Make it yours, Lord...

This will be your opportunity to witness.
                                             Luke 21:13

     Looking up the word "opportunity" in the scriptures in not for the faint of heart. Most of the time when it is used it refers to sin or people trying to betray Jesus. Or like in the verse above it reflects the opportunity we have in persecution. Yuck. I don't want to talk about persecution. It's more than a little scary. I don't even want to think about it most of the time. But it is a reality for so many. How many people give up that fear in return for beautiful opportunity from God?
     This week in ESL class I learned a lot about opportunity. Sometimes God quietly speaks to your spirit and sometimes He sends flashing red lights. I like when he does both. :)
      The ESL class was not something I was prepared for when we came to Haiti, nor was I overly excited about it. I like to teach, but I sincerely doubted English was what God called me to teach in my months in Haiti. My motto, however, is "the Haitians know what the Haitians need."So, when asked to do ESL, I smiled and said, "Sure, I did that one time. I think I can handle that." According to the many teens in my class, English skills greatly increase their chance for employment, so they are eager students.
       But we are talking about opportunity.
       I prepare my lesson with different ideas from online and what I know from teaching otherwise. I pray and ask God to make it work. That's literally my prayer,
                                                                      "Make it work, Lord. Just make it work."
       How little are my expectations of God!
       This Monday we talked about emotions, feelings. I have over 60 students and trying to get them all involved is a challenge, but it was a fun lesson going over some emotions and then asking individuals to act them out- I feel happy. I feel jealous. I feel curious. I feel angry. I feel sad. I feel loved. Some are easier to understand than others.
        I asked if anyone had any questions. One student wanted me to explain the difference between like and love, an interesting question because in Creole renmen is the verb for both like and love. This led to fun discussion of friends, boyfriends, and girlfriends, getting married.
        And then....opportunity. One students asked me the difference between to love and to believe. I talked about your mind and your heart, truth and lies. I wrote on the board - "I believe in God because he forgives me. I believe in God because he gave me the Bible. I believe in God because he loves me."
The last half hour of the class was taken up by students sharing their spontaneous sentences...."I believe in God because he hears my prayers. I believe in God because he sent Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. I believe in God because he created everything." It was a beautiful testimony and my heart left class so full.
       I came home, sat down and asked God,
                                    "Lord, don't just make it work. Make it yours."
       And what God does is always beyond anything we could ask or imagine.

I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they shall make gardens and eat their fruit.                Amos 9:14

     Planting...

     I met with a team of individuals to begin phase one of the community garden project. Community gardening is not a unique idea, but land in Haiti is difficult to come by, or pricey at best. Someone from the church here is generously willing to let us use some clear land to begin our modest garden for the Lutheran village that was built behind the guesthouse. This is one of 3 Lutheran villages built by LCMS churches through the Building Homes and Hope in Haiti campaign. These homes are beautiful and a blessing to those who dwell in them. They are well cared for and many of the people who live in them have flowers blooming and trees planted. They are clearly not just houses, they are homes. Nathan proudly showed me his papaya and mango trees (one each) and a small chicken coop he built on the side of his house. These houses were built to relieve the burden of at least a few, who had no home after the earthquake.
     Now we move on. Past relief, to restoration. Many of us reading this, and many of those working tirelessly in Haiti plead to the Lord to restore her and restore her people. To bring them out of poverty and onto a time of thriving, not just surviving. 
    So, a garden seemed a good way to begin. A garden was not only the place where God first met with man, but He also rose and restored man from a garden tomb, bright and early one Easter morning. Food is a basic need that many fight for in Haiti. People from the villages will be able to work together to cultivate the land, plant the produce, and reap the harvest. This harvest can fill their plates and bellies, or they can bring something to market to provide for another need. 
   The plan is to work in phases...
      Phase One - Sign up interested individuals from the village, we have 10 of 20 right now.
      Phase Two - begin to cultivate the land, build a small fence, and plant our first crops - tomatoes, eggplant, and spinach. According to Roosevelt (our resident expert) they will grow quickly, in about 3 months, so that individuals can reap the bounty. Then we can choose to add longer term crops and replant the initial ones again. We will be here long enough to begin the process and see it through, but it is sustainable to continue without our direction.
      Phase Three - Pastor Marky had the idea that we can take this same project to Bodwen. Bodwen has another of the Lutheran villages, but it is an area of serious poverty. Pastor Marky would like to begin a community store there, but the garden would be a good way to begin a community participation project. Currently they have a feeding program for 100 of the poorest children. You can see pictures below. It is one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever witnessed in my life. Children desperate to eat, many with torn clothing, some with disabilities. Some of them hide food in their bag to bring it to their parents. The work of the feeding program is much needed and why we want to add something concrete and sustainable for this community.
      I love the community garden project because it reminds me of home. Gardens and the land are close to the heart of so many of those we love back home. Gardens and farming to those I love are about relationship. It's about caring for the land that God has entrusted us with, to produce what he has provided. It's working together to plant, care for, and harvest. I'm looking forward to being part of this process in a tiny way, with the people here in Haiti.
       We do need to purchase some tools for the garden, and some seedlings to begin. If you'd like to help contribute to this project you can do so via St. Luke Lutheran Church (Wauseon, Ohio) Haiti Fund @ 1588 SR 108, Wauseon, OH 43567...or the Lutheran Church Charities Goehmanns in Haiti Fund below. You can specify the community garden project. Otherwise, please pray that our relationships, as well as our garden will be fruitful and pleasing to the Lord.

