Releasing Control

Many of you have wondered about us as it has been a while since we've updated you on what’s happening here in Soliette.  Two reasons are that we've been really busy, and a lot of what we've been busy with was frustrating enough that I didn't really feel like reliving it in print at the end of the day!  Most of that involves what God is still trying to do in me (us, Cheryl has her moments!) and get me over my ambitious self and become more Haitian.  I didn't really think my expectations were that high and I thought my plans were clear to everyone, but that didn't seem to matter to anyone but me.  And now looking back, they were pretty right.  Let me fill you in with some details.

This could get really long if I went into all the details so you’ll get the Reader’s Digest version and we’ll concentrate on the last 2 weeks. 

Just to give you a glimpse of the old floor.

 Almost since we arrived in September we’d been working at pouring a new cement floor in the school.  We finally had all the materials on site, volunteer help lined up and we were ready to go. School was out for the week of February 11-15 and we had revival meetings planned for the 15^th-17^th so we’ll get started about 7:00 on Saturday and get it poured so we have all week to smooth coat it and it can cure a couple days before revival.  One of the leaders helped me build forms Friday afternoon and said he’d be here at 6:00 for coffee on Saturday morning.  I was REALLY ready to get this done, so that really excited me.  6:00 couldn't come soon enough.

Well……6:00 came and I enjoyed my coffee while I walked to the neighbors houses that had promised I could use their shovels.  2 shovels became one, and by the time the help started to show up my coffee was long gone and my patience wasn't far behind.  People started straggling in about 8:30 and we didn't really get rolling till close to 10:00. I was not a happy person!  If we didn't get this thing poured today, I didn't really see a way it would ever get finished!  A custom for Haitian work days is to provide a meal for all the workers.  My plan was for the food to come out about 2:00 when we were mostly done.  We were finally really rolling, and by about noon we were nearly half way done.

Water delivery.  We used nearly 400 gallons that day
and it all had to be carried in from about 3/4 mile away!

Cement mixers!

Delivery system.  We did have one wheelbarrow, but
 most was carried in buckets!

  I was working inside leveling the concrete and was beginning to think we might just pull this thing off!  Half hour later I looked up and plates of food were coming in instead of buckets full of cement.  I was about to come unglued but my loving wife caught me and said, ‘why don’t you just sit down and eat’, with this ‘I feel your pain’ look on her face.  The rice and beans WERE really good, and I WAS really hungry, so with a sigh I settled onto a bench with a big bowl.  45 minutes later we swung back into action and were moving along pretty good but the crowd had started to thin out.  At 3:00, about an hour before we could have been finished, the boss announced that he had to be in Port au Prince soon, dropped his tools and left with most of the remaining workers and most of the tools.  I couldn't believe it!  Cheryl and 2 friends helped me clean up.  I spent the most of the next hour with my head down in a barrel cleaning tools.  It was probably the best place for me because it was really hard being nice at this point.

Mr 'Know it all' hard at it!

The end of day one.

A good place for attitude adjustment!

Cheryl and I spent the evening transitioning from comforting each other to feeling really guilty because of the way we acted and the way we treated some people.  We spent the night feeling pretty low.  Sunday dawned, but we were still beating ourselves up for not acting very Christ like the day before.  We prayed through it, and by the time church started we were feeling some better and determined to not let our attitudes affect us like that again.  The worship lifted us some, but then something happened that really changed our attitude.  While all we could see was a project not completed, our church friends were so excited to have a new floor they were literally dancing on it in joy!  I was seeing the unfinished floor as a cup half empty, while they were seeing it as fuller that it has ever been!  We had talked to some people and lined up some help to finish pouring on Monday.  That would leave 3 days to get the other boss up here to put the smooth coat on the surface.  I won’t bore you with the details of that, it’s just how they do it here, but what it ended up meaning was 2 LONG days for me and the boss.  By 3:00 Wednesday we were finished!  I was exhausted, but peaceful.  I had a day to rest up and get the place ready for revival on Friday, and the kids had an open building with a nice floor to play on for a day.  To hear them laugh and play made all the effort worthwhile and looking back, I realized that God really had it under control all along and I’d get along better if I’d just relax and try to let Him have control.

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Time for last minute adjustment!

The revival meetings were done up in true Haitian style!  I’d wired some lights into the building (that’s a story for another day) and just before we were scheduled to start the generator, speakers, instruments and musicians arrived and got everything set up to perform at a level just below what would cause your eardrums to explode!  musicians arrived and got everything set up to perform at a level just below what would cause your eardrums to explode!  We’d invited all the local churches and the place was packed out.  Hebrew 4:12 (For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.) was our theme for the weekend.  The word of God was proclaimed and a joyful noise was made by over 200 enthusiastic worshipers. 

 

The new floor makes it better for your 'Church Shoes!'

Kesnel teaching Sunday school.

'Beni swa l' etenal' (Bless this evening Lord Eternal!)

It seems to have sparked a new interest and excitement here on the mountain.  We’ve started a Wednesday evening service and there’s talk of a Friday evening Bible study.  The first Wednesday evening was very well attended and that was encouraging.  We’re excited to see what God has in store for His church here on the mountain.  Pray that we can fan the spark into a flame that will burn brightly for all to see here.

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This one's for you mom!  Doing my best to fill out my clothes!

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Pray that we will be more willing to be molded by God to serve in the way He chooses and not relying on our own strength and plans. Pray also for Heart of Compassion as we enter a time of transition seeking new leadership.  

The work here is demanding.  It calls for much discipline, determination, dying to self and sacrifice.  But isn't that what the Word of God calls us to? 

 Grandpa Harold