The Father's Adoption

Once upon a time, there was a kind and loving father who lived in a beautiful house in a happy and prosperous land. He looked and saw some children, and his heart beat with love and longing for them. He knew they were to be his children, and he chose them for his own family.

He visited their country, a poor place where he was deprived of all the luxuries he was used to, and spent a brief but meaningful visit with his children. How he loved them! He got all of their adoptions done, paid for them (which was not cheap), and then went back to his country for a time. He promised his children that he would come back for them.

His children loved him very much. They knew he had not abandoned them. They waited for him to come back. They would read his letters and talk to him through the wireless communication system that he designed just for them. He provided for them and sent everything they would need for their care.

His children all knew that everything would be even better when they got to go home with him. They would get to enjoy being with him all the time! They couldn't wait to love and be loved in the mutual bond that had formed in their relationship. And they knew his house was just like a castle. How they looked forward to his return!

And then, one day, he came back, and the joyful reunion took place, and they had a welcome party such as no one had ever seen before.

~ ~ ~

The analogy of adoption rings so true for us here in Haiti, as we watch adoptive parents come and visit, be with their children for a few days, tearfully part with them, and then look forward to coming back. We can relate--because we ourselves are waiting for our Heavenly Father who is coming back for us.

A New Writing Venture

Just for the record, I have started a new blog.

It was inspired by a post called The Single Journey that I just happened to run across in one of those internet bunny trails that seem to happen so easily. I commented on the article that "Someone who IS single needs to write a good singleness book," and then the Lord said, "Why not you?" So I embarked, not on a book, but on a blog.

The audience for my new blog will obviously be much smaller and more specific than for this blog, but if you are single or just have an interest in what I might say about it, you can visit my site at http://www.singlesatisfaction.com. It's a brand new baby of a site--only 3 posts!--and only 2 pageviews! but I have a lot of ideas for content that I want to add, and I intend to write as regularly as possible.

Enjoy!

The Creole Bible (Bib Kreyòl La)

I'd like to share a bit of information about the Creole Bible and compare and contrast two Bibles that are available. (These are the only two Creole Bibles that I know of at this point. If there are any others, please contribute by adding a comment at the end of this post.)

This post is mostly for the benefit of missionaries and short-term groups who want to bring Bibles to Haiti. Hopefully it will be helpful and informative to you!

Bible #1: Bib La: Pawòl Bondye an Ayisyen
ISBN: 978-1-59877-393-4
Published by Societe Biblique Haitienne
46, Rue Fernand, Canape Vert
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
(509) 2244-0129
societebibhai@hainet.net; societebibhai@yahoo.com


Pros and Cons 

+  Most popular, widespread, the Bible they will use in Haitian church

+  Entire Bible is translated

+  Easily available and affordable (sellers almost always at the airport in Port, apprx. $15 USD)

-  Translation is not the best quality (see examples below)

-  Some spelling and orthography outdated

Bible #2: Bib Kreyòl La
ISBN: 1-59645-102-5 soft cover; 1-59645-103-3 bonded leather
Published by Bibles International
600 36th Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49548
http://biblesint.org/biNew/languages/americas-a-caribbean-toptabs-97/haitian-creole

Pros and Cons
+  Translation is superior
+  Spelling and orthography are proper for modern Creole
-  Only the New Testament is translated (Old Testament 10-15% complete).
-  Most recent press run of Bibles (2007) is almost sold out, according to their website. Another press run of 10,000 is scheduled for 2014, set to include Psalms and Proverbs with the New Testament.


Translation Comparison
If you read Creole, you will easily be able to see how much more elegant, precise, and accurate the translation is for Bible #2. If you don't read Creole, you should be able to tell the difference through the (rough) English translation I have provided.

Matthew 5:6
Bible #1: "Benediksyon pou moun ki anvi viv jan Bondye vle l la, paske Bondye va ba yo sa yo vle a."
(In English): Blessing for person who wants to live how God wants them to, because God will give them what they want.

Bible #2: "Benediksyon pou moun ki grangou pou jistis, epi ki swaf li, paske yo va kontante."
(In English): Blessing for person who hungry for righteousness, and who thirsty it, because they will be content.

Ephesians 6:14
Bible #1: "Pare kò nou: mare verite a tankou yon sentiwon nan ren nou. Pwoteje nou ak jistis Bondye a tankou plak pwotèj sòlda yo mete sou lestonmak yo pou pwoteje yo."
(In English): Prepare your body: tie the truth like a belt on your waist. Protect yourself with God's righteousness like a protective plaque that soldiers put over their stomach to protect themselves.

Bible #2: "Donk, kanpe fem. Sa vle di: Mare ren nou ak sentiwon verite a. Mete kiras jistis la sou nou."
(In English): So, stand firm. That means, tie your waist with the truth belt. Put the breastplate of righteousness on you.

