DOMINICAN REPUBLIC BREAK

A few months ago we called a family meeting and asked the kids to make a choice - the usual presents under the Christmas tree or a few days in the Dominican Republic with friends from Emmaus Seminary. We couldn't do both and it wasn't just gifts from their mom and dad that would be missing if we chose the DR; we'd also be talking to the Grandmas about just giving money towards the trip. The kids didn't hesitate or waver: We were going on a trip.

Melissa and I figured it was a win/win. We could certainly use a little time away from our "norm" and there was really NOTHING our kids were needing ... or even asking for. (In their words, "We don't have any commercials to tell us what we need!" And, anyway, Haiti would be a terrible place for anything like a hoverboard ... unless it actually, you know, hovered.) Besides, anything we "Amazon in" costs their shipping fees PLUS nearly two dollars a pound for the flight from Florida PLUS unpredictable customs charges at the airport. 

Furthermore, Melissa, as Chief Shopper for the family, reasoned that we could offset the cost of the trip by stocking up on groceries in the DR, where food tends to be much cheaper and where we can find things (like an entire turkey breast) that simply don't exist in Cap Haitien. 

(OK, technically there ARE a few turkey breasts nearby, but they are covered in feathers, owned by our neighbors, and a LONG way from being ready for slicing as lunch meat.)

The Heckman and Ayars families had already found a great, reasonably priced, all-inclusive resort in Puerto Plata, had planned their own getaway and were kind enough to let us tag along. The only part I was not looking forward to was the drive there and back: two hours to the border, an hour plus of hassle AT the border and then three more hours across the northern DR.

Slowing down for hundreds of random speed bumps, passing and being passed on countless curves, dodging potholes, dogs, cows and motorcyclists...

But only one incident of a town with tires burning in the road, policing approaching from behind our vehicle with guns drawn, then opening fire on the protesters, prompting Melissa to yell, "Kids - get your heads down!" Within a few minutes water was being thrown on the tires and we were waved through to continue on our way! (The kids could hardly wait to tell the grandmas...)

But it was worth all the driving stress once we arrived!

Family selfie on the beach:

The beach was absolutely gorgeous.

And never too crowded. I suppose there were plenty of other attractions around the resort to keep everyone busy. Our kids particularly liked this pool where they could swim up to the bar and order Sprites and Cokes all day long.

We all appreciated time to hang out and relax with friends ...

And family.

Everyone appreciated the all-you-can-eat buffets. And we made good on them. (And NO time spent cooking meals or washing dishes.) 

The food settings ranged from sit down, beach formal ...

To poolside service ...

Our two teens and one near-teen especially loved being able to return to the dining hall at 9:30 pm for "second dinner" before bedtime. 

Our marathon shopping trip took several hours but the kids enjoyed the fact that there was a bona-fide Domino's Pizza inside the store. 

Melissa and I even managed some time alone as a couple as well. (Carnival ships anchor in the harbor just on the other side of our beach's point. Not far, by the way, from where Christopher Columbus established his second settlement in the "New World", La Isabella.) 

I was much happier than I look in this picture...

There were lots of little shops to visit and some special surprises, like this pet monkey that Sarah was so excited to hold.

Melissa and Sarah enjoyed taking turns holding Matt and Stacey's sweet little baby Nora.

 Our kids and their friends enjoyed getting involved in some of the planned activities around the resort. Like the beach olympics. (Their team won.)

Caleb's competitive spirit got plenty of exercise.

By the 23rd, we were rested up, overstuffed, and ready to head home for Christmas. Thankfully, the drive back to Vaudreuil wasn't nearly as stressful as the first day. We even made a side stop to get a new bunny for Hannah. 

And you know what? The Grandmas couldn't resist sending in a "little something" each. (What a "surprise"!) And our dear friends the Kooikers from Iowa and the Forshees from Florida also sent some special presents, so our tree was far from barren. And Caleb truly impressed Melissa and me by doing his Christmas shopping last summer, getting a little something for each family member, smuggling the gifts into the luggage in August and hiding them until December. We were thankful for each gift and we know the memories from our trip are going to far outlast any battery-powered gizmo from China.

Assuming I can get photos to load, I hope to share a bit more about our Christmas Day and also yesterday's Christmas party with Daniel's kids, but for now I should simply close with a heartfelt Thank You for all you who have financially enabled our ministry in Haiti this past year, all who have come to work alongside us, all who have gone out of their way to show us kindnesses of all sorts and all who have lifted us in prayer. 

