10 Adventures in 10 Days: #7- KU KLUX COOKIE

Family and Friends,

Our dog is a racist bigot. She hates black people. I wish we had known to ask about that when we were researching breeds and trying to find out their predispositions. We did ask if she would shed. Not very much, we were told. (that was wrong) We did ask if she would bark. Not very much, we were told. (wrong again) However, we forgot to ask if she would be prone to extreme racial prejudice. I guess that never came up in the research and planning. That category never showed up on www.dogbreeds.com. I'm sure the breeders we bought her from would have assured us she was color-blind and it wouldn't matter anyway.

Cookie is a pocket puggle, sort of. On the internet they will tell you there is really no such thing, which is probably true. A puggle is a combination of a pug and a beagle. A pocket puggle is a combination of a pug and any number of smaller breeds, which gives you a small puppy that looks part pug. In Cookie's case she was a combination of a pug and a rat terrier, and the terrier genes really come out whenever Haitian people show up at our door. Out come the snarls, fangs, barks, and growls. She is a one-dog unwelcoming committee.

Richard, our friend from Milford, IA, who came down for an extended period earlier this year and is returning in a few weeks, really got a kick out of Cookie and her strange tendencies. He raises funds at churches for the lumber and other supplies he uses on his mission trips, and he likes to tell stories about Cookie, the racist dog. So he is really the one who inspired us to come up with the name, Ku Klux Cookie. We thought about Cookie the Caucasian-loving, cantankerous canine, but that didn't exactly roll off the tongue. She loves Sue. She normally isn't bothered by Pam. If she is bothered by her, it is only because Pam is always darting about with quick motions and comes in and out of the house in a hurry. Cookie normally doesn't like men, but Pam's dad became her best friend last summer, and of course he is white.

The real proof of Cookie's racial prejudice is her strained relationship with Adrien. He supposedly has some white in his bloodlines, going back to the French, and in fact his skin is pretty light for a Haitian. He seems to be the one Cookie hates the most. She can recognize his voice from a city block away. She starts barking even if he tries to sneak silently past our house. Isn't that the true mark of a racial supremacist? She hates people who are “mixed” even more than people whose heritage comes completely from one ethnicity. The great irony is that she is a mixed-breed herself! What a sick puppy.

So we are thinking about sending her to a Haitian tolerance boot camp. I'm not sure what they do there, exactly. Probably make her sit quietly through a lot of singing, hand-clapping, and dancing. Next they will test her with flash cards, each portraying a person with a different shade of skin. If she doesn't bark at black people, she gets a treat. Finally she will be handed over to Nesli, the rascally 5-year-old at the orphanage who throws toys and soccer balls in the outhouse pit for fun, who will be her personal drill sergeant and force her to endure unmentionable tortures. If she survives all of that her little heart will either be turned to stone or completely softened for the Haitian people.

I guess in a “Signs” (remember that movie?) sort of way we reassure ourselves that her coming unglued every time someone (black) comes to the door will eventually reap dividends if some stranger intent on harm ever comes. In other words, her guard dog qualities might be needed some day. Until then, however, we'll just have to patiently work with her and try not to come unglued ourselves. We keep a squirt bottle handy to douse her snout when she barks. We also try to hold her down as kids from the orphanage pet her. She makes little whines and throaty moans when we do that, like we are performing surgery on her or something.

"Cookie the Racist Watchdog"
(Sung to the tune of “Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer”)

There was....

Francia, Kiki,
Rose, Lepe, Lucy
Schinaider and Nesli
Anderson, Kenny

But the most disturbing young creature of all,
was curled up in a furry brown ball...

Cookie the racist watchdog
Had a very vicious bark
And if you ever heard her

You hoped your skin was not too dark

All of the other orphans
used to laugh and call her names
They never let poor Cookie
join in any mixed-race games

Then one balmy Christmas eve
Cory came to say,
“Cookie, if you bark so loud,
I might throw you in the pound!”

Then all the orphans loved her,
and they shouted out with glee,
“Cookie the friendly watchdog,
Jesus' love has set you free!!!!”

-The Grimm Family Adventurers (and Cookie)

10 Adventures in 10 Days: #6- SACRIFICE

Family and Friends,

We write a lot of stories about our adventures all over the village and the mountains trails of Haiti.  This post, however, shows how true it is that the real adventure of following Christ is in one's own heart and soul and mind.

