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!
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