Every 5 Seconds

Seven.  After reading Jen Hatmaker's book, SEVEN, An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess I approached my small group girls about doing the small group Bible Study by the same name.  I think most anyone who's reading this probably has heard much more than they care to about this book of craziness, so I won't go into detail about the whole deal.  If you want to  know more about it you can google it.  There's lots out there.

 Today we start Food week.  7 foods for 7 days.  Last night at small group we watched the video and I was stunned by what I heard.   I guess i was just expecting more mechanics and encouragement as Me Myself and I make this huge sacrifice of fasting.  I mean my heavenly stars above!!!! I'm giving up French Roast for this thing!!!  This is after we had just discussed Isaiah 58 and talked about how this is not about legalism and our focus should be on the heart and spirit of the fast, not all the food details! 

This is what I heard:  "Every 5 seconds a child dies from hunger"  That's pretty much it.  That's pretty much all I remember--every 5 seconds.  In the time it took to watch the video, 240 children died of hunger. While I slept in my king size bed still too full from taco salad, 5,760 babies starved literally to death.  While I put on my makeup this morning we lost another 120.  While i gobbled down my egg at breakfast, another 60.  In the time it took you to see my post , click on the link and read this far, another 3 or 4.  Children.  Babies.  Kids.  They died.  from being hungry.  How am I supposed to be okay with that?  How am i supposed to not be bothered that children are dying and I have food to throw away?  If I don't get another cotton pickin thing out of this ridiculous study, then it has been worth my time. 

How many times have i thought, "God, why am i so blessed and why do you let people go hungry?"  He is asking me the same question.  "Marla, how can you let babies die of hunger?"  Every 5 seconds.
to quote my daughter, "I can't Un-know this!!"   Every 5 seconds. 

There is one other thing I heard last night. www.kiva.org I went to the site, read a little more about this concept of microlending and made an insignificant loan to a woman in the Philippines who is trying to feed her family through her little sari-sari store.  She will repay this loan (there's a 98.85% repay rate!!!) and then I can choose to take my loan back or reinvest it in another family in poverty.  What an awesome concept!   This gives me just a little ray of sunshine.  But I guess in all honesty, it helps me feel better about what I'm fixin to eat for lunch and the children who will not make it through today. 

every 5 seconds...

what do you know...i guess i did rant against injustice.

Some Random Haitian Thoughts

I started the trip taking notes randomly, so I think I will just share them randomly.

1.  I gave Stephanie such a hard time with her "Tigisms", but here's a quote from our Shannie that made me smile today:  "In America you see little quilts from the Airplane windows.  Here, there's just nothing.  Maybe a mountain."

2.  8 hr bus ride. 1/2 the day we flew in, then stopped for supper and spent the night because the DR - Haitian border closes at 5 pm.  I remember laying down after a very long day.  I started praying for rest and a good night's sleep when it occurred to me that I don't remember Jesus or Paul ever praying for their own comfort.  Not once. Not in jail.  Not in the garden.  Not on the cross.  Even in prison, Paul prayed for spiritual wisdom and revelation, not rest.  In the garden Jesus prayed for his followers to have unity.  He prayed for me, not that the crucifixion wouldn't be painful.  I am so spoiled. 

3. First day in country. grab a bunk. Clinic is set up. Rest. After lunch, the people start to come to the Clinic. We have a NP, April Robbins, 2 RN's, Mary Darby and Melanie Ard; and a Respiratory
Therapist, Chasity Hall. The large group is waiting in the church and 10-12 people at a time are sent up to a pavilion where Matt shares the Gospel message through a translator before assessing patients begins. Kinda like when the nurse calls you in the waiting room and you think FINALLY, but then you just go to another waiting room! Then, Chasity runs triage-getting their ailments and "medical history" which is such a ridiculous statement for me to make. Medical history? They have no medical history. Blood pressure is checked and a dose of "worm" medicine is given to each patient (at least what we can keep Renea from taking herself!) We are not equipped for anything serious. But during the afternoon, we see a strange sight. A woman is being carried up to the pavilion by 4 men in one of those plastic patio chairs. Remind you of a Bible story?? She's obviously in bad shape. Her breathing is erratic and she is so swollen, fluid is seeping from her pores. Not sure all of what her problems are, but she has a 4 month old baby and has never fully recovered from complications experienced at birth. All the medical staff comes out to see her because there is no way to get her inside. The translators share with us that she believes there is a curse on her. We pray over her even though she cannot understand. The Holy Spirit translates as we boldly go before the Throne of Grace. HMM takes her across the border to the closest medical facility which is not much better; it's a little like a trying to do surgery at your school nurse's office! All has been done. She is placed in God's care as we watch the truck leave the compound. A day or so later (it all runs together!) we found out the precious lady did not survive. We are so broken by the news. This would never happen in the riches of America. On Sunday afternoon we are allowed to visit the family. We are greeted so graciously by the mother. We ask if we can pray for her. When the translator explains, she immediately hits her knees as we all gather in, laying hands on this broken heart for whom Jesus came. It's an amazing time. Healing. Comforting. 