Lynn was paging through Facebook a night or two ago (We have internet! Am I dreaming? Somebody pinch me!), and we were sad to see that a good friend from Orange City had passed away. It wasn't a big shock, because she had been battling serious illness in varying degrees for close to thirty years, dating all the way back to a kidney transplant and related complications for life, and ending with many years of battling cancer. I had spoken to her husband in August, and he let me know things weren't going well for his wife and she might not live long. So again, we weren't totally devastated by the news, but it got me thinking.

There truly is a sacrifice that takes place when you leave for the mission field, and it is more complex than you might think. I get the feeling that we are only beginning to understand what it means. Previously we blogged about giving up unknown expectations and dreams we hold way down deep in our hearts and in the inner recesses of our minds...hopes for our future we might not have even been aware of, like being able to watch your kids sing or play Joseph or Mary in the Christmas program at church. There is a sacrifice there, no doubt, but that is not what I'm thinking about this time.

Of course there is the sacrifice of comforts, conveniences, technologies, etc.... That is something we often joke about, and the mission teams who come down here without fail comment both on how hard it is to give up certain things and how at the same time it can be quite refreshing. Letting go of some of those simple pleasures feels a little bit like a sacrifice sometimes, but you get over it pretty quickly. A more sobering sacrifice is giving up reliable health care and putting yourself in a position where injuries and illnesses we would consider moderately serious in the US suddenly become life-threatening in Haiti. But that is not what this blog post is about, either.

I'll tell you what the real sacrifice is when you leave to be a missionary in a different country. It is sacrificing the normal, logical, and healthy continuation and completion of relationships you've been investing in your whole life. There is a real sense of disorientation and loss at the feeling of not being there for our friends' funeral. We should be there. I guarantee you that when we return on some break in the future, especially when we visit Trinity Reformed in Orange City, we will have to remind ourselves that this friend is really gone. We will grieve her all over again.

It isn't like our friend and her husband would have thought badly about us not being there for the funeral. They would be totally understanding and sympathetic of our situation. In fact, we wouldn't be here without their help. When I was youth pastor in Orange City, it was through the mentorship of this man (and the encouragement of Pastor Opgenorth) that I even considered the option of attending seminary. Then this couple, of whom the wife just passed away, supported us financially in seminary and through Mission Haiti. So in strange ironic twist they shared in the sacrifice. By supporting us in this work, they had to sacrifice our ability to be there to support and encourage them in their time of need. They gave up any ministry and love we might have given them at this time as a gift to the people of Haiti.

That is really what the sacrifice is all about.

Years ago I remember my parents talking about how my uncle and aunt (who were missionaries in Kenya) were very concerned about getting “the phone call,” and they weren't sure how much longer they wanted to be missionaries because of this tension. In other words, they didn't want to be in the middle of nowhere when they heard that “mom” or “dad” had passed away. I'm not sure if that sums up the situation fairly, but that is the overview of what I was told. I am ashamed now to confess that when I heard that I perceived it as sort of a weakness on their part, that they wouldn't be willing to make that sacrifice. I now understand a little bit better how that feels, and I am sorry for my ignorance, arrogance, and lack of compassion. It isn't only about how much you love that person. There is something more to the sacrifice. When you are transplanted from one culture to another there is a loss of being connected to the natural flow of life and death that goes on without you in the culture you left.

We have had some talks about this and kind of plotted out what our plan would be if certain people passed away while we are in Haiti. That is kind of morbid to talk about, but in all seriousness, we feel need to have a plan when we get “the phone call” and even make a decision beforehand of who is a close enough relative (and who isn't) for all of us to drop everything and fly back. If we stay here long enough we might also have to miss some really important moments other than funerals. We already have. Just a few days ago Lynn's brother and his wife had their second child. The first time we see him may be when he is tottering along some piece of furniture at Grandma's house. The reality is we will miss holding him as a baby. That is a sacrifice that counts for something. At least we hope so.

When it is all said and done, no sacrifice we make compares to the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. Maybe we shouldn't even use that word, “sacrifice.” Maybe this whole blog post should not be written. However, I think God is very understanding when it comes to these things, and He can more than compensate for any feelings of loss or confusion. The other side to this, of course, is the sacrifice all of you are making in letting us go, especially our parents. Sometimes we overlook or even downplay this reality. We think, “We were pretty boring people anyway, so we won't be missed too much.” But again, it isn't only about how much you back home love us. It is about that sense of missing out on what you feel you should be a part of...losses, rites of passage, great accomplishments, tiny little snapshots of everyday life, etc...

