Josephs' Journal

BackLog??!!

2010-02-22T00:21:00.002-05:00

It has been such a long time since we have posted a blog note that for us Blog almost stands for BackLog. Life has been good and there is a lot to report on. I will simply say for now that we are doing well, the kids are growing, and work continues to be rewarding.
More later.

A Birthday Celebration

2009-06-07T18:09:00.002-05:00

Mama labored many hours and late through the night to get the birthday dress ready.

The final product! Very fitting, no pun intended :-)

Sophie is ready for the celebration too.

We thought it best to have Daniella's friends from Children's Church (Savanna-La-Mar Wesleyan Holiness) share in the occasion with her. Daniella enjoyed it very much. Here, Sis Arlyne Scott, one of the teachers, is giving direction to Daniella on how to cut the cake. Loydian, Daniella's best friend at church, is helping. Mama and Sophie are watching.

Babouchka Maria made the trip from Russia to share in the celebration.

2009-06-07T17:29:00.002-05:00

The famous "blowing of the birthday candles."

About fifty children were in attendance for church. They made a great choir in singing "Happy Birthday to Daniella!"

Of course, Sophie shares the spotlight with big sister. It is ice cream time.

To the question: "How old are you now?" Daniella raised her hand and showed 4 fingers. School is working :-).

She is four dreaming sixteen. I am already dreading sixteen!

CWC Graduation in Pictures

2009-06-07T01:37:00.003-05:00

Awarding of Diplomas.
CWC's choir sang under the direction of Maestro Guenson Charlot

Leadership Training Institute graduates with their teacher, Reverend Mavis Johnson.

Diploma in Theology graduates

Happy Birthday Daniella!!!!

2009-06-06T23:32:00.008-05:00

June 7, 2005: Daniella Marie Joseph, Sleeping Beauty. A blessing to hold, a joy to behold.

2006: Already a seasoned traveler. By the time Daniella was one year old, she has seen Jamaica, Russia, Germany, Haiti, and USA.

2007: A new reality. Sophie's arrival changed things in many ways. She was in awe of Sophie from day one.

2008: Stability.

2009: Responsibility. I know, she is still too young for this big word. But Daniella has taken up the role of big sister and is playing it very well. In this picture, she and Sophie are on their way to Children's church.

It is very fitting that the 100th post of Josephs' Journal be devoted to wish Happy Birthday to Daniella.
Daniella and Sophie have been the greatest means through which we have witnessed and experienced God's faithfulness in our lives as a family. It seems like only yesterday Lara and I were walking around Wilmore praying and hoping that gravity would move the process along, and praying that God would grant Lara a safe delivery. Four years later, I am up, around the same time we drove to the hospital, reminiscing on God's goodness and keeping Lara company as she diligently labors on completing Daniella's birthday dress.
Daniella has made our joy and made our life complete. With Sophie, our cup runs over. God has been good to us.

April and May Highlights

2009-06-06T22:07:00.003-05:00

Starting from bottom to top:
Highlight # 1: Daniella is happily displaying her 3rd place finish medal that she won at her school's Sports Day competition.
Highlight # 2: The college held a Seder celebration during the Easter season. Larisa led the liturgy. It was a wonderful time of worship and reflection.
Highlight # 3: It is promotion time! We have been going, going, going, and going this past semester in terms of promoting the college and getting CWC's name out there. This picture was taken at a Career's Day event held at the Petersfield High School.
Highlight # 4: May is synonymous with graduation. This year's graduating class had seven students. From left to right: Shakika Fraser (Valedictorian), Alton Stephenson, Carolyn Walters (Salutatorian), Dalton Mahbeir, Dwight Vernon, Jason Dixon, and Nakia Sergeon. We had a wonderful celebration. Of course this is always a time filled with mixed feelings. While we celebrated the achievements of the graduates it was sad to see them go. They have all touched our lives, and we consider ourselves blessed to have been able to contribute to their spiritual and academic development (among other things).
Highlight # 5: God granted us the privilege to have had two great neighbors this past semester. Guenson and Claudia were a great blessing to us. Guenson and I (Abson) have known each other since Haiti from the good old (High School) days of attending Music camp at the Universite Chretienne du Nord d'Haiti (Christian University of Northern Haiti). Guenson and Claudia got married in December 2008 and spent a semester teaching at CWC. They are both CWC alumni. Graduation night was their last one on campus, so we are left with no neighbors for a while. Friends are friends forever, so we will surely see them again.

