10 on Tuesday... errr. Friday: Guest post

Since my lovely seester is here I've decided to let her guest post!!! Suprise!

Gracie, I love you and I'm excited to share my blog with you!

So I would just like to say that this week has been fantastic! I could not imagine a better week! Noelle has been super fantastic and I can really tell she cares for the people of Ti Guinea. It is so fun to watch her talk with the people and see her laugh and joke in a completely different language! Pretty crazy:) (Every time Noelle walks by kids that can see her, they all start shouting "noelle! NOOelle! noELLE! NOELLE NOELLE NOELLE!!!" Cutest thing ever!) ('nother side note: I have earned the title of Ser Noelle..aka sister of Noelle...I am pretty pumped about that one!) Okay, enough of the pre-blog! Here it goes!!!

1. First day in Limbe, Noelle, Dad, and I hiked up the "small" hill to see Noelle's house! This picture cannot even begin to show you the vastness and beauty of God's creation! So AWESOME!!

                                           
2. I don't know if you have heard, but a picture is worth a thousand words.

 3.  The first and last day we got to see Noelle teaching at school. It was incredible to see her connect and teach these kids! Also, when I say kids I really mean,"individuals ranging anywhere from eight years old to twenty-two." TIH.

 4. At school, Noelle had her students read the Bible verses we had glued to the Valentines we had made them. This particular one was John 3:16, it is incredible to see truth being confessed in "Every tongue and tribe.."

 5. SHE WAS ROASTING COFFEE! This was just awesome! I don't know if I have ever in my life smelled anything so delicious!

 6. During a tour of the entire camp, we picked up a small following of "little friends". On the way down the mountain, this little boy grabbed my arm and kept helping me down the steep places. SO ADORABLE!

 7. On Wednesday, school got canceled because of the rain, and we got to play for a little while with a group of kids. :)

 8. This little girl's name was "Bebilov" (sp?), she was absolutely precious! She has an eye infection right now, and Noelle is going to give her something for it tomorrow. It will be nice to see her again before I leave, but her eyes look like they are causing her a great deal of pain. Please be praying for her!

 9. I don't know of you can see in this picture, but this girl has the cutest dimples I have ever seen! She was a sweetheart!

10. My little friend from picture 9 and Bebilov would not let go of my hands on the walk back to camp. I didn't really mind though.  :)

                                           

Prayer update: Solid Foundations

It's 3:36 am.

Yes you read that right. Earlier it was torrentially raining and my internet wasn't working. When I say torrential I am not kidding. I was shouting at my sister, Grace, who was less than a foot away, because of the noise. When the rain stopped I think the silence woke me up... or the almost silence.

Drums. Chanting. This appears to be the marathon of voodoo ceremonies. Currently they are somewhere between hour 12 and 13. I'm actually really suprised they didn't stop for the rain!

Because I'm up, and because the rain stopped, (but really because I'm so excited about it) I figured I'd do a short ish update on what is going on here spiritually.  I am so excited for this upcoming week and would love for those of you that see this to commit to daily praying for the church here!

Gersan, the pastor that I am partnered with is here in the village this week and will be going through a foundational class with the church members and others who are interested!! I can't even begin to tell you how much they need this. This is a very basic, but important class that Gersan teaches in Port Au Prince to the baptism class in order to be sure that people understand and have a good, solid foundation in Christ. But here, he is doing it with the whole church!

Here is where the church is now: They have a body of members that loves the Lord. They really do. They Love Jesus and call Him their Savior, and love that God is their Father. But the vast majority of them have no idea what any of that means. They don't know why they need a Savior, they don't know that you can't lose your salvation. They think that Salvation is by works and baptism, and they don't understand grace and faith. They are not recieving sound biblical teaching from their pastor, nor is he setting a half decent example of living a life of integrity and character. He is muddling the gospel and honestly has told some of us that he would rather be doing other things than pastoring this church. To add to the problem, many people in this area cannot read, and if they can its only Kreyol. The Kreyol Bible is not the best translation, in many ways it is more of a paraphrase or interpretation like the Message, and so they do not have the resources to feed themselves God's word, but are relying on the church, which is not delivering well. And there are many other struggles that they face as well.

