Lovin' on the Littles

“Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 19:14

 

We have a special couple who has been serving with Baptist Haiti Mission over the past several weeks who requested to visit an orphanage before they left.  After much arm twisting, Monica, Kilee, and I decided we could spare some time and head down to God's Littlest Angels for some play time.

We loved our time and are thankful for the precious little ones.  Join us as we pray for speedy adoptions for each of these children.  My heart smiles when I think of the day these special kids will be tucked into their beds and home and kissed by their loving parents.

Winding Down Wednesday

We have had a VERY eventful Wednesday.  We left the mission this morning with hopes of reaching Montrouis (Baptist Haiti Mission camp property) by 10 a.m.  We have a team serving BHM this week by building a church!  This is a great story and will definitely be told soon...

At 12:30, after a variety of set backs and an hour stuck in traffic that we later discovered was the beginning of a "Unity Walk" across the country of Haiti, we accepted the forced change of plans and headed home.  2:45 we were back home, safe and sound, wondering where the day went and trusting it all played out just as the Lord had planned.

Now, 8:45 p.m. Trey and partner in crime Scott Bidwell are sitting in our living room, laptops in tow, working on a variety of details for the mission.

On a night like tonight, after a day like today, nothing hits the spot like some peaceful songs of praise to our Lord and Savior.  Check it out:

 
Psalm 47:6 -Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises!  Rest in Him tonight knowing you are his beloved.

 

Target Practice

I love the beginning of a new year.  I even enjoy the beginning of a new day, as long as it does not begin too early.  Due to our relaxed routine in the U.S. I decided to wait until we returned to Haiti to begin 2013.  Hear me out, we celebrated the new year and began to write the year 2013 on checks, but I chose not to begin my 2013 "resolutions" until returning home.  In preparation for the year change I have read a variety of blogs and articles which centered around the topic of new years resolutions.

I am at the top of the list when it comes to setting large goals...and 3 weeks later realizing I am in the same position, and sometimes worse off than when I began.  There is a famous quote that says, "Shoot for the moon, even if you miss it you will land among the stars."  I have loved this quote and always found it quite inspiring...until I stumbled across a blog about a week ago on The Gospel Coalition Blog.

The particular article I was reading was, How Not to Read Your Bible in 2013 

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/12/30/how-not-to-read-your-bible-in-2013/

One of the primary points of the author was to not overextend your hopes and your reading plan, be practical.  He said, "If you shoot for and miss the 'moon' of six chapters a day, you won't quietly land among the 'stars' of three. You'll just be lost in space."

I could not help but laugh out loud when I read this particular portion of the article.  Not only have I found myself "lost in space" when it comes to Bible reading plans, but I have been lost in space in exercise plans, house cleaning plans, loving my husband plans, being a good daughter and sister plans, and the list continues.

While I hope to bring my "moon shooting" days to a close, this post is not to say that I am bidding farewell to goal setting and seeking to live a disciplined lifestyle.  Throughout Scripture we are told we should not be idle with our time (Proverbs 31:27).  Each day we are given is full of new mercies from our Lord (Lametations 3:22-23).  We see it is wise to plan our days, but allow the Lord to direct our steps (Proverbs 16:9).

 Having goals and pushing towards them is wise and quite profitable.  If you aim at nothing you will hit it every time (Zig Ziglar).  My resolution for this 2013 year is to set goals, and aim to achieve them.  If and when I may fail at reaching my desired target, I will not receive a smack on the hand in reproof.  My identity in Christ will not be shaken.  My current short comings will only be a reminder that He is God and I am not.  I am His child and can put my head on my pillow each and every night knowing I am loved and fully known by my Father.  

Psalm 46:10- Be still (cease striving) and know that I am God.

 

Not "shooting" but "aiming" for 2013:

 *Memorize two verses of Scripture each month. 
Check out Beth Moore's Scripture challenge if this is something that may interest you.

*Blog at least once a week.  
No judging allowed if you see me miss a week :)

*Exercise at least 4 days a week.

*Say NO to Facebook until dishes are washed and quiet time has happened.

*Be intentional in seeking new and unique ways to express my love and respect to my husband.

*Fall more in love with my Savior at the end of 2013 than I was at the beginning.

What about you?  What are you aiming for this year?   

We're Back!!!!

One week ago we said goodbye to the blue jean wearing, chick-fil-a eating, smooth traffic flowing streets of America and bonswa to the skirts and t-shirts, rice and beans, and enter at your own risk traffic of Haiti.  I must say, it is good be to back!

We had a WONDERFUL time visiting friends and family in the U.S.  During our stay we were able to visit several different churches and share about the work of Baptist Haiti Mission.  It was such an encouragement to have the support of those in the U.S. and we are already in the process of planning for several of these churches to send groups to work with us in Haiti.  In the midst of sharing about BHM we of course made time to spend with friends and family we had not seen for quite a while.

There truly is nothing quite like being with family for the holidays and we are incredibly grateful for the time we had.  Thank you holiday food and all the family who helped us stuff our faces.  We are now back to our stomping grounds in the mountains of Haiti and loving every minute of it.  Not to mention we are doing our fair share of walking and avoiding anything that uses the term "cobbler" or "casserole."

