Thank you

Thank you to all our military men and women who have served in countries all around the world. For those US military, thank you for giving so we can have freedom. We love you all!!

Tomorrow is the day....I will be casted for the prosthesis. It will take a few weeks to receive the prosthesis. I am excited!!

But our hearts are heavy. The rains in Haiti are causing so many floods, washed out roads and the tents cities are are even less livable than before. Pray for Patrick and Agape. Pray for their safety and health. I read an article online where a mother with children lives in a tent, the rains came and she quickly took her baby and went outside to keep them from the water in the tent. Her remark was "the good thing about going in the rain is that her children at least can be cooled from the heat within the tent."

I was listening to a teaching on 1 & 2Peter, and was blessed that the word precious is often used in the book of Peter, but also the word suffering. There is precious blood of Jesus, precious faith, precious and chosen of God...and yet it is so strong in teaching the blessings of suffering.

We do not need to pray for suffering, it will come in one way or other. Let's not waste our suffering, but use it for God's glory.

We pray you had a wonderful day and have been blessed immensely.

Against the stream

Where did yesterday go? Obviously not blogging. All is well. Patrick and Agape are having meetings in Miami, then on to Haiti on Monday. I miss them!! Rachel is making sure I stay on my one leg and not on the floor. :)) Thanks Rach.

A canoe just went upstream on the lake by our apartment. The couple was paddling as a team. I'm sure it would have been easier to go with the flow of the water. That is what God asks us to do....go against the worldly flow...paddle upstream with God's children. Work together. Work as a team, as one Body. The work will be easier and we won't be "paddling" alone. God wants us to make a difference, and we cannot do that if we just do what everyone else is doing or what "feels good".

Today be that person who is encouraging someone, has a smile, refuses to complain and is a light in the dark world.

Go against the worldly stream!!

Have a blessed weekend.

Alone

The men are gone, and should be in Miami by now. Rachel and Nate are with me. We will miss them immensely, but know God will use them in many ways.

As I wrote "alone" immediately the verse came to mind, "And lo I will be with you always." What a promise. God is always with us. He is so faithful. And what is so really special is while He is here with me, He is with you, He is in haiti and every where all over the world!!

Just as He promised, He will bring to mind His word when we need it. Of course, we need to be in the Word in order for that to happen.

Packing Day again

On My Way

Today is a mark for progress. The shrinker sock is tighter, and next Tuesday I am scheduled to be casted for my prosthetic leg. Although, it has seemed a long time coming, I know it is all in God's timing. Actually it is very good for me to look back on the blogs and realize what a journey God has taken us, and all along the way He was right there guiding and protecting us. Praise Him. He is SO Good!!

Patrick, on the other hand, is on his most difficult part of adjusting to a prosthetic arm. He will need a lot of practice, readjusting and patience. But Dr Jeff assures him before long it will be second nature to him. Do pray for him.

I hope your day was blessed.

Blessings

Remember the song, "Count your many blessings"?

Family, friends, hugs, smiles, grand children, those who help in so many ways, those who are serving in Haiti in spite of the hardships, sufferings, and the list goes on and on....Oh did I mention Klondike Bars. Yes, that is a blessing too.

Do we deserve all this? No, not at all. God is just good. That is mercy, when God does NOT give us what we deserve. But praise God, He loves us and takes pleasure in His children.

Tomorrow is off to the doctor again. Maybe I will be ready to be measured for the prosthesis. Well, I wasn't told that, I'm just saying...

Pray for Patrick as he adjusts to his prosthesis. Very difficult.

God bless you this night and always.

We love you

Birthday Party

Today..."two two", holding out his 2 fingers. Nate is 2 years old today!! He had so much fun playing with the balloons. Actually he was more interested in playing than eating. It was so much fun.

