I wasn't expecting to get any kind of Thanksgiving celebration in Haiti, since - surprise surprise - Haiti does not celebrate this American holiday. So it was a lovely shock when Dr. Bernard dropped by the orphanage on Wednesday and said, "Oh, by the way, you're coming up to my house for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow." As it turned out there were some mechanical failures in the kitchen, which postponed the dinner until Friday night, but it happened eventually. And the food was amazing, we had everything; turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, even pumpkin pie. I ate a ridiculous amount of food and was very happy. And an added bonus, Dr. Bernard graciously invited us to stay for the weekend, so I've gotten a much needed break. His house is up in the mountains above Port-au-Prince, so it's much cooler (I've been wearing a sweater and scarf all weekend!), and also much quieter. I've been spending time reading, playing with the babies and toddlers at the infant's orphanage next door, and sitting on the roof looking out at the amazing view, just being quiet and still. It's been a pretty stressful past three weeks, but I didn't realize how worn out I was until I got the chance to rest. So thank God for knowing what I need better than I do. And for letting me rest in a place where I can spend my whole day just holding babies if I want to. :p
Life is good.
Love, Cecelia
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Friday, November 5, 2010
Psalms and Miracles
Sometimes it seems to me as though there is just one cause for fear after another here in Haiti. There is still a threat of cholera making its way into Port-au-Prince. Our streets have been disturbed by gunfire in broad daylight right outside our doors. And this week, for me at least, has been dominated by fear and anxiety over the approach of Hurricane Tomas.
Yet in the midst of all this there is God. First thing every morning, and last thing every night, I read from the Book of Hours; a beautiful devotion of prayer and praise centered on the Psalms, which has been prayed continuously throughout church history. Last night as I prayed desperately for the safety of this city, for the beautiful children in our school who live in the tent city on top of the hill, utterly at the mercy of the approaching storm, I read these two psalms in the evening prayers.
Psalm 144 (paraphrased)
Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle;
my rock and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues the peoples under him.
...
Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down! Stretch forth thy hand from on high, rescue me and deliver me from the many waters.
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved, he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and for evermore.
Despite all these assurances, I fully expected to spend most of today cowering on the inside of the building so I wouldn't have to watch 100 mile per hour winds rip my neighbors' houses to shreds. Instead this whole city experienced a miracle. It rained, but only gently. Instead of tearing winds, there were playful breezes all day. The sky was overcast, but never dark with thunder or lightning. At 3pm it was perfectly calm outside. I called my mom and she listened to me in disbelief, telling me that the hurricane was a huge angry storm covering Haiti on the radar map. It was as if God had mercy on this ravaged city and covered it with his hands while the storm passed over. As it started to get dark, Jamie and I sat in the library, staring out the window trying to make sense of what was (and wasn't) happening, and Jamie just said "This is miraculous". And he was right. I wasn't going to make sense of it, because it doesn't make sense, and yet I saw it happen with my own eyes.
As we sat there and marveled, Jamie grabbed a bible off the shelf and we started paging through the Psalms, looking for we weren't quite sure what, and we found Psalm 46.
God is your refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change, thought the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her right early.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Behold the words of the Lord, how he has wrought desolations in the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, he burns the chariots with fire!
"Be still, and know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth!"
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.
To all of you who prayed for our safety: know without a doubt that your prayers were heard and answered! Maye we never cease praising the God who can do this.
Love, Cecelia
Yet in the midst of all this there is God. First thing every morning, and last thing every night, I read from the Book of Hours; a beautiful devotion of prayer and praise centered on the Psalms, which has been prayed continuously throughout church history. Last night as I prayed desperately for the safety of this city, for the beautiful children in our school who live in the tent city on top of the hill, utterly at the mercy of the approaching storm, I read these two psalms in the evening prayers.
Psalm 144 (paraphrased)
Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle;
my rock and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues the peoples under him.
...
Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down! Stretch forth thy hand from on high, rescue me and deliver me from the many waters.
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved, he who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and for evermore.
Despite all these assurances, I fully expected to spend most of today cowering on the inside of the building so I wouldn't have to watch 100 mile per hour winds rip my neighbors' houses to shreds. Instead this whole city experienced a miracle. It rained, but only gently. Instead of tearing winds, there were playful breezes all day. The sky was overcast, but never dark with thunder or lightning. At 3pm it was perfectly calm outside. I called my mom and she listened to me in disbelief, telling me that the hurricane was a huge angry storm covering Haiti on the radar map. It was as if God had mercy on this ravaged city and covered it with his hands while the storm passed over. As it started to get dark, Jamie and I sat in the library, staring out the window trying to make sense of what was (and wasn't) happening, and Jamie just said "This is miraculous". And he was right. I wasn't going to make sense of it, because it doesn't make sense, and yet I saw it happen with my own eyes.
As we sat there and marveled, Jamie grabbed a bible off the shelf and we started paging through the Psalms, looking for we weren't quite sure what, and we found Psalm 46.
God is your refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change, thought the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her right early.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.
Behold the words of the Lord, how he has wrought desolations in the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, he burns the chariots with fire!
"Be still, and know that I am God. I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth!"
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.
To all of you who prayed for our safety: know without a doubt that your prayers were heard and answered! Maye we never cease praising the God who can do this.
Love, Cecelia
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