I have been praying since I got here that God would raise up a man who fears God ONLY, who lives and breathes God's word. A man with leadership and boldness, with love and wisdom, someone who can speak the truth to these people and love them fiercely. I have been praying for a man of integrity to rise up from this village and shepherd and disciple this flock. Someone who will pour God's word into their hearts and help them gain a firm foundation. Their houses are built not on rock, but on sand. And, as we have seen tonight, the rain does come! (and so do the earthquakes! but not tonight thankfully)

How to Pray: This week, while Gersan is here he will be teaching this foundational class. His first class took place tonight and he said there were about 20 people there. Pray for him, and for the students as they walk through this class together. After class tonight Gersan said that one of the most difficult things may be for him to go slow enough to make sure that everyone understands.
This is a class with NO spiritual background in truth, but rather lies and distortions of truth. Even after hearing the truth it is very hard to change the thinking and ideas that people have had for years and years. Pray for wisdom for Gersan, and for open and soft hearts towards the truth for the people. Thankfully truth shines greater, peirces further, and stands stronger than lies. Gersan is a man that loves the Bible more than anyone else I've ever met. He loves God and loves truth. Pray that God will give him wisdom to speak truth into their hearts. Pray for the body, and for each individual. Pray that they will understand! One of the beautiful things about Christ is that faith, while we make it so hard sometimes, is really so simple! Pray that they will grasp that. Pray that God will be raising up in this village a man, after God's heart, full of truth and wisdom, and love and patience.

Just pray.
If you want to commit to praying (and getting your friends to pray too, hint hint!) it would greatly bless me, the Valcins, and most of all the church body of Ti Guinea. I would love to know that you are praying daily! I promise to post more updates as the week goes on. Leave a comment or Facebook me and let me know that you are praying!

Also, it is 4:19 and appears that the voodoo ceremony is over. That aspect of life here is a million prayer requests as well. But for tonight, I'm finished.

Goodnight.

Rain Check...

Due to an enornous amount of rain, and internet the pace of a paralyzed snail, we are going to call a rain check for the 10 on Tuesday.

But I do have an exciting suprise for you when the monsoon subsides. Check back for updates!

And while you are at it pray for my house to stop leakin on Gracie's bed, and not have any more leaks. And also for all my Haitian friends tonight, who I know are getting very wet!

Kè Bondye

There is somthing so cool about God. (I think that is the most elementary statement about God I have ever made. And cool doesn't seem like the right word, but its all I got right now.)

 I have been so blessed to experience and know God in a different way here.  Here his name is Bondye. I really and truely MET Bondye here in Haiti on January 13th, 2010. Exactly one year and one month ago today as a matter of fact! I had just spent the entire day living in mass heartache and pain, both physical and emotional. The day ended with me watching a beautiful teenager die in my arms, and watching her boyfriend as he freshly grieved his loss. I left the clinic that night and didn't know how to feel. My heart was broken, But I wasn't feeling a pain I had felt before. I started to pray, but didn't know where to start...this is what came out... Sobbing... "Oh Bondye!"... More sobbing. A garbled half Kryeol, half English, all sobbing prayer came out. And as I was praying to Bondye about how sad I was and how could this happen to people I loved so much and didn't even know... I realized He CREATED them. Loves them and KNEW this was going to happen. I realized I was not praying to my white skinned, middle-class God, but the God of Haiti. The God of all of this.

This is something I knew in my head, but its like reading about or seeing pictures of a beautiful beach, and then actually going there... two very different things!

This past week I have gotten to spend some more time with Bondye. Remember how my kids at class on Thursday were telling me that I spoke Kreyol well? Well after class they asked if I would pray in Kreyol to finish up class. Nervously I started, "Good afternoon, Bondye. Thank you for this day. Thank you for my class. Thank you for each student here. Thank you that they are all so smart. I'm so happy to be here. Thank you for me being here. I love you. Amen." (I don't really know how to pray ask for things, so it was all thank you's... which is kinda cool!) But afterwards, I realized that I just prayed my first, full Kreyol, non sobbing prayer in all words that made sense and blessed my students. It is so neat to see differents sides of God's heart!

Today in Church we sang :
"Notre Dieu est un Dieu Puissant
Il règne au dessus des cieux
avec sagesse, puissance, amour
Notre Dieu es Dieu puissant.
(Our God is an Awesome God.)

It took my breath away. Partially because the lady next to me was singing her heart out, and she had an INCREDIBLE voice. It was just so great. It was another moment that I really felt like God was not just God, but he was also Bondye.