Then little Kiera noticed Patrick's missing arm and asked "Do you have your arm inside your shirt?" And the answer was yes, then she commented, "That's funny." She noticed my missing foot with the shrinker sock on. Asking what is inside the sock, I asked if she'd like to see it. Her answer was "yes", so I took it off, and she began helping my knee bend so she could see the "short leg" move. It was quite special to see a 3 year old being so okay with a missing limb.

Now the house is clean and quiet. Everyone is gone. It was a wonderful celebration. The only missing member was Nate's Daddy. That is sad, that he couldn't be here for a special day.

Can you imagine the celebration in Heaven every time someone gives their life to the Lord? Or what a celebration it is every time God calls one of His children home to be with Him? Then at last when Jesus takes us for all eternity, the celebration never ends!!

Trusting your weekend has been a blessed one.

"Why?"

When is it that you ask "why?"

That is what I asked last night. I was looking at the condition of Haiti and the hopelessness of that country, not to mention the miserable living conditions most people are suffering, and ask "why did God allow me to be in the US now?"

My prayer is that I will not waste my life here, but use it in every possible way to help those who are suffering so much. So I'm praying that God shows me the path to go and how to be most useful. To compare the US and Haiti, one the most wealthy and the other most impoverished. The most impoverished at the doorstep of the wealthy. For sure, Haiti wouldn't have gotten this far without the aid of the US and other generous countries.

"Don't waste your pain." A provoking thought. We may have suffered, but in comparison to most others in haiti, we had it easy. We don't want to waste our pain. We need to press on with the Gospel of Jesus.

See you tomorrow. God bless you.

Where did the day go?

Phone calls, child sponsorship paper work, more calls, more paper work, checking vehicles, shrinker sock on, shrinker sock off. Not to mention everything takes a lot longer when I hop on one leg. :))

How long does it take you to stand on one leg to make a sandwich? Remember, you are holding on to a walker, and you need several items from the fridge (only one item at a time), the knife for mayonnaise is in a drawer on the other side of the kitchen. So hop away. Return to the original spot of sandwich making. Now the sandwich is made, put all the items away again, one at a time. Then slide the sandwich along on the counter until you can reach the table on the other side of the counter.

Whew!! I'm sure you are tired just reading this...I understand. You have my sympathies. Smile. Just thought you'd like to experience this with me. Well, don't be discouraged, it won't always be this way. One day soon the walker won't be needed anymore.

T'was a good day, just the same. "Peggy I-lean" actually really enjoys the shrinker sock. I think she was quite tired of being packed and bandaged for so long, now feels a bit of love with the sock hugging her.

Isaiah 1:18 "Come let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are scarlet they shall be white as snow..." This promise came right after the Lord said he was tired of bearing all the religious feasts and sacrifices, the sin of Judah. How the Lord loves His own!! How many times has He turned His face from my sin, yet His arms are wide open to receive me when I call to Him.

God is the only One who can love as much as that. He has paid the price. Jesus has suffered that price and now knows us like no other. He has been there, has been tempted in every way, and yet did not sin. He stayed close to the Father, He set his face as flint on his goal. He knew His calling. Do you know yours?

Have a great night and tomorrow we will make another sandwich!! :))

Yes!!

Home from the doctor's and I am released!! No more packing the wound, or even a band-aid! Now that is progress. Well, yes, it has been progress for many weeks now, but now I have arrived! Thanks Rachel, for being the wound care nurse these many weeks!! Now it is time for the shrinker sock. Next week to the orthotics doctor for the next step!! Thank you Lord.

Thanking the Lord for his faithfulness, His love and grace every day. Yes, even on those days that aren't as easy as others, but He does not change. He is full of Grace and Love every day.

Have a great night and may God bless you.

Surprise

Great surprise! Patrick received the permanent prosthesis today. We thought he was going for the fitting, and they had the real thing. Even the color goes very well with Patrick's color, and it is a hand with fingers. Now the work begins. The doctor says it will take a month or longer to be adjusted to it.

