by Carol and Heidi Schulte
This past week I (Heidi) officially moved to Haiti and had the privilege of having my mom along to experience life in Haiti right alongside me. I loved watching her incredible curiosity and awe and wonder of God take wing and inspire her to embrace each new situation with arms and heart wide open. There is something so precious about seeing life through the eyes of “mama mwen” (my mother). I hope you enjoy these little snapshots of her thoughts/emotions regarding her experiences this week:
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How do you begin to describe a trip like this, much less your feelings and emotions in the midst of it all! Even the trip TO Haiti was such a contrast. We drove to Florida at 70 miles per hour most of the way on beautiful, smooth roads. Then we took a plane over the Bahamas– islands that look like fantasy islands. And then we land in Haiti. I thought Iowa farms had prepared me for these roads. But nothing can compare.
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Sunday night we went to a concert or special worship service at the same church where we worshiped Sunday morning. One of my favorite things happened within minutes of us sitting down on a bench… some little girls came and sat by Heidi and I, snuggling against us. They played with our hands and arms, and you could tell they just wanted to be loved and have attention. You just want to love them!
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Christi told me the pastor of that church is “an angel with skin on him”, and that’s exactly who he is! He translated his son’s entire sermon Sunday morning into English for us, so we could be a part of the service. He came and picked us up from our dorm and brought us home after the concert. And yet, his simple acts of service were nothing compared to the love you feel just by being around him.
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I loved climbing the mountain and praying over the different communities visible from the peak. While we were climbing, we met several people working on the steep slopes. I just couldn’t believe how they farmed corn and other crops on the mountainside. Sometimes these “fields” were on slopes as steep as 60 degrees, on soil that is more rocks than dirt. I met a woman who hauled rocks from the mountain. When we saw her, she was using a hammer to smash the big rocks into smaller gravel. Later she would try to sell her pile of rocks. We watched people chopping down trees on the mountain, making them into charcoal. Afterwards, I saw a woman selling small piles of charcoal off a tarp on the side of the street.
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And now for Craig and Christi…Thinking about having Heidi here, I can’t imagine having any better people-lovers, mentors, and guides for her to live with and learn from. They connect multiple worlds in this incredible dance between very different cultures. By God’s grace they love so well, and they watch Him do what only He can do. A couple days ago we had a man from a community several miles away bring a small, physically disabled child to us. Just when Craig and Christi were not sure how they could help him and thought they would have to say “no”, they received news of a donation specifically to help disabled children. Their response, “Well, it looks like God just showed us what to do!” Their faith and love in action is inspiring.
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I feel so much hope when I stand on the new land in Sylvain. Everything in that place is growing and developing. I was able to pray around the property several times, and I cannot wait to see what God will do here.
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I want to invite people to ask God for His dreams. And then as He begins to show them to you, keep praying circles around them. God is so much bigger than we can understand or comprehend. He longs to give us MORE than we could ask or imagine. Dare to pray and dream big prayers with God!
We are so grateful for all the prayers prayed for each of us and for MH4H this week! Thank you for your faithful love and support. You have no idea how much it means for those of us who call Haiti home or who are passing through.
Bondye beni ou! (God bless you!)
Love,
Carol & Heidi
Hi Carol and Heidi,
So fun to see your photos and read about your week together. It was such a blessing meeting both of you. Praying for you and your ministry in Haiti! Praise be to God for all He is doing!
Blessings,
Marlys Fruhling