tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88865857427216230882024-02-07T15:38:27.502-08:00Ream Team International ● Eric & Elisabeth Ream ● hello@reamteaminternational.orgReam Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-25282574875349190892015-05-04T22:37:00.001-07:002015-05-04T22:52:58.644-07:00Hospitality House...STAYING and GROWING!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is hard to believe it has been two years since we moved into our Haiti "Hospitality House" by the sea. As I sit here looking back over the <a href="http://reamteaminternational.org/house-4-the-best-saved-for-last/#more-38">post</a> I wrote during our initial move while listening to the hum of our generator, I pause to thank God for answering so many prayers. God clearly provided and has blessed us with many relationships among our Haitian neighbors, a place to show hospitality to strangers and friends passing through, as well as an abundance of material provisions we once lived without (furnishings, appliances, vehicle, generator) since we have been here. This home has held 82 consecutive days of guests (both old and new friends, expected and unexpected travelers) during the summer of 2013, has been home to a Haitian mom (Genise) and her little girl (Evangeline), a home away from home for Miguel who has lived and worked with us this past year, for my brother Jonathan who has been with us the past month as well as Haitian nurse (Juliane) finishing up her clinicals at the hospital in St. Marc for the next six months. There are eleven people sleeping under this roof tonight as I write this. I am in awe of the different ways God brings people together just thinking about the people in my house. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The go to work/school bunch</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This week He has been at it again. My brother leaves on Friday. Before his hand washed sheets will have a chance to sun dry we expect his room to be filled with a family of five...maybe even six. Long story. I'll just say for now that by next weekend there will be fifteen or sixteen people sharing this home. An acquaintance who overheard this announcement at church yesterday asked me after, "How big is your house?" Then added, "Not big enough huh?" We love to share. But we don't </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">always</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"> love to share. Sharing space with this many people is easier said than done. I'm especially thinking of the shared toilets that don't flush. We have had a doozy of a time trying to get running water in this house for the past two years. We got all excited last week thinking we had it fixed. We enjoyed our rations of running water for a total of four days. I think we had running water approximately four days the first year we were here. That's approximately eight days out of the past seven hundred and thirty five. This may have something to do with talk around the dinner table mostly revolving around whatever has been going on in the bathroom. The walls are thin, the smells are large, the people are sweaty. If it's not at least one of us causing a raucous it's the naked neighbors or the pigs, goats, dogs, donkeys, chickens, and host of crawly things that make for interesting days around this place. Miguel has had a whole new level of inappropriate added to his missionary resume. I remember after he had been with us for a few months asking him if his family talked about such things at the dinner table. He flushed and said, "Um. No. Not. Um. Ever." Perhaps we should try harder to not be so inappropriate most of the time. But I'm thinking that's probably not going to happen any time soon. I guess this is my version of a warning to our new housemates and future guests. We love to share but sometimes we share too much. We love to be ready to help but need a lot of help ourselves. We are almost always eager to practice hospitality except for the days when we aren't so eager because we cannot remember the last time we had an ounce of privacy and are selfish sinful creatures all practicing sanctification in tight quarters. We are thankful that God is merciful in all our lack of appropriateness and pray that He continues to use us and this house despite our many shortcomings to be a blessing to others. We greatly appreciate your prayers for all these things!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I took this picture at our rest stop/attempt at a cheap fast lunch after church on Sunday. All but maybe one of the bodies in this picture are currently or soon living at our house. I'm sure the other one will be around a lot to visit. Oh yeah plus myself, Eric and two others not in this pic. I just stood there in awe imagining...just a tad overwhelmed.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some of you may remember hearing about our nightmare journey trying to negotiate a contract for our yearly rent last year. We just finished that long drawn out weary process a few months ago and were not so eager to have to do it all over again. Thankfully negotiations this time around have gone smoothly so far. The landlord delivered the agreed upon contract this afternoon. We have considered looking for a different house many times over the past year because of several negatives but for many positive reasons we feel that we should stay. So we are staying. Staying feels good. As I think about staying in this house for a third year it dawns on me that three years is the longest I have ever lived in any house in any place I have ever lived in the sum of my thirty seven years. This means that I will have spent as much time here as I have anywhere else in my lifetime. I guess that means that this is just as much my home as anywhere else. Staying feels right. I'm thankful God had opened the doors for us to stay and excited about the new relationships already being built in and around our home this third year here. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">We always struggle to pay the yearly rent which is due in one large lump sum. This is due right now. The landlord is scheduled to come fix a water problem that the neighbors are complaining about (separate from the running water problem) on Wednesday. The owner is scheduled to arrive this Thursday from Miami. I'm sure we will be asked to hand one of them a $7,000 check before weeks end. We have saved barely enough to cover it but will have very little left to get us through the rest of this month. We regularly pray for new monthly supporters to come alongside us so that we can meet our budget goals. We also very much appreciate our dear friends who make other types of contributions to help meet our needs which keep us afloat and keep reminding us that God will always provide. We have some other needs to get things fixed on the house to make it less burdensome (and hopefully less inappropriate) for all the people under this roof as well as the expense of feeding our lot and buying gas for generator electricity and cooking. We ordered a water truck today to fill the cistern so hopefully that will last through the end of the month. If you are able to give financially and desire to do so we could really use some extra help this month with all the additions and transitions. You can give a tax deductible donation through any of the <a href="http://reamteaminternational.org/donate/" target="_blank">DONATE </a>buttons on this site.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Praying this verse will be true of us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Elisabeth</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Romans 12:13</span></div>
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Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-44547716431911834442015-04-16T19:21:00.001-07:002015-04-16T19:34:06.129-07:00KOFAEL - The Poor Will Be Glad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">People who are treated as helpless come to hold a lesser view of themselves. People who believe they are "blessed to be a blessing" and not in need themselves come to a lesser view of the people they serve. These victim and savior complexes create a co-dependency that perpetuates the problems of poverty and far outweighs any temporary relief such missions provide...Poor people understand that getting help requires appearing helpless, and rich people unwittingly advance the helplessness of those they serve by seeing them as objects of charity, not equals (Greer and Smith 53-4).</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A little while ago Eric came in after climbing the hill behind our house to check on a teenage girl with a life threatening medical condition. I asked him about the girl and after giving me the report he sighed and said, "seven". Seven people stopped him to ask for money, food, and medicine on his short decent home. This makes us so sad. Not just because our neighbors are so poor or because we are so sick of so many "give me's" (view the last post on that subject <a href="http://www.reamteaminternational.org/2015/03/give-me.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>) but because we see the paralyzing effects that come from simply providing handouts which keep the poor in a position of helplessness and rob them of dignity, responsibility, and equality. Because we have seen the difference.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A helpful first step in thinking about working with the poor in any context is to discern whether the situation calls for relief, development, or some combination of the two. Both relief and development can be appropriate interventions, but if we <i>sustain</i> relief efforts instead of transitioning to longer-term development, we hurt the very people we are trying to help. Our desire is to see the church move from well-intentioned blunders to thoughtful compassionate acts of mercy that result in lasting change (56, 58, 60).</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">It was this same shared desire that birthed <a href="http://www.kofael.org/" target="_blank">KOFAEL</a>, the Haitian women's mirco-finance program we have been working to progress alongside Haitian partners and founders Frantz and Julienne Osier. Progress seems to come slowly as we painstakingly and prayerfully discern how to transition from relief to development with many twists and tweaks along the way. Slowly and steadily the program has come a long way since my initiation three and a half years ago. We have learned so much. We have much to learn. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Last summer I discovered and quickly devoured the book <i>The Poor Will Be Glad </i>by Peter Greer and Phil Smith from which I am quoting. This book has been a great encouragement that KOFAEL has been headed in the right direction from its inception, a great resource for how we can continue to grow towards sustainability and a reminder that this program is not the end product, nor a total solution. It is simply an opportunity. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Unlike other forms of aid, microfinance is not an end product. While a bag of rice is the solution for immediate hunger, microfinance is an <i>opportunity, </i>not a total <i>solution</i>. Microfinance is a single step --albeit a very important one --in the process of poverty alleviation. Asserting that the goal of microfinance is poverty <i>alleviation</i> is quite different from asserting that the goal is poverty <i>eradication</i>. Would a 100 percent increase in an income of $1 per day <i>eradicate</i> a family's poverty? Or would even a 500 percent increase? No, but it would <i>alleviate</i> their poverty and make their lives much better. For people earning a dollar a day, a second dollar can make a huge difference -- pocket change to us, but the world to them (110-11).</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I have never received a "give me" request/demand from any of the women in our KOFAEL program since my first meeting in October 2011. This says a lot about the program and the mentality of our Haitian leadership. However, I'm not ignorantly suggesting that if you happened to pass one of the KOFAEL women on the street that you could avoid the "give me". Culturally it is considered stupid to not play that card when given an opportunity. But they know that KOFAEL is not <i>THAT</i> kind of opportunity. They are starting over with a new hand. Success is determined by how well they play their hand but also dependent on the draw dealt to them. Sometimes women who come to us needing immediate relief don't have the experience to play very well. Sometimes they have the experience but their deck falls short of decent cards (for ex: personal or family health crisis, natural disaster, theft, government intervention on where sales can take place, increased travel distance and product pricing). There are several key factors that determine a chance for success. Not playing at all is a certain loss. Through KOFAEL the women are learning how to live beyond the hope of a handout, that the hand they play today affects tomorrow and that tomorrow matters. A paradigm shift has to happen in order for this to actualize because...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"For many in the developing world, everything revolves around </span><i style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">today</i><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. What will I eat today? What will I wear today? Where will I find employment today? Beginning to accumulate savings helps shift an individual's focus from today to tomorrow (85)."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">KOFAEL has been working to educate its members on budgeting and saving in addition to growing their small businesses through their micro loans. Saving money in a place like Haiti is much easier said than done. Having any money to save in the first place is a great challenge. Finding a safe place where the money will still be there tomorrow is an even greater challenge. Imagine that you live in a tent with a dirt floor. Perhaps you could bury your money but that won't work during rainy season. Your sister's baby is sick, your brother broke his arm and can't plough the field, the family is taking up a collection for your aunt's funeral expenses, your church's roof recently blew off in a storm and the pastor is going door to door taking up donations. Societal and family pressures such as these make it nearly impossible for our women to save money for budgeted necessities nor the unforeseen but realistically certain emergency that awaits tomorrow. KOFAEL has recently experienced extreme challenges in this area causing us to take a harder look at how we help the women to handle their savings and give them a better chance of surviving beyond today. We have known for quite some time that we need to make some necessary changes to the program but have been praying about the right time to do so. The difficulty was that we have not yet cycled through all of the members that first started the program under their initial loan contracts. We debated starting different contracts with just the newest members but felt that would be too confusing. However, we have now found it necessary to interrupt the current loans on all members, make changes for the betterment of the whole group, and revise all contracts (just moving on from where each individual stands currently in the program). Only once before in the past three years have we had issues with women not repaying their loans and that was due to a hurricane wiping out their homes containing the merchandise they had just purchased in bulk with their loan money to sell. We were able to continue to help them through that time and they remained in the program. Emergency funds are essential to survival. In the past an emergency fund was more of a suggestion than an enforced requirement due to the way the initial contracts had been set up. The leadership of KOFAEL knew the day was coming that we would need to enforce this but how and when was the question. That day has arrived. The past few months have been discouraging for KOFAEL but in hindsight we are thankful for the lessons learned. Several women who had previously been doing well seemingly abandoned the program and were nowhere to be found. We have finally located or found information on a few of them who have reportedly moved away or have suffered from personal or family illness that caused them to not be able to work. When the money that should have ONLY been used for their business purchases was misused for doctors and medicines they feared coming back to the program empty handed. These challenges are common and somewhat expected but the losses from them are even more challenging to recover. Because KOFAEL is not in the business of giving hand outs and the only way to ensure program success and future sustainability is for everyone to repay their loans on time, it affects everyone negatively when that many people have defaulted on their loans. The women have had to learn this the hard way. Our February meeting was not a fun one. The leadership had to inform the faithful members (those who had faced the same challenges yet continued to communicate, attend monthly meetings, and pay back their loans) that they would not be receiving their next loan installments even though they were due to receive them. We honestly explained the situation that the Port au Prince program has enough money to sustain loans for all members continually ONLY IF ALL MEMBERS PAID BACK THEIR LOANS. When one person doesn't pay the next person doesn't get. That's the way it goes. They are responsible to each other. So we told the women that if they wanted their next installment they needed to install some social pressure and go find the missing women. That's how we found the few that had not moved far away. The women are also supposed to be paying into their savings accounts each month that we keep for them until the end of the program. This is incentive to pay back their final loan as well and protection for the program that they will if we are holding their savings. However, if they have not put in enough savings to make this worthwhile, why not just abandon as several have recently done? We had warned our Haitian directors often about this telling them that this was bound to happen soon if they did not start requiring that the women put more into savings. The challenge goes beyond a few members skipping meetings and not being able to pay back their loans for whatever reason. The root of the problem is poverty. Although we know that poverty will never be eradicated completely in this present world, our goal is to alleviate it as much as possible. Before it seemed that charging interest on the women's loans was an impossibly cruel request. I don't know of any other micro funding organizations that don't charge interest and I understand why. You need to if you are going to be fully self sustaining. However, KOFAEL is not like most other micro funding organizations in that we typically will take the women being turned away by other programs. They are the poorest of the poor and for the majority KOFAEL is their last hope to keep their families together. Our hope is to help them move beyond needing desperate relief toward development so that they can graduate to the next step and possibly be accepted into one of the larger micro funding programs if they so choose. We need to do better to prepare them for the real business world where no bank or loan shark is going to give them a free pass. We are learning through experience that charging interest to both prepare and protect the program is essential. So, after praying, meeting, discussing, praying, and more discussing the leadership has decided upon some major changes that the women have since agreed upon enthusiastically as well. We informed the KOFAEL women of the upcoming changes at the March meeting and asked for their opinions because this is THEIR program. There was much discussion and dramatic debate until everyone understood that the reasons and intentions were positives not punishments. The following are the changes we will begin to implement at the April meeting the end of this month with revised contracts for all KOFAEL members. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">First (small) loan installment: 3% interest charged on each month's payment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">2nd (medium) loan installment: 6% interest charged on each month's payment. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">3rd (large) loan installment: 9% interest charged on each month's payment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">All interest earned will be kept by KOFAEL in a savings account and will go back to each woman when she graduates the program. This system does several things to alleviate the problems our former system enabled. We are still able to give loans at 0% but with a required percentage going into a savings account designed to protect individual participants and the program as a whole. The women see the benefit of this system after being punished because someone else defaulted on their loans. Now if a member defaults, we will be able to roll her interest savings to cover the loss of her loan and protect other members from personal loss. Members who complete the program will have saved an amount equal to the 3rd large loan (previous savings when no interest was charged were only amounting to the first small loan) and will receive this to move forward and continue to build her business upon graduation. If there is a personal or family emergency that would prohibit a member from working and paying back her loan, she should communicate the specifics of the situation with the KOFAEL directors for help. If is it deemed necessary she can also apply to receive some of her accumulated savings upon approval. However, we are not in favor of dispersing savings accounts before a member graduates the program if it can be helped. Our next step is to take measures to help with the dire need of medical care as this is the #1 cause for defaulting on loans. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Medical care is very expensive in Haiti. One trip to the hospital and her entire loan and all profits are gone, plus she has most likely gone into debt. But what else can she do? This issue </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">is of serious concern for all members who know the reality of inevitable sickness all too well. We have already watched members and family members die before they graduate. Over the past year we have been researching and physically checking out every possibility we can find in Haiti to help our women with medical care through a health insurance policy for KOFAEL members. But we are a small organization helping the poorest of the poor and there are not many options willing to help. In fact after a year of searching we have found only one that has agreed to work with our Port au Prince group. It is the <a href="http://www.fomin.org/en-us/Home/News/PressReleases/ArtMID/3819/ArticleID/834/MIF-and-DASH-to-facilitate-pre-paid-health-services-for-low-income-populations-in-Haiti.aspx" target="_blank">DASH (Development Activities and Services for Health) </a></span><a href="http://www.fomin.org/en-us/Home/News/PressReleases/ArtMID/3819/ArticleID/834/MIF-and-DASH-to-facilitate-pre-paid-health-services-for-low-income-populations-in-Haiti.aspx" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;" target="_blank">program</a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">, "a Haitian NGO health provider that will offer a market-based, low-cost, pre-paid health card to serve 100,000 low-income Haitians with limited access to quality basic health care. The health services will be made accessible in the densely populated low-income neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince, where DASH has medical facilities..." We can acquire health services for our KOFAEL members at $10 (US) per woman per month. Insurance that would include their family members will be around triple this amount. Family insurance is highly desirable but at this point we do not see that as a near future possibility due to limited financial resources. Our women are already stretched to the max to be able to pay their loans and with the new interest/savings accounts will be stretched even more. Asking them to pay another $10 per month is more than they can afford. We have 50 women in our program and paying 50 x $10 totaling $500 monthly is definitely not a cost the program can afford. And yet how can we afford not to? So at this time we have proposed that DASH health services can be purchased optionally with members paying 50% at $5 per month rolled into their loan payment for those who choose this. KOFAEL would like to be able to offset the remaining 50% ($5 per month per woman) of the cost to make this much needed option affordably available to the women. We will need help to do this through donations by monthly or one time sponsors. Can you imagine that only $5 per month could help provide health care for a Haitian mom or grandmother to help keep her healthy and able to continue providing for her family? This would be $250 per month we would need to raise for all 50 women. For the time being we are testing the waters in this area to see how the women will benefit from the DASH program and will be asking for contributions of $60 for a yearly sponsorship ($5 x 12 months) for each woman that signs up this month for the optional insurance. Teaching the women about things like insurance has been another way they are learning to think about and prepare for tomorrow. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">KOFAEL is now beginning to train those who have modeled success throughout the program to teach the next group of learners how to do the same. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Here is one of our graduates sharing her experiences with the KOFAEL women at one of our monthly meetings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A wise woman (Eleanor Turbull who has been a missionary in Haiti for 70 years) once shared with me, "Don't learn the Haitian's language so you can talk to the people. Learn their language so you can listen to the people!"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">"How much time is spent diagnosing the causes before imposing solutions? How much time is spent listening to the people we are seeking to serve and developing strong enough relationships so that we can hear their voices? (55)" We pray we have listened well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">In summary here are some specifics we have been praying through over the past year for the KOFAEL program and would love your prayers and support as we move forward. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Precautions: </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Keeping it small for the time being with the Port au Prince program as our main focus before trying to move forward with our second program in Trou du Nord (near Cap Haitian which is a six hour bus ride from Port au Prince). I made a trip with our Haitian director Frantz to Trou du Nord last November to assess the situation and Frantz continues to make trips each month to check on the current waiting women. We feel that until a Haitian director who lives in that area can be trusted and trained specifically for the needs of that group we cannot fully move forward and will just continue to patiently wait and pray for the right timing, financial provision and leadership to progress.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We received discouraging news that none of grants we spent a good deal of time and finances applying for were approved with no reasons given as to why. We had hoped to be able to move forward more quickly with the Trou du Nord program, hiring a few of our top KOFAEL graduate leaders to help run the growing Port au Prince programs, funding our minimal admin costs, at least cover the travel expenses of our volunteer leadership, and helping the women with health insurance costs. Receiving even one of the grants we applied for would have helped the program so very much with all of these things. Our <a href="http://heartofgodinternational.org/" target="_blank">mission organization</a>/501c3 that KOFAEL is under is planning to try again with grant applications now that we have some experience under our belts in this area. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We are trusting the Lord in His timing and that keeping KOFAEL small and successful vs. growing too fast without sustainability is for everyone's good. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Petitions:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Telling women about the lost members and money and not giving more loans out until a solution was agreed upon for how to proceed after these losses was very difficult. We cannot afford to waste limited resources. Each member has something to give and some responsibility to use their resources to serve. What one person does affects another. We are praying these are lessons well learned and continue to praying for protection over the missing members and provision for everyone. Please pray with us as we move forward with the revised loans this month that the process with go smoothly and alleviate some of the past struggles. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Praises:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Out of the sadness of the lost members and lost money came the greatest joy at the end of the day. We were able to share the plan of salvation in Christ alone with a KOFAEL member who accepted her free gift of eternal life. This joyous occasion happened directly after the February Kofael meeting where we broke the bad news to the women. It reminded us of why we are here. We are not the solution. We are here to share about the One who is the solution and look for every opportunity to share Him! What one does with a life changing opportunity like microfinance in Haiti, or the ultimate life changing opportunity to know and follow Jesus is not up to us, but the responsibility of sharing because we know Him and care about them is up to us. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We praise God that some of the missing women were searched out and found and remember how God has done this in our lives as well. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We praise God that there was a unanimous positive response by the women toward the new implementations decided upon for their benefit and program success.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">We praise God for our sweet Canadian friends who care about and recently donated to KOFAEL. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Thank you for reading this long update and praying with us for this ministry! </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">"The poor will see and be glad--<br /> you who seek God, may your hearts live!" <br />Psalm 69:32</span></td></tr>
