Blessed...

Matthew 5: 3- 9 (MSG)



³"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

 ⁴"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

 ⁵"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

 ⁶"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.

 ⁷"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.

 ⁸"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

 ⁹"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.

The Apparent Project

Yesterday I visited an orphanage of 15 children whom I estimate to be aged between one and eight years old.  As I watched others interact and play with them I began to reflect (it's not the first time!) on what it would be like growing up in an orphanage.  I began thinking of my Haitian friends who grew up in a similar place.  What was it like for them growing up without parents?

I'm quite good at containing my emotions, but a tear did well up in my eyes as I thought about these children becoming adults. Would they too grow up with scars of rejection?  Would they grow up learning to love and trust others without the fear of losing them? 

According to the founders of the Apparent Project  the majority of orphans in Haiti are not true orphans.  They are children who have been given up by living parents because of extreme poverty.  What a heartbreaking decision for these parents. Can you imagine having no other choice but to give up your child for their survival?

This is why I'm a big fan of the Apparent Project!  I too believe that the best place for a child to grow up is with parents who love them. AP aims to reduce the number of orphans in Haiti by providing employment to parents living in extreme poverty.  Please visit their website and see what they are doing to address the orphan crisis in Haiti.

Here is an excerpt from their mission statement:

Haiti was said to have as many as 500,000 orphans before the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010. The vast majority of these "orphans" were actually not true orphans. They were children given up by living parents because of extreme poverty. A history of corruption and inefficiency in the Haitian governments adoption processes has caused orphanages to be overcrowded and short on funding, also creating emotional, physical, and developmental problems for institutionalized children. 

Most orphanages are focused primarily on childcare, without addressing the roots of child abandonment. Unfortunately, many, many orphanages also take in way too many kids way too easily. While the Apparent Project advocates passionately for the adoption of true orphans we also believe that preventing child abandonment by economically empowering Haitian families is the best way to rescue children. This is why we have created opportunities for impoverished parents to earn an income through our artisan program. We train each parent in a specialized skill, such as jewelry making, bookbinding, sewing, or another craft, building relationships along the way.Through addressing educational needs, homelessness, joblessness,nutritional problems, medical needs, and building emotionally and spiritually enriching relationships, we are trying to bring dignity and wholeness to the whole person, strengthening each to be a support and encouragement to others.

This is why we are called the "Apparent Project". We are trying to help mothers and fathers in poverty be A PARENT to their children.

Still looking for that perfect Christmas gift?  Look no more; visit AP.

Sunday drive in Haiti

Apart from living inside the four walls of home and school, my weekly expeditions on foot are Delmas 75 (the street I live on) and Delmas (the road which leads to the grocery store).  Generally, my daily travel consists of walking 5 metres to school (door-to-door) and a weekly trip to Eagle Supermarket (about 600m walk away).  Please don't hear discontent in my blog, I'm not complaining; rather giving you the background to what was an adventurous day today! 

I am very thankful for my colleagues who have occasionally invited me out to dinner or to the GIANT grocery store.  Jill (my room mate) and I have also been invited to spend weekends outside of Port-au-prince, which has been a refreshing change from the bustling city.  As previous blog entries show, I have had a few opportunities to explore and get out and about.  It's only recently that I considered the thought of being in Haiti for 2 years and having the limited mobility I described in my first paragraph, or worse depending on others to take me around.

It's been almost 4 months since I first arrived in Haiti.  Back then I remember clearly stating that I would NEVER drive in Haiti.  A friend told me to never say never... very true!  Especially if saying "never" is the result of fear.  Over the last week I've been reconsidering that vow I made.  

Asking for help is always a humbling experience for me; I don't like being an inconvenience to others or depending on others.  There have also been times that I've wanted to invite colleagues to come out for dinner; but it hardly seems like a genuine invitation when you then ask them to drive.  Last week I also had to decline an invitation to a social event because I had no way of getting there. It's not that I don't have access to a school car; it's that I never considered it a possibility to drive in Haiti.  I had created an unnecessary limitation on myself.  I came to see that I was the one who was restricting myself... not Haiti.  

If anyone knows me well, they will know that I'm not one to take impulsive risks.  If I'm ever to go outside of my "comfort zone" I think long and hard about it beforehand.  I want to make wise choices.  I don't want to be foolish.