May you be aware of God's goodness and grace each day of the new year!

DECEMBER ALWAYS FLIES

December has been a brilliantly fun and exhausting month, but before I tell you all the good, I have to gripe briefly ... about our internet. I feel bad for lumping all December into one (or maybe two or three) posts, but I can honestly say I would update this blog more often if our internet service would give even a smidgen of cooperation every once in a while. 

I spent a good chunk of the last two days - off and on (just like our connection) - trying to get the following pictures to upload to this page. By the time they are loaded, I am in such a bad mood that I don't dare start typing, even if I still have the desire to do so. 

It is a small and relatively insignificant cross to bear, but it frustrates me especially because we truly want to share with you all that is going on here from day to day and it does hinder us from bearing witness to God's goodness all around us here in Haiti. So ... GRRRRRRR. One of my ongoing prayers is for decent internet service.

I feel better now and I will get on with it...

We have to say a big THANK YOU to so many who sent or brought boxes and suitcases full of special holiday goodies for our family and - just as much fun - for us to share with others. For instance, we have had candy canes galore this December. And they are SO popular and so RARE here otherwise. We've had enough to share at school, with my adult English class, and with friends and still have some in reserve for Daniel's upcoming Christmas party (planned for TOMORROW, Dec 30). 

Thanks to boxes from Shiloh UM Church as far back as this summer, suitcases with the Grundy Center UM Church team, and boxes from dear friends and family (special shout out to the Kooikers and Grandma Trudy!), we've had gifts for Cowman staff members, treats for students, and goodies to pass along to fellow missionaries and friends. (And some things to put under the tree.)

Our kids have been especially grateful!

Speaking of kids, our December started with decorating the house for Christmas. 

It's always a reminder of how fast they are growing up and how precious our time together is.

Look at how much cuteness was packed into this photo from 2006:

Like at schools in the States, December can be a bit crazy at Cowman but the staff does a good job of keeping education at the center while also spreading Christmas cheer and making room for extras like practicing for the Christmas program.

Here's coach David getting into the spirit of the holiday.

And Melissa's third graders decorating cookies.

To add to the craziness, there's nothing like mid-year construction! Thanks to the generosity and hard work of parents and visiting teams and hours of effort by Brett Bundy and other missionaries and volunteers, the first half of the concrete roof for the dining area is now poured. 

There was a bit of sadness along the way, too. Melissa and her class had to say goodbye to Ms. Kacie, an excellent student teacher with skills and gifts far beyond her years. (We're hoping and praying the Lord might lead her back to us in the future!)

This year our Cowman staff gathered for our own Christmas party just down the road at the Villa Cana.

We had a great meal together and then a "white elephant" gift exchange - which got pretty rowdy at times. 

Gifts included mangoes...

Fashionable sunglasses ...

And coconuts.

I always try to make my last adult English class of December into a Christmas party. And for a proper Haitian party, you have to have CAKE. I brought the cake (and candy canes!) ...

But the students surprised ME with a full-on meal! Fried goat, pikliz, and plantains. So good! I have really enjoyed this group of students this year - so much personality.

One more Christmas party. Melissa has made it a tradition to host all the missionary ladies for a Christmas brunch on a Saturday morning in December. In past years, Sarah and Hannah have watched and helped and wished they could be participants, so this year Melissa included all the missionary girls as well. That meant figuring out a way to seat about 26 people in our living room.

Everyone brought food to share.

And it gave me the opportunity to snap some pictures of our girls dressed in their Christmas best.

In the midst of all the December merry-making, I had the opportunity to take my three Haitian sons out to lunch to celebrate Mikenn's birthday. Afterwards, we tracked down an honest to goodness ice cream parlor we had heard rumors of. Waffle cones and milk shakes and a dozen flavors to choose from!

And THEN we went shopping for a motorcycle! Thanks to the team from Grundy Center, the guys were able to afford a bike that the three of them could share. (I could write an entire post about what having this type of mobility means to them and how much it has already changed their lives. Johnny especially had been wanting a motorcycle since the night his mother almost died due to cholera - he and his brother had spent much precious time and energy carrying her down the mountainside on their backs in search of a clinic where she could be treated.)

This is life changing!

And, of course, as generous and kind as these guys are, they were more than willing to allow Caleb and Hannah and even Samuel a chance to drive the moto around the mission grounds a bit. Our kids were THRILLED.