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Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-49596900472509675702015-03-27T11:50:00.000-07:002015-03-27T11:50:09.852-07:00Give Me<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The first part of this post is written by our friend Maggie and can be found in its original <a href="http://haitiheart.tumblr.com/post/113954321628">HERE</a>.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i>All day, e’ry day</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I am asked for things constantly. Every day. All times of day. All places I travel in my day.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Sometimes it’s just my attention—the never ending chorus of “blan! blan!” as I walk down the roads demand a wave or acknowledgement if I want them to stop—even when I am lucky and they know my name and yell, “Maggie! Maggie! Maaaaaggieeeeee!” there is no ceasing until I walk far enough past them that I can’t hear any longer or give them the attention they want. On other occasions there aren’t even words exchanged, just men who think making kissing noises at me as I pass is an acceptable way to communicate since, you know, I’m white and female.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Sometimes they want my English speaking brain. On a daily basis I am asked to teach people English. For free. And these would-be students are so eager to learn they are completely willing to invite themselves to attend our school (despite the fact that I tell them our school is for children and registration is closed) or invite themselves to my house for a free (always free) lesson. They literally laugh in my face when I ask why they think I should teach them for free or try to tell them of classes I know for adults to learn English (because they know these paid classes exist and they expect that since they happened to cross my path that day they should get free lessons straight from the American-source).</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Sometimes they want my things—if I am carrying anything: backpack, sunglasses, a dirty sack of garbage—I am told, “give me that” or “I want that.” </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Sometimes they want my money. The one English phrase virtually every child knows is “give me one dollar.” They can’t tell you what they want or need when you ask in Creole; they can’t explain why they ask you for money and none of the other adults they passed before me (hint: I’m the only white person). A lot of times, in fairness, they don’t know what they are saying in English, they have just been taught to say this phrase. That doesn’t make it any less frustrating. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Especially when I tell them no and am called selfish or rude. When they laugh at me for speaking Creole to them to admonish them or ask why they are doing it. When they lie after I ask them a question in Creole. When anyone else around who witnesses the exchange joins in laughing at me, a crazy white lady who is too selfish to give kids cash on the street.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>It’s exhausting. It’s upsetting. It’s frustrating and disheartening. But worse of all—it makes it so much harder to love them. The “them” who I pass on the street and the “them” who I work with every day. Now, to be clear, no one at my school, or the beading program or other Haitians I have relationships would ever ask me for money like that or call me names. But they are the ones who bear the brunt of my frustration and hurt. It’s so much harder to love people when by the time I walk into the school gate at 7:30 I feel already emptied dry, frustrated, hurt and on the brink of tears (or actual tears. Poor Maxime never knows what he’s going to get from my roller coaster of emotions).</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>I know this sounds bitter and unkind. I know that the lives of the average person I pass on my walk are harder than my own and exist of far less comfort. I know that even in my salary-less, support-based, missionary lifestyle I have more money than they do. That doesn’t mean I can or should say yes to them. That doesn’t mean they have the right to treat me like I am their entertainment or meal ticket walking down the road. I am here to serve, and I want to do it with hands and eyes wide open, but I have to be mindful of how I spend my few, precious resources (time, energy and financial). A wise friend told me not long after I arrived to stay laser-focused on the purpose God called me here for because it is so easy to get sidetracked out of pity or guilt and attempt to start/fund/help the endless causes that will solicit me.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Waving to some kids who scream “blan!” might sound easy and free. Smiling and walking past kids who ask me for money might sound like the right option. Feigning ignorance when they yell insults in Creole, a language they assume I cannot speak, might be the preferred path, but it’s not the one I am on right now. Because while I know that the thoughts I have in my head and occasionally the words that come out of my mouth aren’t always loving, giving them everything they want and allowing their actions to lack consequences isn’t always loving either. And the truth is, screaming at someone for their attention is rude; asking a stranger for money is rude; calling people names is rude.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>So how do I do it? How do I lovingly and patiently serve? How do I show Christ’s love to them when it feels like I am at my breaking point? The tenth kid to ask me for money or scream “blan!” doesn’t know that nine other kids did the same thing in the span of an hour; he doesn’t deserve a tongue lashing the others didn’t get simply because he is the tenth and I only had patience for nine. How can I teach and model better behaviors so that, ideally, there are less rude screams, requests and insults being slung at me and other white people living here?</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Seriously. Anyone have that answer? I’m all ears…because today, I’m exhausted. And my feelings are hurt. So I need a little help. </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our friend Maggie who wrote this lives about a fifteen minute drive from us. She writes so well about how we feel and what we experience on a daily basis that I've wanted to share for a long time. Lately it seems I am incapable of sharing anything besides adding to the noise around me. My writers block could have something to do with a certain two year old, her busy mother who cannot grasp that working at a computer could ever equate with "work", very loud male neighbors who are all singularly in love with our front door, four children (Oh wait. Sorry. That's three children and one sixteen year old who states she is "WAY older" than child status even though she typically consumes more energy and effort than the other three "children" combined), two dogs, rising heat and the mosquitos that come with it, and a houseful of both expected and unexpected overnight guests. I'm not complaining. I truly treasure spending my days and nights with all of these. But sometimes I need a teeny break and figure a walk around the block or trip to the market will do the trick. But as soon as I step outside...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An older-ish man sees me. I do not know this man and have not seen him in on my street before. He calls me by my name which is always "blan" (love how spell check always tries to change that word to "blah" cause that is exactly how that word makes me feel). This guy I have never seen before points to me and then to his belly and then to his mouth. If I didn't know better I would think he wanted to eat me. I give him the "I don't know you so why are you asking me" look and keep walking. This makes him use his words. Then I use mine to say exactly what I already said with my eyes. I have no way to know if he actually is hungry but even if I performed the miracle of pulling food out of nowhere I would have a mob of other "hungry" witnesses on my hands. He doesn't care about any of that. I do care. I am conflicted about whether I care more about him or the consequences. I know he is suffering the consequences of all those who have come to "bless" this tiny speck on the globe with stuff for nothing, the consequences of immense poverty, of bad manners passed down, of either a lack of dignity or extreme desperation that would make him ask the cream colored lady holding back a snarling dog in one hand and a bottle of mace in the other for ANYTHING. But if I didn't care about him, I wouldn't still be wondering about him a week later. I am thinking about whether he was actually hungry and feeling both guilty and stupid for feeling guilty that I was still standing outside my house (that he didn't know is mine) and therefore could have gone inside and grabbed a banana or something. But why couldn't he just ask the fellow Haitian he just passed selling bananas for a freebie? Why ask me? This is the perpetual question (we already know the answer to but cannot accept) ALL THE TIME. EVERYWHERE. EVERY DAY. I think it is in the caring that much of the frustration comes dear Maggie. I am so frustrated that I couldn't even walk to the end of the street without being accosted and yet even more frustrated that I have no solution to meet either need (my need for an ask-less walk and his reasons for needing to ask).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since I have lived on this tiny speck only a little bit longer than you and feel the same way, I'm certainly probably not qualified to answer your question. I only know what has helped me to hold it together as long as I have thus far--not always well, but I'm still here. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">#1. Jesus. You know I don't mean the cliche Sunday school answer. I mean the Jesus we both know that is the only answer left when you come to a crisis end to yourself, to what you thought you knew to be true of humanity, to an utter incapacity to fathom the lack of justice in this place. When I am at that crisis breaking point it is comforting to remember that He fully understands above and beyond how I feel. How many dirty hands selfishly groped for Him each day? How many titles did He endure that were not His own? How many people did He teach, feed, listen to in a day and it never be enough? How many occasions when He tried to get away for a walk in the wilderness, on the shoreline, or even on the sea was He bombarded with needs, wants, insulting name calling and despicable kisses at every turn? Sometimes He ignored them. Sometimes He healed them. Sometimes He fed them. Sometimes He lectured them. Sometimes He taught them. Sometimes He got righteously angry with them. Sometimes they were stricken with consequences. Sometimes He had compassion on them. He despised the foolish lack of understanding, the "you give me" attitude (equating to "you owe me" simply because You are Jesus and therefore have all things at Your disposal). The lack of respect of anything resembling the humanity He created (lack of respect of humanity = INHUMANE) exhausted Him too! And yet He loved them. He left his heavenly home and His Father to come and serve them. He was willing to die for them and did. But did they make Him mad and grieve His heart? Yep! Did He wish they could understand their ignorant foolish request at times? Yep! Did He make a big deal out of those who did "get it" and use them as the few examples for others to stop and take notes? Sure did. Sometimes it was that tenth one that got it. And it wasn't who everyone expected it to be. It was a foreigner like us. Which reminds me that the experiential lesson is just as much for me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well." Luke 17:17-19</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Perhaps our "foreigners" are the little brother standing beside Mr. "give me one dolla" or the group on the other side of the sidewalk watching for our reaction to this encounter. Whether it is two or twenty (cause we all know there will be a minimum of two) demanding our attention along the way, surely God has a purpose for each one sent our way. It is most often with the last that His reasons are fulfilled--even if we are fresh out of patience and feel like we blow it. Not saying my yelling/ranting is ever justified or comparable to Jesus holy fits of righteous anger, but I know that at least one person (me) receives a lesson in each of those moments. We are not here to be anyone's savior or solution but to point them to the One that is. But how do we do that especially on the days when it is so hard to love our "them"? This is the daily prayer as we strive to display our Jesus well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">#2. Don't discount the seeds planted. Keep doing what you said you do that may seem like it only results in lying, insulting laughter and typically labels you as "selfish". It is still a seed planted. We also sometimes stop and ask the askers to think about the why and how they ask and then attempt a lesson on the difference between the Creole "ba mwen" and English "give me" that are lost in a literal translation. Usually when we begin to explain that the American <i>head</i> and Haitian <i>tet</i> do not hear "give me" in the same way. They typically listen up when we tell them we know how to raise their chances of blan giving. First step is to check the rude factor. We then commence in practicing other, more polite, forms of asking. They try it out on us. We usually say, "no" but explain that this is not because they did not ask nicely. Last week I played this little game with some kids while watching a game at our community basketball court. All I had on my person was my clothes and my water bottle. I was asked for both. <i>I've even been asked to hand over the hair on my head</i> (on a different occasion)!!! I was just about fed up by the time I decided to leave and didn't think anyone benefitted from my little lesson. But then one boy about age 14 followed me to the gate. He gently touched my arm and said in the new English we had practiced, "Excuse me Madam. May I give you service please ? I need travay (work)." Smiling and giving him a congratulatory pat I told him that I did not have work for him that day but that if he continued with that great attitude and asking in a respectful way, he is sure to find work much faster than all the others. He was my "tenth" that day and that encouragement has stretched a long way as I haven't observed a fruitful seed since. But he reminded me that you never know. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">#3. If you can't beat "them", join them when all logical lessons, and levels of tolerance fail. We learned this pointer from our son Evan at the age of five after he had only been in Haiti one month. Evan took a rather unorthodox approach after observing the randomly occasional success of the "give me". The difference for Evan was that he saw no "them". We were at a local restaurant in Port au Prince visiting with other missionary friends. Evan asked his daddy if he could have money to go buy ice cream. Daddy said, "We don't have money for ice cream." A few minutes later I began my usual scanning to see where Evan landed and my eyes and ears find him at a table with about seven big, burly, beer drinking men. Evan is holding his little hand out and sincerely asking, "You give me one dolla" complete with Haitian accent! After picking myself off the floor I look up to see the entire table of big, burly men crouched over in laughter. Plenty had they seen Haitian kids ask this question, but never a ti blan (little white/foreigner)! Evan didn't understand what was so funny. He really wanted money to buy ice cream and was using the skill he had observed to try and get it. We learned a lesson from Evan that day. Instead of getting so aggravated when the "give me" is upon us, we just ask the same. When we receive looks of disbelief or laughter with a but "mwen pa gen" (I don't have) response, we say that we don't have either (or at least don't have something we can willingly give at that moment). Sometimes we carry this as far as asking for their shirt, shoes, etc. When they say, "Huh? No!", "What? Why?" "but then I wouldn't have a shirt or shoes!!!" We say, "exactly". Sometimes we are not in the mood for the consequential laughter and name calling and sometimes we take it in stride. Sometimes there is a teachable moment. Sometimes not. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sLlbs4iK3EmuMfQ5q2djCIFlsPQdzvoDr99rE3FETruPCPQTBwSeq_LGsWYQQBTX_rCNszmBePqOWVNaPmbZ3MXYWuwxuqHDM0rYqEST4FXQxvW9AHnxeh15Qza_cguIfyPaYmaI12E/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_sLlbs4iK3EmuMfQ5q2djCIFlsPQdzvoDr99rE3FETruPCPQTBwSeq_LGsWYQQBTX_rCNszmBePqOWVNaPmbZ3MXYWuwxuqHDM0rYqEST4FXQxvW9AHnxeh15Qza_cguIfyPaYmaI12E/s1600/photo.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The many faces of "Give me".</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I guess I'm trying to answer your question with the very question I've asked myself at least a thousand times.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As we live among the Haitian people (or any people), and strive to love as Christ loves (in spite of another's negative behavior and equally in spite of my own) I'm thankful to learn from each other and lean on the example of Jesus. How can we model this? Your doing a great job Maggie! Don't become weary in well doing! (I know that's easier said than done.) I really can't imagine a one-size-fits-all answer even if the same ole "give me" is the catalyst. Sometimes we may be led to teach or lecture. Sometimes we should say nothing. Sometimes we might answer a question with a question. Sometimes we might simply ignore a following crowd while trying to get away. Sometimes we might yell and rant. But always we can listen and learn from these experiences. Some One is trying to teach all of us something that He has already modeled for us. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">His feelings must have been hurt not only by the crowds hurling insults and abuse but by the very disciples He spent every day teaching and loving who betrayed and abandoned Him. And yet </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"for the joy set before Him he endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hebrews 12:2 </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Because one day there will be justice and answers to all these things. One day there will be no more "give me" because everyone will give Him their everything. I pray He gives us the joy set before Him to endure well until that glorious day!</span></div>
Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-33413209740634500582015-03-14T09:13:00.001-07:002015-03-14T09:13:35.284-07:00Overdue<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Overdue" seems an appropriate title for the events leading up to the past three months which have contributed to overdue blog posting. We apologize for not keeping the blog up to date as we have been trying to catch up from recent happenings from our travels stateside and since our return to Haiti. If we have had the privilege to spend face time with you, talk to you, or if you follow Facebook you can probably just go ahead and skip this catch up post! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Other than our desire to spend time with loved ones over the holidays instead of spending a sweaty 4th Christmas in Haiti, we had the excuse of tending to some overdue issues such as dealing with our pre-Haiti house and extensive dental work I have been putting off dealing with for several years. In an effort to accomplish what was needed and leave time for the healing process, our wonderful dentist and friend, Steve Williams and the staff at <a href="http://www.allendentist.com/index.html">Allen Dental </a>where I have been a patient for the past 14 years (even though we moved from that area 10 years ago) worked for 5 hours to extract 3 teeth, prep 6 teeth for 2 bridges, perform 1 root canal, and insert 1 screw into my gums for a future tooth implant ALL ON THE SAME VISIT!!! I was told they used about every tool in the office. My dear friend Kendal picked up my heavily sedated self and took care of me the rest of the day before delivering me to the DFW airport to meet Eric who had just flown in from Haiti to meet me mid December. The next day Eric and I drove to our home for the holidays to meet up with the rest of our family. Both sets of parents/grandparents soon joined us from Virginia and Illinois along with all of my siblings. This was the first Christmas we have spent with all our kids together in the states and it was wonderful to have so many from our family surrounding this joyous time. We enjoyed attending special invites to the premier screening of the documentary "Finding Noah" that my dad was heavily featured in speaking about their personal adventures on Mt. Ararat and why so many explorers throughout history have continued the search for Noah's ark and its importance today. Eric has made this journey three times but was not there during the time they were actually filming on the mountain. Still, he was very happy to reconnect with many from the Turkey team that have been through so much together. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Eric and kids excited to see the show...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">as well as me and my sis Emilee!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EoMJdbEXPKCSKQiGs6O0JgWPeB4v__04CY7M3LmSjKVGzfT7ctuQLaArNn5UoYCsmSTbXJIC1_e2olwGLOTDynfEForYcHVskpOeNhDBltrqNeuB9YvBBGMywRz-IH558OhAtViDoos/s1600/10858424_10153018807105649_6014079728238948925_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EoMJdbEXPKCSKQiGs6O0JgWPeB4v__04CY7M3LmSjKVGzfT7ctuQLaArNn5UoYCsmSTbXJIC1_e2olwGLOTDynfEForYcHVskpOeNhDBltrqNeuB9YvBBGMywRz-IH558OhAtViDoos/s1600/10858424_10153018807105649_6014079728238948925_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dad on the big screen!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We also enjoyed our Shaw Family "cousin Christmas" and celebrating our niece, Elianna's 7th birthday the same day. We attended a wedding and got to see many old and dear friends from our early married and student ministry years. It makes us feel really old to see our former students graduating college, getting married, and pursuing careers and ministries of their own but what a blessing to see them following Jesus! One of the hardest things about living overseas is missing our loved ones' special events and we were very thankful to be able to fill our sweet memories tank once again! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWK7bhXOznLlvieD2j7kfogBriA4hAxcrHaCzDsy_QVyAAprFZuJjJ3U0c3VcNx6shak3eGAgs2P9dZobqn6bLzdX5gcK2CB7NWm7SJ6irAuoz8WtTBg-JjrF8pO985Vw0XCFaw_Sij0E/s1600/10377015_10153031407655649_588284379188371554_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWK7bhXOznLlvieD2j7kfogBriA4hAxcrHaCzDsy_QVyAAprFZuJjJ3U0c3VcNx6shak3eGAgs2P9dZobqn6bLzdX5gcK2CB7NWm7SJ6irAuoz8WtTBg-JjrF8pO985Vw0XCFaw_Sij0E/s1600/10377015_10153031407655649_588284379188371554_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hanging out over the holidays with some of our former youth group students who are now all grown up!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Christmas spent with family and friends is just the best!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4tYVoB99xJp9pOm7xQQkfQDwbEzzYGN62LkNearCtXMyqN7xR-OWB9fPrRL-l7KCil9NQBhtdMHmZI7yquIM2pDul7I5A5hBPmglYS9noU6ybSPruwm3xRXcpIZlJr0uvwr80PX56sE/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb4tYVoB99xJp9pOm7xQQkfQDwbEzzYGN62LkNearCtXMyqN7xR-OWB9fPrRL-l7KCil9NQBhtdMHmZI7yquIM2pDul7I5A5hBPmglYS9noU6ybSPruwm3xRXcpIZlJr0uvwr80PX56sE/s1600/photo.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The girls getting to finally enjoy their sweet little room and special time with their friend who once lived in the same orphanage as them in Haiti and was adopted by our friends in San Antonio. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A few days after my dental work I began to feel that something wasn't quite right. As the month rolled by I tried to push through the severe drowning feeling I was experiencing with four rounds of antibiotics and trying many an essential oil to alleviate the pain. My dentist office was an eight hour roundtrip drive from where we were staying so just dropping by for a checkup was out of the question. I felt worse and worse but we figured with the amount of work I had done the discomfort level could be normal. Turns out it wasn't normal </span><i style="font-size: x-large;">AT ALL</i><span style="font-size: large;">. We are extremely thankful that our dentist knows me as well as my dental history well enough to know something was amiss and order an extra CT scan even though nothing was visibly wrong on the surface at my next appointment. The CT scan showed an unidentified foreign object lodged in my cheek that had certainly not been there before! Everyone freaked out except for me as I was relieved to know that what they were seeing finally matched what I had been feeling! This was certainly the culprit causing me so much pain but what was it? I was sent to a oral surgeon specialist to find out who also debated about what this could be and how this could have happened. Answers were left pending the surgery that was scheduled for the next morning. I begged for the surgery to be done asap and for it to be done without sedation if possible to allow me to make the return drive after surgery with my daughter Esmee who had come along to keep me company and had been waiting patiently through many hours of unexpected appointments. All I wanted was that thing out of my cheek and to get back to my kids and all the overdue work this thing in my cheek had been preventing me from accomplishing in order to get home to Haiti! Turns out the culprit was temporary tooth material that somehow got lodged in an open cavity (the dentist could not detect was still open) from the upper right tooth that had been removed a month prior. The root of that infectious tooth was extremely long and protruded up into my sinus cavities. The hardened piece the surgeon pulled out of the inside of my cheek was an inch long and had blocked all my sinuses on that side of my head which had led to a major infection. Once the culprit and the infection had been removed I felt instantly 90% better even with a cut up cheek, temporary teeth that kept falling out, and no sedatives. My dear dentist felt so bad, traveled and sat through my surgery to be with me and collect the culprit to show his staff for further study as this had never happened to any patient in their office before! I will be forever grateful for all his kindness in caring for me through these ordeals. We praise God for all of these things as his timing and orchestrating of events (even the uninvited ones) were ultimately for our good. We will never know all the behind the scenes details of God's plan but are overwhelmed by his sovereign goodness with just the little we are blessed to see. I was sitting in the surgeons office the day before the surgery asking him how soon he could squeeze me into his schedule to get the thing out of my cheek so I could get home. He asked me where "home" was. I told him I was waiting to finish my dental procedures so that I could fly back to Haiti. He looked puzzled and asked, "Haiti"? Then said, "I'm sorry to tell you that this is a sinus surgery where I will need to reconstruct some sensitive membranes and as such you will not be able to fly on an aircraft for 4-6 weeks after surgery. Now I was freaking out as I felt that my return to Haiti was already overdue. It was January 9th and I had been in the states for a month already. I thought ahead another month to February 9th which was my daughter Elita's 16th birthday and how she had prayed to be able to celebrate a birthday in the states for the first time. I'm still blaming our overdue return to Haiti on her selfish prayers but am happy she had what she says was "the best birthday ever"! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUr5vlcIZO3w3UV5jbJUMlAiA3a6c3qPi-D4AFkGRxoksL7aSBU0SDz-ikcuF3CmgBqgqKIZdcW7pCobD7gxn2YbK2M-UoLfkOEA2r5u0d8cY_byp8HmL2R3MupCv33uDrMTlN2j_Q7A/s1600/10959446_10153171624180649_2292829678774861704_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFUr5vlcIZO3w3UV5jbJUMlAiA3a6c3qPi-D4AFkGRxoksL7aSBU0SDz-ikcuF3CmgBqgqKIZdcW7pCobD7gxn2YbK2M-UoLfkOEA2r5u0d8cY_byp8HmL2R3MupCv33uDrMTlN2j_Q7A/s1600/10959446_10153171624180649_2292829678774861704_n.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Elita Marguerite waking up to her sweet 16!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Turns out I absolutely needed that extra month to continue healing, finish putting my mouth back together and to complete the work on the house. We were planning to sell the house but in the end decided that if the house could be an asset and not a liability to our Haiti ministries then we would keep it as a rental property. We still had many personal items we needed to sell, sort, or store since we had been renting the house partially furnished over three renters during the past 3 1/2 years since our move to Haiti. It was really wonderful to be in the house one (probably last) time with the kids and have that closure. We are entrusting all the management to a wonderful property management company so that we will no longer have this extra detail. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Our stuff is now completely out </span><span style="font-size: large;">and the house rented very quickly at full market price! Praise God! </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3GBCdyZnypUBwHnu3d39bUVpr0Ierr50CWaWmWJUnErIawfiWSZm5Qe4JleWRsGOYaTOqyw53AVli5NFAM_F4264DvIbYmeU8RymRMW-OLKDpeIHUwJ82D8gtCdU5qt0ZuvjFrdMPKk/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn3GBCdyZnypUBwHnu3d39bUVpr0Ierr50CWaWmWJUnErIawfiWSZm5Qe4JleWRsGOYaTOqyw53AVli5NFAM_F4264DvIbYmeU8RymRMW-OLKDpeIHUwJ82D8gtCdU5qt0ZuvjFrdMPKk/s1600/photo.JPG" height="322" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just a few years overdue moving everything from this</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhur_8TDXcGKyq7LEvbJzqQhP4aTh0WbNzmMzsiIJm4tfAeWVR519l6p9Hca-yF4Z8vHkCzeXAoSGTSS6ZO7BKgWFz4_08SnKyOFBhVvwpfpeXQobit3pO1FlS4rkVu_Xw6K-wBHaiOKwo/s1600/10269401_10153146888840649_3419872000738758988_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhur_8TDXcGKyq7LEvbJzqQhP4aTh0WbNzmMzsiIJm4tfAeWVR519l6p9Hca-yF4Z8vHkCzeXAoSGTSS6ZO7BKgWFz4_08SnKyOFBhVvwpfpeXQobit3pO1FlS4rkVu_Xw6K-wBHaiOKwo/s1600/10269401_10153146888840649_3419872000738758988_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">to this!<br />All our remaining stateside earthly belongings are being stored indefinitely here on family property. It looks large enough but trust me when I say that emptying what was left of an almost 4,000 sq. ft. house into a 40 ft. container is easier said than done!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">We had a lot of help from several friends to get the house turned over including putting in two new floors, cleaning and moving crews, and those who loved on our kids during all the chaos. The Lord knew how much I needed all of you and all the extra time as I was still packing and finishing up the house Valentine's morning before heading to the airport! The kids and I and my new teeth joyfully landed in Haiti on February 15th to meet up with Eric and Miguel who has joined us to serve in Haiti for another school semester. Miguel's family were among those who were helping me with the final loads from the house the night before our departure. Thank you to everyone who helped. You know who you are and that we would certainly still be working and even more overdue for our return to Haiti without you! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Of course with feeling like I was drowning, recovering, and moving, two months of kids hopeful homeschooling was not getting done <strike>super well</strike> AT ALL!!! They were way overdue to get back to school which they did the very next morning. I was overdue for a vacation from the stateside lack of <strike>vacation</strike>. We are still catching up but getting there! We are excited to share about all God has done in the past few weeks as they are too good not to share! While I feel perpetually overdue, I remember that our faithful God is never late and we cling to his promise that He will continue to complete the good work He began in us and in you!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdFGN91TAf_EIf6bfGPq7NMW9jnz8qP4_rSIKlg63-LAz7BRqYYcecLqlxW4ztH7yPBYdxHnOX3-fKzyHawThgGJs-ZPMJEi8vaf3LVWJKp4uPKX1FVkpr7vtz2htIx7nf4mmQl6r8fY/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdFGN91TAf_EIf6bfGPq7NMW9jnz8qP4_rSIKlg63-LAz7BRqYYcecLqlxW4ztH7yPBYdxHnOX3-fKzyHawThgGJs-ZPMJEi8vaf3LVWJKp4uPKX1FVkpr7vtz2htIx7nf4mmQl6r8fY/s1600/photo.JPG" height="253" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">All smiles now!<br />I will spare you the before pic when all I wanted for Christmas was my two front teeth back!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Philippians 1:6</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">A Continued Work in Progress,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Elisabeth</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Posts coming soon!!! (Lord willing)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Djo's Family Gets a New Roof (update for those who followed the previous post)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Precautions, Petitions, and Praises at KOFAEL (update on our women's micro funding ministry)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The Conch That Came Back (the hilarious story of our parents visit to Haiti)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">A Day in the Life of a Haitian Lady (our journey with Genise)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Jumper (jumping in Haiti and around the world)</span><br />
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Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-67667341017828250272014-12-31T13:32:00.001-08:002014-12-31T13:32:26.115-08:00A Few Hours Remaining to Give in 2014! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">To our beloved friends and family,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Our son Evan read 3 John this morning and its words gripped my heart and made me think of many of you in the same way. We pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in
good health as it goes well with your soul.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We look forward to 2015 and experiencing incredible joy as we hear from
you the amazing stories of your journey in the truth. Thank you for sending us
on our journey in a manner worthy of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We ask you to pray about a year end gift this last day of 2014 to help us begin another year of ministry in Haiti. We also
need new financial monthly supporters to encourage us in the New Year as we are currently only meeting 50% of our budget. Your
faithful prayers are what matter most! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If you would like to give a tax deductible 2014 year end gift, or to sign up to support us in 2015 the following link is the best way to do that. Just </span><a href="http://www.reamteaminternational.org/p/current-needs.html"><span style="font-size: large;">click HERE</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> or </span><a href="https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=hgim&id=9"><span style="font-size: large;">HERE</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> There is also info. provided for processing donations over the phone and by mail.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Because of some of you we will also be able to send Djo’s
kids on their journey to learning this next semester and pay for the rest of
last school semester and their uniforms. Thank you for the overwhelmingly encouraging
response to our last post about helping their family! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please pray for Haiti as there is heightened
political instability and for many in 2015 that God would bring them heightened
spiritual stability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Peace to you in 2015,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Eric and Elisabeth</span></div>
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3 John</div>