All this to say that today was the first day I drove in Haiti!  I prayed fervently beforehand. Yes, I was nervous and a little afraid if something went wrong.  I had the amazing support of 5 girlfriends in the car and a feeling of victory at the end!  I am a very confident driver in Australia; so what was I afraid of?

1. Driving on the right hand side of the road

2. Driving a huge Toyota 4WD (compared to my small Suzuki Swift)

3. Driving on mostly unpaved roads, filled with potholes, people traffic, market vendors on the street, no road markings, loosely observed road rules... etc

Despite all of these fears my travel companions survived the ride and graciously said that my driving on the right hand side improved over the course of the afternoon.  We had a lovely lunch at Fiore de Latte and even had room in our "dessert stomach" for some ice cream!

Give thanks...

This week I've found many things to be thankful for.  They may seem like the smallest things to others, but they've brought a smile to my face upon thinking about them.  I don't know where the thoughts have come from... I personally think they're a little gift from above in answer to my prayer for more joy!!

My week hasn't been very different from any other week teaching in Haiti; actually it's probably been the busiest week ever with Creole lessons every night from 5 -7pm after a full teaching day, as well as recovering from a head cold.  Yes, I've had to check my attitude a few times this week and keep my feet from falling into the hole of self-pity.

Why is it so much easier to find things to complain about?  A good friend of mine, Skids, says that being thankful is a habit you develop.  I think the same can be said about thinking negatively... it's a habit; one that I'm working hard at changing!

Anyway, back to my praise points....  this week I'm thankful for:

* the opportunity to see the smallest blessings in my day and give God thanks.

* the blue sky and sunshine in Haiti (I can't even remember the last overcast day?)

This thought crossed my mind as I was on playground supervision this week.

* the hot lunch meals that are lovingly prepared by the staff in the kitchen at QCS (it's so good not having to think about taking a cut lunch to school!)

* the short distance it takes to get to work each morning (literally a hop, skip and a jump away!)

* great company in the evenings;  Skids is visiting and she has brought so much interesting conversation to the table each evening.  She will be missed!  :-(

* a great house mate!  Someone to share the everyday stresses of life with and a prayer buddy.

* another "home" to spend NYE!

* a newly painted lounge room (thanks Skids! You get a 2nd mention)

* receiving emails from friends and family back home!

* an opportunity to visit the mountains this weekend.  

Bon weekend tout moun!

(Good weekend everyone!)

 

This is not about what you've done....

This song comes to mind today as a reminder that our past mistakes do not determine who we are...

God continues to remind me here in Haiti, that he wants to restore brokenness. 

 I read this from the Message Bible yesterday:

Colossians 1:19-20

... everything of God finds its proper place in him...

...all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe - people, things, animals and atoms - get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of His death, his blood that poured down from the Cross.

Some of the lyrics from "You are More"

But don't you know who you are, What has been done for you?

Yeah don't you know who you are? 

You are more than the choices that you've made, 

You are more than the sum of your past mistakes, 

You are more than the problems you create, You've been remade. 

'Cause this is not about what you've done, But what's been done for you.

This is not about where you've been, 

But where your brokenness brings you to

This is not about what you feel, But what He felt to forgive you, 

And what He felt to make you new. 

Christmas....

Christmas is fast approaching but there are little, if any, signs of it here!  There are no shopping malls with Christmas Sale signs, there are no decorations in the street, there are no TV advertisements enticing me to buy gifts... I actually prefer not being assaulted with all the marketing hype that precedes Christmas. Besides, Christmas is more than gift giving to me.  

I've been thinking about what to do and where to be for Christmas and New Years.  Most of my colleagues have made plans to return to the States, so I'm guessing it could be pretty lonely here. I've been invited to join them in various locations, which state do I pick? ;-)

Mum and Dad asked if I wanted to come home for Christmas... to their disappointment I declined.  Twenty two flying hours is enough to deter me! Sorry... I do love you guys.  Really, I do.  It's just that the holiday break is short, only 3 weeks long, unlike the Australian summer break of 6 weeks. Hence I'm planning to visit "home" at the end of the school year, June / July, when we get 8 weeks off.  But if anyone would like to visit me here in Haiti, it'd be the perfect time!  I'd have plenty of free accommodation available with most of my colleagues away. ;-)

I'm guessing the flying hours may deter you too?  Not to mention the cost to get here!