By God's grace may we all embrace this sacrifice in faith that “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Rom. 8:18) Also, today we remember a truly great woman, Marietta Vandersall. I can think of no better example of a person who suffered greatly from physical ailments and yet put others before herself and made them feel important and special. She had a special place in her heart for Lynn. Also pray for Stan, her husband and my former mentor, a great servant of God and His church, who will somehow go on by God's grace into an unknown future. Do us a little favor and give Him a little extra encouragement on our behalf.

-The Grimm Family Adventurers

10 Adventures in 10 Days: #5- OLGENS

Family and Friends,

PART 1:

This post could also fit into the old “neighborhood characters” category, but Olgens has gone way beyond being just another face in the crowd. I first met Olgens on one of my earliest trips here, and he made an impression on me one night after youth group. We had a pretty serious study/talk that night about sin, and afterward I offered to pray with anyone who needed prayer. Olgens came up and asked to talk. At that point all I knew was “bonjou (good morning), wi (yes), and mesi (thank you)”, and Olgens didn't know any English at all. We needed a translator, and faithful Kiki stepped in to help out. That moment will always be a definitive and treasured memory of Kiki for me.

Olgens got right to the point. He confessed to me that his heart was filled with sin. I asked him if he wanted to share anything specific he was struggling with. After a little bit of hemming and hawing, he said, “Okay, I'll tell you. Sometimes when I look at girls I want to have sex with them.” I had to force myself to suppress a little laugh. This is one of those moments when you just have to cherish the relative naiveté and near-innocence of most young people in Haiti. At this point Olgens was about 19 or so, and I assured him that those temptations were very normal for a boy of his age, and in fact it is an issue that almost all men have to deal with throughout their lives. I tried to give him some practical ways to deal with this situation, and he seemed relieved to have confessed to someone.

After that I always remembered his name and called to him on the street whenever I was in town with a mission team. He was always so happy that I remembered him. It was easy to see that his life was hard. He always wore the same old jeans, his head was too big for his body (which generated plenty of ridicule from his peers), he was only in 5^th grade, he tended to mumble when he talked, and let's just come out and say it...he was kind of a homely lad.  Speaking with Lynn one day, I jokingly compared him to Quasimoto.  That's terrible, I know, but it was done in love, believe me.  But the real turning point for Olgens was when Lynn came to visit with me last May. That was the beginning of something new for him.

When girls come on mission trips to Ti-Rivier, all the young men get really excited. No big news there, of course. Sometimes teams will come with a group of cute high school or college girls, and without fail our youth group always doubles or triples in size while they are here. Olgens has always wished that he could hang with the big boys in those moments, the Elyse and Junior-types who are confident, funny, smart, good-looking, and know quite a bit of English. Those are great guys, and Olgens sees them striking up conversations with the cute American girls and gets jealous. But then Lynn came and he found someone who he could talk to and be heard. Of course she was already taken, thank you very much! But that really didn't matter to Olgens, because it was never about the romantic side of things as much as just feeling some kind of self-respect and confidence.

Since that time Olgens has become a great friend to our family and even works for Mission Haiti carrying water every day. He loves to push Lynn's wheelchair when we go out in the community, which is really nice for me. He is still only in 7^th grade at age 21, and may never finish school, but he has a future with us, anyway, as an incredibly loyal and hard worker who can be trusted. One day Mike gave me $20 Haitian ($2.50 US) to find someone to wash the truck. I asked Olgens to do it, and afterward I offered him the money. He said he didn't want it because he didn't do it for money. This is a pretty rare thing in Haiti, let me tell you!

PART 2:

Recently Olgens has gotten pretty good at English, so one day I was planning to go to Les Cayes to run some errands. Normally I would take Chelo or Patchouko with me, but both were busy on this occasion. Olgens was sitting there talking to Lynn, so I invited him to go. He was excited for the opportunity. On the way I asked him if there was anything he needed to buy or do while we were there. He asked if we could stop and visit his mom.

After finishing the errands we headed over to her neighborhood. This was a new place for me to go, and I was so happy for the opportunity to see a whole different type of life I had nver witnessed before. We turned off the cement street and headed down a dirt/gravel road. At this point the houses were quite small, but made of finished cement, with doors and everything. There was a few feet between the houses. Soon we went as far as we could go on motorcycle and had to park. At this point quite a crowd gathered around us. They were obviously impressed that Olgens was was in cahoots with some Blanc (American).