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Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-19686499629177321332014-12-04T18:12:00.000-08:002014-12-04T18:12:15.849-08:00Djo's Kids<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength...<b>Love your neighbor as yourself</b>. There is no commandment greater than these."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mark 12:30-31</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1T4e12xGwI4SDOSp6jCV6Zg4Fc5dXeo_LB3SInWCgBZ1x_KOrUMEcq-qhymByofJMPF0f6KsyyDWWQVzsscpwFxgeI83lPjncUy5LKER71se42oT79HuAFnE7bTkVQzIimryj8vLmm4/s1600/Djo's%2B4%2Bkids.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1T4e12xGwI4SDOSp6jCV6Zg4Fc5dXeo_LB3SInWCgBZ1x_KOrUMEcq-qhymByofJMPF0f6KsyyDWWQVzsscpwFxgeI83lPjncUy5LKER71se42oT79HuAFnE7bTkVQzIimryj8vLmm4/s1600/Djo's%2B4%2Bkids.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Djo's Kids</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Djo (pronounced "Joe"), his wife and their four kids are our neighbors. We pass by their simple gray block house each day and always look to see if their sweet faces are peeking out behind the door. Recently as I was walking by they invited me inside. The house is just as simple on the inside. I pass a little room I'm told is the "depot" where the supplies for Madame Djo's small business are stored. Djo must have seen my eyes stall in the corner where only a few empty soda cases sat. Looking down he said, "We haven't been able to sell for awhile." Next I passed through a floor less, roof less open space that Djo says "isn't finished yet" which leads to the bed, bath, and kitchen. There is one bedroom for this family of six. Two twin beds, a curio shelf with a small television and stereo were the bulk of its contents. I glance up to see large spaces where the metal roof doesn't cover the concrete block sides in several places and imagine trying to sleep there during rainy season. The kitchen galley stands between the bedroom and the "twalet" (toilet room). But there is no toilet. There is no sink or shower either. The "twalet" only contains one single bucket sitting on the floor. I expect it to smell bad. But it doesn't. The house is actually very clean. The "kitchen" contains a metal stand that cooks food over charcoal along with a few pots and pans hanging neatly on the wall. I thank them for showing me their home. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Djo has been to our home many times. We were introduced to Djo before we moved to this neighborhood by missionary friends and co-workers that know Djo. When we needed help with odd jobs around the house or a ride home Djo would be the person to call. We called him more often when we became his neighbors. Djo has raised one of our walls so our dog can't jump over it (and so neighbor boys can't peep over it to try to catch a glimpse of our girls taking a bucket bath outside), built a trash burning bin in our backyard, installed our driveway, installed a wall inside our house and has used his motorcycle to fetch cooking gas, and large blocks of ice for us many times. Djo is a hard and efficient worker. Every time we have called him with a job he has been eager to take whatever work we offered. Once we asked him if he could help us with a plumbing problem. He came over to take a look but told us that he honestly did not know how to fix the issue. We appreciated that so much and told him so. It is rare to find a Haitian man that won't tell you he can do whatever it is you ask even if he hasn't the slightest clue. Djo has never asked us for anything other than once when he knew I was headed to the grocery store and asked me if I could please pick up some peanut butter for his children to have something to eat that night. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">During the time we were away over the summer months Djo was in a bad motorcycle accident. We were informed by missionary friends that he could not walk or work for months afterward as a result. One thing Djo and his wife work hard for is to keep their four children in school. The start of school was approaching with no money to pay the fees since Djo had been out of work due to his accident injury. The kids attend the Baptist church school in our neighborhood. The school allowed the kids to begin the fall semester with Djo's promise that he would do his best to pay the school fees before the new year. Djo humbly came to us asking if we could help him find sponsors for his kids to continue to attend school because they have not been able to come up with this money. He is back to work now (whatever work he can find) but is still behind due to months of not being able to work. He doesn't want to have to tell his kids they cannot go back to school after Christmas break. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We try to be very careful about how and who we help to make sure we are really helping. When we prayed about how best to help with this particular need the verse "Love your neighbor as yourself" continued to play in my head and heart. <strike>Sometimes</strike> Most of the time there isn't a prescribed solution for the many hard things we encounter on a daily basis as missionaries in one of the poorest countries on earth. We remember that Jesus said "the poor you will always have with you". The poor are our neighbors. For us the verse "Love your neighbor as yourself" means that if our kids eat, we want our neighbors kids to eat too. If our kids have clothes to wear and a bed to sleep in, we want our neighbors to have those necessities as well. If our kids are able to go to school...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We would love to be able to give Djo's family the Christmas gift of school sponsorships for all four of his children. The cost is $125 per child to pay for their last and next semester. We would love to find a sponsor family (or multiple sponsors) that would commit to helping this family with future school sponsorships as well. Perhaps if school was not such a huge financial burden on their limited income, they could put more money into finishing their house. We wish we were able to sponsor all the kids but are personally already committed to sponsoring several other children. Therefore, we are giving YOU the opportunity to help us help our neighbors and show them the love of Christ this Christmas. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Meet the Kids</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAQvDOblFslWd7TifjfEtXvSR0ZB6HHAVfl8NyRGF8ZAPiU4bcEzhXTZapmWMSzJA5zbQehYnCZzf4od6WW_7DWT-YAx_GdYpvtG0hsAj6Ha5cEju3aHXrP6gojdOsybczIieRfAsU5k/s1600/Djo+kid+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAQvDOblFslWd7TifjfEtXvSR0ZB6HHAVfl8NyRGF8ZAPiU4bcEzhXTZapmWMSzJA5zbQehYnCZzf4od6WW_7DWT-YAx_GdYpvtG0hsAj6Ha5cEju3aHXrP6gojdOsybczIieRfAsU5k/s1600/Djo+kid+1.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Joel<br />Age 11</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip17c90V7snbDsF3LGvlNvWL06DnUMXkyNScmujKmnOIKbCl03ivn8efG5o9kBkiIuLdRJt0LwvrrURHeko7H7N8IX5vVLa-1s7XmALUYxDw8PXhFDbkKF0GmV3vMx97a7LtrGiFtPhC0/s1600/Djo+kid+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip17c90V7snbDsF3LGvlNvWL06DnUMXkyNScmujKmnOIKbCl03ivn8efG5o9kBkiIuLdRJt0LwvrrURHeko7H7N8IX5vVLa-1s7XmALUYxDw8PXhFDbkKF0GmV3vMx97a7LtrGiFtPhC0/s1600/Djo+kid+3.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Jacob<br />Age 9</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqalcWsghmF8jXL6Nccf4gDK6d2kLo4LiG4GCB9j3G7JBSsS2mz7DrWrCaqJFmiC8QYhDZfcLQaFPIkCeMSFQCC8cnhl3sLtjOmeyKdNZlWD9cBYPkL21dCx7qiyrEaQ8WG24VRyCC15Y/s1600/Djo+kid+2.JPG" height="400" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mardochée<br />Age 7</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqalcWsghmF8jXL6Nccf4gDK6d2kLo4LiG4GCB9j3G7JBSsS2mz7DrWrCaqJFmiC8QYhDZfcLQaFPIkCeMSFQCC8cnhl3sLtjOmeyKdNZlWD9cBYPkL21dCx7qiyrEaQ8WG24VRyCC15Y/s1600/Djo+kid+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkcE1eIxbbEcRPXExwcGIowTHqWCiKVCOyvDrVn-EDgeVsoMhyA3F7SIqWArNn19v2HoAHnkH3VskeKfSFO4CoepaA392TtI4bOXuuXavc3FJ-3258vuB1yJP30t5eC4Rg5q20UiIZ4wI/s1600/Djo+kid+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkcE1eIxbbEcRPXExwcGIowTHqWCiKVCOyvDrVn-EDgeVsoMhyA3F7SIqWArNn19v2HoAHnkH3VskeKfSFO4CoepaA392TtI4bOXuuXavc3FJ-3258vuB1yJP30t5eC4Rg5q20UiIZ4wI/s1600/Djo+kid+4.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Carlens<br />Age 4</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Please contact us through e-mail at eeream@HeartofGodInternational.org if you are willing to provide a school sponsorship for one, two, three, or all four of Djo's kids as a Christmas present to them! It is a joy and privilege to love our neighbors by letting others in on loving them too! Please pray and ask if God is leading your family to love on Djo's kids.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Because He First Loved Us,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Elisabeth</span><br />
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Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-8733094157574361222014-11-25T14:50:00.000-08:002014-11-25T14:50:11.127-08:00Of Turkeys and Holiday Plans<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>We can make our plans, </strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>but the LORD determines our steps. </strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Proverbs 16:9</strong></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"></span></strong><span class="p"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="p"><span style="font-size: large;">So... Eric came home with a turkey last night which was kind of a big deal. We have never bought a turkey in Haiti before and this was definitely a Thanksgiving splurge. The kids and Miguel keep talking about Thanksgiving saying they "can't wait!". I have a suspicion that my attempts at a traditional American Thanksgiving in Haiti may not match whatever expectations they have dreamed up. Much of this has to do with my own expectations which include a fear of turkeys. I already planned my speech on how the Pilgrims having come to a foreign land gave thanks for whatever local bounty they were blessed with and likely this did not include turkey on their table either. I was much more prepared to have Thanksgiving without turkey than to have Thanksgiving with it. The truth is I've only cooked a turkey on my own once in my life and had not planned on a repeat of that experience. I've plucked and cooked chicken but for some reason the turkey completely evades me. As I ask for explicit turkey cooking instructions, my mother cannot understand. But I do. Mother is and has always been the designated turkey cooker at every holiday, family get together, and church function. Therefore she assumes that her daughter who moved out of her house over eighteen years ago should be able to cook a turkey by now. I explained that turkey cooking is not an inherited genetic trait nor is it learned by osmosis during the passing of time. All those times when I was shooed out of the kitchen while a turkey magically appeared on the table only taught me that it was my job to consume turkey but never to cook it! Somehow I have gotten away with learning how to cook just about every other side dish but have managed to excuse myself from turkey duty. But this Thanksgiving there is no one else. And now I am asking why Eric never learned to cook a turkey either? I guess for the same reason that I never did. It was never necessary before. Which make me realize that this will be the very first Thanksgiving that we have ever spent around our own table with just us. We have always either ventured to others tables or others have brought their bounties to ours. So this year will be a first for us. And I will make turkey. Which makes me realize that I have no turkey pan. Mom's recipe definitely includes the pan. Anyone have a recipe for Thanksgiving turkey that does not include a pan? </span></span></div>
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<span class="p"><span style="font-size: large;">Moving on...should the Lord tarry past turkey day. I feel like we have run the Haiti gamut of trying to find ways that make Christmas <em>feel</em> special to us the past three years. We have repeatedly given ourselves the talk that Who and what Christmas is really about IS what makes it special. Everything else is just fillers and substitutes. It IS Jesus birthday. But we all look forward to the birthday party right? We are really looking forward to HIS party this year! This year there will be no wondering if the kids presents will make it through shipping and customs in time, no last minute frantically searching and buying a pitiful overpriced substitute present because grandparents didn't make it, no sadness over not having electricity to plug in Christmas lights, listen to Christmas music, cooking Christmas dinner and playing games in the dark, no sweating and swatting mosquitoes. There will be no locally caught tropical parrot fish happily cooked up by Genise as a Christmas lunch present to us. There will be no red and green food themed Christmas dinner which was my totally lame idea to avoid the kids asking for Christmas turkey. So we splurged on imported frozen lasagna and broccoli (the red and green foods) that we didn't end up eating after parrot fish and stomach bug episodes. As I recall all these things from three Christmases past I am smiling. We have made the most of the past three years and don't wish to trade those unforgettable memories. But this Christmas we are all looking forward to un-Haiti made memories. Our family has never spent Christmas together outside of Haiti since our girls have joined our family. We have never all experienced grandparents and cousins and Ta's Christmas turkey all celebrating Jesus birth together. This is what we are most looking forward to this holiday season. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Last April as we were searching for the best timed and priced tickets to return to Haiti after our summer travels we were not thinking it would be possible to return to the states as soon as Christmas. But then we found amazingly priced tickets that cost the same whether we only returned to Haiti in the fall or also booked roundtrip tickets to include a stateside Christmas. This Christmas is the first Christmas in many years that all my siblings and parents were able and planning to spend Christmas together in Texas. We really wanted to be there and felt that finding the affordable tickets was a green light. Little did we know then that there would be other reasons. God knew. We found out in August shortly before returning to Haiti that I would need to have extensive dental work completed over three appointments that must be scheduled three weeks apart. Then there is the home we own in New Braunfels, Texas. The only option we had due to time constraints and adoption paperwork filed under that house at the time we moved to Haiti was to sell as much as we could and rent the house partially furnished. That is what we have continued to do throughout the past three years and three renters. We felt that as long as the house was covered financially without having to raise or take away from donations for Haiti ministry we could feel good about the house being used to bless others with it being a financial wash to us. A sweet family who has rented the house for the past year and 1/2 has enjoyed filling the house with teenagers like we once did during our years spent working with students there. We knew they would like to continue renting the house and it was our desire that they be able to do so. However, the taxes we have to pay on the property value have gone up in the past year and this forced us to re-evaluate the situation. We have not yet raised even half of the financial support we need to live in Haiti and knew we could not afford to keep the house under the current financial conditions with the tax increase. So after praying and consulting financial advisors we gave our renters two months notice that we would need to raise the rent to the current market value or we would need for them to move so that we could remove the rest of our belongings out of the house and put it up for sale. The only time we have to do this is over the Christmas holidays since we already had tickets. This came at a challenging time for our renters as the mother had been struggling with her health but we thought at the time we sent the letter that she was improving. We found out the next day that she was scheduled for heart surgery. She is in Minnesota as I write this undergoing her heart surgery today. If you are reading this please take a moment now to pray for Jill and her family. The family could not justify nor afford a rent increase in the midst of doctor and hospital expenses and time away from work. So they moved out last weekend. We were thankful to hear that they have family in the area that have a home and heart to help them during this time. We felt terrible about the timing. But God knew and we are all trusting His timing is for the best for all of us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I am thankful that we will be spending Christmas in our old New Braunfels house for several reasons. We moved to Haiti very fast and the boys didn't have much opportunity for closure. Before we knew we were moving to Haiti we had prepared the girls room at that house and showed them pictures. All four children have asked if they will ever be able to sleep in their beds in their rooms in Texas even just one time and have prayed for that even though us parents somewhat discouraged those purely sentimental notions. I have sentimental notions of my own. After spending the past nine months in some form of living out of suitcases, sweating and swatting mosquitoes, and suffering sickness while sweating and swatting mosquitoes I really am not up for that cycle all over again. In between traveling to DFW for dental appointments it will be really nice to wash my own dishes in our own place with actual running water. It is difficult to explain with words what this means to me. You see, since I have been my girls mother they have only been able to observe and learn from me in our Haiti world or while staying in other people's homes in our America world. We have always had adult Haitian women bustling about our house in Haiti doing things to help us that I never had help with in our American home (because in America there are machines that help with physical labor). It was nearly a year before our girls were informed that I could drive a vehicle and wash clothes. When Ethan told them that I used to drive him twenty minutes to school each morning they didn't believe it because they had never seen it and could hardly imagine it. You should have seen the look on Elita's face the first time I pulled into a gas station her second day in the states and she learned that her mom knows how to pump gas. You see, in Haiti you don't get to pump your own gas. This is just one example of a whole slew of things that our Haiti world has never allowed me to teach and experience with my daughters . My girls have taught me how to live in their first world. I have longed for a chance to teach them how to live in mine. We started the girls adoptions and prepared to bring them home to that house long before we knew God was preparing to bring us home to them in Haiti. In His goodness He has brought us full circle. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The kids and I will fly from Haiti December 10th. Eric will follow on the 15th where he will arrive </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">to meet me in Dallas and drive me back from my first of three dental operations. We will spend a few weeks in the house over Christmas which we hope will give us time to go through the remainder of our stateside earthly possessions and figure out what to do with them and the future of the house. We have a wedding to attend in DFW January 2nd and Eric will fly back to Haiti from DFW on January 6th. We are still praying about the date the children and I should return to Haiti. I have my second dental appointment scheduled for January 5th. The third appointment has to be scheduled three weeks later to give time for shifting and healing before the final procedure. We originally planned for me to use some saved up air miles and make a quick roundtrip from Haiti by myself for this. Now since we don't know how the house situation will unfold we are leaving that up in the air and tentatively planning for the kids and I to stay in Texas during the month of January until after both the dental and house processes are completed. We appreciate your prayers as we make our plans and the Lord determines our steps in all these details and all the details of leaving Haiti and those we are leaving behind. We are praying that our Haiti house could be a blessing to others if there is a need for a family to stay in Haiti over the holidays. We need someone here to feed our dogs and not leave the house vacant. If we could leave knowing someone will be here that would be a huge relief and blessing to us too. </span></div>
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<span class="p"><span style="font-size: large;">I spent last week with a precious family that has served the Lord faithfully in Haiti for the past 68 years. They had asked me to help document their stories and I was happy to have this honor. One thing Wallace, now in his late eighties continually stated in nearly every story is "You know, God sees ahead." So. Much. Truth. There. While there are still many unknowns such as how we will accomplish all that needs to be done concerning the house, we remember that God sees ahead and there are no unknowns for Him. As we seek His best and walk with Him making our plans we believe that the Lord will continue to determine our steps. He is directing your steps too! Thank you for your partnership as we seek to serve Him faithfully together in all our plans for His glory. Hope your turkey turns out tasty!</span></span></div>
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Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-72284345432831136372014-11-04T08:28:00.002-08:002014-11-04T08:28:31.095-08:00The Glad Game<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>may those who long for your saving help always say,</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"The Lord is great!" </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Psalm 40:16</i></span></div>
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It is hard to believe it is November as I watch the kids
search the calendar already counting the days till Christmas break. I’m
thankful the roller coaster month of October is over. The month began with a
slew of disappointments. Discouragement continually knocked at our door. So
many people prayed and gave so that we could purchase a generator that would
provide power to our home. It was our daily hope since our return to Haiti in
September that our purchased generator could be delivered. Delay after delay
continued to defer our hope until our hearts were sick and our bodies saturated
with sweat and sleep deprived were nearly depleted. It was hard not to despair. We needed the glad game.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> One of my favorite childhood films is “Pollyanna”. Pollyanna
was the orphaned daughter of missionary parents. The story begins with her coming
to live with her unhappy rich aunt whose money controls the entire town.
Pollyanna spends her days finding miserable people and changing their
perspectives about their predicaments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One day she happens upon the town preacher practicing his sermon in a
field. She shares a story about how as a little girl on the mission field she
wanted a doll very badly so her father sent word to the missionary society
asking for a little doll. But to her great disappointment the missionary
barrels only brought her a pair of crutches instead of a doll. That’s when her
father made up the glad game. The game was to just find something about everything to be glad about-no matter what it was. "Did it work?" asked the preacher.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"Oh, yes," nodded Pollyanna, emphatically. Father said he felt better right away, that first day he thought to count 'em (the "glad passages" in the Bible). He said if God took the trouble to tell us eight hundred times in the Bible to be glad and rejoice, He must want us to do it." The preacher said, “Well I don’t see anything to
be glad about a pair of crutches.” Pollyanna replies, “We decided we would be
glad that we didn’t have to use them.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The first disappointment was finding and fighting lice...again. Our boys had picked up head lice from a summer camp they attended
in the states and we fought it for weeks trying to make sure we had thoroughly
extinguished the problem before returning to Haiti. We did not bring anything
back to Haiti
that would have been contaminated as I feared how much worse it would be to try
to get rid of it here. Plus, I didn’t bring any supplies and couldn’t find any
here. So we looked up natural remedies and spent many hours with mayonnaise and
vinegar on our heads. If we were playing Pollyanna’s “glad game” we could say
that it’s a good thing we didn’t have the generator or we would have been
sleeping in our bedrooms with fans. Why is that a good thing? Because we were
camping outside on the porch where it was a tiny bit cooler and not in our
beds, we didn’t contaminate the bedrooms with lice. I wasn't playing the glad game but as I prayed for the lice to go away I remembered the story Holocaust
survivor Corrie ten Boom shared about her experience with lice. When lice was
added to the unbearable conditions they suffered at the concentration camp,
Corrie adamantly told her sister Betsie that she refused to thank God for the
lice. A few weeks later the sisters learned that the reason their Bible had not
been confiscated and their nightly sharing of God’s word with their prison
mates had not been disbanded was because the prison guards avoided them out of
fear of catching their lice. Betsie turned to Corrie and said, “See? Be
thankful for the lice.” While I could not bring myself to be thankful for the
lice, I was thankful for the many hours of one on one time I got to spend with
Ethan while washing and combing through his hair (before we finally just chopped it off). I was able to be glad that the plague hit our boys whose hair we can chop and the kind of lice we picked up in the states do not like the kind of hair my girls have. Lice is not typically prevalent in Haiti. In fact I have never heard of anyone here having a lice problem. One more reason to be glad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Next up was the culmination of a six month battle to get a
contract agreement for our Haiti
rental house. Just as we had done everything in our power to make peace,
negotiated till we were blue in the face and thought we could glimpse a light
at the end, the exit was blocked by Haitian logic (or the lack thereof) and we
were held hostage in the dark tunnel. We sadly put the delivery of our
generator on hold as we waited to see what would happen. We were summoned to
court three times, threatened and falsely accused, had to get a lawyer, were
told we would now have to pay more for our rent since the landlord felt it
necessary to hire a lawyer to threaten us (even though it was his own
responsibility to give us a contract before we could pay him) and were forced
to look at other housing alternatives which took up a lot of time and energy.
In the midst of this time consuming and extremely frustrating process I began
to feel very sick. At first I just thought it was dehydration and general exhaustion.
Then I thought it was the flu or another common virus. But as the fever,
chills, and severe body aches subsided and gave way to an unbearable aching,
stinging, burning in my hands and feet I gave up all hope that the chickunguya
plague I had dreaded so much had not succeeded in finding me. This was a very
low point of discouragement for me. Even as the pain began to subside I found I
had very little physical energy. I had already felt so discouraged with the
lice, lack of electricity, and house drama on top of the typical difficulties
we daily encounter in Haiti life that there had been little time or energy for
ministry. I found myself asking things like, “God, did you really send me to Haiti just to
swat mosquitoes all day?” The kids would return from school and say, “Mommy you
are still sleeping?” Not exactly. Try sleeping in 100% humidity without a fan, mosquitoes,
noisy neighbors, barking dogs, and a loud and busy two year old that lives in
your house while someone is beating your raw sunburned hands and feet with a
whip (that’s the best I can do to describe what “chick-v” felt like after the
fever, chills, and body aches). I wish I could say that at least I could
minister to the needs of my family but just cooking dinner was a giant stretch.
I am not typically prone to depression but found myself nearly there. Though I
resembled one of the miserable people Pollyanna came to visit, I found it easy
to play the glad game during this time. I am glad for a servant-leader husband
who presses on with ministry, puts others needs before his and loves me so well
even when I am high maintenance and unlovely for weeks on end. I am glad for
four sweet children who dress themselves, help with housework, diligently do
their schoolwork, and who can even cook a few things. I am glad for kindhearted
Miguel living with us, helping Eric at the school, helping the kids with their
schoolwork as well as taking over the ministry of teaching English classes to
our Haitian neighbors. I am thankful that in Haiti even though we don’t have the
amenities I once couldn’t imagine living without in the states, I never once imagined
that I would have a maid to help me around the house. So I am glad for Genise
who helps us so much with many time consuming and physically demanding tasks. I
don’t know how I would have survived the past month without her help. I am
thankful to experience the prayers, care and concern of others in so many ways
from encouraging notes on Facebook to special bug spray, batteries, vitamins,
essential oils, healthy foods sent by mail or brought in by friends coming to Haiti. I found
myself glad for every little breeze sent our way. I am glad for the opportunity
to read God’s word and be reminded by the first missionaries that I am not
alone in distressing circumstances and that God is faithful and purposeful in
his plans for me too. During my sickness I read the biography of Mary Baker who
was a missionary to Africa. Her story not only
encouraged me that even she was disabled from continuing many of the ministries
to which she had been called during long periods of sickness or political
instability, but also influenced in me a stronger desire to not waste the times
we are able to actively pursue sharing Christ love and the gospel at every
opportunity. If I had not been hot, sick, and under the stress of summons to
court and potentially having to move while reading this book I doubt I would
have read it with the same perspective. I read of the many ways Mary Baker
played the glad game in her trials and in the end decided that if she could
play in her circumstances, I certainly could too. I am glad that I don't have to worry about contracting the awful chicken ick again since you can only get it once. If anyone else gets it, I am glad I know how it feels and can take care of them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Next up were the Evan episodes. Feeling a bit better I
desperately wanted to get out of the house to go to church and make the trip to
Port au Prince to get groceries and supplies for the week ahead. Sitting in a
lawn chair at our beachside church service listening to Eric give the morning devotion,
I scanned the ground to see where my kids had landed. Scanning, scanning,
scanning the many dark faces on the ground, I spotted three of my four
children. Evan was not on the ground so I started scanning upward. Like a koala
bear clinging to a tree, there he was in his preferred habitat. After the
service he climbed a little higher and found himself disturbing the home of
some Haitian wasps. The swelling that accompanied the several stings he was
served on his face, ears, neck, and arms kept him looking like an alien for the
next few days. I was glad for two things. He didn’t fall from the tree (on this
occasion) but somehow was able to calmly climb down. And like Ethan with the
lice, I was gifted the opportunity to spend some extra time with Evan as he
stayed home from school and recovered. Like today. Today Evan is home from
school recovering from another tree incident. We are glad he is alive and is
miraculously only a little banged up on the surface after falling at least 20
ft straight down from a tree house rope swing. We are thankful for the body of
Christ who came alongside us to help check Evan out to make sure he was ok. We
have so many reasons to be thankful for God’s protection and are reminded not
to fear what man or tree accidents or sickness can do to us. Our lives are but
a thread, but God is in control. There is nothing that happens that He does not
will. This became very real to us this past week. We were enjoying some time
with other missionaries at the beach before Evan fell from the tree. On the way
there we were talking to our kids about boat safety and how dangerous it could
be if they did not follow instructions. Evan said, “What if something did
happen to one of us and we died?” Eric’s response was, “Well, I would be very
sad because I would miss you but I’m thankful that I know where you would be
and that I would get to see you again one day in Heaven.” We thought about this
conversation later and have not stopped giving thanks that our Lord has granted
us more time on this earth with our son.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> A few days before this I was walking with my friend Betsy
who had come from Port au Prince to visit us on her days off work. We were
walking in our neighborhood where I had walked many times before. I don’t ever walk
alone as we have experienced dangerous situations in the past and usually don’t
carry anything with me but my water bottle. Eric asked me to take my phone the
last time I had walked that stretch and Betsy’s phone needed to be charged, so
I took a cheap little phone along. We came to a wide slippery slope of rock out
in the middle of nowhere with no one in sight. We had just began our decent
when out of nowhere a well built man came out of the grasses, quickly cut
across the path and seized my arm. It happened so fast I didn’t realize what
was going on or what he wanted. Betsy tells me I said something neither of us
remembers and put up a good resistance. Once it dawned on me that the man was
after the little phone in my palm, I simply let him have it and he ran off up
the hill the other direction. Now I knew Betsy, who I met in Haiti during
the riots of 2010 when she was serving as a nurse at our girls orphanage had been
in a few sketchy situations before. I didn’t worry about this incident scaring
her as now she is a nurse on Haiti’s
first emergency helicopter ambulance so is used to high level Haiti stress.