So far my Christmas plans are to stay outside of the busy bustling city of Port-au-prince, in a quieter town.  A colleague of mine has offered her beautiful apartment to stay in.  There is a girl's orphanage next door.  I'm looking forward to spending time with the 20 girls and getting to know them more... maybe we could sing along with my guitar, do some baking... 

There is also an American family, who oversee the orphanage, that I can spend Christmas day with.

Now what about New Years' Eve?  Jill my house mate has invited me to join her in Pennsylvania with her family.  I'm still considering whether I want to spend $500 on the flight for a little more than a week away?  It's one possibility...

I do think it'd be good to get away for a little bit; if I don't I know I will default back to "work"!  I find it hard to switch my mind off and relax if I haven't traveled away from where I spend my everyday life... "home".  There are some beautiful destinations in Haiti that I could travel to... but I wouldn't do that alone.

What does everyone else have planned for the holiday break?

You can't give out what you haven't taken in

 ...from this week's church bulletin back home... Barrabool Hills Baptist Church.  Thanks Spike for the reminder of the need to be disciplined; to be "filled" before being "emptied".

"Running is fun, but running is hard, for me anyway. For years, Ps Matt has been telling me about how great it is and how easy it is and how much he enjoys it. What he often fails to mention is that it took about 2 years of painful discipline, making the hard choice to get out and jog morning after morning, to get into a place where it really is pure joy to him. I tried to short cut the system by buying a fancy new pair of shoes... didn't work.

Worship as a lifestyle, much the same as prayer, is something that takes discipline to get into. Don't get me wrong, you were absolutely born to worship our great creator. You were also born to care for people, but you didn't come out of the womb cooking people dinner or intentionally spending time with friends who really needed you. It's something that takes time to learn and grow and get comfortable in. Worship at a basic level is desire; desiring luxury, desiring security, desiring a job or a house or a person. Worshipping God is about us choosing to place our heart's desires upon the God who made us, the God who saves us. This can be pretty contrary to our natural, self-centred desires. Worship takes a bit of effort, just like running. It's supposed to. If you commit yourself and your time to worshipping God regularly you will find it easier, just like running. Building up your desire for God is just like building up a muscle, the more you work it the stronger it gets and the easier and better it is to use.

I have at times been really into running and when I sacrifice time to do it regularly I find it not only easier and less uncomfortable, I find it really life giving too. Just like worship. The old maxim for exercise I was taught is “You only get out what you put in”. I think Ps Matt says it well about our life in Jesus, “You can't give out what you haven't taken in'. Spending quality time with God (worship) is where and how God can pour his eternal life into our hearts. Then we can pour it out into our family, friends, work-places etc. When people see the life and love of God in your life, lives get changed. We'll see His kingdom come."

 - written by Spike Avery

Maybe it's time to... laugh again!

This weekend I had a heavy heart, a sadness... I'm not exactly sure why?  It would be much more honorable to say that I was sad as a result of feeling compassion toward someone else.  I'd like to say that it was not a result of reflecting inwardly about myself, but that wouldn't be true.  Sorry to shock you all!  

As I brought this sadness to God I came across a book in our apartment titled, "Maybe it's time to laugh again" by Charles R. Swindoll.  I truly believe that God has placed this book in my hands.  I'm not sure where it came from and I only noticed it on the bookshelf today.  

Yesterday I went out to dinner with a group of girls and I was (secretly) envious at their ability to laugh and have a good time!  I've always been a serious kind of person, but I'm not usually one who wants to steal joy from others.  They say "misery loves company", which is exactly how I felt.  It can be annoying being around laughter when your heart feels heavy.

Anyway, back to the book.  It's based on the book of Philippians in the Bible.  This letter which Paul wrote is all about "joy".  The joy that Philippians describes goes beyond good feelings and comfortable settings.  It is not a joy based on circumstances and getting what we want.  Paul points to Christ as our source of joy.  I look forward to delving deep into Philippians to discover more of the joy that God has for me...

...in the meantime I'd appreciate your prayers!