Update in the making

2009-05-20T18:50:00.001-05:00

It has been a long time since I last updated the blog. Life has been very busy. I will make some time soon to give you an idea of what has been happening in our lives in April and May. Please, come back and visit with us.

Sports Day in Pictures

2009-04-02T00:24:00.003-05:00

It's lunch time! Sophie was with Daniella every step of the way :-).

K-1 race. I was filming with one hand, and trying to take this picture with my left hand. In the midst of it all, I cut Daniella out. She may never fogive me, but the video turned out to be perfect.

Everybody wins! The children are getting their prizes. The earlier you cross the finish line, the sooner you get to choose your toy.

On your mark... Get set... Go! I will be saying this many many times over the next few years.

Here is a cool story: The boy (orange team) leading the race in this picture fell at the turn. He was overtaken by two other runners (from the green team), but he managed to get up; he passed one, and edged the other to finish first.

Sports Day: An Early Start

2009-04-01T23:43:00.003-05:00

Last summer, Jamaica, led by Ussain Bolt and co., took over the summer olympics in track and field. When they asked Bolt's father what was the secret behind his performance, he replied: Yams! Well, there may be some truths to that.... I do not know. Another answer to that could be: an early start. Jamaica takes very seriously their world dominance in track and field and does everything to maintain it.

Yesterday was Sports Day at Daniella's school--Paradise Preparatory School. It was amazing to see how everybody took to heart the display of speed (or lack thereof) the children put on. From K-1 up everybody had a chance to run! The student body was divided into three houses (teams), composed of students drafted across from all the grades. From 10:00am to 3:30pm there was a heated (no pun intended!) and friendly competition between students and teachers. One had a sense that there could easily be another one like Bolt, or a Powell, or a Walker in the making.

Daniella ran a 25m dash and came third. For a first start, that was a good finish. It earned her an extra helping of ice cream :-), because mama promised that if she ran fast, she would get ice cream. After the race, she went straight to Lara and said: I ran fast, I want ice cream!

Mrs. E. Street, the Principal is declaring Sports Day officially open. Let the races begin!

Daniella and teammate are warming up, while another friend is convincing Sophie that she can run too.

Green House. They won the team competition. Sophie felt right at home.

Red House. Daniella's teacher was the head of this team, so we had to root for them too. But they finish third overall.

Orange House: Daniella's team. They finished 2nd overall.

Hands to the Plow

2009-04-01T23:24:00.003-05:00

During the CETA consultation I accepted two new responsibilities. I was elected as a member at large on the Executive Board, and was nominated as the Coordinator of the Theological Commission. As coordinator, I will be overseeing the publication of CETA's scholarly journal CJET: Caribbean Journal of Evangelical Theology. I will shoulder these responsibilities until the next Consultation which will be held in 2011 in Trinidad. At that time, CETA will be celebrating its 40th anniversary. Below are (1) a picture of the Executive Board of CETA and (2) a Press release reporting on the past consultation.

LEADERS IN THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION MEET IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

PORT-OF-SPAIN — The Caribbean Evangelical Theological Association (CETA) held its 19th biennial consultation March 16-20 at the Anapausis Community conference center in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago. Leaders of theological institutions gathered to reflect and interact around the theme of “Strengthening Theological Education in a Changing Environment.”

Comprised of more than 40 undergraduate and graduate institutions scattered throughout the three main language areas of the Caribbean region, CETA was founded in 1971 for the purposes of professional association and the development and promotion of standards of excellence in theological education.

Dr. Las Newman—president of the CETA-sponsored Caribbean Graduate School of Theology in Kingston, Jamaica—launched the event with a stirring opening ceremony address on “Understanding Today’s World.” Throughout the week, delegates heard presentations on timely topics such as Trends in Theological Education, Assessing Institutional Effectiveness, Strengthening Theological Education Through Partnerships, and Education in an Economically Challenging Environment. Workshops provided opportunities to focus on practical issues ranging from resource development and effective governance to mentoring for impact.