We continued on a pleasant walk and a few minutes later Betsy asked me if I was
shaken or upset by what had happened. I said, “I have been wanting a new phone
anyways and apparently he needed that one more than me. But I am frustrated
that this happened because I don’t want this beautiful walk to be taken away
out of fear of things like this.” The rest of the day we found lots of ways to
play the glad game. We were glad it was an old cheap phone that is easily
replaced. We were glad that I had already lost all the numbers from having to
switch out the SIM card when returning to Haiti so I didn’t mourn losing them
twice as I had only saved four numbers in that phone in hopes of getting
another soon. We were thankful that there was less than $1 worth of minutes
left on the phone so the guy didn’t get off with much. We were thankful that it
was only a phone that was taken and not one of us or that he didn’t try to harm
us in any other way. Betsy and I joked later about what might have been and
decided that together we could have tackled him and made him regret messing with
us. But then we thought about all the rocks around and that Haitians don’t like
to fight fair. We know from past experience that if we had done anything that
harmed the guy (even if only a tiny scratch) it would have been us that would
have suffered the consequences due to the lack of justice in this country to
foreigners. So let’s be glad there was no more drama than that was worth. The
same day Eric came home with a signed contract and had given the final payment
for our house which ended up being exactly what we had asked for months and
months ago. For this we are very glad and praise God. We don’t know why we had
to go through all that drama, but trust that God wanted to teach us more about
the Haitian court system, prepare our hearts for the possibility of moving at a
moments notice, allow us to count it all joy when we were falsely accused in
court, feel the prayers of the saints, and use these experiences to prepare us
for whatever He has for us in the future that will bring Him the most glory.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfA7lhjX97fZeC0RmACbKNyxYA7oEMIOezndqh1awxMuG_ElIwcrXTYfa6N6Kp6ZYkh_aYdDgewQAC1LGbqDQEIwdTcsgO12keNaQUXCb8m3uMicq0R2LiDo60pfL5V6N-v01eIag6Xw/s1600/G-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZfA7lhjX97fZeC0RmACbKNyxYA7oEMIOezndqh1awxMuG_ElIwcrXTYfa6N6Kp6ZYkh_aYdDgewQAC1LGbqDQEIwdTcsgO12keNaQUXCb8m3uMicq0R2LiDo60pfL5V6N-v01eIag6Xw/s1600/G-3.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Generator arrives by a crane to our neighborhood!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95Ow2ETGnjZAQ6D4B7_ckf_OsqcKZFitdcK_SL-sBydxRT8QP-nSKLPH84a3koPUb_jQy2eNxLYbN2mBLktifjisKv5vYGXOJRH8GjQoowFEPRPbNiLf1LIoDdjwUsZ7qMwak8xJUVe8/s1600/G-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg95Ow2ETGnjZAQ6D4B7_ckf_OsqcKZFitdcK_SL-sBydxRT8QP-nSKLPH84a3koPUb_jQy2eNxLYbN2mBLktifjisKv5vYGXOJRH8GjQoowFEPRPbNiLf1LIoDdjwUsZ7qMwak8xJUVe8/s1600/G-6.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thumbs up for power!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We are playing the glad game a lot these days as we enjoy
the blessing of our new generator that has been dubbed “Julie” named after one
of the many people who has never been to Haiti,
but has a huge heart for serving our Lord, Haiti and us. There is no way to truly
express in words what it is like to sleep without sweat and mosquitoes buzzing
over our heads, to enjoy a cold glass of water, to be able to use the coffee
pot in the mornings, to keep foods fresher for longer in the refrigerator and
freezer, to sleep in beds at night.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrC8atWiik6JIFiP6QVdXSLieX66exRcn8rLhk65Mjd48tVzgRvlRfLHNsxmWiPo90t2vpffN1OcbAFzWK7geo-Zb94ozD1MzXhZljQi0_DBYBs-0ZcQ61okRv_HV5T-soxXTcMdQKC8c/s1600/Walter-Batteries.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrC8atWiik6JIFiP6QVdXSLieX66exRcn8rLhk65Mjd48tVzgRvlRfLHNsxmWiPo90t2vpffN1OcbAFzWK7geo-Zb94ozD1MzXhZljQi0_DBYBs-0ZcQ61okRv_HV5T-soxXTcMdQKC8c/s1600/Walter-Batteries.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">New batteries</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSd_Ipd9i91IQepMCJqfzsUsy0iJM-B_wajkpqKjqtH0OxqNxbJhFLd8tkfiVm_xNmpZ3iuewTfOsxVDPvZKTzW6TxCq8owVAF0UaNLvqQjJ0Gy6vWDa-cs18rv6jYapQ3ysR8WrWvfI/s1600/Walter-Front+view.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvSd_Ipd9i91IQepMCJqfzsUsy0iJM-B_wajkpqKjqtH0OxqNxbJhFLd8tkfiVm_xNmpZ3iuewTfOsxVDPvZKTzW6TxCq8owVAF0UaNLvqQjJ0Gy6vWDa-cs18rv6jYapQ3ysR8WrWvfI/s1600/Walter-Front+view.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">New inverter and transformer</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We are still taking bucket baths and hauling
buckets of water to wash dishes, clothes, and flush toilets. However, we are
glad that the only reason for this is that we have been so busy lately we just
haven’t gotten around to fixing up the new pump. After laying around sick for
two weeks, busy and the fact that my hands are allowing me to type this much
are very good things. We have also been so glad to have back to back visits
with friends the past week that encouraged us greatly through their fellowship.
The Pfaff family (check them out </span><a href="http://pfamilymission.com/" style="font-size: x-large;">http://pfamilymission.com/</a><span style="font-size: large;">) who is prayerfully planning to move full time
to serve in Haiti
is here for a month and we were able to bring them out to stay with us for a
few days. After only having met them twice before in Haiti and Atlanta, we bonded with them
instantly and look forward to being lifelong friends. We dropped them back in Port
au Prince and picked up our dear friend Betsy whom I mentioned earlier. We had
some overdue girl time catching up and encouraging one another that we both
really needed at the end of a long month. We piggybacked the trip taking Betsy
home and paid a visit to our favorite Haiti missionaries, Wallace and
Eleanor Turnbull. Wallace and Eleanor, now in their late 80’s and 90’s are both
second generation pioneer missionaries in Haiti
who have been living and serving in Haiti for 70 years. They are “know
it alls” (in a good way) and we love them for that as they certainly have
earned that right. We got to know the Turnbulls during the three months we
temporarily lived at the Baptist Mission back in 2012 and have learned more from
their stories and wisdom than we have from any of the books we have read
(except for the ones written about them). The kids and I had the privilege of
visiting their Virginia
home during our time in the states and we always look forward to soaking up
their adventure stories. They are back in Haiti for the next few months and
brought a computer for us that my parents had sent with them, so we were glad
to have a good excuse to travel up to the mountains of Fermathe. Seeing the joy
in their wrinkled faces after so many years of so many hardships and even the
death of one of their sons in Haiti
tells me that they must have been playing this glad game all along. Wallace
left us by saying, “You know, even though I now have to walk with this walker
and there are certain things I can no longer do, I wake up each morning and
pray that God will allow my life to count in some way today.” Some might say
they have done enough, but here they are still pouring out their lives and
asking God to make them count for eternity. I’m so glad for examples like them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Have you tried playing the glad game lately? Try it! You
will be glad you did. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><i><span style="font-size: large;">"It'll be just lovely for you to play -- it'll be so hard. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">And there's so much more fun when it is hard!" </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">-Pollyanna </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'll play right now. Genise just brought little Evangeline to me sick. Miguel is home sick today as well. I am glad to have a sweet friend named Angie who introduced me to <a href="https://www.youngliving.com/">essential oils</a> that I am using to help them and that helped me so much when I was sick. (Plug: If you have ever wanted to try essential oils, ask me how to order! I am now a distributor for <a href="https://www.youngliving.com/">Young Living</a> and am trying to just earn enough points to keep us stocked up in Haiti.) I am thankful to have a home with power where we can be refreshed for service, where the weak can rest and for a God who heals. We are glad we have so many reasons to praise God for His
protection, provision, and promises in the past month. We are glad to have so
many friends and family members praying for us around the world. Thank you to
those who have sent us your praises and prayer requests. We love the privilege
of praying for you too! The following are some specific prayer requests we have
at this time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <u>Pastor trainings</u>- The larger pastor trainings have
temporarily been stalled due to lack of funding for those hosting the trainings
to house and feed the Haitian pastors that come from all over the country. Please
pray that these will be able to start up again soon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Church</u>- The Sundays we do not have ministry
responsibilities at Haitian churches, we attend Montrouis International
Fellowship, that is about 50% missionaries and 50% English speaking Haitians. Eric
enjoys helping lead and our family is enjoying being engaged in this body.
There is a family preparing to move to Haiti in January to pastor this
church. Please pray for this transition to go well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>El Shaddai Learning Center</u> School- Eric stays busy helping
direct the school, leading and ministering to Haitian students, their families,
and the teachers 4 days each week. Please pray for direction for the school’s
future and transition to one school building currently being enlarged due to
the rent being raised again on the school buildings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>HGIM Godet Children’s Center</u>- The children’s center
(18 kids, several caretakers and employees) that our mission organization (Heart
of God International Ministries) supports is going to be experiencing
transitions over the next few months. The missionary who has been on the ground
there the past two years is moving back to the states soon and others are
needed to fill her shoes in many ways. We are praying about how the Lord would
have us be available to help during this transition and future opportunities to
serve in Godet (which is about a 3 hour drive from where we currently live in
St. Marc).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>English Classes/Miguel</u>- Miguel is currently manning
the neighborhood English classes (as well as helping supervise in the high
school at El Shaddai) and we are so thankful for his heart to serve. Please
pray for this young man as he seeks the Lord with his whole heart and for
direction for his future. Also please pray for his health as he has not felt
well since arriving in Haiti
and we suspect he may be suffering from chickungunya at this time. He is
praying that if it is the Lord’s will for him to return in January after
Christmas break, that he will be able to raise his funding over the holidays.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Kofael (Women’s Microloan Program)</u>- The women’s
program is going well and growing fast. Four grant applications were sent off
for submission in October that we pray will provide the funding to expand this
sustainable program to other areas beyond Port au Prince in order to help more
women provide for their families. The Port au Prince program is at full
capacity and there is much work to be done. Please pray for continued wisdom
and direction and provision for this program. Our Haitian Kofael directors
Frantz and Julienne delivered their first child this past week. Her name is Jochebed
(Moses mother’s name in the Bible). Mother and baby are doing fine but had an
extended and much more expensive hospital stay after a cesarean was required.
Please pray for financial provision and also for Frantz and Julienne as they
transition to being new parents with the demands of ministry, work, and school
as well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Upcoming travel</u>- We are prayerfully planning a trip
to the next Kofael expansion site in Trou Du Nord, near the Dominican Republic border at the
end of November. We are planning to take the whole family as this could be a
long trip, Eric needs to do the driving and the women have been waiting a long
time for Elisabeth to come. We are hoping to be able to drive over to the D.R.
since we will be so close and spend Thanksgiving there with our family and
Miguel (who speaks Spanish). We need to be able to acquire the necessary
documents/tags for our vehicle to cross the border. Please pray for all these
trip details and travel safety.</span></div>
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<u style="font-size: x-large;">Funding</u><span style="font-size: large;"> – We are so thankful for the many ways God
has provided for our family to serve in Haiti. Please continue to pray for
full funding that will enable us to serve to the best of our ability and
provide for our needs fully.</span><br />
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Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-21845860282134715362014-10-01T15:49:00.000-07:002014-10-01T15:57:16.654-07:00Bumps, Blessings, and Back Up Plans<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><em><span style="font-size: x-large;">Bumps</span></em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We have had our fare share in the last month since returning to this little island. Getting resettled and adjusting to life back in Haiti has been an expected adjustment. Little things like re-teaching ourselves that the toilet paper doesn't go in the toilet, bucket bathing outside, fighting mosquitos constantly and remembering what it feels like to sweat are among the small bumps experienced (though sweating off seven pounds of U.S. fast food in two weeks is a plus for me). A larger bump has been trying to get settled back in our St. Marc rental home while trying to work things out with the owner of this house. I have not at all nice words I could use to refer to him right now, but I will spare you. God knows and is working on my heart regarding my nasty thoughts about the giant jerk and <strike>justice</strike> factor. The owner has been promising to come see his house and the issues we moved into that he promised and we paid to have fixed in our original contract for the past year and 1/2. He lives in the states and speaks English making the situation even more ridiculous because we have been communicating with him the entire time we were stateside about a new contract and getting him paid. He refused to make a new contract nor give us his info to wire him the money for the past 5 months saying that he wanted to come and see the house first. He finally came and arrived unannounced on our doorstep one week after the kids and I arrived in Haiti. Then he practically moved in for the next week to "fix" the issues. We were thankful for the trying to fix part but were less thankful about his brutality during the 15 + face to face hours spent trying to negotiate anything reasonable with him demanding payment for the things not fixed that we have lived with and refusing to budge. Though it is unjust and we certainly want to make sure we are good stewards with the money God gives us through support, being good stewards of our time and energy is also important. It takes money, time, and lots of energy to move somewhere else. So we worked up a contract and a payment plan (most of which had already been agreed to by the owner) and tried our best to get it to him so he could sign it before he returned to the states a week after his arrival. We missed him by only a minute passing him on the road and calling his name and phone to no avail. We were 30 min late for our appointment due to getting caught in the rain and needing gas to get back from trying to translate a contract that was his responsibility to write up in the first place. We had to go somewhere else to plug in because there is no electricity at the house. Go figure. He blames our lateness on the current ugly state of affairs not remotely taking into consideration the 100+ hours we have waited over the past year for workers to show up at the house and his own hour and 1/2 tardiness the previous week after we rushed back for the meeting at the time he had set and kept the others attending the meeting waiting as well. The slightest consideration of others has not come into play. I called him two days after he returned to Florida apologizing for missing him (even though he was at the house all week and did not produce a contract and has had 5 months to produce a contract) and explained that we would send the money as soon as he signed the contract I would e-mail him. I explained what was in the contract most of which he had already agreed to and told him we had left some fill in the blanks and had a few questions before we sent it to make sure it was ok. He of course was not ok with us suggesting anything other than meeting his demands. Eric and I were praying about what we should do for two days after that phone conversation in order to send a contract that the owner might agree with even if it was not in our favor. We were not looking for favors or justice for us at that point but just to be able to get past this issue. The day we were planning to e-mail the contract for him to sign (and then subsequently send the remainder of the money he demanded) we were served a subpoena to appear at court in 3 days with allegations that we had not finished paying from last year (we have his signature and bank statements for that) among other bogus and simply threatening statements. So Eric got to spend yesterday finding a lawyer and is scheduled to spend tomorrow going to pick up that lawyer two hours away, driving him to the St. Marc courthouse, and then driving the lawyer two hours back after the hearing. Supposedly the judge is coming to our house as well. Um. Okay. Hoping the street has electricity when he shows up so we can prove that we don't. We are praying and asking for prayers that the judge will see the facts of the case and not just foreigners money OR better yet that the owner comes to his senses beforehand and accepts one out of the many reasonable offers we have given him. This has been our biggest bump so far the past month. We do not expect justice as we did not expect to just settle in and have everything go smoothly. Whether it is Satan's ploy to distract us from ministry or simply another learning experience we need in order to prepare us for a future battle, these bumps don't surprise us. But they do stretch and stress us!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span id="goog_1264743179"><span style="font-size: large;">"In Christ, we are a grain of corn in a clear bottle.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span id="goog_1264743179"><span style="font-size: large;">Satan comes like a chicken and pecks for the corn, </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">but never reaches it."</span></div>
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</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><em>Blessings</em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"You survived." This was what we got to hear each time we asked the owner of our rental house to consider what we have been through at our expense and his benefit. We argued that we did not pay to simply "survive" but after thinking about it a lot (not nice thoughts) I have realized that what he said is true. I think maybe he was surprised as others have been that we actually came back knowing what it is like to live this survival life. We survived and are still surviving despite lots of stretching and stress. This is not because we are super saints that love being insulted, accused, used, and unnecessarily forced to sweat buckets because the owner had the electrical wires detached but then neglected to pay for the company to hook up the meter he promised to hook up 18 months ago (in the same way he has neglected to pay for other promised essential things like windows, doors, and plumbing). Therefore, while the rest of our humble neighborhood has enjoyed some electricity the past two weeks, none has come to our house. It is easy to feel deflated and depressed in these times, but we are reminded daily to "count it all joy" and keep on surviving. There are days it feels like suffering. This is in the blessings section because it would be a blessing to suffer for Christ sake. Yet compared to our brothers and sisters around the world who are truly suffering in chains and/or facing death for the sake of the gospel, it is no comparison to our silly circumstances. It is a blessing to sweat and survive faithfully. Our sweating and surviving has made us extra excited as we continue to anticipate the day when we will be able to hook up our biggest blessings (at least in size and costs) of the month...our new generator, batteries, inverter, and one of a kind transformer! We are blown away and super encouraged by God's provision for these things through many of you who gave money to purchase them, to the friend who surprised us by building and shipping us a one of a kind inside the house mount transformer (which fixes the voltage problem so that when city electricity is available we can access it without burning up our appliances and save money on generator fuel), to missionary and Haitian friends and workers who have helped us purchase and prepare all these things for the day we will be able to fully enjoy them! The biggest blessings we have been able to already enjoy this month are being reunited with dear friends and continuing ministries in Haiti, having sweet and servant hearted Miguel live with us and join our family in ministry for the next few months (at least). He has been a huge blessing and help with the kids in the midst of the bumps of the past few weeks. Another blessing in disguise (that we all thought was a bump) is that the Pfaff family of five who has also planned to come and live with us has been delayed due to the contract on the sale of their house falling through and fund raising being a slower process than they had expected. But God knew what we would face when we got here and it has been a good thing that they are not here just yet. We are praying to be blessed with their presence and introduce you to them at the end of this month if those plans line up with His!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Another blessing that I know many have been praying for is that we are all healthy and functioning well despite the heat and mosquitos. We do not know for sure if the chikungunya mosquito virus has complete run its course on the island, but we are counting our blessings that we have not been its latest victims. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Don't put your load of trouble in a basket on your head.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Put them on Jesus head.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">You won't have headaches."</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><em>Back up plans</em></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Of course we didn't know any of this would happen with our house situation the past month and don't know what the resolution will be. When plans fail due to unforeseen circumstances, it is often difficult to know how to progress beyond the daily "we survived". Ministry has continued as we plan and pursue but is easily caught up in the daily grind. Every missionary book we have read has listed this as one of the top reasons missionaries leave the field. They tire of leading the "simple life" while simultaneously trying to type a newsletter without electricity. We are thankful to remember that while we make our plans, the Lord directs our steps. We continue to have peace in trusting that whenever our plans falter, He always has a back up plan that is always better. We have a potential back up plan for another house not far away should we end up having to move. Perhaps if that was God's plan all along, we will soon see how much better it is! If His plan is for us to stay right where we are, that will be better too (at least once we get our generator delivered after this house mess is settled)! Prayers appreciated for protection as we pursue progress and backup plans!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Lord,</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Your servant doesn't know left from right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Even now I don't know which one of your hands I am in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Whether I am in the left or the right, it doesn't matter.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I am in Your hands.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">That's enough."</span></div>
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Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-85652596681260297282014-08-10T18:55:00.000-07:002014-08-10T18:55:56.382-07:00About that Generator.......<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_2EMvd38Z2ciudpJSfn2jlGDIuGS7HKBBoOwmfAdD_2ptbvWLAN3WrK-D1nfhl8QgtywsPuY1gN2EpKzijIIeQgkgQ6Ph6eeiZM2iKzu7E_gi_-eWx89IXrs7pY_IoJxrQioSpFhYTA/s1600/Haiti+boys+boat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_2EMvd38Z2ciudpJSfn2jlGDIuGS7HKBBoOwmfAdD_2ptbvWLAN3WrK-D1nfhl8QgtywsPuY1gN2EpKzijIIeQgkgQ6Ph6eeiZM2iKzu7E_gi_-eWx89IXrs7pY_IoJxrQioSpFhYTA/s1600/Haiti+boys+boat.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Most days in Haiti feel just like this looks...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">You can row your boat all day and not get very far.</span></td></tr>
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$20,000 for a generator? Really? We understand this question that we have asked ourselves and tried to get around several ways without success the past year since moving to our neighborhood in St. Marc. Our first year in Haiti we lived on a compound that had its own generators. Our second year in Haiti we lived on another compound with many power sources for a few months before moving to St. Marc where we were able to live on the school property using that generator for another four months until we were able to secure our own housing. We have struggled to live as simply as possible while meeting many needs without sufficient electricity to our home the past year. Though it is very hard at times, living among our Haitian neighbors has been the very best way for us to build relationships with them. In many ways it has been a blessing in disguise to live like our neighbors who mostly do not have sufficient power. These have been trying but wonderful learning experiences that God allowed us to have so that we could understand the people and culture we came to serve a little better. We better understand why things are the way they are and why people behave the way they do. We know they watch us and have seen us struggle alongside them. We feel the same joy and cheer from the porch along with our neighbors on the rare occasions the lights come on. We also know they think we are crazy for <em>choosing</em> this life. The poor do not like living in poverty. It is not fun and there is no romanticizing it away even with cherished memories of joyful cheers. Our choosing to live in a poor Haitian neighborhood is a world of difference away from the abject involuntary poverty that surrounds us. However, we did not choose to move and serve in Haiti so that we could live like the poor around us but to help them improve their lives spiritually, emotionally, and physically through a variety of ways. The district we live in only rarely receives even scant electricity that accompanies an imbalanced voltage problem. This voltage issue (which we have tried to remedy with regulators in the past) causes severe brownout and our appliances have already suffered its blows. Due to the scarcity of even the low voltage electricity received and location of our house, the option to install a transformer (not a cheap option either) has been ruled out. Solar panels are always suggested. We would love to be able to purchase and install large solar panels instead of a generator. While purchasing enough solar panels to store electricity would most likely cost as much as a generator, they would definitely save on expensive fuel required to run the generator. Unfortunately we cannot at this time figure out a way to install solar panels without a very high risk that those expensive panels will be stolen. Our neighbors can walk on to our house from their roof. If we were away from the house for only a few hours (not to mention a few days or months) we know we would face the sad experience other missionaries who have lived in this area have coming home to stolen solar panels. The generator must be delivered by a crane into our back yard. It weighs half a ton. It would be extremely difficult for someone to steal. Even when we lived on a secure compound with two 24 hr. armed security guards on patrol, we had all our batteries that store the electricity from the generator walk away from our house. We have not had this issue with our batteries at our new house because they are locked up securely inside our caged front porch. However, due to having very limited funds to purchase long lasting batteries (still were not cheap at a couple thousand dollars) when we arrived in St. Marc, our past battery investment bit the dust after only one year of use. We have maintained our $2,000 inverter which inverts the stored power from the batteries that are charged by the power source (city power, generator, or solar panels). Due to the severity of damage done to appliances (mostly our computers as we kept everything else unplugged) from the limited city power that does come in, we need to be able to get off the grid completely and only use our own source of electricity. Since solar panels are out for the time being, our only option is a generator and better batteries. <br />
Several people have asked why we cannot simply purchase the same generator for $5,000 less in the states and ship it to Haiti? Well, we could. But...by the time we purchase, pay for shipping, processing, customs, and wait (possibly months) and then figure out how to somehow get the 1,000 pound generator off the boat with most likely a lot of fuss and hassle and more monies demanded, we will have spent close to or more than the $13,000 the generator costs to purchase in Haiti.<br />
Others have asked why we need this particular expensive generator? If we were to purchase a different brand that may be cheaper we would have major issues on a regular basis and spend more time and money on parts and labor. We say this based on the testimonies of many others we have watched go through this who have advised and encouraged us what would give us the best output for the money without us continually having to put more money, time, and energy into it. Some have suggested purchasing a good brand but maybe a smaller generator that we would have to run more often. We have a large house in Haiti. We have had an average of 9-20 people living/staying in this house consistently. All of these people have needs in order to keep them fed, rested, clean and healthy. It is not possible to provide refrigeration to keep foods fresh, fans to combat the extreme heat and mosquitos we live with year round, or running water without electricity. The only way to provide sufficient electricity to such a large household that will allow us to run all of our appliances and charge the batteries at the same time (therefore saving expensive gas and time spent facilitating the running of all these things) is to purchase a large generator that can handle that load. It will blow the breaker if we run it on a smaller generator. <br />
We hope this answers any questions and concerns about why we are budgeting so much for this need. We have researched what will work best to run the household and be most cost effective in the long run. After checking on current pricing we have budgeted $13,000 to purchase the generator in Haiti, $5,000 for 12 good batteries costing $400 each, and are estimating that it may cost up to another $2,000 for delivery of the generator from Port au Prince to St. Marc, purchasing cords and attachments and installation. This is where we are getting the $20,000 budget.<br />
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Elisabeth and the kids are scheduled to return to Haiti in less than a month. Eric needs to book his ticket to arrive in Haiti even earlier in the next three weeks in order to be able to get personal affairs (such as repairs and Lord willing the purchase and installation of a generator) completed at the house before teacher workshops, trainings, and the start of school commences in early September and our family and five others preparing to come live and serve with us arrive on the scene. We honestly do not know how this is going to happen but we are trusting that God will provide a way, one way or another. While the <em>HOW? </em>is our biggest unknown, our knowns are much bigger this time around. Perhaps that is the problem. It is easier not to know. When we first left for Haiti we didn't know what we were getting into exactly and it was exciting. We didn't much know what to expect so we didn't expect much. Gone is the exhilarating enchantment of venturing into unknown adventure. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjUn97emoshHT55rPPps-BF7rH3pyBRbLBWq_uz-osoLKWHKtsL_kV5LX4TwzF6AW8mp4_gmDTcpIeQWpMbiV_pbugGTjzjLTepaFnrhGu1BTgq1N056b6pwaZE0TfYfWRAi8mZ8a_AA/s1600/Machete+Man.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjUn97emoshHT55rPPps-BF7rH3pyBRbLBWq_uz-osoLKWHKtsL_kV5LX4TwzF6AW8mp4_gmDTcpIeQWpMbiV_pbugGTjzjLTepaFnrhGu1BTgq1N056b6pwaZE0TfYfWRAi8mZ8a_AA/s1600/Machete+Man.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We know that what we easily expect <em>could </em>happen is much scarier than this dude that roams our street selling machetes to our neighbors who would chop our dogs in two without a second thought. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">We know cause this has almost happened more than once.</span> </td></tr>
