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Sunday, August 28, 2011

The Adventure Continues! (Heading Home)

Family and Friends,

This Monday morning we board our flight for Haiti.  It will be a little strange on Tuesday morning to gather our luggage from the Port-au-Prince airport, head out to the parking lot, and be greeted by Mike and Pam instead of Kiki.  It will probably hit home for us in a new way at that moment that he is really gone.  We are fortunate, however, that we might get a chance to attend his funeral and spend time with his extended family.

It has been a very good summer for us, and God has blessed us in so many ways.  We are truly ready now to get back to Haiti and plunge headfirst into the ministry there and depend on God to continue to energize us for the work.  This year our goals will be much more ambitious, and we will need God's grace and the power of the Holy Spirit to empower and protect us at all times.

Thanks again to everyone who helped and/or encouraged us in some way this summer.  It was an adventure!  Many positive memories were made.  We will now take everything we have received and learned from all of you and carry it with us as a blessing for the people of Haiti. 

Soon we will again look down on those barren hills and mountains, the bulging rivers, and the endless slums.  We will land, the door of the plane will open, and we will be forcefully confronted by the familiar heat and smells.  We will gather our luggage, climb aboard the trusty (and rusty!) old Ford, and drive past a million busy hands and faces animated with hunger, humor, happiness, and hopelessness.  And at that moment when we can almost stand the grueling journey no more, we will turn off the highway onto the dusty dirt road leading to Ti-Rivier.  The familiar faces will line the streets and peek through our windows as we drive.  Our friends will smile as they recognize us, yelling out greetings and running along the road, and we will be home.

May Your Adventure expand your understanding of "HOME"
-The Grimm Family Adventurers 

Friday, August 26, 2011

Some Very Sad News

Family and Friends,

We have some sad news to pass on to all of you.  Lacking the emotional energy to write anything more about it right now, we will just pass on the information in Pam's words...

This is a really difficult email to write but many of you have heard or met
Kiki. He is our Haitian Director, best friend, translator, driver, hero to
the kids in the orphanage, and everything in between. Last night he asked
for prayer because he was not feeling well. This morning I received a call
that he had passed away in the night.

Mike and I are leaving for Haiti and will return on the 4th of September.

Please keep Kiki's parents in your prayers as well as all the children in
the orphanage.

Missing Kiki,
pam
As you know we (the Grimm family) will be heading to Haiti on Monday.  Our flight was supposed to take us through Washington DC, but we got that changed due to the hurricane situation.  Now we go directly from Chicago to Miami (after starting out from Sioux Falls).  On Tuesday morning Mike and Pam will pick us up at the airport instead of Kiki. 
 
 
Please keep Kiki's family and all of Mission Haiti in your prayers.
 
 
Blessings,
The Grimm Family 

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

10 Suitcases in the Living Room

Family and Friends,

What weighs 450 pounds?

           A.  one sumo wrestler
           B.  one small motorcycle
           C.  one adult male gorilla
           D.  four Miss America contestants
           E.  the stuff we packed into 10 suitcases (with 50 lb. per bag airline limit)
           F.  All of the above

I think you know the answer.  Today we took the big pile of food, school supplies, and other misc. items in the middle of the living room and attempted to fit them into 10 suitcases laid out around the outside of the room.  It went pretty well, but we had to make some choices.  The size of the suitcase doesn't restrict you as much as the weight limit imposed by the airlines.  It is amazing how quickly cans of chicken, books, dish detergent, and jars of peanut butter can add up to fifty pounds. 

Yes, we are getting ready to go back to Haiti!  What an exciting time.  We can honestly say that we are 100% certain about returning for another term, however long that might be.  We have a deep sense of peace about continuing this Haiti adventure for the foreseeable future.  And to finish that previous sentence/thought, we don't know exactly how long it will be until we come back on another break.  As we have been telling people lately, we felt like being gone for the whole summer was too long.  Also, Mike and Pam (Mission Haiti Directors) have encouraged us to just take breaks as needed instead of imposing a strict plan on ourselves way ahead of time.  We feel that is a wise plan.

We have also been taking time recently to do some fun things (especially activities we can't do in Haiti) with the kids before going back...

Vacation in Minnesota

Goofing around at a park in Sioux Falls

Cory and Kester's annual trip to see the Twins (lost to Yankees 8-4)

Getting ready for "Fun Day with Dad"...Lynn went with her parents to Sioux Falls for the day to get supplies from Sam's club and other places.