Tomorrow is my check-up to see how my wound is, and if I am ready for the shrinker sock and prepare for my prosthesis. I am so ready.

Joy of the Lord is our strength. Today was filled with negative emotions from different people, and I realized very clearly that satan would want us to be affected in a negative way for the rest of the day. When our day starts "on the wrong foot", many times through out the day things continue to go wrong, because we fail to be thankful even though the day didn't start out so joyful. If we can learn to be joyful, in spite of the negative, then satan will not have the foot hold that he wants to have on us. These moments are good for us, in that, it gives an opportunity to show love, forgiveness and encourage.

We trust your day was filled with joy and you will have a wonderful night. God bless you.

Quiet Rest

Matt 11:28 "Come unto me all who are heavy laden and I will give you rest."

We are physically tired but spiritually excited. The weekend was very busy, but very blessed. It was wonderful to visit with old friends and meet new ones. Many voiced the same burden that we have felt "There is little time left. Jesus must be shared." We have a responsibility to share Jesus.

We arrived back in Tallahassee this morning at 1:00 am. A quiet morning of rest is good. To sit and be still...very good.

Thank you to all who shared a meal with us, coffee moments, and your home.

Tomorrow is Patrick's day for his prosthesis fitting. Pray for a perfect fitting.

Pray for the new believers in the village. Another 27 people gave their lives to the Lord in the past 2 weeks. There was another 2 week revival service, ended last night. God is at work there!!

Pray for "Peggy I-lean" (Barb's amputation) to heal quickly. The pain was a bit more severe last night.

Thank you for your continual prayers. God bless you with a wonderful day!!

Needed: a vehicle and a foot

This morning on our way to the ladies' brunch, I made the remark "Lord, I need a vehicle and a foot to drive it." Rachel thought this should be shared on the blog. :) It is easier to just get in the car and drive away, rather than depending on someone being the chauffeur. But then, having Rachel take me places certainly provides a lot of bonding and quality time together.

I was so blessed sharing with the ladies at the brunch. Although, we don't have the same experience in our lives, we do have a common denominator, Jesus Christ. It is a blessing to see ladies who are committed to God, and walking in His Word. Thank you ladies for inviting me and allowing me to share the story God has given me.

More meetings today, preaching tomorrow morning and tomorrow evening. Then head to Tallahassee right after the service tomorrow evening.

We pray you will all have a wonderful weekend. Rejoice in the Lord.

Today was special. I, Barb, went to visit a haitian mother and her son, Samuel (3 months old) and the grandmother. They also have a quake story. They were here before the quake. They waited 22 days before they had news of her husband and brothers and sisters. They are all fine. The father has not seen his baby yet. What a special family!!

Did you watch the shuttle today? There is a lot of power behind the take-off. How is it possible for someone to design something so complex? Amazing!! Nothing compared to the power of God. Yet, the intricate design of our bodies often puzzles doctors. Man can design a powerful shuttle but not control the human body!.

"I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made..." What a mighty God we serve.

My phantom foot continues to be very heavy. Hopefully it will "wake up" and not be numb.

Pray for Patrick..preaching Sunday.

Pray for Barb..sharing at the Ladies' Brunch tomorrow morning.

God is good...and God bless you!

Address Same

Some people are still asking what our new address is. Although we have moved, we are using the same address:

% Joan Breault

295 N Hickory St

Monticello, FL 32344

It will help not having to change addresses. Once we are in a permanent place, then we will give our new address.

That is a strange feeling, talking about a "permanent" dwelling place. All I see is the rubble when I think of a house. How settled do I want to get? I know we need to live here until God calls us home, but we need to remember that we really are pilgrims in this world. We really are on a mission. This is a temporary home for us.

Pray for Agape as he returns to Tallahassee tomorrow.

Pray for us (Patrick and Barb) as we prepare for speaking engagements this weekend.

Pray for the people in Haiti. Life gets no easier. More disease, more depression, more hopelessness.

