Ti Riviere, Haiti - Week 1

Hello from Ti Riviere!

Well we have made the trip and we are here.  All our travel went as well as we could have hoped and all our luggage also arrived safely.  The girls did well and we were so thankful for Bethany Perissien, one of our team members, who traveled the whole way with us from Sioux Falls to the property.  This allowed us to have one adult for each daughter while managing luggage, an overnight stay, and a few flights.

First impression from the girls was that this is going to be a good place.  They were excited to see the kids in the MH orphanage, they loved the palm trees, their room was nicely set up for them with bunkbeds, and the fact they get to play outside all day with an abundance of people willing to play has shaped up to be a good experience thus far.

Logan, being the oldest, is perceptive to more and so has taken a bit more to jump in with both feet but she has a very willing and kind heart.  Logan really enjoys the food and takes her time to be by herself and read.  She is willing to jump in and help when needed and has warmed up to the kids who are around throughout the day.  Logan said the other day how she has come to love showers in Haiti because they do not have a roof and we can look at the stars… plus there are moments of feeling chilled from the water!

Aubrey is our little social butterfly.  Kids are always asking where she is so they can play.  She just giggles and smiles which is the language that breaks all barriers here.  Just as in SD, Aubrey has her piles of “junk” lying around which she claims are treasures… I (Sara) am working on being okay with this as we continue to find order in our new surroundings.

Regan is the same old “full of life” Regan.  Her comment they other day was how her favorite thing so far was that ‘everyone thinks I am great here.’  Oh dear, oh dear.  The Haitian students think she is hilarious and have often commented how they like to hear her talk… well, we will see how soon that wears off.  Regan too is making fast friends but requires a watchful eye until we can establish where she should and should not be.

For Tim and I, we are just trying to get adjusted.  We knew this would take a while but it is much easier to say than to do.  We feel we need to be more helpful at this point, but the daily tasks of our day are taking a lot of thought and effort right now.  Our house is pretty well organized… for now.  It seems we keep finding better organizational systems or locations to put things to make our day more efficient.  It is also going to take us a bit to become acquainted with living on a property with people around a lot of the day.  Privacy is something I have noticed I miss at times throughout the day.   Each day little things are getting to become more normal.  We are thankful for small victories throughout our days.

We sent a team off Saturday morning, and so now will come the time for Tim to sit down with the rest of the team and figure out his role.  This all takes time and for now we are doing our best to make sure the girls are doing well.

The rest of the Mission Haiti staff has been great.  They have helped us transition and have been a source of encouragement in lots of ways.  At 6:00 each day we all get together for a time of singing, prayer and sharing of how we have seen God work in our day.  It is a time we learn a lot from and are thankful for how they maintain focus on God’s faithfulness amidst things that can be so discouraging.

We are so thankful we have made it this far and I made the comment to our team the other day that I feel like we are going to look back at this time and say “remember when…”   This first week has stretched us, grown us, challenged us and encouraged us to place all control in God’s plan, not ours.  Please continue to pray that this time of transition continues to go smoothly.  There have been bumps, but our hearts can rest in knowing our Lord is the all sovereign God who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Keep praying for us and the entire ministry of Mission Haiti.  There is so much potential here, we just need to make sure we are seeking wisdom and discernment from God in the direction He leads our efforts.  Planning and preparations are such an interesting concept in a country like Haiti.  At times it seems like we need to over prepare, only to learn that our best efforts were not intended to work out how we thought they would.

Please also keep Lucy, one of the MH orphanage girls, in your prayers.  She has decided after a decade of living here to return to Port au Prince with her mother.  This is not a good situation.  Please pray and army of God's angels to surround her right now.

Here are a few pictures that I hope can shed some light on what our first week has looked like.

Logan and Aubrey playing a game on Aubrey's bed.  They think the bug nets are awesome.

More legos

Aubrey and Dolkey playing tic-tac-toe.  He is one of the oldest in the MH orphanage.

Regan has found feathered friends in Haiti.

Aubrey and Logan helping out with distribution

The view out our bedroom window

I promise more pictures soon... but right now the speed to upload a picture is not real great.  I hope to try again soon though.

Last Week in the U.S. for a While

I just wanted to give a brief update about how the last week is going before we take off Saturday.  I promise this post will be straight to the point!