Our school time ended for 2015 with the Cowman Christmas program. Our enrollment has gotten so big now that it makes it about impossible to find a good place to gather students AND parents for a program, so this year we tried something different. 

A Mr. Onesime and his family provided all the music for the evening ...

And our students performed at the beginning of the program (beautifully!) ...

But then left the Radio 4VEH auditorium, where the adults would continue to enjoy more music and holiday food, to walk to Cowman next door for crafts, games and a movie. (It was a bit of a madhouse!) The kids all had a great time and we even had a wonderful visiting team there to help with games and crafts, but by the end of the evening, we were all ready for Christmas BREAK to begin.

This year as a family we decided to forgo a lot of presents under the tree in order to take advantage of an opportunity to tag along with some friends to the Dominican Republic for a few days. I will see if I can get some pictures from those precious days to load because I am eager to share about that trip in another post!

Lord willing, I will also have some pics from Daniel's Christmas party to share by tomorrow evening. We hope you had a wonderful and meaningful Christmas and pray 2016 will be a fantastic year for you and yours!

GIVING TUESDAY - ENGLISH AS A FIRST LANGUAGE

A few weeks ago, I sat with one of my 8th grade girls, conferencing over a five paragraph essay. (Yes, I employ this traditional torture device on my students.) 

I complimented this young lady on her writing style and clarity - the best I had seen among my Haitian students. 

At one point I said, "Your writing is especially amazing for a student working in English as a second language."

She said, "Oh, English isn't my second language - it's my first."

"I don't understand - were you born in the States?"

"No. I've never been to the States," she smiled shyly.

"Then how is English your first language?" I asked.

"Well, my dad learned English at university here in Haiti and when I was born, he spoke nothing but English to me from the time I was a baby. I only learned Creole from my environment as I grew."

"And why did your father do THAT?" I inquired (cluelessly!).

She shrugged and responded, "So I could go to Cowman!"

I was floored. Now THAT is a parent who is thinking ahead and THAT is a parent who truly values a Christian education in the English language for his daughter! 

And he knew exactly where to find it.

Melissa and I continue to be excited about the great work going on at Cowman International School here in Vaudreuil, Haiti. There is nowhere else in this world we'd rather be serving. And we are reminded daily that our family is here only through the generosity of people like you!

Thank you!!

If this post reaches anybody who would be interested in initiating monthly support for our ministry here ... or making a special year end gift ...  this text LINKS to our page at the OMS website where user-friendly drop boxes will walk you through the process.  We thank Jesus Christ for you and we appreciate your generosity more than we can say. 

And we thank you on behalf of all the remarkable families of Cowman.

PUMPKIN PIE AND SPAGHETTI JUICE

We are coming off an incredible week with a visiting team from a very supportive church, led by wonderfully dear friends. I need to get to bed and it has literally taken me all afternoon and evening to get the photos below to upload on the internet, so now I am going to let them do most of the speaking, since it has gotten late and mornings come early.

Our time with the Iowans from Grundy Center United Methodist Church began late Friday evening. My Haitian sons were almost as anxious as I was to be reunited with Pastor Phil and Connie Dicks, who had come to Haiti last February to help with our field retreat. (They are longtime friends of mine from my early 20s when I took a summer job at Lake Okoboji UMC Camp and they are the type of folks you just want to share with everyone you know.)

Here's Phil together again with Johnny, Mikenn, and Ruysdael.

Phil and Connie brought with them Bobby Jo, Jerry and Linda, and three teenage girls, Reagan, Stephanie and Savannah (their granddaughter). They also brought over a dozen suitcases packed full of all sorts of goodies - some for our family, some for Cowman School, some for the kids our friend Daniel feeds in his neighborhood, and some for the various missionaries serving on the field.

It took Melissa HOURS to sort through what they brought and what fun she had doing it!

Samuel and Caleb got busy right away on some Pop Tarts and Pringles.

Saturday morning brought a trip to the Citadel. The Grundy Center folks turned out to be an adventurous bunch! AND they welcomed along my Haitian sons and our good friends and co-workers, Rose and David, and their two boys.

Heading up the mountainside:

Our destination:

Rose and David's beautiful family:

\

Johnny, Ruysdael, Mikenn and I:

Phil taking a group selfie on the steps of the Governor's Palace:

The official group picture:

Connie heading back down the mountain.

Sunday morning found us crowding into the TINY "courtyard" in front of Daniel's house to meet the kids he feeds each Saturday and Sunday morning. It's always an eye- and heart-opening experience. 

