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Good Samaritan?

A Priest, a Levite or a Samaritan?

I have been thinking about this blog update for a very long time and how to approach it when Mindy happened to comment a little while ago while we were driving, “Don’t you ever feel like you are like the Priest or the Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan?”  And that is when the idea for the blog hit me.  That is what I am going to write about. 

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”  He answered, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”   “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”  But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.  A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.  So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.  He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him.  The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’  “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”  The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”  Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

Wherever you drive in Haiti or wherever you look there is someone in need, someone who needs that extra dollar: to eat, to get clothes, to get water, to have medicine, to live for the next day.  When you pull up to a stoplight there are people asking for food, asking for help in many different ways.  As you drive down the street people are lying there wanting help, needing it.  It always plagues on my heart and on my mind.  When have you given enough?  Who can you say no to?  Who should you help?  Who will not receive any help today?  This is a tough area to live in and it really strikes a chord with us.  Chloe often asks: “What does that little boy want?” or “Why is that person standing there with their hand out wanting money, why do they need money?”  As many times as we have explained it to her she still wonders why so many people need money and so many people live in a tent all the time.

It is not that I don’t want to help but the question is who do I help?  Where do I start, where does it end?  If only I had enough money to help all those around me, then things would be better.  I wish I could.  I came to Haiti like a lot of other people who have come here.  I came to make a difference, I came to change Haiti.  It is so hard to ‘sit back’ and not help those around you.  I wish I could and when Mindy said don’t you feel like the Priest or the Levite it really hit home and I wondered what I could to, if I could do more.  I am not sure what else to do or where to go.  Please pray for guidance and pray that we as a family can hear God talking to us and directing us on who to help in their time of need.

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS!! YEAH!!

In these pictures it shows some of the things that we did over the Christmas holidays.  We did miss family and friends in Canada but God has given us new family and friends that included us in many different activites.  What a blessing and restful holidays it has been.

Chloe sneaking some icing!

Getting ready to colour.

Playing ping pong.

Love this game!

Table decorated for supper.

Howard carving the turkey.

The food.

Manje anpil!

Good food, good friends  and good fellowship.

Our Charlie Brown Christmas tree
with Chloe's decorations.

New Barbie horses that walk by themselves. So lucky!

It nap time for Chloe, the barbies and horses.

Chloe loves Angel.

Playing in the sandbox, something Chloe loves to do.

Dominos Pizza at the Elf movie party.

Funny movie.

Good movie and a great night.

Life in Haiti!

It has been awhile since we posted a written blog on our website.  We have been here just over four months now.  Time seems to be flying by. We are settling into the country that we are now calling home.  We are enjoying our life, the blessings and the challenges that God gives to us. 

Chloe has really adjusted to her school life.  She still misses her cousins and her grandparents back in Canada but she loves going to school every morning and comes home with all different kinds of stories.  Her favourite day is Tuesdays because she has Phys. Ed. with Mr. Mantz.  She is learning all different kinds of exercises and different kinds of sports.  Just recently she learned how to pump on the swings all by herself.  She was super excited and happy to show her mom that her dad could actually teach her something.  Chloe is making all kinds of Christmas things.  It is really weird with her talking all about Christmas and it is about 35 degrees here.  Her regular teacher just received a healthy baby from the LORD and is off for her three month maternity leave.  She will be coming back in February to take over her position again.   

Adoration Christian Center is going in full swing.  It is almost at the end of the first control, (semester).  Exams are starting next week from Kindergarten all the way to Grade 6, and the secondary students also have exams.  Lately we as the Adoration Staff have sat down and came up with jobs that each one of us is in charge of.  Mindy has been given the responsibility of finances, physiotherapy at the school and sponsor students.  I have been given the responsibility of teachers, curriculum development, secondary students, blog updates and part of the medical program.  It is nice to have our own ‘projects’ and we enjoy the fact that this keeps us busy.  We are becoming more and more familiar with the students and the teachers.  We are comfortable with our surroundings at Adoration and even the language is starting to pick up.

Getting ready to celebrate Christmas here in Haiti is a whole new ball game.  We had a Christmas bazaar at Chloe’s school when it was 35 degrees outside.  We had cotton candy, popcorn and lunch outside.  There is no snow, no Christmas carols,(not a bad thing for Cornelius), and hardly any Christmas lights.  This is something that we are totally getting use to.  We for sure do not miss the cold weather one little bit.  Chloe misses making a snowman, but has coloured and painted them instead.

That is a short update on life here in Haiti.  We are enjoying our time, we are enjoying the weather and the new friends we have made.  May God continue to bless you and keep you in your lives!

Barahona: a retreat and a break

For five days the team from Adoration Christian Center travelled to the DR to particapate in a retreat with some other missionary families from Haiti and the DR.  We spent a lot of time in the WORD and some time relaxing by the pool and the beach.  It was fun to play games, to hang out and to worship with other people of the same mind and faith. 

A beautiful sunrise

The sun reflecting off of the cliff

The pool.

The path to our room.

Walking along the beach

Chloe trying to catch up.

Levi loved the stones.

Chloe and Mindy looking for shells and coral

Maia in her pretty dress!

Chloe buried in the stones.

Chloe and Maia

A beautiful sunrise.

Worship!

Randy leading worship

Chloe's 4th Birthday