"Fun Day" stop #1:  Wayside Chapel on highway 75 near Sioux Center.  Okay, we admit only missionary kids would have fun here, probably, but we sang a song, told a story, goofed around, etc...

"Fun Day" stop #2:  Candy factory outlet in Hull, Ia.

Inside the store Elizabeth feeds her baby lion (named "noil") from a candy bottle.

"Fun Day" stop #3:  Bowling in Hull, IA...no kids' shoes available.  No problem!  Bowl barefoot!


"Fun Day" stop #4:  Verlyn and Nancy Raak's (of rural Sioux Center) prayer labyrinth...the kids walked around praying for everyone in Haiti they could think of...they did a really good job.


Fish pond in the prayer labyrinth.

Raak's cornfield...this photo would truly amaze Haitian farmers if they saw it. 

A cat jumped off that post and under the eave of the barn. (still at Raak's farm)

We found her kittens inside the barn.

"Fun Day" stop #5:  Culver's...don't worry, mom, we did eat more than just ketchup. 

 We also enjoyed "Fun Day" stop #6:  Swimming at the local pool...no pictures available, so you have to use your imagination.  The kids are having fun here, but they are also excited to get back on the airplane and head home to Haiti to see our dog Cookie, their friends in the orphanage, and to begin a new year in school.

Please pray for Haiti as they deal with another tropical storm this week. 

May Your Adventure today be filled with 450 pounds of fun!
-the Grimm Family Adventurers

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Highlights from our Summer Church Visits

Family and Friends,

Tonight we completed our summer church visits.  One week from tomorrow morning (Aug. 29th) we will fly out of Sioux Falls and head back to Haiti.  A lot of packing has to occur before that happens, but we'll get that done this week and be ready to go!

We thought you, the readers of this blog, would find it interesting to read a line or two about each of the churches we visited this summer and our experience there.  Here goes...

June 12-  First Presbyterian Church, Newton, IA.

This is the church where Cory's parents attend.  They have been very faithful in supporting us through prayer each week in church.  We gave a short update in church and enjoyed and informal "share-time" in the fellowship hall afterwards. 

June 26-  Community Church, Deep River & Millersburg, IA.

This is the church where Cory's Dad, Norm, grew up.  There are still several "Grimm" families who attend there.  Cory gave the message in church, giving a basic overview of Mission Haiti and the work we do.  They put together an amazing potluck afterwards and were very appreciative of us.

July 3-  United Presbyterian Church, Newton, IA.

This church read about us in the Newton newspaper (with regard to our June 12 speaking engagement in Newton) and invited us to come and share during the Pastor's vacation.  Very nice people and a truly beautiful church building.  We made a few new friends and hope to see them again when we visit Newton.

July 17-  Big Springs Baptist, Alcester, SD. (AM service)

Big Springs sent a team down to Haiti earlier this year, and they are already thinking about sending more people in the near future.  We came and gave a brief update in church and a longer talk during the Sunday School hour. 

July 17-  First Reformed Church, Sioux Center, IA. (PM service)

We were amazed to see the large turnout at this evening service!  We got started with a nice meal in the fellowship hall and then migrated over to the chapel for a time of sharing.  Eric and Karissa Sjaarda talked first about their year of service in Vietnam.  Then we spoke about Haiti.  Because this church was already knowledgable about Mission Haiti, Cory chose to do more of a question/answer session.  It was a fun time. 

July 29-  Festival of Tables, Herrick, SD.

(See previous post!)

Aug. 7-  Inwood Christian Reformed Church, Inwood, IA.

We blogged about this one earlier as well.  We had a great opportunity to share a little bit about Mission Haiti and meet afterwards with the church mission committee.  As a follow-up, they called a few days ago and let us know they are planning to support us financially.  Praise God!  As a side note, I believe this new relationship is truly the result of God's perfect timing and providence.  We at Mission Haiti want to continue to grow in our quality of education in the schools we direct, including our Bible curriculum.  It would  make sense to tap into the knowledge of the members of the CRC churches in our area, who have been doing excellent Christian education both in church and school for decades.  So hopefully mission-minded members of Inwood CRC who are experienced in education will be open to sharing with us. 

Aug. 12-  Concert/Sharing at The Lantern, Sibley, IA.

