"I carried a watermelon...?"

Today I was encouraged by Sean, or gently pushed, to go out into town with the lady that is cooking for us, Li Paix.  I was scared, in an intimidated way, not in a fearful way, of walking in town.  Being the obvious outsider. Oh how in my flesh I felt so out of place and insecure about just walking the streets, but I pulled up my big girl panties, Sean and I prayed about it and I went on my way.  Our mission was to find some things that La Paix needed for cooking; pots to use on our charcoal oven, some fruit, bread and cell minutes for the phones.  Before our Haitian shopping adventure could be underway we had to exchange my US dollars for Haitian gourdes. 

As I went to pay at our first stop my hands were nervously shaking as I was fumbling through my bag trying to figure out what the heck is a Haitian dollar (an imaginary currency that is actually just a complicated conversion rate) and how many actual gourdes and what it would be in US so I could make the connection.   This all may sound silly, laugh at me if you want, but I felt like a hot mess. Another underlying problem was I thought before our little shopping spree was over we might have to take a moto, aka a motorcycle taxi…What, that may be too many firsts for me in one day.

As we stop to get some fruit, Li Paix grabs a pineapple and watermelon, and I decide to carry the watermelon.  As we are walking the streets, my insecurities creep in and out of my heart and mind, but with a smile on my face a scene from the movie Dirty Dancing comes to mind.  Remember the scene when the main character, Baby, is finally introduced to the people she is interested in befriending.  Although her insecurities tell her she may not be their “type” or they are not interested in knowing her,  she finds a way in by helping one of them carry a watermelon.  Yes the quote is this questionable, did I really just say that, “I carried a watermelon.”  As if she had to justify why she was there.  I felt like that today, an outsider so desperately wanting to be accepted, but not sure when or how it to do it. 

As we continued to walk the streets, I just tried to soak everything in. Wishing I could understand what everyone was saying, wanting to know more of the culture and why things work the way they do.  I felt God just gently encouraging me to be patient; it will take time, but also to embrace the opportunities He places before me to learn, to go, to see, to do and to get the nerves of the newness out.  He is not expecting me to part the Red Sea, He just wants me to step in.

Jen

Battle Royale

So as we hit the ground running in Haiti, I would agree with those that say you can never really be fullyprepared for the reality of the life here.  Thankfully we had a strong start as some amazing friends joined us this week as part of the moving A Team; you know like the 80’s show minus Mr. T!  Forgive me, as I may ramble and wonder as I try to unpack the stirring of our hearts and minds!

Some thoughts I pondered this week as we dive into this beautiful chaos called Haiti!

Never take a cool breeze for granted!  And for the record life with no AC is not that bad!  Very tolerable and you get use to it…

The cool, refreshing, life giving rain is always welcomed, but it does come with a painful reminder as we know many are flooded out of their homes as we sit high and dry in our preverbal “palace”. 

Electricity is really amazing; please don’t take it for granted!  Heck we would be stoked to have a strong enough current to power our fans at full speed!  Even with crappy electricity we are oh so thankful for our fans and that small trickle of current that allows us to sleep not covered in sweat! 

Going to the open air street market for our daily vegetables and grocery needs makes me feel like I’m starring in a Jason Bourne movie.  At any minute a guy on a dirt bike waving a machine gun may jump a shanty house and crash into a pile of rotting cabbage!  Very exhilarating!

Kwik Kar for car oil changes and other vehicle maintenance is truly a gift from God!  To my dear friends Kirk and Brian, I want you to know I actually changed my own oil!  Shocking, yes, but it had to be done!  And, for all you non-mechanic types, like myself, motor oil is NOT and I repeat, NOT, supposed to look like road tar!

In reference to the previous line item!  Nowhere in my imaginary “Haiti missionary quick reference guidebook” did it say anything about me having to be a full time, qualified and experienced mechanic, electrician and plumber!

And with this, allow me to explain my on going Battle Royale! 

So as our prep team (who were amazing) left last week, they said there might be a minor issue with a water tank but they were sure we could figure it out and have it fixed in no time.  Sure, why not, I have nothing else going on…

First, let me briefly explain our water situation and catch you up to speed.  We have a giant cistern that holds a few thousands gallons of water under our carport, we have a pump that pumps water from the cistern to the pressure tanks on our roof.  From the tanks we receive our precious nightly cold showers! 

