Share

Inequity really bothers me.  I'm like one of my students questioning God.  "It's not fair!"  I declare in my pride and ignorance.  My mind, which hates to dwell in the "gray" has a hard time reconciling apparent contradictions like prosperity and poverty.  I think my own ideas of what is "right" aren't being met in reality and I struggle to trust God's goodness and intentionality.  How can some of His creation be drowning in physical wealth while others are literally dying for want of basic physical needs? At some point during these struggles, a new idea of how to settle the differences was presented to me.  What if those with much are blessed, not in that we have much for ourselves, but that we are blessed in that we have much to share with others.  The blessing is not the "stuff" but the blessing comes in having the opportunity to share with others in need.  

We all know how much fun it is to find the perfect gift for someone we love.  Maybe it's something handmade that we take great care to create, or maybe it's a trinket that we find in a store that just has our loved-one's name on it.  We take our gift and carefully wrap it with colorful packaging.  We smile as we eagerly present it.  In that moment of sharing, I think it's hard to determine who is experience more joy, the giver or the receiver of the gift.  I think this must be part of God's nature ingrained in His creation - just as He is a gift-giver, so we too are blessed and find great joy in being givers of gifts.

This summer as I prepared to come to my Haiti home, there were so many who wanted to experience that moment of sharing.  You all - my family, friends, and church family- were so generous in your sharing.  I can't begin to say how greatly I am blessed by this heart of giving!  Although you all may never have opportunity to meet those who will be blessed by your gifts, you joyfully shared.  In so doing, you echoed the heart of your Heavenly Father who pours out gifts on His children.  

Upon arriving in Haiti, one of the first things I usually do is distribute goodies.  I cherish those moments when I get to carry gifts, blessings, to those in need.  With each piece of clothing and pair of shoes and container of peanut butter, those who have been blessed with physical resources are pouring out that blessing on others.  In these moments it's no longer a conflict between prosperity and poverty.  It's a faithful God finding ways to draw His people together.  He is binding us into one body as we care for one another.  

I'm afraid that not all of my luggage actually made it all the way to Haiti with me, there were just too many gifts to bring down!  What a wonderful problem to have!  Thankfully there are creative ways to send down more gifts in the coming months.  For all of you that gave, I wanted you to be able to see small glimpses of the joyful reception of your gifts.  I know that pictures can't fully express what that moment of sharing brings, but hopefully you will know, at least in part, the blessing of your open-handedness!  

At one point some of the littlest kiddos at the children's home were wearing multiple pairs of shorts and tee-shirts.  They just couldn't decide which new outfit they wanted to wear!

 

J.J.borrowed the camera for a quick "selfie" during the distribution of gifts.

Johnley kept the card and family photo from a family from church who donated a suitcase full of goodies.  He was full of smiles as he pointed to the faces of these far-away friends who had been so generous with him and the other children at the children's home.  He wanted to know their names and all about them!

The boys and girls were careful in sorting through the gifts to make sure everyone got something that was just right for them.

Much love and thankfulness in Christ, Jessie

New

Revelation 21 says...

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, 

"Behold, I am making all things new." 

Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

Earlier this week we took a special outing after school let out.  We jumped into the truck and headed up the mountain a little ways to visit The Apparent Project.  Although I've been there before, I was struck once again by the beauty of the art, the beauty of the vision, and the beauty of the larger story that is told in this place.

If you've not heard about it, The Apparent Project is an organization whose mission is to provide Haitian parents with a skill and work so that they can support their families.  There is an epidemic in Haiti of families being separated.  Children are sent to orphanages or put into restavek situations (indentured servitude) 
because their parents cannot support them.  Organizations like The Apparent Project work to keep families together and empower parents to live full and purposeful lives.  The Apparent Project helps mothers and fathers know the satisfaction and accomplishment of working and supporting themselves.  We know work is a gift that God gave to His creation before the fall, and The Apparent Project helps to restore the gift of work to Haitians who have very few vocational opportunities.

As you walk into the shop, which has been updated and expanded since last year, you are greeted by a beautiful mural of a butterfly.  "Papillon" is the Creole name for the shop.  A butterfly is a perfect symbol of the greater purpose and vision of this organization.  It's all about God making things new.  

The Haitian artisans take garbage and materials that have been discarded by society and turn them into works of art.  From jewelry made from cereal boxes to Christmas ornaments made from tin cans, the artists turn waste into wonder.  If you've not yet visited their website and watched their video, I highly recommend it!  I have to confess that this idea of new life pulls hard on my heartstrings.  The song that leads you through the video Beautiful Things echoes the hope-filled promises we are given in Revelation.  One day our God will make all things new.  Until that day, we live in the present where we see glimpses of restoration, like in the eyes of a thankful mother who can care for her children and in the beauty of the creative work of an artisan.  These glimpses of God's restoration are just like the caterpillar's metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly.  How we long for the day when we too will be made new and we will finally see the completion and culmination of Christ's work of grace and love!

Beautiful Things

Gungor

All this pain
I wonder if I'll ever find my way?
I wonder if my life could really change at all?
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found?
Could a garden come up from this ground at all?

