Lots more Q and A

Q. I would love to hear more about QCS, the other missions in Haiti you have discovered and the missionary comraderie. I know you and Troy are passionate about working WITH each other. Any new thoughts, progress on that front? (Heather)

QCS stands for Quisqueya Christian School. Three of our kids attend school there. We LOVE the school and we love the teachers and staff. Quisqueya is the original name of this island (The DR and Haiti combined.) It is pronounced Kiss-kay-uh. We are amazed by the leadership and the solid group of teachers. We think it is an awesome place for our kids to go and that they are learning to be global citizens and we've come to value that.
I could go on and on gushing about it ... but instead I will share some fun facts:

• Total of 225 students from 163 families (Pre K through 12th grade)
  

• QCS started with 33 families in the fall of 1974

• 41 on staff

• Staff from: Haiti, Jamaica, Canada, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Australia and the USA.

The second part of your question about our desire to see a more unified effort on the part of all minisitries is harder to answer briefly - so the not so brief answer ...

This is such a dificult thing to explain and to quantify. There is nothing super-tangible about networking and trying to unite people. Yet, it seems that a good portion of our time is spent connecting people and helping people navigate the "Haitian System".

Neither Troy or I feel we are visionaries, but we both feel we are gifted in the areas of encouragement, networking, and communication and those skills have been used by God to build a lot of connections to a lot of people in a short period of time. The point is not to walk around saying "I am connected" the point is to put people together that can make bigger impacts, spend less donor money doing it and ultimately achieve greater results. God blesses joint efforts, we believe this wholeheartedly. For whatever reason we've been able to connect some folks that are now moving forward to do ministry together and all of us are benefiting from those relationships. We feel there is lots of progresss being made.

This week we watched as the folks from Canaan (Gladys and Henri - marriage photos below if you scroll down) connected with our friends from Michigan (Nate and Brenda) and plans for a Training Center for pastors in Petit Goave began to unfold. Their goals are shared, one has a building to offer and a network of pastors that need training, the other has a desire to oversee, pray, train, and administrate. It was a God-ordained meeting and we wait with anticipation to see what will come of this unified effort. These connections are happening frequently and in many areas of ministries - both in Haiti and in the USA.

Last month we enjoyed playing a small part in assisting the MN Teen Challenge folks with their search for both property and employees as they begin phase one of planting a rehabilitation program here.

To put it very bluntly, there are two types of ministries and missionaries. There are those that openly share their resources and knowlege and want to boost each other up, and there are those that are the "circle the wagons" variety. We feel that the circle the wagons variety are on the way out, that a more unified effort can happen even with the resistance of the old school way of doing things.

Suffice it to say, if the goal is truly building His Kingdom, and not our own little kingdoms, then cooperation with one another is key. This is not to say we all agree on every last detail of theology and doctrine. This is to say, let's quit dinking around with arguing theology and lets work together to do more good and be more loving to the Haitian people. We've watched people sit around and debate theology, and that was not so much what we thought Jesus would do.

Competing to be the biggest mission or being jealous of someone else's success in ministry is offensive and misses the point. Let's not hoard our stuff, let's share our stuff. Let's match up donors to their passions, even if it means our own ministry might miss out on a few bucks. Let's trust God is bigger than all of that and let's lift one another up at every turn. Let's not worry about which ministry gets the credit for which things. Cheering as someone else gets to be used by God to do God-sized things is beyond satisfying.

We continue to feel passionate about this topic and believe that God will continue to connect us in ways that will bless both us and Him. At the end of the day it is easier to report tangible things, but these less tangible things are what we find most exciting. In the coming months we hope to highlight some of the ministries that we have not yet highlighted. Stay tuned for that.

Q. I'd love to hear his (youth Pastor) take on your current life in Haiti.
Your current Bible study?
What would you say to an unwed Mom today?
BTW, how are the newlyweds doing?
What did you want to be when you grew up? Did it come true? (E-Mom)

In the coorespondence I have had with my former youth pastor Brent, he said a couple of things that really stuck out to me. He talked about the fact that those of us who ran from God and truly "came to the end of ourselves" have maybe been blessed in that we now experience a deeper truth and understanding of His loving kindness for us. He says he anticipates he will visit Haiti in the future and that we'll reconnect face-to-face some day soon. He said that hearing from me and learning of the impact he had was a huge encouragement to him. (I wish so much that I had access to my photo albums to scan in the photo of the day he did Britt's baby dedication/baptism. My hair was so awesome.)