I'm praying for more opportunities to get to know God's heart... Kè Bondye!

Because it is Beautiful.

Things I loved about today...

This post is going to be a little choppy. I wrote it all day in my head, but then when I actually sat down to write it I forgot it all... neat. Thanks for that, brain.

-Today I woke up and we did our daily phone devo with Gersan. Today's was especially good and I really enjoyed it!

- I worked on cleaning the office some and re-organizing random stuff. Put things in the shelves, didn't like them that way, so I rearranged them, then realized I liked them better the first way so I put them back... Everyone looked at me like I had lost my mind. I honestly kinda love that look. haha.

-School went well today!! That's 4 days in a row!!!!

-I showed up to school and all the kindergartners start chanting my name, "NoRel, norel, norel!" Then they started chanting something about being afraid of "blancs". Turns out there is a little girl who is scared of white people and they were making fun of her. Which is pretty sad. I'm going to try to not be terrifying and become her friend!

-At school I could understand the side conversations and joined in jokingly... Much laughs all around. Because of this I was told that I speak better Kreyol than Jack (one of the guys from Frontier Camp that just finished spending a lot of time here and is wildly popular in the village.) I've been told my entire trip thusfar about how good he speaks Kreyol. Today they told me I was better... Which of course, started a fight. the classroom quickly divided between who thought I spoke better and who thought Jack spoke better. Just to be thorough I took a vote. Want to hear the results? Jack=3.  Noelle=16... I took that as a win!

-There was a young woman who showed up at the end of school and was SHOCKED that I was speaking kreyol. She didn't know me before today and she kept laughing and saying, "wow! wow!" "she speaks kreyol!" "wow! she speaks everything in Kreyol!" So cute to see her reaction.

-I got told that my hairy legs were pretty!! DOUBLE WIN! Dear future husband, I might not shave my legs often. Hope that's ok. The Haitians think its pretty. Thanks, and Gig'em!

-I talked a lot today about random things that have no real need to be discussed. For example, I explained how people in Texas have accents, and people from different parts of the US talk different and treat people differently. I also explained the concept of "cowboys." That was fun! Dad, she is excited to meet a cowboy!

-One thing I'm loving about this minute is that my skype is working!! (notice I said minute, not day... there is no guarantee here.) It has been down for the past few nights and is finally alive!

-Last but certainly not least.... My dad and sister, Grace are coming to see me on Sunday!! The whole village is excited, but no one as much as me!! Love you guys!!

Laundry Lessons

A while back I texted my mom this message, "I'm going to start a list of lessons I learn here. Lesson number one: check the weather before doing laundry in a country where you rely on clotheslines"

Well... Today I learned lesson two.

When you leave your clothes on the line overnight shake them out because animals sometimes make them their new home.

Ever found a big frog in your bra??

....I have.

I love this place... I love it even more when my bras are frogless, but it provided a good laugh nonetheless.

remmeber this post!? Glad it wasn't in her bra!


(Have I said "bra" too many times in one post for this to be considered comfortable reading? Are any of you blushing? I hope so.... I'll try not to do this again.)

10 on Tuesday week 3

Well hello, my lovely friends.
Today. Sadly, I forgot that it was camera day until just now. (I know you are thinking, "NOELLE. Its 3 o'clock! You have plenty of time!"  But I don't. I only have 2 moreish hours of daylight. I considered doing 10 on Wednesday, but that just isn't as catchy. So we are back to word pictures.

One of these days I'll do it right!

1. Every morning when we wake up, before we start our day we all crowd around Boss Varis' speaker phone and Gersan prays for each of us, and for our day. He has also started doing a little devotional from a book he likes. Its such a sweet way to start the day. Knowing that we are prayed for, and that we are all on the same page together. Its like Sr. Staff meeting at Frontier Camp, (but shorter and earlier!)

2. Today's morning consisted of preparing the office for a makeover. I got help from Boss Tchaly in taking down the bed and moving it next door. I thnk I have removed all the bedding and placed them in a spot all together. Tomorrow I will begin the nitty gritty of sorting and placing things on our fine shelves that Frontier Camp built when they were here.

3. Also, my day has been full of conversation. I have been blessed to have had a few random skype and fb chat conversations along with some phone convos with Betty and my dad. Last night I was feeling a little far away from home, but then this morning I got a fb email from a dear friend giving me all the details of her life. Even one's that aren't important or even really relate to either of us... example: "so-and-so. (a mutal friend) got a haircut."   I love still knowing the details of everyone's lives. So if you ever need to word vomit details of your life on someone... I am your girl!!