Click here to donate to the Goehmann in Haiti fund

The following are pictures from the feeding program at Beourin...

Harvesting... (thoughts from Dave)

The means of grace worked through and for me to bring a harvest so soon.  The first Sunday, before I was even here a week, I was able to distribute the Lord's Supper.  I gave the blood/wine specifically.  I scrambled to remember what words I could say in Creole.  "Jezi, pou ou"  was all that I could muster since I didn't know the word for blood or shed or drink.  In English I said the simple words translated, "Jesus, for you." Everyone stood in two enormous lines that stretched the entire length of the church building.  Some even stood out the door.   I gave them the very blood of Christ shed for them to strengthen and preserve them in the true faith for life everlasting that day.

I communed also. I needed it, as I would prepare for the next Sunday of preaching and more.  So the preparation was made and the sermon delivered.  God always provides the words to speak even when your roasting in the heat and can hardly think, since every day is a shock.  Then, in the worship service to my surprise a young girl came forward.  Pastor Marky prayed for her and then it happened.  She was brought to the baptismal font.  I knew what would happen next as Pastor Marky lifted up her chin to look her in the face and tell her God loved her and she was his child.

It was not my doing as if she came up after such a great sermon.  Many seeds were planted in her heart before.  But I did have the privilege of giving God's word and telling her God loved her in the sermon on that special baptism day.  The means of grace were there.  God was there.  The harvest was reaped.  What more could I ask for?         

                                                                                            

He is great, and mighty, and awesome...

Because the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. Love the sojourner, therefore, for you yourselves were sojourners in the land of Egypt.                                   Deuteronomy 10:17-19


Jonah asks me every day, "When's lunch? When's dinner? When are we going to eat?" I love answering him now with "Le Magdala ap di." or loosely "When Magdala says!" We are blessed with a wonderful cook, Magdala. She is beautiful and a gift to me. I also love that in Haiti we get to share all of our food. Dave jokes that I never liked leftovers to begin with, but isn't it better to share? I love having something to offer, so often I feel like it comes up short.

Today was our first day at the orphanage of Pastor Joseph. Our friend Jackie emailed and said simply, "Talk to Pastor Joseph. They could use a lot of help." We met Pastor Joseph yesterday and immediately felt the weight of his burden. He embodies James 1:27. When the earthquake hit thousands of children were made orphans in Haiti, adding to the already large number. Pastor Joseph and his wife saw with eyes the Lord has given them and opened their arms wide to children in need of refuge, a home.

These children are desperately in need, but they are very much loved. Pastor Joseph and Omuri (his lovely wife) have 6 children of their own. A topic of conversation that we bonded over, because even in Haiti it's not that common to have many children. People look at us all the time and say, "Kat!", which means "4!" Yep, 4. Their one month old baby Phoebe is about as precious as it gets!

What can we offer Pastor Joseph? I don't know. God will show us in time. So for now, we offer what we know. I asked Pastor Joseph, "Can we come play, once a week maybe? Maybe we can do more, but playing sounds like a good way to start." If I can only share a milligram of his burden, I will gladly take it. If anyone reading would like to help in even a small way, please let me know. Sometimes the children eat 3 meals a day, sometimes 2, but sometimes just once. Their electricity was cut off. This should not be. God showed me this verse today because he knows that I need to know in the deep reaches of my heart that God executes justice for the fatherless. He is not partial. He loves those precious children and is preparing hearts to help.

Manu, our faithful friend and manager of the guesthouse where we stay (and language coach extraordinaire!) asked me the other night while showing me the fruit trees,
          "How long will you be in Haiti?"    
           I answered him, "It's about 8 months."
          "Ah," He said, "you will know my Haiti, like I know my Haiti."
This was so dear to me. I have been shown great love in a very short time in Haiti. It is my turn to be the sojourner, to be the alien in a strange land. But I am not alone. None of us are. We are all simply sojourning our way through this life to the next, finding our way to the place God has prepared for us in advance. May we be the hands and feet that go and touch a world that hurts, with a Love that heals.

On the fun side of things...
Peterson taught Jonah how to eat fresh fish on the Caribbean Sea. We all enjoyed the salty, refreshing water. Zeke is particularly fond of plantain.

Dave brushes up on some survival skills lighting the stove to cook. Again, thank goodness for Magdala.

We might start just calling Jyeva "fi" since the Haitians are always asking to make sure she's a girl. I told her that maybe her wisest idea was not the haircut. However, Jyeva was also excited to find out that Haitians love Converse. It instantly bonded her to them.