LOVE

As I finally sit down to blog this week I have so many things that have happened that I want to share with everyone.  I even jotted down notes because my brain is on OVERLOAD!! When I looked back over them .....I smiled & thought to myself "the title this week has to be LOVE" that simple...Just Love.  Love overflowing from our Heavenly Father, Love from friends back home, Love poured out through a family that sponsored someone they had never met, LOVE in a pure bundle of sweet JOY that was dropped off at my house, Love shown to us from other local Missionaries, & pure LOVE for the place we now call home!!! So 1st I will go back to my last blog......@ John Murry!

John Murray is the way we would pronounce his name in the States (Jean Mary Eugene is his real name.)  His Sponsor family sent us the $500 they felt led to send & I will say .....I HAD A FABULOUS DAY & was filled with LOVE & JOY overflowing when we went & paid his school tuition for the entire year in full!!!!!!!!! PRAISE JESUS!!! He was absolutely ALL smiles.  He was given his uniform & then my sweet friend Christy from The House of Moses went with me, Edril, & Jean Mary to the local market after that.  Edril took his book list & helped him get all of his school books, a few notebooks, pens, & pencils.  We then found him a backpack, some new school shoes, a few undershirts, new underwear & socks, a new belt, some cologne, & a treat of Ice Cream from the guy with the Ice cream cart!! Sounds crazy ...right...well I had NO IDEA it was so good!! Check out the pictures!!

All the school books & supplies were in that wheel barrow thing!!!

He was so proud to get those new shoes!!

It was such a blessed & fun day!! I am so thankful to be a part of days like this .  I also wanted to share something else that touched my heart.  On Thursday night we were leaving to go to Community Bible Study at The House of Moses & when we stepped out of our gate Edril said, "hang on mom, I am waiting on Jean Mary." My heart melted.....he had asked him to come to bible study & when he arrived he was excited to go.  He came back again last night (Thursday), this time we offered him dinner & he was so thankful for his bowl of rice & beans. We decided that every Thursday he should come to our house & eat at 5:30 & walk down to HOM with us.  He was a happy young man & my heart once again overflowed.

LOVE - Thursdays

   On Thursdays at 3:30 I was invited to my friend Susan Hammonds house for a ladies bible study. (you can read all about them at Hammonds in Haiti on the web or Facebook). There are about 12 of us from 3 different local missions & we have only been meeting 2 weeks but we are going through the book Prodigal God.  I must say that I am loving it! So awesome to sit & pour your heart out with a group like this. Some have been here for 30 years, some 8 years, others 2 or 3 years & some just moved here this year like me.  Also as I have mentioned the House of Moses community Praise & Worship/Bible study is on Thursday nights.  It truly is amazing to worship together in English & Kryole with people from all over the community & other local Missions. When we first moved here almost 2 months ago we met in the house in a room. I remember Christy sharing with me about a vision she had that it would grow so much we would move to the court yard outside. WELL, a church in the US donated the awesome sound equipment that arrived just aver a week ago & we moved outside.  Last night I counted over 70 people.  Please be in prayer for the lost here.....this is a come as you are ...no one has to dress up kind of place & THEY ARE COMING!! You know......IF YOU BUILD IT...THEY WILL COME! (ok, I might have seen Field of Dreams a few to many times. :D) Anyway, I Love Thursdays!!

A quick pic I snapped at our first court yard service!

FEELING LOVED!

  We have been so blessed with the community God is building here in our area of Port-de-Paix (called Chalet).  He has given us Amazing new friends. Last weekend we were invited to go to the beach with a lot of them. (about 30 in all)  It was so much fun.  Just letting all the kids play & talking with them about what is going on in their lives, how God called them here, where they are from, & some just catching up because we have been friends a few years.  We loved every minute of it! Our kids swam for hours, played soccer on the beach, ate some local fish & just enjoyed the down time. (No French or Math that day :D)

The TapTap all the big kids road in on the way to the beach had a flat tire on the way....just a normal outing in Haiti!

