Creole & living life together.

Shane and I just finished taking a 5 week Creole class. It was incredibly expensive however we learned a ton! We just want to be able to speak well to our friends, employees, and acquantances in Haiti. We want to be able to shout the truth of God and to be a part of discipling others. A huge thank you to our sponsors for making it possible for us to learn! 

You may be wondering about our kids Creole. Our kids study Creole daily for about 10-15 minutes and it is paying off. They are able to have basic conversations with the kids and adults and are learning more daily. Some of the hold up is our Grace kids actually speak quite a bit of English, so they don't 'have to' learn Creole to communicate. 

A lady named Daphne helps us keep our house clean. At first I wasn't sure that it was necessary to have someone help us since we were able to keep our home clean in the states (clean is relative). However with the amount of wind, dust, use, and traffic that our home has daily, there is no way I could do it myself. It literally needs to be cleaned daily. Also, it is cultural to have someone help clean your house because the expectation is if you have a home you should have the ability to provide a job for someone else. 

Anyway, it has been a pleasure to get to know her. The more Creole I know, the better friends we are able to become. She works hard, has a beautiful smile, is clumsy, and loves to tease. The other day she asked me why I thought there were so many languages in the world. 

I said, well, the Bible says that man got together and decided that they wanted to get to heaven. So they decided to build a very tall building so they could be like God. However, God got very angry at them and divided them by giving them different languages. As I was telling Daphne about the Tower of Babel, I thought maybe this was my chance to tell her about Jesus and was a door opening. However, as I finished my story, our pastor of Grace Church came to my door. I listened as Daphne began to tell Pastor Wesley what she asked me and my response. She gave me her official approval as a Christian, I knew my Bible. 

Something about this made my heart happy. She cared enough about me to check to see if I knew the Bible. This conversation led us to discuss the time we both spend reading the Bible and praying to our great big God. I love that I get to serve a God so big that nothing can contain him. 

One more story that made me laugh. Daphne and I were talking in my living room. I don't remember the conversation however Landen was sitting on the couch trying to study Creole and making a very annoying repetitive noise. I was just about to tell him to stop when Daphne stopped what she was saying, sternly told Landen to stop, and then looked at me. I think she was as surprised as I was, then we both laughed. I said, "All moms are the same" (or something like that since I said it in Creole and I'm not always sure exactly what I am saying) to which Daphne replied, "Yes, moms are moms". 

I love that we are more the same than different. I love that I get to serve such a big God. I love that God has called us to be here. I love that I get to face the hard stuff and learn how to become more like Jesus. 

Saturday morning Austin enjoys helping Vanea make bread in the bread ovens at Grace Village. I think he enjoys this for a few reasons; 1. Vanea is kind and patient. 2. Austin loves to learn 3. When Austin helps, he gets fed delicious bread. You be the judge :)

Sierra and Landen love doing the crafts with the Grace kids on Saturday with the short term mission teams. This week they learned to sew little bears. 

Austin was able to join the older kids as they learned CPR and how to operate a defibrilator. Very cool stuff. 

Our Grace kids are very creative. They made these little kites out of garbage and then shared them with Sierra and Landen. Its always windy at Grace. 

Stole this pic from a fellow missionary in Haiti. Makes me laugh. 

Keep those prayers coming! 

Another story

Shane and I spend a lot of time in prayer. People come to us asking for things daily. They assume that because we are white and American we have resources that they do not have. The tricky part of that is its true, we do have resources that they don't have. While we are missionaries and do not have an income, if an emergency arrived, we could ask our friends and family for money. We would probably be able to meet our needs. This is a heavy burden to bare; when do you help and when do you say you can do nothing? When do you believe the story that they are telling you and when can you know its a scam? So, I come back to, Shane and I spend A LOT of time in prayer. 

Psalms 119:124-125

"I am your sevant; deal with me in unfailing love, 

and teach me your decrees. 

Give discernment to me, your servant;

then I will understand your laws."

We so desperatly want God to teach us to be more like Jesus, to have the discernment to hear His voice. The amazing thing is that the more time we spend reading the Bible (the way God talks to us) and praying (the way we talk to God) the clearer we can hear God's leading. 

Grace Church

Our church has children's church from 8:30-9:30 and then the children stay for the adult church from 10-12. I don't know if you remember my other blog, but often the children come to church before they eat. They then sit through 3 1/2 hours of church and try to focus. Hunger usually makes the older ones quietly fall asleep and the younger ones cry and fuss or begin picking on the other children. 

We felt a real urging to do something about this issue. I connected with the lead usher and found that we could buy 10 little packages of Haitian type saltines for about $1.10. They aren't anything special as our lead usher told me, "They don't have creme (like a cookie) so the children won't eat them just to eat them." So we began to purchase these little snacks. We end up going through about 300-400 packages a month. 

I don't tell you this for personal affirmation. It is an absolute pleasure for us to have God use us and the resources that he continually supplies for us. There is joy watching our ushers hand out the food to the children that are so obviously hungry. There is joy in watching the children able to learn about Jesus because they aren't distracted by hunger. There is joy in knowing that the children are seeing Haitians helping Haitians. 

Some prayer requests: 

-Pray for unity within the organiztion of Healing Haiti and those of us working together at Grace

-Pray for rain in Titanyen...this is one of the driest seasons they have had and it is beginning to affect their food

-Pray for continued wisdom and discernment for the management staff

Imsland specific prayers:

-Pray for parenting patience

-Pray for my children's continued transition (especially for Austin)

-Pray that our marriage is protected and stays strong

-Pray that we get better at balancing our work/home life (they kind of reside in the same place)

Thank you everyone for supporting us by reading our blogs, praying with and for us, and for your financial support. We are so incredibly grateful. 