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Dogs are one thing. People are another. We won't go into what we personally have experienced in the way of scares here. Perhaps that will be for a later book at a much later time when our mothers are no longer with us. When friends and family voiced their fears of Eric going to Israel in the midst of a war this past month, we were thinking, "do you have any idea what where we live?" Israel executes self defense forces and has bomb shelters everywhere. Have you ever seen Israel ranking in the top 10-15 most dangerous countries in the world? Haiti tops the charts in several Google searches over recent years at numbers 4, 9, and 13. A bit unnerving if one focuses on this. We don't...most of the time. It isn't machete man but <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chikungunya"><strong>Chikungunya</strong></a> which <a href="http://pt.igarape.org.br/break-your-bones-mortality-and-morbidity-associated-with-haitis-chikungunya-epidemic/"><strong>"has been merciless in Haiti"</strong></a> that is our most fearful concern with returning in the next few weeks. While nearly everyone on the island has suffered the Chikungunya epidemic in the months we have been away and it is said to be declining, we know there is still a high risk our family could be added to the victim list. We have sought wisdom from other missionaries/medically knowledgeable friends in Haiti who have been battling and researching this personally. We are going to do everything we can to up our immune systems and prevent getting bitten by mosquitos carrying this debilitating virus when we return. We are moving ahead with plans to return as scheduled because Haiti is our home where God has us and we need to be back there as soon as possible. While it is difficult not to fear the ramifications and lingering damage from this new physical threat that will be very difficult to avoid, it is not having the means to deal with the sickness should we get it that we will not be able to handle well under our current situation. It is that knowing thing again. It is one thing for unforeseeable sickness to come upon you. It is another thing to walk into it knowing what it will be like. We imagine what it will be like if (and likely, but Lord please no, when) we have 6 members of our family unable to move from bone crushing pain, covered in fever and rash, along with the 5 others coming to live with us down with this sickness...WITH NO FANS TO COOL US OFF, NO RUNNING WATER TO CLEAN US OFF, ETC. ETC. ETC. While we know that a generator will not necessarily prevent us getting sick from mosquito born illnesses (though it could lessen our chances if we are able to keep mosquitos at bay with fans), we know that in the event we get sick we will be able to survive it with much better if we have a generator at our home. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvaSJ8Bhi5jDLyo3hLU3-mDxSAz8_418_Km6rUUlnhIF96qX7x3nejWnxuVXZA-DgdD7UvDaN-iZ1XOUMPLORQCGngYIU7h-WhWiDwV59N7t4ncoBSgqZKKQjxv8Cu9tKL48ckDPqLN8/s1600/Where+we+get+our+water.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvaSJ8Bhi5jDLyo3hLU3-mDxSAz8_418_Km6rUUlnhIF96qX7x3nejWnxuVXZA-DgdD7UvDaN-iZ1XOUMPLORQCGngYIU7h-WhWiDwV59N7t4ncoBSgqZKKQjxv8Cu9tKL48ckDPqLN8/s1600/Where+we+get+our+water.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We are not asking for luxuries like air conditioning and hot water (although that would be nice). We would just like running water that doesn't come directly from this hole in the ground. The water will still come from this hole but it is possible (with a generator) that it can be pumped up to the roof and down through an actual shower in a real bathroom!</span> </td></tr>
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We have never before been afraid to visit or live in Haiti. But we are there now. God always finds new ways to stretch us doesn't He? We know we can camp in heat and mosquitos. We have done it before and we can do it again (though by God's grace we have never yet done it sick). We are still planning to head back to our Haiti home in the next month. We are really hoping we can head back knowing that we can purchase a generator and batteries for our home. We know it will take a small miracle for that to happen. We have been busy speaking at churches, to individuals and groups all summer and fundraising for our return to Haiti. We have raised $6,516.44 that has been designated specifically for the generator and batteries. We still have places to go and people to visit in the upcoming weeks. We are pretty travel weary to say the least after just returning to Texas last night. We know that our meager efforts to come up with another $13,483.56 in the next 3 weeks is not going to happen without a miracle. We are praying for that and asking you to join us please! We would like to ask you to share with your friends, family, Sunday school classes, clubs and groups about any possible fundraising projects to help us reach our goal of purchasing a generator and batteries before September. Click <a href="http://hgim.donorpages.com/MissionsReamEGenerator/reamteam/">THIS LINK</a> for more information on how to give a tax deductible donation in whatever way is best for you. Please continue to pray for us and that we would have a peace that surpasses our understanding (fears and known threats) even if this funding is not fully met before we need to return to Haiti. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0aYJM7k337PoekwySM6eXM29ZYkjhHVohdkwAVrEifqLEkQzY_O0z_mLT5u904EcHjzkiMhPOMNPiclK5h2iz7qXiIAx3ENC2KiCnlUe_ISmeE2v01IUlgbzU1hRy_r8iz85lXghyphenhyphenVg/s1600/Naked+boys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX0aYJM7k337PoekwySM6eXM29ZYkjhHVohdkwAVrEifqLEkQzY_O0z_mLT5u904EcHjzkiMhPOMNPiclK5h2iz7qXiIAx3ENC2KiCnlUe_ISmeE2v01IUlgbzU1hRy_r8iz85lXghyphenhyphenVg/s1600/Naked+boys.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">We are tempted to feel stranded, to give in to sinking fear.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">But we must, we must remember...</span></td></tr>
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<strong></strong><br />
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<strong>"Hold us in quiet through the age-long minute</strong></div>
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<strong>While Thou art silent, and the wind is shrill:</strong></div>
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<strong>Can the boat sink while Thou, dear Lord, art in it?</strong></div>
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<strong>Can the heart faint that waiteth on Thy will?"</strong></div>
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<strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Carmichael">Amy Carmichael</a></strong></div>
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***All photos in this post were taken by us in our Haiti neighborhood.</div>
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Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-89240316867208142052014-07-19T18:28:00.000-07:002014-07-19T18:28:51.813-07:00Where God Guides...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Where God Guides, He Provides...So Trust God" was the theme of a VBS at one of our special stops this summer spending time and serving with our friends in Crossroads, TN. It has continued as the theme of our summer as God continues to guide us all over the place! We have enjoyed our time with everyone we have been able to see in eleven states and three countries so far! We are so thankful for these relationships and the time so many you of have invested to share your lives with us. God has created us for relationships. He uses relationships at all levels to draw us closer to Him and through that relationship draw us closer to one another. Oh how we wish we'd been able to blog about all the places God has guided and provided for us during our travels in detail. Everyone has been so wonderful. We truly have the best friends and family in the world...all over the world. My grandma who is now with Jesus used to say everything was the best. "He is the best baby! This the best cake! That was the best sermon! Oh honey, it is just the best!" She said that about every baby and every thing she experienced everywhere she went! Everywhere we have been we have felt that it was just the very best. And then we enter another home and that was the best too! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all of you who have loved and served us the past few months! You're the best!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><em>"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." Philippians 1:3-5</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Through you God has provided the following <strong>answered prayers</strong>! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-One family decided that they could do without their suburban for two months and graciously allowed us to use it to travel from Illinois to Canada and back.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-Another family added phones on their family phone plan and mailed the phones where we first landed so we could use them for the summer. These phones also served as our GPS to get us everywhere we needed to go.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-Another family used their job benefits to help us get cheap flights on standby that got all of us and our many bags back to Texas after we returned the borrowed vehicle.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-Several friends and supporting churches have provided homes and hotels, food, fun, fellowship, and many additional treats (Disney World, zoo, beach, the gift of new family photos, Braves game, Gatlinburg/Smoky Mountains, drive in theatre double features, Summer camp for kids in Canada, Six Flags) along the way. Anything our children may have felt they missed the past three years spent in Haiti was made up for all in one summer and our girls got to relive a great deal of the childhood they never had. These special times have meant so much to us!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Because of your amazing hospitality we have been able to save a good portion of what we thought we would need to spend on the road and regular monthly expenses. We have saved nearly enough to pay the yearly rent on our Haiti house. We are very thankful for this and that our landlord has been gracious in granting us extra time.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Right now we have raised 1/3 of our fully funded monthly budget to be able to serve in Haiti well for the long haul. We are praising God for His provision and trusting Him to continue to provide for where He guides our family and yours in His perfect plan. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Other praises...</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-There is a strong possibility we have a family of four and another young man coming to serve alongside us this upcoming semester in Haiti! We are excited about what God has in the works! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-Kofael continues to progress and the loans needed for the rest of the summer are fully funded from donations and as the women have been faithful in paying back their loans. A team led by our mission organization assisted with the Kofael meeting in Haiti this past month. We are thrilled they were able to be there to encourage the women and be encouraged by this ministry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Prayer request...</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-Eric will be traveling to Israel July 22nd-August 5th. This trip has been planned for a long time. If you have been watching the news you know this is not the best time to go. However, Eric, Scott (who is traveling with Eric and leaving for Africa straight from Israel), and the HGIM leadership team believe they will be able to accomplish the goals of the trip. We have many contacts in Israel that will be able to help them do so as safely as possible. Please pray for their travels and safe return as you pray for the peace of Jerusalem!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-A terrible new mosquito virus called "chikungunya", "chickV", and also "the bone crushing disease" has been plaguing the entire island of Haiti since around the time we left. Nearly every person we know in Haiti has suffered from this virus and most everyone who has suffered continues to have severe on-going pain from relapses weeks and months later. Please pray for their full recoveries and for this epidemic to end. Pray also for wisdom as we plan to return to Haiti soon with our family and do all we can to stay healthy so that we can continue to serve well. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-Pray for the funds to be able to purchase a large generator and batteries to come in the next month so that we can get this set up as soon as we return to meet the needs of our family and the five others coming to live and serve with us in Haiti. We do not see how it will be possible to function well and stay healthy (mosquitos stay away from fans but fans need electricity) to provide for such a large household without any electricity or running water. We have set up a separate fundraiser page for the generator. Please check it out <strong><u><a href="http://hgim.donorpages.com/MissionsReamEGenerator/reamteam">HERE</a></u></strong> and pray with us for this big expensive need!</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">-Please pray for continued traveling mercies for us, for healing and direction for some of our family members going through difficult times, for the new partnerships God is bringing us in Haiti and financial provision for them as well, for us to trust God with all of these. Remembering, "Where God Guides, He Provides...SO TRUST GOD!"</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SQHKZCN-mZvqOO8ZQ6z02ZTlGBrODT5opKAJuoyJmhJMgwLm8KxuEtjTjDqXQR5rehsTyhpz_z1-BiekXRe4Y7Rx0Lm0CHdQchw7h_8cDsHC1ngFT2QUgixXKlJZnpI9Q3IXwP9hXAE/s1600/Family+photo+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SQHKZCN-mZvqOO8ZQ6z02ZTlGBrODT5opKAJuoyJmhJMgwLm8KxuEtjTjDqXQR5rehsTyhpz_z1-BiekXRe4Y7Rx0Lm0CHdQchw7h_8cDsHC1ngFT2QUgixXKlJZnpI9Q3IXwP9hXAE/s1600/Family+photo+2014.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to Lyndsey East for our first photos as a family in the U.S.!</td></tr>
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Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-64345706897444399212014-07-19T13:30:00.000-07:002014-07-19T13:30:41.849-07:00Wherever Our Feet May Roam...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Three weeks in the US and three weeks in Haiti have the Ream
Team split.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am in Haiti.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My family, as many of you know, is in the
US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is difficult to be separated as a
family. Part of who I am is in two worlds not far apart geographically, but far
apart in every other way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It feels like
I have one foot in Haiti and one foot in the USA.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Our family of six traveled to the USA for the first time
together after waiting four years to be able to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Watching my daughter <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Esmée </span>as the plane started to move brought us all joy and
excitement and tears to my eyes.<b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98ZFVREh_7_eJJL0cxMe5ki-ceC7REZcBToLsxauONRE_bNYqsd17OfZCF7C6Fv0qaVUvZE92P-6jh3sNibmJyVOcZRMRw3AFMEE-vp4p0cZ6za4iYn5eq9HLTH4dHATYP-BEqBQLpdE/s1600/Esmee+in+USA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh98ZFVREh_7_eJJL0cxMe5ki-ceC7REZcBToLsxauONRE_bNYqsd17OfZCF7C6Fv0qaVUvZE92P-6jh3sNibmJyVOcZRMRw3AFMEE-vp4p0cZ6za4iYn5eq9HLTH4dHATYP-BEqBQLpdE/s1600/Esmee+in+USA.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Esmée is an American citizen!</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We arrived in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, where Elisabeth and </span><span style="font-size: large;">Esmée</span><span style="font-size: large;"> finished immigration in record
time and met the rest of us who were still waiting for our luggage. We finally
make our way to the front of the customs line and the immigration officer pulls
us out of the moving line and asks us to wait. We explained that we were going
to miss our connecting flight if we were detained any longer. They basically said they didn’t care and left us standing there for what seemed like forever before
being escorted upstairs and detained further in the same room we had just
completed our daughter’s immigration process. The officer who had just
processed our paperwork argued, “A family of six? Wait! These two were just in
here and I cleared their paperwork! What are they doing back in here?” Surely
he must have known how many background checks we have been through in the past
4 years! The other officer said that something had come up and that they were
waiting for their supervisor. We did our best to tame wild imaginings racking
through our minds over what that “something” could possibly be while four wild and
hungry children kept asking what the police were going to do to us and if we
were still going to Texas. After an hour of waiting with knotted stomachs, I am pulled into an office
and questioned about Haiti, the what, the why and the how of what I do and the
same questions for every other country that is stamped on my passport (Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Dominican Republic, Mexico).</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">The
officer questioning me was genial and seemed interested professionally and
personally in my travels and what I was doing in those countries.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">I had a great opportunity to share who God is
and why my feet have been in several countries.</span><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">In a frustrating situation, I thank God that He helped me offer a kind
response to the interrogating officer, and to plant or water a seed for the
gospel. </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Our long ago missed connecting
flight began our separation as a family early. The rest of the day was almost
as wild as we scrambled to make separate standby flights with kids perched all
over the plane. Elisabeth and the kids made it to meet several supportive
friends at the airport just a little later than scheduled. Thank you friends
and family who welcomed us with smiles, signs and hugs increasing our joy to
end this long wild ride with you. I eventually made it to Texas later that night.
Though Chick-fil-A was already closed, I rejoiced that a double portion had
been saved for me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Our time in Texas reunited us with amazing friends and
family, churches, eating too much food, making doctor visits and getting
paperwork and evidence ready for another court proceeding pertaining to the
girls' adoptions. The adoptions and citizenship had been completed but we needed
to register both foreign decrees stateside in order to receive new birth
certificates with their name changes and correct an error on <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Esmée</span>’s birth date. This also allows
us to no longer tote a large dossier of adoption paperwork with another stack of
translations around with us! Our court appointment went well and everything is
finished now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you to our family,
friends, doctor, lawyers and God’s Littlest Angels for each step you walked
with us to make this dream become a reality.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I arrived home in Haiti on April 8<sup>th</sup> to the
inconveniences of having no power for over two weeks at our house, major
plumbing issues still not fixed, rainy season beginning and huge leaks in the
roof. But never fear because help is on the way! Or so I thought. Our landlord
was supposed to come over two weeks ago to assess and deal with the situation.
We have not heard from him or anyone who was scheduled to fix some of these big
issues in the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is such a huge
prayer request. We need to get these issues fixed and make a new contract
before I leave in three weeks. Please pray that all these details will come
together this week. We need to pay for at least one year’s rent at the signing
of the new contract.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need help,
prayers, and participation right now to meet this need. We need 12 people that
could commit to give a one time gift of $650.00 this month. Please contact us and/or visit our <a href="http://www.reamteaminternational.org/p/current-needs.html">donate</a> page on this blog if you desire to help. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My foot in Haiti has been
accomplishing some other more exciting things in the last few weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I participated in my first graduating class
as a volunteer principal at El Shaddai Learning Center. While it is hard to be
away from my family, there are different things I am able to do when my family is not with
me that are additional blessings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have had many
great spiritual conversations with several of the 20 -30 year olds in our neighborhood while hanging outside late at night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These guys said, “Eric, you hardly ever do
this with us when your family is here” (late night conversations). That gave me
another great opportunity to talk about the responsibility of a husband and a
father in the home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please pray for
these men who are not yet believers and are so open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is working!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been able to take some of them with me
as I have traveled to other parts of Haiti since I do not have a car full of
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many of the guys it was
their first time to visit these places even so close to home in their own country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had part of my discipleship group over to
the house and took some of them to play tennis and swim one day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some had never been in a swimming pool, a nice
grocery store, and definitely had never played tennis before. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtL1Fy5CEP9wyI_b-YeNh19UFZf2ZnNUg7m_c3Eu_BavsaFh1fI6Cqg1r1jQ0GhgVdBcDjkCWXD7jnmwdePGaZ_2CjUvBZGIkSDKTp5U7bPgx74pPNe-WD15FJ7iUq3aBPJO7QewDOC4/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtL1Fy5CEP9wyI_b-YeNh19UFZf2ZnNUg7m_c3Eu_BavsaFh1fI6Cqg1r1jQ0GhgVdBcDjkCWXD7jnmwdePGaZ_2CjUvBZGIkSDKTp5U7bPgx74pPNe-WD15FJ7iUq3aBPJO7QewDOC4/s1600/photo.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guys in my discipleship group hanging at our house!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXo7h1f1oYFWCVuw_FsS8UqSv8m3wERmu7caHuiOziUFDn2Ju0o5KxEKrANKRQZin_ACj4xX3KFagibRJhLv_-qrctMQO1vr3VpGzcOwdX4EdW9g8GdSR2x3RAG3Tb94zvO7uvMNmV2I/s1600/Indigo+Three.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmXo7h1f1oYFWCVuw_FsS8UqSv8m3wERmu7caHuiOziUFDn2Ju0o5KxEKrANKRQZin_ACj4xX3KFagibRJhLv_-qrctMQO1vr3VpGzcOwdX4EdW9g8GdSR2x3RAG3Tb94zvO7uvMNmV2I/s1600/Indigo+Three.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fun times learning and loving on students!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTiE2-SzSZziBjJdwR40w9hbRp47GZuV5ReaBMaGs2iCp3PvJzb-sRBCoVsKDq0Rcw8VbGvALPilBMopAQwmkoHaxfTXAcL8F_izuPnLDnI_LRP2hVh22f1OJk4458nNUPtodoLyWn9I/s1600/Indigo+Tennis.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTiE2-SzSZziBjJdwR40w9hbRp47GZuV5ReaBMaGs2iCp3PvJzb-sRBCoVsKDq0Rcw8VbGvALPilBMopAQwmkoHaxfTXAcL8F_izuPnLDnI_LRP2hVh22f1OJk4458nNUPtodoLyWn9I/s1600/Indigo+Tennis.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Discipleship guys play tennis for the first time!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Thank you for helping us minister here and offer the gospel and a life devoted to serving the Lord! It is a wonderful blessing to build relationships with our neighbors, students and friends through fun experiences too! We pray that as they look back on these fun times they will always remember the conversations about the Savior that took place and remember to look to Him.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BWtOEtNv6Nw-x8V3Ud1fm6wwsAySbqFITtwPXG8ZIAsgsSOrKXJZSQuC6mqmuy-5wQnyGCn94mWAjneSoQn_QLZffJo8FAf3Rj3zhXHfwAnl81uVqU3dmF9qM6hTF744tNostnBbYxo/s1600/Stanley.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BWtOEtNv6Nw-x8V3Ud1fm6wwsAySbqFITtwPXG8ZIAsgsSOrKXJZSQuC6mqmuy-5wQnyGCn94mWAjneSoQn_QLZffJo8FAf3Rj3zhXHfwAnl81uVqU3dmF9qM6hTF744tNostnBbYxo/s1600/Stanley.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our neighbor Stanley's first time in a pool!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I spent last Saturday with the women of our KOFAEL program. It is always an encouragement to see those with what looks like little praising our Lord for so much! This ministry continues to grow and be a blessing of provision for many Haitian families. Please continue in prayers and support for them. There is an immediate need for $2,400 in donations to provide for the next round of business loans that the women expect and have worked to receive. We need to be able to grant this money by next months meeting on May 31st. The women have been faithful to pay back their loans and sustain their businesses and families. This lack of funds is a deficit from the $250 per member we must raise to grant the loans in the first place. If you are interested in learning more about this ministry program and/or a tax deductible donation please visit </span><a href="http://kofael.org/" style="font-size: x-large;">kofael.org</a><span style="font-size: large;">.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYz6Yz7xsAreXLcqm99bljnHyK5Q0a3LLIdaUIsABkVW56qY5-_v7puFF8mq4LCUU9cIV5Hb2aTb6SrK06T7XW1tVqXWYccdBoewgPIXhWufh6tcFKcXwzMCvptOMsLV0OTM3qVRKW1pI/s1600/KOFAEL+April+2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYz6Yz7xsAreXLcqm99bljnHyK5Q0a3LLIdaUIsABkVW56qY5-_v7puFF8mq4LCUU9cIV5Hb2aTb6SrK06T7XW1tVqXWYccdBoewgPIXhWufh6tcFKcXwzMCvptOMsLV0OTM3qVRKW1pI/s1600/KOFAEL+April+2014.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">KOFAEL women praying together at the April meeting.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I felt your prayers this
morning as I led school chapel. Two students confessed that they needed Christ and
several more were strengthened in their desire to walk in Christ!</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">The Holy Spirit is busy working!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Both of my feet will be in the USA by the end of May.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will be traveling in IL, FL, GA, TN, KY,
IN, OH, NY, TX and Canada among other countries that I will travel to this
summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would love to see you and
connect with you, your family, small group and church this summer. Our schedule
is filling up quickly, but we will do our best to make room for you! Thank you
for making room for us in your hearts and homes as we partner together to glorify
God and make Him known around the world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">May your feet and ours be beautiful as we share the gospel of
Jesus Christ wherever our feet may roam!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Romans 10: 14-15<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p><i><span style="font-size: large;">Eric</span></i></span></div>
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Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-3407123867803180622014-03-15T09:03:00.000-07:002014-03-15T09:03:31.199-07:00Ream Team Itinerary...We can't wait to see you!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr valign="top"><td colspan="3"><span style="font-size: large;">Want to be the first to see us? This Tuesday, March 18th, is the big day! We invite friends and family to come to the Austin airport (see flight itinerary below) and welcome us back as a family of six! We would love to hug your necks! We plan to stop off and eat somewhere inexpensive, convenient, and kid friendly (if Eric gets his way it will be Chick-fil-A) nearby and can visit some more there!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If you can't make it to the airport on a school night, we hope to see you soon! Here is the plan in a nutshell. We will all be around San Marcos/New Braunfels for the first two weeks after arrival and then spend the last week in the DFW area before Eric heads back to Haiti on April 8th. Elisabeth and the kids will be in San Marcos, TX, until they fly to VA on April 16th, and will then travel to KY and IL where Eric will rejoin us May 13th. We begin our journeys to FL, GA, TN, OH, NY and Canada between the end of May-mid July. Then we head back to TX, and Eric heads to Israel with our mission Heart of God International Ministries. He will return from Israel in mid August and we will have a few weeks in TX, before we head back to Haiti! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Please pray for us to finish packing the next few days, for our hearts and others that we are saying hard good byes to, for the people and ministries that we are leaving behind during these months, for safe travels, that immigration will go smoothly in Ft. Lauderdale (we only have about an hour to get through or we will miss our next flight), and for all of us to do well with all these travels and transitions! Please read </span><a href="http://www.reamteaminternational.org/2014/02/can-i-flush-toilet-papersome-thoughts.html"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">THIS</span></strong></a><span style="font-size: large;"> post if you have not done so and plan to see us! Thank you for your faithful prayers over the past four years that we have waited for this day! We cannot wait to share our joy with you!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="background-color: #00007c;" valign="top" width="4"><img align="top" alt="" height="4" src="https://snt150.mail.live.com/Handlers/ImageProxy.mvc?bicild=&canary=56Z9HfjGpvVi918B9aS6u8W2EnDR6IhcVdZW6TZrUGk%3d0&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.aa.com%2fcontent%2fimages%2fnav%2fmoduleTabLeft.gif" width="4" /> </td><td nowrap="nowrap" style="background-color: #00007c;" valign="bottom"><strong><span style="background-color: #00007c;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your Itinerary </span> </span></strong> </td><td style="background-color: #00007c;" valign="top" width="4"><img align="top" alt="" height="4" src="https://snt150.mail.live.com/Handlers/ImageProxy.mvc?bicild=&canary=56Z9HfjGpvVi918B9aS6u8W2EnDR6IhcVdZW6TZrUGk%3d0&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.aa.com%2fcontent%2fimages%2fnav%2fmoduleTabRight.gif" width="4" /> </td></tr>
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<table align="center" border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 669px;" summary="Itinerary table"><thead>
<tr valign="top"><th bgcolor="#afc8e7" rowspan="2" scope="col"><span style="background-color: #afc8e7; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Carrier </span> </th><th bgcolor="#afc8e7" rowspan="2" scope="col"><span style="background-color: #afc8e7; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Flight<br />Number </span> </th><th bgcolor="#afc8e7" colspan="2" scope="col"><span style="background-color: #afc8e7; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Departing </span> </th><th bgcolor="#afc8e7" colspan="2" scope="col"><span style="background-color: #afc8e7; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Arriving </span> </th><th bgcolor="#afc8e7" rowspan="2" scope="col"><span style="background-color: #afc8e7; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Booking<br />Code </span> <th bgcolor="#afc8e7" rowspan="2" scope="col"><span style="background-color: #afc8e7; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Meals </span> </th></th></tr>
<tr valign="top"><th align="center" bgcolor="#e4f0ff" scope="col"><span style="background-color: #e4f0ff; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">City </span> </th><th align="center" bgcolor="#e4f0ff" scope="col"><span style="background-color: #e4f0ff; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Date & Time </span> </th><th align="center" bgcolor="#e4f0ff" scope="col"><span style="background-color: #e4f0ff; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">City </span> </th><th align="center" bgcolor="#e4f0ff" scope="col"><span style="background-color: #e4f0ff; color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Time </span> </th></tr>
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<tr valign="center"><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://snt150.mail.live.com/Handlers/ImageProxy.mvc?bicild=&canary=56Z9HfjGpvVi918B9aS6u8W2EnDR6IhcVdZW6TZrUGk%3d0&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.aa.com%2fcontent%2fimages%2fcarrierLogos%2fAAL.gif" /> <br /> AMERICAN AIRLINES </span> </td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1158 </span> </td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PAP Port Au Prince </span> </td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Mar 18, 2014<br />09:15 AM </span> </td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FLL Fort Lauderdale </span> </td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Mar 18, 2014<br />11:30 AM </span> </td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">N </span> </td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> N/A </span> </td></tr>
<tr valign="center"><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://snt150.mail.live.com/Handlers/ImageProxy.mvc?bicild=&canary=56Z9HfjGpvVi918B9aS6u8W2EnDR6IhcVdZW6TZrUGk%3d0&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.aa.com%2fcontent%2fimages%2fcarrierLogos%2fAAL.gif" /> <br /> AMERICAN AIRLINES </span> </td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1337 </span> </td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FLL Fort Lauderdale </span> </td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Mar 18, 2014<br />12:50 PM </span> </td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DFW Dallas/ Fort Worth </span> </td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Mar 18, 2014<br />03:05 PM </span> </td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">O </span> </td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Food for Purchase </span> </td></tr>
<tr valign="center"><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://snt150.mail.live.com/Handlers/ImageProxy.mvc?bicild=&canary=56Z9HfjGpvVi918B9aS6u8W2EnDR6IhcVdZW6TZrUGk%3d0&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.aa.com%2fcontent%2fimages%2fcarrierLogos%2fAAL.gif" /> <br /> AMERICAN AIRLINES </span> </td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1670 </span> </td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">DFW Dallas/ Fort Worth </span> </td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Mar 18, 2014<br />05:35 PM </span> </td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">AUS Austin </span> </td><td align="center" bgcolor="#ffffff"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Mar 18, 2014<br />06:30 PM </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-21037550242340571292014-02-27T13:36:00.000-08:002014-02-27T13:39:05.099-08:00"Can I flush the toilet paper?"...some thoughts, fears, and hopes about coming "home".<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The other night my youngest crawled in bed with me. He had a
lot going on inside his little head. We all do right now. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">“Mommy, I am sad to leave Haiti because I am really going to
miss my friends at school. I will miss Daly and Brownie too. I’m scared. What
if my friends don’t remember me when I come back? What if our dogs don’t
remember us?”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">I say, “They will remember you. You are one hard boy to
forget!”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">“But mommy, my friend Z didn’t remember me when I saw him at
the beach. I spent all of Kindergarten and some of first grade with him and he
didn’t even know me!”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">I reminded Evan that Ethan didn’t remember most of his first
grade class when we went back to visit the U.S. sixteen months later. I reminded
him that a lot of people come to visit us in Haiti and we sometimes have a hard
time remembering their names too. This didn’t make reassurances any better. This
is the bittersweet reality that generally plays out when you live and have
friends all over the world. Having friends all over the world is awesome. Wondering
where you fit in when you re-enter your friend’s world can sometimes be sad and
scary. Your old spots have been taken and many things have changed. We want to
feel the welcome in “welcome home” but to be honest the home part seems really
awkward. We probably won’t <em>feel</em> “home”. The reality is that we will be living
out of suitcases for the next five months, away from our norm, away from our home.
