It was 3am when our group arrived in the Mole. It was their first trip & the 12-passenger van they had been riding in had broken down several times. We greeted them with cold sprite & Chariots of Fire….you know a little silliness to welcome them.
The air was completely still. The ladies were rolling their bags to the hot dorm after a long ride. But we had another small surprise for them. We had a Ryobi fan for each of the ladies. These fans run on re-chargable batteries. If you put them on low they can run 10 hours. If you put them on high they can run about 7 hours. Sometimes on a hot night you just need to start off with a breeze. Even if it dies in the middle of the night – it helps you fall asleep.
After a long ride on the bus – these ladies needed a little bit of comfort. The sound helps balance the noise of Haiti & the air helps cool you down just a bit.
For Christmas a few years ago we bought each of our staff members a fan & a battery. This was one of their favorite gifts as it allowed for each one of them to feel just a little breeze as they sweated the night away.
My children cannot sleep without them. They have back-up batteries if their fans die in the middle of the night. We are prepared!! These fans provide for a better sleep no matter who uses them.
So today I’m thankful for Ryobi fans! Sleeping well equals serving well.
SO Thankful…Day 11
As most of you know – Haiti is pretty warm all year round! Wednesday we were having our weekly staff meeting. As I was preparing I couldn’t help but notice the heat. There wasn’t a breeze to be found! The sun was beating on the tarp above and I felt like I was sitting inside a cooker! For a moment my mind flashed to May 2010.
When Jose and I moved to the Mole we came out by ourselves to set up our home. We didn’t want the children to suffer waiting for the small generator to be hooked up and the house to be unpacked. We went 4 days before we had any sort of electricity. I remember sitting on the floor of our bedroom with sweat pouring down and I couldn’t help but think – WHAT IN THE WORLD DID WE JUST DO?
St. Louis had everything we could want on campus! There was power at least 15 hours a day. We had an ice machine and an AC (when the generator was on). It was comfortable and we knew everyone there. But now we were out here in the middle of nowhere – – hot and thirsty! I remember those moments of complete panic as we unpacked the house.
One night I was sitting on the floor of our unpacked bedroom in tears. The heat had gotten the best of me. It was too hard. I remember having a melt down right there on the floor! I remember reminding God of His promise that He would never give me more than I could handle. I felt weak. The words were barely off my tongue and the next thing I knew Jose yelled that he had a surprise for me! He walked through the door and pulled out a Ryobi fan! Ryobi fans run on 18 volt batteries. We didn’t have any way to charge them in our house since the power wasn’t hooked up yet. But Jose talked to the guy who ran the morgue and was able to charge the batteries.
Now this might seem silly – that a little battery-powered fan could change my outlook on life – but in that moment it most certainly did! That cool breeze reminded me of His presence. I didn’t need to do it all on my own strength – but His. The little fan allowed me to catch my breath and cool me down – both physically and emotionally! The next morning the power was installed and a few days later we picked up the kids and brought them home!
All the NWHCM missionaries have Ryobi fans! This same fan allows Asher (who has heat-sensitive seizures) to stay in Haiti! I know that even if the power goes off and the inverter dies- I can cool him down with a battery-powered fan! On a hot night – all 7 of our kids have a Ryobi fan on them! Sleep is important and a little breeze goes a long way here! If you can rest – you can minister each day!
SO Today I am thankful for Ryobi Fans!
For making our lives a little easier here in Haiti!
