the last

My eyes have broken this week as I've been looking through Zoe's baby pictures; they're leaking.

I look at this fourth born and call for time to stop.

I breathe her in,
snuggle,
squeeze,
lay down with,
play with,
and just enjoy her.

so much more than I did my others.

As I do those things my heart whispers to me in a tiny voice that this is my last one to do this with. There is no other coming after. Soak it up, soak it in. Don't hurry through a stage, because it is the last time you will have that stage.

The irony of the last child is that they grow faster, born with this innate desire to keep up with the big ones.

I've stressed less,
pushed less,
picked my battles much more carefully,
and enjoyed more.

Because it's true you know,
Babies don't keep.

Holy Week, Day 5, 6, and 7!

Day 5 of Holy Week we centered on the cross. We did several cross themed crafts and ate cross shaped rice krispie treats as our special snack. Our scripture verses for the day was found in Mathew 27:32-56.

Day 6 was...well...one of those days where the best intentions met up with the reality of life in Haiti. What we had planned for the day was to make resurrection rolls with the kids, play a wrap the mummy game, and read the selections of scripture about when Jesus was placed in the tomb. What actually happened was sickness, a trip to the far mountains, an oven with no gas, and on and on...

It's okay, we did get to talk with the kids at devotions that evening, go through all the resurrection eggs, and recap the week with them. We also were able to pass out all the new Easter outfits to the kids individually and explain to them the significance of how Jesus changes us. All the kids clothes fit perfectly (with just one swap of a pair of pants!) and they LOVED them!!!

It was so stinkin fun to see them get so excited over a new outfit. But remember, they get one dress to wear for the entire year...unless they rip it or outgrow it...so a change is big to them.

Easter morning dawned beautiful and we spent the early morning decorating the gazebo (the main meeting place on our mission) for a party, admiring our beautiful new life seeds that were growing like crazy, and dancing around in their new dresses and outfits...

We took the obligatory "family picture"...

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who prayed for us this week, who gave new outfits and supplies to the kids, who sent me encouraging texts and emails, and help make this week so meaningful to everyone. A special thank you to the amazing Hemric and Snyder ladies who did SO MUCH to help with this week. They planned, packed suitcases, bought supplies, thought of everything, loved on our kids, brought energy and creativity, and did so much to help with this week! They have been dear friends for almost a decade and now, they are more like family. The Body of Christ is a beautiful thing!

It was an amazingly fun, exhausting, and fulfulling week. I loved seeing the Gospel come alive for these kids as well as in my own heart. Lessons I pray we all remember throughout the year...not just limited to one week.

the best/worst birthday ever (and 33 things)

I turned the ripe ol' age of 33 yesterday.

The older I get the older that doesn't sound...

I still remember being a second grader looking up at the 6th graders in my elementary school and thinking I'd never get to be that old (or cool).
Or I'd never actually get my drivers licence.
Or go to college.
Or get married.
Or have kids.

And yet, here I am. At a stage I never thought would come, but now have the understanding that it won't be here long.

I am loving my thirties.
I feel the most secure in myself,
in who I am,
where I am,
what I'm doing,
and who I'm living for,
than I ever have before in my life.

I am so thankful for my life. It's not perfect or easy or secure or anything close to the ideal of "the American dream" but I'm so crazy thankful for it.

As far as birthdays go, yesterday could have been better. We have 7 sick kiddo's at the mission and Ella woke me up at 5am saying she had just thrown up...so 8 total sick kids in all.

However, despite the change in plans that this all wrought and the quieter much more normal day that happened, I am incredibly grateful for the gift of another birthday and all the blessings the day did bring me.

And so, in honor of my love for lists, I give you...

33 Things I'm Thankful for at the Age of 33:

1) My health

2) That my husband still thinks I'm sexy

3) That I am secure and confident in the love of my heavenly Father

4) My hidden dark chocolate stash that is like the fishes and loaves story in the Bible...it never seems to run out!

5) My four beautiful, creative, and crazy kiddo's

6) My other 34 beautiful, creative, and crazy kiddo's...



7) Coffee

8) Books to read

9) That I have friends who "get me" and love me and encourage me and make me laugh

10) That my life isn't boring

11) My hair =)

12) My big and crazy extended family that loves me and supports me

13) Art and the eyes to see it everywhere...

