Sharon in Haiti

Hey y'all!

Some of our Haitian staff and students are also artisans who work for Haiti's Jewels, a fair trade social enterprise here in Gressier.
As a way to raise support I will be selling Haiti's Jewels on my online storenvy marketplace. My store title is Sharon in Haiti (original, I know) or you can click the link above. 
Check it out. Purchase something as a gift, or for yourself :) Spread the word!
A little piece of Haiti can be shipped right to your door!

Three Funerals and A Wedding

As usual many blog ideas have been running through my head for the past week and a half.

In the past week I’ve been to a funeral and a wedding, had one of our staff members tell me he gave Christ his life and has chosen to follow Him, and been told that Sheila’s daughter Staci* was sent away with “family” because they were obligated to do so (classic words to be used in restavek situations); Needless to say we walked away from that conversation feeling sick to our stomachs.

It was a week of many different emotions.

Tonight I sit her happy because Staci is here with us and moving in to Kay Libete A (The Freedom House). God worked it all out and she came back from her obligatory week with “family.” Praise God!

I also sit her with a heavy heart for this little girl who has not had a father in her life and who now has no mother. So many changes in such a small amount of time; knowing your family either doesn’t want you or feels like they can’t take care of you. Being 13 and totally, completely on your own, honestly having no one. I can’t even imagine.

Stepping into a place where you will be loved, cared and provided for, but also into a place where bonds have already been formed and routines established.

Pray  for Staci* as she makes this transition and for the other girls in the house as they too have transitions to make. Pray they will reach out to Staci, make her feel welcome and bring her into the family.

God brought me into Sheila’s life for a reason and I believe this was one of them. I believe at this moment there is no better place for Staci to be, I believe this is where Sheila would want her to be.

I’m thankful God is sovereign and He knows what He’s doing even when, especially when, we don’t. 

*Names changed to protect our students

(I must explain this blog title :) For those of you familiar with Adventures in Odyssey, there is an episode titled "Three Funerals and A Wedding" - the story of Ruth. This week I attended my third Haitian funeral and my first Haitian wedding and this is the first thing that popped in my head and I just had to use the title :) 

Sheila Update

For those of you who have followed my blog over the past eight months, Sheila passed away yesterday. 

Please be in prayer for her two children and wisdom for us as we pray about how to help. The 12 year old is in a situation very vulnerable to becoming a restavek. 

Come To Me

Come to Me. Come to Me. Come to Me….Open yourself to My loving Presence, so that I may fill you with My fullness.

Come to Me when you are weak and weary. Rest snugly in My everlasting arms. I do not despise your weakness, My child. Actually, it draws Me closer to you, because weakness stirs up My compassion – My yearning to help. Accept yourself in your weariness, knowing that I understand how difficult your journey has been.

(from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young)

Haiti is hard. Haiti is dark. Haiti is draining.

Living here I see, hear and experience things that had only been stories to me before. Things I knew about but had never experienced personally. Satan wears you down here, especially when you are in battle against him.

The past few weeks I have felt Spiritually drained, like I was running into a wall, trying to give out of a cup that had run dry.

This past week we had an amazing team who led us in prayer and worship nearly every evening; it was so refreshing, renewing and needed. As we sang the lyrics “when I am dry YOU fill my cup” tears streamed down my checks as God reminded me it was that simple. Come to ME and I will fill your cup. Focus on ME and I will renew you. Keep running at that wall and I will break it down for you. Continue seeking ME and I will fill your cup.

A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. Isaiah 42:3

That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith – that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:16-19

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Romans 8:26

As God continues to challenge, stretch and grow me He shows me more and more how important prayer is; my own personal prayer life, to pray as a team, to pray for each other and to have prayer support. Please, please, please keep me and the team here in prayer. Be praying specifically for Spiritual protection, renewal and strengthening. Pray for protection against Satan and his demons that are so so in this place.