Vacation

I have to laugh at all the times people wish me a good vacation when I tell them I am headed to Haiti. Not all places Caribbean are vacation destinations! To all who think coming to Haiti is a vacation, you couldn’t be more misled. And tonight I feel it! Tired no longer describes the way I feel. Matter of fact, I might almost be beyond feeling! We have labored hard and long, and Sunday is coming. I have to figure out what I am going to preach in the morning. I though maybe I wouldn’t be preaching this trip in, but then again, what was I thinking? As I sit here typing, little boys are feeling my head, running their little inquisitive fingers through my hair. If they don’t stop soon, I may fall asleep. LOL! We had another productive day today. They built the back wall of the property another three course of block higher thanks to Pastor Doyle moving the rock pile to the back! But I think they are pleased. The crushed rock was delivered this afternoon to put where the foundation rock pile had been. Chairs will not be here until after we leave, but that will be fine. I’ll get Rob to drop me a couple of pictures after they get here and I will post them up. The front wall got the first coat of paint as you can see in the picture. It looks great when you turn up our road! Ray and company have worked diligently to get it done, and it will have another coat Monday or Tuesday. Notice I didn’t say final coat, it’s because it will need regular coats of paint to keep up with the harsh exposure of this country. We finished building the benches this afternoon, and Ray got three of them varnished. They would have been done but we guessed wrong on the amount of varnish, so will get more Monday to finish up. They look great and there are five more frames welded up and about ready to come to the property. But we will have to let them finish them. We arranged for the women of the church to cook up another huge batch of food and fed the victims again today. I told Robinson I didn’t want to impose on them, but he said it is no problem, they are happy to do it. When they got back from market, they discovered that their carrying bag had been slit. Someone had tried to pick the bag, but fortunately they were not carrying the money in it. Another evidence of God’s protection over the hurting. They were buying for the victims, and today God stayed the hand of the darkness from encroaching any more. That is the thing we really struggle with at times, why would God not spare the earthquake, but today spare the feeding of those that remain behind. I don’t pretend to be so blind as to not wonder at the profound and unnerving circumstances and mysteries of life and then reflect on the sovereignty of God. But I do know this; he does work in mysterious ways His great wonders to perform. And today I continue to witness His goodness and mercy in spite of the great evil we are capable of in our disobedience to Him. And by that I don’t mean that I purport that the earthquake happened because these people deserved it. It happened because it was allowed to happen. God took some and spared others. A young mother raced into a home to save her baby, they both died, the baby nestled between her mothers legs and under her body. The father lives to mourn; and yet finds a grace that may never have come except through this agony. I have seen time and time again, we tend to see things upside down from God. But tonight I’m glad I’ve staked my life in His judgment call, far to often I have made the wrong call. We will some day discover that God has a perfect batting record! We had 500 children for the service this afternoon, and then the ladies scrubbed the floors, bathrooms and sidewalks readying for service in the morning. We have just fed an evening crowd of about 35, and a wonderful breeze has finally brought a little break from the massive heat wave. Claudy told me today it is unusually warm for this time of year. Ray sitting beside me has just passed out several bracelets that Payton and Alexis, his granddaughters, made out of yarn and sent along. The kids loved them. It was like they were getting diamonds. One more incredible thing, last night it rained for about 45 minutes, and not a hard rain. As I rounded the corner going to the internet I heard a massive rushing sound and to my amazement, the riverbed that had been bone dry a couple of hours earlier was roaring with 2 feet of water. It was alarming! No wonder these people fear the rain so much. What would a few hours of rain do, what about days? I have a new appreciation for my sandy, can’t grow any grass, Michigan lawn! And I understand a little more about why they struggle with the rain. It’s nice to live in high country. I’m glad the church property is up toward the mountain. Well, I have to run for tonight, it’s time to crack the books and figure out what to say in the morning to these desperate lives. Thanks again to all our followers and supporters. It has been a great trip so far, and we are expecting the continuation of great things for the remainder of our time here. Blessings from a cool front porch.