It would be very hard for me to tell this story in writing, but the short version is that the day I found Brent and thanked him for the role he played in my life, he preached a sermon at a church a friend of mine attends ... we were all unaware of our common connection to each other. So, after 19 years without contact, not only did we reconnect, but just a few hours later he preached at a church in Colorado where my friend sat needing confirmation and clarity of her own - and Brent (and the connection we learned of in the process) was her encouragement that day. God is into details, I am convinced of it.

Your next question was the one I was avoiding answering when I put your set of questions off until last. My current Bible study... The question implies that I daily pick up my Bible. (awkward silence) I want to paint a pretty picture and offer my excuses, but that is not what I am going to do. I currently read my Bible infrequently and am keenly aware that my deeper walk with Him depends upon my obedience in this area. I'm not there. I hope to be able to report growth and progress soon. I figured you'd notice if I skipped just one question. :)

{ I am in a Women's Bible study with other ladies working in missions, we are reading Captivating by Eldredge. I don't relate well to chapters one and two but it is too early to review the book as a whole.}

What would I say to an unwed Mom today? (I am assuming you mean an unwed Mom who wishes she were not unwed.) I'm not 100% sure. I would probably just encourage her to keep pressing on. I understand how difficult and lonely it can be. I remember thinking that I was damaged goods and would never find my Mr. Right ... and even feeling unlovable. I guess I would try to find out if she felt that way and attempt to convince her that there is nothing further from the truth. Healing comes in stages and takes time. With time and the support of people like Brent and my parents, I came to a place where I could identify how far I had strayed from the truth.

The Newlyweds are in Texas doing very well. They are busy with classes and work and their new puppy, but they look and sound content. It does our hearts good to know they are happy. We wish we could meet them for a double date.

I don't remember wanting to be anything, or knowing for sure what I wanted to do as a kid. I think I did some things by default, just based on my choices as a teenager and situations those choices created ... but I did not determine my long range "this is what I want to do" until about six years ago. I have not moved a single inch toward that goal but I think that someday, when the kids are a little bigger, it might still come true. :) I don't know though because like most of you, God does not reveal things in a "five year plan" to me ... but someday I hope to get my Masters and do counseling as a marriage and family therapist ... in Haiti or wherever God drops me.

Happy Sunday.

Team Information

Haiti is a place that will change your life. It has changed ours. We think there is great value to visiting a culture different than your own and learning more about the needs around the globe.

We encourage you to consider coming to Haiti. There are many organizations set up to host teams. At the bottom of this post are some of the ministries in Haiti that have a system in place to host teams well.

We currently do not host teams in our home. We live in a regular single family home and are raising boat loads of small children and it is not possible at this time for us - mostly due to space and energy and the many, many children.

Quite frequently readers write and ask to stay with us. We don't want to appear rude (maybe we are?) but we feel it is in the best interest of our family to keep these boundaries around our home and family time.

We do work with WWV and they are hosting teams at certain times of the year. You can contact Pat Mortensen at World Wide Villlage if you would like to join a team or learn more about that. Pmortensen@worldwidevillage.org is the best way to reach her.

Here are just a few ministries in Haiti that host teams:

Mission of Hope
World Wide Village
NW Haiti Christian Mission
Children's Int'l Lifeline
Haitian Childrens Home
OMS Haiti

Meet Ella

Christianne had her baby last Friday. To read her story scroll down to the post about Prenatal Program. Her baby girl appears to be perfectly healthy. She is 7 lbs 11 ounces and absolutely adorable. We were so excited to be in on the naming of this baby! I was floored to hear Christianne say she wanted us to help her choose a name. Her full name is Emmanuella. (Nickname Ella) Through the kindness of a reader Christianne will be sponsored for a few months and have her rent situation corrected, allowing her to at least begin to find ways to heal and parent her baby.

