The end of 2020 is both slowly and swiftly drawing near. When I think about this year, I realize it echoes the way I felt about our first year in Haiti. A collision of strange new experiences, new perspectives on the way we see the world, heartbreakingly sad and hard to stomach moments that turn into months, and yet somehow the sweetest of memories have been made in the midst of it all. Here we are at the beginning of the last month of the year and the masks don’t seem to be coming off anytime soon. I remember when the manifestations started in Haiti a few years ago. Not the typical pop up strikes, riots and natural disasters that Haiti–and eventually we—have become accustomed to. This was different. This wasn’t going away. It changed the way we operated on nearly a daily basis. It changed relationships. It changed the way we saw Haiti. At first, we thought the instability and unrest would last a few weeks at most. Surely, that’s all we could imagine most people could survive on their own, cut off from resources and relationships. And then, another year passed. And another—2020. It seems the rest of the world now echoes many of the same thoughts and feelings we have experienced the past few years.
“…And then, just when everything is bearing down on us to such an extent that we can scarcely withstand it, the Christmas message comes to tell us that all our ideas are wrong, and that what we take to be evil and dark is really good and light because it comes from God. Our eyes are at fault, that is all. God is in the manger, wealth in poverty, light in darkness, succor in abandonment. No evil can befall us; whatever men may do to us, they cannot but serve the God who is secretly revealed as love and rules the world and our lives.”― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, God is in the Manger: Reflections on Advent and Christmas
How wonderful to love and serve the God Who rules this broken world and our lives! To sit with the paradox, to trust that all the things we didn’t see coming and couldn’t imagine are not actually spinning out of control. To hold loosely all that is not eternal. Like our dear friend Eleanor who served in Haiti for over seventy years and recently met Jesus always used to say, “Oh how thankful we are that we don’t hold You but that You hold us!” He holds us still. Looking back, we see how He has prepared us, protected us, loved us, restored us in hope, held us through and through. God is holding little Haiti and the rest of the weary world too. It’s going to be okay.
We are so thankful for all God is doing through this pandemic year both in our hearts and the Kingdom work around the world. We are so thankful for our friends, family, and churches who have continued to support the work of the ministry even during tough times and frugal finances. We are blessed to be able to continue ministering in Haiti and continuing to develop and pursue how to get the gospel to those globally who still have never heard about God with Us.
Although Haiti closed its borders for most of the summer, we have been able to make multiple trips since then. Our daughter Esmée and I made a trip together in August, Eric and my brother Jonathan in October, and Eric and I made a recent trip together in November. The ministries in Haiti continue even when we are not able to be there physically and are 
going well under the leadership of our Haitian partners whom we communicate with almost daily. 
This month we won’t be going to Haiti but are looking forward to hosting our Haitian ministry partners for three weeks over the holidays at our Texas home! We are excited to spend time with them in prayer and planning for the new year ahead!
Thank you for praying for our family. We are all still adjusting to new normal but feel like we are finally coming up for air. Except for Eric who is honestly working way too many side-hustle jobs at the moment in between trips to Haiti. I am very thankful for his willingness to work so hard to support his family (we really needed better insurance for our kid’s medical needs along with the finances it takes to live in two places) and praying he can get more rest soon.
The fluctuating currency exchange rate in Haiti has made everything there much more expensive the past few months making life even more difficult for our Haitian friends and ministries we serve. Our KOFAEL women’s ministry has struggled to continue to pay health insurance and help as many families as possible in the crippling economy, school sponsorships for the most vulnerable children have been raised but are not covering all they used to, rents are due and rising. And when all these things seem overwhelming, we are often presented with new ministry opportunities that tug on our hearts and just need a little financial help to reach many. We would love to share more about the ministries God has blessed us with the burden to serve. Please always feel free to contact us and ask if you have any questions and would like to get involved!
Today marks the first day of the last month of 2020. This December 1st just happens to be designated Giving Tuesday AND is also my birthday! I would love to be able to finish out the year in hope that we can continue to serve well in the year to come. Here are some of the things on my personal prayer/wish list.
-We really want to make this Christmas special for the Haitian family of four coming from Haiti to celebrate our Savior’s birth with us. We still need $1,000 to cover their trip costs.
-We are currently in the process of trying to secure a new rental building that will serve as a tutoring and Good News Club center for school sponsored kids as well as a regular meeting place for our KOFAEL ladies. The cost for the yearly rent and furnishing/supply items we will need to purchase is $2,000.
-We assist in providing health insurance for the KOFAEL ladies along with the Haitian directors and families and two other rental properties that hold families together and host ministries which are all coming due in January. We need around $4,000 to cover these things.
-And lastly, one other wish is to provide the gift of a special, traditional New Year’s day meal for all those we love and have the privilege to serve in Haiti. Haitian’s always serve Soup Joumou which is their “freedom soup” on January 1st. I would love to be able to give this gift as a reminder and testimony of the freedom we have in Christ that nothing in this broken world can take away!
If you would like to help with any of the year end gifts listed above, there are tax deductible options to donate at: kofael.org
If you would like to help us personally continue to be able to travel and work in Haiti and around the world, there are tax deductible options to donate at: reamteaminternational.org/donate
I also have a limited amount of Haitian hand made metal art Christmas items to sell to help raise money for the needs and wishes listed above. Please let me know if you are interested in purchasing beautiful gifts from Haiti that give back this year!
Grateful for the greatest gift of God With Us! Looking forward with hope to the next “And then…”,
Elisabeth