John 3:16
Bible #1: "Paske, Bondye sitèlman renmen lèzòm li bay sèl Pitit li a pou yo. Tout moun ki va mete konfyans yo nan li p'ap pèdi lavi yo. Okontrè y'a gen lavi ki p'ap janm fini an."
(In English): Because, God so much like men he give his only Son for them. Everybody who will place their confidence in him does not lose their life. On the contrary, they have life that does not ever finish.

Bible #2: "Paske, Bondye te tèlman renmen lemonn, li bay sèl Pitit gason l lan, dekwa pou tout moun ki kwè nan li pa peri, men pou yo genyen lavi etènèl."
(In English): Because, God so much liked world, he give his only Son, so that everybody who believes in him not perish, but have eternal life.


Comments and Summary
The three sample verses I listed above should speak for themselves regarding the quality of the translation. However, due to availability and common usage, if you are looking for large quantities of Bibles to give away, Bible #1 will be more readily available, and it will be what most Haitians are used to. If you want a gift for a pastor or Bible student, I would recommend Bible #2 if you can still get one (I got 4 with not trouble simply by calling Bibles International. They charged me only $7.50 a copy for the Bonded Leather New Testament, and they shipped them really fast). Also, if you are looking for a Bible for yourself to read as you learn Creole, I would highly recommend Bible #2.

A Step Closer to Luxury

WE GOT A STOVE!

It is a propane stove, a real stove, with 6 burners and-and-and-!!!! an oven!

No more cooking over charcoal.

Now we can have cookies! and bread! and pie! and lasagna! and cake! and so many other amazing things!

We can light our stove with the flick of a match. No more do we have to spend fifteen minutes creating a pile of kindling and charcoal, balancing the coals just right, blowing just right, and getting it lit and roaring. Nope. The gas turns on and *poof!* a lovely blue ring of flame spurts up around the burner.

We can actually heat water for washing dishes now.

We could wash our clothes in hot water if we wanted to.

We could wash our face in hot water. Yes.

Would it be an understatement to say that we love our stove? Ah! We are thanking Jesus for this marvelous contraption every time we pass by it! SO exciting!

Glowing coals

I blew on the coals and watched them glow red hot. There were only a few still burning, but I thought it would be enough to boil a small pot of water. Just making a cup of tea...yummy herbal tea called "Cold and Flu Time" from Triple Leaf Teas. I found it on a recent shopping trip to Port, and it has been making me feel better every time I drink it.

My pot warmed up, but it wasn't offering to boil, and I was sure it was not a case of "A watched pot never boils," because I was sitting there totally absorbed in my Kindle, which means I sat there a lot longer than it even felt like it.

I blew on the coals again. I drew in great breaths and blew slowly and steadily and constantly, and the coals flamed up, glowing red. The pot got a little hotter...but there were so very few coals, it was going to be a long shot.

As I sat there blowing, I thought, "They'll consume faster if you blow on them."

I replied to that thought with another thought, "It doesn't matter; I need this water to boil, and if I can, I'm going to get them hot enough to do so. It doesn't matter if they burn out. We're done cooking."

Is that how some people's lives are?

Do some people's lives get consumed faster because they burned hotter for Jesus?

If God asked you to be one of the coals for boiling water (not for slowly melting chocolate or some such delicate work), would you be willing to burn out, even if it meant shortening your lifespan?

Moving to Haiti is such an inadvisable thing to do. Everyone says not to do it, from the State Department to my neighbor down the street. I have no doubt I have shortened my lifespan by living in Haiti. I've probably ruined my liver, my lungs, my skin, and who knows what else.

My coals served a useful purpose by burning hotter. The tea I made with the boiling water was a great refreshment and caused me to feel better.

If I serve a useful purpose in God's kingdom by burning hotter, even if it's for as trivial a thing as a cup of tea for the kingdom of God, then it is worth it for me to be obedient. The length of my life, the safety of my body, and the health of my organs is secondary in importance to fulfilling the purpose God has for me to do.

So blow away, Holy Spirit, and kindle a flame that glows bright enough to show others the Savior!

The Multi-Tool

I have a couple of multi-tools that are really, really useful in Haiti. This amazing multi-tool comes with the following features and would be useful for missionaries, parents, teachers, veterinarians, military personnel, and more. It would be good for even the very youngest of children, for it was designed with their safety in mind.