Wednesday trip to Petit Goave

Keeping Noah entertained and busy was my main role yesterday. Troy, Nate and Brenda had a meeting - and Noah does not do meetings. We spent the hour and a half solving the worlds problems and drinking lots of carbonated beverages.
One coke, one diet-coke, and many interview/videos later it was time to pile in the car and head back to Port au Prince. Noah demonstrates his random thought process below. He is obsessed with Valley Fair, which is an amusement park in Minnesota that is much like a Six Flags. He has never been there or even seen it - but he likes to talk about it often. He also jumps to telling me what adoption is ... And then ends on Valley Fair.

Blog Aversion Relief #2

Q. I know the life expectancy for Haitians is extremely low.. in the 40s, I think. Yet some Haitians live incredibly long.. into their 80s. How on earth do you think they do it? Genetics? Luck? Or do you think that the infant mortality rate and the under 5 death rate is so high that it pulls the life expectancy rate way down?

My initial response was to say, yes, there are lots of older people in Haiti, so the life expectancy of 57 years MUST be pulled down by the deaths of so many babies. But then I saw this, breaking down the make-up of the population ...

0-14 years: 41.8% (male 1,881,509/female 1,851,591)
15-64 years: 54.7% (male 2,386,761/female 2,495,233)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 135,695/female 173,764) (2008 est.)

We were amazed at the number of much older ladies and gentlemen out in the village, they must just be tough and have amazing genetics. How is that for a very scientific answer? Aren't you just so glad you asked? The CIA factbook makes it clear that people don't often live to be 90.

Fun Fact: Tipap's Granny is still alive and they say she is over 100.

Q. I was wondering if you really need my help finding someone to burn an old mattress for you?

No. Burning trash is not a problem for me. I can easily find someone to do it right outside my front door. Thanks though.

Q. Our two beauties in Haiti are orphans, we know basically nothing about their history... any ideas on how to best deal with this? 2)We are thinking of keeping their given first names, but changing the middle to be something we've chosen...advice? They are 6 and 3. 3) We plan to visit them in end of March or so, we've "known them in pictures and video" for nearly a year, they still do not know they are being adopted even... tell them when we visit, wait and act as "just visiting"? We are still at least a year out.

I am not a sociologist, psychologist, or adoption specialist ... and maybe they would all give you a lot better answers. I think if you truly cannot get any information about the death of the mother or any family info from a relative, then it will be important for you to be armed with as much information as you can have about where they were born and who they lived with prior to them coming to you. My kids have not really started asking any of this yet, but I assume they will have lots of questions some day. I think the only wrong answer is to say, "Oh why do you want to know that - you have us and we love you so none of that matters." They will have questions some day and allowing them to feel whatever they feel is so important. (Which you obviously know based on the question.)

Your idea about their names is great! Changing a first name of an older child can sometimes be a challenging thing. Some kids want a name change, others don't. (Please don't send hate mail if you disagree with me. Just disagree.)

