Thursday (Thanksgiving) and Friday

Believe it or not, we pigged out on a huge American style Thanksgiving meal yesterday. Just like any other Thanksgiving, most of us ate way too much food. We went to a party with some local folks the Manasseros know. It was fun!

Today David and I held our last Bible study with the leaders of Maison de Lumiere. They are sharp folks and very caring. It has been such an honor to serve them!

In the afternoon, we helped the kids paint t-shirts. That was a blast! I especially liked sitting with the littler kids, holding their t-shirt in place so they could paint on it, helping them get the right paintbrush, and wiping the inevitable paint smears off their little brown arms. You will see those t-shirts sometime soon, as we will be selling them in a fundraiser.

Tonight we held a worship gathering for all the kids at the boys’ house. What a blast! When they really get going with Creole songs, it is a wonder to behold. I couldn’t sing along, so I just prayed and looked around. Each time I gazed on a kid’s face, I felt a familiar rush of compassion and fatherly care. I think we were all feeling the same way. You can’t come here and not be affected by the kids. Well, I guess you can if you don’t have a pulse. We are all deeply thankful for the amazing transformation that has taken place in these kids’ lives, and that we all worship the same God.

At one point, I looked over and watched as Isguerda, our sponsor child, held Nathaniel in her lap. Isguerda is 14, and she is so happy we are all here that she is beside herself. Haha! "I am beside myself" is a saying the Haitians think is complete gibberish and nonsense. How can someone stand beside himself? Ha! :-)