"Field Posts"

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Yes, as strongly implied, there is ineffective consumption of your social stream.  Facebook if often a never-ending black whole.  I am convinced that many jumped head first into the online social world, but now must pull back to a responsible level.  There is no end to tweeting and retweeting.  Don’t get me started on Google+.  Today, we find the consumption of our online social activity is more akin to drinking from a fire hydrant than a water fountain (bubbler for you Wisconsin cheese heads).  There is so much helpful, and unhelpful content.  It seems to me to be a good steward of our most precious resource (TIME) given by God, we must be wise in our choice of how to consume this massive flow of information. Facebook, Twitter, Google+ aren’t evil, but they easily can be. Here are my top 5 suggestions for you… Use Google Reader , or some other RSS/ATOM web based aggregator for blogs and other online content.  Most online resources have a feed...

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Frenzied pursuit of stuff with the reality of extreme poverty.  Black Friday vs. Bleak Poverty  The shopping is in my face online, the extreme poverty is in view from my back yard.  I can’t quite figure it out.  I don’t want to simply throw America (other nations for sure too) under the bus, but it just doesn’t seem right. My only prayer is that you/I will seek God’s direction to live biblically in your/my context. Pursue him and his values.  How does he want you/me to live?  Are we being good stewards of our blessings/resources? Rob

Our thatched-roof gazebo has been in need of a re-thatching for a long time.  Lots of holes.  They usually need to be replaced every two years.  On Monday, a worker came to take the old thatch down.  Tomorrow, he is is redoing it.  Here is what our gazebo looks like right now:                 Well, today Drew and Tessa found where he put all the old thatch.  Right off the side of our cliff, under a huge tree, that has huge vines that the kids like to swing on.  They’ve never swung off the cliff on these vines before, mind you, but put the old thatch roof in a pile right under these vines… well, it didn’t take them long to start cliff jumping and vine swinging. Here is a good picture of the tree and the cliff with a nice bed of straw underneath: Here are some action shots of Tarzan (aka:Drew) and Jane (aka:Tessa) and friends. First, ‘Jane’, who I couldn’t believe was jumping and swinging...

It’s hard for me to believe it’s been 5 years since I lost my Dad.  I’m really missing him today. I’m so thankful he got to know Drew a little.  He even got to spend time with Tessa right after she was born, about 6 weeks before he died.  I am forever grateful to the Lord for giving us that extra time with him.         I miss you so much, Dad! ~Becky

Today, I was “liberating” someone’s iPhone so they could use it here in Haiti.  The process stalled on a screen that said, “please be patient”.  So, what do you think I did?  I googled the “problem” because it was taking too long.  Guess what answer I found?  “There is no fix for this. All you have to do is just wait…” Seriously?  Sometimes, I just frustrate myself. I think God must feel this way with me sometimes. “Patience is the companion to wisdom.” ---St. Augustine “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” ---God Rob

The other day, we sang a song in our daily staff devotions.  It seems to me to be a perfect expression of the Haitian Christian mindset/culture.  The song was “Chemen an pa Fasil” – “The Road is not Easy”.  In fact, there is a distinct acceptance and resignation to this reality. Haitians even have a saying for operating in this context, “degaje” (make due with what you have). It’s a necessary reality. In a much different way, this song is also a great explanation of my maturing mindset (I have a LONG way to go).  We are living in a context where everything is constantly in a state of disrepair, with not much expertise to fix it.  Every day our internet comes and goes, and no one can explain why, and no one can fix it.  Our plumbing leaks, electrical systems seam possessed, appliances are always acting up, people are constantly in need, vehicles are always broken down, equipment is constantly spent, etc etc etc.  I feel like a say every day, there is j...

Tessa started her second (and final) year at Kindergarten Lumiere last week.  Last year when she started, she knew very little Creole and everything was new.  There were lots and lots and lots and lots of tears that first week.  This year was quite the opposite!  She was very excited to go and see her friends again!  When she got home that first day , she told me all the girls are her friends. :) Here are a few pics of her first day:     They usually start each day with an assembly outside in the school’s courtyard by singing the Haitian National Anthem and some other songs.  For some reason they did not do this the first day, so I stuck around again the second day to get some pics.  As soon as we arrived, two girls took Tessa by the hand and led her right to her class to put her bag away then they walked hand in hand all over the playground before assembly started.  It was so sweet to watch!     ...

Recently, I have found myself fascinated by my own cultural acquisition and emancipation.  Whether I realize it or not, I am becoming a different person.  I am under construction. Culture.  I have been watching it.  Loving it. Confused by it.  Angered by it. Influenced by it.  Walking it.  Rejecting it.  Embracing it.  I want to understand. There are parts of the Haitian culture, that differ from American culture, that I love, love, love.  Other parts? Not so much!  There are parts of the American culture that are different from the Haitian culture that I love, love, love.  Other parts?  Not so much! The other day someone said, in jest of course, that I am a Haitian.  Do I dream of the day that I will fully “be a Haitian”?  No.  It will never happen. It just isn’t who I am.  Do I long for and plan to return to my insulated American mindset?  No.  Well ok, some days, but I’m not interested....

Here are a few people I caught on camera out in Chambellan. All the other pics of the trip are here .

I just got back from another week out in the Haitian Outback.  Only 74.9 miles (42.4 miles as the crow flies), but it took us 10 hours to get there, and 7 hours to get home.  Long trip over the mountains, but well worth it! We went out to Chambellan, Haiti ( GPS Waypoint and GPS Trip Track ), in the Grand Anse Department of Haiti with Crossroads Bible Church .  Crossroads has had this partnership with the Chambellan Baptist Church for the last 21 years through RMI.  Much has been accomplished in those 21 years! This trip was all about coming together to put a roof on the church. Crossroads Bible provided all the funds, and Chambellan Baptist provided most of the sweat! Crossroads thought they were putting a new roof on the old church.  But, the pastor at Chambellan pulled a fast one and built an entire new church just before the team’s arrival.  So, the new roof went on a new church!  It was exciting to see it come to completion.  Both US tea...

August 29th was the start of a new school year and a new school for Drew!  He started first grade at Cite Lumiere Christian School (which offers grades 1-12).  The school is less than a mile away from our house and this (or my four-wheeler) is his mode of transportation: He has been anticipating the start of first grade for a while for many reasons: the biggest being an English-speaking/American-style school.  While he enjoyed things about his Haitian Kindergarten, there were things he didn’t enjoy that much.  He really liked his teacher there, liked learning to write in cursive and learning to read French.  He had an excellent opportunity to learn Creole and he speaks so well!  On the down side, he found it hard to make friends there: he didn’t like that the kids always wanted to drink out of his water bottle and that they were always touching him.  Haitian school is a lot more monotonous; much more about memorization and recitation.  Drew w...