• On Sunday our church family had a very meaningful worship service put together about missions where we were able to share followed by a potluck.  Thank you again to all who put effort into this day, we were beyond blessed and felt very loved.
• The girls spent their last overnight stays at both sets of Grandparents.
• This allowed Tim and I to tackle the task of packing suitcases for Haiti and what was left in our house for storage.  So much got accomplished, and we are feeling pretty good about fitting all we need into our 10, 50 lb suitcases.
• Many visitors have stopped over to say their final goodbyes.  It is greatly appreciated and know all these people have been put in our lives by God to walk beside us.
• The next couple days will be mostly getting boxes and furniture we are keeping in storage where it all needs to go, as well as last minute cleaning.
• These days will also be filled with calling last minute providers with our change of information and/or canceling services... Tim gets this lovely job.

Here are a few items to specifically be in prayer about:

• For final details to get wrapped up smoothly.
• For physical health and strength... and quality sleep.
• For some difficult 'goodbyes' to go as well as they can.
• For excitement and joy as we step into a big time of transition.
• For any doubt & fear be surrendered to the Lord.
• For Saturday and Sunday as we travel (Our flight leaves Sioux Falls Airport at 12:30 on Saturday with a layover in Dallas, then onto Miami where we will spend the night before taking off agin at 7:40, Sunday morning.  Our hope is to be on the bus headed to the village of Ti Riviere by 10 a.m. Sunday morning with all our bags and team members we are flying with!)
• For the first minutes, hours, and days to be filled with love and peace, as everything will be new for us and those we will be living with.
• Praise for those who have called, written or stopped by to say goodbye, provided food, and pray with us.
• Praise that this week of preparation has gone as smoothly as it has.

It is our hope to update this blog within the first week of our arrival in Haiti.  Be looking for a more interesting post, and hopefully one which contains some images of lots of 'firsts.'

Until then, we will be taping up the last of the boxes and making the most of our time amongst familiar family and friends.

Here We Are

Here we are...  We have thought about, prayed about, talked about, looked forward to and dreaded this time for a while now... yet here we are.

As in posts before this, you are going to get a dose of my heart today.  I feel at times God might as well have put mine on the outside of my body, cause it seems I often share too much of what is going on in my heart.  But today I feel like it needs to be shared one more time before we make the big move.

I have said to a few friends in the past days, that we are in the days right now which we have been planning for, for so long.  And I will admit there is joy and excitement, but a hefty amount of sadness has also entered in.  So much of how our family spends our recent days consist of spending some precious last moments with those we love dearly.  For the most part, we all have been able to graciously say 'goodbye,' but I feel a hurt building that I never anticipated feeling so deeply.  

For myself (Sara), it happens when I take time to sit still or when the house is quiet.  For our girls, it happens when we are driving away from a fun time with friends and family.  Logan and Aubrey are old enough to understand more of the context, or realize why we are doing so many fun things right now with others, but then quickly return home to continue packing everything up and labeling boxes.

Today I came across a blog, via the sometimes wonderful site of Facebook, about a family originally from MN who have lived in Haiti for the past 8 years.  As I was reading through some of their story I came across a page labeled:  The Cost.  It tells their readers about what is the hardest part of living in Haiti is for them.  This is not our story of course, but when reading this page, I felt the topic of many conversations Tim and I have had over the past 6 months was said so well by this women.  This is what she says:

When people ask "What is the hardest part about living in Haiti?" The answer is easy. It has nothing to do with illness, bugs, heat, or lack of bacon, milk, and strawberries. It is not the daily interaction with heart-breaking poverty or the front-row seat to see  the devastating consequences of it. Those things are hard, but those things are not the hardest.
It has everything to do with wanting to stay connected to the family and friends we deeply love and left. It has everything to do with feeling guilty for letting them down, for missing big things in their lives, for being distant and different and sometimes hard to relate to or understand. It has everything to do with knowing we are where we should be and knowing that some are hurt by that. It is horrible to make a choice that hurts people you love... It's uncomfortable and makes us squirm.

