Baptism By Fire!

Last time I blogged we were receiving our first team. Since then, in the short span of two weeks, we have had over 100 missionaries here. It has been CRAZY! Lots of good things being done, medical teams, VBS, the beginnings of a playground for the kids, dental work, virtual classroom, moving to a new clinic, and now a pastor's conference. It has been nutty trying to house everyone but I feel most for the ladies that cook!! And on top of all that, we have had NO water since Friday morning. You realize just how dependent you are on something when it's gone. Been a little stressful trying to get things done, find water to drink, and accommodate people so they can actually do what they came here to do. Really praying that the water is restored before tomorrow when 50 Haitian pastors show up for the conference!

Clinic at the Big Tree

Praying with people before seeing patients

Dental Clinic - Lots of teeth pulled!

Belvy was a stud! Never even flinched!

Sweet Gage and a baby chick


Needless to say, God is allowing great things here and providing all of our needs. Even when frustrations come, I am confident of our calling and it is very apparent just how needed Michael is here. He has worked tirelessly, and I truly have wondered just how things got done before he came? God is stretching us in many ways. Especially me! Anyone who knows me very well can attest to the fact that I am little spoiled. I mean, what American girl doesn't want a mani/pedi or a nice long bubble bath? But right about now I'd settled for clean clothes and something more than a baby wipe to bathe with!

I have often wished that I had a skill that would be useful here (doctor, dentist, nurse etc.). But God has shown me that I am skilled at being a mom. Every night I go into the orphanage and tuck in a few sweet kids who have fallen asleep on the concrete floor. And at any given time of day, one of the 78 orphans or many village kids hanging around is in tears over something, and I can be the one to comfort them. If all I ever accomplish here is being a surrogate mom to these kids who have never had a mother to just hold them, then that is enough.

Michael and I also want to thank everyone who is faithful to pray for our family. We are humbled by the provision God has given through many of you. If you have given money for our support, "Thank You". We would like to be able to thank you individually.

Sister Odilon

One of the things I intended to do with this blog is introduce you to the amazing, humble people here. I want you all to meet the people who help run the orphanage and the kids themselves. The first person you should know is Sister Rose Marie Lorent Estinfort. We call her Sister Odilon, because that is the last name of her husband. Names are very confusing here. If I can say them at all, they usually have several names and/or a nickname. I can't keep up!! They have a hard time saying Renea, so some call me NayNay, but many call me Madame Michael. I believe it is proper to call a lady by her husband's name. Anyway, This is Sister Odilon:

She is truly one of the most humble, hardworking, pleasant and timid people I have ever met. She is one of 2 house moms who take care of the 78 children here. She works tirelessly to keep all the rooms in order and taking care f the kids. I have literally seen her sorting socks for 78 kids!! She cleans, washes, changes sheets, and does things for these kids like they are her own. And in fact 3 of them are hers. Sister Odilon is 34 years old. When her oldest daughter was only 3 years old, her husband left her. To this day she does not know where he is or even if he is alive or dead. With three very young children she was alone and dependent on her extended family to help her. She also went through a long period of illness, but when she was better she was encouraged to go and find work to support herself and her children. In 2007 she began working for the orphanage as a house mom, which also provided a place to live for her and her children. Over time, she made the difficult decision to allow her children to be adopted. She has discussed this with the children and they know that it is because she wants a better life for them than what they have here. She wants them to have opportunities that they will not have in Haiti. What an unselfish love! I don't believe I would be capable of doing that. She wants them to become Godly adults who are educated and independent. And eventually she would love for them to come back to Haiti and try to make a difference here. When I asked about what she would like for her future, she wasn't sure. Many Haitians don't think much about the future because they aren't sure they will have one. There are too many concerns for today. But after thinking about it, she just said that she would like to have shelter and be able to take care of her mother and her extended family. Being the oldest child she feels that is her responsibility.

Sister Odilan's oldest daughter is Noverlitha Estinfort or Naomi. She is 14 years old and loves basketball. She is in her 5th year of school but says she does not really like school.

Odanette Estinfort is 12 and in her 4th year of school. She pretty much likes playing all the time. And from what I can tell she and their brother Samson love to bother Naomi and pick on her. Typical of younger siblings!

Samson is 11 and in his 3rd year of school. He says he loves to play electronic games (which he probably means Elijah's itouch because they don't have electronics!) He also says he prays that he will do very good in school so he can be smarter than Odanette!! I was also impressed that Samson speaks very good English!!

This is a very sweet family that I am honored to know and I hope that by seeing their faces and knowing a little about them, you will be encouraged to pray for them specifically.

Our First Team

We picked up the first of many teams that are vital to the organization here. It's a great group of loving people from Cherokee Hills Christian Chrurch in OK, who came here to put together a playground for the kiddos here. Unfortunately, we have not been able to get it out of customs, so they are spending the week doing some other much needed things! Tomorrow and Wednesday they will pass out the Christmas Shoeboxes, which is always such a blessing to be a part of.

We also took them all up to the house to see the progress.... looking good! Can't wait to pick up friends tomorrow who are coming to help us build!!!