We proceeded on foot. Now the only space between homes was about the width of a hallway in most American homes. The homes shared walls with each other, and most of the “doors” were simply a blanket draped across an opening. The cement of these homes was sometimes unfinished, just bare cinder blocks held together with a bit of mortar. Naked babies and toddlers were everywhere. One 18-month old (or so) pointed at me at said, “Blanc! Blanc!” It makes me wonder how they learn that so early. It must have been her third word after “Mama” and “Papa.”

We reached the home of Olgens' mother, but unfortunately she was not there. Later she would call him and rebuke him for not letting her know ahead of time that he was bring an "important" visitor to her home. I had to laugh. We decided to drive across town to visit some of Olgens' cousins instead. There was an adventure waiting there for us as well.

The next place we stopped provided quite a contrast. It was a nice home with a metal gate out front, bedrooms, a bathroom with toilet, tiled floors, and a nice private garden in the back. I met a few of Olgen's cousins (a very loose term here for any kind of distant relative) and we had a few laughs together. One boy there looked about 11 but his sister said he was 14. He had the TV turned up too loud and was fiddling with some string and sticks. His head wobbled around like there was something wrong with him. He would mumble something and laugh to himself. I remember thinking, “I wonder if this kid will ever doing anything worthwhile with his life.”

I started looking at the variety of paintings up on the walls, assuming they had been purchased from some local artist or shop or whatever. Some of them were quite nice, and definitely interesting in content. After a little while the boy asks me in Creole, “What are you looking at there?” I said, “I'm just looking at all these paintings. They're pretty good.” He kind of giggle to himself. Olgens points at the boy and says, “He painted all of those.” I was dumfounded. I asked to clarify, “This kid right here? He painted those?” Olgens confirmed what he said. The boy giggled a little more.

There were interesting paintings of Bible scenes, nature scenes in Haiti, and many other things. One that really stuck out was a painting of a vase with flowers with three burning candles nearby. Somehow he was able to capture both the glare of the light on these objects and the shadows behind them, and the flowers were very detailed and beautiful. It looked like a blown up photograph. I had to repent of my earlier dismissal of the boy and think, “This kid could do great things.” I wonder if he was autistic or something. More importantly, I wonder who will guide him on this strange and potentially-wonderful path on which God has placed him?

We headed home. Olgens and I had a few more laughs and returned back to our everyday lives where the adventures always continue. Just yesterday Olgens and I met up in the nearby market. It was cloudy and breezy and I asked him, “Eske lapli ap veni? (Will the rain come?)” He said, “No, not now.” Predictably, after about five minutes we got hit with a small monsoon. All we could do is laugh, help people pack up their little stands, and find shelter on someone's porch for 20 minutes. We can never say for sure how long God will allow us to serve here, but we feel like Olgens will be a part of that story for many years to come. He fits well with us, and it all began with a little prayer together a couple of years ago with the help of Kiki.

Olgens and Lynn

God Bless Your Adventure Today!
-Grimm Family Adventurers

10 Adventures in 10 Days: #4- HAITIAN SCHOOLS

Family and Friends,

This is an adventure we could probably write 10 blogs about. This fall we feel like our eyes have really been opened to a lot of the issues with the school system in Haiti. This is the first time we have been present for the distribution of the sponsor money to the schools and families. Have you ever been to one of those ponds full of big goldfish where children can buy little pellets of food and throw them in the water? Then the fish bubble up to the top, piling on top of each other and trying to get at the food...with that image in your mind you can understand a little bit about Haitian schools.

WARNING: This blog post might be a huge downer for you, but understand that school is in such early stages of development here, and God can do great things!

When someone chooses to sponsor a child in school here the money goes towards several different things. Probably the biggest three are the actual payment of tuition to the schools, the books, and the uniforms. There are also backpacks, medications, shoes, and other items that kids receive. Mission Haiti currently has about 1500 students at something like 40 different schools, so the master list is always being updated with who has received what, who has transferred to what school, who did and didn't pass last year (more on that later), and other pertinent information.