Your last question shows tons of sensitivity. The 6 year old is old enough to get it. I can only tell you what I would do after seven years of watching the Haitian adoption process ebb and flow. And of course, it is totally your call and something to pray about and decide together. Knowing what I know now, I would choose not to tell a six year old that I was their Mom or that I would be taking them home to live with me until I was certain of the finalization of the adoption. ( And again, we can agree to disagree on this. Lots of people choose to tell their kids upon meeting them and I am sure they thought it through and came to their decision prayerfully.) I won't bore you with the reasons tonight, there are a few that play into my thoughts on this.

~~~~~

Had a great day today and got to see something further south than the National Palace, so that was really cool. I will incorporate the story of today's events into my answer to the last couple questions. (Heather P. and E-Mom, I left your questions for last.) Must snooze now though.

Blog Aversion Relief - Part 1

Q. How do you manage the children everyday? Where do they go off to while you work? How often do you have visitors to your neck of the woods? Do you get mail from the US?

It depends what you mean by "manage". Some days really well, and other days are an embarrassment. I used to feel like a really capable and even above average mom. But that was like three kids ago. Somewhere around Noah or Phoebe it all fell apart.

Three of the kids get up at 6am and are out the door at 7am for school. They don't get back home until 4:30. Lydie and Phoebe wake up next at about 6:15 and Noah and Annie usually sleep till about 7am. Once Noah is up, all moments of quiet are gone for good. He enjoys the sound of his own voice. A lot.

Jeronne is responsible for Annie, and does a beautiful job with her. I am actually home with my kids 80% of the time. I only regularly leave to go for a run or to go to Women's Program on Tues and Thur. afternoons. They stay home with Jeronne while I do those things.

A part of me wants to be out and doing more - and wishing I was easily able to - but more than anything I want to be around right now when Lydie and Phoebe and Noah are so little and high-need (and all three of them are) and I know that in a couple years it will be easier to get out and doing more mission/ministry stuff. For now, Troy does the majority of that.

How often do we have visitors?
We used to host large teams in our home, but since we moved in August, we have just had a few friends and relatives stay with us. It seems like we have someone here at least once a month. We bought a futon and the family room is our guest room, it works out great. We've found it much easier to host two or three people -- ten and twenty was too much for us with our large family. It was causing stress between us and we needed to protect our family and our marriage. It is nothing personal against teams, it was just very tough to pull off that much company for multiple days while trying to love on and meet the needs of a lot of little kids.

Mail-
There is not regular mail service in Haiti, no one here gets mail delivered to their door. We use a Missionary mail service called Agape. The address is in Florida. They fly the mail down to missionaries in the DR and Haiti twice a week. We don't really get much mail because we pay bills on line and most people write us via email -- but we do have a way to get mail - it takes a bit longer to get it, but is reliable.

~~~~

This morning I went for a run. It was a weird experience because without warning I had some sort of emotional snafu - and I was bawling while running. I have to wait to explain the scene until I am in a writing mood ... or I won't do it justice. In the afternoon Brenda joined us at Women's program. It went well... we found out Dicleat is only having one baby. She is very relieved, but she is also insanely anemic and admitted that she does not take her iron pills because they make her sick. There was also a new three pound baby. The young mom of the baby (Monique) is not doing well with keeping him hydrated so Beth spent a lot of time with her trying to get the message across. Poor little guy was not looking very good. :( We also heard that Christianne had her baby and that they are both okay, we hope to see her on Thursday and confirm that.

Tomorrow I actually get to leave Port au Prince to head south with Troy, Nate and Brenda. Every time I have been in a position to go see another part of the island something has come up that kept me home. I am willling the children to stay healthy so that I can go on an adventure to check out some property and do fact finding in Petit Goave.

I'm not ignoring the other questions, thanks and I will get to them later this week. :)

Hi Britt!

Ask and you shall receive.
XOXO-
Phoebe

Wise Old Man

This photo is one of my favorites. I think this guy probably knows some things.

We've loved having some adoptive parents in this weekend. Three of the moms that are here were on the May '08 team. We also have the Yonkers visiting from Michigan ... so lots of 'old' friends to reconnect and catch up with this week.

One fun random fact:
I made contact with my youth pastor from 20 years ago. I have not talked to him for about 18.5 years. He was the person at our church that we went to first with my pregnancy news (I was 16 at the time we found out) --- he did a really amazing job of dealing with it in a way that did not excuse my poor choices but still really showed love and mercy and grace to me and my family. I have always wanted to thank him, and last night I found him and was able to do so. I am still smiling and thrilled that I found him!

I have a serious aversion to blogging lately. I don't know why. I feel like a broken record and I need some new topics.
What is going on with you guys?

Big Boy

So there is no question Bryce is chubby. We found out at his 4 month check up he is 18 and a half pounds. The doctor said we had to move him in to the next size car seat, which was fine with us, he was too heavy to carry in the other seat anyway. I guess all the food, makes for a happy baby. He is so sweet. The best part is we can lay him in a crib fully away and he falls to sleep on his own. I had heard this could happen, but with Jack I thought "self soothing" was an evil myth spread by vengeful, unhappy moms. Bryce has proven to us self soothing exists and he does it for all naps and at night. He still wakes up to eat at night- what a surprise, got to keep that figure just so!