Everyone has a story

We are approaching our six month mark. The amount we have learned about Haiti, ourselves, and the God we are serving is huge. Much of it is beautiful, some of it is incredibly hard. 

The other day a woman came to the gate and when she saw me pass by she asked if she could talk to me. I was on my way out of Grace Village for the first time in a week so I told her I was too busy to see her. She insisted and as I slowed down enough to really see her, I saw a woman; with a 2 year old little girl clinging to her leg, a 7 month old in her arms, the smell of someone who is unable to bath often, clothes that are clean but old, and the look of a woman who loves her children and inspite of her circumstances is able to smile. 

She began to tell me of her story. She is a single mom, the dad of the babies is no longer with her. She has a job but has no one to watch her children. Her mother was watching them but will no longer help her. She wanted to know if we could take her children for the next two years while she works and tries to get things in order so that she can support her children. 

I was watching her with her children. Her baby was in her arms and was fussing while the mom was speaking but this mom never got annoyed. She would kiss her baby and hush her a little and continue on with her story. At one point, one of the other missionaries went to her and offered to take the little baby. As the other missionary held her, she smiled and laughed like a well taken care of baby should. The two year old was a little more reserved but had a sweet smile and shyly stood by waiting. Haitians learn to wait at a very young age. 

I had to tell this woman that we can not take her babies, that we only take true orphans, not social orphans. I told this momma that I could tell that she loved her children a lot and that I would be praying for her. The other missionary and I put together a very small bag with some snacks and a water bottle in it. We gave her a little money so that she could take a taptap back to the place she was staying. We also gave her the number to the social services in Haiti so that she could contact them if she chose. 

It was heartbreaking. Why? Why in a place where jobs are so scarce did we run into a mom that has a job, loves her children and still things aren't coming together for her? I trust God, I know that she trusts God, yet the injustices are so painful. 

Some of our older Grace Village kids learning the art of making bread in the bread oven. 

Sierra helping braid some hair as they wait for the bread to finish cooking. 

Piano lessons. 

This child cracks me up... this is where he likes to eat his snacks. Shane calls him our 'closet snacker'.

Why?

TV time. Always makes me smile. 

Its not my picture and I don't know who to give credit to, but I love this. Haitians are SO creative!

Manna

We are back from our two week trip to the states and have begun to settle again into our 'real' lives. This last week back the Imslands have had a relatively blank look to their face, cry often, and are incredibly tired. Coming back to America was a lot; a lot of fun, driving, talking, connecting, transitions, food, activities, friends, and family. Halfway through Shane and I looked at each other and said, "We are about ready to go back." God isn't done with us yet. It was a nice affirmation. 

I made a silly list of the things that our family appreciated as we stayed in America:

Warm showers 

Forgeting to use hot water knob when washing hands and dishes. 

Ability to drive anywhere, anytime

Jimmy Johns

Static electricity

Sleeping with LOTs of blankets on

Enjoying a hot drink

Soft toilet paper 

Movie theaters

Dry skin/flat hair 

Carmel latte 

Hugs from family and friends 

Eye contact with those who love us 

Listening to the radio while driving and listening to the kids in the back singing along with the radio. 

Great steaks

Apples 

Knowing that for the most part, people will follow the rules of driving

Snow storms

The way snow sticks to the trees

Fireplaces

Return to Haiti:

Getting out of a shower and not freezing

Changing the drinking water 

Warmth 

Greeting the Haitians I missed 

Amazing fruit

There are so many things we appreciate about Haiti but I think the biggest is knowing that we are being obedient and watching God use us. It isn't about how great we are, we just show up. God does the work. One of the things he does EVERY DAY is allow our family to see what we are calling 'manna'. In the Bible the Israelites were miraculously freed from the Egyptians and were following a cloud of the Spirit of God around a desert. They were wandering and had no way to produce food, but every morning there was manna from heaven. God informed them to only gather what they would need for that one day because it would not last longer. He used this manna to teach the Israelites how to trust in God's provision for them daily. Well, He is doing the same thing for us. 

Things are never boring here and there are many times that we feel dragged down, but we have noticed that God provides enough 'manna', or encouragement and affirmation, to continue on to the next day. He doesn't give us extra but he gives us just enough for the day. Shane and I know that he is doing this for the same reasons he did it with the Israelites, he wants to know, "Do you trust me to provide what you need every day? Will you surrender to me?" Our answer is, "Yes. We trust and are SO grateful for the daily manna!"

This is half of Landens face from the customs in MIA. The machine was broken and didn't go down for him. (FYI everyone looked like a zombie in these photos). We laughed about this for two days. 

Sierra loving on our little dog Zoe

I just love a Panera Carmel latte. Mmmmmm. 

My Cece.  

Sierra got to spend a weekend in Rochester with her cousin/best friend Cara. 

The look says it all...we are now 13 years old and you are annoying me (Austin's cousin Kaitlyn is only 2 days older and they have grown up together). 

Awww...

Dress up with friends. There were 3 or 4 rounds of changing outfits. 

It snowed...a lot. And was very cold. Beautiful and cold. 

Almost 17 years of marriage and I still like him. :)

If you have ever wondered why I am so strange... Meet my parents. (Mom looks deceivingly normal here). 

Sierra and Auntie Shannon. 

Shane's cousin Jessi was in Haiti this week. Shane was able to go deliver water with them in Cite Soleil and then the kids bonded on Thursday when the team came to Grace for a tour. 

A friend of ours gave the kids clay. They made volcanoes. I started to talk to the kids about volcanoes before we did our baking soda vinegar experiment and Austin says, "Mom, I've got this." And proceeds to explain better than I could how they are formed and why they explode. He is so smart...seriously. 

The kids watching tv. I know I have posted this before, but every time I see them like this, it makes me chuckle.