4. Remember how last week I was discouraged about school not going well? Well, today I showed up for school and the little kindergartners (who aren't even in my class ran up to me and shouted, "Goodmorning! How are you? What is your name?") I know they didn't understand what they were saying because they ALL know my name. When I walk by I honestly feel bad for thier teachers, the entire class is disrupted because someone, always, without fail gets the whole class chanting, "Norell. Norell, NOrell." sometimes they chant my name along with other words, but I haven't yet figured out what they are saying.

5. Speaking of school... The last two days have gone very well. My first, second, and third graders had a blast with "Head, Shoulders, Knees, Toes" yesterday to learn our body parts, but I had to edit the words a little. They were getting confused by the "head AND shoulders. knees AND toes." Thought that and was part of the body part. Once the ANDs were omitted it was smooth sailing. Thankfully I have learned the value of a little friendly girl-boy competition at Frontier Camp and so, of course we split the boys and girls and had some competition to see who could sing the loudest AND pronounce the words correctly.
A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E. Today went well with my Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth graders as well. No singing for these kiddos (I say kiddos... most of them are my age or a little younger.) But they did learn them all. We practiced pronouncing things correctly and then had a quiz... They did wonderfully! I was so happy! Thank you God for giving me smart kids!

6. I really wish my camera was around for this one. I can't adequately describe this to you... So... I'm getting all the materials ready for Janet (the lady who comes in the evening to cook for me). I pull the tomato paste out of the icebox (which has not been refridgerated for over a week.) But the tomato paste has been open, left in the can, and put back into the ice box.... Ok. So I go to get it out.... Black Fuzz. Lots of it. around the top of the can. Open the can... (any normal individual would have gagged, but my science brain and the past month in Haiti has really decreased my gag reflex. Y'all. I have never seen this much mold anywhere. Not even in a science lab. it was A LOT. I exclaim that the paste is not good and Janet looks at me in horror. *rough translation* "oh don't panic, its FINE! I'll just scrape off this stuff and it'll be good as new." So... I'm eating sauce made with that tomato paste tonight. I hope I don't have any adverse reactions to the new floura I am introducing to my system.

7. So speaking of food... today Guerline went to the doctor in Cap Haitian, to get some medicine. She came back with a funny little bag of... something. It looked like... something... I don't even know. White and brown. I could see that it was hard chunks of some sort of cresent shaped thing. It is about 1.5 inches thick. (I'll save some and take a picture).. anyway... one of the strangest things I've ever eaten. At the beginning it has the consistency of sand and tastes like nothing, then it tastes like a mini wheat (you know the cereal), then it turns into a toothpaste consistency and tastes like vanilla cake mix. Very... interesting.  Its called 'bon bon amidon" Bon bon just means candy or snack... and apparently this is made from the same plant as cassava... Which I am planning on taking a picture of soon. Cassava is quickly becoming my comfort food/ after school snack, but its pretty healthy I think. Just a plant. Can't wait for next week when I have homemade Haitian peanut butter!

8. Tala washed my clothes today. When she was finished she came up and told me she was finished and that my underwear looked pretty on the line... "Ummm... Thank you? They are pretty much standard underwear..." I'm glad that's out there for all to see... maybe she meant that as a collective whole my clothes looked pretty on the line... I'll never know.

9. Preparing my lesson for tomorrow. Trying to think of songs or games to teach colors. Could be a short lesson. But I'll probably add some body parts that weren't covered in the song from Monday. I'm considering some sort of matching game or "hide and seek" type... we'll see...

10. Currently listening to my current favorite artist, Joshua Radin (google him. fall in love. I dare you. I even made it super easy for you), serenade me while I am talking to my mom on skype. Miss my momma. She is the best. She loves me so much that sometimes its overwhelming.. which, if you think about it, is ok! Talking to her on skype is always a joy and an experience. Partially because my internet situation is an experience all on its own, and partially because of my mom's relationship. One minute we will be talking about something serious and the next I'm trying not to wake up Guerline because I am laughing so much... MoMo, I miss being able to call you ever SECOND I think of something random to tell you, or texting you randomly throughout the day the funny things that happen in my life. YTB!


Here's to actually having photos in my next 10 on Tuesday!