Finally at HOME!!

Another week has come & gone and we are feeling settled in to our new life here in Haiti.  As I sit here tonight trying to decide what to Blog about this week all I can think about is that I FEEL SO AT HOME......TOTAL PEACE.....TRULY AT HOME!  This probably sounds crazy to so many.  I'm not sure I can explain it myself but I will try.   As a young teen I became aware that I often had this feeling that God had something different (out of the norm) planned for my life.  I prayed about it so much back then.  I spent many years in my 20's & early 30's running far from that "weird" feeling I had inside me. I have been 100% at Peace knowing that I was doing EXACTLY what God had for me, my husband & our family for the last 5 years........BUT I had that feeling!  Often I talked to God & asked hime to please show me the way, Light the path to WHEREVER HE wanted me/us to be.  I have told many people about how the very 1st time I came to Haiti I had a "strange"/ calming feeling when I stepped off the plane in Port-de-Paix & how that each time I returned here the feeling came back.  It became so strong that when we left here in April (our last mission trip with our team) I cried my eyeballs out. Of courses at that time I had NO IDEA God was about to show/reveal to us what we are doing now!!
 Well, I am EXCITED to say that after being here these past few weeks it is so obvious to me that THIS IS HOME! I LOVE Everything about it!! I Love walking the streets of Port-de-Paix. I Love the Haitian people. I Love riding a Taxi (motorcycle) to town or Market.  I Love going to visit at the Orphanage. I Love the Haitian food.  I LOVE just sitting on our balcony & listening to the kids playing on the street or the ladies going down the street yelling out "Fig Me" or "Ze" or "Zaboca" as they are selling items they carry on their heads in baskets.  (That is Bananas, Eggs, or Avocado)  - I Love how God is forming a community here in our neighborhood of Christians who lift each other up daily.  I LOVE the Mountains being on one side of our house & the ocean a short walk on the other!  I am so excited & Thankful that God called us here.  I truly feel Blessed to get to live here.  YEP, IT MAY SOUND CRAZY TO SOME, BUT I KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT WE ARE EXACTLY WHERE GOD WANTS US TO BE & I LOVE IT!!
Today we registered 4 of our kiddos at Sonlight Academy (see earlier posts about the school) & they are ready to start Wednesday.  It has taken a few days to get back in the routine of going to bed early but tonight we did pretty good!!

We were invited to go to the Beach the other day with our friends the Barnes family from The House of Moses & we had an AWESOME day!   YOU MUST SEE THE PICS! Thank you Barnes family!!

I just want to say THANK YOU to Everyone who has partnered with us to do what God has called our family to do! We Thank you all for your prayers!! Thank you to all of you who are praying specifically about us getting electricity at our home soon!! (Please continue to pray all goes well & we get the $1500). ALSO I would like to say if you, your family or your church group (adult or youth) would like to come on a Mission trip to Haiti PLEASE send us an email!!! We also LOVE just hearing encouraging words from our friends & partners.......send us an email - lipscombsinhaiti@gmail.com

Love & Blessings to all - Angie & the Lipscomb gang!!!

Another week....Amazing moments!

Week 2 has come & gone .... We have been pretty busy here.  We are finally finished setting up our house here in Haiti & unpacking all our things.  We have been able to spend some time at the orphanage with the kids,  and take a few walks to get to know our area here in Port-de-Paix.  We were excited to get to see some old friends, some Haitian that live nearby & some other American Missionaries that arrived this week that work at Sonlight Academy down the street.
 We woke up one morning to realize that we had a serious issue. Water was free flowing from our depot (storage room). When we opened the door water was coming through the wall & had made a big hole....it was also leaking through to the bottom floor!! We made a quick phone call & someone was there to fix it pretty quick. Turns out it was a pipe that was capped off but the cap wasn't glued.  All was fixed & mopped up several hours later.....life goes on.... We have continued to try more new foods, & are making progress in our Kreyol classes.
We have had a few emotional moments...... I will share a few with you here....

This is Levi standing in front of the old creche' /childrens home (where he lived when we met him) <3

This is the same picture we took the first time we held our babies!!! Same room they lived in when we first went to see them!! There is a small orphanage in the home now & we stopped to visit while on our walk! They let us take the picture!
We took a few pictures during our walk to the orphanage....

Out of all the things we have done the most awesome by far was what happened yesterday. We took our Haitian children to meet their family here in Port-de-Paix!  It was so sweet!!  Their grandmother was gone to Port-au-Prince but we hope she will be home soon.  They got to meet their aunt, uncle, a few cousins, & THEIR SISTER!!! I knew they had an older sister & have asked about her several times.... she had moved to PaP but she is back now.  She is 18 & is so pretty! She looks so much like my babies....... here are a few pics!! She was overjoyed to see them!

GOD IS SO AMAZING! We really have had a Blessed week.  Everyone is doing well & adjusting to all the new things & way of life.  Tonight when Gordon cut on the generator (he does this every night at 7:30pm) I found Gabriella standing in front of a fan ......she sounded like Darth Vador & as I got closer I realized she was saying - the generators on....the generators on...the generators on.... - bahaha, yes we LOVE when the fans & lights come one!!! :D  Thank you to everyone who is praying for & supporting our family.  We could not be doing what God has called our family to do with out your prayers & support!!!  Please email us if you have any questions or just to say hello! IF you would like to come see us or bring a team ....that would be Awesome! Email us at lipscombsinhaiti@gmail.com - remember you can send all support to AIM (Assisting International Missions) - PO Box 2030 Robertsdale, AL 36567 - please put Lipscomb in the memo.  You can also give online at www.aimconnects.org - remember to specify it is for the Lipscomb family!  Your donations are tax deductible & are Greatly appreciated!!!

