Year #1 of Our Adventure is Complete!

Family and Friends,

Wow! It is hard to believe it has been a year now since we first boarded the plane and left to be missionaries in Haiti. On the other hand, sometimes it seems like the life we lived before this was a very long time ago, somewhat of a foggy memory. Strange how both of those can be true at the same time. Maybe you can relate.

Here is a list of some of our adventures in year #1 in no particular order:

1. Learning how to navigate the open-air markets
2. Battling tarantulas, scorpions, cockroaches, lizards, frogs, snakes, and ANTS!
3. Adjusting to life here and simultaneously accepting the fact that Cookie, or racist watchdog, will never adjust, never change
4. Various adventures at the general hospital and cholera clinic
5. Transportation adventures...tap taps, motorcycles, broken-down cars
6. The political demonstrations and stranded team last December
7. The machete attack
8. Enjoying various Haitian dishes: rice and beans, beans and rice, rice and bean sauce, just rice, just beans, etc...
9. Leaving the car in the mountains during a rainstorm
10. Heat, Rain, & Bugs
11. Dropping Lynn's toilet bowl down the outhouse pit
12. Cory getting really sick
13. The “Pleasant Surprise” (Lynn's sister Cora and her husband, Marlon, visiting without us knowing beforehand they were coming)
14. Raising missionary support
15. Our new pets, the crabs
16. Homeschooling
17. Mentoring Youth Members
18. Starting a church
19. Starting the Bible School (ALEXIS)
20. Losing Kiki
21. Visiting the US for the summer
22. Christmas trip to Paradise Island
23. Countless trips to our convenience store, “Madame Jack's”
24. Adventures with Internet access
25. Moving from the Mission House to the old orphanage
26. Lynn's new wheelchair
27. Various building projects
28. Various medical clinics
29. Various ministry ideas tried, some good, some bad
30. Visiting friends in their homes
31. Everyone getting sick from time to time, but continually fighting ringworm, diarrhea, heat rash, and other nagging conditions.
32. Learning Creole
33. Learning French
34. Learning to understand Haitian people speaking English
35. Learning to play guitar in the Kompa style used in Haiti
36. Adventures in cooking/baking
37. Adventures in laundry
38. Adventures in food preservation
39. Teaching in the High School and English Schools.
40. Prayer meetings
41. Spiritual warfare
42. Healings
43. Demon possessions
44. Voodoo
45. Working with Haitian staff
46. Working with our directors and board
47. Sue's adventure
48. Meeting all the “Neighborhood Characters.”
49. Staying united as a family
50. Following Jesus day by day

It was quite a year. As they always say in books written for people thinking about being missionaries (you know, half-crazy folks), if you can get through the first year and keep going, you can stay for a very long time. We feel like our first year was very hard, yet if that is as hard as it gets, we could do this for many years. Of course we never know what God plans for us, what unimaginable trial of tragedy the future holds. This is true for any person, missionary or not. However, we feel more strongly than ever that we are exactly where God wants us right now, the future is bright, and his mercy and grace will somehow carry us through whatever is ahead.

If there was one overarching lesson we learned from year one it was the fact that ministry, or the Christian life in general, is not about us, our dreams, our accomplishments, or our sufferings. It is about God and His glory. This is His story, His plan, His vision, and we are just fortunate to be along for the ride with Him as long as He grants us the privilege. In fact, sometimes I regret the title choice we made for this blog, “Our Adventures in Haiti.” It should be something more like, “Here are some stories about us bumbling along, making a ton of mistakes, and God somehow redeeming our pathetic efforts in order to help people in Haiti know Him more.” That would be along web address, though, so we'll probably keep it the same for now. Just know that year one has taught us that God is in control of this (His) adventure.  Somehow when everything around us is dull and grey, He shines through us with vivid colors for all to see (see picture below).

Alexandra walking in the rain in a red dress

What does year #2 hold for us? Well, Mission Haiti has been in such a state of constant change over the past few years that it is hard to predict. We will do everything we can to help this ministry, the people of this community, the staff, the missionaries, everyone who comes to visit, and you our supporters. What that will look like exactly, only God knows. The opening of the ALEXIS Ministry Training Center, including preparations and the actual opening and the first couple of months of running the program, will surely define our next year in many ways as well. Because we are so confident that this program is carefully modeled after Jesus' ways of raising up leaders and the way Paul carried out his missionary work, we believe this will be a huge success in the future, though it will take many years for the impact to be known.

Here are 10 ways you can pray for our family and this ministry as we move forward:

1. Pray for continued physical health and energy
2. Pray for continued spiritual renewal and dependence on God for all things
3. Pray for protection from evil forces and people involved in voodoo
4. Pray for unity in our family
5. Pray for unity in the organization we serve, Mission Haiti
6. Pray for wisdom as we utilize the resources we receive and make choices about what types of ministries and programs to offer the people here
7. Pray for the success of our ministries- i.e. for many people to trust Christ for salvation, for growth in the knowledge of God's Word, for godly families, for young men and women to be holy and pure, for leaders to be trained and sent out, for God's kingdom to be established
8. Pray for the ALEXIS project: fund raising, student and teacher recruiting, campus completion
9. Pray for the staff and children who live with us on this property
10. Pray for the country of Haiti and its leaders

May Your Adventure Include Reaching Important Milestones!
-The Grimm Family Adventurers