Deep breaths..... I can't make it through that paragraph without going to the 'ugly cry.'  I haven't even lived in the country one day with our family of 5, and my heart aches for anticipation of these feelings.  
          The truth is, I, in my human sinfulness, want to ignore the 'hard parts of being obedient,' and what that means for our life.  I selfishly want to be able to follow God's will for this time in our life in our comfortable house in SD. I want a medical Dr. which is just a phone call away if an illness comes up.  I want our kids to wake up each day and have a variety of food options for breakfast.  I want to continue doing good things here in our community/school, cause isn't that enough?  I might be over sharing my heart right now, or causing some to wonder if I am even fit to move forward to the adventure ahead... but this is where I am, and so here we are.
        I have said a number of times to Tim that I so desire to be that wife, mother, and friend that can graciously accept this role which we are confident we have been called to, with the strength and joy I accept the easy and fun parts of life.  The problem is, when so much of life is about waking up to provide for comfort in abundance, and avoid inconvenience at all costs, that doesn't sit well either.  I recall another past conversation between Tim and I where we both agreed, we could not deny what had put in front of us, we couldn't pretend we hadn't seen, felt, heard, had that conversation, or met that person just by chance.  Yet it would have been so easy to say, "Nope! My way please."
       In the same blog, from the family already referenced, was a couple parts in the book of Luke.  A little lengthy, but please read:

         Luke 9:57-62 says, “The Cost of Following Jesus.” Here it is, plain and simple, laid out for us by the Lord. “As they were walking along the road, a man said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But the man replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my Father.” Jesus said to Him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you Lord, but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts His hand to the plow and looks back will be fit to enter the Kingdom of God.” 

            Luke 14:25, “The Cost of Being a Disciple,” Jesus tells the crowds gathered around Him, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes even his own life – he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry His cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to complete it; everyone who sees it will ridicule him saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first consider if he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace. In the same way any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”

        Then the writer made these two statements:

In Luke, in the days of Jesus, He expected EVERYTHING of his disciples. Do we believe that He requires the same today? We sure don’t act like it. 

Do we really know and believe in the Jesus of the Bible. Because if we do, if we believe what He says is true, our lives will be powerfully, unimaginable, radically different than the lives of those around us. He requires EVERYTHING.

        I want to read that, and again ignore what that means for Tim and Sara Mulder.  I remember a time in early February I asked Tim, "Are we forcing this?"  Meaning, are we, ourselves trying to make this move to Haiti happen.  I think I was looking for a door that could be shut, and then we could continue on living a 'good' life like we had been.  But Tim's answer to me was, "No, Sara, we aren't.  This kind of opportunity should not be as easy as this really has been, this really should be more difficult if it wasn't of God."  I knew he was right, and we got to the point where we COULD NOT turn our backs on what God had been making plain for us to see.  Plain for us to see, and often has left us speechless as to how His providence has shown up in exactly the right situation and timing.  Yet all the while, we knew this never meant easy... and causing some to think we are nuts.
       Let me wrap this up by saying we are really doing well (despite what I have just revealed about my heart's condition.)  The emotions are very present, but the love and strength of those God has placed in our life are overflowing with the grace only given by our great Comforter.  I am not trying to just put a 'happy stamp' at the end of this post, but this is an honest reflection of how well cared for we have all been.  The blessings we have been given are beyond our ability to appropriately say thank you.
      Please pray, especially in the next week, for our family, especially the three girls.  They too have had their moments, and Tim and I desire to be handling those moments how God needs us to be.  (Just a little side note to hopefully make you laugh.  Last Sunday I was having a moment as we were walking out of worship in the morning, and Aubrey looks at me and says, 'Oh look, Mom is crying again.') As like most families, our children have unique personalities and so process this all so differently.  Pray grace and love abound, and His kingdom wins each day.
      Please also pray for those who we are hoping to build relationships with in Haiti.  Pray grace and love is built in Christ alone, during this big time of transition for us all.

Questions for Aubrey

Aubrey has been wanting to give her perspective on things for a while now.  It is interesting to us to see how different a 5 year old processes this whole move compared to her 8 year old sister (Logan answered some questions a few weeks ago.)  We have considered the ages of our girls since early on, and once again realize that they are at pretty good ages to be making this move.  Any earlier it would have been a whole different set of obstacles with little ones, and older children would have had a harder time letting go of social circles.

So we hope you read Aubrey's answers and simply appreciate her heart for how innocent a 5 yr old's perspective is.  She is our most compassionate, tender and thoughtful child.  Along with these traits comes tendencies of being timid, reserved and nervous.  It is exciting for us to think of how God is going to work through Aubrey, given her character, in the way only a child can be an influence.