Prenatal Day

As you know, Thursday is "Prenatal Day" for the Heartline Women's Program. I really like Thursdays because I feel like I have a better handle on the names and faces of the ladies that come on Thursday.

I have started handling the updating of files and that helps me to commit each lady and her information to memory. We've recently had about 8 new ladies join us as 8 have had their babies and moved onto the early childhood development class on Tuesdays.

Each Thursday the ladies filter in from about 11:30 until 12:30. As they arrive we get their blood pressure, their weight and their temperature. Every once in a while something will be way off with one of those stats and we'll know to dig a little deeper.

In the USA once a month is sufficient for these checks, but doing it every week is a way to stay better in touch with them. It has proven to be a wise choice. Most of these pregnancies would be considered high-risk as so many are undernourished and struggling to provide for themselves. Almost every week someone has a blood pressure or a weight loss that points out a need for quick intervention.

Some weeks pre-natal day is encouraging and fun. Other weeks are heavy and mind-boggling. Today was the latter.

We showed a movie to the ladies called "The Victim" - it is heavy material meant to point out how choices of one person can trickle down and affect many. The movie was made in Haiti and Beth first saw it when she was on a bus to the D.R. The film takes a look at AIDS and the way it spreads and destroys lives. A lot of it is shocking from a Western perspective - so much of the cultural way that men and women interact here is difficult to understand or accept for us. The room was pretty quiet and as near as we could tell it caused most to pause and think. Abstinence is the ideal, but pushing something that won't work in a culture or play out in real life is a lot like beating your head on a wall ... many choose to do that ... but we handed out protection. It hurts our heads a lot less.

Today was chock-full of heavy situations ...

The first was a new girl that showed up. She was 21 and frail looking. She had a baby and lost it when it was two months old last year. She said it died because a "werewolf killed it" and then she said she thought she might be pregnant again. We took her blood pressure. It was 153/107 - she was a tiny little 87 pounds. When we did the pregnancy test it came back negative. We took some time to try to get to the bottom of things, most of which we failed to do. She said she did not nurse her baby; she gave it bottles. We asked about the water she used and wondered if maybe the werewolf was not really just dirty water that caused diarreah, dehydration, and eventually death. We asked her to come back in one week so we could re-check her blood pressure and look into options for meds for that.

The second situation was with one of my favorite ladies in the program. Her name is Dicleat. She is as cute as can be and incredibly sweet. She is 41. She has five kids but has not had one for ten years. She entered the program back in early December, each interaction we've had with her has been so positive. There are some ladies that we easily connect with and get to konw. We think we hear two heartbeats. Beth checked and re-checked and kept feeling like we were hearing more than one. She was so visibly shaken and upset at hearing about this possibility that we backed way off and said we were not sure, we needed to send her for an ultrasound. The fear and worry was evident and I felt so bad for her. As we prayed for her when she left I just asked God to show us how to support her ... whether she learns there is one or two babies when she goes for her ultrasound.


The third and most troubling situation of the day involved Christianne. First of all, we did not expect her to be back today. She was due Jan 15 and measured 42 cm last Thursday. She came today and spent some time opening up about her situation and her past. Christianne has two kids with an ex that is a drug addict. The baby she is currently pregnant with is not wanted by this father. He told her that the baby was not his and she should get rid of it. She shared with us that for the first four months of her pregnancy she tried to abort the baby. She specifically mentioned taking herbs, drinking a lot of alchol. She said when it did not work she would do it more.

As she sat in front of us looking like she was about to burst with baby she said "But none of that worked." To think of the trauma this baby has been through and the possibility that it may be irreperably damaged was incredibly sobering for us today. Christianne lives in a house her brother owns, but she is $700 (Haitian) dollars behind on rent so he took her door off. If you cannot turn off the electricity or the gas, the next best thing is to remove the door. :(

I don't know what Christianne wants to do. Christianne does not seem to know either. She seems very peaceful and nonchalant about things right now - but she does admit that she does not know what is best for her baby. When Beth suggested that after all those failed attempts to abort the baby that maybe God has a big plan for the baby, Christianne smiled and nodded in agreement. We're praying that this baby is okay. We're nervous to find out if any defects or harm have been caused by the choices this mom made early on in her pregnancy.

