Last day and Final thoughts about Haiti

Group picture on the last day of class with my morning ladies.  They were sweet and grateful.  After concluding Ruth, I challenged the women.  I told them that my purpose there was to encourage them in their relationship with God and that they needed to continue reading, studying, memorizing and meditating on the Word and in prayer.  I shared a verse in Ezra that describes Ezra as one who set his heart to study the Law, teach the Law and practice the Law.  I asked them who God would want them to teach about the Lord and encouraged them that I saw God had CHOSEN them to teach the orphans in their care about their Abba, Father.  I pray that they do just that!

Most of them could not speak English except for a couple phrases.  One woman hugged me for a long time and whispered "Thank you.  I love you."  So rewarding!

My overall observation of Haiti, other than extreme poverty, was how dirty it was.  We went to the beach on the afternoon of my last day and Haiti was redeemed of my gloomy observations.  God created a beautiful island.  Unfortunately, the condition of the country is an example of how much mankind and sin in this world can deface what God created perfect.

Me with the adorable Mulligan kiddos : ) Had fun hanging out with the whole fam!

Carrie leading worship with the kids Thursday night.  Such a sweet time of fellowship with the kids.

Me and my cousin, Carrie, dropping me off at the airport to go home.  

She shared with me how much it bothered her when people would say she and Stephen are amazing and how ill-equipped and unqualified they felt.  Stephen runs the facility overseeing 20 some nannies, construction workers on site, American interns, translators, security guards, payroll, and overall maintenance of the buildings.  Carrie takes care of the medical needs of the children(which is CONSTANT), dealing with kids coming and going from IBESR and their placement, communication with kids sponsors from site and being mommy to her 3 littles.  Their life is overwhelming to say the least.  The orphanage is relatively new and experiencing normal growing pains with the struggle of continuing to understand how best to care for the kids within their culture but according to God's Kingdom culture.  

There is so much to be done and so many ways I can clearly see God is going to improve things in the future, yet, there is SO much good that has already been done and SO much to praise God for!!  Please pray for them and Hands and Feet...  I know that they covet prayers.  And as for Carrie and Stephen, Carrie is right that they are not amazing people, no one is.   No, I think when people say that about them, they mean that the love Carrie and Stephen have for God is amazing.  So much so that they left everything( a good job, nice house, family, friends,and  a good church) to live in an isolated, lonely, overwhelming and extremely difficult situation... all for the glory of God.   But most of all, I think people say that about them because GOD is amazing!  That he would use an ordinary family to run a HUGE operation of caring for 70 orphans in an oppressive, poverty-stricken country with no previous missionary experience.  Yes, God is amazing and I got to see it with my own eyes.