Presenters came from the Caribbean region and beyond, and included such names as Dr. Miriam Rodriguez (Puerto Rico), Dr. Pat Glasgow (Trinidad and Tobago), Dr. Randall Bell (USA), Dr. Dieumeme Noelliste (USA & Haiti), Dr. Phillip Gray (Guyana), and Dr. Paul Sanders (Lebanon).

During the weeklong consultation, the Association transacted several items of business including the election of officers for the next biennium. The newly elected leadership consists of Dr. Noelliste (President), Rev. Owen Gordon (Vice President, Jamaica), Dr. Kenneth Ragoonath (Chairman, Trinidad and Tobago), Dr. Errol Joseph (Secretary/Treasurer, Trinidad and Tobago), and members-at-large Dr. Rodriguez, Dr. Abson Joseph (Jamaica/Haiti), and Dr. Ramon Alvarado (Puerto Rico).

The next consultation is set for March 14-16, 2011, and will be held again in Trinidad and Tobago to commemorate the 40th anniversary of this influential association. More details and information about CETA are available online at www.cetaweb.info.

CETA Consultation Update

2009-03-20T11:08:00.004-05:00

Group picture of the participants.

Dr. Miriam Rodriguez, President of Seminario Teologico Defensores de la Fe. She presented a paper on "Leadership for Institutional Effectiveness."

Dr Randall Bell, Director of the Commission on Accreditation, ABHE (Association for Higher Biblical Education, USA. He presented a paper on "Components and Process of Institutional Assessment."

Above: Dr Philip Gray, Pator of New River Wesleyan Church, Fort Lauderdale, Fl.; and Vice President for Institutional Development, Wesleyan Bible College, Guyana. Dr Gray presented a paper on "Sustaning Theological Education in an Economically Challenging Environment."

Below: I am introducing [or finished introducing :-)] Dr Gray to the consultation.

Learning Curve

2009-03-17T12:44:00.004-05:00

When it comes to teething, Sophie has suprised us. Of course, we could only compare her teething process to that of Daniella and she outperformed Daniella in that department. She had eight teeth by the time she was one, and had 20 teeth before she was 18 months old.
We have been teaching her to brush her teeth and she is managing to hold the brush but it is more a case of her eating the training toothpaste and chewing on the toothbrush. However, last week, she decided that it was time to learn to floss and we thought that it was a moment worth capturing.

Oh... she spends her down time "reading" Russian books, and I have not no clue what the story is about :-).

Safe and Sound

2009-03-17T11:29:00.004-05:00

I arrive in Trinidad last night after long, very long trip. I left the CWC campus around 7:00am for a three and a half hour drive to Kingston where I took the plane for Trinidad. We left Kingston at 2:00pm, flew along the coast of Haiti -- I got very nostalgic. It has been more than a year since I was home --, over Puerto Rico toward St. Maarten where we stopped for some time. Then left St. Maarten for Barbados, and from Barbados we went to Trinidad. I did not need to change planes, so it was not bad. The flight was nice, actually. We made it to Port of Spain ahead of schedule (8:00pm), but I did not reach my final destination until 10:30pm because there were other participants arriving on later flights who were supposed to take the same means of transportation to the hotel.

The consultation is on the way. I have already submitted my report for CWC during the morning report session, and we have had two workshops:

Selected Trends in Theological Education, presented by Dr. Paul Sanders.

Mentoring for Impact, presented by Dr. Pat Glasgow.

The time has been productive so far.

Dr. Dieumene Noeliste, CETA president, is introducing Dr. Paul Sanders. Dr Noeliste is originally from Haiti, he is the former president of the Caribbean Graduate School of Theology in Jamaica and is now teaching at Denver Seminary, Colorado.

Dr. Paul Sanders is the Director of Institutional Development at Arab-Baptist Theological Seminary in Beirut, Lebanon; Director of ICETE (International Council for Evangelical Theological Education).

Dr. Pat Glasgow is the President of West Indies School of Theology in Trinidad.