We believe it will be good. But it will be weird. Our girls have spent very
little (as in only five weeks) to zero time in their entire lives away from our Haiti home. Our
boys don’t remember as much as one might expect them to and certainly aren’t up
to speed with all the changes that have happened since they left. </span><br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Friendship is a place where we go to grow</span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">where it is safe to sprout wings, </span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">and shed old skins,</span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">and try our voices</span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">in new, uncertain notes."</span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">People change. We spent a lot of time with my sister Erin
and her husband Jesse before we move to Haiti. There are many memories still fresh and frozen in our minds exactly as we left them. Auntie Erin and Uncle Jesse have moved twice and
have had a baby since then. Jesse also recently lost two of his fingers in an
accident at work so he is unable to do some of the things (like play guitar
with Evan) that the boys remember fondly. As much as we have talked about the
miracle of baby Hannah and that now we can help Auntie Erin and not just let
her cater to our every whim, it is hard to imagine things different than they
were before. I am thinking of many others whose families and lives have changed quite a bit as well. We tend to freeze frame the people and places that are super special to us at the time we leave them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remind the boys
they also have added two sisters and that most of our friends and family have
never witnessed us in our dramatic life changes either. I think part of the
scary is the anticipation that we are coming “home” after waiting so long to do so with both of our girls. It
isn’t how we first imagined it and we don’t know exactly how it will be. But we know it
will be so great to all be together…finally!</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Places change. The last time I was home with three of the kids
we traveled through several states. We got lost in DFW, Texas looking for the dentist that should
have been right where I left it when we moved from there eight years ago. It was. I
just didn’t recognize any of the roads. They had all changed so much! Elita
Marguerite remarked, “But mom, I thought you knew Texas!” I felt like saying, “Do you know
every road in Haiti???
Well, Haiti is just a speck
on the map compared to Texas!”
</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
Our current little corner of the world is so…little. We are
used to little. We are certain to feel like specks in America, especially
since we plan to take the road trip a great deal farther this time around. We
are currently scheduling travels in not only the giant state of TX, but then
VA, IL, KY, FL, GA, TN, OH, NY, and Canada. The majority of us have been to
less than half or none of all these places. Think fish out of water. That will
be us. </span><br />
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Friendship is a ship</span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">where we may search together</span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">the same horizons;</span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">one seeing sky,</span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">the other water,</span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">where they meet."</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Think about if you were to come to Haiti. Almost
everything looks and feels different. But it is pretty normal to us now. So you
may hear us ask silly things like all of the following that have actually been asked by us (so I'm suspecting it could happen again). <br /><em>
“Oh you are from Oregon?</em>
(Long pause after a <em>“yes”</em> response.) <em>What country is that?”, “Do you have a shower?”, “Is there hot water here?”, “Can I flush the toilet paper?”, “Is it ok to use the microwave?”, “Is it ok to use the hair dryer?”, “You know how to pump gas?”</em></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
<strong>We all might do things you might think are really weird or even
possibly rude.</strong> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
For example, in America we always took our shoes
off inside our house and many friends houses. In Haiti we almost always leave our
shoes on inside the house. In America
we always flushed the toilet after use. In Haiti we only flush the toilet when
we can no longer stomach the smell. In Haiti kids are on the rougher side.
They have to be to survive. Our kids live around and go to school with rough
kids. Sometimes our kids are overly rough too. Haiti is really loud. So are we.
Our kids have been conditioned (against their parents will) to believe that in
the event we are blessed with electricity, video games and movies should be
taken advantage of during the entirely of this blessed time. Therefore they are
very much looking forward to 24/7 electricity. I greatly fear their minds have
concocted the notion that they will be electronically stimulated 24/7 when we
enter America
for the entirety of our stay. This is a completely normal notion and response
for a Haitian. Whenever the electricity comes on, everyone who was outside
sitting, selling or just yelling goes inside to watch television and movies and
do nothing else (other than maybe some ironing or hair straightening/curling
while watching television). I kid you not. Don’t think that because Haiti is poor
that almost everyone doesn’t own a television. They do. Or they are at their
neighbors watching.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Different sometimes scares us. I remember dealing with this
when Elita Marguerite arrived stateside and both girls asking questions when
they were alarmed at seeing their grandparents fenceless four acre yard on
Skype. Although you might not feel safe if you come to Haiti, our kids may not
feel safe at your house if you have neither a tall concrete wall with barbed
wire or broken bottles patrolling the top or a security guard with a machete
and gun (or at least a dog that growls and barks a lot like we do).</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Our kids might refer to money as “one dollar Ameriken?,
Haitian dolla?, or gourde. They might be freezing in air conditioning in July
in Texas. Our
girls have little to zero experience with machines that do the work of people
for things like laundry or dishes. I’m sure that none of these things will be
an overly obvious big deal. But we will be adapting and processing them all,
just like you would be adapting to the cold water cup bath in December if you
came to Haiti
then. It’s still a shock to your system no matter how much you think you are
prepared for it. I’m imagining that we will all be in a similar state of shock
that will be prolonged by five months. Five months is about as long as it took
me to begin getting used to Haiti.
Though I think the U.S. and Canada will probably afford much softer blows,
it will be hard to adjust to each new place and then readjust to Haiti all over
again. Giant prayer request that we will all do well with this.</span></div>
<div align="left" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Friendship is a place to hide in,</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: large;">to abide in-</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: large;">not to escape the world,</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: large;">but to face it well."</span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I know we will be tired. Traveling is tiring. Plus we are
not used to leading the busy American life. We are busy in Haiti but it is
different. There is an end at the end of the day. We hardly ever go out at
night. We simply can’t do some things or get anything else accomplished due to
a blocked road, a closed shop, a limited supply of water or gasoline, a
political manifestation, and not having electricity to run anything. We don’t
have 10-10,000 options like 24 hour Wal-Mart. I can’t even think of a single
place in our town to go plug in my computer to charge. As I write this I have
traveled to the next town over and have plugged in at a beach resort (lucky me
to have such an excuse as consecutive days without electricity). While this is
super frustrating at times it is also very freeing. We sit and read nearly
every night with our family by flashlight or candles. We go to bed early. There
is nothing more we can do and little pressure to do the impossible that very
moment. I know we won’t have these “freedoms” in the states in the same way. A
lot of effort goes into “finding time”. We are already feeling this pressure
begin to creep in while just penciling out our tentative summer schedule. There
is the tendency to leave almost no margin. We know we are going to have to push
through to accomplish our goals and be able to come back to Haiti by
September. We believe it is ok to have seasons of push and pressure. We are looking forward to having a ton of fun too but the truth is,
when I look back at the intensely pressure yet productively filled seasons in
my life, those get-you-to-the-next-thing times, I don’t wish to come home to
them. I’m thankful for those times but more thankful that I survived them and
that they are over. I am trying really hard to be more excited about this trip
than that. I just don’t have much of a reference point (other than focusing on
the faces I desperately long to see again). So we shall see. The scary part for me stems from my warped childhood observances of many a missionary family that came to stay with our family. All I could see was that the parents looked incredibly exhausted. The mom's looked unraveled and homely. Their tyrant children were climbing the walls, breaking our toys, abusing our pets, and constantly asking if there was more food or turning their noses up at what was served. I remember staring at the floor and seeing the toenails of one missionary man. The few that remained were hideously long and so thick I gathered they refused to be cut. These are the memories that stuck in my head of missionary families. If there was anything I didn't want to be it was a missionary. My childhood perceptions of missionaries were critically warped and not based on anything they did on the mission field. I was only judging what I saw in my own home, in my own comfort zone, with no compassion to the fact that they were not in theirs. In hindsight I understand why parents were tired, children went crazy at our house that had five children, lots of toys, and was a place they could let loose after traveling for days, weeks, or months by the point they reached us. </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong><em>And now I know this could easily be us.</em></strong> </span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Whether it is out of my own insecurities of what others might think due to potential weird and wild behavior by our tribe, or the simple desire to not turn others off to missions and therefore the Great Commission, I just really don't want that to be us. It is probably one of my worst fears because since childhood I have dreaded becoming "one of those". But here I am. Here we come. Heaven help us!</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
Change is hard anywhere. Whether we feel ready or not, we
are about to embrace it head on! We are way more excited than scared but please
bear with us in the process and love us even if we are really weird in all your
homes away from home. We are all most excited about seeing dear friends and
family…especially those who have helped keep us going through many
encouragements these past years as Haiti became our home. We are
excited to visit your homes and lives and learn from you. We hope to encourage
you too.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
In all honesty, while Haiti is our current home, we don’t
always feel at home here either. Our family looks different than others. We act
different from our neighbors. Expats are spread out. Even those friends that we
relate to most we don’t get to see often if ever in Haiti. We are almost always odd man
out. The other day my daughter came home from school and said, “I don’t feel
like I belong anywhere anymore.” I told her I knew how she felt. She believed
me. We talked about how Jesus traveled around and how he didn’t feel welcome
when he visited his home town of Nazareth.
If the One who made the whole earth felt that way then we should expect to feel this way too. Our journey is not about us. It is about Him. Our ambition is
that we will bring honor and glory to our Savior wherever we are. Thank you for being part of our journey until the day we can say we are truly finally home..."for our citizenship is in heaven" (Philippians 3:20). We eagerly await being present with you all soon!</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Therefore we make it our aim, </span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">whether present or absent, </span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">to be well pleasing to Him."</span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">2 Corinthians 5:9</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
*Quotes are taken from the book <em>Friend Raising </em>by Betty Barnett</div>
<br /></div>
Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-29311767613212101482014-02-18T12:51:00.000-08:002014-02-18T12:51:50.171-08:00Countdown<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We are exactly one month away from our highly anticipated
trip to the U.S.A.
for the first time as a family of six! We are so excited to be reunited with
loved ones and experience new things as a family. The plan is for Eric to be
with us for a few weeks and then return to work in Haiti until at least mid May. He
will then join our family for our summer furlough and fundraising. Our need and
commitment is to return to Haiti
sometime around the end of August or early September. We have been working
through planning an intensely packed travel schedule that we believe will allow
us to connect with both current and hopefully new supporting friends, family,
and churches. Our goal is to come back to Haiti
fully funded with a support system that will enable us to continue full time
ministry in Haiti.
Our home is still in Haiti.
Our house (and everything in it), pets, and the Haitians that live and work
with us will stay behind and take care of everything while we are away. KOFAEL women’s
microloan ministry will continue under the leadership of our friends and
Haitian co-founders. We will continue regular meetings with them through phone
and computer. Eric will be with us over Spring Break but is returning to Haiti
to help wrap up the school year admin duties at El Shaddai Learning Center,
preach at a couple of churches, teach pastors and English classes and finish up
some discipleship responsibilities. Then he will make sure everything else at
home is ready to leave for the remainder of the summer months. The students and
teachers at El Shaddai will be out of school for the summer months and will
resume in September. English classes and discipleship ministries will resume
after the summer months.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;">There are some needs we will have when we first arrive in Texas and throughout our
summer travels. We are looking for friends and family who can help us out with
any of the following.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Immediate needs upon arrival in Texas:</span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Large vehicle that can seat at least our family of six
with seatbelts.</b> We would need use of the vehicle March 18<sup>th</sup>-April
8<sup>th </sup>(or at least some of that time). We will arrive in Austin and will be traveling no farther than the Dallas area between these
dates. The vehicle would need to come from the Austin-San Antonio area.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>U.S.</b><b>
phones and service plan.</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have
an old smart phone (unlocked iphone would be best so we could later use it in Haiti as well)you
are not using or have room on your current plan just to add us through the
summer this would be very helpful.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Clothes and shoes for each member of our family</b>. We
will not be bringing much with us from Haiti. The clothes and shoes we
arrived with or have acquired are mostly completely worn out or no longer fit
our children. If anyone has hand-me-down children’s clothes and shoes or wants
to take us shopping or gift us clothing store gift cards that would be awesome!
</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> *Girl’s clothes sizes junior 12-14. Girl’s shoes size 6.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> *Boy’s clothes sizes 6/7, 7/8, and 8/10. Boy’s shoes sizes (Need
to wait on this one. They keep growing so this could change in the next month.)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Haiti</b><b>
ministry video.</b> We need help from someone who has the computer software and
knowhow to take our Haiti
video recordings and pictures and create (alongside Eric) a well done ministry
video that we can present at churches during our summer travels. This needs to
be accomplished between March 20<sup>th</sup>-April 1<sup>st</sup> by someone
living in the Austin-San Antonio region. San Marcos
or New Braunfels
would be preferable since that is where we will be staying.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Other big needs:</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Yearly rent on Haiti house due.</b> The rent for
our house in Haiti
has to be paid on a yearly basis. Rent for our house from May 2014-May 2015 is $8,000.
We need to pay for this as well as 3 months of bills and supplies to keep the
house running before Eric comes back to the states in May. We are praying for
provision to help meet this upcoming financial need. The monthly amount for
this payment is in our budget in order to save for this payment each year.
However, our current monthly support is only at 17% of meeting our total budget
making paying this in full very difficult. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Large vehicle (needs to seat 6-8 with plenty of room for
luggage) to rent or borrow for our long ministry road trip.</b> We will begin
and conclude (if needed to return vehicle) our road trip in Illinois. If you are in central Illinois
area and happen to have such a vehicle that would be available for us to use
May 21<sup>st</sup>-second week in July or you have connections with a company
that rents vehicles that could give us a super deal, this would bless us
tremendously. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Place for our family to stay near Venice,
Florida May
22-31<sup>st</sup>.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Please pray for our upcoming travels and transitions. We
have some other prayer request regarding transitioning our family back to the
states and will share our thoughts on that soon. We are committing in the next
month to pray and do our best to prepare our kids for what is to come. Please
pray for us during this time of planning and preparing to the best of our
ability. We look forward to seeing many of you very soon!</span></div>
</div>
Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-89699975658102072392014-01-10T10:39:00.003-08:002014-01-10T10:45:10.590-08:00When You Walk by the Way (Part 2)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I rose to my alarm clock of roosters and dogs early Monday morning. Eric was getting ready to head out the door to leave for the Port au Prince airport. The boys asked to tag along and I scrambled to find something for their breakfast in a hurry. "Cereal?" "Nope, cause someone forgot to chill the fake boxed milk." "Oatmeal?" "Too much of that our first year in Haiti". "Peanut butter and bread?" "Nope, we are out of peanut butter." "Will it be just bread then?" "Eggs! We have a few eggs!" Scrambled eggs to fit our scrambled lives. Plans had changed this morning. Eric was supposed to be picking up luggage in the cargo van for the Walker's large team arriving and then waiting with the luggage to pick up our Heart of God team arriving later in the afternoon. However, the polar vortex decided to reroute the schedules of almost everyone this week, even those of us who can't keep ice from melting in our freezer! Flights were canceled and now the team is coming Sat.-Mon. instead of Mon.-Wed. No problem. We are all about being flexible around here. So Eric and the boys took off and I was left with the girls and our plans to prepare for guests which we could not do because food doesn't last that long around here, nor does a clean house. I had been in quite a grumpy funk (see part 1 of <a href="http://www.reamteaminternational.org/2014/01/when-you-walk-by-way-part-1_7.html?spref=fb" target="_blank">THIS</a> post) for the better part of the last week. One more reason not listed in grumpy funk post is that my children have been out of school for 3 weeks. I love my children dearly and spending lots of time with them. But 3 weeks spent primarily in a house in a Haitian neighborhood (lots of sensory overload going on) without much electricity and not enough planned structure leaves at least half my children climbing the walls and me wanting to climb out of my skin. But today would be different. The unplanned opportunity to get out of the house instead of cooking and cleaning the morning away seemed too good to be true. I truly do love hosting guests in our home, but this change of plans was definitely what we needed this week.<br />
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So the girls and I headed out for a 3 mile walk around our community. We love this beautiful walk. But sometimes the things we see, hear, and experience on these walks take a few days, sometimes weeks to process before we do it again. There are realities that are so hard here that you just don't ever get used to them. I think I understand better than I once did. But the longer I am here the more I understand that I really don't know and will never fully understand. </div>
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One thing we see a lot of is naked people. The word for person in creole is "moun". We often joke about the moun moons. I am constantly reminded of the story of David and Bathsheba in the Bible and how as a child I couldn't quite comprehend how King David just happened to see this woman bathing on her roof. Now that is something that I do understand fully. What I don't understand is how with so much unavoidable anatomical education going around how sex education could be so lacking...at least for my girls. Don't get me wrong. I am VERY thankful to get to be the one who does the educating. We are somewhat surprised at how little they actually understand given where they have lived the majority of their lives. There are many things they may have seen but just blocked. They blocked a lot. We were thankful that they wanted and needed to still be little girls when they joined our family two years ago and they were definitely not ready for certain conversations. Also because of the way our girls have been manipulated spiritually and watched those in positions of spiritual authority abuse others and preach a false Gospel for the majority of their lives, we have been very cautious in giving them time to grow and discern spiritual things, the Gospel according to Scripture, and what they believe and embrace for themselves. We always hope for opportunities where our children feel free to ask questions and pray we be able to answer in the right way at the right time. But like Jesus, we sometimes have to get away and ask questions to get them to ask questions.</div>
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And I'm off on a tangent. And that tangent does have a point. But I'm having a hard time making connections. Obviously. Like I said, sometimes those walks take a few days-weeks to process. </div>
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So we set off on our walk, the girls and I. It was a beautiful day and we all remarked how good it felt just to get out. I told them I was sorry for being so grumpy lately and that I was really happy to just spend the day with them. We made small talk as we climbed the hill overlooking the ocean and came around the bend past the beach. We came upon a mother goat who had just given birth. I was excited. The girls were like, "What? It's not like we haven't seen a goat before." But then the mama goat turned around and they noticed something hanging from the goats behind. It was the sack the baby just came out of. They said, "Eeeewwww! That is SO gross!" The mother goat was licking the afterbirth off the baby when all of a sudden another baby begin to emerge. The girls and I stood a few feet away watching the wondrous event. I was mesmerized for a brief moment until I heard Elita shriek, "I can't see! Oh! I can't stand! I can't see!" Knowing the drama queen that she can be I responded with, "just drink some water" and handed her my bottle while still watching the goat birthing process. When two sacks hung from the goats behind I looked over to see her swaying back and forth with her eyes rolling back in her head. I caught her just in time and made her sit on the side of the path with her face to the ocean and her back to the goats. <span class="st">Esmée and I stood and watched some more and talked to Elita over our shoulders. I said, "I know we have talked about it before, but now you have seen how a baby is born." "And it is disgusting!" returned <span class="st">Esmée. "And I am never having a baby! If that goat having a baby almost made me go to heaven, then I know I can't do that!" returned Elita. "Well I think it is about time you girls leaned about the birds and the bees" said I. "Oh I already learned all about those." said Elita. "Oh really?" said I. "Yes the birds fly..." continued Elita. "Not THOSE birds and bees. It's an expression used to talk about something else." "What else?" "Well, I know you know how the baby comes out but do you know how the baby gets in?" "Um. No." they say. "Do you want to know?" I ask. "Um. No." they say. "Well, Dad and I think it is about time you know before someone else tells you who might not tell you in the best way. And since when are my girls who used to pluck their own eating chickens so squeamish?" "What does squeamish mean?" "It means you can't watch a baby goat being born without almost passing out!"</span></span><br />
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<span class="st"><span class="st">We didn't talk all about the birds and the bees on Monday and I am still praying about the "best way". But I was reminded in those moments as I allowed myself to be fully present that God will grant us opportunities to teach our children as we walk along the way if our eyes and hearts are open and ready to receive these gifts. As we continued to watch the beautiful gift of life in our moments with those goats and talk about it this verse came to the front of my mind.</span></span><br />
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<em><span style="font-size: large;">"You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, <strong>when you walk by the way</strong>, when you lie down, and when you rise up." Deuteronomy 11:19</span></em></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbPmUUVFSS38sdyyqpbqSEr8Ei0t4u9xzTa4nZUcSxefp4yrJG5sD63TLUjGZDCyaZ3Za9r1mnncOqPar7pZ40dUeY9F4wcz0g2IbddkmaXo1-Y3YcVw6pe-vPrpxH8VzBeirC06-tO0/s1600/Elita+running.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Welcome to the world baby goat!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'll spare you the behind shot that proves these two were just born. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Here mama is cleaning off the second born and the firstborn is nursing for the first time.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This group of boys approached as we were getting ready to leave. They whispered to each other trying to determine which one would ask the white lady with the camera for money. The smallest boy was selected from the group and bravely approached me with the one thing every Haitian has learned in English, "You give me one dolla".</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Many times when we walk along the way we get open doors to teach others children too! These boys learned that the verb "to give" in Creole does not exactly translate as nicely in English. They learned that it would be better to ask, "May I please have". They learned that not every white person has "dolla" on their person at all times nor is it nice to ask at all times in all places to all white people. So they settled for asking for a picture (actually a few until I showed them one they liked) which was much more appropriate for the occasion. They also got to learn all about the goat birthing experience they had just missed!</span></div>
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As we walked home I asked Elita what she meant when she said, "that goat almost made me go to heaven" because a few weeks ago she said she didn't think she would go to heaven and since has been studying more about that subject. She answered, "because if I went into a coma from passing out from that goat and I didn't wake up again I would go to heaven". I asked, "what makes you think you would go to heaven"? She said, "because I believe that Jesus died for MY sins and was buried and rose again...and I don't just believe it but I decided to accept and trust it with all my heart". Trying to fight the tears I asked, "when did you decide that?" and she answered, "I've been deciding it for awhile but now I really know for sure". "That's SO wonderful honey! I can't wait to talk about it more!" She said, "yeah, I was kind of waiting till we go to the states because I figured I would get a bigger celebration there, but then I just couldn't wait anymore". LOL!<br />
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I wonder how long we would have gone without having this conversation if our schedule would have gone as originally planned and we had not taken this walk this day. Thank you Lord for orchestrating our days and opening our hearts to accept changed plans as gifts from you.<br />
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The next day Elita came home from school and the first thing she said was, "Mom, everyone at school kept asking me all day why I always had such a big smile all the time and I told them it is <strong>because I have the joy of Jesus in my heart!"</strong><br />
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I pray this all over the place post rambling about rooster and dogs, what's for breakfast, scrambled schedules, naked people, baby goats, and beggar boys helps someone else think through their days and how God can bring all these things together to fill us up with the joy of Jesus <strong>..."</strong><em><strong>when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up"</strong> </em>too. As you celebrate the gift of life today, <strong>find ways to talk about His ultimate gift of eternal life that is our hope and source of joy as we walk along the way.</strong><br />