Pray for Christians all over the world. Persecution will come.

God bless you. We love you.

Potpourri

That is the only word that describes our day, "potpourri". Meetings, lunch, meeting, packing, translating letters, phone calls, not to mention a "heavy numb phantom foot". I think the foot felt left out of the activities. :))

It is harder to manage when "the foot" is so heavy, but hopefully it will soon be better.

The following is only a small part of a report on Haiti 4 months after the quake:

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/05/11/haiti.then.now/index.html?iref=allsearch

If you want to know what it is like in Haiti now, this article tells it quite well.

"For many, Brun recognized, it's impossible to go back to the spot where their house once stood because there is no place to dispose of the rubble. In this city of renters, landlords are refusing to accept people who cannot pay the back rent for the four months they have been gone. Many of the displaced can no longer even afford the monthly amount they were paying before.

And as time marches on, many landowners want to evict displaced people so the buildings can be used as intended. What if your child could not go to school because the classrooms were occupied by the homeless? What if you were homeless and had no place to shelter your children except at the neighborhood school?"

Should we complain? I don't think so!!

God bless you each one.

Overload

"God never gives us an overload" I love this quote but can't remember who said it.

It is so true. If I am in overload, then I'm busy with things that God didn't ordain. My attitudes can be in overload. Usually those attitudes are negative...self-pity, anger, unforgive-ness, and unthankfulness. A complaining ungrateful heart is is a quick overload. It will bring us into the quicksand of discouragement.

A thankful heart will glorify God. A thankful heart brings joy to others. It is magnetic. Be a magnet for the Lord!

Patrick is already thinking about his next trip to Haiti and Miami. But first comes the fitting for his prosthesis. That is exciting. Also Barb's infected area is almost healed completely. Next week she will find out if the doctor agrees that it is almost healed. :))

Our desire is to be thankful in all things, even those things we don't understand.

Pray for the one who tragically lost her husband.

Pray for the one who tragically lost her sister.

Pray for the girl in Haiti who sees no reason for living now that she has an amputation.

Pray for us to be faithful to His work in the midst of our healing process.

Thank you for your love, friendship, and prayers! God bless you.

What to say

This is one of those days that I don't know what to write. One of those days that it would feel good to get up and go bless people that can't come to me. I want to bless those who are hurting and alone. I want to hug those who have lost a loved one. I want to go visit the one who has also had an amputation and is still in the hospital.

Do you follow the sentences? "I want" is so prevalent. My "I wants" may not be God's "I wants" for me. So we are again before God and giving my "I wants" to Him and asking for His desires for me at this time.

Every day I remind myself it isn't what I want that counts. It is truly what God wants for me. A growing relationship with Him. He is always with us even when others aren't. He wants us to grow in Him, and that comes through obedience in the Word, suffering, and joy in our journey.

Pray for the amputees in Haiti. So many discouraged, so many hopeless.

Pray for total healing.

Pray the trial prosthesis that Patrick will try next week will be a perfect fitting.

We love you and God bless you.

Patrick coming home

Oh wonderful tomorrow...Agape and Patrick are coming home. It has been a long 10 days. But we know there are has been a lot of work done.

Love is patient, love is kind, love keeps no "log" of wrong doings. That is a lot of love!! Have you ever really thought about it? Keeps NO record of wrongs. Is it easy to just overlook the wrongs someone has done, or better yet, turn the other cheek? I'm just saying... yes, well it isn't easy. But surely possible, or it wouldn't be written for us to obey. I am sure God has a storehouse of love ready to pour into our hearts, so that we can give love to others. More and more I am also convinced, without God I am nothing, I am undone, I can't do it without Him.

Now the packing used for my wound area, is almost nothing. It is healing really fast now. I am so glad.

Pray for total healing.

Pray for Joe, he had to have his leg amputated this morning. Pray for healing. Pray for the family.

Pray for the work in Haiti and Miami.