I can go on & on about how God has blessed us & poured out his LOVE.  Last Sunday our family was invited to come to Sunday lunch with Mr & Mrs Alexander.  They have been here 30 years & founded Sonlight Ministries.  (where our kids go to school...see lots of older posts about Sonlight) - Mammy (Mrs.Norma) has the sweetest spirit.  I think God knew we needed some special love .....& some American food! :D haha - because lunch at Mammy's is simply AMAZING!!! We talked for hours about Missions, the "old" days in Haiti, & she gave us helpful hints about where to get things we might need or things we did not know we could get here.  Two of her daughters & their kids were also there, both of which have been in Haiti for years & raise their families here.  We loved every minute of it!  Mammy then pulled out the BIG GUNS......she served the kids ice cream with chocolate syrup & then she served us Cherry Pie & Ice Cream with coffee!!!! It was definitely a piece of Heaven!

As we were saying our good bye's after a wonderful afternoon Mammy said "I want you all to come for Thanksgiving at my house." I truly wanted to cry....those are the little things that a mom thinks about ....I have been thinking of the upcoming Holidays & what we were going to do to try to make it seems like Thanksgiving & Christmas.  I felt as if God was himself standing there giving me a BIG HUG & saying I Love you...I've got you taken care of... I told you not to worry!! Just as we were leaving, Mammy then asked "are you flying back home for Christmas?" I told her we were staying ....she knew flying home for Christmas with such a large family would be really hard on first year missionaries funds.......so she says, "you all come for Christmas Day too!"  - I just love her.  She is such an Example of being the hands & feet of Jesus. I'm not sure I can put into words how I felt on the walk home! <3  - LOVED would be the word that comes to mind!

FAMILY LOVE -
  It has been so Awesome that almost every week Sherlande comes to visit.  If you missed my earlier post she is my youngest 3 Haitian childrens biological sister that is 18 and lives with their aunt.  This week she & their cousin came to visit with gifts for us.  I wasn't sure what to say when they came....she brought a flat of eggs, 3 things of cheese, & a bunch of bananas.  I knew to say THANK YOU, smile & take the gifts because they were heart felt & cost them more than I want to think about.  I actually had to make my way to "do something in my room" so they would not see my tears! They are both such sweet girls & usually sit & sip some juice with us & play with the kids.  This week when they came Edril was not here so there it was....complete silence :) They know NO English & our Kreyol is still AWFUL.  Caroline & Meredith decided to paint their fingernails & toe nails so we all jumped down in the floor laughed & picked out colors.  We offered them a snack, a coke & I helped them paint their toes & they thought that was Awesome! LOVE was all that was needed......No words necessary! <3 GREAT AFTERNOON!!

JUST PLAIN LOVE -
   This past Tuesday the kids were leaving for school & I heard them yelling "MOM...Hey MOM" from the gate...so I peaked over the balcony & there was a gentlemen with a baby.  Of course I immediately have to go ask Edril to get up so he can translate for us.  Turns out the gentleman's wife died about a month ago & they had 3 kids.  He told me he could not care for the baby. He said he has a 7 & a 5 year old at home & he can not go get work & leave the baby with the other children.  I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO SAY TO HIM.....at first I sat in silence, & then immediately I began to pray for guidance.  I am a strong believer than family should stay together & I wanted desperately for him to keep his son.  BUT after talking...I knew this was not happening! :(  I then held this sweet baby in a pink onesie & navy torn up pants. My heart was breaking, the baby was dirty, ears with dried drainage & then as I held the baby tight I realized how hot he was.  The dad told us his name ...LOVENSON.....he told us his birthdate is November 19th & that he was 10mo old.  I told the dad I would keep him overnight & pray for guidance but I was not making any promises.  We brought him upstairs & took his temp & it was 102. Gordon immediately started trimming the babies long nails & cleaning them.  I ran to Mammy's house for some infant Tylenol & to the local store for Gatorade.  With the help of my sweet Gabriella we cleaned & bathed this sweet baby boy.  We loved him, fed him, prayed over him, & played with him some more.  I was AMAZED by my girls....they fed him & took turns rocking him all afternoon.  That night he woke up at 3 am & SarahBeth quickly grabbed him & got him back to sleep.  At 5:30am he woke up hungry & crying & Caroline jumped up faster than I have ever seen grabbed him, fed him & played with him.  His fever never returned after that night PRAISE JESUS.  The father did return that morning with his birth certificate.  I told him then that I just could not keep the sweet boy but I would take him to the Hope Vision Orphanage where he would be well cared for.  He said "OK" & walked right out the gate.......with no emotion .........my Heart just Broke in half!!!! I knew I had no control over that situation & if I would not have taken Lovenson there is no telling where he might have ended up that day.  Please remember to pray for this sweet boy.  We took him later that afternoon to Hope Vision where they were excited to receive him.  My kids hearts are still broken .....they could use a few prayers too!! I know this has been a long blog but so much is happening here.  We are so Blessed & Thankful to be here doing what God wants us to., and excited to see the doors he is opening! Please keep our family in your prayers as we continue to pray for HIS WILL, & for Wisdom & discernment in all we do!!

