The Tower of Babel

Hello to all of our family and partners!  It has been awhile since we have had a chance to update our blog.  Life and ministry have kept us busy as I am sure you all find true in your own lives.

We want to give you an update as to our work here in Belle Glade/Pahokee as well as in Haiti with Samaritan Air.  We have all the paperwork for our passports for our entire family completed.  YAY!!!  Now, we are praying to have the passports in our possession soon so we can make a trip as a family to the Dominican Republic and Haiti over Christmas and New Year.  As many of you know, this year has been and continues to be our transition year.  It has been a year full of adjustments and a year filled with raising our own personal support as well as building relationships for Samaritan Air.  As a praise item, we do have two different mission teams coming into Haiti in January that would like to use Samaritan Air and its helicopter to assist them in making their work more efficient.  This team is from John's home church in Washington State.  Prayerfully, John will be able to fly this team into a remote area to set up a medical clinic.  This area is one just like the area where John had his heart set afire about the need of a helicopter in Haiti.  God is so good.  We still have a lot of work to do to build relationships and the need for Samaritan Air's services on a regular basis in Haiti, but we are committed to the long haul of bringing the hands and feet of Jesus to all areas in Haiti using the helicopter.

As far as local ministry and life: The boys and I have taken our places at a local school in Belle Glade, FL named Glades Day School.  I feel like Belle Glade and the school are a big part of God moving us specifically to Pahokee, FL.  John has been very busy helping out the local agriculture business with flying and maintaining their aircraft as well.  He has a vast amount of knowledge and experience that has come in handy while out here in the farmlands.  We also have joined a local church, Belle Glade First, and have begun to build relationships there.

(main street, Pahokee, FL)

At school the boys are settling in quite nicely.  They have made friends and are enjoying being around people again. :)  At school I am teaching middle school English and middle/high school Bible.  We are taking our time going through Genesis this semester.  Just this past week we began to talk about "The Tower of Babel" and the spreading out of people groups.  I was reminded of the necessity to be obedient to God when he gives you a task.  See, in Genesis 9 God told Noah and his family when they left the ark to "spread out and fill the earth," and they didn't obey.  We see 100+ years later the people decided to "stay together and make a name for themselves."  I was able to show the students that the scattering and confusion of languages was not only God's judgement on their disobedience, but also God's provision for man.  Simply stated: God had a plan.  Man chose to disobey God's plan. Man did his own thing.  Man was stopped before man went too far.  God's plan was and still is carried out to protect man.   

As I was telling the kids about the Tower of Babel, God gently reminded me that obedience to Him always carries His protection.  I am glad that almost a year ago now, we chose to be obedient and go when God said to go.  I am not going to lie and say that everything is GREAT, because it truly would be a lie.  BUT, we are where God wants us.  We are pulling closer as a family again.  And we know that following God isn't easy, but it is what is best!  This year has been difficult to say the least, but I am glad that obeying God last year and saying yes to Samaritan Air has been a way of answering many prayers of provision and protection.  Our ministry is slow starting in our own ideas, but God's timing is perfect.  We know that when God builds it in His time, He receives the glory, and it is perfect.

Keep praying for our work with Samaritan Air to continue to grow.  Pray about future prayer partners and supporters as we are still FAR from what we need to be in Haiti full time.  Pray about this upcoming work with John's home church and Samaritan Air. 

Thank you to everyone for all your prayers and financial partnerships.  Together we are making a difference in the kingdom.   You are what helps us "Carry the Kandels into the darkness."