Sharing Haiti...

This past weekend was busy with both work & play.

Friday night one of our ministry team families, Denise & Jerry Fudge and their youngest daughter, Audrey from Rockwall, TX came down to visit. While they were worried about coming at an inopportune time, with our recent upheaval of ministry plans, we felt like it was perfect & just what we needed right now. Their visit was an encouragement and reminder of the fact that while it may feel like it, once in a while, we are not here ALONE! God has put together a team that are walking this journey beside us from many parts of the US... & the world! The past 3 days we got to literally have them walk beside us here in Haiti & it was a refreshing change. It also helped in very tangible ways...they brought some portable closets & a shoe rack that were in great need, in this new house, helped put them together, delivered a few other necessities & treats, talked with and helped us continue to process our future plans, affirmed their commitment to our family & ministry, laughed, played games, ate, saw sights with us... I really can’t tell you how much their 3 day visit meant in the middle of our recent stress.

It was great sharing some of our favorite places & a beach sunset with these friends!

Saturday, I (Rebecca) was also invited to a maternity care/birthing center development forum hosted at the hotel Montana by Midwives for Haiti. It was a very interesting group of people working across Haiti from Jacmel to Cap Haitian to the island of La Gonave. Some came to share their experiences & others came to ask questions & absorb ideas. It was personally enriching to be surrounded by a room full of people carrying the same mission at heart..to see Haitian moms & babies to have safe deliveries! While it goes even one step further in the deepest place of my desire & calling...preventing more orphans, it was great to know that I’m not alone either. It was also a new experience to have so many in the same arena sharing resources, advice, encouragement & collaboration. This isn’t very common here in Haiti though it's much needed. It’s so much more effective to work together toward our shared vision!

The coming days & weeks will continue to show us where and what God has in store next, but it was crucial to see His hand at work in more than one way this weekend as we shared our calling, our life here & our vision with a few who are in it with us in very different ways!

Wahoo Bay

at the end of the day...!

60 sec 1.17 from Ted Barlow on Vimeo.

Fall? Autumn? Thanksgiving? Holiday Season?

November in Haiti...looks like this:

11/12/12 - Fellowship with friends visiting from NH & Sue Spinney

Quite deceiving, isn't it???

While it is our second round of holidays here in Haiti, we've yet to get our heads wrapped around it, and not sure if that will ever change. There are no leaves turning colors, falling off, raking, bright orange pumpkins, or apple pie smells. We don't have any family flying in for a feast, and aren't being bombarded by the steady stream of ads or wafting music signaling the countdown to Christmas either.

We're learning to interpret a new set of signals that the holidays are approaching here, & most of them are subtle:

Rather than changing leaves, we have changing weather, the temp has dropped at least 10 degrees at night now, so cold morning showers start to make you screech. Thus, heating water on the stove for bucket baths is on the rise. Hot tea seems like an appealing notion now too. Never mind that we bought watermelon on the way up the coast this week, note that rather than large orange pumpkins, the roadside stands seem to be overflowing with orange oranges...in fact all types of citrus (orange yellow & green) seem to be the fall harvest!

Our second annual Staff Appreciation/Thanksgiving celebration tradition is in order next weekend, which should get help get us in a grateful holiday spirit too.

With Christmas lights starting to pop up here & there at a few shops around Port Au Prince, it should be more obvious, but when in doubt about the season these ideas may help us with a festive mood:

Drop by DeliMart - they are always up on their holiday displays, complete with snoring black Santa on a folding chair! If still struggling - turn on the Christmas albums, reset laptop background to fireplace, snow scene or other holiday photo. Drink HOT chocolate. Watch video to wax reminiscent of the last Christmas tree that we cut on our property in TX. Shop online for a a few gifts. String up twinkle lights on railings, & decorate a palm tree. Last but not least, it's hard to miss the steady increase in street parties, near the guesthouse and around town. It should be pretty obvious that Christmas is near when DJ Benny's birthday arrives on Rue St Estime, Dec 19th - usually a BIG bash spilling on to Rebecca's birthday in the wee hours. If all else fails, let a Haitian dress you up like Santa and parade you around to cheer up the dark-skinned neighbor kids! (I'm sure that Jn Robert will be happy to oblige)

When NOTHING else works...post recent beach day pictures on blog & FB in hopes of enticing family or friends to come down & spend their holidays with you!!! :)

The signs may be different, but the meaning of the holidays are the same. There is much for us to be thankful for here, much to celebrate about life no matter where we are. God's LOVE is an abundant and undeserved GIFT...meant for everyone!

Free Time!! (day 2 - Wahoo Bay)

What is the single best way to wear out a pack of kids? In my opinion it's SWIMMING!

Not really knowing how to swim much sure didn't slow down this crowd! They splashed around like little fish all day long and then crashed into bed on the way home.

It was a gorgeous day at Wahoo Bay - we were all blessed to be treated to such an adventure by Pastor J and Seth Keyser via Haiti's Hope!!

Wahoo Bay Beach Resort

on the Cote de Arcadins

Mammi Martine posted this video recently of our time together as well:

Click here