Blessings & much love from Haiti & the Lipscomb crew!!!! 

God's timing is perfect!!

I am just so EXCITED!! I can not contain it!! There are a Million things running through my mind at this moment & I am not sure where to begin.....but, I will try my best! :D
When we first decided we were moving to Haiti for sure to work with Hope Vision Ministries we were so happy to finally have direction after a few years of prayer. We knew that God was sending us to help with building the new Orphanage, helping with the Incoming Mission Teams & Child sponsorship program.  - (THE FOUNDATION TO THE FIRST BUILDING STARTS THIS MORNING!!!)

God also began to send us another message.  At first (when God sent the first messenger) we just thought ....well that is Good advice! You see they said "I know God is calling you to Haiti to do ........see above statement...., but also be open to the Holy Spirit.  You may be working & doing this for years to come, but God may also ask you to do other things...Just be open & flexible." - GOOD ADVICE, RIGHT?? Well then God sent another Missionary friend to say the SAME EXACT THING!! Then another close friend from our church & Well what do you know....right before we left we spent a week with one of my dearest friends Glenda & Brad McMath.  I have known Glenda since High School, her parents were my mentors in life (still are really :D). They are now AG Media Missionaries .......they served a while in Spain. SURPRISE SURPRISE, They told us to just be open to God & be flexible to what God wants us to do & HIS WILL & TIMING.  I am so very Thankful for people like that in my life.  I try my best to Always seek what God has & pray for Wisdom & Discernment but I'm pretty sure all of the words of Wisdom from the above said people have helped me to realized God was telling me to BE OPEN TO WHAT EVER HE HAD FOR US!!! We moved to Haiti on August 6th, 2013 & have tried to stay completely open to let God just use our family! TWO things stick out in my mind. FIRST - WE HAVE A NEW SON!!! <3 So many people (that know me best) joked & asked "How many more kids are you going to get Angie??" - I always laugh & say ...WELL, I think my house is full but that is all up to God!! Who knew that one of the first people we met here would be adopted into our family.  John & Christy Barnes our friends from The House of Moses introduced him to us.  I have blogged & mentioned him before.  His name is Edril.  He grew up here in Port-de-Paix in a local orphanage. He is without a doubt our son! We all love him dearly! He is a great christian young man who has a gentle spirit & a sweet smile.  He is a Fabulous example to his younger siblings that is for sure!! I am asking you all to PLEASE start praying for him daily & pray specifically that we can get him a Visa to go with us back to the US next Summer for the 6 weeks we will be there.  At times Haiti will issue a Visa for this & at other times you have to apply many times & really it is up to them!!!! They also at times just say NO!! We are asking that our friends start praying now....we are going to apply for the Visa starting in January! WE DO NOT WANT TO LEAVE HIM HERE WHILE WE ARE GONE 6 WEEKS!!! :(
     So once again you see GOD'S TIMING IS PERFECT & SO ARE HIS PLANS FOR US!!! We are truly Blessed to be his Mom & Dad - My heart swells with JOY just thinking about it!! Here is a family picture (excluding Me as I was taking the pic & Tyler who left to head back to the States 3 days before)

The SECOND thing that stands out happened JUST YESTERDAY!!!! If you have been following our blog you know I asked about praying for John Murry.  The sweet Teenage who lives nearby who really wants to go to school.  His uncle was paying for his school but passed away since then he hasn't gotten to go.  My heart has been burdened for him & I have been praying. It will cost $400 US dollars for him to go to high school for a year.  Well, yesterday a friend of mine sent me an inbox.  I don't think she had read the blog where I had mentioned him BUT GOD KNEW THE NEED.  My friends message went something like this....

