My husband, My Hero...! Happy Birthday, Ted.

It’s amazing to think that the best day of my life happened 15 months & 1 day before I even took my first breath. The faceless woman who labored to bring my husband into this world 50 years ago today didn’t have him in her plan, but his Father in heaven sure did!!! And the world is a better place for His gift...

THEODORE:

From the Greek name Θεοδωρος (Theodoros), which meant "gift of God".

I take him for granted way too often, but today I am just missing him terribly and sharing this tribute.

he·ro

 noun \ˈhir-(ˌ)ō\

: a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities

: a person who is greatly admired

: the chief male character in a story, play, movie, etc.

                                                     Merriam-Webster

Hero

A hero or heroine refers to characters who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self-sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good of all humanity. Wikipedia

By all definitions, you see, my sentiments are absolutely TRUE.

In the aftermath of the recession & a forced career shift, he chose not to seek his own wealth and happiness, but the path of helping others who were in greater need than he had ever imagined.

He has worked tirelessly on behalf of at-risk children and families for over 3 years now in Haiti and his shoulder is at the plow still as he follows the path his Father has laid out for him, abroad. It isn’t easy, but it IS making a difference.

He wouldn’t see it this way, but the sacrifices that he makes every day are astounding.

At this very moment he is making several:

-          He is working 40-60 hours a week under the Haitian sun overseeing countless projects that are slowly changing the landscape of poverty, everything from fish hatcheries, to schools, a special needs orphanage, medication distribution and more are under his eye at the moment.

-          He is caring for a sweet & spunky 6 year old, who adores her papa.

-          He remains in Haiti, while I am away tending our big kids' needs.

-          He’s dealing with an extended separation with the needs of many others in mind, but primarily for the sake of processing the adoption of his youngest child.

-          He is providing the physical & emotional support, for me to start midwifery school in a few weeks. All the while, with the future of Haitian nurses, midwives, and the precious LIVES of mothers & their babies in mind.

-          He drives to school, grocery shops, pumps water to flow through our house, keeps electricity running, attends parent/teacher conferences, medical appointments, and even does LAUNDRY…

I know for a fact, there are things he does, that I never know about, to help make our lives possible there and to promote the well-being of others.

I LOVE and admire this man!!!!

It feels so miniscule to only be able to offer this tribute on such a MONUMENTAL day…and from afar.

Please join me today in THANKING GOD, in CELEBRATION and by offering words of joy & encouragement to MY HERO…my husband.

HAPPY 50^th BIRTHDAY, Ted Barlow!!!!

I LOVE YOU and am so BLESSED by you…

I hope and pray to share the second "half of a century" more walking the journey and adventures of this world with you!

random June news...

Tynan & I (Rebecca) finally received physical DIPLOPMA's signifying our graduations from LeTourneau University in May and bringing an end to our studies for a while...well at least mine! We even took a few courses together, such as CS Lewis, the man & his works and Non-verbal communication. FUN times!

Tynan received his Associate in Interdisciplinary Studies degree.

Mine is a Bachelor of Human Services.

It's always nice to have a little hard work pay off with tangible results...!

Father's Day was generally a quiet one here, since Haitian Father's Day isn't until the end of the month and most Haitians tell us they don't really ccelebrate it much here...poor dad's.

Ted did enjoy a promised gift of more planters for his ever expanding patio garden, and dined al fresco with two of his kiddos over a home cooked dinner of lemon noodles, Haitian fried chicken, veggies & and a 7 layer oatmeal, coconut, chocolate chip dessert!

This month Emma also started the final leg of her high school education, including a Senior Practicum that she is very excited about! She is going to be slowly taking over full household management over the next three months. Not only is she getting credit, enjoying the challenge, and learning a LOT, but it has been a ministry that helps lighten the load for the rest of us as we focus on our new tasks.

Look at her latest creations:

YUM!!!!! Nice "working" breakfast for Ted & I this morning...

as if creating goodies to nourish us isn't enough...she designed this for her online art course as well:

Last Friday Tynan & I rolled out a new event at the Apparent Project boutique, cafe & book nook with the first ever STORYTIME! It was a great turn out, allowed moms to enjoy the cafe and a browse of the artisan's work, while the kids were absorbed by several "animal" stories. This week it will be Dr. Seuss!

 If you're in Port Au Prince on a Friday morning this summer drop by the Apparent Project and join us at 10 am...with (or even without) your kids!  @ Rue Cassagnol Prolongee #16, Delmas 75  

Last news worthy event up to date was a very special birthday party for one of our favorite people...

Little Miss Phoebe Kate turned FOUR!

Phoebe & her mommy, our dear friend Jessica Williamson, lived with us for most of last year before moving up the hill to Thomassin. We still miss having a little one in the house, but they are like family now, so it was an honor to enjoy another birthday with our little unofficial "niece". Looking forward to many many more!

So....that's a random summer news from Haiti wrap!

Farm Hike

While I (Rebecca) sat at home on kitten midwife duty, Ted took Tynan, Emma & our good friend Joel Elam up into the hills for a hike. Here is a minute of their day, which was much more exciting than mine!

Farm Hike from Ted Barlow on Vimeo.

RR - paint & more paint...

Today our reno reality was quite nice! Our fixer errands took us up the hill into Petionville to an actual Sherwin Williams store. Here we get to pick more color options than they have at MSC, it's great paint & we enjoyed a few minutes of air conditioning. The Haiti twist...it is impossible to get paint here the same day. So we put our order in & will have to drive back up again tomorrow to pick it up.

It's been worth it, we threw in a quick stop at Maison Handel to look at a bed for Emma, picked up a couple more padlocks to replace the ones we had to cut off, bought a really nice bushel of "fig" (bananas) on the street and stopped to grab a few groceries on our way back home.

60 sec 1.10 from Ted Barlow on Vimeo.

60 seconds 1.3

Ted took the camera today...

60sec.3 from Ted Barlow on Vimeo.