At every point in the paragraph above problems can and do arise. Take tuition as an example. If you give it to the parents to pay the school, all kinds bad things can happen. Use your imagination. If you give it to the school, all kinds of other bad things can happen. Probably the most prevalent is a complex network of kids saying they go to a school, striking a deal with the director there to pretend they actually go there, and then splitting the money with him. This really happens! Well, the good news is Pam finally reached the end of her rope this year and hired a professional school inspector to make sure the money we are giving out is actually being used properly. Of course this leads to a lot of angry people not being able to work the system anymore, but is should reap big dividends for those who play fairly.

Mission Haiti directly oversees four schools, but even that statement needs to be qualified. Each of those primary schools has a director who is actually in charge, but through the sponsorship program Pam actually pays all the salaries, virtually all of the tuition, and virtually all of the building projects, so obviously she has a big say in what goes on. And yet there is always so much conflict and resistance at every step in the process. It can be incredibly discouraging. For example, she recently gave one fo the schools all of their books for the year, and they turned around and charge the parents money for the books, so many kids don't have books. Sometimes you just want to buy those directors a plane ticket, personally take them on a tour through any decent school in Miami or wherever, and open their eyes to what could be. In their defense, they really have no idea what school CAN be like.

Then there is the parents' support or lack thereof of school in general. Someone could easily write an entire book on this topic, because it is so complex. Many parents would simply like their kids to be home working. That is the reality. When carrying water, doing laundry by hand, and preparing/cooking food takes so much time, it is nice to have many hands doing the work. There are also a few parents at the other end of the spectrum who have an idea of what school can be like, are disgusted with the lack of quality in local schools, and try to come up with other options. Patchouko and his wife fall into this category.

This next paragraph will blow your mind and cause you to pray...

There is also the issue of passing from grade to grade. Some of most difficult times are after 6^th, 9^th, 12^th, & 13^th grades (they do one more year here, like in Europe). The kids in our little community have to take the same exams as the kids in Port who go to big expensive private schools. So the tests are very hard, at least for our kids. Many of them don't pass and have to try again the next year. They can be stuck in the same grade for many years. But that is not all. Then there a times when a student doesn't pass, but can bribe the director with money or other favors (yes, I'm implying what you think) and pass anyway. I hear about this happening in the high schools. We hope it doesn't happen in the primary schools we operate. Then there is one last scenario you probably figured out already which is very hard to prove. Some students are very smart, but receive a failing grade on the exam. When they ask the director about it, he may in an off-handed way ask for a bribe. If the student doesn't comply they don't pass. Some students believe they really did achieve a passing score but were not allowed to move on because of not giving the bribe. May God have mercy on the soul of any directors who have done these things!

Then there is the government's involvement with the schools. The new president has promised to help schools in Haiti be great. Two pieces of evidence seem to indicate nothing has changed. At the end of last year national (public) school teachers stopped coming to school because they weren't getting paid anymore. Now this fall the president moved school back an entire month to begin on October 4^th. This happened last year, too, under the old, corrupt regime. Cutting school is an obvious way to save money at the expense of the children of Haiti. And the tradition in Haiti is to not really start attending regularly until the 2^nd or 3^rd week. So I went in to teach English yesterday at the local high school, and way less than half of the kids were there.

This blog post does not even delve into the lack of resources, books, quality teachers, creative programs, and other obstacles faced by the schools, but you get the idea. Haitian schools are in a sad state. Of course when you meet a young man or woman who somehow find a way to push through it all, master French and other languages, and blaze some trail to a real career of some sort, it is very inspiring. I think Pam and the rest of us at Mission Haiti feel like we have a very long way to go until we can say the schools are “good” here, but there is at least a sense that things are improving year to year.

Please remember the Haitian schools in your prayers today, and the adventure of those of us who are directly involved.

Thank the Lord today for the School you attend(ed)!

-The Grimm Family Adventurers

10 Adventures in 10 Days: #3- CRABS

Family and Friends,

One great new adventure this fall has been in the form of new pets for the kids, a crate full of crabs. Three of these little guys were inherited from Jackson and Talix, the kids who lived here this summer while we were gone. They are the kind of crabs who don't have a shell of their own but move from one seashell to another as they grow. Our kids have had a great time feeding them, naming them, racing and chasing them, and keeping track of their constant movements between old and new shells.

One day Alexandra accidentally left the lid open on the crate. Pretty soon the others went to check on the pets, and they were gone! A thorough search of the yard was made, but only two of the rascals were recovered. I'm sure the other one is still telling his new buddies out there in the world of his great escape from Al-crab-traz. Later that day a boy from the community came with an old jug full of six or seven new crabs for the collection, including one really big one. The kids were ecstatic!

