bonne fete maman!

Mothers standing in church to be recognized--SO many moms!

Haitian Proverb:

"Pitit se riches malere-- Children are the wealth of the poor"

~One's hope and riches lie in the future of one's children~

Bonne fete Maman (Happy Mother's day)!  Today is Mother's day in Haiti and it is for sure a day to be celebrated.  During church all the moms were asked to stand in order to be recognized and it struck me--they are the mothers of the future generation of Haiti.  They are raising up the next generation of leaders, teachers, health care providers, mothers, and so much more.  With tears in my eyes I watched as a flower was pinned on each woman standing.  The mothers were so proud.  The children sang a song honoring all their mothers and it was beyond cute.  There was also a moment where the mother with the most children was recognized-- yes, one momma was the proud mother of 19.  The next woman had 16 children.  And then three women were tied at 11 children each.  Moms all around the world work incredibly hard to raise their children to be the best each of them can be--watching each woman in church stand with pride was a priceless moment for me.

Children singing to their mom's.  

For more pictures click on the links below:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150963439915831.477242.529825830&type=3&l=f56fa81158

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150461677395831.422201.529825830&type=3&l=a6b4e88fb3

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150374500225831.405560.529825830&type=3&l=885a6310be

"We have no right to decide where we should be placed, or to have preconceived ideas as to what God is preparing us to do.  God engineers everything; and wherever He places us, our one supreme goal should be to pour out our lives in wholehearted devotion to Him in that particular work.  

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might..."(Ecclesiastes 9:10)." 

~Oswald Chambers

I read this quote a few weeks ago and haven't been able to quit thinking about it since.  It's something I believe 100% with my heart and yet have to really focus on practicing it each and every day.  It has been easy to get lost in the "busy" of the past few weeks but when I really stop to think about it I have met and served countless people that truly needed someone to hear them.  I was blessed to be able to serve with another amazing Mercy Ships team this past week.  During the week of providing care in the IDP (internally displaced persons) camps there was one moment that stood out the most to me.  The medical camp was in full swing and as I looked out over the tent I noticed that four out of the five nurses and providers, sitting in separate places, were all bowing their heads in prayer with each of their patients and translators.  This wasn't an "official" moment or time of the day that we were all supposed to be praying-- this was a moment that each individual felt called to pray for the person in front of him or her.  I had tears in my eyes as I sat and watched lives being changed right in front of me.  God isn't calling me to simply make it through the day or each task-- He is calling me to live each day in full devotion to what He has planned.  

"Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places 

where other people see nothing."

~Camille Pissarro

I love that I get to watch and listen as people come and serve on short term mission trips.  It's fascinating to see how they process what God is teaching them and showing them in Haiti.  One team member told me that she had challenged herself personally to look for hope and that as each day passed she struggled because she couldn't see it.  She saw people living in tents, lack of electricity or running water, mud homes, and so forth.  It wasn't until the last day that God opened her eyes.  She was looking for hope defined by the world's standards and real hope has nothing to do with the world.  Our hope is in Jesus.  He will provide.  He is what we need and He has everything we need and more.  When I choose to look at the world through Christ's eyes it is amazing just how much hope there truly is.  All of a sudden the impossible has no boundaries and hope is never-ending.