14) The wonders of technology and how it allows me to stay connected

15) That my husband is still sexy

16) That despite 10+ years in full time church ministry, I still see the beauty of the body of Christ and have not gotten cynical

17) Pandora

18) Uniball Vision Elite pens - my favorite

19) The beauty of adoption that I've gotten to experience as a sibling and a mom

20) Ms. Lorraine's rice and beans

21) Quiet mornings and kids who sleep past 7am

22) Ikea

23) My freedom

24) The lessons I've learned while living in a third world country

25) Electricity

26) Avocado's

27) Sushi

28) That my husband still makes me laugh. A lot.

29) My necklace from The Apparant Project that my mother in law surprised me with...



30) That I have 3 sets of Godly parents who have influenced me and taught me numerous invaluable lessons.

31) The difficult relationships in my life that have stretched me and taught me more than any of the easy ones.

32) Strawberries.

33)  And finally, the best part of my life...The realness and intimacy of the Lords presence in my life.

the hangover

As my friend Tasha calls it, I think I'm suffering from a "holy hangover" from all the festivities and activities and other words that end with "ivities' that happened during our Holy Week.

I've also got a two year old who just figured out how to throw a tantrum like its her job.

A full time job at that.

Not to mention I have been having a weird reaction to an antibiotic I went on for an infection that caused me to have insomnia, anxiety, and a near panic attack over the weekend. What in the world?! Needless to say, I took myself off that junk and will take my chances with the infection.

That said, I slept good last night, my house is blissfully quiet this morning, Ezra is sleeping over at Gramma's, the mission kids go back to school today, and I just might make a dent on that mountain of laundry today...

or perhaps I'll just take a nap.

**Don't worry, I've got pictures coming to finish out the Holy Week posts!**

Holy Week: Day Four, The Last Supper

 On day four of Holy Week our theme was a focus on the last supper.

Jeremiah washed all the kids and nannies feet and then we sang a few songs and led a simple communion service. It was a new concept for the kids and they had a lot of questions, but it was a sweet time. There is something powerful about someone washing your feet, looking at you as an individual and expressing God's love for you.

We read from the the John 13 account:

It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave the world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. vs.1

Jesus got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples feet, drying them with a towel. vs.4

Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you should also wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. vs.13-17

Holy Week: Day Three, Egg-stravaganza

Day 3 of Holy Week had the theme of Egg-stravaganza!

We dyed eggs with the kids (3eggs a piece x's 40 = 120 eggs!) and while we managed to make quite the mess, we had a lot of fun doing it!

Our scripture verse for the day was 2 Corinthians 5:17

If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, the old has passed and the new has come.

Besides the mess and fun, the activity of dyeing eggs really lends itself to a good discussion and devotion on how living life with Christ changes you. He makes beautiful things out of us! And the more time one spends with Jesus (or the egg in the dye) the more you act and look like Jesus. This was the first time (to my knowledge) that any of them had dyed eggs before and I was amazed at their amazement in this activity.

Later in the day we had a massive Easter egg hunt. As in hide 400 eggs massive! All of the staff stepped up to help us get them all hidden. I was so tickled watching them having fun hiding the eggs. They were like little kids themselves =)

Ms. Bonita, our laundry master, was a sneaky hider of eggs!

We tried to camoflauge the eggs...can you spot them?

And they were off!

Then candy was the highlight =)

And finally, to round out the day, the kids decorated paper eggs for display in their dining room throughout the week...

Yes, Lengee (the artist of this egg), He is Alive!!!!!!!

Holy Week: Day Two, Clean Hearts

Day two's theme was: Clean house, Clean hearts

Historically, extra effort was spent by the Jewish people on the week of (or weeks leading up to) passover on cleaning their houses. Everything was to be spotless in preparation of this holiday.

Therefore, we took the opportunity to get the kids involved in some spring cleaning projects around the mission...kitchen tables/chairs were scrubbed down, windows were washed, and trash was picked up. You might think that they would view cleaning as a punishment, but the kids love helping out with projects like this! Of course, the water play that ensued after the tables were scrubbed down didn't hurt their happy hearts either, ha!

We talked about the symbolism of a clean house for a clean heart and how Christ is the one who makes our hearts "clean".

Our scripture verse for the day was:

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10

I was so proud of how everyone pitched in...nannies, nurses, and neighborhood kids! It was truly a group effort!

Gaby and Chika had to show me their muscles =)

Holy Week: Day One, New Life Seeds

And we are off!

On Holy Week here at Have Faith Haiti Mission, that is.

