One month until...

... we begin our first official summer in Haiti.  Personally I can not wait to return.  I miss so much about Haiti when I am not there.  I miss the people (especially the Arris family-  "my" family just as much as if we were related by blood).  I miss waking up on the roof in the morning to the sound of singing/praying and just laying there praising God along with them- especially when the songs are ones I know in English but they are singing in Creole!  I miss sleeping on the roof with the breeze, the sounds of the city, the goats, the chickens, etc...and waking to watch the sun rise over the ocean with the palm trees framing my view.   I miss taking walks in Chaveneau and enjoying the beauty (especially the hibiscus flowers) of His creation.  I miss living simply with few distractions to keep me focused on other things than God.  It is good to get away and focus on Him and share in the lives of His people in Haiti.  And to have them share my life as well.  It is a like going on a spiritual life retreat every day! 

Soon I will live there again for the summer.  NINE weeks!  Some of those weeks I will have my family with me (my husband and my middle daughter will join me at different times during that stay) but other times I will be "alone" with my summer staff and the Arris family and my friends (both old and new).  But God will be with me each day- and beyond.  I pray I see Him at all times.  That I follow His lead and not get caught up in my ideas for the summer, but instead look for where He is at work so I can join Him there (and lead the teams to do the same).  I pray for unity within the summer staff we will have serving with us.  Their names are Jordan, Michelle, Emily, Alexis and Nikki (please pray for them too).  I pray that the name of the Lord will be glorified and honored by all we do and that when people think of Hearts United with Haiti that they immediately think of Jesus- not us as individuals or a group.  That above all we are used by God to bring His people closer to Him, to learn more about Him and to become more and more like Him themselves. 

As people call and e-mail about coming with us this summer, I ask for your prayers as well.  That God will honor these requests.  That I will stay firm and that I will use this time in Haiti this summer to grow as well.  He has so much more to teach me.  I have so much more to learn.  :-)    Amen!  -Crystal


SOME of the things I miss:

                                                      (Haitian worship- nothing like it)

                                                      (my "son"- how I miss this family)

                                              (the mountains of Chaveneau)

                                              (my tent on the roof- sleeping under the stars)