Prayer Request

2009-03-16T00:57:00.003-05:00

I am leaving today to go to Trinidad to attend a CETA consultation on theological education. CETA (Caribbean Evangelical Theological Association) is the accrediting body CWC is currently registered with. This consultation is held every two years. This year, the topic is: "Strengthening Theological Education in a Changing Environment." Several reknown theologians/educators will be presenting papers, each school will be submiting their report to the association, and there will be seminars, workshops, networking, and other activities regarding the advancement of the Association.
I will be traveling from Monday to Saturday. So, please pray for safe journey, for peace of mind for Lara as this is the first time she will be left in Jamaica by herself, and for a productive time at the consultation.

CWC Promotion/Recruitment Sunday

2009-03-16T00:23:00.003-05:00

One of the ways that CWC recruits students is through what is traditionally called: Bible School Sundays. On a Bible School Sunday, the college sends a group of students and staff to a church and the institution is in charge of the worship service. Last week 3/8, we visited the Water Works Holiness Christian Church. It was the first church we visited this semester, and it was a great blessing. On Monday morning, I got a call from a prospective student. God is good!

Alton Stephenson, a graduating senior, shared God's word from Isaiah 6.

The Church choir gave an item.

One of the purposes of the Bible School Sunday is to tell people about CWC, who we are, the programs we offer, and try to encourage those whom God is calling to answer the call to ministry. That's a part of what I do :-).

A group of students offered an item as well.

The group was being introduced to the church. From left to right: Clauvette Hessing (visiting her sister Claudia); Guenson Charlot (faculty member, Haiti) and his wife Claudia (Jamaica); Nakia Sergeon (Graduating Senior, Jamaica); Leonie Barnes (1st year, Jamaica); Shakika Frazer (G. S., St Vincent & the Grenadines); Jason Dixon (G. S., Jamaica); Sherion McDonald (2nd year, Jamaica); Josanna Lockhart (1st year, Dominica); Nadira Burke (1st year, St Vincent & the Grenadines); Andre Maurice Joseph (2nd year, Haiti); Philip Hylton (2nd year, Jamaica); Cynthia Reid (1st year, Jamaica). On the platform are, Carolyn Walters (G. S., Jamaica), and Alton Stephenson (G. S., Jamaica)... and Daniella :-).

We Shall Come Rejoicing...

2009-03-16T00:16:00.002-05:00

....Bringing in the radishes!

On Saturday 3/14, we harvested radishes and planted some more. Our salads now have a truly Russian taste.

Garden Goodness

2009-03-05T23:42:00.003-05:00

It's tomato time! Papayas, Carrots, and Radishes are on the way.

Simple Pleasures

2009-03-05T22:07:00.003-05:00

Daniella and Sophie are growing quickly. Too quickly. It has been fun to see them interact with each other. It is clear that sibbling rivalry is taking shape, but they are very creative in finding ways to have fun with each other. We just stand and watch and make sure that they are safe.

CWC in Focus

2009-03-05T21:25:00.004-05:00

I cannot believe how quickly the semester is going. Graduating seniors are already counting down the days to graduation! Things are very busy for us, but we are enjoying every moment of it. Lara is teaching Greek, Hebrew, Revelation, and is the on-site faculty for "Organizational Behavior," an online Business course that we offer in tandem with AICBE. I am teaching Hermeneutics and will teach Contemporary Theological Trends as a two-week intensive in April. Monday is the most difficult day of the week as Lara is in class from 10:30 to 12:30, then 2:00pm to 4:00pm. Then I am in class from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.

CWC currently has 15 full time students enrolled in the Theological Studies and Christian Education programs, 1 part time student and 1 unregistered. We also have 12 students who attend the Leadership Training Institute, a course designed for lay person, on Monday evenings. We have a lovely campus, and if you ever plan to come to Jamaica we will be happy to host you. Below are some pictures of CWC. We are in the process of creating a website, once it is up and running, I will post a link.

Reverend Mavis Johnson and some students of the LTI

My Hermeneutics class

Lara's Revelation's class

Guenson Charlot's Acts of Apostles class. Guenson is a graduate of CWC and Bethany Bible College. He is currently pursuing a Master's degree at Wesley Biblical Seminary. He is at CWC only for the Spring 2009.

Reverend Edna Myrie, a senior lecturer, Lara, and two students: Nakia Sergeon and Carolyn Walters (holding Sophie) are chatting during a break.

Eurofun!

2009-02-22T23:21:00.003-05:00

During our trip to Europe in December/January, we took some time to catch up with some friends and enjoy some some fun.

