Sunday, March 9, 2014

FROM VISION TO REALITY

Well it was accomplished…..


To start at the beginning ...

When we were in the states on furlough we shared that a vision we had was to put block walls on the school in Soliette. At present it had tarps on the outside & inside for room dividers.



 Before we even came back to Haiti we had received a call that several people were interested in trying to help do this.
 Of course we were excited .... to better the school & to have friends come & visit us. That was a very rare treat!

Fred even talked to Pat just 1 week before he was killed...
It was exciting thinking this might really happen. Even when Pat talked to the community about the road work ,he also told them about the school project that we would need help with.

            Then the accident happened….

And the decision was made to raise funds for this project.

Well you my friends were EXTREMELY faithful & generous !!! Now all that was needed was my consent to proceed... 
                  “Of Course I’d go “ !!

After much planning, talks, emails & packing- the day came.. Feb 16th   
 Work was even done on the Gator to get it up & running & we made good use of it!


 The community was hauling water, mixing cement, carrying wood,hauling water.. everyone was really
 excited! The school was dismantled.




Classes were held under different trees for almost 2 weeks. The teachers & students were very flexible..



The walls starting going up,steps getting poured, doors placed, chalk boards painted & hung, desks made for each of the teachers. Yes this was very exciting.. we had such good workers & helpers. The community was exclaiming ‘bel’ beautiful!

































    We even had time to celebrate 3 teachers                 birthdays!


I guess 1 of the most encouraging things to me was the reminder of the care & love our Savior has for the little things in our life… 

He put together this team of some of my best friends, that would love, care, cry & laugh with me in  my hard times even before Pat died!!! He cares for us my friends in the big & the small 
things of life!!


But God being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us… eph 2:4

we did take time to go to Pine Forest for a picnic


So without Pat,the vision he had for the school & the community of Soliette was still carried out by ALL of you-

 those that gave of your funds...
       covered us in prayer, 
              & the greatest friends anyone could ask for, that unselfishly came- 

As the Haitians said… left their beautiful homes, their jobs, left their families, their activities & slept here to build the school.

I feel in my heart that somehow Pat looked down & saw this work completed by YOU..,

       And he smiled & was thankful!

SERVANT OF GOD.. a plaque that was placed on the school wall.

Thank you so much & may God bless each one of you for your part!

May God be glorified.

GOD, whose I am & whom I serve….

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Blessings of Jesus , Family & Friends




 Writing on the Directors wall


Fear not, for I have redeemed you ; I have called you by name , you are mine. When you pass through the waters , I will be with you;and through the rivers , they shall not overwhelm you.when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
 For I am your God , the Holy one of Israel, your Savior.    
                                           Ish 43:1-3

I have been wanting to write a blog update for some time , but just haven’t been able to put my thoughts & words together.

 Seems my mind just is so fussy & distant..  & scattered...   It just goes from one thing to another
.
The above promise is so reassuring to me..It feels my family & I had been under attack before & during our time when we went to Haiti in Jan.

      BUT through it all God was there with us & HE will ALWAYS stay there..even when we feel beat down & defeated.

      Yes He, the Holy one of Israel our Savior has the ultimate power & the enemy is                                          defeated not us !!!


Our plan was to go to Haiti – my boys & wives & little Fenner- 

But first expired passports must be obtained & mr fenners first passport & FAST . We had to expedite them & still ran down to the wire before they came. BUT they all came in the nick of time-                                 
                                                  Praise Jesus

Our plan was to go back to Soliette for a memorial service for Pat & also for the boys to see where Pat spent his mornings with God… where he spent his days working in the garden  and see the people we loved. 

Mareena & Fenner were down with the flu for several days ahead of leaving & even still under the weather when we left. We were praying but they were sick. Then the eve before we left Nick started with an eye infection or some sort of eye issue that was painful & red..
 We never really did determine what was wrong but it lasted until they almost went home- I used aloe plant on his eyes & eye drops which helped ease it some.

We had a quick trip planned .. stayed at Philips on Tuesday nite & then went up the mountain to Soliette & stayed in the house all together.


Fenner feel asleep on the way up.




It was such a blessing for me to introduce my family to my friends up there. They were glad to see me & I was thrilled to see them...
On Thursday in the afternoon a memorial service was held in the church & it was so encouraging. Some of the missionaries sang some songs that Pat loved & then some of the students sang some songs in creole for us. Dwight Wagoner, Philip ,Mike Martin, Kesnel the school director & Wismith our language teacher all spoke encouragement. 














. One of our younger Haitian friends told me later that it really helped encourage him too. You know after Pat died we just left so quick & our community there feels a loss too.



 The boys even worked in Pats garden some & so did Fenner. We went on  a few walks & visited some friends . It was a blessing for us all to be there. Cole said it felt like this was “home’ …








Fenner helping Papa get the "jack" beans out of the pods.




Friday came quick & we made our way back down – with the help of our friends carrying our bags.Saturday the boys plans were to fly out so they could try to start a week off with ‘normal’ work .

Well God had other plans & a big snow storm & very cold weather hit the US! Nicks did make it home very late sat nite but Coles had a lot of problems & weren't even able to leave until Wednesday. We felt the enemy attack in a very BIG way during this time.

 But God reaches out to us in our greatest need & when I felt most defeated He sent  a group of friends to pray mightily for & with me.. 

                 Yes when you walk through the fire you shall not be burned… Just cry                                                                        out to  HIM & He lifts you up…


I spent another 4 days  with Beth & Phil & came on home… No the enemy will never win .. Give no place for the devil –
                                                  Our God is ALWAYS victorious.

My time with my family was most precious ..
                       
                   I had many emotions , tears & struggles.

                                         But then there was always GOD.


Our family trip to Soliette in 2009

Things have changed... Pat is in heaven & we have Mr. Fenner

After I got home for this past month I have been helping Nicks finish their house & this past Saturday they MOVED.. Such a tremendous blessing of many friends who helped, fixed food & took care of Fenner. God works in the  details of our lives if we just open our eyes to see.. 



Yes it is still so hard & many days unbelievable that Pat is with Jesus but life moves forward.

Creator God you are a forever presence in my FOREVER-CHANGED world!

 And now I am looking forward to this week when I am returning to Haiti to help a work team go to Soliette to put blocks on the school walls- A vision of Pats..  

Please pray for us & the Haitians - that God would continue to be working in our hearts & theirs – that Jesus would be exalted in whatever we do. 

Something I read recently:

Jesus is NOT a snuggle. He is not a long languorous dream that makes everything hard disappear...

                         HE is a GOD who saves.
                         He is a GOD who stays,
                         Do not ever forget … He is a GOD who disrupts!