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Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-31442963507204197872014-01-07T08:27:00.001-08:002014-01-07T09:16:28.584-08:00When You Walk by the Way (Part 1)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">A New Year has come. Resolutions have been made and remade once again. We have so many things we are thankful for and look forward to this year. Yet I find myself in quite a grumpy funk only a few days in and my resolutions to love and serve well not going so well. I cannot explain exactly why I am having such a difficult time finding my way out of this funk though it may have something to do with the following (for which I need prayer for patience and endurance and a whole slew of other fruits of the Spirit):</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Noisy neighbors that play incredibly loud music in English that I understand most of but neighbors understand only a few select of the filthiest words which they shout even louder than the blaring music. Oh and then when my kids start singing the same songs around the house.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The fact that said music is played by neighbors only during the hours we have city electricity which are also the only hours I have to get things accomplished that requires a phone or computer which usually also requires some portion of my brain...which doesn't function well with filth words being shouted at me from the rooftops!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The city gave almost zero electricity for the entirety of the holidays.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When we did get electricity again our inverter and batteries decided to stop working. I don't understand the full explanation of why they are not functioning but definitely feel the complications of their disfunction. We now do not have any electricity except when the city decides to give it (which is never ever between the hours of 5-11pm).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Our computers have been so damaged by the pitiful city electrical current that they no longer hold charge and only function when we happen to get city electricity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have cooked dinner in the dark for the past 8 months.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have woken up to not only the needs of my family but also Genise who cannot understand that I am incapable of comprehending Creole before coffee and that if I get up earlier it is to catch some privacy and not to discuss that teething babies sometimes don't want to eat what they ate the day before and the fact that we are out of dish soap, laundry detergent, gas for cooking, drinking water, and running water sometimes all at the same time and all before 7am.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The house is constantly being cleaned and yet never seems to get clean because of all the Haiti dust and bugs and the 9 people that live here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My clothes and undergarments almost all hang a few sizes too big (due to hand <strike>washing</strike> stretching Haitian style, not due to any inches lost on my part). Other clothes that haven't been through Haitian stretch washing are way too small due to way too much Haitian cuisine and not working out last year. Basically, I don't feel or look my best and that is hard for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The kitchen sink still has buckets under it to catch the water and my bathroom sink still has no water.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bucket flushing toilets (and toilets that leak).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cold showers in winter (and bucket showering).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Winter in Haiti (not bad weather but weird feeling).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Tons of bugs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Not having screens.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hearing "you give me one dollar" every time we walk down the street or go anywhere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Being blown kisses and called names by nasty men almost anytime I go anywhere.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Trying to love and teach my children to love when rocks are thrown at both dogs and kids and that this is normal expected behavior where we live and there is little to no justice where we live. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Being called a "stealer" or "pig" when you are simply passing by and answering with "good afternoon" only to be laughed at because it is assumed you didn't know that those you chose to respond to with kindness were really being ugly to you for absolutely no reason than your skin color.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Neighbors that build a bench in front of your house so they can all sit all day long and sometimes all night long and chat and laugh super loud and eat sugar cane and spit its remains outside your door.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Neighbors that complain that laundry soap has leaked from your backyard toward the drainage hole under the bench they built (outside your house) and decide to plug up the drainage hole on your wall with concrete so you have a bigger problem than sugar cane spit. When you complain about their trash contribution they install a trash can on the outside wall of your house but it remains empty and the ground isn't.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Parenting children and living with those who once parented them (two of their former nannies) who have lived all their lives in this culture that does all of the above.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dare I go on? This is definitely not an exhausted list but these are just a few (yes...I said "few" cause there are SO many more) things that may be contributing to my grumpy funk as of late. I can typically jive with these things pretty well but lately I just seem to be on overload and need a lot of grace and prayer. Other lists do exist with things I dearly love and will greatly miss when I get a break from Haiti (which I am SO looking forward to). But even as I wrote each of the above I am reminded of positives that have come from each frustration. So this post is not meant to be negative but real. I have no doubt I'm exactly where I am supposed to be and the Lord gives me an extra dose of grace every day. I just need a lot of prayer and so does my family who has had to endure this funk with me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">I so want this resolve to be true of my life this year...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em>"...to fear the Lord your God, </em></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em>to walk in all His ways and to love Him, </em></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em>to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul..." </em></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em>-Deuteronomy 10:12</em></span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">...even when I am in a grumpy funk.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Father, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Please teach me to fear You and walk in Your ways. Help me to always remember that my Savior has lived in this exhaustion (and much more) and yet always still loved and served with all His heart and soul well. Teach me and give me strength to be more like Him and content and joyful in all circumstances giving thanks in everything. Please forgive me and help others to forgive me when I fall short. Please continue to bestow grace when I do not deserve it as you did yesterday. Thank you for yesterday. I am excited to share about yesterday. The above frustrations only serve to remind me how much I need your grace yet again today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">To be continued...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">P.S. I probably should have titled this post "grumpy funk" but instead decided to break off the rest into a separate post that actually does go along with this one minus so much funk.</span></div>
</div>
Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-10916779497384866602013-12-30T15:27:00.001-08:002013-12-30T15:27:36.902-08:00Last Chance to Give in 2013!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Dear Ministry Partners,</strong></span><br />
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We hope you had a wonderful Christmas celebration with your
family and church family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have had a
great 2013 and we are excited for this New Year and the amazing things God has
prepared for you and us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohcb3fhZRqYvFKBxi7m1J6tFJMRJ1aoTBMpXLpv92VMoxEOrATTL2M6JMPZ99IC6JKFwM51UpiQgNmggeeE5e8gUP-I-YBa_OYTI8Bjj5xZSz4G02yaI-INkX7zqbJaBayoWG_dbeVSI/s1600/Stacy+saved+2013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohcb3fhZRqYvFKBxi7m1J6tFJMRJ1aoTBMpXLpv92VMoxEOrATTL2M6JMPZ99IC6JKFwM51UpiQgNmggeeE5e8gUP-I-YBa_OYTI8Bjj5xZSz4G02yaI-INkX7zqbJaBayoWG_dbeVSI/s200/Stacy+saved+2013.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Students coming to Christ<br />
Stacy, a new believer</td></tr>
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We are excited to write to you and
ask you for a final year end gift that will help provide for our 2014 goals and
needs to continue the following ministries. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrQGmprXjGtaBytzdwGyIKIRFgn0pJ-jL3bD7jAJm5Gu9KJ1zOSXUa3rBGjWxoyDrFfVoXsplyibKHlrzCW6QCisHYRj54dnTCRoV2RiuGiGlKGa_yDL7T3apq0_6pTsyshG8zfby41o/s1600/Figaro+and+Family.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrQGmprXjGtaBytzdwGyIKIRFgn0pJ-jL3bD7jAJm5Gu9KJ1zOSXUa3rBGjWxoyDrFfVoXsplyibKHlrzCW6QCisHYRj54dnTCRoV2RiuGiGlKGa_yDL7T3apq0_6pTsyshG8zfby41o/s200/Figaro+and+Family.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Equipping new believers<br />
Figaro and family<br />
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</tbody></table>
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We will be part of expanding Heart of God International’s outreach
during 2014 targeting gospel hostile and unreached areas while continuing to
see lives changed for eternity and equipping others in Haiti through pastor
trainings, gospel preaching, Bible studies, El Shaddai Learning Center, English
classes, hospitality house, Haitian artisan shop, and our expanding KOFAEL women’s
ministry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisCDpT23xFVtLOtQIsWyYXuveoDgdzwXc96GWe7R-PbCPfGzl9Tbmr2lk4tDB07iJKGpBVdwsRcg8K16aLEQSxiC5a4fJIZhUq5abqEeV-OtY-EDzCp0_fqDukLr9qssdZV7w1Mh4s0I/s1600/K-Elourde+and+her+kids.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiisCDpT23xFVtLOtQIsWyYXuveoDgdzwXc96GWe7R-PbCPfGzl9Tbmr2lk4tDB07iJKGpBVdwsRcg8K16aLEQSxiC5a4fJIZhUq5abqEeV-OtY-EDzCp0_fqDukLr9qssdZV7w1Mh4s0I/s200/K-Elourde+and+her+kids.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">KOFAEL<br />
<em>Keeping Families Together</em><br />
Elourde with her children<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We will use whatever God leads you to give to help us love
others and touch lives for eternity. Thank you for praying for us and
considering including the Ream Team and/or KOFAEL in your year end giving. We
look forward to connecting with many of you face to face in 2014! Please let us
know how we can pray for and partner with you too.</div>
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<strong><u><span style="font-size: large;">Last Chance to Give in 2013!</span></u></strong></div>
<strong>Please take a moment to give a cheerful, generous, tax
deductable gift right now by visiting our websites.</strong></div>
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Ream Team website: <a href="http://www.reamteaminternational.org/"><span style="color: blue;">www.reamteaminternational.org</span></a></div>
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KOFAEL website: <a href="http://www.kofael.org/"><span style="color: blue;">www.kofael.org</span></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2PbttSiJW8jnmAA-E-w8xCQ0o3QlOav9sxZVrgg_Sb1p_WLLdK_WSTi6a75VgLLMlYFhyphenhyphenLXQA4TcZTSOax5T10ovLsxbqp_XDDkqnny4DH_YZ-YMyuKOltIIGkgb8GGjbmdCsrBpvq3A/s1600/P1180227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><strong><em><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2PbttSiJW8jnmAA-E-w8xCQ0o3QlOav9sxZVrgg_Sb1p_WLLdK_WSTi6a75VgLLMlYFhyphenhyphenLXQA4TcZTSOax5T10ovLsxbqp_XDDkqnny4DH_YZ-YMyuKOltIIGkgb8GGjbmdCsrBpvq3A/s200/P1180227.JPG" width="112" /></em></strong></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em>Opportunities for Artisans</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>Bartelmy, an artisan we support</em></strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<strong><em></em><o:p>Great is His Faithfulness,</o:p></strong></div>
<strong><em>Eric and Elisabeth Ream</em></strong><br />
<br />
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Heart of God International Missionaries</div>
<a href="http://www.reamteaminternational.org/"><span style="color: blue;">www.reamteaminternational.org</span></a><br />
Eric: <a href="mailto:ericream@heartofGodinternational.org"><span style="color: blue;">ericream@heartofGodinternational.org</span></a><br />
Elisabeth: <a href="mailto:eeream@heartofGodinternational.org"><span style="color: blue;">eeream@heartofGodinternational.org</span></a><br />
<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em><span class="textlam-3-22">The steadfast love of the </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="textlam-3-22"> never ceases;</span><br />
<span class="textlam-3-22">his mercies never come to an end;</span><br />
<span class="textlam-3-23">they are new every morning;</span><br />
</em><span class="textlam-3-23"><em>great is your faithfulness.</em> </span></span></strong></div>
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<span class="textlam-3-23"><strong><span style="font-size: large;"> Lamentations 3:22-23</span></strong></span></div>
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Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-18601882325220840712013-12-25T20:06:00.001-08:002014-08-23T06:00:01.670-07:00Good News of Great Joy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Merry Christmas!</span></div>
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</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><em>The Ream Team</em></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><strong>December 2013</strong></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<em></em></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><em><span style="font-size: x-large;">And the angel said to them, </span></em></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-large;"><em>“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people."</em> </span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">Luke 2:10</span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong></strong> </div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">There have been many times this past year when we have had to remember to "fear not". God has been our faithful Savior and friend. He has sent many to come alongside us to serve us and help us serve Him better in sharing the good news of the Savior whose birth we celebrate. It is with great joy that we join Him in spreading this news in Haiti. Thank you for partnering with us in bringing the good news to Haiti. We hope to be able to share with many of you face to face what He has done in the coming new year!</span> </div>
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<strong></strong> </div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">From our family to yours...</span></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpnSc91iNiJfiwPBMVpPC0Tw7vNQtvkWuzyXtsRYQjduzhw-U7lp3O20U-gazNxXFcBmqx8AzwT0yMGmr0wXMbyU_tMpUSIv_HXeIbM_gxomek8HI4_vwNUaVWzeCSMQDEn6pS7r3nA0/s1600/C-Ethan+at+Wedding.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBicEfG8sQe2N1XcXQ9hf3OXE0OrI0azPx2dFKc7zFcx8ZGO_Y0nAuqQ2NCSe6z9JSiLXb8KaiXd6mcecqvrYmfrGccxbhJDxy7PDD5hoT_oLbGfpTGHzhyphenhyphenFz9hdqgdESFVOWJadfjrgo/s1600/C-pretty+Elita.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBicEfG8sQe2N1XcXQ9hf3OXE0OrI0azPx2dFKc7zFcx8ZGO_Y0nAuqQ2NCSe6z9JSiLXb8KaiXd6mcecqvrYmfrGccxbhJDxy7PDD5hoT_oLbGfpTGHzhyphenhyphenFz9hdqgdESFVOWJadfjrgo/s640/C-pretty+Elita.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><em><strong>Elita Marguerite age 14</strong></em></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Elita switched from everyone calling her "Marguerite" this past year when we moved to St. Marc in January and she began a new school. It took a little while for her brothers and sisters to make the switch but everyone is officially calling her "Elita" now. She moved up to the high school building this year (where Eric works) and is enjoying new friendships. She reminds us daily that she is not a baby anymore though we tell her she will always be our baby no matter how old she gets! Elita studies very hard every day and often right up until bedtime. She is a cheerful help translating for teams and often us parents when we need it (especially on hard to interpret phone calls). She is always quick to volunteer help in the kitchen if vegetables need to be washed and cut, but not usually for dirty dishes. She is pickiest eater but we let her get away with it because she is also our healthiest eater. Her favorite activity when she gets a chance is <strike>watching</strike> memorizing movies and then quoting them for days to come. But this year she has learned to LOVE reading and occasionally chooses reading a good book over a movie! She is learning how to deal with peer pressure and speaking up for what she believes is right. We are so proud of her! </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Interview with Elita Marguerite...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><em>What are you praying for?</em> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"I am praying for others to hear and understand the gospel."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><em>What prayer request do you have?</em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"I would like to ask for prayer that my sister will receive her visa soon."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><em>What is your favorite subject in school?</em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"My favorite subject in school is Social Studies and I like English a lot too."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><em>What are you most excited about getting to do when we visit America?</em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"Seeing my family again."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><em>What are your top favorite things about living in Haiti?</em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"Finding and collecting seashells at the beach, eating mangos, and riding bikes with my brothers, sister and other kids on the street."</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="st"><em><strong>Esmée age 12</strong></em></span></span><br />
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<span class="st"><span style="font-size: small;">Esmée has grown up so much this year! It is hard to believe she weighed only 38 lbs and wore a children's size 5 when we first met her. She was the same height as Ethan when we moved to Haiti but he had her beat by 10 lbs. Now she has surpassed her brother in height and weight and is almost caught up to her older sister! <span class="st">Esmée is a joy to be around and delights herself in helping others. She is tenderhearted and the peacemaker in our home. If there was such a thing as a quiet person in our household, it would be her. <span class="st">Esmée has surpassed our wildest expectations both socially and academically. Two years ago she barely knew her ABC's and we taught her how to write her name. She now wins awards at school for things like completing more books in one semester than everyone is expected to finish in an entire year and making the highest grades in all subjects in her entire elementary school. And yet, she rarely brings home any homework. Her favorite leisure activity is listening to music and dancing. Pretty much everyone wants to be <span class="st">Esmée's friend. If</span> you want to make friends with her fast just bring her some beef jerky. </span></span></span></span></div>
<span class="st"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="st"><span class="st"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Interview with <span class="st">Esmée...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><em>What are you praying for?</em> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"I am praying for my visa approval and also for the son of the lady in our church and his friends who were hurt and the families of those who were killed in Afganistan,"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><em>What prayer request do you have?</em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"I would like others to pray for the children that do not have any parents who are sitting in orphanages and having a bad day."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><em>What is your favorite subject in school?</em></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">"My favorite subject in school is Social Studies."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><em>What are you most excited about getting to do when we visit America?</em></span><br />
I am so excited to ride on an airplane and then go shopping with my Ta, MeMa, Aunt Emee, and Kelly (Hiney). I am also super excited to do all kinds of fun things with my family.<br />
<em>What are your top favorite things about living in Haiti?</em><br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;">My favorite things are helping others that don't have anything and playing with Evangeline.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpnSc91iNiJfiwPBMVpPC0Tw7vNQtvkWuzyXtsRYQjduzhw-U7lp3O20U-gazNxXFcBmqx8AzwT0yMGmr0wXMbyU_tMpUSIv_HXeIbM_gxomek8HI4_vwNUaVWzeCSMQDEn6pS7r3nA0/s1600/C-Ethan+at+Wedding.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhpnSc91iNiJfiwPBMVpPC0Tw7vNQtvkWuzyXtsRYQjduzhw-U7lp3O20U-gazNxXFcBmqx8AzwT0yMGmr0wXMbyU_tMpUSIv_HXeIbM_gxomek8HI4_vwNUaVWzeCSMQDEn6pS7r3nA0/s640/C-Ethan+at+Wedding.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Ethan age 9</span></em></strong><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Ethan often hears the words, "You are such a Price" more than once a day. He definitely takes after his "Ba", the distinguished Dr. Randall Price (Elisabeth's dad) in brains but unfortunately also in feet and fumble as is evidenced by his many scrapes and scabs. Ethan has stepped out of his comfort zone a great deal this past year and we are so proud of him. He and his little brother are the only kids lacking a lot of color at their school and Ethan has taken quite a bit of name calling in stride. He makes friends easily but says that he only needs one really good friend. His best friends are his sisters and brother. He is picking up Kreyol (Haitian Creole) easily now and can interpret conversations on the street surprising us many times with how much he actually understands. Ethan is also taking French at school which is a high school course. He completed all of his Word Building books through the 7th grade and therefore had an extra class to fill. We decided to give him a challenge. Although there have been a few tears, so far he has maintained a passing grade and is competing with Elita who is taking the class with him. Ethan loves his Haitian mutt dogs Daly and Brownie (aka Houdini) and is completely smitten with 15 month old Evangeline who lives with us. His siblings tease him that he loves her so much that he might marry her when he grows up. He loves to dance with his sisters and play DS with his brother. If anyone is up for a walk to the beach and a dip in the ocean it is Ethan. He can show you all the good snorkeling spots and finds the best shells underwater. Sometimes we have to remind ourselves that he is only 9. Other times we can't believe our firstborn son is getting so big!</span></div>
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</span><span style="font-size: small;">Interview with <span class="st">Ethan...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><em>What are you praying for?</em></span><br />
"I'm praying for all people to come to know God"<br />
<em>What prayer request do you have?</em><br />
"My prayer request is that we will have electricity all the time soon."<br />
<em>What is your favorite subject in school?</em><br />
"My favorite subject in school is definitely Science."<br />
<em>What are you most excited about getting to do when we visit America?</em><br />
"I am most excited to see all my family and friends I haven't seen in a long time."<br />
<em>What are your top favorite things about living in Haiti?</em><br />
"Snorkeling, fried plantain, fried akra, and mom letting me eat hot dogs which she almost never did when we lived in the states."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQd4v0wwzxqNvRZngF1JKiPGIHl2oB7wCF-dBbvVes6D98H9w_K79kiMC7N1hqjNpn2m5dD2cz7nGRnraqQSdO6fYJfOhTyChz90Vb_QMzRfR59nquXW2MALEGPRqqDnOeoJRavtFhZPU/s1600/Evan+at+wedding.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQd4v0wwzxqNvRZngF1JKiPGIHl2oB7wCF-dBbvVes6D98H9w_K79kiMC7N1hqjNpn2m5dD2cz7nGRnraqQSdO6fYJfOhTyChz90Vb_QMzRfR59nquXW2MALEGPRqqDnOeoJRavtFhZPU/s640/Evan+at+wedding.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Evan Dan age 7</span></em></strong><br />
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Evan Daniel Ream is without a doubt the most spoiled member of the family. He melts his daddy (whom he takes after) with one tiny freckle face look. The others don't think it is fair. But they know Evan has their back. Evan is a sweetheart who can be mistaken for a sucker because he is such a giver (except his horrid hording of video games). Evan is also a fearless swimmer, climber, and fighter. Once this year when his family, friends and dogs were in harms way he instantly leaped into action and defended us all with a pod sword he swiped from a tree that mimicked a machete. Allegedly he broke the ribs and fingers of a grown man with that same pod. When it was suggested that his actions were inappropriate and much too dangerous for a little child his response was, "I wished it was a real sword!" Haiti has nothing on this kid. Evan will talk to anyone anywhere anytime and tell them just about anything. He has lots of friends at school and is a favorite with the teachers. He is often found at school volunteering his recess helping the 1st grade students during their math hour. He is still our pickiest eater and doesn't see much reason to learn Kreyol when he has so many translators and plenty of friends around. Evan is the first to volunteer to pray at the dinner table and always prays for those who do not know about the One true God, that someone would go and tell them and that they will come to know Him.</div>
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Interview with <span class="st">Evan...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><em>What are you praying for?</em></span><br />
"I'm praying for my cousin Kyle so that the doctors can help him be able to use his hands and arms better and he can learn how to use them all over again after his surgery."<br />
<em>What prayer request do you have?</em><br />
"I want my sister <span class="st"><span style="font-size: small;">Esmée to have a great time when she visits the United States for the first time.</span></span>"<br />
<em>What is your favorite subject in school?</em><br />
"Well, it was Math until I worked too far ahead and it got harder...so now I like Science better."<br />
<em>What are you most excited about getting to do when we visit America?</em><br />
"I am most excited to see my family."<br />
<em>What are your top favorite things about living in Haiti?</em><br />
"My favorite thing about Haiti is just having fun with my friends and I'm happy to spend time with my family."</span><br /></td></tr>
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</span></span><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><em><span style="font-size: x-large;">"<strong>For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."</strong></span></em></span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">Luke 2:11</span></strong></div>
</span><strong><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">Good News of Great Joy from Haiti,</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Ream Family</span></strong></td></tr>
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Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-13480974563131160712013-12-24T08:00:00.002-08:002013-12-25T09:50:27.898-08:00How We Ride...NOW<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is how we used to ride! </span><span style="font-size: large;">(click link to see)</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.reamteaminternational.org/2013/03/how-we-ride.html"><span style="font-size: large;">http://www.reamteaminternational.org/2013/03/how-we-ride.html</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">But now...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>A week before Christmas</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>We were praying A LOT</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>For paperwork and money to come through</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>And that complications would not.</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong></strong></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Hoping and wishing</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>And holding our breath</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>After 27 months begging and borrowing, </strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Motos and tap-taps and risking our death</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong></strong></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Many friends came together</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>And blessed us so much</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>With encouraging gifts</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>And our hearts are forever touched</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong></strong></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>A month before Christmas</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>Searching and stressed</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>An unexpected gift came</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>That doubled our blessed!</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong></strong></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>So a week before Christmas</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>After tap-tap a many</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>This is how we ride now</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>And it is blessing us plenty!</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">A HUGE thank you to all those who have donated and prayed to bless us with our long awaited new ride...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">A</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">2010</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Diesel</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Automatic</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">4WD</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Air conditioned</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Ford Everest </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">with a one year warranty!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXVQMVm51dv3o83UzLXMIv0ZJXajUcPnqEKPnexBJgfK_EbtHJuJ5KIH51dYFGtIpjMkRO3VS0U5oCiGqcVZC7poPlxq16vhkArOiro6G8vo7qLZd3Ch5gi6Rt5d4i9BmJ_WoPJ_Djhg/s1600/New+Ride+at+Dealership.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXVQMVm51dv3o83UzLXMIv0ZJXajUcPnqEKPnexBJgfK_EbtHJuJ5KIH51dYFGtIpjMkRO3VS0U5oCiGqcVZC7poPlxq16vhkArOiro6G8vo7qLZd3Ch5gi6Rt5d4i9BmJ_WoPJ_Djhg/s640/New+Ride+at+Dealership.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">This was taken at the dealership before negotiations and final decision were made.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Eric is in the background with owner of dealership negotiating.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Elita is posing in front of the kids favorite pick.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">This is the kids favorite because it has air conditioners all the way back.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtDNWtnsSTjg60uESSKGJZ1jJt4aYreuo4Cvs05XADtm6fyfWOLZYyVZvofNBF32Qn31ml5eXD-huXI-3NFXSmiYhZvvmttyAhQdpoWmf1XgI_KIuufylQ-8ipTZWjccR3sRbCsX4Ar8/s1600/New+Ride+arriving.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtDNWtnsSTjg60uESSKGJZ1jJt4aYreuo4Cvs05XADtm6fyfWOLZYyVZvofNBF32Qn31ml5eXD-huXI-3NFXSmiYhZvvmttyAhQdpoWmf1XgI_KIuufylQ-8ipTZWjccR3sRbCsX4Ar8/s640/New+Ride+arriving.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our new ride arriving in our driveway Wednesday December 18th!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-nvjpDllJSnJFeIr1Q_ZthE07USi80-OUqCZsD7NiMDt2uxMlktcazWBKms4gz10i2nCBFWHL7nK1fqp2IjHlCFug4E3rno2xqGZEOCt7qXtnf5ZA4FM4HPE2n_KinoRiyozlQ-xdwk/s1600/New+ride.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6-nvjpDllJSnJFeIr1Q_ZthE07USi80-OUqCZsD7NiMDt2uxMlktcazWBKms4gz10i2nCBFWHL7nK1fqp2IjHlCFug4E3rno2xqGZEOCt7qXtnf5ZA4FM4HPE2n_KinoRiyozlQ-xdwk/s640/New+ride.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our new ride with our fam plus 3 packed in on our first trip Friday December 20th!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">We plan to add a large metal luggage rack on the top so we and teams we pick up from the airport aren't so squished in the future. There are seatbelts for 7 but of course this is Haiti so a few more will always fit in just fine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A special thank you to Karyn Bass for her heart to head up this fundraiser for us, to Cheryl McMullen family for the blessing of a better vehicle than we ever expected, to Jan Ross, David and Julie Young from Heart of God for all your help with donations, transfers, and paperwork AND...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">to everyone else who made this possible!</span></div>
