Lodder Family

By my second day away from Haiti I was already missing the Lodder family, especially Maia and Levi. These are the adorable, crazy kids I babysat. We had sweet moments along with our share of rough days. I learned much from these kiddos!! Randy and Karen also took good care of me while I was in Haiti- feeding me, taking me places and giving me rides. 

 A couple of weeks ago we found a bit of time amidst our busy schedules and had a great mini photo shoot. I was a little nervous about taking their family pictures. The kids were ornery but thankfully some of the picture turned out ;) Here are a few of my favorites:

Cat in the Hat

Tasha and I brought the Cat in the Hat to life on a bookcase at some friends of ours school.

When we started a couple of months ago, we had high hopes of replicating the Cat in the Hat from a small picture. 

I showed Tasha how to make squares on the picture, then measure the door to draw enlarged squares there. 

After a few hours we had completed the drawing. Next we painted the red and white base colors. 

A few weeks later, while Tasha was in school, I went back to the school and painted the black lines on the Cat. 

I also added a Dr. Seuss quote in French:

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. 

The more that you learn, the more places you'll go!"

My dear friend, Ari, hosted a tea party for the girls that she takes care of. Since these are also the girls I teach, I agreed to help her out. We served them tea, juice, cookies and sandwiches. They dumped tons of sugar into their tea, gobbled down the food, and spilled the tea and juice everywhere! We enjoyed our Saturday morning with the girls :)

Expect the Unexpected

This past weekend Randy and Karen took the Schmick family and I on a little excursion.

We drove a short distance outside of Port-au-Prince to a lake. This lake is known for it's flamingos.

The locals willingly stopped what they were doing and brought us out on their fishing boats.

After a couple of hours journeying around the lake we had not seen any flamingos.

This didn't crush our spirits though because there were plenty of other things to relish along the way:

A Blessing in Disguise

I am finished teaching! Sigh. Yay! :) This week I struggled to come up with projects for the kids. I thought back to the previous 19 weeks of classes... I don't know how I made it through. I sure didn't on my own strength.

There were so many mornings when I didn't want to get out of bed. Many times I had to give myself a pep talk before heading on to the next class. And those moments when you just want to strangle the kids- yup, had my share of those too.

But by the grace of God I always had just enough patience to deal with the kids, just enough ideas for projects, just enough time to prepare the materials, just enough Creole vocabulary to communicate in class, just enough energy to wake up each morning and then do it all over again week after week. 

I was entrusted with more than I could handle. God faithfully led me through each week.

     I believe that God totally, absolutely, intentionally gives us more than we can handle. Because this is when we surrender to Him and He takes over, providing Himself by doing the impossible in our lives. 

     I have learned to accept it, even ask for it, this "more than I can handle." Because in these times, God shows Himself victorious. He reminds me that all of this life requires more of Him and less of me. God does give us more than we can handle. Not maliciously, but intentionally, in love, that His glory may be displayed, that we may have no doubt of who is in control, that people may see His grace and faithfulness shining through our lives. 

     And as I surrender these situations to Him, watch Him take over and do the impossible, I am filled with joy and peace- so much more than I can handle.

     ~Excerpt from Kisses From Katie, by Katie Davis.

I was always quick to reminded others, "Don't worry; God never gives you more than you can handle." Although, now I too disagree with that. I have been living in this "more than I can handle" state and it has been such a blessing!

(Click on the photo to enlarge it)

Another Haitian Prayer

Senyè,

    Lord,

Nou vini nan mache ou a.

    We have come to your marketplace.

Nou konnen ke genyen anpil pwovizyon nan mache w' la.

    We know there are plenty of provisions in your market.

Nou pote panye nou avèk nou.

    We have brought our baskets with us.

Kounye a nou vle sòti nan mache w' la ak panye nou plen pwovizyon.

    Now we want to go back from your market with our baskets full of provisions.

*Prayer taken from the book God is No Stranger

Flag Day!

Last week I participated in two flag day celebrations. Friday, May 18, was the official flag day; it is a holiday so the students had off from school. Yet they showed up that morning to honor this special day. The students and teachers headed out into the community proudly waving their Haitian flags and singing about their country. For one of the parades we walked a short distance around the block near the school, and for the other parade we journeyed to the Mayor's office and back. Of course we had to endure the scorching sun but I thought it was well worth it to witness the pride on display of the Haitian people for their country.

The older students had been preparing for the parade for a couple of weeks. I was very impressed- they chanted while marching in perfectly straight lines!

This is a video of their march- (I had to split the video in two in order to upload it):

Because we caused quite the commotion parading through the streets, many people gathered alongside the roads to watch. 

One of my favorites...another gate picture!

Ayiti pou Kris (Haiti for Christ); Kris pou Ayiti (Christ for Haiti)

Cherishing Friendships

In our neighborhood we have many wonderful families. Four of those families are fellow missionaries working with different ministries. I have gotten to know our neighbors over the past six months and have been greatly blessed by them. God has placed a unique community among us.