Our friends, the fabulous Hemric ladies arrived yesterday and brought with them all the new outfits and supplies for this upcoming week. It has just been a day, but we've already had so much fun!

Today's theme was New Life in Christ. We planted seeds (quick growing grass seed for the instant gratification that children need, ha!) to represent how Christ in us brings forth life. He is the Giver of Life!

Then to go along with the dirt and seeds theme, we made dirt dessert with some of our older girls and served it as a special snack for everyone.

Our scripture verse for today was 2 Corinthians 5:17

Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. 

The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Painting is serious stuff for Variola =) 

Derson, one of our new little ones...oh, those eyes!

Jeremiah leading a lesson on what it means to be brought alive in Christ.

The big girls didn't have any fun making the snack. Not a single bit.

The fabulous and crazy Hemric sisters =)

The kids kinda sorta like the dessert. 

Can't you tell by Josue's smile =)

Sustain(ed)

April just keeps plugging along.

And the last few days went flying at hyper speed. We have a lot going on at Have Faith Haiti Mission right now. Yesterday was the last (half) day of school and now we have one week plus one day of Spring break. We have lots planned and I'm sure a lot of fun and memories will be had...but oh my, the jump in activity levels just is crazy.

We also added 5 new children to our mission on Thursday night. The amount of planning, coordinating, and then just winging it is mind boggling. 

I went to my first Haitian funeral yesterday morning, as one of our nannies lost her father this week. Sidenote: It's customary in Haiti for funerals to be early in the morning. 

One of our boys at the mission has a nasty stomach bug that I am praying fervently stays contained.

And we had 4 visitors fly in yesterday morning who are staying thru the weekend, and 4 different friends/visitors coming in Sunday through next weekend.

And, oh yeah...there are still those four little kids that keep hanging around me that need three meals a day and clean clothes and a little bit of attention. 

I'm tired just thinking about it all.

It's seasons like this one that I am constantly seeking the Lord's sustaining power. When I know I will not be getting the amount of margin and white space that I so desperately love and need, but I still need to maintain my sanity and happy heart, I just claim the truth and power held in the words of the psalmist:

Surely God is my helper, He is the one who sustains me.

If you think of us over this next week or so here's how you can pray for us:

- For the Lord to bless our efforts of all the planning for Holy Week and the kids will soak in the truth of how much Jesus loves them and that it will truly change their lives.

- For health for Jeremiah and I and our family.

- For the strength of our marriage during this busy season.

- For happy hearts and a laid back spirit amongst our kids as so much of our time and effort will be directed at the mission these next 10 days.

- That the Lord would give us joy as we go about our days!

photojournal: the walk

Family walks were the norm for us back in America. 

You know, on clean well-leveled side walks that edged up to perfectly manicured lawns.

We still go on family walks here in Haiti.

They just look a slight bit different...

Heading out down "our" road towards the main road.

They "protect" the trees growing on the sidewalks with tires =)

A "nursery"  found on the side of a side road. Plants anyone?

Because the middle of the road is an excellent spot for a power line.

A typical restaurant...with a typical menu  offering of spaghetti, sandwhich, goat, chicken, or fish.

"Wall-Mart" in Haiti. All along the walls you will find various street vendors who hang their wares up to sell.

Because of this, you find mirrors randomly cemented along the walls.

Every house/store had a gate. I always admire this one...I love the colors and the material choices. 

Anyone need a rooster? Zoe really wanted to take one home this day.

Or a bunny or bird?

It was about this point in our walk that I put the camera away for an interaction with a Haitian momma taking her little baby boy to the hospital right down the corner from us. She pulled me aside and told me that her baby was sick and pulled back the heavy blanket he was wrapped in to show him to me. He truly didn't look well and I told her we would pray for him. She didn't ask for money, but just seemed happy to know that someone would pray for her son.

There are water stores set up every block along the city, where most people go to get their clean drinking water. You see people carrying around old buckets and empty plastic containers everywhere as they take them to get filled.

A small crack in the wall reveal a lush oasis of green in the city of cement. I wanted to squeeze my kids through the crack and tell them to take off their shoes and go run around in the green.  I miss green.

That bright orange building in  the top left of the picture gives a nice pedicure for about $6. Notice another water building.

 


The view at a bridge looking over a creek.

A closer look revealed a family of lizards enjoying the waterbed.

   

And finally, the turn back onto our road...headed home.