My husband & my Anniversary is coming up soon & there was a specific item she had been wanting.  They had saved up & Her husband was going to buy her this item.....BUT even after she sent the link to her husband (where to purchase it from) she felt the Holy Spirit nudging her to do something different.  After talking to her husband they were in agreement to do something different.  You see they already have a sponsor child in another country, they already give to missions, they have even adopted from another country (not giving any names .....as this describes many of my friends ....PRAISE JESUS) - They wanted to fill a specific need & she said I kept coming to mind!!!! I LOVE HOW GOD WORKS!!!!  She even mentioned that maybe the money could help someone with school or something!!!! <3 <3 - I immediately messaged her back & told her of John Murray & said school would be about $400 US for the year & she messaged me back & said the amount they had in mind was $500!!!!!!! PRAISE JESUS!!!! He now gets to go to school, purchase his uniform, his books & probably even get a new pair of shoes for school!!!!!!  I AM SO THANKFUL TO BE A PART OF THIS!!! Thank you sweet friends for telling me to STAY OPEN to let God use us in other ways!!! THANK YOU - THANK YOU - THANK YOU!!! Sooooo, guess who knocked on my Gate early this morning (just like God had sent hime) :D - yep ...you guessed it JOHN MURRY - EDRIL helped me tell him about how God had provided........such a GREAT DAY!!!
MEET JOHN MURRY ------

HE WAS SO HAPPY!!!! School starts here for him on October 2nd!!! GOD TIMING REALLY IS PERFECT!!!! I AM SO FILLED WITH JOY TODAY I MIGHT JUST BUST!!!! LOVE TO ALL!! ANGIE

I would love to hear from you!! lipscombsinhaiti@gmail.com  or follow us on Facebook - Lipscombs in Haiti  - TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!! 

REMEMBER - Matthew 19:26 "With God ALL things are Possible" 

WOW - WHAT A DAY!!!

WOW - What a Day!! Yesterday morning I went to St Louis Du Nord (about 30 min up the road) with my friend Christy from The House of Moses.  We went to enroll 2 older boys in High School. They were such sweet boys....to be honest the youngest of the two (about 14/15) reminded so much of my Gabriel (or what I think he may look like as a young man.)  Christy shared their story with me & immediately it broke my heart.  The boys were raised at another local orphanage. Their mom had left them at a very young age & their father sold them to someone!!! :(  He realized that they might (or probably would) be sexually abused so that night he took them & fled! He left them at the door of the orphanage & fled for his life because he knew what he had done was wrong. - WOW - happens more than I realized. :( - SO, now the boys live in St.Louis & they have sponsors to help them go to school so they have a chance at a better life!!  - So our day began by catching a moto to St. Louis & our moto driver was so very sweet! He sang Christian music at the top of his lungs for most of the trip....Amazing Grace (Chris Tomlin version) :D, Mighty to save, & many others ....IT WAS AWESOME!! Started our day off right! We arrived to a house (up the side of a steep mountain) where they are trying to start a technical school & Christy was trying to help with some legal issues.  Then we took the boys to enroll in school. First I will say that we road the moto back down the mountain side to the school & the boys walked (felt horribly guilty) but the sweet moto driver after we were dropped off offered to go back & get them. (I'm talking great guy) :D - We go in to register the boys & Christy comes out with this perplexed look on her face.....THERE IS NO ROOM FOR THE BOYS! - I'm telling you now ....the look on their faces I may never forget.  I had to walk off a little to not cry....the youngest looked devastated!!! NO SCHOOL ----HUGE----> going to school here is your only chance at a little better life.  We stood there trying to find other options, other schools (Good schools, not just one to take your money & the boys not get a GOOD education) after a bit we decided to try a small school just back up the mountain.  The sweet moto driver had to head back to Port-de-paix so we did as ALL Haitians do & we WALKED (didn't seem like such a big deal at first!!!!) We stopped on our walk & I met a local doctor that is friends with the Barnes family....good person to know! Then we waked toward the school....down the paved road them up the paved road, then up the rocky dirt road, then over a dirt road, then up some more ( you getting the picture....this old, out of shape momma was huffing it & sweating bullets) - we finally make it to the school & found a professor that Christy knew. He had actually tutored her other kids in school. So after a talk we knew the boys would be in a good place! PRAISE JESUS!! We enrolled the boys & she paid for their school. By now it had been several hours since we had arrived .... & we decided to walk back down & go to the Local One stop (the only gas station /American like store I have seen) to get some lunch & something cold to drink.  The sweet boys wanted to walk us back down & make sure we caught a moto...so they hailed one for us once we got to the main road. As Christy & I both got on he started blaring his music (something like.. let's make love in the club) BAHAHAHAHAHA - we both looked at each other & BUSTED out laughing. That my friends is definitely NOT in the Missionary handbook! lol  - We went to the store & I was definitely thinking I'M GETTING A BIG CHEESEBURGER & FRIES (it's advertised out front) but to my dismay they had 3 options (chicken plate, goat, or Legume....must look at previous pics) so Chicken plate it was!! It was however VERY good!! I also found M&M's so I grabbed a treat for each kid!!

