Getting Change, WANTED: Sprite, and House Cleaning...

Hebrews 12:1-2

New International Version (NIV)

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, ² fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.   

      Trying to get change can turn into a pretty adventurous day in Haiti.  Most of the time the local vendors around here will not have the right amount of change. And it is quite amusing to watch all the vendors scramble together just to give you back change. Or they will just flat out say " No change ". Which happens....a lot :).  I end up having to find different ways of getting smaller bills for the day. So I took three of the workers and we went to the grocery store. I told each one of them to go and buy the cheapest thing they could find.  Things we needed of course :). By the time they were finished we ended up with post-it notes , ramen noodles(chicken flavored) , two cloves of garlic, cookies and plenty of change!                                                                                                                                                     

    I have been craving for Sprite for the last two weeks now! Not just any Sprite though, Sprite in bottles. I already have the empty bottles and you can just take the empty ones and exchange them for new full ones at a cheaper price. But I can not find any place to exchange them! Im beginning to think Sprite isn't as popular down here. But I will still keep my eyes peeled for the stuff!      

          

   I spent the rest of the day with Evelyn and Lois.They are two very hard working, sweet older ladies that live close to the Mission House They do a lot of the cooking, washing, and cleaning when groups come down to visit. So today we did a lot of house cleaning in preparation of the group that is coming down this Saturday. While watching Evelyn and Lois clean the house today, I never realized how much work goes into cleaning a whole house! I couldn't help but think of my mom at home and how hard she works everyday! Miss you mom! 

     Then they even made a yummy lunch for me! Which consisted of Pikliz ( One of my favorite dishes!), rice and beans, fried plantains and french fries. Of course I made them stay and eat with me which they really enjoyed. It ended up being a great time of fellowship. While we were eating Florine, Lois' daughter stopped by just to talk us. All of us ended up reading Psalms 91 together and Florine felt God wanted her to pray over the whole Mission House. She has an amazing passion for God. A passion you could feel as she was praying. She says she really wants to start a ministry here but doesn't know what kind yet. Pray that God gives her guidance and the knowledge of what exactly God wants her to be doing because she has a servants heart.Thanks and Thank you for taking the time to read a little bit about me and my life in Haiti! It really means a lot to me! God Bless!! - Vince

He is my strong tower.

I give everything up to God. He is my Light and my Salvation. He is my Strong Tower. He has blessed me in so many ways within the last month. Thank you God for saving my soul.

"Every step, we're breathing in your Grace. Evermore, we'll be breathing out your Praise"

It has been a little over a month that I have been in Haiti and I can already see how God is changing my heart and the hearts of the people around me. I keep reminding myself this is where God wants me to be because I am here! Eric pointed out something pretty neat. That in Creole ( The local language) “Vinnie” (vini) means come.  I could just picture God calling from Haiti “Vinnie!” and I came! God is awesome!

I spent the first couple weeks with Cody. Trying to get used to my surroundings, Cody teaching me work duties and just daily life events. We had some great fellowship together and even got to spend some free time driving up into the mountains and going to the beach. The first major hurdle with me was definitely with the truck. When we were finally able to fix the seat so I could drive, it made a world of difference! I’ve noticed it’s the little things that can make your day especially in Haiti.  I just want to thank Cody for being such a blessing, encouragement and laying down a solid foundation for me.   

Working with the block machine has gone really well so far.  I enjoy working along side of the men. Encouraging them, telling them my story while hearing about theirs has been really touching. Realizing we all go through a lot of the same problems, it’s awesome to see how open they are to share their struggles and ask prayer for them as well.  For me, just as important as the block machine is, discipleship I feel is also what I am called to do. Especially with the workers.  In the mornings, after my quiet time I go out and share with the guys what I read that morning and usually ends up being a good theme for that day. Then we always end in a prayer and it’s just a good start to the day, which I enjoy doing with everyone. Please pray for each one of the workers. 

I have not been too lonely while I’ve been down here. After Cody left, Eva and Sarah came down for Christmas.  It was awesome that I was able to show them around and was able to spend Christmas with some of my family. And of course Eric, Briana, Cohen, and Conrad are always here. I love going over to their house to either play with the boys, eat some dinner , or worship together in the evenings. 

A song that we have been singing that I love is Never Once by Matt Redman. The chorus goes “Never once did we ever walk alone, never once did You leave us on our own, 
You are faithful, God, You are faithful.” Once thing I’ve been learning to do is putting my trust in God. Trusting in God that he will provide, trusting in God that the block we make will show his strength, trusting in God to be faithful. It is amazing to see what God is able to do and how BIG God is when you are able just to break down and put your complete trust in him. He will change your life. He is faithful.

I would like to thank everyone for your continued prayers and support!! Thank you so much. It has been a huge blessing knowing so many people are praying for me and supporting me. Keep praying for the workers. Please pray for the house we are building next week.  Thank you so much! An exciting thing I am doing is creating this BLOG and it is just a place where you can just be kept updated more frequently: about me, the block machine, and just my daily life stories! I will try to keep it updated as often as I can.