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

Oh, you make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new

Much love in Him, Jessie

Contract

I don't understand how contracts work.  I know that for teachers in my public school contracts can be a complicated thing.  We have rounds of talks between the teachers' union and the schoolboard and tax payers.  It's often a drawn-out process that goes beyond my understanding in its complexity.  So when I found out that the teachers would be negotiating their contracts during our first day of teacher institute, I was more than a little bit anxious.  I envisioned shouting and people walking out, or maybe even the uncomfortable stall that comes when people stop talking and an agreement seems unattainable.  

Instead of my negative predictions, the contract discussions were done and settled by mid-morning.  When I asked with a shocked expression about how they had managed to come to the agreement so easily, one of the teachers simply said, "Well, we are Christians."  

And that's the consistent message I get from working with these Haitian teachers.  Over and over again for the past five summers, I have seen the love of Christ shining through the teachers at Christian Light School.  As they face unimaginable hardships in a country with political instability, increasing economic uncertainty, and so many hurdles that are foreign to me, they still come to work and pour out love and kindness on their students.

Today we started our day of teacher training with a school-wide prayer session.  Each of the teachers recorded prayer requests for their class in the coming school year.  Each teacher then took one of the cards of their colleagues and went to the room to pray.  Requests included increased patience, wisdom in knowing how to teach their students, and strength for the coming year.  After the prayer session ended, the teachers carefully tucked away their notecards to keep each other in their prayers during the school year.

What an amazing gift it is to be a part of this community of Christian educators, even if it is just for a few short weeks in the summer.  I love hearing their stories of success and problem-solving together for new ways to approach problems in the coming school year.  I love when one of us starts to share an anecdote about our experience as teachers and we all start nodding in approval.  And most of all, I love the unique unity that I find being in a place where I am with brothers and sisters in Christ who are also dedicated educators.  Despite the many cultural differences and contrasts of life experiences, there is something uniquely home-like in sharing moments with these amazing teachers.  

For the coming school year, I would welcome you to take some time in your prayers to think of the teachers at Christian Light School in Port au Prince, Haiti.  The task at hand is impossible without the Lord's blessing.

Many thanks for following along with these summer adventures!  Much love in Christ, Jessie 

Feet

Since summer school doesn't start until next week, this first week in Haiti was spent preparing, cleaning, helping with various jobs, and participating in the other parts of the ministry at Christian Light School.  One of my favorite parts of the ministry is the "baby feeding" program.  The school was built to support the families of the ravine, which means helping them from infancy to adulthood.  The baby feeders go out each morning to bring food to the children in the ravine, weigh them, and provide medical care as needed.  This week we got to go out with the baby feeders and distribute shoes and clothes to the infants and toddlers.  

The children and their families were thrilled with the gifts.  Sweet little faces smiled happily as their worn feet sunk into the comfort and protection of a sturdy pair of shoes.  For many of the children living in the ravine, good shoes and clean, comfortable clothes are not an assumed part of daily life.  How amazing it is to see these small and simple gifts build bridges and open opportunities for relationships with the people in this community.  

The vision of Christian Light ministering to the community echoes the call we are given throughout the Bible.  God calls His people to be His hands and feet, to be His body in this place.  He calls us to be a light on a hill, His body in this world.  We live His kingdom now even as we look forward to its fulfillment in eternity.

A few years ago a video series called For the Life of the World: Letters to the Exiles was shared with me.  It is quirky and artsy, and I love it because it points out the greater "meta-narrative" of the Bible.  The work of Christ on the cross is not simply a story of individual atonement and sanctification, but is a story of God's plan for the redemption of the whole of His broken creation.  This story calls for His people to live out the gospel of grace in the midst of our communities.  Even as we live as "exiles" in the brokenness of this world, we are called to live a life of hope in Christ.  This might mean being a faithful employee, being supportive to a neighbor in need, or working for justice in the most corrupted parts of this life.  It doesn't mean hiding away or turning a blind eye to sin, but it means engaging with this world and shining the light of Jesus' grace and truth into it.  

How thankful I am to have summers in Haiti to remind me of the need to live purposefully, to see this present life as one that has been redeemed and is freed to lived for the glory of my Heavenly Father. How blessed I am to see and be a part of the transformation of a community that comes from faithful Christ-followers living out the gospel in simple and meaningful ways, like delivering shoes and speaking Christ's love to a world in need.

...Therefore my people shall know my name. Therefore in that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here I am.

How beautiful upon the mountains

    are the feet of him who brings good news,

who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,

    who publishes salvation,

    who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”

 

The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice;

    together they sing for joy;

for eye to eye they see

    the return of the Lord to Zion.

Break forth together into singing,

    you waste places of Jerusalem,

for the Lord has comforted his people;

    he has redeemed Jerusalem.

The Lord has bared his holy arm

    before the eyes of all the nations,

and all the ends of the earth shall see

    the salvation of our God... ~Isaiah 52

Just as the Israelites held onto hope of a return of the kingdom in the midst of exile, so we too hold onto the hope that God has a greater story of redemption that He is telling for this world.  

Thank you for following along with me during these summers in Haiti.  Much love and thankfulness for my own community of believers who constantly encourage me in the gospel and remind me to live each moment in the joy of our salvation!  Much love in Christ, Jessie

*Thanks to Ms. Sherrie for the beautiful pictures from our trips to the Ravine this week!