So, we fire up the ole generator, yes generator, remember no 24/7 electricity, to start the task of pumping water.  We fill all our roof tanks and come down with a very strong sense of accomplishment.  Heading to the bathrooms and sinks to check our handy work we find 2 showers not working.  With it beginning to get late we decide to tackle this problem in the morning!  As the warm brilliant Haitian sun begins to rise the next day we are up and at it.  As we go to the roof to check our tanks we come to find that we are missing 200 gallons of water!  WHAT THE HELL!!!!!  How do you lose 200 gallons of water?  Did someone steal it?  Do we have some crazy leak that will cost me a fortune to repair?  This is not really how I wanted to start my day.  I called back home to our prep team and ask them about this.  They say, “Oh, yeah we lost 200 gallons too!”  Oh, fantastic, so now I have actually lost 400 gallons.  Never in my life would I of thought I would be so upset over losing water!   So, like any normal American I call our landlord, Mr. Jeanott, and ask him to come over.  We walk the property, the roof, check faucets, toilets, fittings, pipes and tanks and find ZERO leaks; no sign of my precious water!  Mr. Jeanott, says, without missing a beat, “Maybe the devil drank it…” Great, now Satan himself is consuming my water!  After the assumption of satan’s evil scheme against me, we decide to fill again.  Let me allow you to guess what happened the next day…

Yes, my freaking water was gone again!  So to help you keep up with the math, I have lost 600 gallons of water in less than a week’s time!  Now, many may not think this is a big deal but water is like gold in Haiti and getting my cistern filled will not be easy and definitely not cheap!

So after a few choice words and a laugh (to keep from crying) I call Mr. Jeanott again!  This time he pulls out the big guns and brings the homeowner over who luckily is in town from New Jersey.   He walks right in and says lets fill the tank so we can investigate.  Now, I’m sure you can imagine my hesitation, as I don’t really want to lose another 200!  We have to do it, so we fill ‘em up.  By this point, I’m actually praying over the water!  With the tanks full we are off to do our inspection again for the hundredth time.  Luckily the homeowner is much smarter than Mr. Jeanott and myself!  He heads for the toilet and finds the smallest, most minuet crack!  Even when he pointed it out I still couldn’t see it but I really didn’t care.  Halleluiah our water problems are solved!  Thank you Lord! 

So as our Haiti day moved on with a renewed sense of joy and accomplishment we continued to unpack and settle in. 

To spare you the long and boring details: we had to work through some major issues (again) between the crappy city power, our generator, batteries and inverter.  With this under our belt we believe we have come to a close of our Battle Royale, but see that is not Haiti’s style.  So with new wires ran, breakers adjusted and ready to do their thing, we fire up the pump to fill the tanks.  For about 4 seconds we have pumping bliss and then the most awful, not water pumping sound and sparks come from the pump!  So toilets are fixed, no leaks to be found but now the freaking water pump is broke; FANTASTIC!  Thankfully we are laughing this chaos off and thankful that one of our tanks still has some water in it to sustain us for a few days until the new parts can be found and installed.  So with this new round to our battle royale underway please enjoy the below pic of the prettiest dishwasher ever; improvising with some Haitian ingenuity! 

Yes, that is Jen washing dishes in our one working shower. 

Each day we learn new things and make new discovers!  Please continue to pray for our journey as we settle into our new home, neighborhood, town and country!  And please don’t hesitate to pray over my Battle Royale!

The Elephant in the Room

Earlier this week we had the opportunity to hang out with some family that we haven’t seen in a while.  It was a spirit-filled conversation about all that God has been doing in our lives and our journey to Haiti and their mission here in the States.   We enjoyed hearing all the good, bad and the uncertainties they had to say about ministry and missions, and of course during the conversation fundraising was brought up.  The how? The who? The when? The why? Etc.   Sean and I got that blank stare or deer in headlights look.  Why?  Because raising support is more intimidating then actually moving to Haiti; but they go hand in hand.

“And you can not be my disciple if you do not carry your own cross and follow me.”    Luke 14:27

See, I fall on the side of, “if this is of God and this is His plan for us then He will provide.”  Through prayer this week I have realized that God will provide for our family, that I am sure, but He requires the work of our hands.  So as we push our faith forward and our pride aside, we continue to take steps for God to reveal Himself in our mission.