Pray for family decisions that need to be made.

Thank God every day for His daily provisions exceedingly and above than what we can ask or think!! Isn't God Good?? Tell someone about His Goodness.

So many hurts

Received a note that a young gal in Haiti had an amputation, but now is very depressed and suicidal. She sees no need for living. Pray for her. I am sure there are many others in Haiti that have a lot of depression.

Rachel and I traveled to Sarasota today. We wait for Saturday, our men are coming home. Agape has not been well while he was in haiti. Pray for him. We are anxious to hear the stories of their trip.

Sometimes I remember how much easier it was when I walked on 2 legs. How simple life was without phantom pain. Is this an example of "good ole days"? But "hopping" around is teaching me so much. It is so much easier to give than to receive. Seems I'm always needing help with something. But when I look back, a month ago, I wasn't able to make my own protein drink or toast..and now I can do it. I can wash dishes and...I can put my make-up on standing on 1 foot!! So a lot of blessings and lots of changes.

I am promised that the sufferings now are no comparison to the glories of eternity. I am hoping for wings!!

So look forward and not to that which is behind.

God will never give us more than we are able to withstand. He will keep His promises! Trust Him, believe Him!

God bless you

Address Same

I have been asked our address since we moved. I failed to mention that our address will remain the same:

% Joan Breault /295 N. Hickory St/ Monticello, FL 32344

Blessings to you all

Moved In

Moved in and enjoying our new abode. The wood ducks and the little ducklings, the birds and the lake are all very relaxing and fun. Thank you,Rachel, for moving us. Aren't you glad we didn't have furniture?! :)) Is your brother snickering in Haiti because he missed on this job? Probably not??

Thank you, Tim and Zaneida, for visiting us and taking a break from you long road trip!! We love you!!

It is saddening to hear that Haiti had another 4.4 tremor yesterday. People were afraid. It was a bit past midnight, but was strong enough to wake people from their sleep. Then lightning hit a tent "hospital" and set it afire. The patients were evacuated.

I made my own lunch today! Well, at least it was lunch for me...english muffin and a protein drink. I made the protein drink, I didn't just open the can!! Just wanted to make that clear. :)

Psalm 121 has been on my heart. Just wondering, where do we look for help? I pray the Lord. Can you go to bed at night and be restful know that our God does not sleep nor slumber? The 14 days that Patrick was sleeping, God was awake. He was watching over him. God was watching over me each time I was sleeping during the surgeries. We can trust Him. He is watching over His children.

Be encouraged. God is there. No one can pluck you from His right Hand. What a mighty God we serve.

Be blessed. We love you.

Moving Day

Headache, coughing, runny nose....but the move is on. Thank you Ron and Mickey for sharing your home with us!

Rachel is loading... just clothes, toiletries and desk papers, no furniture. Will miss coffee time with Joan. We are moving into Tallahassee. Closer to doctors' offices, and to Rachel & Agape's home.

The challenge lies ahead, being more independent. Make our own coffee, protein drinks, do laundry...Together we will be each other's missing limb and get the job done!! :))

No news from "my guys" in Haiti. They are in Mayette and phone signals are hard to come by. Pray for them.

We want you to know we are so thankful for each of you, the love and prayers we feel from you. We pray we can pass this love and blessing on to others.

Be blessed. God is Good!!

Do you ever?

Do you ever feel you are going nowhere fast? That is where I am. I know I am healing, but right now it has been 6 weeks since we have started packing the infected area. It is healing well, but still not healed totally. Rachel assures me it is getting closer to being ready for the shrinker sock. Patience? Waiting? It is all a part of the healing journey.

I will wait....

Worship the Lord, and bless His name. There is joy in the Lord. Tell someone about it.

Have a great Sunday...God bless you

Continue to pray for Patrick, Agape and Curt (went to Haiti with them)

Pray for Suzan, the little girl with cancer.

Pray for Patrick as he preaches tomorrow.