As always, we appreciate prayers for these women as they face situations and hardship that most of us cannot easily imagine.

Caution

You've heard of 'safety first' ... this is safety last.

Today is Jen Halverson Day!!!!

I have no title ... no influence or ability to make it an official holiday ... but in the blog world I feel just a little bit empowered ... I therefore declare today, January 22, "Jen Halverson Day".

A year ago God used Jen to save the life of our baby Lydie B. and today is the day to thank her and Him.

Pleeeease give Jen a shout out and let her know she rocks. I am not-so-secretly hoping for 2 trillion comments. :)

Last years stories -

Day Lydia was admitted
Day of sorting out anger
Jen's post before the seizure scare
After the scare

Jennifer -
Troy and I don't go many weeks without revisiting the miracle that happened last January. Thank you for being there for us and allowing God to lead you to Haiti and then later to Lydie's side at the exact moment in time that she needed you. We love you so much. God is good. Happy Jen Halverson day to you my friend.
We miss you!

P.S.
God provided in totally cool ways last year. Jen needed a ride on a day that Lydie needed to be admitted (but we did not necessarily realize it) - so we ended up bringing Lydie to Port because of Jen's advice - then admitting her --- and then Jen came to spend the night with me at the hospital on the exact night she needed to be there to take charge and stop the seizure. There were tons of little amazing details that brought it all together ... all orchestrated by an amazingly detailed God.

We are also blown away at the number of people that prayed for us in the middle of this ... without exaggerating there were hundreds interceding on Lydia's behalf. Thank you all so much.

(Top photo, Marcia Erickson 2008 -middle photo taken the day Jen moved back to MN in May 2008 - last photo Dec 2008)

Hope's Memory Work

Psalm 1:1
Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

Ike's Memory at work

Happy Birthday to Isaac's Grandma Porter!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Random Quick News:

• Beth and I got home safely and without trouble.
• Being back points out how easy it is to sleep in America. I did not miss the 42 mosquito bites in the night. (whine)
• We're doing dinner with some Minnesotans up at Healing Hands for Haiti tonight.
• Lots of adoptive parents come in this weekend.
• Nate and Brenda Yonker get here Sunday.
• Lydia finally switched to walking about half of the time.
• Peanut killed a giant rat in the night. (Nasty.)
• Paige's kids-club will start up again Sunday.
• Thanks everybody for the Christmas cards you mailed mid December - we are finally laying our hands on them and enjoying reading/seeing your updates.

Boom Box Beth

John warned me that traveling with Beth might be a challenge. He complained of the speed at which she walks and other things that sounded good to me. I was not concerned at all.

I learned a few things about my friend B. on this trip ... most of them entertaining ... and a few of them a tad bit embarrassing. Her Boston roots combined with the 2o years of Haiti makes for some interesting shopping experiences. I laughed when time after time she found a way to annoy the cashier and then said to me, "Was I being rude?" I laughed half the weekend. Living in Haiti 20 years teaches you to find a way to get the attention of the customer service rep ... one way or the other.

The photo above is on the plane out of Phoenix this morning, we happened to be flying to Miami with this amazing Ethiopian guy who also happens to be one of the fastest marathon runners in the world. His time yesterday, 2:10:36 ... don't believe me? Look him up - Tekeste Kebede.

Beth gushed over him while many looked on in amusement ... I kept my head low (while trying to discreetly meet her photo request, a difficult combination to pull off) -- then she called her daughter Morgan to figure out if he was who we thought he was -- and her daughter told her to quit being a weird stalker ... none of that worked because at the end Beth forced me into having *my* photo taken with him, I can tell you honestly --- we really scared him... he thought we were wacko. Beth is hardcore people. HARD. CORE.Either way, it is insane how fast this little guy can run. insane. I could have squished him like a bug he was so tiny. Running that many miles takes so much - I cannot comprehend how fast this guy moves.

