A Day(s) of Rest

The last few days have been pretty quiet around Kaliko.  After 3 days of protests in Port-au-Prince and other outlying areas, things calmed down for the weekend.  We joke (but there is much truth to the fact) that the demonstrators in Haiti always take the weekend off.  So the last couple days most people stocked up on essentials and waited for signs of the next stage.

On Saturday we hosted some missionary friends and their children for a day at the beach.  The kids tackled the pool first and spent a good part of the morning splashing and playing.  Our friends have two boys similar in age to our boys and twin adopted Haitian girls who are seven like our Emma.  Esther slept a good part of the day which gave us a good chance to chat and catch up.  The kids also spent time building sand castles down on the beach and the girls worked at burying each other in the sand.

It can sometimes be a little strange taking a day of rest down at the beach.  Kaliko Beach just doesn’t seem like Haiti somehow.  The trash is picked up, the trees are blooming and it is quiet.  We are thankful for this place of respite God has given us though.  Especially when the country around us is in an uproar. 

Sunday is our true day of rest.  And today I was in Port-au-Prince preaching from Micah 2 and fellowshipping with the saints there.  Everyone seems to think the rest from the demonstrations is only temporary.  People are not giving out much hope for peace in the short-term.  Like us, most of them spent the week hunkered down at home.  Port-au-Prince does clean up pretty well though.  The only real evidence of the blockaded roads and burning tires were the burn marks everywhere.  Most street corners had the black remains of burning tires and small piles of the steel tread.

So we just enjoy our day of rest without worrying about the coming week.  We are not sure what it will bring.  Thankfully I was able to stock up with some more food so we are good for a while longer.  We will continue to keep our house running, talk with neighbors, work with our language helpers and prepare sermons.  Always lots of keep busy with.  We never thought that one of the benefits of homeschooling was that the kids could continue to learn even when the country was rioting!  We will keep you updated on developments here in Haiti as things progress.