Graduation

Here are some pictures from graduation and the awards ceremony we had today.

Dressed to impress

1st and 2nd grade

Kindergarten

A quick thank you

As I'm sitting in my house at 10:00 at night I all of a sudden get really lonely and start for the first time REALLY missing Matt. I wanted to talk to him, but I'm out of minutes on my phone. A few minutes after I started feeling like this my ceiling fan kicks on which means I have power. With power comes the internet which means a quick chat with my husband, whom I really want to hug right now! 
Thank you Lord for kicking on my power right when I needed it.

Jesus

As I sit in this home that is not mine, but I have called home and "my house" for the past 17 days I can't help but dream about this becoming my home. It has rained poured almost everyday that I have been here, and nothing is more relaxing than sitting in a house without a TV, reading a good book, and listening to the rain through my always open windows. The only thing that would make it even more perfect would be Matt sitting next to me. I think a lot about the time that he will get to come here with me, I know it will be soon. My prayer is that he will fall in love with this place and it's people as much as I have. I don't know why this place has stolen my heart the way it has, but I will never be the same after setting food in this broken and beautiful place. This place has beauty and it has pain, just like every other place in the world. After being here so three weeks, I have felt 100% at home. I have not gotten homesick once, and I don't want to come home. There are people I want to see at home, but that is it. I pray for the moment I can be back here, and I even hope it will be longer than 3 weeks, and I hope Matt is with me. But, as we all know, it is not my choice. God may never intend on bringing me back here, and if that is His plan I need to trust it and obey, no matter how heart breaking. But, on the other hand he may have a place for Matt and I here in the future. No matter how much we want to know, the future is unknown, and being in such a laid back place (unlike America) it is true that the plans I have made for tomorrow could easily be changed, for several different reasons. We have to plan our days around when we will have power or internet, and many different factors. Nothing is guaranteed here, and as a very scheduled and structured person it is something that I have learned to live with and kind of like. Life here is different and no always easy, but the lives you get to see changed (including your own) is so worth it. The joy that is in Haiti, despite the conditions of the roads or the lack of personal belongings, they have something deeper. Something that as Americas we over look every day, because we are distracted by TV, IPhones, video games, work, school, or whatever vices you may have. You want to know what that something is?.....Jesus. They have Jesus 100%, because trusting in Him to provide and protect are the only guarantees at all of tomorrow. The sickness, and hunger, and poverty, and pain, and everything else they deal with on a normal basis cannot compare to the power of Jesus! And they know that, because they have seen it! How? Because when they have no money for doctors or food or shelter that have one thing...Jesus! And he comes through! But even if he doesn't heal or send food and it is their time to go, they go....HAPPY! Why? Because they know where they are going, and it is far better than anywhere! I think of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego, when they refused to bow down to the king they knew that one of two things would happen...one....God would save them OR two.....he wouldn't. But, it didn't matter because either way God would have the glory. He would either save them and He would be seen or he wouldn't and He would still be seen. Jesus is the way, the only way and if we would put down our vices for 10 minutes He would show us His way to the truth and the light.

Jezi se wout la (Jesus is the way)

Pictures

Today was sports day

Kindergarten

1st & 2nd

Look at the difference between Jake's face and Alanna's

Paaaartttayy

Today we partied! It was Party with the Principal day, which meant the students who have been well behaved all year were able to attend. We had hillbilly golf, water dodge ball, water balloons, popsicles, sidewalk chalk, twister, and much more. It was a great day. I thought the lesson of Daniel in the lions' den Kindergarten this morning, sang our usual songs, did the calendar, and colored a picture. Mrs. Djulie then took over and Angie and I got prepared for the party (it started at one.)  That was my morning. For the party we put them into groups of 8. We had seven stations and they got ten minutes at each station. They had a great time and it was a great day for water fun, it was HOT!!!!

Li Bib ou a, lapriyè chak jou (read your Bible, pray everyday)

Twin day

Triplets

Twins

Playground fun

More triplets

Ninjas

Kindergarten-2nd grade

Water balloon toss

Jake running while dancing

More balloons

I feel like writing

My blogs so far have been really short and I apologize for that. So this one will be much longer and depending on the internet hopefully with a few pictures. At this very moment I am talking to Matt on Skype and I could not be happier! Being away from your husband this long in painful. Not as bad as I had prepared myself for, which is awesome. I'm so busy during the day i do not even really think about it and I'm so tired at night I just fall asleep. Now that I have internet at my house we chat on Facebook and get to Skype so that helps. Today I also got to see and talk to my best friend, Arica for a few minutes. I'm so thankful for the internet!

Last night my internet was down so I did not get to tell you about the beach. The team from Olney has made it! They got here and we went straight to the beach, I cannot imagine how tired they must be from a day of travel AND a day at the beach. We went to Dhaloo beach. We drove about an hour up a mountain, down a mountain, curving around the mountain with nothing between you and the edge of the mountain that leads straight into the ocean. It was a very hot day! We made it, climbed in boat taxis and headed to the beach. Brianna, Jake, and I were the first ones in the water. It was so clear and cool. We swam a ways out to a really neat looking rock, they wanted to find some coral. we swam around a bit then went closer to shore just to enjoy the Lord's creation. After wading for awhile I got out to just sit in the shade and relax. I got to know some of the members of the Olney team. One gave me a lecture on how I needed to go back to school and finish my teaching degree (she is a first grade teacher.) I know she is right and it is something I have been praying and thinking about since the last time I was here. We just enjoyed the weather, the beauty, the company, and the Lord's perfection of the ocean. We were there all day and it was great to relax after being so swamped for the past two weeks. After we left we headed home and had pumpkin soup at the holiday house. 

Jake had soccer club before we went to the beach

Soccer club

 

Our Drive

Boat Taxi

Today we went to a church that was literally made out of sticks and sheets. It was in a community not to far from the compound but it took awhile to get there. They members of the church were so happy to see us. They welcomed with open arms (after the found more chairs for us.) Today is Haitian Mother's Day (I though it was last week, I was wrong) so the sermon was on family. After church we took pictures of the whole church (of course I forgot my camera) but some of the Olney team said I would put the pictures they took on my lap top. One of the team members had a Polaroid (yes, they still make them) so it was really awesome to be able to take pictures and give them to the pastor. Three teenagers at the church has just been baptized so it we got to take their picture and give them a copy. I'm so mad at myself for not having my camera. Every time I go to church in Haiti I always think about how we complain about sitting in an air conditioned building in padded pews for about an hour and a half and in Haiti they may sit in a building with no air and maybe no lights in small little wooden benches for hours and hours, and worship fully and completely. Some people sit in tents made of sticks and sheets and sing their hearts out. They are just thankful for the opportunity to just be able to worship. The other day, the church on the compound was going strong for hours, I fell asleep before they ended. We have it so good and never think twice about it.

The more and more I am here the longer I want to stay. The more God shows me here, the more I want to know Him. The more time I spend with Haitians the more I wish I could speak their language. The longer I'm here the more the Bundys amaze me. The longer I am here the more I want to do for those around me.

Tomorrow is twin day at school so Angie, Kristina, and I are going to be triplets. Tuesday is Party with the Principal, Wednesday is field day, no school on Thursday, and Friday is out ceremony and graduation.

Happy birthday Maria! I love you!

I'm glad my grandma is feeling better!

These were from the other day when the girls and I picked flowers