white people and they can easily see us coming.   Simply because of our skin color, our vehicle is going to be stopped and we are going to have to hand over the paperwork to the police at the stop. Sometimes these stops are inconvenient, sometimes they are expensive and sometimes they are actually quick.  Our ministry met at the camp location at the beach.   It takes about 2 hours to travel the 50 miles and THAT is if we leave early in the morning before the country awakens.  On our way there, we were pulled over-SURPRISE!   After seeing our paperwork and that we were in compliance with the law, the officer asked if we had any money to give him.   We said no.   The police are obviously not paid well so he asked for money so he could get a drink.   It is hot and we would not have hesitated to purchase them a drink!