How are you getting ready for your move to Haiti?
I have been helping my mom decide what to keep and what not to keep.  
I also had to get two shots.  The first one I cried about but the second was no big deal

What do you look forward to doing in Haiti? Why?
Homeschooling because I don't think I have ever done that before and it seems like it could be fun.
I also think hiking to the schools in the mountains could be cool.

What are you a little nervous about in Haiti? Why?
Learning the new language because I don't know much about that.

What do you think you will enjoy playing in Haiti?
Soccer and with the little kids.

What do you think your bedroom will look like?
I think the bug nets are going to be really cool to sleep under.

What is going to be the hardest thing about living in Haiti?
That we only can get water from one tank to drink and wash with.

What are you going to miss?
My friends & family

How do you feel about wearing skirts or dresses all the time?
I feel good about that.

Other things happening around here:

• We are still slowing packing : )
• Tim has called most of the businesses or people who need to know our change of address, or need to be notified to cancel service. (Direct TV and Netflix are gone people)
• We are moving our address to our brother & sister-in-law's house so they will receive any mail that might be sent to us while we are gone.

• 26601 Tucker Dr.  Brandon, SD 57005

• Tim is also working on finalizing our health insurance situation.
• Have had the privilege of getting together with friends & family for lots of 'lasts for a while...'
• I, Sara, am closing in on finishing the list of paintings that were to be done this summer!  This has been a nice break from the crazy of life lately (It may have added to it too!)
• Getting anxious to actually put things in the suitcases for Haiti.  (I sometimes wish someone else was telling me when to do this or that, find myself spinning in circles a lot of days.)

MH Newsletter

We wanted to send a quick update because the PO box for Mission Haiti has changed.  The new address is:

 PO Box 2175  
 Sioux Falls, SD  57101-2175

We also are attaching a copy of a newsletter being sent to a list of contacts of Mission Haiti.  I am sure that will reach a lot of you but wanted to also send this out to those who might be checking our blog every once in a while.

Look for another short post coming up from our daughter Aubrey later this week!
And I finally counted the days till we leave...25!  Deep breath.

Next Month...

We can say the words 'Next month...'   There are days those words give me a lump in my throat, and there are days where those words create a lot of joy and anticipation.  As we have learned over and over, it is a daily decision to surrender our plans for His.

We wanted to give a little update on what we have been up to these past few weeks, so here it goes:

• All types of packing is happening. (has been a good lessen on where our treasure really is)
• We are sending some of our family's supplies along with short-term mission teams who are headed to Haiti before we are.  This aleviates us from having to fit all of our supplies in our 10 suitcases when we fly out on August 9.
• Each week a few more boxes of our belongings get packed up to store while we are gone and brought to our storage unit a few miles away
• As all this packing is happening even more things in our house get donated or find their way to other 'homes'. (the house is looking empty)

• Fun events with family & friends are being added to our calendar. 
• The Mulder family took an extended weekend to spend time at Inspiration Hills.  It was a great little get-away full of wiffle-ball, kick-ball, ropes challenges, swimming, card games, way too much food, biking, hiking and great company around the fire every night.
• Visit from long-time Pella friends
• Garage sales & lemonade stands
• VBS at our home church
• A bake sale put on to assist us by our church family at Shalom CRC
• Not exactly fun, but I (Sara), made a quick trip out to CA as my Grandpa passed away a couple weeks ago.  It was wonderful to catch up with uncles and aunts whom I haven't seen in many years. This also allowed me to see my brother Steve, from Chicago, who I might not have seen hadn't the funeral happened.
• Little day-to-day activities like softball, picnics, bonfires, walks, and swimming done with generous friends who love and support our family.
• Mission Haiti put on a meal for all team members, board members, employees and all our families.  It was a night of sharing, getting to know each other and simply building community as a group of people brought together by a desire to serve.

• Final appointments & check-ups being scheduled.
• The girls all had to have a typhoid shot last week Tuesday and I am happy to say only one of them cried and it was only for a short time (bribery might have been involved).
• The whole family visited the dentist.  The parents have to return to have a cavity taken care of and Regan needs to visit an oral surgeon concerning a stubborn 2-yr molar that does not want to fully come in. Ugh!

• Closing on our house July 15.
• We were blessed to be able to close on our house early and then rent our house back from the buyers for another month.  This means we don't have to move twice before we get on the plane!  This also allows us to take care of details over a few more weeks rather than having someone else to handle it while we are gone.

