Enjoying a cool day!

It's rainy today and it's a lot cooler than normal!  It rained all day yesterday and I LOVE it when it rains here... seems to slow things down and it gets quieter.  It's very peaceful today.  Plus it gives us water for bathing and cleaning!  We've got buckets sitting out everywhere to collect rain water as it's been weeks since the water in the community has been turned on with any pressure.  We got a tank installed on the roof so that we will have water for the bathrooms but the water has only trickled out of the spout downstairs and hasn't had any pressure so we can channel it upstairs.  So... we will fill buckets until we can use the tank!  Thank you, God, for the rain!!! :)

John had to make an emergency trip to Cap Haitien today as we are out of everything!  For the first time, I almost got "panicky" yesterday.  We had 3 eggs so I made cornbread and used half for lunch and the other half (which fell off the counter and into the floor) we had for dinner.  Yes... I picked it up, brushed it off and prayed over each piece as I put it back into the container...  don't judge... desperate times call for desperate measures. J  So anyway, we had a can of corn (that was here when we arrived), some grits and the left over cornbread for dinner.  It was actually one of our more enjoyable meals... not necessarily due to the food options but due to all the laughter.  I'm not sure if we all started laughing at the meal we were having or what but we ended up laughing about a wall made of beef jerky.  Oh, the things that sound good when you're hungry!  Ha!  Silliness proves to be a great stress-reducer!  
Anyway, since we are out of eggs, out of bread, out of sugar, etc John and Yehn Yehn talked with a local driver this morning about getting a ride to Cap Haitien for those and other much needed items.  

They loaded up and headed out.  John continues to be our HERO!!!    







Loude goes to the fruit/veggie market for us on her way into town on Mondays but due to the rain she may not get here until the middle of the afternoon.  It has stopped raining now, actually, but the cooler temps are GREEAT!!  

English class started yesterday afternoon at the church.  The class started with 10-12 people and by the end of class there were 35 there.  I am really impressed with John's teaching!  It's going to be good for them AND him I can tell, haha!  He took charge like he has been teaching for years!  We are learning to pick-up and take off wherever God leads, even in some areas we never dreamed would be left up to us. 

After our one-of-a-kind dinner, we had family church last night.  What started as anything but interesting to some children I won't name turned into a couple of hours of sharing, singing and more laughing.  I have really come to enjoy and look forward to the church services here at the local church on Sunday mornings but church time as a family on Sunday nights, we have determined, is a must!  I anticipate lots of great things to come and we rarely get to hear the kids share personal things that God is teaching them any other time since they are always in groups of 10 or 15! We'd like to start some similar small group stuff with the orphans on Saturday nights, too, since everyone seems to be so comfortable with one another.  Join us in praying about kicking this off, please.

We also got a building estimate and a list of materials needed from the local Pastor for the cookhouse that we want to have built so we can get started with the plan to feed "the masses".  We should be able to build it and pay for the labor with about $800.  We want to see this happen ASAP so please be praying with us for those provisions, as well.  

The sweet kiddos that I told you about in a previous post, Friday, have been back several times.  They were here on Saturday asking for things again.  Oh, how I can't wait to be able to help them!!!  It took everything in me not to run down and love on them and take them shoes and other items they were asking for.  They wanted their "foto" taken again so of course, I obliged.  They posed and posed...



...but not until they got leaves!!!!  God love them and their precious infectious smiles! 
  

Radiating even in their lack of necessities!

The boy came back after they left so he could show me the toy he'd made.  He wanted his "foto" again! 

I get excited thinking about seeing God provide more and more here!!!  Thank you so much for all the prayers you lift up on behalf of these and so many others!!!

Oh yeh, and Kylie came home with a baby chick the other day saying that he was lost and was hungry...  

 

 I wonder where she gets it!?!  J

 It was scared to death and the kids tried to feed it. 

And then Manuel wanted his photo with the chick on his head...  (never a dull moment around here!!!)  

I don't think it ever ate anything.  He just kept squeaking.  We talked Kylie into going with Cabila to find his mom and leaving him with her.  She fought for a minute and then agreed and off they went in search of the mom.  



As long as we don't have to witness any killing of the birds, we can stand letting them go back to their moms... J

I have to run but know we are sending love and prayers to all of you today!  

"Think of whatever you are doing as an adventure and watch your life change for better." 

~Wilfred A. Peterson