Fruit

Jimmy and I planted some fruit trees in Texas this last year. There's nothing like a big fresh juicy apple or pear. We can't wait to see some fruit on those trees. The only thing is, it will be at least 3-5 years before we do. All fruit trees are like this, they require a long time of tending and growing and waiting before you ever get to see the fruit. I've been thinking some about fruit of the non-edible variety since our return to Haiti. The fruit God produces in our lives tends to grow the same way as physical fruit - slowly!

Some "Fruit" I have been thankful to begin to see lately:

1) Our wonderful daughter! 

This time last year I was sick sick - feeling tired and crummy all the time, and growing as big as a house. Now this year, we are loving the "fruit" of that time of pregnancy, which is our beautiful, super fun and happy girl.

2) A few relationships with Haitian women. 

Last year I knew that although we are spending most of our time teaching and separated from typical Haitian life, I had an opportunity to look for ways to get to know and to love the workers out at the property where we live. With language and cultural barriers, my attempts often felt awkward, and I never really knew how the things I did and said were perceived/received. But nevertheless God gave me opportunities to begin to to know different workers. On one occasion toward the end of the year, I had several of them tell me that they would really like to learn English. So I offered to try and teach them and have been having English class twice a week with 3 women (2 of them pictured below). Seeing God make this happen and continue to grow these relationships has really been a blessing and encouragement to me.

3) Development in our students and in ourselves as teachers.

There has been such an abundance of fruit in this area that I can't even begin to share it. We have loved seeing each of our students really blossom and grow. Grow in motivation and a desire/love for learning. Grow in confidence and ability to try/stick to hard things. Grow in independence and learning to work through some things on their own rather than being spoon fed. Grow in character. Grow in knowledge and understanding. And we have certainly been challenged to grow as we've had to learn new subjects in order to teach them and been able to learn specific ways of working with each student that best fits their individual personalities and strengths and weaknesses. On thing I have loved see the fruit of is teaching our youngest students how to read. Before coming to Haiti I had never attempted to teach someone to read, but I really love it. It requires a lot of patience, but is so gratifying to see the fruit begin to bloom as they are putting letters and words together. So exciting to know all the fruit that this one skill will bring throughout their lives.

 

4) A growing community group!
Last year Jimmy and I felt like we really needed to make an effort to connect with and build community with other believers here. (Although there are lots of missionaries in Haiti it is honestly really rare for them to really have community together and know and support one another. Everyone is really busy doing there own thing and life and transportation in Haiti tend to be difficult, so relationships really take an extra effort here.) That being said, we began a small group of sorts last year that ended up truly being a small group - just us and one other family - and met together most weeks to eat and worship and talk about Jesus and life and just hang out and encourage each other. It was pretty difficult to be consistent and stick to it last year, especially since it never really felt like a real "group". This year it has been really fun to be joined by multiple families and single people who are also in need of community and encouragement. We're thankful for this fruit that God produced after much waiting.

5) Literal, physical "fruit" around the farm.
This is a picture of Jimmy's yard that he has spent an innumerable number of hours working on over the last year. (Breaking up and moving rock and concrete, hoeing up the ground, planting seed, trying tons of different ways to water it- watering, watering, and watering some more, trying multiple ways of keeping it cut....) It is still a work in progress, but really is looking good. Way to go Jim! He also has chickens laying lots of eggs, a goat herd of 8 goats, lots of flourishing lettuce, and other crops in progress. He has put a ton of time and energy into all these projects and it is cool to see what they are producing.

6) Growing knowledge of Creole.
I don't know if this actually counts as produced fruit - it is probably more in the category of fruit that we are working towards and hoping for and waiting to see. But thinking back to a year ago, we are definitely further along than we were then and for that we are thankful. Praying for consistency to water this fruit tree and much grace and help from God that it will actually bear fruit.


These are a few of the things that I am so thankful for as I look back over the last year and see what God has done. They encourage me to be obedient to put in the daily watering and tending of the things God brings along today, even when they look like they're going no where, and to trust that our Father, the good gardener, will bring about fruit in season.

Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up!