Saturday, March 24, 2012

FORGOTTEN MESSAGE

 March 18, 2012

This message should have been posted for March 18th;  something must have happened and we forgot!!!
I guess it doesn’t pay to mention the word drought as I did last week because for the last three evenings starting on Saturday we have had a torrential downpour after the supper dishes are washed, dried and put away, about the time we are getting ready for bed.  The days are still quite tolerable and the nights are still cool enough for some of the missionaries and visiting professors to go looking for a blanket or comforter. 
The big news of the week isn’t political or anything such as that.  It’s that for the first time in recent memory Haiti has gone on Daylight Saving Time.  You think people weren’t confused!!!!  We are told that sometime earlier this month it was announced that this was to happen, but then nothing more was mentioned until sometime on Saturday, March 10th, and of course, because not everyone has access to a radio, television, or a newspaper, compliance was rather sporadic particularly as it relates to church attendance.  Some people arrived on time, but then there was no pastor, or conversely, there was a pastor with only half his congregation.  Does it sound like St. Andrew’s when we revert from two services to one or vice versa?

I am not sure there is any other news except that this weekend the house guests change.  We lose 3 on Friday and gain 1, gain 3 more on Saturday, and then lose 3 on Monday morning.  For us it means a lot more laundering of bedding as the old leave and the new arrive, but little else changes other than the quantities that are cooked; however, after Monday we will be only serving 7.  And, of course, with the changing of the house guests this also means that we now have less than 3 weeks left until we too start for home.  It’s a good thing that we booked our stateside accommodation two months ago because I don’t think there is a hotel/motel/condo available for the week before Easter or the week after anywhere in south Florida.
Because neither of us has been feeling well lately, this week we had the opportunity to be seen by an American doctor from Erie, Pennsylvania.  Dorothy was diagnosed as having a mild case of walking pneumonia while John has a mild form of asthma.  Fortunately, the pharmacy at the Bethesda Medical Clinic had the medicines needed to treat both.  PTL we are so blessed to have access to doctors and medications because too many Haitians do not.

We were feeling a little hard done by this morning because of a lot of loud music being played last night , dogs barking, John and I both coughing for a considerable period through the night, the roosters crowing before we were ready to get out of bed, etc.,  but then started our devotions.  We must have needed a talking to because the first scripture we read was from Romans 5:1-5.  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.  And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character, and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.   
God sure has a way of hitting you over the head.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.