Holiday Reflections

It's taken a while to figure out how to start, and really I haven't decided anything special so we'll just dive in.  The holidays have been really different, not necessarily bad, just different.  Changing seasons, family gatherings and all things Christmas have been replaced with warm temperatures, sunny skies and foreign traditions.  Being separated from family for the holidays has given us a new perspective on how special our loved ones are and how much we tend to take things for granted.  I must admit, and Cheryl will too, that we missed you all very much, but we've learned that we miss you because we love you and want to be an active part of your lives.  It's given us a new perspective on how God loves us and wants to be an active part of our lives.  He want it so bad that He allowed His Son to lay aside all the wonders and Glory of Heaven and take the form of man.  The season we celebrate as Christmas marks the beginning of His plan of restoration for His creation.  I know Christmas is over, but I need to remind myself of this beginning every day.  God became man, to walk in our shoes and experience everything we experience so He can comfort us through any situation and to pay the price for our salvation by willingly going to the cross as the only sacrifice acceptable to God for my sin.  Praise God for this unspeakable gift!

The past couple weeks have been full of new and interesting things as we tried to share some of our holiday practices as we learned new ones.Christmas at our house always meant lots of Christmas cookies.

Our resources were a somewhat limited but we managed cut-out sugar cookies, ginger snaps and oatmeal cookies.

Cookies, or anything baked in an oven is a special treat,
but 'confetti' (icing) made them extra special!

We made plates and delivered them to
13 different families.

We went expecting to bless our friends with a special treat that was part of our traditional Christmas. What we received back way more than we gave away.  The genuine appreciation, smiles and hugs were enough to warm our hearts, but the reciprocal giving was truly humbling.  We gave for fun out of our abundance. In return we received 2 fresh baked breads from one friend, 2 eggs from another and 5 eggs (2 were turkey eggs) from another.  Gifts given from the heart from their poverty.  God has a way of teaching us to appreciate what we have and how He wants us to be cheerful givers.

And you never can predict what He will ask you to give!  Sunday mornings are not a lot different than other mornings here except you're in church around 9:30. The day still starts before 6:00 and you're never quite sure what it will include.  I had one can of spray paint, maybe the only can for miles.  What started as a request for a couple zip ties

turned into a full frame paint job.  Not sure yet how he talked me into it, but we just brushed the dirt aside and painted 'er up!  'Sa bel' (that's beautiful) were the words that came out when we were finished.  Then we cleaned up and off to church we went.

Our personal Christmas was a nice, quiet Christmas eve

We were specially blessed by friends and family. The mail man had been busy!  Special gifts and treats that will be appreciated into the new year!  Thanks to all of you! 

Christmas night, we had a really special event.  With the installation of the solar panel and batteries we have a much better source of electricity.  We borrowed a projector from another mission (International Faith Mission) in Fond Parisienne, 

nailed a bed sheet on a couple 2x4's and showed the
'Jesus' film.

We didn't know how many to expect, but over 100
people showed up to see 'television'.

Of course, satan had to disrupt things a little.  Just as we were getting to the crucifixion, we lost our electricity!  Everything went black!  People started to leave and I had the projector packed up when Cheryl looked up and said 'the lights in the house were back on.' We got the people to hang around and pray while I put the equipment back together.  We turned off everything that wasn't necessary and everything stayed on through the end of the film and a short preaching/prayer time afterward.  God is sooooo good!

The next day was the school Christmas party.  

We didn't know quite what to 
expect, but they spent most of
the morning carrying sound
equipment up,

decorating the building and making food.
It was quite an event

New Year's is a big holiday here!  It is a celebration of their independence day on Jan. 2, but Jan. 1 is a day of visiting and food. 

The featured food is pumpkin soup.  We didn't know how to make it so our pumpkin was in cookies and bread and we made a different kind of soup.  On New Year's day, everyone prepares soup and treats and the young people visit from house to house, enjoying food and little treats and gifts.

Our visitors all got balloons,  

and it got a little roudy at times.

But it was a good day.  It was fun to just let them into the house and relax and enjoy themselves.  Another humbling experience as some of these kids had never seen water come out of a faucet or just have room for chairs inside.  

Overall, we're feeling like more a part of the community.  The language has a long way to go, but we're getting there. We took a couple days and traveled north with Philip and Beth Hollinger to see Sodo Falls.  

It was a beautiful place, and a nice refreshment for us to just get away and relax for a bit.  It has been a different, but special holiday for us.  It has helped us adjust to life here.  We still have a lot to learn.  We appreciate your support and your prayers.  If you have a question or comment, we'd love to hear from you!  Often we get to feeling that we're on a tropical island somewhere completely removed from all things familiar!  We'd love for you to remind us there is a bigger world out there. We love you all!

Ale ak Bondye! (Go with God!) Edmond - Moto driver