As you can tell, so many things are falling into place and God's mercy and grace have been revealed in even the smallest of details.  I have commented to people at times, that we feel so fortunate to be able to be walking this road, getting a front row seat to the power of God.
Yet as I write about all that is going on, and as we begin to look at the next handful of weeks, my sinful humanness has shown up as well.  A couple weeks ago I felt fear and doubt enter into a lot of my thoughts and feelings.  I will spare you the details, but it affected me to the point that our girls even noticed that there was something going on with Mom.  I knew my armor had been penetrated and it took being encouraged by a friend from our SFC school community, to put the armor of God back on, to give back all control to Him.  Ephesians 6:10-18

I also came across a devotional which talked of having the faith of a child (Matthew 18:3-4).
Tim and I have been amazed how excited our girls have been about this adventure all along.  Now we also realize they do not fully know what is all in store, but we have also done our best to be honest with them about some of the tough things that we might encounter (like Haiti heat in August!).  Yet they continue to look forward and are so willing to step up to the task at hand.  So I took this lesson shown to me by our girls, and happened upon the same topic in a devotional, to find our strength in the Lord by having faith like a child:

"My pride, my strong desire to find my own way as an adult keeps me from bowing down at Your feet and asking for Your guidance and mercy.  Show me today how to give up control and accept the changes  -- blessings and trials -- that come with a humble, childlike faith.

So we ask that you continue to pray for us, and our extended family, as we head into the last weeks.  There are going to be a lot of exciting things happening that will also include having to say goodbye. I told our girls the other day that if they see Mom crying, it is okay : )  It just means that we have to be thankful for the people who love and care for all of us.
Please also be in prayer for the four other team members, Paul & Bethany, Mike and Pam, who have already moved to Haiti.  Pray too for the Haitian people who we will be living closely with, they too are experiencing much change.  Pray the love of God will blanket us all to build His kingdom.

Logan's Perspective

We thought it would be interesting for you to hear our daughter Logan's perspective.  The other day I (Sara) asked if she would be open to this idea, and she thought it sounded pretty good.  I came up with some questions for her to answer, and over the course of a few days she took time to write them down.  I am going to do my best to type them exactly how she wrote them in her 8 year old way.  ENJOY! : )

What was your first reaction when we told you we were moving to Haiti?
When I found out that we were moving to a different country I was scared and excited.  I was crying happy and sad tears.  I asked a ton of questions.  One of the was if we were staying there for ever.  There was a song on the radio that really helped me.  It said that you aren't going to be comfortable your hole life and that we need to tell other about God.

What are you most excited about? Why?
There are a ton of things I am excited about.  One of them is making knew friends with the kids at the orfanige and the schools we will viset.  One reasone why is because I want to learn more about the people of Haiti.

What are you most concerned about? Why?
The thing that I am most concerned about is getting sick.  There are lots of ways to get sick there so we have to be careful.  One way we can get sick is not wearing shoes.  Bugs can heart our feet.

How have you been getting ready?
We have been going through stuff that we are going to take along and stuff to get rid of.  Also today we got seeds to plant at Haiti.  My room is a lot cleaner now that the junk is out!

What are some things you will do in Haiti?
I will play with the kids at the orfenage, and go to the ocean, and viset schools, and I will be home schooled.  I am excited to do all these and I'm sure I will do much more.

What have you learned about yourself through this process?
Something I found out about myself is that I just need to know what is happening and I'll be fine.  I was really nervosa when I found out that we were moving to a different country but know I am so excited.

What have you learned about others?
I learned that people care enough to help us.  I am very thankful that they want to help us.

What have you learned about God?
I learned that God will take good care of us in Haiti.  He has given us the oppertunatee to go and share God's love.

********************************************************************

I love how simple yet thoughtful Logan's answers were.  It has been a learning process for Tim and I to know how much to reveal to our girls about how much change will be happening for them.  We want to be very honest with them so the culture shock will be slightly less, yet respect and acknowledge that their minds cannot fully grasp all that will be different or difficult.  We have been so thankful that  they have been really excited, yet understanding that have yet to fully experience Haiti.  But I was reminded this weekend by a friend that the fact they haven't experienced Haiti could cause fear and sadness... and it hasn't for our girls.  This is again a very clear example of God's provision, nothing that we as parents have created in them.