Dear Baby Steve

Born into this earth as the son of a prostitute, you had no home. Mother and son, displaced and alone with only each other. You were born with a disease by no fault of your own. She tried her best to take care of you, I believe. You were so tiny, at three months old just the size of a newborn. It was not easy, that life of yours. Your mama struggled just to feed you while moving from house to house staying with anyone who would open their doors.  I cried the first time I held you because I knew. I knew that your life would never be easy. 

With mere human perspective, I could say you were taken far too soon.  You were not honored by man in your lifetime, and you will be remembered by few. But tonight, I reflect and in my moment of sadness I find comfort because I know:

He had a humble beginning, too, much like you. Born in a stable in a hog trough surrounded by animals.  His entry into this world was meticulously planned by His father.  He did that for you, dear Steve. He came humbly as a baby because of His great love for you.  He knew when you would be born, the number of hairs on your head, and the number of days you would have on this earth. He knew, precious one, that for you to have eternity with Him, He must come and die just as He did.  Here, you were the least of these in the dregs of society. In His kingdom, you are crowned with royalty. Tonight you are in a seat of honor worshiping with the angels singing: holy, holy, holy.  You were loved beyond measure, and loved you will be for eternity.   

Holiday Spirit

At Academie La Saline, we've been getting in the holiday spirit with songs, dances, stories, and crafts.  We are all preparing for December 18th which is our Christmas party!  There has been lots of excitement in the air!

Weekend Getaway

This fall, two of our dear friends and members of our community moved from Gonaives to Cap Haitian.  We were all sad to see them leave and miss them daily.  Thankfully, over Thanksgiving weekend, my friends and I had the opportunity to take a bus to go visit them.  It was refreshing to leave the city and reassuring to see that they are living well in their new location.

Over the weekend we met their new friends and had a Thanksgiving meal together.  We got to hike and visit the Citadelle (a national landmark in Haiti).  

Then, we spent a morning helping them round up and catch all of their newly purchased chickens so that they could be vaccinated.

It was a great weekend with great friends!

Pergolatory

The building that I live in is three stories tall.  The first floor apartment is Mami, my dear sweet 73 year old Haitian neighbor.  The second floor is mine and my roommate's apartment, and the third floor is my friends' apartment.  Although we have two separate apartments, the four of us eat most meals together and basically live together.  

One of the perks of the third floor apartment is that it has access to our neighbors roof.  It has a nice view and a great breeze.  Since they moved in upstairs, we've had a dream to make that roof somewhat of a sanctuary.

We made lots of plans and ideas about what to do and how to do it.  We debated on what the structure we wanted was actually called.  Some people said arbor, some of us said pergola, and others said gazebo.  In the end, one of us got confused and called it a pergolatory....and it stuck.  We assumed it would take most of the year to finish it.  When our dear friend Emory came to visit and heard about our idea, he quickly got to work helping us make it happen.

In a matter of days, what we had drawn on paper appeared on the roof just as we imagined it.  However, it was not completely finished.  We still had to treat the wood for termite and rot protection and cover it with grass mats for shade.  Our project was paused momentarily until we had the funds and time to finish it.

The Lord is good and loves to bless us so much.  Last week, I got a phone call saying that someone had donated money specifically so that we could finish this rooftop project.  We were so surprised and overjoyed to hear this news!  It blew me away that God loves us so much that he put it on someone else's heart to help us with this project. 

Now, we have a beautiful breezy sanctuary to retreat to.  We are looking forward to many times of peacefulness, rest, laughter, and worship under our beautiful "pergolatory".

You are mine.

As someone who isn't a parent yet, I would assume that choosing the name for your child would be both exciting and overwhelming.  Last week, I had the opportunity to do just that.  Not for myself, but for a family that is very close to my heart.

I met this family three years ago when I moved from Port-au-Prince to Gonaives.  Two of their  children were in my class that year and just a few weeks after school started, their youngest son became very sick and passed away.  I've been involved in their lives ever since.

Their son, Ifocoeur was in my class for two years.  He is outgoing, goofy, a natural leader, has a smile that lights up a room, and loves the Lord.

I will never forget last year the many times he shared with me how his heart is broken for his parents.  His father is a bokor (Vodou priest) and Ifocoeur longs for him to leave all that and know Jesus.  Many days we've sat together in tears praying for his parents.

The Lord has continued to bring this family to the forefront of my mind, and I know that He is relentlessly pursuing them.  I can't even begin to tell you all of the ways that God has been speaking and revealing His love for this family.

Prior to the baby being born, I have been visiting the family often and praying for them.  I truly believe the Lord has a huge plan for this family.  When the baby was born, I went in the morning to see the beautiful baby girl.  During the visit, they asked me if I would name her for them.

I was (and still am) shocked and humbled to have been giving such a huge honor and responsibility….to name a baby, to name someone else's daughter, to choose what she will be called for the rest of her life.  The human side of me was stressed and slightly overwhelmed at the pressure of coming up with a name for this precious little girl.  But, I realized that it was the Lord's favor that gave me this opportunity.

After racking my brain for names that would have meaning and significance (and still be able to be pronounced with a Haitian Creole accent) I had come up with zilch, zero, zip, nadda, nothing!  I started praying hoping that He would magically give me a name but all God told me was "She's mine."  And to that I said, "God, "mine" isn't' very pretty sounding and neither is "pa'm" (creole)".  So, I opened my bible and found Isaiah 43:

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze….You are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life…

I sat staring at the words in this chapter thinking how perfect this scripture is for this baby and for her family.  I know that although she is in the middle of a family that is currently devoted to "bagay mistik" (mystic things/practices), the Lord has already called her by name.  He has already said, "She's mine."  He has a plan for her life and she is in His hands.

So, with excitement and joy in my heart (and nervousness) I went to their house to tell the family  that the Lord says to her, "You are mine" and so her name is Aremine (pronounced 'ah-meen).  Words cannot describe how thankful, blessed, and humbled I am to have this opportunity to be a part of the lives of this family and to have been given the authority to say that this child is the Lord's.