That visit was followed by worship with our friends at Grace en Sion church and a visit to Rose and David's house.

Our kids never get tired of hearing Phil's stories. The more he stretches the story, the more they laugh.

During the week, the team kept busy visiting various OMS ministries, helping out at Cowman, and distributing radios while sharing the Gospel. 

At Cowman, Jerry and Phil were instrumental is kicking off the next essential piece of our ongoing construction project: setting supports into place in preparation for a poured concrete roof to the dining area.

I was glad to catch Linda one morning to talk to my class about some of her life experiences working in higher education in the States.

In the afternoons, the group was more than willing to visit various adult English classes. Here Bobby Jo is holding conversation with some of my adult students - very useful as they seek to become fluent in English.

The three teenage girls were all bold enough to practice conversation with strangers as well. Here's Reagan, seeming to truly enjoy the experience.

Meals for the team were at the Holiday House. Phil sometimes complained that the food was "too American". He craved Haitian food, so my Haitian sons did what they could to appease him - homemade pikliz from Johnny's mom, mangoes and coconuts pulled fresh from the trees, AND spaghetti juice - but that's coming up...

Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, was another workday at Cowman School, but with it being the team's last full day, we tried to cram in as much experience together as possible. That's why we ended up making the drive downtown after school, even though the sky was threatening rain.

Our goal was to get to the meat market at the center of Cap Haitien ...

And to greet Johnny's mom, Therese, at her work-site.

Mission accomplished. She seemed thrilled that the team made that extra effort to meet her.

We spent a good 45 minutes weaving through stalls selling everything from crabs to breadfruit, scarves to spices. Then the skies opened up and all the shoppers and sellers started to head for cover.

Rose and my Haitian sons were along as guides. Rose helped Phil successfully haggle for five giant wooden spoons. (??)

Usually one can travel from the market back to the mission grounds in 25 minutes or so, but once the rain started to fall in sheets, we loaded up the cattle truck and ... sat in traffic for the next hour and a half. (It was only later that someone pointed out the giant blue tarp behind the driver's seat in the cab. It never even occurred to me to look for a tarp!) Everyone in the back (which was everyone but me) was soaked to the bone. But apparently they did a lot of singing and dancing to stay warm.

By the time we returned to OMS, the air temperature was probably in the lower 70s, but Mikenn, Johnny and Ruysdael were shivering like they were on the verge of hypothermia. They said they had never been so cold in their entire lives!

We got the boys warmed up with hot chocolate and some borrowed clothing from Caleb. I thought they were going to climb into the oven after Melissa took a couple of pumpkin pies out.

After their dinner at the Holiday House, Melissa invited the team up for a final gathering at our house to enjoy those pies together. And there was something about the familiarity of that pumpkin pie and gathering with friends and family that made it finally FEEL like Thanksgiving Day.

And there was something about the Spaghetti Juice that made it feel like Thanksgiving Day IN HAITI. ;-)  Mikenn, Ruysdael and Johnny were determined to introduce all of us to this special drink consisting of cooked spaghetti, some of the water it cooked in, condensed milk, sugar, salt and ice cubes. All thrown together in a blender and thoroughly liquified.

Savannah and Caleb were among the first to try it. Everyone was willing, if not eager, to give it a try.

And here's the guy who BEGGED for more Haitian food experiences:

He was just joking. Phil had two or three cups of spaghetti juice before we cut him off.

And then, after the familiar and the experiential culinary experiences, Jerry and Linda led the group in sharing the timeless food of holy communion. What a way to end our Thanksgiving Day and our truly blessed week together!

It is only through the body and blood of Jesus!

Our last morning together was short, but fun. Connie and the team gathered for our Friday morning chapel service and ...

Phil was in charge.

It was perhaps the most energetic chapel Cowman has ever seen. 

But in the blink of an eye, it was time to say goodbyes. The boys couldn't even muster a half-smile for a photo with Stephanie...

And there were gifts given and tears shed ... and a spirit of unity that I predict will endure even the separation of a couple thousand miles. 

Thank you, Phil and Connie and team, for your willingness to give up the comfort of home, the holiday feasts with family, and the safety of the familiar to join us for spaghetti juice! Your generosity is unparalleled and your love is contagious. And thank you, Grundy Center UMC, for sending your FIRST Haiti mission team - we know this sort of ministry isn't possible without the faithful support of the folks back home.

We love you guys and we will miss you until God brings us together again!