With Amie Vaughn in Oxford at "the Eagle and the Child" where C.S. Lewis and J.R. Tolkien used to meet and discuss their writings among other things.

Taking a lunch break at the British Museum.

Mom and dad (or grandma and grandpa) saying goodbye at Domodedovo, Moscow.

In Cambridge with Jon and Jennifer Earle and their wonderful children.

Of course, Daniella had the most fun of all. It was angelic!

Daniella is "Riu Hotel Montego Bay" Poster Child

2009-02-03T20:10:00.004-05:00

Last August Riu Hotel opened a new location in Montego Bay and we got the opportunity to spend a weekend there. Because it was brand new, a crew came to take promotional pictures that would eventually be put on the Hotel's website. They asked parents for permission to photograph their children and Daniella was among those whose pictures were taken.

We found out today that she is featured in the picture that was chosen to promote activities for kids. You can check it out by following this link, or copying and pasting it to your web browser:

http://www.riu.com/en/hotel-riu-montego-bay-montego-bay-jamaica.html

Then, click on Photo Gallery. There are about 36 pictures arranged in 3 pages. Daniella is on page 3, picture number 33.

Cooool!

Sisters... Sisters!

2009-01-31T23:22:00.005-05:00

Enjoying some good time with mom-made sweaters.

Already lovers and handlers of the i-pod

Europe bound.

Life in Jamaica in Pictures -- Part 3

2009-01-31T23:00:00.003-05:00

Daniella played the role of Mary in the Christmas play at her school.

My two princesses.

Smiling Sophie.

Musicians in the making.

LIfe in Jamaica in Pictures -- Part 2

2009-01-31T21:53:00.003-05:00

Sophie is ready for a stroll.

The wonderful ladies that God has blessed me with.

Dr. Tapiwa Mucherera came to CWC and taught an intensive course on "Pastoral Care and Counseling".

Uncle T. was very happy to spoil Daniella and Sophie for a while.

Of course, there should always be some time set aside to relax and enjoy.

Life in Jamaica in Pictures

2009-01-31T20:06:00.003-05:00

The following is a pictorial highlight of our life in Jamaica

We have acquired three chicken layers and enjoy fresh eggs on a regular basis.

Our vegetable garden. A friend at ATS used to say: "God must be a farmer, because one of his act of creation was a garden." We figured that having a vegetable garden can be a good way to get closer to him.
We enjoy some (backyard) camping from time to time.

Our house.

Still Breathing

2009-01-25T18:59:00.003-05:00

Josephs' Journal still has life.
The last few months have been very hectic but productive. We returned from England last week Saturday (1/17) where I successfully defended my Ph.D. thesis on December 19, 2008. The semester started on Monday (1/19) at Caribbean Wesleyan College, so we had to hit the ground running.
I am in the process of organizing my schedule and will set some time out to update the blog once a week. So, please, come back and visit us again.

Time to Celebrate: Birthday/Housewarming Party!

2008-10-07T11:31:00.003-05:00

Supermom!
Yesterday, we had some of the students, faculty, and staff over at our place to celebrate. We have a lot to be happy about, and a lot to be thankful for: Abson's birthday (Oct 5); a new place to live; and Abson's thesis submission (Oct 6).

Thesis Submitted!!!

2008-10-07T11:10:00.003-05:00

Hhhhhhhooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In Memoriam Juna Constant -- 23 Dec 1979 - 8 Sept 2008

2008-09-20T00:21:00.003-05:00

Je me souviens te voir grandir à mes côtés
Nous étions de bons amis, on se disait tout
De sang nous étions cousins
En réalité tu étais ma sœur.

