Friday, October 13th was a big day here at the Mission. At 7:00 am Rachelle Senat was born on our front porch.
It wasn’t supposed to happen that way.
Rachelle’s parents Claudel and Charlemene Senat live in the apartment next to me, Claudel is the music pastor here at the church. They had made all the arrangements to have the baby at the clinic here at the Mission. A doctor was lined up to come and deliver the baby. Charlemene’s water broke around 5:00 AM and baby Rachelle was ready to make her debut! However, there were a few glitches in the seemingly perfect plan. First we couldn’t get a hold of the doctor, or locate the key to the clinic, then when the doctor was contacted he informed us he would not be able to make it! At that point it was too late to bring her to Port au Prince, or even down to the clinic to deliver the baby. And so, we grabbed some towels, sheets and pillows and set up shop on the porch. A few hours later a perfect little girl was welcomed into the world. Thankfully there were 3 nurses here on a short term missions trip who were able to help out.
It makes me laugh when I think about God watching all this going on. He knew all along that the doctor would never make it. He had set up the team months earlier knowing the nurses would be here to deliver Rachelle. He had it all planned out long ago. It didn’t happen in the way we thought it should have, but in the end God was there, he took care of it all.
I’m so thankful God loves us enough to take care of the big and little things. If He had let the plans I had for my life come to be I wouldn’t be in Haiti right now. It wasn’t my plan to be here. I had other plans, plans that I thought sounded pretty good. But God stepped in and lead me down a new path. And I thank him every single day that he did.
English classes officially began October 4th and could not be going better! Every afternoon the kids walk up the hill for classes with either Travis Smith or I. Travis is teaching what he calls Life Skills classes, and I am teaching English. The kids are on rotating schedules, so I see them either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday. The kids are separated into classes of 5 or 6 kids according to their grade, the small class size has made a huge difference compared to last year. The kids are doing really well and are really beginning to use their English! I feel like a proud Momma when I hear them speaking to the teams in English!
The home schooling is also going great. I’m pretty sure I have the best job in Haiti. My days are filled with smiles and laughter.
I still walk down the hill every evening and hang out with the kids for an hour or so. This is my favourite time of the day by far. Yesterday when I walked through the door into the Hope House courtyard Jeff saw me, shouted “Hooray!” at the top of his lungs and came running towards me to give me a big hug. I couldn’t have asked for a better greeting!
peace & love,
Rachel
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