The Giver.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights. ~ James 1:17

This month, I've been able to dwell on this verse and tangibly see and testify its truth. I've seen miracles in my lifetime, but I have to say, this one takes the cake.
Rewind back to October 2009 with me... This is where it all began, when two children left their footprints on a dusty trail, and on my heart.

That evening, the sun sank below the horizon and so did my hope.  I dialogued and journaled for days, trying to chase down the answers to my questions.  Days turned to weeks.  I knew there was a reason that I had crossed paths with these children.  The unsettled feeling in my stomach told me that this was not the end of the story.  I had to see Shaylyn and Senson again and meet their families.  Little did I know what doors the Lord would open, and to what magnitude He would reveal His presence and provision.

Since that first meeting, and with the help of some Haitian friends, I have had the blessing of visiting Shaylyn and Senson again and again, and build friendships with their family and a neighbouring family, both who lost their homes in hurricanes during the fall of 2008.  I've learned more about the way they have lived in their small makeshift tents since then, and their patient hope for better shelter.  I've fallen in love with their children and watched them grow.  I've prayed alongside them that the Lord would provide for their most immediate and long-term needs.

Sometimes when I've walked home from their dwelling places in the valley, I have more hope than when I came, but I still have to sift through the questions in my mind.  The most prominent ones remain long after: Would I have the same kind of peace and trust in the Lord as these dear friends?  What if I too had lost everything and had to live in a tent like theirs?  Why have I been given such abundant blessing in world of poverty?

Time progressed on, and with it came new ministries and programs at MOH, one of them being the 500 Homes Project.  This past fall, with a lot of generous support and prayers across the US and Canada, these families were added to the list of house recipients.

And this morning, together with the Louissaint and Ferdinand families and the many of friends who have been the hands and feet of this project gathered together under their new tin roof. We prayed, we sang, we cried and we rejoiced as the house keys were presented. There are no words to properly express the fullness of my heart.

Because what began as a vacant piece of land on a hillside has now become two wonderful dwelling places for years and years to come.  Strong brick walls keep the families warm and sheltered from gusty mountain winds.  Tin roofs to protect their belongings and keep them dry from heavy downpours as we embark on another rainy season.  Cement floors that can be swept and cleaned, and a beautiful hillside view of their new village and beyond to the Caribbean Sea.
Indeed, the Lord knew this outcome even back to that first night I met Shaylyn and Senson on the mission road.  He had this story of provision planned since the beginning, far before I ever heard of Mission of Hope.  But what reveres me the most is how He allowed me to join in the story, and how He has given me a front row seat in watching His loving arms gently put back the pieces. I am blessed to know these families, who continue to teach me what it means to be fully dependent and trusting of the Lord's provision, believing that He will never leave or forsake us.

I once heard it said that sometimes God has to take us to through the valley before we can stand on the mountain.
For the Louissaint and Ferdinand families, He has done just that.  Praise be to the Father of lights, who is the Giver of perfect gifts.