Je me souviens te parler de Jésus
De la soif que tu voulais étancher
Je me souviens comment a petits pas
Tu as trouve la voie qui mène a la vie

Je me souviens des jours noirs
Quand la nostalgie de voir ton père
Te faisait couler des larmes
On criait et on espérait ensembles

Je me souviens de nombreux jours
Quand l’on se rencontrait après l’école
Tu étais fière d’introduire ton frère à tes amies
J’étais heureux de t’avoir comme ma sœur chérie

Je me souviens de la joie qui émanait de toi
Quand tu étais amoureuse
Et la peine sur ton visage, quand tu avais le cœur brisé
J’ai partagé ta joie, j’ai partagé ta peine

Je me souviens de ma visite à Santiago
Tu aimais l’université et travaillais assidûment
Nous savions tous que tu serais un médecin de calibre
Si seulement le temps était ton ami

Je me souviens de ta visite à la Jamaïque
On a passé un moment mémorable
On a célébré le miracle de ta guérison
Tu aimais la vie, tu étais heureuse

Je me souviens de ton appel, c’était comme hier
Tu partageais avec moi tes difficultés
Nous avions prié ensemble
Et avions pensé comment trouver une solution

Je me souviens de la nouvelle de la récurrence ta maladie
J’ai pleuré alors, et continue à pleurer aujourd’hui
Tu étais courageuse et sereine
Tu as gardé ton sourire et ta beauté

Je me souviens de la dernière fois que je t’ai vue
J’avais l’espoir qu’on allait encore se rencontrer
J’avais la conviction que tu serais plus que vainqueur
J’étais sur que la vie t’aurais sourie

Tu vois, June, je voulais avoir la mémoire de ton jour de noces
La mémoire de jouer avec tes enfants
La mémoire de voir nos enfants partager le lien qui nous joint
Comme nos parents ont eu la chance de voir

Je voulais tant te dire au revoir, Hélas !
Peut-être c’est une bénédiction
Car je me souviendrai toujours de toi
Vivante, souriante, charmante

J’entends ta douce voix, souriante, me dire
Sony, sèche tes larmes, je suis dans les bras de Jésus
Toutefois mon cœur se déchire
Car je me souviens de toi, je me souviens de nous.

Je vais garder la mémoire de ton sourire
Jusqu’au jour où l’on se rencontrera encore
Au delà de cette terre maudite
Dans la présence de Dieu où il n’y aura plus de pleurs.

In Memoriam Juna Constant -- 12/23/1979 9/8/2008

2008-09-20T00:11:00.003-05:00

I remember watching you grow up.
We were very good friends. We shared everything.
By blood, you are my cousin,
But in truth, you are my sister.

I remember telling you about Jesus.
The thirst that you wanted to quench.
I remember how little by little
You found the way that leads to life.

I remember the dark days,
When you shed many tears
In longing to see your father.
We cried and hoped together.

I remember the many days
When we met after school.
You were proud to introduce your brother to your friends.
I was happy to have you as my beloved sister.

I remember the joy you had when you fell in love.
And the pain on your face when you were heartbroken.
I shared your joy.
I shared your pain.

I remember my trip to Santiago.
You were enjoying the University. You were working hard.
We knew you would make a great doctor one day;
If only time was on your side.

I remember you trip to Jamaica.
We had a great time together.
We celebrated the miracle of your healing.
You were enjoying life. You were happy.

I remember your call. It was like yesterday.
You were sharing your difficulties.
We prayed together
And thought through some solutions together.

I remember the news about your sickness.
I cried then. I am still crying today.
But you were courageous and serene.
You kept your smile and your beauty.

I remember the last time I saw you.
I had hoped I would see you again.
I was convinced that you would be more than victorious.
I was sure that life would smile on you.

You see, June, I wanted to have the memory of your wedding day.
The memory of playing with your children.
The memory of seeing our children share the same bond that binds us
Like our parents have been blessed to see.

I so wanted to say good-bye to you; alas.
Maybe it is a blessing,
Because I will always remember you
Alive, smiling, charming.

I can hear your sweet voice, smiling, telling me,
“Sony, dry your tears. I am in the arms of Jesus.”
However, my heart is torn,
Because I remember you, I remember us.

I will keep the memory of your smile
Until the day we meet again
Beyond this wretched earth
In the presence of God, where there will be no more tears.

Former Classmate/Teammate, Adler Volmar, Beijing Bound!

2008-08-08T15:48:00.005-05:00

Adler Volmar is representing the United States this week at the Beijing's Olympic Games in Judo. He is the top ranked US athlete in his category. Adler was born in the US but grew up in Haiti. He represented Haiti in the 1996 Olympic Games. Adler and I went to school together in Haiti and are great friends. We were classmates for the last four years of secondary school. The coolest thing is, we were also teammates. Adler and I attended the same dojo, and practiced together. I stopped practicing Judo after I left Haiti to go to Jamaica for my undergraduate studies.

