PEACE

I have been reminded a lot lately about peace.  Yesterday our family spent the day with friends in a beautiful garden.  It is away from the city which makes it an amazingly quiet place.  We heard the birds, the trees moving in the wind, and laughter. We didn't hear dogs barking, people shouting, taxis honking, music blaring or phones ringing!  It was a place designed to make you feel at peace!  It was beautiful! 

This morning I got up and during my quiet time I came across Isaiah 26:3-4.  "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.  Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal."

I thought for a long time about what perfect peace would truly look like...I would think that all the things I long for would be apart of that perfect peace.  Love, true joy, laughter, compassion, rest, no worries...if we truly had perfect peace then those things would accompany it! 

God promises us this kind of peace if we only trust him completely.  I KNOW that I can trust him with everything: my life, my family, my friends, my future...WHY don't I?  Deep down I BELIEVE he wants what is best for me and that he loves me with an incomprehendable love!  Why do I let worry and doubt creep in? 

My prayer for this day and all to come is that I will keep my mind steadfast because of my trust in this incredible God who wants to be my father, comforter, friend, healer, protector, guide...my ROCK!

I want to REST in his beautiful peace no matter what noise is going on around me!

Merry Christmas!

It's still pretty early and yet it has already been an eventful Christmas Eve!  My friend Susan and I went for our run this morning.  On that run lots of unusual things happened.  We run often but all these things happened for the first time today...must be the holidays!  We had 4 people make a "kissing" sound at us, it poured down rain so we were soaking wet, we saw a beautiful rainbow, and we passed a "crazy" man who had two huge rocks aimed at us.  That one ended up being just a joke...they thought scarying us would be pretty funny.  And honestly after all the frustrations of the morning I actually had to laugh...I think I was so thankful that it was just a joke and not real!

Christmas here in Haiti is different than Christmas in the states in lots of ways. If you walked down the street you would have no idea it was Christmas here.  No lights, no stores filled with "Christmas" things, no Santas on the corners, and definitely no snow.  However, Christmas is Christmas no matter where you are!  It is such a sweet reminder of why we do what we do.  The moment when you hear a song that brings tears to your eyes as you think of Jesus as a tiny baby coming to save us...We have an amazing God who loves us with an indescribable love!  We get to share and remember that here in Haiti and you wherever you are!  That will never change! 

It has been a beautiful Christmas time here in Haiti!  Sunny, warm and relaxing!  Just like we like it.  The boys do talk about the winters they remember in Elgin...making snowmen, snow angels, snow ice cream...they think it would be fun to be in the states during Christmas sometime.  I am definitely missing family and friends but not the COLD!

Have a Merry Christmas!!!  Our prayer is that you are able to remember what this time is truly about no matter where you are!

Merry Christmas from Haiti!
Scott, Lindsay, Cameron and Ethan