One Week

We have been here one week now! We miss our friends of course, but we are adjusting. No major breakdowns yet. Although we do have our moments of "holy cow!", but we always come back to the thought that God called us here and He will not leave us now!! Even when Gage is feeling sad I am assured that God has a purpose for him here too.

I have been impressed with what Boss Val has accomplished in the last 3 days. They have started digging the trench for the footing, by hand, shovel and pick. It's at least 4 feet deep in some places. Here are a few pics of the progress! If they keep working at this rate, we will have a house soon!!

Homeless

I can't believe we finally made it here! It's been a long journey just getting here. We are just about "settled in" to our 10x10 home away from home. It's cramped, but it's a good thing I love these three other people with me! It occurred to me on the plane here that we are officially HOMELESS. According to the average person, we have no physical home, neither in the US or Haiti. But the thought did not horrify me. Instead I felt immediate satisfaction in the fact that we are totally dependent on God. Of course, it is our goal to have a house built here, but would I be ok with being homeless and 100% trust God with everything? Truth is, I probably wouldn't last long in that state. I am spoiled to the conveniences of America and the American dream. If the earthquake that the people of Haiti endured over a year ago had happened in downtown Fort Worth, we would have already rebuilt, probably bigger and better than before. We would cash in on our insurance policies and move forward. The thing is, here in Haiti the people don't have that privilege. They are in no better state of living than they were a year ago. They still live in tents, still scrounge for food, still grieve over the loved ones they lost, still have no faith in the corrupt government that kicks them down, and the majority of the people are still under the oppression of Voo Doo. Immediately when my family stepped off that airplane we were kings in comparison to the people of Haiti, homeless or not. Praise God that even though I claim to be homeless, I have a Heavenly home that nothing will compare too and I hope that God will use my family to show as many people in Haiti that they have a Heavenly home too. And truly, I hope that every man, woman and child here will know God and live in my "Heavenly Neighborhood" with a mansion 10 times larger than mine!

Here are some things you can pray for:

That the kids will adjust emotionally, physically, spiritually.

That God will provide the right people to help us build the house and that it can be done in a timely and cost efficient way.

That Michael and I will see the needs of the orphanage and respond to those needs in the way God wants us to.

That we will find a vehicle for our family so we can pick up teams from the airport and get around so we will feel more independent and not have to depend on the orphanage staff to take us everywhere.

I am sure there are many more... just pray!



By the way, for all of you who prayed for Gage, he had a better day today. One good thing that happened was he discovered ketchup in Haiti! the boy loves his condiments!! Praise God for the little things!!

Pics of where we will be staying for a while.


Here are some sweet pics of the people who came to our going away party! We have the most awesome people in our lives!

Thompson Family Video

Break Camp!

I haven't blogged in a few days, not even to express how happy I am to have Michael & Elijah home.  Mainly because I didn't know what to say.  When Michael returned from his 6 weeks in Haiti he was very discouraged.  Nothing he had planned to do while he was there actually came to fruition.  Our plan was to get at least a good start on the house.  But nothing in Haiti comes easy. NOTHING!  Reflecting over the past few weeks, Michael would say that none of his time there was wasted.  He stayed very busy working on "orphanage stuff" and getting teams where they needed to be, but his disappointment came in seeing that we are really no closer to moving than we were before he left.  Of course, if Michael is disappointed, then so am I.  But God keeps reminding me that this is HIS deal and that everything will happen in His time.  His still, small voice keeps telling me, "If this was easy, I would have called anyone to do it, but I called you."  Not to say that Michael or I have any special qualities that would allow us to do this, but God has made it clear over the last year that every trial, valley, death, hardship, etc. that has happened in our lives up to this point has been God preparing us for this.

It is easy to doubt your calling.  Looking at our circumstances we would say (and have said)  that there are too many obstacles. Not enough money, no way to get a car in country, no resources to build a house. But all of this is Satan's attempt to keep us from doing the Lord's work.  Then today I read Joshua 3. Read it when you can.  The Israelites were told to cross the Jordan, but they had to take a step into the flooding river in Faith, then God would stop the water from flowing. And that's exactly what they did.

v15b -16 "Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing."

And then it says " they stood on dry ground"  the truth is they had to step out!  WOW!

I guess we've been waiting for everything to be ready in our eyes, but in verse 5 Joshua says, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you."

And then today, my devotion says about Joshua 3:
"The people were not to wait in their camps until the way was opened, they were to walk by faith.  They were to break camp, pack up their goods, form in line to march, and move down to the very banks before the the river would be opened.  If they had come down to the edge of the river and then had stopped for the stream to divide before they stepped into it, they would have waited in vain.  They must take one step into the water before the river would be cut off.


We must learn to take God at His Word, and go straight on in duty, although we see no way in which we can go forward.  The reason we are so often balked by difficulties is that we expect to see them removed before we try to pass through them.  If we would move straight on in faith, the path would be opened for us. We stand still, waiting for the obstacles to be removed, when we ought to go forward as if there were no obstacles."


This is where we are now, we have to hold our plans loosely.  Pray that we can take this step of faith even when the waters are still flowing!