This coffee shop belongs to Cory's brother, Adam, and his wife, Beth.  We had a great turnout this first night!  Part of it was a birthday party who didn't mind having the concert going on at the same time.  Several members of Cory's extended family made the trip from surrounding communities, and Cory's parents made a surprise visit as well.  Songs were sung, stories were shared, videos were viewed, and coffee and snacks were consumed.  Wonderful night. 

Aug. 13-  Concert/Sharing at The Lantern, Sibley, IA.

Another nice turnout and another fun night.  There were a couple of guest musicians for both of these concerts, including local musical-phenom, Jesse Dagel, who did several of his own songs and backed Cory up on his music.  Check out the link below to hear one of his songs and be amazed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52FP8blbGL0 

Aug. 14-  The Crossing (Church), Sioux Falls, SD.

There was something special and Spirit-led about this night...probably because there is something special and Spirit-led about The Crossing.  This church has now sent a couple of teams to Haiti through our organization, and we look forward to a long and productive relationship with them in the future.  Cory gave the message, giving special attention to the future Bible School vision.  Several young people came up afterwards to express interest. 

Aug. 21-  Alcester Baptist Church, Alcester, SD. (AM service)

As always we left this church uplifted and encouraged.  They generously gathered groceries and other supplies for us ahead of time, and the attentiveness and genuine concern they expressed during the slide show and message were tangible.  This church has other missionaries they support, but they have always treated us as if we were the most important missionaries doing the most important work in the world.  How humbling and how inspiring. 

Aug. 21-  New Life Reformed Church, Sioux Center, IA.

New Life has consistently shown interest in us, our ministry, and the people of Haiti these last two years, asking us to come and share at least once a year.  They sent a great team earlier this year and are considering another one in the future.  The last two times they made a point of gathering around our family during the church service and lifting us up in prayer.  It is always touching when they do that.


A special thanks to all who invited and/or hosted us and all who attended these events this summer.  It was a great opportunity to let people know what God is doing in Haiti.  To some it was the first time they heard about us and/or Mission Haiti.  To others it was a chance to hear the latest about a ministry in which they are personally invested.  Either way we hope God has used these moments to touch hearts and change lives for His glory.

May Your Adventure Include Time to Pause and Enjoy a Visit with Those who Support You and Pray for You!
-The Grimm Family Adventures  

Friday, August 12, 2011

The Wonderful Weekend in Herrick

Family and Friends,

As promised we wanted to take a moment and share about our wonderful, late-July adventure to Herrick, SD, where we were the guests at a Festival-of-Tables fundraiser to benefit our personal missionary support.  This adventure is really about the amazing people we met, who blessed us in so many ways.  We can't say enough about how God is working in and through these people.  They asked us to visit and inspire them, but we were the ones who left inspired.

Most people in the world don't even know about missions or the work missionaries do.  Then there is another large group of people who are aware, but choose not to support missions or get involved.  Next comes the faithful few who support missions in some way, whether through giving funds, going on a trip, or following the adventures of some missionary family and lifting them up in prayer.  But then there is a very tiny percentage of people, like the ones we met in Herrick, who grab ahold of their gifts and talents and throw themselves fully into the work of supporting missions and missionaries.
 
Meet Robyn Waterbury.  She and her husband Bob have six kids, farm a couple thousand acres or so, provide leadership in their church, and own and operate a beautiful and comfortable hunting lodge, where we stayed during our visit.  Robyn has been to Haiti to serve at the Mission Haiti property and share her creative talents.  She has also been busy writing children's books (printed in English and Creole) specifically for the use of our orphanage and schools and is expanding to incorporate the talents of the local High School students in Haiti.  If that wasn't enough, she was the mastermind behind this whole fundraising idea, and she personally hosted us and cooked for us during our stay.  And get this...she did it all without ever having met us before! 

The Hunting Lodge (wheelchair accessible!)

Inside the lodge

Relaxing! (Robyn in background)

Hangin' with the locals at "Bernie's Inn"

We arrived on Thursday night to get settled in, and the fundraiser was scheduled for Friday.  Friday morning Robyn took us down to "Bernie's Inn" in Herrick to meet some local friends and experience the quaint atmosphere of everyone's favorite hangout.  I'm sure Robyn would laugh at our choosing the word "quaint."  She might describe Bernie's as overly homey, somewhat dillapidated, or even honest-to-goodness rundown and full of clutter.  It was part grocery store, coffee shop, liquor store, apartment (the owners sleep there to prevent theft), and antique dealer.  I kept thinking the guys from the History Channel show "Pickers" might show up at any moment.  But we had a good time and a lot of laughs, and everyone welcomed us and made us feel at home.

