An update - At last!

Hi there,
I've decided that I'm bad at this whole blogging thing.  I just don't post very often.  Anyway, I thought I would give you an update as to what I have been up to. 
I'm sure there's some of you that are wondering if I can speak Creole yet.  I can speak Creole very badly.  I am by no means fluent and I miss most of what people are saying unless they speak slowly and with simple words.  I can speak sentences and at times I find myself stringing sentences together.  But Haitians talk really fast, so I usually just catch a word or two of what they just said. :)  But God is good, he has given me many helpful children who work really hard to understand my creole and to help me learn more words. 
Last week, I was able to break away from the orphanage for a few days and go stay with some Americans in Gonaives.  It was so awesome to be able to speak ENGLISH with people!! :)  They say that women speak an average of 7000 words a day.  Since my Creole vocabulary is not that extensive, I needed to unleash my backup of words on somebody. 
Thankfully, the Brooks family allowed me to crash at their place and let me blab at them for a few days.  It was a great time, not only because of the English speaking, but because I was able to get to know them and obtain a better understanding of the ministry that they are a part of in Gonaives.  God is doing great things through that group of people. 
After my stay in Gonaives, I was ready to get back to my kids at the orphanage and jump back into my work here puting records together on the kids.  I have had such a great time listening to each of the kids tell about their lives before coming to the orphanage. I love learning about who they are and where they have been.  Some of their stories are heartwrenching, but they all have such courage and so much joy in them.  They are inspiring to me. 
I will be heading home is less than a month now... I'm trying not to think about it too much.  Actually, I allow myself to think about home, I just don't let myself think about leaving Haiti and these kids I love so much.  Please continue to pray for me that I will be able to complete the office work here, and that I will continue to be a blessing to the kids.  Also, I have been battling a cold, so I would appreciate prayers to be healthy again and to stay healthy for the remainder of my time here.
Please join me in praying for the team that will be arriving in Haiti 2 weeks from today to join me at the orphanage.  Pray that God is preparing their hearts for their time here and that they will have safety in their travels. 

I leave you with one of my favorite scriptures from Ephesians 3:14 - 21.  This is a prayer that Paul wrote to the Church at Ephesus and its one that I am praying for all of you back home.   ~Melissa

For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶ I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
 ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Worship time on the mountain

Yesterday, I decided I wanted to go up the hill to spend some time praying and reading my bible.  And then I got the idea that I should ask my girls if they wanted to come with me.  So five girls and I headed up the mountain and we ended up having an impromptu worship and prayer time.  It was so awesome to see them pour out their hearts to God in prayer and to sing his praises.  I felt so blessed to be a part of their worship time. 
In Him,
Melissa

How many Haitian children can you fit in a 4XL shirt?

Hello everyone!
I apologize that it has taken me so long to post anything on my blog.  Things have been going great here.  I am slowly getting better at communicating in Creole.  My girls are very helpful with the language learning process.  I am sharing a room with 6 teenage girls here at the orphanage.  We have been having a great time getting to know each other.  We have fun being silly together and laughing about it. 
One of my goals while I am here is to be a role model for these 6 young women.  Even though they are very self-sufficient, I want to be someone that can be a source of encouragement for them.  I would appreciate prayers for the continuing development of strong relationships with these girls.  Once my creole gets a bit better, I would love to do some bible study with them focusing of how precious they are to their Heavenly Father.

While my girls are at school during the week, I turn my attention to my own personal time of prayer and reflection.  Life runs a bit slower in Haiti and this has been a huge blessing for me when it comes to my relationship with God.  I have lots of time to come before him in worship and prayer.

Thank you so much for those of you that have been praying for me faithfully.  I appreciate you so much. 

I will write more soon!

In Christ,
Melissa