Since that time there has been even more interest in the crabs, and the kids from the orphanage like to check on them as well. We have to be a little big careful, because one day Nesli threw one in the fire pit while there was a fire burning. Ouch! There is also the threat of being pinched by their claws. Elizabeth and Kenny have both shed blood after a vicious crab-attack. One individual we don't have to worry about is a crab the kids call “naked guy.” He doesn't seem to want to move into shell. Some call him liberated, others call him a rebel without a cause. Either way, when you open the lid he just runs and hides in the corner. I guess he's not completely comfortable with his nudity yet.

All the crabs are meticulously cared for and nurtured in their eco-friendly environment, which has been carefully designed to mirror their natural habitat. Okay, that's not really true. The truth is they live in a wooden box in the garden and from time to time we pour in a little water and throw in a handful of grass. None have died of natural causes, though! Some of them have quite a temper, and all of them are always quite crabby. I guess that is in their nature....thus their name. Don't try confronting them on their negative attitude, though. That makes them downright surly.

Are your days kind of boring,

     and your life somewhat drab?
Is your house antiseptic,
    like some medical lab?
Are you willing to open up,
     to venture out, take a stab?
Then make room in your home
    for a new pet, a crab!

Crabs are delicious,

     no doubt that is true.
Crabs can end up
     on buffets or in stews.
But crabs have so much more
     they can offer to you.
They'll claw their way into your heart
     if you allow them to.

Have you ever really gazed

     into their beady little eyes?
Have you given them a chance
     to make you realize...

That behind that hard exterior

     are silent, desperate cries...
To come out of their shell
     and refute all the lies.

Crabs are not crabby! Nor flabby or scabby!

If you give them an inch, the will never, ever pinch!
They'll come out from that rock if you just let them talk!
Next time you vacation, visit Haitian Crustaceans!

Alexandra, Nesli, Kenny, and the CRABS (before we got the extra ones)

Esperancia, the girl attacked by machete earlier this year...she is doing well

Esperancia's hand

A little boy who came to visit one day

10 Adventures in 10 Days: #2- BIBLE SCHOOL

Family and Friends,

We joined forces with Mike and Pam Plasier and Mission Haiti almost two years ago. From the beginning there has been an understanding that we would work towards offering some kind of higher education for young leaders. Mission Haiti had been sponsoring kids for school and operating primary schools directly for many years, and it became time to think about what would come next for some of the older students who were approaching completion of High School. This fit well with our dream to be involved in some sort of theological instruction in a developing country. We have always talked about this future project simply as the “Bible and Ministry Training School.”

The time has finally come for that dream/vision to become a reality! In September of 2012 we will begin the first class of students in the new school. Some land has been purchased down near the ocean, one small house is already built there, and two weeks ago we began the construction of a small dormitory designed for twelve students. Before next fall we hope to complete a shower/toilet building, a cooking shed, an eating/gathering area, and an open-air classroom. Thanks to a sizable grant from First Reformed in Sioux Center, the land and the dormitory should be covered. We will continue to raise funds for the other buildings in the year to come.

What will the ministry training program entail? Young missionaries will come from around the world (probably just US and Haiti in the first year) and join forces for an intense 9-month program of Bible study, ministry, and personal spiritual growth. Visiting professors will teach one-week courses in a variety of subjects. Focusing on the model for ministry taught by Jesus, put into effect by Paul, and described in the book of Titus, students will be trained to enter a community, make assessments of how God is at work, lead people to Jesus, appoint leaders, and repeat this process. Upon successful completion of the program we will send students out to begin new ministries all over Haiti and all over the world. Students will do everything together and stretch themselves through a great deal of prayer, worship, ministry, service, accountability, study, and hard work.

So where is the adventure in all of this?

The adventure for us will be in seeing how God answers so many questions and needs in the coming year. Our current role with Mission Haiti is to direct all in-country ministries including youth group, Sunday worship, daily programs for children, evangelism/deliverance/discipleship in the village and mountain communities, and spiritual guidance of all staff. On top of that we will need to raise funds for the Bible School facilities, scholarships for Haitian students, recruit professors and students in the US and Haiti, organize all curriculum, and oversee the building projects. It should be quite a year!