Let me be real, I have pride issues and the last thing I want to do is ask you or anyone else for money.  It is hard to look someone in the eyes and pray that they will help support my family and ministry financially.  I mean, I was raised that you break your back and earn your keep.  Hard earned money comes from hard work.  Oh wait… there is that tug in my spirit, a small voice in my soul, I sense God telling me: “The support, yes, helps your family move forward in this mission, but ultimately they are supporting ME!  If others believe in ME and want to spread MY name through your organization I will call them forward and they will give from their hearts.”  Wow, really, I love the way God continues to be faithful, to put me under His wing and tell me He’s got this.  So refreshing that none of this is about us!

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”   Luke 18:29-30

So this week as the enemy tries to creep in with fear of failure, we press on in faith.  We pray that God gives us the courage that we need and that in His name we throw out any evil attempts of the enemy to try and discourage us from this calling on our lives.  So, we move forward with plans to pack and move August 6.

We boldly ask that you pray!!  Ask the Lord if you are to be involved with our mission?  Ask Him if you are to give financially?  If yes, then ask for a specific amount, no amount is too small; God will bless what you faithfully give.   If God has your heart somewhere else to give, then that is great, we are not asking for you to take away from somewhere else.  But please keep us in your prayers.

To learn more about our mission as a home family follow this link:
http://eihaiti.org/home-families/

To give to The Moore Home Family follow this link:
educationimpact.webconnex.com/SupportMHF

Thank you in advice for your support and faithful prayers.  May God bless you and your family!

Praying, Purging, Prepping & Packing

Completely overwhelmed!  Excitement, Anxiousness, Freedom, Exhaustion, Pace, Tears, Joy, Time...PEACE

There is no lack of emotions running through our home these days.  Like something BIG is about to happen.  HA!  The realness of this change is a whirlwind of emotions.  The title of a book I once read sums this time up, “Faith is not a Feeling”, thank goodness!  While we are “feeling” lots of different things these day, our faith is not tied to them, God is a constant in our lives and leads us even when we feel cloudy.

Since Sean and Major returned from Haiti there has been a heightened level of excitement, dreams coming to life.  To watch and listen to your 8 year old talk about his time there and see his heart change in this time of preparation has been a learning experience for me.  Sometimes we just get going and soar through the to-do’s and lose track of what we are feeling.  Watching Major begin the transition of a dream to a reality, brings to life his happy-times and his sad-times.  He is only 8, but he IS 8.  He understands more then we give him credit for and he endures more then we realize.  God has used many conversations over the last month or so to allow our family to encourage each other, comfort each other and share some deep feelings.  

God has been so faithful to us, He is in every detail!  It is so awesome.  The group that went on this last trip found a house/community campus for Education Impact, our future home will be in the town of Petit Goave.  Kind of surreal... Not just a prayer, but a tangible place, exceeding all of our expectations!

At the beginning of May we sold a bulk of our belongings that we were certain would not make the trip to Haiti with us.  That was one step closer to reality.  Now what's left, we just sit and wonder how did we have more?  We try to dig and decide what to leave, what to take, what we need, and what we want!  To be real, I have even cried over a blanket, not because of the blanket itself not being needed in Haiti, but who I wanted to give it to; so we stopped had a moment and then moved on.  The tickets to move us over to Haiti have been purchased and the official date is August 6th, again another giant step!  So here we are, just faithfully continuing to prepare for the journey ahead.  

Praise:  For a place to call home in Haiti.  The amount of faith and peace from the Lord we are filled with to embrace this journey. 

Prayers needed:  Clarity to move, not to be hindered by the cloudy fog of “what do we do first?”, but just the energy to move, put one foot in front of the other and just start doing what needs to be done, from getting fans to packing, continuing to sell or give “stuff” away to determining what to take.   

Waiting for Their Return

It's a cold rainy day here in Texas and I sit in a still and quiet house. The little people are at preschool and the big boys (Sean and Major) are in Haiti. So as I sit I begin to think of what they are doing, asking God to show them the way, lead them along the path He has for us. They have great things to do there this week and while I don't want to wish their time away, I am excite and anxious for their return home. I believe God to do big things on this trip, things we can not foresee coming, GREAT things! 

