Oh...just livin' the life!

Ok, prepare yourself for this post...it's about to be all over the place and possibily quite long as I try to recap the past week.

Where to begin...

Well I guess the best place would be to start on the 19th.  That was a wonderful yet crazily busy day around here.  Jeremiah came over to install the inverter, I picked up Emily and her dad from the airport, and attempted to make a late night run to the grocery store.  So basically what that means is:

1. We have an inverter now!! Aka power 24/7 (or at least close to that)!!
2. I have an American roommate now, who is fabulous!
3. I learned late night runs make me anxious.

Let me first say how nice it is to have power!  Oh I can't even put it into words.  I didn't know what to do with myself the first night.  I was able to cook, clean, and shower all WITH light!! Amazing I tell ya, A-MA-ZING!  Not only that, but my groceries now stay fresh, we can pump water even if we lose city power, and it's pretty awesome getting to sleep with a fan at night.  Simply wonderful.

Our inverter!! Thank you SOOO much Jeremiah for installing it!!

Second, I love, love, LOVE having Emily here!  Things were definitely getting lonely around the house and I was beginning to feel pretty lost on this journey.  It is so nice having another American my age here to laugh, joke, and talk with each day.  She also has incredible ministry ideas and dreams which gave me a new passion for this ministry.  Plus, we are learning that our strengths and weaknesses really balance each other out, so it's gonna be amazing working and living with her this next year.  Thank you Lord for providing a friend and ministry partner for this journey!

Emily and Me with Frosty at the Christmas Bazaar last week.

Third, I'm learning more and more that some things make me down right anxious here (and in the States as well if I'm being honest).  This seems to develop more as I get older, but I've learned a lot about myself over the past few weeks.  I learned that I don't like crowds, tight spaces, or sitting in a car on a street surrounded by 100s of people and cars waiting in line to go nowhere.  Pretty silly I know, but on more than one occasion I have had to give myself a pep talk to get through an uncomfortable situation.  I'm also learning that I'm not nearly as adventurous as I thought I was.  Trying new things is hard for me and really does take some major pep-talking most days!  I'm working on it though!

A little dose of perspective the other day.  This couple lives and works on the rock pile you see, which is right outside of our gate.  They were washing clothes that day and laid them out to dry on top of the dusty pile.  It reminded me to always be grateful life's blessings!

Other than that, things have just been busy around here.  Emily and I have gotten full force into ministry duties, getting everything typed up for teams, dreaming up ministry ideas, and trying to put things into action.  We've also been working out the kinks in some areas and have gotten this house really looking nice. There are some things we'd like to do to make it even nicer for when teams come, but that will come in time (and when the budget is available!).  Please keep us in your prayers as we work through all the details, try to discern God's will, and depend on Him for our continuing source of peace and joy.

I also wanted to update you all on the lady in the hospital I wrote about last week.  Emily and I went to see her on the 20th, to check in on her progress and provide the hospital with some resources for long-term care.  She said she was feeling pretty good, but from talking with the doctors it is becoming clear that she may have early signs of dementia.   They are still working on determining her true state of mind, but they are pretty sure she's not fully there mentally.  They also told us that she refuses to have her leg amputated.  The wound care doctor at Bernard Mevs (the hospital she's at) is going to try and save the leg, but it will take a long time and a lot of prayer.  The best part of our visit was praying over her and we finally learned her name.  Meet Ifanya (or Efanya - not sure of the proper spelling).  Please keep her in your prayers as she has a long journey of recovery awaiting her.  Please also pray that the hospital will be able to find a long-term care facility for her soon.

Ifanya.

So yeah, that's basically the gist of life here right now.  Add in a trip to the local market, Creole lessons, a few 100 ants, lots of laughs, and a little bit of frustration, and that pretty much sums up life right now!

 From our trip to the local market today!  Lots of fruits and veggies to choose from and it's just around the corner!

 I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty excited about our Christmas decorations!  The reindeer will somehow find its way back to the States with me eventually!

I really do love being here and am finding more and more peace each day about this calling.  God is teaching me some pretty big and hard lessons about myself, but I've grown closer in my walk with him than ever before.  Thank you for your continued love, support, and prayers!! We really do appreciate them all!

Ps.  Keep a look out here, on Facebook, and via email for an upcoming Christmas Catalog for HFMS.  This is a great and easy way to help get involved with missions while also supporting our ministry here in Haiti over the Christmas season!

Ok, I think this post is long enough.  Bonnwit (goodnight)!