These pics are of the good roads we walked up & down. It was to hard to walk & take pics on the others!! :D 

Christy then decided we could catch a Tap Tap home (a truck where everyone sits in back) SO....we sat at the corner of the 1Stop with a few friends she knew - the first truck stopped & honestly I looked up & said "NOPE, I am not that Haitian yet!" They all laughed & agreed & the truck left (at least 30people where already in the back) a few others came & we passed & FINALLY a taptap stopped with just a few people in it so we climbed in.....here is a beginning photo...

This my friends did NOT last long, we stopped every few minutes & picked up more people. By the time we were half way home I'm pretty sure I had a bruise on each leg & couldn't feel my feet!! haha - I was thankful to be back in Port-de-Paix...someone tapped the side of the truck with their had loudly & it stopped!! YAY, we jumped out & walked home! :D (Again) but my day was not over! I wanted to head over to our orphanage so I showered the 3 inches of dirt from my body in an AWESOME COLD SHOWER got dressed again & walked with Gordon & the little ones over to Hope Vision as the big kids went to French tutoring! We played with the kids, visited with Ron & Karen (the other missionaries that returned home a few days ago from a much needed trip to the states)..it was good to get to visit with them!! We also got to hang out with TJ & Anna Burgeron who are interns here for the next 5 weeks.  So So sweet, we love them already after only a few visits!! We got lots of great pictures, Gordon even had a cup of coffee (are you kidding me ??? 100 degrees out & after all that walking all I wanted was H2O!!) :D  We are having a staff meting on Thursday morning & headed out to the new land on Friday morning with the crew so we hope to have more pics soon & an update!

This is Anna...doing what she does best!! You should check out her blog! They are staying in the small room on the roof at hope vision, So she gets lots of chances for GREAT pics!! annabargeron.blogspot.com

Gordon & Ron doing a little catching up...our last visit was in April!! So glad to be here with them.

Pastor Andy & Ron taking a few minutes to visit!

 Gabe was LOVING that!! He wanted to play so bad!! TJ is so GREAT with the kids!!

Honestly...it was one of the BEST days here!! God is doing Great things!! He just needs willing vessels to do his work! You know WE (Christians) are SUPPOSE to be THE HANDS & FEET OF JESUS!! HE LIVES IN US & WE ARE TO CARRY OUT HIS COMMANDMENTS!! You know....Love your Neighbor as yourself! Our neighbors aren't just those who live in the house next door! :D


Thanks for all the prayers & emails! WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!! *Please remember those 2 sweet boys mentioned above as they take entrance exams today for school & for another older teen here we have met that is VERY SMART & very sweet.  He had to quit school after the earthquake because his uncle was killed & he payed for his school. :( He speaks some english & actually went home & got an English dictionary & wrote us the sweetest letter....I am praying & hoping to find him a sponsor or 2 so he can go back to school. His name is John Murry & I am really praying about this!! He has 3 or 4 years left of school.  (school here is different than US school system with grade levels) PLEASE PRAY ABOUT THIS TOO... $400 US dollars would pay for his school for the year!!! That is enrollment & books!! If anyone is interested in helping him PLEASE EMAIL ME!!!
LOVE TO ALL! MANY BLESSINGS - ANGIE