One exciting bit of news we received recently was the verbal commitment of a godly, young couple in Sioux Falls to come and serve as Resident Directors in the first year of the Bible school. They will live in the house down there known as the “hurricane-proof house” and oversee every aspect of the students' lives, just like a resident director would at a college in the US. Praise God! Also, there is a spot on that property that would make sense for our family to build a house in the future, and Mike and Pam have encouraged us to think about that and raise funds. Three great professors have already agreed to come, many young Haitians have shown interest, and the building project is going really fast so far, so that is all good, too.

The Bible and Ministry Training School adventure will undoubtedly have many peaks and valleys in the year to come, so we would ask you to pray for this as you think about us. We truly believe God will use this to bring a great deal of energy and help to our current ministries and then later a huge impact on people all over Haiti and around the world. We will soon be putting out recruitment brochures and school applications, so if there is a young person you know in the US who might be interested in spending 9-months here, please let them know about this program. Also, if God puts it on your heart to contribute to the building project or the scholarship program, please feel free to ask more questions about that.

(enjoy a few pictures below)

God Bless,

The Grimm Family Adventurers

Riding in "the cage" from the Port-au-Prince airport to Ti-Rivier

Lynn holding Antoine & Jesoula's baby, Melonita

Who knew reading could be so dangerous?

10 Adventures in 10 Days: #1- INTERNET

Family and Friends,

Wow! We haven't kept up with our blog since returning to Haiti. We are so sorry for our lack of diligence in this area. We know many of you are very faithful in reading this blog and praying for us, so we apologize and pledge ourselves to do a better job. In fact, over the next days we will make it up to you by posting 10 Adventures in 10 Days. Okay, some of these will be rehashing what has happened over the last few weeks, but the point is that there will be a lot more to read and pray about in the days ahead. So check back!

And now we are pleased to announce that we have the capability to blog more often and more effectively, because thanks to our local neighborhood Vietnamese tech-team, we are up and running on the internet! Thank you, NATCOM!

Let us explain....The first of the ten adventures has to do with getting INTERNET at home. As most of you know, this adventure has been playing out over the past year since we first moved here. Rumors of various expensive options would come and go, and in the end the best we could do was to hike down to Adrien's house and hope he was home and his internet was working. That is how we got through our first year of not having internet.

Then we returned recently armed with some new tools. Lynn has a Kindle which is equipped with an experimental version of 3G access, which works to get online a little bit. It is very slow and doesn't always load pages and you can't download anything, but it was a slight improvement anyway (and access is free!). Then I bought an off-brand Blackberry here and got phone service through NATCOM, a Vietnamese company that has come into the area recently. That comes with internet for $1.25/month. Not bad. You can't do much with the internet, but you can ready your emails, check the news and sports and weather, and it is cheap.

Then finally I went to NATCOM in Les Cayes and got the biggest upgrade of all. They sell a USB device to connect you to their 3G network. It was really funny to go there and interact with the combination of Vietnamese and Haitian staff. At one point I saw a large black woman arguing face-to-face with a tiny Vietnamese man, both speaking broken English. It was very funny, and surreal. When you approach the desk they flat out tell you that they don't have the USBs in stock (which was true for several weeks). Then, if you sweet talk them a little bit, they take you in the back room to meet with the big dogs.

We met with the director of the whole thing, a 25ish computer guru from Vietnam who is fluent in English, Vietnamese, French, and Creole. That was pretty cool. A bunch of the Vietnamese staff were huddled in his office near the window AC unit, chain smoking. They rent a house across the street from the office. I wonder if they consider working in Haiti a desirable assignment or if they were all being punished for something they did back home in SE Asia. Anyway, he gave us the hook-up and soon we were ready to head home. There was some concern whether or not it would work all the way out in Ti-Rivier, because it is 13 miles from Les Cayes where they broadcast the signal, but it hasn't been a problem so far.

Last night I crawled up on the roof, logged on, and flipped through various pages on the internet at a furious speed. I am not ashamed to tell you that a little tear came to my eye at finally having web access at home, and at such a strong speed. The only downside is the access is pay-as-you-go, but my estimate is that I can keep it under $20/month if we use it conservatively. Skyping will have to be done sparingly to make that happen, but we'll manage. It is still cheaper than in the US and just as fast. Time will tell if it is reliable or not.

So that is our INTERNET adventure, the first of ten in the days to come. Tomorrow we will update you on the Bible School project. The construction is underway!

Blessings to you and yours...
-The Grimms