In a few weeks we will all be heading off in different directions. Some of us will be returning to the States to continue life there, others will be returning stateside for a couple of months to visit and some will stay in Haiti over the summer. We wanted to do something together before everyone left. This past Thursday night the neighborhood ladies and some of their daughters dressed up and went out to a restaurant for desert. It was a gorgeous night and we had a great time together.

Back row: Christine Harms, Jennifer Edgerton, Taressa, Ruth, and I
Front row: Sharon Seegar-King, Andrea Schmick, Makayla Schmick, Malieke, and Megan Edgerton

The goodbyes will be difficult but I know that God has a plan for each one of us to continue furthering his Kingdom, whether that be in Haiti or elsewhere.  Ephesians 1: 11-12 "In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory."

Port-au-Prince at night!

After dinner us younger ladies walked around, thinking up creative shots and posing for pictures.

Taressa took most of the photos. Thanks Tares!

And this is my dear friend Andrea whom I will be most saddened to leave. Andrea has become a mentor of sorts to me; we meet once a week to study the Bible together and pray. We are continually reminded that we can do nothing apart from God. What a wonderful reminder that is! After bringing our concerns before Him we are left with such a peace. I will forever cherish those times spent in the company of Andrea :)

Teachable?

Thirty kids doing art together, in the same room... On any given day that's usually far too many kids for me to handle. Not today though. Because the kids are much more well-behaved I didn't freak out when the majority of them, ages 4-16 years old, joined in on the fun. I set up paint and sponges on one set of tables, and on the other side of the room I placed crayons, colored pencils and coloring books. I divided a few of the kids up, so some were coloring while others got creative with the paint. Thankfully many of them ended up at the tables coloring pictures and there weren't too many making a mess with the paints. Amazingly enough, I only ended up with three small spots of paint on my clothes. The tables on the other hand didn't fair so well and I spent a decent amount of time cleaning those at the end of class.

For a good hour and a half I scrambled to keep everyone pleased while they worked. I had kids constantly grabbing at my arm and motioning to the empty cardboard sheets. So, I refilled the paints again and again. There were others creating disaster scenes, mixing all the colors and/or covering their hands with paint. Without being to obvious, I attempted to shift those children back to the coloring table. Most kids moved right along from one picture to the other. All I heard was, "Miss Kati! Paper! Miss Kati!" "Cam-dy! More paper!" "Kaaati! Paper please!" "Candie! I need paper." (Those are all the names I answer to. I got a little sick of correcting them.) I handed out paper left and right. After months of class I'm finally on top of the paper situation and have tons of it available. Today, I didn't even come close to running out!

Eventually the area cleared out; many of the kids had enough for the day. A little kindergartener, whom I don't normally teach, latched onto my legs as I walked past him. I stopped and peered down at him. He looked up at me, speaking Creole in a barely audible voice. I didn't understand, so I picked him up and sat him down on my lap. This time he said, "Paper. I want paper." I got up, fetched a clean sheet for him, and sat back down next to him. He drew something that I couldn't depict. Then he drew a W. I decided to find out if he knew his alphabet. I began to say each letter aloud and wrote them with him. I got to G; he knew all the rest of the letters from that point on. When we finished the alphabet he handed me the crayon, repeating, "Flower. Flower." I absentmindedly drew him a flower then stepped away to help a few other kids. I came back, and to my surprise, he had drawn multiple copies of the flower! They were very good!

Next, I drew a house for him instead of another flower like he asked. I turned to assist someone else for a few minutes and then redirected my gaze back towards him. He had in fact started a copy of the house too! I was fascinated by this little four year old.

Hardly any of my other kids will copy objects that I draw them. They like to have me draw apples, flowers, crosses, stars, and hearts on their papers. As soon as I draw one of those things for one girl, at least six of her friends will come up to me asking me to draw that object on their paper as well. Sometimes I draw an apple multiple times for the same person. Eventually I get fed up with that and refuse to draw any more objects for them. I am constantly suggesting they study my object and draw one like it for themselves. This does not appease them because if their object does not turn out exactly like mine they are dejected.

I have found a four year old child that is teachable. A four year old! He understands the concept of copying an example. He sat quietly, observing, memorizing the way I was drawing the flower so that he could make one himself! He is aware that in order to become better at drawing a flower he needs to work at it. He will never be able to draw a flower that is as "good" as mine unless he practices. I am amazed! I just wish more of the kids would grasp this concept- it would save me from drawing an awful lot of apples!

I thought of this child and his willingness to learn and then wondered about myself. Am I teachable? Am I open to learning new ideas, concepts, and truths? Do I have the patience to sit and observe? Do I take the time to listen when someone gives an explanation or tells one of their life experiences?