 

Haiti Through Junior High Eyes

 just got back from Haiti a few days ago.  God put together a very unique team and for eight days we did our best to share Jesus with hopeless eyes.  My plan is to share several posts about the trip, each focusing in on different aspects or experiences.  so here's the first

i love mission trips but i especially love watching the "first timers" who have no idea what is just around every corner.  We had three on this trip who quickly came to be known as the "Junior High Girls" and they were a blast and a blessing!!  Now, let me explain...they are not 13 or 14 year olds, but they were the youngest of our group and all three were wide eyed first time mission tripers. here's the deal...  in every jr. high group, you've got these 3 types:
1.  The leader--bold, fearless, strong, and willing to do anything.  we know her as Sassy
2.  The sweet shy one--a little unsure, but LOVES deeply and has a heart of gold.  Meet Shannie
3.  The crazy one--inquisitive doesn't quite cover it-there's no telling what she might say or ask, loves to laugh, loves Jesus, loves people.  AKA Stephanie!
here's where it all began

  "It's about to get real, real fast" Tig

And real is indeed what it got. 
God used each of these sweet girls in so many ways.  He used them to give hope to the Haitian people.  He used them to give joy to our team.  He used them to make much of Jesus.








One of my favorite Sassy moments took place on Sunday night as we gathered for worship at with the congregation of Pastor Vilma's church.  Let's just say freedom rang and by the time we sat down for the sermon, i was sweating like a pig after a Zumba workout!  Sassy did not hesitate to join in the dance, which gave us all the courage to forget ourselves and  remember Who we were there for.  The joy on her face as she worshiped the One who created Haitian and American and brought us all together was a beautiful sight to behold.

Sassy and Moses, one of our translators who also lead the way in worship Sunday night.









Shannie-would you like to know how Shannon got this perfect little nicname?  Well, naturally, at VBS, she was the one who received all the love notes and letters begging that she promises to come back soon! Yes, Stephanie, (I can hear her now), you got some too!!    2 young boys slipped past the water line that ran through the compound (this is the line the kids know they are not supposed to cross) to bravely deliver them to Shannie as he called her in his note.  Now, here's the good part.  After talking to them one evening after supper, Shannon decided she had to find a way to share the Gospel with them.  Much to her disappointment the boys didn't return the next day.  She went out to look for them at least 3 times.  But the next day they were back and using the oldest boy, John Michael, as a translator, she did indeed share with them the truth of God's Word and at least one of them came to know Christ.  Way to go Shannie!!!
 



A little Haitian boy shows Shannie his color sheet at VBS







Stephanie.  What can i say....really...i'm trying to think of what i can say that won't incriminate or embarrass us all!! What flitters through her sweet little brain just bounces straight out of her sweet little mouth.  But I will never forget the look on her face when she laid her stuff down on her bunk that first afternoon in country.  Stephanie didn't just tear up...She sobbed.  Her heart was completely broken in two by the sights, sounds, smells and the absolute poverty, the likes of which she had never seen.  In that moment, she will tell you herself, she was forever changed.  But in between taking blood pressures at the clinic and teaching the lesson at VBS, she kept us all laughing.  Just when someone would feel defeated or just plain tired....Stephanie!  Here's a couple Tigisms: (i'm only sharing a couple because Renea is working on a book deal and I don't want to plagerize)
"Just because you get bit by one little mosquito, don't mean you're gonna get the chung-cung flu." (followed by eye roll)
"What do they eat? there's nothing out there but rocks and tumbleweeds!" (She's confused with Texas?)
"Marla, I'm itchy.  It may be the cracker crumbs in my bed, but I really feel itchy.  Marla, do you think it's the crumbs???"


Stephanie teaching the VBS lesson on Noah's Ark      

There's more.  so much more.  I'll post more expereiences in the days to  come. 

Very thankful to have been blessed by this trip! 

you've probably seen all these pics on FB or Insta, but just in case.....

       

 You make your own caption for this one!!!

Jr. High Girls with their chaperon, Renea  What the what???