July 2009

Dear Friends,

Proverbs 3: 5 & 6 were a couple of verses that I leaned on a lot when I was the age of my sons now.  I am claiming these verses for them now, but also once again for myself.  I have done a lot of projects while living in Fond-des-Blancs, but always my on-going goal through everything else was being a mom raising my sons.  We came to the US this year so we could be parents for one more year while our youngest did his senior year of high school.  As I mentioned last month, he has graduated and in a few weeks will be leaving for college.  The world of Fond-des-Blancs looks vastly different to me without my children there with me.  There are several projects awaiting me upon our return, but still I feel a need to lean on God and not my understanding of what I think life should be.  It is helpful that I can see God at work in the lives of our children as well as ours, but doesn’t make me miss them any less.

Jean and I have started packing for our return to Haiti.  Before we go back to stay Jean and Jacques will be making a trip back to make sure the new house is in order.  When they return, we will return Jacques back to college and get Josiah settled in his dorm room (at the same college).  We hope to be able to attend one or two of their soccer games during the month of September.  We will move out of our apartment at the end of August and do a lot of visiting in September.  We will have another board meeting at the end of September just before our return.   I’ll write more about those things next month.

During the month of July we made a trip to the Northwest.  We spent a wonderful weekend with the Longview Community church that has been helping to support HCDF from the beginning.  It was fun getting to know the people there better and look forward to a possible visit from some of them next year in Haiti.

We spent a week on the Oregon Coast, where my parents live, attending a family reunion on my Mom’s side.  Ten of thirteen cousins (of my generation) attended.  It was fun seeing and visiting with them as well as the generations of their families.

Once again, we want to express our gratitude to all of you as you supported us and HCDF through this furlough year.  We will appreciate your prayers for us as we make the transition back to Haiti and to being empty-nesters and our sons as they move forward with their lives.

Yours in Christ,

Joy Thomas