Screwdriver
Hammer
Half a bowl (but I have two so I can put them together)
Spatula
Vise
Sprinkler
Eating utensils
Half a musical instrument (works when you use two together)
Directional arrow
Acoustic clicker
Comb
Blunt force whacker
Expressive nonverbal language features
Bottle opener
Puppets
Tweezers
A number of hooks
Washboard
Paintbrush
Plate
Toothbrush
Q-Tip
Toilet Paper
Washcloth
Sieve
Rolling Pin
Massage tool
Abrasive scratch


You would think, with all these features, that my multi-tool would be bulky and more trouble than it's worth, but it fits in a pocket and it's really easy to wash. I love my multi tools so much--I would hate to lose one!

(It's a riddle. What is my multi-tool?)

25 Reasons I am Thankful for Ants

My roommate and I are trying to turn a habit of complaining about ants into praise to God in all things, so we challenged each other to come up with 25 reasons we are thankful for ants. Our theory was that our two lists would not be alike, so we would end up with 50 reasons why we should be thankful for ants. We wrote our lists without consulting each other, but I think that there ended up being bit of overlap. (See her list on her blog.)

1. Thank you, God, that ants provoke a lazy person to be diligent (Prov. 6:6)

   

   Ant-eaten holes in my clothes

2. Thank you, God, that when I find my clothes swarming with ants and see the holes they have eaten into the fabric everywhere, it reminds me to store up treasures in heaven, not on earth (Matt. 6:24)
3. Thank you, God, for this major incentive to mop every day, which keeps our house lovely.
4. Thank you, God, that ants clean up trash like dead cockroaches and so contribute to tidiness and order.
5. Thank you, God, that ants are impossible to kill. This inspires me to be the same way when Satan sees me: constantly invading and never worth the bother of squishing because I will merely wriggle into shape again and crawl on my way.
6. Thank you, God, that ants can wander around the same square of tile for a long time without finding anything or getting anywhere. This inspires me to not lose heart in the midst of seemingly pointless labor. 
7. Thank you, God, that ants successfully carry really big loads. This inspires me to never be daunted by my littleness compared to the size of a project. 
8. Thank you, God, that ants bite hard! This gives me a chance to thank You in all things and rejoice even when I suffer. 
9. Thank you, God, for how the ants unify the missionaries--everyone unites in the fight to make the house inhospitable to them!
10. Thank you God, for how ants can fit into really little cracks, like little reconnaissance robots. That's cool. I'm thankful that ants are cool. How lame. I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel. I've run out of all the obvious ones. Lord Jesus! Make me really, truly thankful for ants! How can I praise you for ants that crawl on me and bite me and eat my clothes and ruin my food and swarm everywhere over the floor? Help me.
11. Thank you, God, that ants look ahead and plans for the future. I am thankful that even in such a little (seemingly senseless) creature, I can find an example of this kind of wisdom. 
12. Thank you, God, that the ant is responsible without anyone telling it what to do. That inspires me to be the same. 
13. Thank you, God, that the ant does its seemingly insignificant job faithfully and consistently, because that is what You have designed it to do. That inspires me to do what You have designed me to do faithfully and consistently, too, even when it seems insignificant.
14. Thank you, God, that the ant has a master sense for food. Within minutes of us dropping a crumb, it will be surrounded and an ant highway will have developed. It makes me consider: Do I have that same hunger for spiritual food? Do I immediately sense the smallest crumb that drops from heaven? Do I seize it, and tell all my friends, and get them to help bring it back to my home and to my life? Thank you, God, for this lesson. 
15. Thank you, God, that ants make no sound. They do their work in silence. They get squished in silence. Thank you, God, that they don't sound like mosquitoes!
16. Thank you, God, that ants are so numerous! It shows me what impact numerous tiny things can have. They suggest that I never again need to wonder if my numerous prayers are having any impact.
17. Thank you, God, that ants can burrow through the cement walls and floor of my house. That's amazing. I thank You that this means they can get in. They can also get in through the open windows and doors. I thank You that in every way, our house is not closed off to them, even though I don't feel very thankful, because you only allow what is good.
18. Thank you, God, for ants being fast. Sometimes I have to try two or three times to get my thumb on top of one of the hyperactive ones. That helps me to speed up my reflexes, which I'm sure is good for my brain. 
19. Thank you, God, that ants are edible. I'm sure I have unwittingly eaten lots of them. 
20. Thank you, God, that ants are organized underground. At least the vast majority of them are probably out of sight at all times. 
21. Thank you, God, that ants are not 3 feet long. What horror that would be!
22. Thank you, God, that ant bites are not poisonous. If they were, I'm sure I would have died by now. 
23. Thank you, God, that ants are under man's dominion and I'm allowed to kill them without committing murder. 
24. Thank you, God, that for the whole first 30 years of my life, I never even knew what it was like to have to face this problem. 
25. Thank you, God, that you created the ant, that you declared it very good, and that you have a purpose in teaching me to be thankful in all things through this little creature. I am yours, ants or no ants!