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Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-87334200165244450652013-11-30T06:59:00.000-08:002013-12-04T05:52:05.695-08:00The Gift that Keeps on Giving<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BP4U-gTvfVlodd8VulAaDO5ni_KJsRNyaUSJOinCZH9-cYGm-efpYcPIpQzUzzmXq6h73t9px_TOBv509jskx0JEoStVlX0U4CyH3_ZgW7wrVq0yIoP07naHPun-JEZRQ6L_MVLiaek/s1600/Kofael-Tag_Out-500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1BP4U-gTvfVlodd8VulAaDO5ni_KJsRNyaUSJOinCZH9-cYGm-efpYcPIpQzUzzmXq6h73t9px_TOBv509jskx0JEoStVlX0U4CyH3_ZgW7wrVq0yIoP07naHPun-JEZRQ6L_MVLiaek/s1600/Kofael-Tag_Out-500.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /><em>“Thanks to the Kofael’s small loan I was able to start a little business</em><br /><i>and get a good profit that helped me feed my relatives two children.<br />I am praying that KOFAEL can help me with the full business loan<br />so that I can keep helping them.”</i></div>
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Soline is one of our KOFAEL ladies and God is using her to help keep her relatives family together. Our dream is to help her and others like her receive full business loans and we would love for you to partner with us to turn dreams into reality.<br />
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Tomorrow, December 1<sup><span style="font-size: small;">st</span></sup>, is my wife’s birthday and she requested we make a $250 donation in honor of her birthday (an expensive, but rewarding present) to provide a full business loan so that Soline can celebrate answered prayers with us.<br />
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<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Our goal in the next 25 days is to raise $250 a day</span></strong> to provide full loans to each of the 25 waiting women currently in the KOFAEL Port au Prince program. This money will pay it forward as each recipient pays back her 0% interest loan and the money moves forward to help another woman. Your launching gift will be multiplied many times over to keep many families together! In the next 25 days leading up to CHRISTmas we invite you to invest in these precious lives with us by making a tax deductible donation to KOFAEL. We have started day one! Who’s next?<br />
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You can learn more about KOFAEL and make your donation to our 25 x 250 goal at: <a href="http://kofael.org/">http://kofael.org/</a><br />
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<b>Your gift will not only be multiplied in changing lives, but also in MATCHING MONEY!</b><br />
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For every $250 dollar donation to KOFAEL made from December 1 – December 25, another generous donor will match that with a $250 donation in support of all the Heart of God Haiti programs, up to a maximum of $6,000! We are so excited to have you partner in this investment with us and participate in the challenge to receive the match of $6,000 by December 25<sup><span style="font-size: small;">th</span></sup>. There may even be someone to match the $6,000 again when we meet our goal. Could that be your family, church, or business? We invite you to share our vision, dream big with us and invest in gifts that keep on giving this Christmas!<br />
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Because of His Ultimate Gift,<br />
Eric Ream<br />
2 Cor 9:6-9</div>
Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-91288903456201486642013-10-21T04:51:00.000-07:002013-12-04T05:54:46.321-08:00October News<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A teary eyed student approached me saying she experienced a horrific dream a few years ago that has brought her much fear and grief. She said she saw in a dream that her cousin was shot five times in the chest and died. A few days later her cousin died in the exact same way she dreamed. This explains her terrible fear from the past, but her tears this day were for a different reason. She told me that she recently had another dream about her grandpa dying and she felt that because of her previous experience that this may happen to him. She shared these things with me and then asked, “Mr. Eric what do I do now?” We talked for a while and I mostly listened and then found in this conversation a great opportunity to share the gospel. This young lady who entered tearful and fearful left thankful for a Savior who cares about her dreams, her grandpa and He made a way for her to spend an eternity with Him. Michelle is excited to learn more about her Savior and what it means to love God, love others and make Him known wherever she goes. Please pray for her. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPD-f5wJVhaYFwhs1tjMOne0eDY9L4a74DT0LPGSn703W0cxnYQXNP-Cev2wFqNdiYPcjoRNyMlcPBDOOSjVoWi-hXrA-NUlZ_PEQzJ0AC9UmbVHSZ5LSfEw7a24qAb_mC1sYbsz7GOk/s1600/Eric-and-Michelle-768x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPD-f5wJVhaYFwhs1tjMOne0eDY9L4a74DT0LPGSn703W0cxnYQXNP-Cev2wFqNdiYPcjoRNyMlcPBDOOSjVoWi-hXrA-NUlZ_PEQzJ0AC9UmbVHSZ5LSfEw7a24qAb_mC1sYbsz7GOk/s400/Eric-and-Michelle-768x1024.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
Your prayer and financial support is making a difference in Haiti. We are thankful we have partners like you who join us in petitions and praise.<br />
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Praise! We are very excited to share with you that our KOFAEL ladies have a new, safe place to meet every month starting this month (October)! KOFAEL has received sponsorships for 3 ladies this month as well! Prayer request: We still need 26 women sponsored (13 at $250 and 13 at $150). One time sponsorships are urgently needed for these women at this time. We currently cannot bring more women into the microloan program until we have the funding to cover our current waiting women.<br />
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We have had several visitors to Haiti this month and have enjoyed extra fellowship and special provisions they have brought. We love getting to know new friends in ministry that come on teams to Haiti that we get to host for a meal, a trip to the beach, or shopping at the artisan gift shop we have opened in our home. We anticipated and enjoyed hugs from long time friends, were blessed to host an adoptive family taking their new family member home this month as well as Elisabeth’s sister Emilee who has spent a treasured two weeks with us. We are so thankful for these encouraging visits from loved ones new and old.<br />
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We are very thankful to be a part of Heart of God International Ministries and look forward to discussing many opportunities to share the heart of God around the world. Eric will be traveling to Cleveland, OH, at the end of this month for this meeting. Please pray for safe travels and opportunities to share Christ, for this meeting with our partners in ministry, and for Elisabeth and the kids in Haiti while Eric is away. Eric will go from this meeting and travel with the Heart of God Haiti Director and his wife to Rochester, NY, for other appointments. The last Wednesday of October, Eric will be speaking at a church where his roommate from college is now pastor. Thank you for your prayers for these planning and preaching meetings.<br />
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Next month, Eric will again commence scheduled monthly training of pastors in Haiti. He will continue to serve as director at El Shaddai Learning Center, teach English classes in our neighborhood (Col 4:2-6), preach in churches and serve on the board of Kofael. Your partnership is essential and we could not do what we do without you and your support.<br />
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Other needs: We are still praying for full funding in monthly support, funding to be able to purchase a much needed vehicle (halfway there) and also a power source (generator) to have electricity in Haiti. We continue to trust in His faithfulness to sustain us and provide for our needs each day. Thank you for being part of His faithfulness to us.<br />
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Love in Christ,<br />
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Eric and Elisabeth<br />
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1 John 5:13-14</div>
Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-35503267324803291782013-10-04T10:06:00.000-07:002013-12-04T05:58:00.471-08:00Celebrating Evangeline<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: purple;">One week ago today we celebrated our baby girl's first birthday. It is hard to believe that a whole year has gone by since her birth! What a blessing it has been to get to watch her develop in the womb, help name her, welcome her into the world, and spend her first year of life with her in our family! Evangeline and her mother Genise have mostly lived with our family since October 2012 and we consider them part of our family. We all love them so much! Soon I will write the story behind how all of this came to be...</span></h3>
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<span style="color: purple;">Please pray for Evangeline which means "bearer of good news" that she will continue to grow up healthy and happy and come to know our Savior at an early age so that she may share the good news of the true gospel with her people in Haiti.</span></h3>
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<strong><span style="color: magenta;">Celebrating the rare moments you and Dally were sleeping!</span></strong></h2>
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<em><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Neither like to sleep. </span></strong></em></h2>
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<em><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Both love loud, busy, and lots of attention</span></strong></em></h2>
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<strong><span style="color: magenta;">Early February 2013 shortly after you moved to St. Marc with us</span></strong></h2>
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<strong><span style="color: magenta;">Celebrating 4th of July 2013</span></strong></h2>
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<strong><span style="color: magenta;"> Celebrating your many smiles</span></strong></h2>
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<strong><span style="color: magenta;">August 2013</span></strong></h2>
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<span style="color: magenta;">Celebrating your 1st birthday September 28th, 2013</span></h2>
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<strong><span style="color: magenta;">Celebrating our little "bearer of good news",</span></strong></h2>
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<strong><span style="color: magenta;">her first year of life</span></strong></h2>
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<strong><span style="color: magenta;">and how blessed we are to have spent it with her!</span></strong></h2>
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Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-11411086760703926412013-09-20T12:56:00.000-07:002013-12-04T06:02:33.265-08:00Excited about the start of school...and for how God continues to workthrough all our many "sometimes"!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black;">Monday September 16th, 2013 the new school year began!</span></h2>
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<span style="color: black;">We are all very excited!</span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvnwXIlmYExYgn2TmDpreOSngB1sK1pChT9Y1XDjrvUdyELsToDmGSKrJ1hA39RfmOTe4ZKF_l89OzE2JudDLgBBHHSL5Xv_0mlhM74bAwcHeBRMW8PhN3LLpd9eDqc4QgXvaCwepOpM8/s1600/Welcome-to-ElShaddai-Elementary-576x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvnwXIlmYExYgn2TmDpreOSngB1sK1pChT9Y1XDjrvUdyELsToDmGSKrJ1hA39RfmOTe4ZKF_l89OzE2JudDLgBBHHSL5Xv_0mlhM74bAwcHeBRMW8PhN3LLpd9eDqc4QgXvaCwepOpM8/s640/Welcome-to-ElShaddai-Elementary-576x1024.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome To El Shaddai Learning Center</td></tr>
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We are excited for the opportunity to serve, to grow through experience, through books, through loving each other, through being flexible and sometimes having to do things a LOT differently in Haiti. There are a lot of such sometimes. Sometimes school has to be started a week late because the air carrier bringing school books decided to service out your order to another carrier who won't fly to Haiti until the plane is full. Sometimes the President of Haiti announces that Haitian schools will be delayed for a whole extra month due to so many families not being able to afford the costs of tuition, books, and uniforms. Sometimes we wonder how we will manage these things for our children too. Sometimes Eric visits with so many families that cannot afford these basic things he comes home very tired and drained. Sometimes he works at the school from 6:30 am to 8:30 pm because sometimes it rains hard and he can't find a Haitian scooter to taxi him home. Sometimes we don't have Digicel minutes on our phones to call each other and can't find anyone selling minutes so I spend the evening wondering if my husband is still alive. I am really not ok with those sometimes. Sometimes the kids begin to worry too because they get that being out after dark by yourself without a vehicle isn't a super safe thing where we live. Sometimes we do things that are not super safe. Sometimes we do things I never ever thought we would do. Sometimes we don't even notice we do them anymore. Sometimes we don't post about the really awful things that happen. Sometimes we don't get over them. Sometimes we decide we have to choose some safer things. Sometimes this means that we are choosing for our kids to not get to go to school because we would risk their safety riding with some dude without a license on the back of a scooter that could take them anywhere but school. Sometimes I don't want to homeschool. Sometimes we miss having options. Sometimes we think that not having options is a blessing. Sometimes we get mad at that kind of "blessing" and sometimes we embrace it. Sometimes people we thought we could trust show us that we can't. Sometimes we don't feel like we can trust anyone. Sometimes this makes us feel very lonely. Sometimes we wonder if us being here matters at all. Sometimes we can't imagine being anywhere else.<br />
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Sometimes teachers don't want to show up for training. Sometimes teachers don't get that working for a Christian school means you can't separate your sinful private life from your public professional life. Sometimes commitments from teachers set to come from the states fall through. <strike>Sometimes</strike>. Always these times affect more than one person. Sometimes that is why daddy doesn't come home for dinner. Sometimes missionaries and Haitian friends work together to pick up the pieces and we get to see good come out of these sometimes. Sometimes we ask "why?" Always God reminds us that He is working <b>all things</b>, not just <i>some</i> things together for good. Sometimes we get to experience how He does that. Sometimes we just have to trust His purpose...because He promised...because we love Him...because He first loved us. Because we can't possibly doubt Him. Because He experienced every single agonizingly beautiful sometimes. Because He is not a far away God. He is there with us. We know this. We wish we could share all the times He has worked through our sometimes. But for this week...<br />
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We are excited about the school year beginning! We are excited about how God has worked to get us here and keep us here, to get the teachers here, to get the students here, to bring in teams that helped get the school ready, to help and encourage Gary and Carolyn Walker who run the school, to work alongside other teachers, directors, missionaries, and families. We are excited about answered prayers for our children getting a safer ride to school until the Lord provides a vehicle for our family. We are excited about seeing all the kids so excited! We know there will be a lot of "sometimes" ahead and we are excited to see how God will continue to work through each and every one!<br />
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<span style="color: black;"><b>Be excited with us!</b></span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyL8Ydf0mmNHOmtuCUtpq3Qm6P3RGDGLlP2EJZMM8G-DLDWVDxOBJjd9aF_bC0XlrSHzC7fwngWO4qXawdZIbRgzB6a0hWN-gI8U3TdIezXqTF3NCXAcbQGt5QcHjDl5fIKD0gH1wWIg4/s1600/School-library-576x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyL8Ydf0mmNHOmtuCUtpq3Qm6P3RGDGLlP2EJZMM8G-DLDWVDxOBJjd9aF_bC0XlrSHzC7fwngWO4qXawdZIbRgzB6a0hWN-gI8U3TdIezXqTF3NCXAcbQGt5QcHjDl5fIKD0gH1wWIg4/s640/School-library-576x1024.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excited about the new library center!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9H-MWISIQK74KMeR_-7k2Wn-2zN2a47HLHQJ7MZHXe0ZBzUpxxFGe74D1nk5WozZ6Stvd0AGfE6BxOyC7YcqfhoO6oiCodoV5LuZReSG_snrfHqLRS-NQRylEo1y4CvK76pWKoWWNNOE/s1600/Evan-at-school-1024x576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9H-MWISIQK74KMeR_-7k2Wn-2zN2a47HLHQJ7MZHXe0ZBzUpxxFGe74D1nk5WozZ6Stvd0AGfE6BxOyC7YcqfhoO6oiCodoV5LuZReSG_snrfHqLRS-NQRylEo1y4CvK76pWKoWWNNOE/s640/Evan-at-school-1024x576.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Exited for new teachers!</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl32ImoCNRHVxOH76jmOXNqFf3jfSA3vw1ULKrQ_RuPOcsg1J2S-wzbfzxnB7uFjF-yCm_giAcKSWQjnOcYi90_xLR3FHlIm_zWEPh0wLyFN7aS-ozn01IdYPBS5ZvPp7kcpsa40r0ze8/s1600/Elita-and-friends-at-school-576x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl32ImoCNRHVxOH76jmOXNqFf3jfSA3vw1ULKrQ_RuPOcsg1J2S-wzbfzxnB7uFjF-yCm_giAcKSWQjnOcYi90_xLR3FHlIm_zWEPh0wLyFN7aS-ozn01IdYPBS5ZvPp7kcpsa40r0ze8/s640/Elita-and-friends-at-school-576x1024.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Excited about being with school friends again!</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6eFtUcxRDVKwU4Xa4vTsYrw3KkrGyviypeiuC9VFVr8H3MESs4E2AWGWKuC0ILYAjRhHVZRGFi6pUa-ZG2Y29yAKdFBkkjMLUXDFQfikjVDUSFucd0eme-qyUgfw9vNfQ6ud4WRyWsrI/s1600/Esmee-at-school-576x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6eFtUcxRDVKwU4Xa4vTsYrw3KkrGyviypeiuC9VFVr8H3MESs4E2AWGWKuC0ILYAjRhHVZRGFi6pUa-ZG2Y29yAKdFBkkjMLUXDFQfikjVDUSFucd0eme-qyUgfw9vNfQ6ud4WRyWsrI/s640/Esmee-at-school-576x1024.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Exited to get to school at the beginning of the year and pick out our spots!</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zqakEuQ_J9LXAJ4hgOvZOZMwyHQefiqFWYNQFzg6YGc88t6z50SGl4GzA168AfFh6luYo0ng60y8p5KhAJEJFiOoIyI7KvqtB7kcFIOEJTvXaGi67N6PNYhxef9zdmK2ByV5tuxt-c8/s1600/Ethan-at-school-576x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zqakEuQ_J9LXAJ4hgOvZOZMwyHQefiqFWYNQFzg6YGc88t6z50SGl4GzA168AfFh6luYo0ng60y8p5KhAJEJFiOoIyI7KvqtB7kcFIOEJTvXaGi67N6PNYhxef9zdmK2ByV5tuxt-c8/s640/Ethan-at-school-576x1024.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Excited to learn!</b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: black;">"And we know that God causes <b>all things</b> to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."</span></h2>
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<span style="color: black;">-Romans 8:28</span></h2>
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Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8886585742721623088.post-559086018492335942013-09-14T11:35:00.000-07:002013-12-04T06:05:30.680-08:00September Newsletter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black;"><b><i>Gearing up for school at El Shaddai</i></b></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #3e8283;">When you have one of the best Christian and English schools for over 40,000 students in your area and only about 8 desks for each class you have to turn people away. The last couple of weeks have been spent meeting and interviewing potential students and their families to see if our school is a good fit for their child. Often we have to tell families who are excited about their child getting a great Christian education that we have to put them on a waiting list. It is extremely difficult to see their desperate faces after sharing that news.</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #3e8283;">God opened the door several times to share the gospel this week with students and families. A man said he was a believer since birth. It was a joy to ask him some more questions to find out he put his trust in Christ when he was 9 or 10 years old. He is now more equipped to share his God story with others. I always ask parents and students if I can pray for them in the interviews. One student’s story was heartbreaking. His dad died less than a year ago. His mom and other brother went to the states and he is now living with an aunt near the school. They were looking for financial help for him to attend school. We took time this week to pray with him and his aunt for God to provide the funds for him to attend school.</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #3e8283;">El Shaddai Learning Center had a team from Florida come and serve with them here in Haiti. A team of American teachers shared many helpful ideas with our Haitian teachers during a busy 3 day training seminar. Our teachers walked away with some great info and a heart to change some things about themselves and how they treat and react to their students. We are looking forward to a great year now scheduled to start September 16th! We appreciate your prayers as we have students who still need to put their faith in a Savior and many who need to grow in their love for Him and others.</span></h3>
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<span style="color: black;"><b><i>Kofael Happenings</i></b></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #3e8283;">We made a family trip to see the ladies of Kofael the 3<sup>rd</sup> weekend in August. It was a sweet time of fellowship. One of our elderly ladies had just returned from her husband of 25 years funeral earlier that morning. She has been caring for him in his sickness the past few years while struggling to take care of her family. It was a blessing to be able to surround her in prayer. The sound of Haitian women praying is one of the sweetest sounds we have ever heard. Our friend who had just left her husband’s gravesite asked if she could pray for us in return. She who the world would call “the least of these” prayed for provision for our family to have a vehicle so that we could come to visit them more often. It was a humbling and precious time.</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #3e8283;">Elisabeth made another trip the next weekend for the monthly Kofael meeting. This was a special meeting because we had raised money to be able to purchase school supplies for each woman to help send her children and/or grandchildren to school. This meeting we were giving the supplies purchased from one of the women in the program which also brought added blessing to her family through this large sale. The cost of school in Haiti is one of the greatest hardships for Haitian families. School was once again announced delayed by the government until October due to so many families not having the funds to begin. Thousands of children are placed in orphanages simply because their parents cannot afford school and other basic necessities. Many of the women in the Kofael program came to one of the Kofael leadership looking for help to find an orphanage to place their children. Providing school supplies is one small thing we can do to help keep families together. The women were very excited to each get a packet of supplies. Thank you to those who contributed to their excitement and helped meet this important need.</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #3e8283;">Frantz and Julienne, our Haitian leadership team journeyed back to St. Marc with Elisabeth so that we could spend the next day discussing upcoming important milestones for Kofael. There are currently forty-one women in the Port au Prince program. Nine finished paying loans in August, five of those are ready for their final loan. Fourteen more will finish paying loans this next month. Three will finish in November. Fifteen more have finished their first loans and are currently waiting for their second loans. We are currently not able to take any more women into the program and are praying for provision of $5,850 to be able to grant some of the next loans to the women. As the women pay back their loans we are able to roll over the money into the next loans. But having to front the initial loan money for so many is a difficulty. God has faithfully always provided and the women have been faithful in paying back each loan. Kofael needs fourteen ladies sponsored for their second loan of $150 each and fifteen ladies sponsored for the 3<sup>rd</sup> loan of $250 each (totaling the $5,850). If you are led to sponsor a one time Kofael microloan in the amount of $150 or $250, please contact us to let us know. Please pray with us as we trust Him for this amount!</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #3e8283;"><b>Link with information to donate to Kofael:</b> <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://empoweringwomeninhaiti.blogspot.com/p/donate.html"><span style="color: black;">http://empoweringwomeninhaiti.blogspot.com/p/donate.html</span></a></span></span></h3>
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<span style="color: #3e8283;">Kofael members at the last meeting happily receiving school supplies for their children</span></h3>
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<span style="color: black;"><b><i>Family Life</i></b></span></h2>
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<span style="color: #3e8283;"> We were blessed with eighty-two consecutive days of visitors since June! We are still trying to catch our breath a bit and enjoy some much needed family time in the midst of gearing up for school and Kofael happenings. We enjoyed a visit from two boys we are close to and help sponsor for school and their mother staying with us for a few days last week. We also made the decision to add another addition to our household this past month. Roselie is a dear friend we have known for the past 2 years. She has to be the best cook, housecleaner, and hair braider around! Roselie badly needed a job and we badly needed help in the midst of so many guests, so many Haiti house issues, ministry and summer homeschooling. Roselie was living with her aunt in Port au Prince so having her come to work with us so far away meant having her move in with us. She is sharing a room with Genise and little Evangeline who also share our daily lives. We can hardly believe Evangeline will turn one on September 28<sup>th</sup> and has always been with us. She definitely keeps us all on our toes now that she is so mobile! Her busy mother also welcomed the company and additional help from Roselie. Now we don’t know what we ever did without her! Our household now has us six Reams, Roselie, Genise, Evangeline, Dalencourt “Daly” and Brownie (nicknamed “Houdini”), our two adopted Haitian mutt dogs….along with whomever else decides to knock on our door! We are a pretty rowdy and blessed bunch! Our biggest personal family prayer request right now is for the provision of a vehicle because getting this bunch out of the house without one is a very difficult task!</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #3e8283;"> <b>Link to donate to vehicle fund:</b> <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://hgim.donorpages.com/MissionsReamEVehicle/ream/"><span style="color: black;">http://hgim.donorpages.com/MissionsReamEVehicle/ream/</span></a></span></span></h3>
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<span style="color: #3e8283;"> We are also praying for new partners to pray and financially come along us so that we may continue to live and serve in Haiti. Our current regular pledged support is meeting only 20% of our minimum budgeted needs.</span></h3>
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<span style="color: #3e8283;"> <b>Link with information on how to donate towards one time or monthly giving for our family: </b></span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://reamteaminternational.org/donate/"><span style="color: black;">http://reamteaminternational.org/donate/</span></a></span></h3>
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<span style="color: #3e8283;">By God’s grace through a few generous one time donations over the past few months He has sustained us. We continue to trust in His faithful provision and be encouraged by the prayers of the saints. Please don’t hesitate to let us know how our family can pray for you as well!</span></h3>
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<span style="color: black;"><i><b>By God's Faithful Grace,</b></i></span></h2>
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<span style="color: black;"><i><b>The Ream Team</b></i></span></h2>
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Ream Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11417746284027788998noreply@blogger.com0