Hello again to those who find the time to keep updated with
our life here in Ti Riviere. This post
is going to include a number of topics, so it is my hope I can be as concise as
I need to while communicating well what is on our hearts and minds….. but I have
a feeling it could be a short book……
Teams-
April and March were very busy months with short-term teams
coming and going. Teams are an aspect to
Mission Haiti, that we as full-time MH team members really look forward
to. They bring a great sense of renewed
energy, great attitude, willingness to step up to whatever is at hand, and are
a source of encouragement to so many people.
We were especially anxious for the past couple teams to
arrive because they were entirely made up of people who either attend Sioux
Falls Christian School, or Shalom CRC in Sioux Falls, SD. It was a wonderful two weeks, where we had a
unique connection to almost every person here.
I said it often as they were on our property, ‘It feels like our worlds
are colliding!’ Our home church, and the
school I taught at and our children attended were coming to see a part of what
life was like in Haiti, what a blessing!
Both teams did a variety of things, and were graciously
flexible when plans had to change because of situations such as rain or road
conditions. The main goal for our
short-term teams is to experience the culture and lives of the Haitian people,
bring encouragement in as many ways as possible, and then return to the states
being able to tell a more informed story from a part of the world which has so
much to share.
So just as it was very exciting to see the SFC, and Shalom
team arrive on our property, that meant that we were also going to have to say
goodbye. Our girls know by now what the
feeling is like when the ‘goodbye’ day comes.
Regan, our youngest, has her own way of dealing with it… most goodbye
mornings you will find her in our house alone, sitting by the table
coloring. I have even heard her talking
to herself and trying to cheer herself up!
So yes, saying goodbye is not easy, but in some ways it is nice to again
get back to our normal day-to-day activities, which get put to the side as we
are spending time with teams. This means
the school books come back out, laundry gets caught up, financial reports are updated,
time as a family again is a priority........ and we catch up on sleep : )
Moving Forward
We would also like to take this time to inform you that our
family has decided to move back to America at the end of June. At that time, Tim will be assuming a
full-time position with Mission Haiti as their Chief Operations Officer, and I
will be back at SFC teaching k-5 art! We
made this decision about a couple months into our return to Haiti this past
January. At that time there was some
changes happening with MH staff positions in America, and so it was made clear
that Tim would be able to use his gifts in an effective way from the US.
This past year has been one where our family has been
tested, stretched, educated and required to consider life in a whole new
way. And in the years to come, I am
certain we will continue to learn from our time in Haiti, even as we will again
call America our home. It is also
exciting to consider what this experience will bring to the role Tim will play
within Mission Haiti in the states.
Having developed relationships, and living amongst those who work for
and with Mission Haiti, he will bring a new dimension that we hope continues to
develop and maintain lasting partnerships between all peoples. His position will also require him to be
making regular trips back to Haiti, maybe up to 6-8 times a year. This too is exciting as our whole family has
hopes of returning from time to time, to see the people we have been able to
now call our family, and continue a connection in our girls’ lives.
This past week we were able to sit down with people in
leadership of MH here, as well as most staff members and explain what our plans
were. This was not easy, and we ask you
continue to pray for all those involved.
It is our hope that the people here understand to some degree why we
have made this decision, accept it, and then continue to treat us with the love
and respect they have so graciously given in the past.
Our girls heard the news after all others were
informed. They responded with a big
mixture of emotions. There were tears,
both of sadness and joy, followed by a lot of questions about when we decided
this, and about a lot of the details that Tim nor I have worked out yet
concerning our living situation once we are back in America. I have said it before, but the girls have
been asked to process and handle a lot for their ages in the past year, and for
the most part have handled it remarkably well.
We also ask you to pray for the people who will be here in
our place. We are trusting that God will
provide the right people/person, in His time, for Tim’s position here as
property supervisor and financial guy.
It is a role, which as the ministry continues to grow, will need to be
taken on by someone to allow for our other teammates to continue doing the
quality of work they are doing.
That leads me to my final point… please pray with us for the
team we are leaving here in Haiti. Paul
and Bethany Perissian have been an enormous source of encouragement, strength
and sanity during our time in Haiti.
They have committed to another year, as they anticipate the opening of
the Jean Alexis Kouslin Academy this fall, where Paul will be the director and
Bethany will assume here current position as an integral player in our student
sponsorship program and offer ophthalmology assistance to many. It is hard on our hearts to know we are
moving back to the US, and they will be continuing their work here without
us. We do anticipate the return of Pam
Plasier at the end of May, but even with her return, more hands and hearts are
needed to continue operating to the best of Mission Haiti’s abilities in Haiti.
So again, there are many details that need to be worked out
in this time of yet another transition.
It seems God is making sure we don’t get too comfortable where we are
at, as He is continually displaying His control and not our reliance on our own
selves.
If you have any questions for us, please feel free to
contact us at timsaramulder@gmail.com
or tim@mission-haiti.org
I think this is long enough for now…. But soon I hope to be
filling you in on the role Mission Haiti plays in education for the more than
2000 students in the southern part of Haiti.
Look forward to some words given to me by Paul and Bethany as they,
along with so many in Haiti and US, tackle the huge responsibility of
establishing and encouraging a greater quality of education to this generation!
