Our Generation Cook-Out

As I’ve shared in previous blogs – Malaya & Mikela have a dance group called Our Generation. We practice every Saturday from 1pm-3pm as a group. And then throughout the weekdays – we break them down into smaller teams – each team learning a different dance.

It’s our goal to have an hour’s worth of dances… so when we get invited to perform –  we can put on a full concert! It’s a lot of work. 

If it weren’t for this dance group – many of these kids would not be friends. They don’t hang in the same crowds.

To help promote unity & the importance of family – twice a month we do something fun. Tonight we invited the children over for a cook-out! Everyone roasted hot dogs, enjoyed chips, ate 2 pieces of cake, & drank an ice cold coke!

We played a few games together before heading into the house to watch a movie.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE seeing how close they are growing to each other.  We really are becoming a family.

We’ve added two new boy dancers to our team….and they’re pretty amazing. These two guys are going to take us to the next level!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMA GIGI!

As I shared in my last blog – Momma Gigi is a HUGE part of our family. I don’t know what we would do without her. Friday was her birthday so we surprised her at her home with a hot meal for the entire family! 🙂

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ANNIVERSARY

May 25th, 2001 – From this day forward…..

For better – Wow! I can’t imagine standing on the mountain top with anyone else but you. Those beautiful confirmations that we really are in the center of God’s will….. The pink line that we thought may never come… resulting in 4 beautiful children, falling in love over and over again with the adorable Haitian children that God placed in our family – making it complete. The times where we just couldn’t believe that we get to do this life together – going to a job we love and are called to…. and working side by side … 16 years strong.

For worse – Wow! We’ve survived the deepest and darkest valleys together… where comfort and healing just couldn’t be felt or found, when we cried out face to the floor begging God to make His presence known…to hold us up… so many losses, so many tears, so many trials, so much pain….

For richer – We moved to Haiti after we got married…. we have no home in the states…. so we don’t have much experience with this… BUT it depends on your definition of richer… a husband who treats you like a princess, a roof over our head, food on the table, no empty chairs around that table, a God who unleashes His goodness when we least expect it, a family who comes to our rescue time after time, friends who became our family…. I’d say that makes us pretty rich.

For poorer – Remembering how hard it was to find supporters who weren’t already giving to my missionary parents, missionary brother, or the mission in general… Starting from the ground up…. those difficult moments when we worried all night not knowing how we’d survive the month…or the week for that matter… didn’t know how we were going to pay our medical bills or care for the kids that trickled through our home year after year… (Then we are gifted with a “random” donation that gets us through the next few weeks….) and yet the next month we do it all over again….

In sickness – Well babe you married a crazy mess! But you knew that already. With 4-5 emergency flights to the states YEARLY, countless surgeries, blood transfusions, horrible pregnancies -92 days in the hospital, etc… You’ve carried this vow out daily…. there for me every time…always by my side…holding my hand, holding my heart, holding me up… wiping my tears

In health – Well I hit the jackpot here!! You are so strong… rarely sick…. You carry the family… you carry the weight of the mission…. you put your body through endless tap-tap/bus/moto rides just to be a blessing to others… you stay up all night and you work all day… I’m inspired and in awe of the way you sacrifice daily for me… for this family… for this ministry…

And I know we’ve had it tough
Our road’s been bumpy and rough
But we have a God who gets us through
And I have every faith in me and you

Until death do us part….

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Though we have no place to go to celebrate this day…. Jose created the most romantic dinner. There is NO one who is more thoughtful or romantic than him. He managed to get steak to make Beef Wellington and for dessert we had soufflé. Who does that?

From the creative way he arranged the candles  – to the beautiful place setting on our table-  to the best meal I’ve had in years. ….. all I can say is: Thank you Jesus for Jose!

Also our staff made us a beautiful cake as well….It made our day in SO many ways!