Friday afternoon we headed over to a nearby town, Burke, to set up for the fundraiser.  This is how a Festival-of-tables fundraiser works...The organizer recruits a dozen or so other people to decorate a table with some specific theme.  Then each of those table leaders is expected to recruit seven people to join them for the evening.  Everyone buys a ticket to come, enjoys a nice meal and a speaker, and the funds benefit a certain cause, in this case Mission Haiti and us. 

Another key person who contributed a great deal of time and leadership was Donette Lyon.  She and Robyn worked together to coordinate the event, and well over a hundred people attended that night!  What a blessing for us to look out and see all those faces of people who were formerly strangers, but who share our passion to impact the people of Haiti with the love of God.  How humbling and how energizing!  Also, special thanks to Pam Plasier (Mission Haiti Director), Nelson Vandehoek (Mission Haiti board member), and Pam's son and two nephews for driving the few hours, spending the weekend, and helping so much with the event.  Nelson whipped the kitchen staff into shape and kept everyone running with plates of food, drinks, and amazing desserts.

I (Cory) was honored to deliver the message that night and share a little bit about what God is doing in Haiti, what we feel He plans to do in the future, and how people can be involved.  What a privilege to share with people so interested to hear what is going on.  They blessed us with hospitality, with their prayers, with great conversations and a chance to get away and relax, and even with a nice check of money to go towards the work of the ministry.  And to make sure you didn't miss it the first time, we literally had never met a single person in Herrick or Burke before that weekend.  It was a God thing.

If you are interested in seeing the tables the ladies decorated, look below.  There was a lot of creativity and special care put into each one.  A thousand "thanks" to people of Herrick and Burke.

May your Adventure intersect with the Adventures of others, and may you bless each other along the way!
-The Grimm Family Adventurers

Table #1:  "Spring Time" by Marija Hay

Table #2:  "Tea Party" by Suzette Johnson

Table #3:  "Mother's Department" by Deb Indahl

Table #4:  "Life on the Farm"  by Robyn Waterbury

Table #5:  "Nancy's Custom Machine Quilting"  by Nancy Krier 

Table #6:  "Candy Land"  by JeanAnn Bryan

Table #7:  "Joy"  by Donette Lyon

Table #8:  "Riding for the Brand"  by Sara Grim

Table #9:  "Generations"  by Linda Lillibridge

Table #10:  "Mother's Memories"  by Kay Matucha

Table #11:  "Red Hats"  by Kathy Kayl

Table #12:  "Good Times with Wine"  by Sharon Pedersen

Table #13:  "Family Affair"  by Peg Glover

Table #14:  "Summertime Fun"  by Lisa Mayer

Table #15:  "Take Thyme for Coffee"  by Francie Johnson

The kids sat at the "Candy Land" table and ate their fill of candy (they had real food, too).  
We had a long drive home that night, so it all worked out!

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Join us in Sibley!

Family and Friends,

We continue to enjoy a great break here in the States, but are longing more and more to head home to Haiti.  Yesterday we returned from family vacation in Northern Minnesota.  We had a great time!  To think that used to be roughing it up there in those cabins (with water, electricity, kitchens, etc...)  Now that feels like the lap of luxury. 

Today we visited Inwood Christian Reformed Church and shared a little bit about Mission Haiti.  They are considering supporting us as missionaries.  Very nice people, and they have already been providing various supplies for the school program.  On July 29th we enjoyed an amazing experience in central South Dakota, in the communities of Herrick and Burke.  The amazing folks there held a fundraiser for us that was excellent from start to finish.  How humbling!  We were truly blessed, and we promise to write a post about that experience.

This Friday and Saturday we will be sharing music, pictures, stories, and prayers about Haiti at Cory's brother Adam's coffeeshop in Sibley, the Lantern.  We begin at 7PM.  It will be the same program each night.  An amazing musician and friend, Jesse Dagel, will also share music and back Cory up.  Please consider joining us for what is sure to be a very memorable night.  Most of our speaking engagements are very formatted and limited in time.  This event is an opportunity to reflect on what God is doing in Haiti, share some longer stories, answer questions, and pray.  Not only that, but there will be some amazing coffee and snacks available...a little slice of heaven, really.

God Bless,
The Grimm Family Adventurers