Our first Sunday back in the States found us at Cornerstone Community Church in Seymour, Indiana and what a great morning it turned out to be! We’ve had a connection with this congregation for at least three years now, traced back to a “chance” meeting that was later clearly revealed to be a “God Appointment” in reality. Russ, an electrician and member of CCC, was working on a project at Southside Elementary, where Melissa was teaching at the time. Russ had been to Haiti several times and was getting ready to return for yet another short-term mission project and was very supportive…

We have one more full day before we catch a plane to Indiana. And instead of spending a lot of time rationalizing and apologizing for neglecting this blog for so long, I figured I should post some pictures and see if I can jump-start my blogging again as we head back to Indiana for a few months.Here are bits and pieces of our last few days at Cowman International School as our second year came to a close last week.  Our “realistic” fundraising goal was $4,000 and the student incentive was that at that level, our principal Mrs. Bundy would get a bucket…

I have neglected this blog lately – and I choose to give about 55% of the blame for that to the quality of our home internet connection over the past month or two. While the ‘net was functioning tonight, I did want to quickly give an update on our house situation, especially since so many have lifted this in prayer over the past weeks and months.  Good news: after sitting without rent for January and February and then without occupants for March and most of April, the house is finally re-rented as of last week!  Praise the Lord!  It has…

To be clear, it was THEIR spring break, not ours – ours was in February!  And even though Melissa and I had to work and our kids had to go to school (the first part of the week), together the Grosses and the Kisers made the most of their (much too) short visit.We’ve known the Kisers for years. We were part of the same small group at our church in Columbus, Indiana, but this trip gave us opportunity to get to know them at a whole new level.Lee and Cara and their three kids, Maylen, Emie and Zach, arrived last…

By Caleb Gross Banana trees Glowing in the mid-day sunSlowly wave their wide leavesOver my head as my shoes squish The jelly-like mudSmall meringa trees line the path -So unlike the corn fields behind my past home – I sprint onDodging the mangoes lying dead on the path -None of those in Indiana -The green painted concrete of the medical clinicA church two stories tall behind a fenceA soccer field spread out next to itCows grazingAll these blur togetherI pass another small house and a larger building A grassy field with only a few trees in itThe gravel underneath my feet makes…

Ever since she got her bunnies, Hannah has had to make frequent trips up the path behind our house in search of vines and leaves and grass to feed them. Apparently she’s found a bit of inspiration along the way… The Path Beyond My HouseBy Hannah Grossup a rocky pathup a deserted roadup the path beyond my housethere, long grass sways in the windand mango trees embrace the sunand clouds are nowhere to be seenwhere bees bounce from flower to flower and wasps lurk beneath leavesand butterflies flutter in the windthere the Mountain standslooming before mereminding me that there is no…

My students wrote and revised “place poems” over the last few days of school and I thought they turned out so great, I needed to share a few with you. First up, here’s our own Samuel’s poem about one of our family’s favorite spots to get away. Dhaloo Beach

Our “Spring Break” at Cowman came extra early this year. The OMS Haiti field has found that the local craziness of Mardi Gras makes for a convenient time to get the team out of Haiti for our annual retreat. That meant February 14 found our team, all the kids and five days worth of luggage boarding a bus bound for Sosua in the Dominican Republic.  The bus was a brilliant suggestion from Stacey, saving a whole lot of time and stress compared to our eight hour truck/van convoy last year.  Anybody who didn’t catch a nap – or two –…

One of the things I love about Cowman School – and there are many – is what an interesting mix of students we have here.  Our student population is predominantly Haitian, but we have students of American, Canadian, Korean, Dominican and Indian background.  When it comes to socio-economic status, too, our students run the gamut. Ages: three years old to teenagers. Different personalities. Different learning styles. And VERY different paths that all led, by God’s grace, to Cowman.And each morning Ms. Kate rings her bell at eight sharp and this crazy mix of kids spreads into eight different classrooms, each…

It was quite strange to sit down to breakfast this morning with just the family.  The whole house felt quiet and empty. It was a week and a half ago that I picked Phil and Connie Dicks up at the Cap Haiten airport. (And just yesterday that they flew back to the States after a bonus day in Haiti brought about by heavy rains and cloud cover over the airport on Friday.) Phil is the pastor of the Grundy Center UM Church – a wonderful and generous group of brothers and sisters in Christ which we have had the pleasure…