MUCH LOVE!!! - THE LIPSCOMBS

Our First week in Haiti

WOW - I can't believe that we left for Haiti a week ago today!  It seems that we have been here in Port-de-Paix, Haiti so much longer than a week tomorrow.  I am trying to find the right words but so many words are in my head...Blessed, humbled, Loved, Highly Favored....are a few that I would like to share!!
Hmmmm, where to start.... after the crazy airport experience we ALL arrived in Port-de-Paix, Haiti on Tuesday August 6th around 2-3pm.  Pastor Andy was in revival & had about 120 people from Port-au-Prince so our new friends John & Christy Barnes (Pastor & wife from Texas who have lived in Haiti for 3 years but recently moved to PdP this summer) who have a Mission called House of Moses, picked us up at the airport & took us to their house for a snack.  The House of Moses is located just across the street from Sonlight Academy where our kids will be going to school. There really are not enough words to explain how the House of Moses family has helped us this week!! They truly are the hands & feet of Jesus here in PdP.  ----------  so we then walked to our new home just around the corner from them & we were blown away...I hate to say it was much nicer & bigger than we had imagined. (Totally blessed).  The owner of the house met us here & he had painted & fixed up several things but the biggest thing was that he had a small generator here full of gas & we were able to sleep in our new house the first night!! (ok, I will leave out the fact that the Mosquitos were bigger than Alabama & more than we could count) :D That first night was rough...but our new House of Moses friend new just what we would need & sent a friend to bring us plate dinners & came over with guitar in hand & led Praise & Worship on our balcony.  I of course cried my eyeballs out because right then I knew that GOD KNEW JUST WHAT I NEEDED AT THAT VERY MOMENT....here are a few pictures..

On wednesday Pastor Andy came & picked us up & we went to the docks to check on our container.  Keep in mind that our container arriving so quickly from the States was HUGE & most locals were shocked it came so quickly.  As a lot of you know getting our things out of customs has been something we have requested prayer for from so many.  Well, we arrived at the docks, called the guy who we needed to talk to & as always in Haiti....WE WAITED....after quite some time a guy arrived & he walked up & talked with Pastor Andy & shook our hand, handed us a receipt & said take your things!!!! SERIOUSLY, IT DID NOT COST US 1 DOLLAR!!! This was such a MIRACLE!! We knew we could be charged any where from several hundred dollar to several thousand to get such a large container.  John Barnes from The House of Moses once again was there & he and Pastor Andy called a few Tap Tap's (trucks) we paid a few guys from the docks to load it all on 3 trucks & bring it to our home.  The older boys from the House of Moses then showed up to help us move the furniture up stairs or wherever  we needed it!! We sure LOVE those guys!  We spent the next few days arranging everything & putting our house together.  Christy invited me to go to LaPoint with her for her Thursday Morning bible study with Mrs. Gail who is a retired nurse that has lived here for almost 30 years! That was a HUGE blessing to me & so encouraging to be with someone who has been in Haiti 30 years & the other for 3 years while I had been here for 3 days!!! :D
   Christy knew exactly what our family would need & she suggested a cook help us since we are so unfamiliar with cooking in Haiti.  We have been so blessed with Ilan (pronounced e-lon) in our home since Friday!! Christy also took me & our oldest 2 girls to Market to get all that we would need for the month such as Rice, beans, sugar, etc... That was a great experience!! Christy & John also blessed us with another person they know ....His name is Edril.  We already feel like he is family to us! He previously worked at another mission.  He is fluent in several languages & a Great Christian guy! He helps us daily with money exchange, getting clean water to drink & cook with, helped us find mosquito nets, a few extra fans, open a coconut & well......Edril is our go to guy!! Tonight we had our first family Kreyol lesson with him.....

We have been so crazy busy & have walked over to Hope Vision to visit the Orphanage once.....we can not wait to visit the kids & get to know them more.  We also CAN NOT WAIT TO GET THE NEW ORPHANAGE BUILT!! I will post a few pics of our walk to the Orphanage & while we were there......... Please remember to Pray for all of the children & pray about what God might have you do to help build the new facilities......the new land is so beautiful & where the kids are now....well, here are  a few pics...

It really has been an Awesome first week here in Haiti & we are so Blessed to have made such awesome new friends/family!  I better go....the sun comes up early here in Haiti & I am learning to be a morning person (translation - the generator gets cut off around 7am & then my fan is gone & it's smoldering hot...lol) I actually haven't had a cup of coffee since I got here....it just seems to hot to think about it!!! :D  
I will leave you with a few last pictures....our new friends invited us to sail across to the island of Tortug on Saturday morning & Gordon wasn't feeling well (prayer & Cipro fixed him up so no worries) but 3 of our kids went with them & after looking at the pictures my Caroline took I think we all need to try this trip another day!!! Good night all....... Bon Nuit!!

Blessing to all!! With much Love - The Lipscomb Crew!!  Send us an email lipscombsinhaiti@gmail.com we would love to hear from you!!