More importantly, when it comes to my walk with God, am I teachable? Am I open to learning new truths, ridding my heart of sin, and understanding God's character more? Do I have the patience to sit before the throne of my Father? Do I take time each day to pour over His Word and listen to His voice? Or is He frustrated with me because I'm halfheartedly seeking Him? Is He willing me to pay attention to His Word and hear His voice instead of going about my own business?

Psalm 25: 4-5

Show me your ways, Lord,

teach me your paths.
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are God my Savior,
    and my hope is in you all day long.

Watch for God

Ever since Vacation Bible School (VBS) at our church two years ago, I have been watching for God. This was one of the main themes of the VBS and we encouraged the kids to actively look for God throughout their day. I had always had my devotion time and church time where I could see God. But I didn't think much about God during the rest of my day. Now, however, I don't go a day without noticing God.

I arrived in Haiti with my eyes open, watching for God. One of the schools that I teach at had been a challenge. These are a few notes from my journal over the past few months:

January 17: I went to the school for the first time- 44 kids, 2 teachers. It was crazy and hectic there. The kids just ran around, playing, fighting. It was hard to get them to pay attention and gathered into one place.

Jan 20: In the afternoon I had Bible study with Andrea. I told her about my week, shared my frustrations with her. She said that my position, at the school, is good and I know I'm exactly where God wants me.  Though I feel so frustrated and there is no way I can control the kids, let alone teach them anything or make an impact on them, I can be an INTERCESSOR- pray for them. I can bring the presence of You to that place by praying over them and lifting them up before you. Though that doesn't feel like much, Andrea said it is everything. This is going to be exciting. Strengthen me each week God, again and again, so that I can be there for these children. You give more grace and provide everything your children need. You promise to meet all my needs.

After my talk with Andrea, the situation seemed so bleak. I considered only teaching these kids for a few months. I didn't see how I could go into that school twice a week and still maintain my sanity! It was exhausting spending time with them.

Looking back through my journal, I found these entries from my devotion time amid my other writings:

January 23:
       ~Everywhere I go Christ goes because I bring Christ with me.
       ~Light has power over darkness.
       ~Do not be pre-supposed by things getting darker. Things are evolving from glory unto glory.
       ~Live like Jesus is coming back tomorrow and have a vision like he won't be back for a thousand years.

February 1:
       ~Missions is less about what I do and more about who I am. A life overflowing Jesus wherever I am.
       ~We need followers of Jesus that are not given to services and programs, but to REAL PEOPLE. Invest in people.

Feb 7:
       ~People matter. What if today was my last day? What matters?
       ~When I come to heaven and face Jesus do I want to stand there with all my stuff or with people, crowds of people?
       And say to Jesus, they love you! They are passionate about you!

Feb 8: Got hugs from the kids today when I entered the orphanage. :) Made me feel loved.

Feb 11: The kids at the orphange lack the joy of Christ and I don't know what to do about that. It breaks my heart to see them without the love of God in their hearts. They need Jesus!

Feb 15: They need JESUS! They need good role models. It's terrible; they are out of control and not at all nice to each other.

Feb 19:
       ~Do I know who I am? Wherever I go I bring God.

March 24:
       ~ The way I will see any fulfillment in that which God wants me to accomplish is by focusing on  Jesus Christ and
       worshipping Him only. In Him when my strength is depleted and I am made weak He is made perfect.

At the time, I didn't even realize how much these insights related to my situation. Right there was more than enough reason to continue spending time with these kids. I am called to let the light of Christ shine through me! By being compassionate and loving towards them, which is what I've been trying so hard to do, I show them Christ. The kids have been so much better lately. The sit right down at the tables when I arrive and eagerly wait for me to start. And they don't fight as much!

May 5: At the school the children worked diligently and didn't need much help. Halfway through my class time the kindergarten teacher turned on VBS music and blasted it rather loudly. The kids faces lit up. One little boy ran upstairs as soon as he heard, "If you're happy and you know it." His face was beaming! Many of the kids were excited and sang along with the music. The songs were so upbeat, bringing a whole different mood to the place. The kids continued dancing and singing. I could hear a chorus of voices coming from upstairs as they shouted out the words to the songs. Pure joy was in their hearts! And God.
What surprised me most was that just five months ago I saw an absence of joy and hope in these kids faces. I desperately prayed to God that they would have Jesus, that they would know Jesus. I remember thinking that it would be really cool if these kids could have songs and upbeat Christian music to listen to, maybe someone to worship with them. That was not the position God called me to. Enter- the new kindergarten teacher- he begins teaching and brings the light of Jesus to these kids! Hallelujah! God heard my prayer.

I saw God today!

That happened on a Tuesday. Thursday of that same week I spent time with the older kids. I brought new materials for them and they produced beautiful pieces! I was enthralled by the way they worked.

After my curiosity finally got the best of me I asked what was depicted in this picture. I was a bit surprised by the response, "Satan and God." Wow! 

This boy has talent! As do all the kids- another reason for me to keep coming back each week. I'm so proud of them!