our home.

In August Frantzy and I were looking to rent two houses.  His mom, 2 sisters, and 2 year old nephew were living in Port au Prince and we wanted to move them up to Cap Haitian so that they’re closer to us.  Port is very ‘hot’ and dangerous right now and F wanted his mom close just in case she had another stroke.  We were feeling pretty discouraged about the price of rentals here in Cap Haitian.  We couldn’t even afford one for us let alone another for his family!  In Haiti you are required to pay for the entire year up front.  A house I lived in last year…we had to pay $6,000 usd the first month we were there and then electricity every month.  It’s incredibly difficult to come up with all of the money at the beginning of the year!   Especially on a missionary budget! 

The last week of August a friend of ours shared that he knew of a house for rent and he was pretty sure it would solve all of our problems.  When we pulled up to the gate I asked F, “does he know our budget?!” and F replied, “let’s just look and humor him…”  We walked into a beautiful yard and a huge home!  Instantly we knew it was a huge fixer upper.  There were broken beer bottles all over the yard, random plantain trees growing up everywhere, all of the door knobs inside were broken, the gate barely opened, the walls were filthy, it stunk, I could go on and on and on! 

Frantzy and I had always been against his family living with us.  We love them very much, we just didn’t want that our first year of marriage.  So that was another reason we were just humoring our friend.  We really weren’t interested in a big house at all!  Just two small ones.  The downstairs has 4 bedrooms and two bathrooms, a large family room, and an outdoor Haitian kitchen.  There is a small building in the front of the yard that would be perfect for his sisters to start a business!  Then out the backdoor there are stairs that lead up to a totally separate 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, with an American kitchen home!  My heart started beating a little faster.  J

We asked the price and it was totally out of our range.  F said he had an idea.  That night he called the owner and offered a very low price with the commitment to fix the house up so that it’s actually livable.  The owner agreed and it was ours that night! 

The last few months we’ve had many friends step up and commit days of work and help us get it ready.  After 37 gallons of paint, countless bottles of bleach and soap, and many hours of tilling the yard and pulling out broken beer bottles the first floor is finally livable!  F’s family moved in last week and they’re so happy!  When we ask his mom if she likes the house she says, “mwen pa ka pale!  Pa mande’m anko!”…”I can’t even talk about it!  Don’t ask me again!” 

Frantzy and I both have a huge desire to empty ourselves and be used by God in any way He asks.  As we were looking at the house we both had the thought to move Carline and her two kids in as well.  The cement block room that they rent was about to end and they weren’t sure where to go.  We talked to his family about it and she’ll be moving in tomorrow morning. 

This is a huge commitment for F and I.  We are taking it on ourselves to provide meals each day for 7 additional people.  It’s already been kind of tough but God has provided in the most wonderful ways!  We will be traveling to the DR border a couple of times a month to buy cheaper food, we have plantain, strawberry, mango, avocado, breadfruit, papaya, orange, citron, and coconut trees growing in the yard, and we are already growing our own garden to help cut the food bills. 

We have agreed to provide a home for these 3 young women, their children, and of course F’s mom for the next 3 years.  We’re giving them micro loans, providing a home and food, and they’re to put money up to buy land and all of them can build a home together to move into.  They’ve all agreed that they don’t want to always need to rely on us and they want to be out on their own.  And F certainly agree that someday we want a home just for us. 

They have already been such a blessing to us!  Frantzy and I usually work from 7am-9pm each day.  And we’ll buy a meal here and there.  It’s been such a blessing to swing by the house and eat and be able to go right back out!  They wash our clothes and help out with ministry stuff all the time!  I’m so looking forward to having everyone around.  We’ll have 3 little kids running around our yard!  We are just ecstatic that God has allowed us to be a small part in each of these lives!

Please pray with us for these ladies.  We’ll be leaving them on Tuesday for 6 weeks.  Pray they stay safe and encouraged, and they’re relationships grow while we are gone!