It was wonderful to return and be reunited with that crazy canine Creole.  He definitely remembered us and is oh so happy to be back to his "regular" routine.  Thank you Johnny and other missionary staff who took care of him for us during our time away.

Work on the mission property is in full swing.  I was able to post a blog on our BHM website yesterday about what BHM is into right now, check it out:

http://www.bhm.org/2013/01/10/all-hands-on-board-for-2013/

Tuesday and Wednesday we attended the funeral of a precious friend.  When we first moved to Haiti Madam Senatus opened her home to us and began to teach us Creole.  We loved the introduction to Haiti we received from her.  We looked forward to Sunday morning greetings from Madam Senatus and special moments of seeing her throughout the week as she helped us with the jewelry project.  Today Madam Senatus is at home with our Lord.  Although her church and family will miss her greatly, we rest assurred she is now sitting at the feet of her Savior. 

Enjoying time with Madam Senatus when we first moved to Haiti

Stepping back into our life here after 2 months away has allowed us to see how much the Lord is doing in our lives personally, as well as in the lives of those we have come to love here.  Although no water pressure and regularly killing spiders are not two of my favorite things, I would not trade it for anything.

Four For Friday

It's FRIDAY!!!  Welcome to the weekend.  Here are a few highlights from our week in GA with the Salter family...

1.  Christmas Concert- One of the best things about the Christmas season is the music.  We attended the Christmas Choir performance at Ty & Terri's church, First Baptist Woodstock.  There were performances done by the childrens choir all the way up to the senior adults.  It was a true treat and blessing to gather together and lift up the name of our Lord.

  

2.  Chick-Fil-A - The lovely state of GA is the home of the first Chick-Fil-A.  I am a HUGE fan of this fabulous restaurant and have enjoyed my fair share of nuggets and fresh squeezed lemonade over the last few days.

 

3.  Jewelry Mart- Although we are in the U.S. right now, we have not forgotten our home in Haiti.  We have had countless opportunities to share about the work we are blessed to be a part of.  Yesterday we went to the Atlanta and shopped at a buyers mart.  I was able to find a huge supply of beads and other merchandise for the jewelry making in Haiti.  

Thanks Pat Dietz for my first mart experience!

4.  Florida Vacation-  As the week comes to an end, excitement in the Salter clan is rising.  Thanks to a very generous friend we have been given a time share and are hitting the road in the morning for a week of vacation in Florida!  We may or may not be planning on stopping by the wonderful world of Disney...

 

My Old KY Home...

Throughout our time in Haiti we have seen several unique things.  I have learned there is nothing too difficult to carry on your head, anywhere from 1 to 6 people can fit on a motorcycle, and spaghetti for breakfast is perfect for any day!

We have been in KY for a few weeks and I think it is safe to say growing up in Kentucky has definitely prepared me for a life in Haiti:

A Deer on 1-75

Thank you KY for keeping us entertained!

 

Wordy Wednesday

This time last week we stepped foot in Louisville, KY!  Louisville is quite a special place to us.  It is there we met, fell in love, and formed friendships we are confident will last a lifetime.  Throughout our visit in "the 'ville" it is safe to say our hearts were full and our sides were soar from an overdose of laughter.

Some of the best girls in the world!  Enjoying a Sunday lunch a Moes.

We enjoyed spending the evenings in Louisville at the humble abode of Tony and Beth Loseto.  Beth and I were best friends throughout college.  Her and Tony married about one month after we moved to Haiti.  This visit was our first time to hang out with her and Tony as a married couple.  It's so much fun to be great girlfriends and have husbands who were actually friends before we even came into the picture.  Our few days in Louisville were wonderful for meeting up with friends and seeing the Lord at work in their lives.  Thank you Loseto's for opening your home to us!

Crossing Church/Boyce College reunion

We are now back with the Ballou side of our family and loving it.  Yesterday I spent the afternoon at the elementary school where my mom works.  I had so much fun having lunch with her and meeting the kiddos she works with.  My mom is the best with kids, I'm so glad she has the opportunity to work at the school.
  

We have talked about Haiti in a lot of different environments since coming to the states.  My favorite time so far has been sharing with kiddos.  I spoke to the children's Sunday school department at my parents church and we've even had the opportunity to share in the school system.

Yesterday I worked with a second grade classroom and taught them how to make the jewelry out of cereal boxes.  This classroom has been collecting boxes to send to us in Haiti and their teacher wanted them to have a hands on experience in making the jewelry.  A few minutes into the process the students realized the project required a little more skill than they realized. 

Almost two hours in, the students had each "successfully" rolled 6 beads.  Glue was smeared all over little hands, cereal boxes were scattered across the table, and the room was full of chatter.  I loved getting to play teacher for a bit.  I cannot wait to share with the ladies in Haiti that children in the U.S. wanted to learn how they make jewelry.

As I worked with the kids yesterday, I could not help but wonder where these students would be in the next 10 or 15 years.  Who knows, maybe we will work together in Haiti one day?

Thank you note and picture from my little jewelry makers :)