Port au Prince

Port au Prince
"He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure." Psalm 40:2

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Woke up at 6 this morning to a persistent  rooster . The thing about roosters in Haiti is that they seem to be strolling  all around. They also  insist on ""screaming" most any time of the day, and not just when the sun comes up. I stay away from them because my mom got chased and bit by one a long time ago.

A pen.  That's what I wanted this morning when I woke. I wanted to write in my journal, and had lost my pen. None were  to be found. A pen is a precious commodity (or pencil) in Haiti.. You lose "YOUR" pen and it may be a day or two until you can get your hands on another one.

Anyway, i couldn't find a pen. It got me thinking. Do you know how many PENS I have on my desk at home? Sometimes so many that I just gather them together and throw a bunch of the "not so pretty ones" out in the trash. I'd give anythng for one of them now, but it is not to be. (unless I i borrow someone else's pen and then I better be SURE I return it.)

The moral of this little reflection  is that I realized today, that as an American, HOW MUCH I WASTE, and take  for granted in my day to day luxurious American  life................a  lousy  PEN...clean water, a flushing toilet, a NON- bumpy bumpy-pot holed studded road----(yes, friends, these roads are even worse than Boston) air conditioning, electricity when you need it..............on and on and on.

This trip is creating n my such a sense of GRATITUDE. I am so grateful for the little thngs that the things I once thought "important" ...are not so to me any more.  I no longer "need" things....God provides for me what I  need at the time I need it.  Life has become much more "God" focused and much less ME focused.......

Thank you all for praying for our team......we are so GRATEFUL....   Judy Mattson
p.s. sorry for the typing errors


2 comments:

  1. As western Christians, most often we have all that we think we need, yet scripture tells us that we are poor, wretched and needy and our clothes are rags, in God's sight. Our focus on our supposed riches has caused our spiritual poverty amidst our material abundance.

    When God promises to meet our needs, He truly means it and we need to learn to let go of what we have. Proverbs 3:27-28 tells us, "Never walk away from someone who deserves help; your hand is God’s hand for that person.
    Don’t tell your neighbor “Maybe some other time”or “Try me tomorrow”
    when the money’s right there in your pocket." (The Message)

    We need to learn to let go of what we have. In the 1800's over a million and a half British pounds sterling (in today's currency, tens of millions of U.S. dollars in purchasing power) flowed through George Mueller's 'open hands' to benefit orphans as well as missionaries, such as Hudson Taylor, who Mueller supported for decades.

    What more would God do to make Christ known and alleviate suffering in Haiti and around the world if our hands were also open and our fingers not 'stickey?'

    John Di Frances

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  2. July 19, 2013
    Dearest cousin Judy,
    Well, as the rooster crows, just consider his crow as a call to awaken you to this new you! The roosters "Er Er Er Er!" might equate better as "Her Her Her Her" as you loose your identity as the former "Her" and accept the new identity as the new "You"! Perhaps you might encounter the sounds of a wise owl when you return to the USA, peacefully cooing, "Who who who?" which might equate to "You you you!" as your continue to help the young, innocent in need in Haiti from the comforts of home. Spread the Word, much like the boisterous crow!
    Blessings and a peaceful tomorrow as you continue the missionary trip and start bidding adieu to those whose lives you and the others have touched. You have shared yourselves with them and can write about them with one of the many pens at home on your desk and also, crow about their needs to inspire others to reach out and help in whatever way they can.
    With much Love and bear hugs of appreciation, for sharing your heart to a few of the many the little ones of Haiti, Claudette from Connecticut

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