Below - the girls that hung out all weekend (and four of us ran on Sunday) ...

We slept very little and made the most of a weekend (shop-eat-talk-repeat repeat) without responsibility.

Back to Haiti life and Haiti running tomorrow. :)

I cannot wait to see my peeps!

(Troy does not really claim these photos as his, not sure why there is that copyright thing there.)

Traffic Jam

Bryce's Obsession

Each of our boys has had a unique habit developed at a few months that seems to stick with them. For Jackson, it was stroking and pulling his hair. It started whenever he would be taking a bottle as a baby. Today he still does it if he is tired, bored, or nervous.





Bryce so far seems to be developing a habit of covering up his face. Anything we give him in the crib or chair gets pulled onto and over his face. If you want to play peek-a-boo, he smiles and laughs when you cover his face up, not when you reveal yourself to him. See this video for an example of how he loves to cover himself up. At first he seems like he is getting smothered but when you uncover him he just wants to pull it back over his face.

Our Church in Haiti

When we left Minnesota we said goodbye to wonderful friends and community at our home church there in Rogers. We wondered what it would be like worshiping in another language.

After living here a few months we realized it was incredibly important for us to go to an English speaking church. At that time we started driving two hours to attend Port au Prince Fellowship.

Now that we live in town Troy is regularly able to help by leading worship and we can attend without the stress of getting kids up at 5am. We love this community of believers and are so thankful for the option of worshiping in our heart language here in Haiti.

I thought you would like to see the sardine style seating that is required. If you visit Haiti please check us out, but set aside your American-style-space-bubble expectations and don't forget your deodorant. :)

Washing off the Port au Prince

This is dry season. The dust/dirt and diesel seem doubly bad this time of year. This is the typical look of our legs after returning from a short run. Tasty, huh?!?

Beth and I are headed out for the weekend. We were blessed to be able to go run a race for free in Arizona. Thank you to the Hyatts, the Gayharts and PF Changs! Free trips are SO fun! We're meeting up with another friend who is running to celebrate her 50th birthday. We are sharing about Haiti one morning and hoping it will be a fun, fast, and productive weekend in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona.

Paige is off to a youth retreat, leaving Troy to manage the tribe on his own. I am anxious to get back and see how much cake they ate for breakfast and when they last bathed. :)

Bryce is 4 Months Old

Our little baby is 4 months old now, and he is not so little any more. He is a huge guy! He is also a happy guy. He is really starting to play, and when he is excited he kicks and squeals with joy. In the last week Bryce has began to just started to enjoy his exersaucer, and still loves his mobile, swing, and play yard. He also loves to snuggle and wishes we would just give up and let him sleep in our bed. His other love is milk. He has an amazing appetite for milk, but no interest in solid foods. We tried a bit of rice cereal (2 times now) and he wanted no part. We thought it might help him sleep through the night, if he at some solids, but apparently he doesn't want to. He seems to enjoy his night-time feedings and the possibility that we will let him sleep with us. Some times we do give in, but most of the time he sleeps in his Pack n' Play next to our bed. Bryce and Jack are still on good terms, once Bryce wants Jacks toys it might be a different story, but for now Jack says, "I love my Brycie" and Bryce enjoys watching Jack play. At night they take a bath together. Jack in the tub and Bryce in the plastic tub which is inside the tub so I can bathe them at the same time. They are so cute at tubby time, they make eachother laugh. It is so fun watching them interact!







Snuggling with Daddy


Finally, this month Bryce got his first hair cut. We used our clippers. I think it turned out pretty good. Bryce didn't seem to mind a bit.

BEFORE








AFTER- all worn out!

Bryce Meets Mia

Our friends Jason & Sarah had their first baby in November. We were out of town for the holidays, so we were excited to finally meet Mia. Mia is so cute and such a sweetie! Sarah had to run errands, so Jason was in charge for the day. Jason did a great job! He had Mia in the Mobie wrap while he was bouncing her on an exercise ball. I really wanted to take a picture, but he wouldn't let me. The reason this amazed me so is because I have been friends with Jason since Jr. high school. Back then who could have imagined us this way?! It will be fun to watch our babies grow up together!