The day Major boarded the plane to head to Haiti to meet his dad, I could feel all the prayers for this mama.  People asked me "how are you doing" or "how did you let him go, I'd be a wreck"?  I will have to say that I was not afraid and the best part was neither was he!  He was so eager to go, to see new things, to experience his first trip to Haiti with his dad. We prayed all week leading up to his departure that he would hear and feel the Lord, that his soul would be shaken. He constantly reminds me of what "child like faith" looks like and I am so thankful.  

Peace from the Lord is such a gift, especially for a mama letting go and watching her son be used by Jesus. Was I scared, no.  Was I nervous, no. Was I anxious, well I'd be lying if I said no, but I think it was a healthy emotion. God has blessed me with three healthy children, He has entrusted them to me, they are His children and they are on loan to me. I find comfort in the truth that He has our days numbered, we are called to live them to the fullest! In our flesh we can fall short of staying strong, but in Him we find that strength. 

But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. — Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

Have a blessed day and thanks for the prayers! 

Jen 

Amaze Us

Ephesians 3:20  "Now all glory to God, who is able through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." 

As I prepare to depart for Haiti in the morning Ephesians 3:20 is the prayer for Education Impact and my family this week.  Our excitement is high as we are searching for a facility to plant our ministry in and even more than that, Major, is traveling to Haiti for the first time.   

We are traveling to a town we have been to many times, but now we are excited to look at it through a different lens and see how we might specifically plant ourselves within this community.   

Our goals are simple, but our prayers are not.  We know we are headed on the right path, but pray the Lord exceeds all expectations of provision and purpose.  Besides the business side of our trip, mine and Jen's hearts yearn for Major's feet to hit the ground.  His excitement to go and that of our friends living there is almost overwhelming as we pray for the Lord to move in Major.  This is an opportunity most 7 year olds do not get and to think that this chance to experience the world could be the catalyst to spark a life long hunger for the Lord and His Kingdom.   

So as we depart we ask that you join with us in prayer that He, our God, may exceed all expectations and understanding, as He paves our way to Haiti and ignites an explosion in Major's soul!

What is Left on the Shore

It is days like today that makes the decision to leave almost impossible.  A piece of my heart and soul will be left behind and it sucks!  No one wants to leave a good thing, no one wants to be replaced, and no one wants to be the “good ole days.”  So, today as my family and dear friends join up for an adventurous day in God’s creation, I moved through the day like I had been kicked in the balls!  Not that it wasn’t one of the best days we have had in a long time, not that the kids behaved beyond any stretch of our wildest imagination, but to think of the times in the future to be lost.  We know the Lord puts people in our lives for encouragement, love and balance and these are “our people.”  

Over the past few weeks the story of the Israelites preparing to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land for the first time in Joshua 3 has been coming to mind.  It’s strangely peaceful how one story can offer such blessing in such different circumstances over the past days.  See we are standing on the bank now; waiting, praying, preparing and planning to cross.  Now our story is not like the Israelites as they have been wandering about, but more as they prepare to step into a new light.  So as our toes become ever so close to the waters that separate the here and now to God’s plan ahead the tears flow.  We know that as we move in faith and step into our “Jordan” the Lord is going to do more than we could ever imagine, but it’s hard to look back and see who is standing on the shore and not crossing with us.  We know that prayers, love and support will go with us, but it’s not the same and it hurts.  A true friend is a gift from the Lord and we are leaving them behind.  I know you can’t have your cake and eat it too (whatever that means) but I had no idea that leaving “our people” would be so hard. 

 

So as I grieve a loss before it’s actually gone I’m reminded of the glory ahead.  As I fumble through the house trying to stay busy and suppress the emotional gut check in my soul; I hear Samuel’s voice on a video Jen is watching, and a smile comes to our faces as tears fall.  See it’s not about what we are leaving behind, but about the road ahead and what’s around the bend that we cannot see.

There is no doubt, we will miss “our people” but I can’t imagine the past few years of life without them!  Lord Jesus, thank you for them; for how they have loved us and our kids, for what we have learned from them, and for the years to come, whether together or apart!

Alf, Sarah, Hannah & Pia - WE LOVE YOU!

Sean & Jen

“When you are in God’s family, you have a hope!” Samuel Tilus