You can catch live action on NBCOlympics.com or read his bio by following the link below.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=1281/bio/index.html

The Beginning of the End

2008-07-22T19:03:00.002-05:00

Last night I submitted a completed copy of my thesis to my supervisor for final review and comments. This is a major step toward the end of a soon to be three year process. I have much work left to do, but it is a great relief to have reached this stage. Once I receive the thesis from my supervisor I will make the necessary corrections and send it off to London School of Theology. The viva/examination will take place some time in the Fall. I will give an update when the date for the viva is set.
Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement throughout the process.

Most Recent Pics of Sophie and Daniella

2008-07-08T21:44:00.003-05:00

Pictorial Report--Part 1

2008-06-21T12:33:00.005-05:00

Rev. Patrick Gué, Pastor of Mauldin's First Haitian Evangelical Wesleyan Church.

We took a quick trip to visit the campus of SWC, on Sunday afternoon.

On Monday, on our way to Brooksville, we stopped in Savannah, Ga. to visit the city and see the Haitian monument erected there to honor the bataillon of soldiers from Haiti (then St. Domingue) who took part in the Battle of Savannah in 1779. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Savannah

On Tuesday, in Brooksville, we went on a picnic with the Wrights and their family.

3 years and counting!

2008-06-21T12:19:00.003-05:00

On June 7, Daniella celebrated her third birthday! As has been the case for the last three years, we were traveling, so we celebrated several times (at the Muchereras, and at my parents), and she got to blow candles and eat cakes more than once. We also plan to have another celebration here in Wilmore for her friends here. I am sure she does not mind that one tiny bit.

Blessed-ly Ever After

2008-06-21T11:41:00.003-05:00

Five years ago to the day, in Haiti, on the first day of summer, Lara and I entered a new season in our lives when we said: "I do." It has been a wonderful five years during which we have grown to love each other more and more. We have faced our share of challenges, but we have experienced God's faithfulness to us every step of the way. We are living "Blessed-ly Ever After!" I use "blessed-ly" not only because "happily" might sound cliché, but also because what God has given us is more than happiness.

Road Trip

2008-05-31T07:48:00.002-05:00

We are leaving today (5/31) for a two-week road trip that will take us to Florida and back.
Today, we go to Mauldin, SC to visit with Patrick Gue, a friend of mine from Haiti who is planting a Haitian church there. We will spend a couple of nights with them, and I will get to preach on Sunday.
On Monday (6/2), we will leave SC to go Brooksville, FL. There, we will visit with Wayne and Virginia Wright. We leave Brooksville on Wednesday (6/4) for Orlando. There we will visit with the Mucherera family, and attend the General Conference of the Wesleyan Church (Fri-Sun). On Thursday, Lara and I hope to go on a "scouting trip" to Disney and see what brings out so much exciting talks from people, in preparation for the times when we may need to take Daniella and Sophie.
On Sunday (6/7), we plan to leave Orlando for Miami where we will visit with my parents until Thursday. While there we will go to Boca Raton on Tuesday (6/9) to spend the day with Juna and her family--Juna's condition is improving. Please continue to pray for her.--
On Thursday, we will leave Miami to drive back to Wilmore. We will stop in Albany, Ga. for the night, and come back home on Friday 6/13.
Please pray for safe travels for our family and a productive time with friends, family, and at the Conference.

Prayer Requests

2008-05-23T12:17:00.003-05:00

Above: Juna, Cherline, and their mother, Angena with Daniella and Sophie. Juna (in white blouse holding Sophie's hand) and Cherline, her sister, have been surrogate sisters for Enosch and me, a relationship we maintain until today. This picture was taken in October 2007.

Below: Juna with Daniella at Dunn's River Falls. Juna came to visit us in Jamaica in March 2007.

I would like to request prayers on behalf of my cousin/sister: Juna Constant. Juna was diagnosed with brain cancer a couple years ago, was operated on and was declared cancer free after treatment. However, we found out recently that the tumor has returned and has now spread to at least another section of her brain. She was hospitalized over the weekend because the tumor is swollen, causing her additional discomfort. She returned home yesterday (Thursday) and the doctors are trying to keep the swelling down and hope to resume chemo therapy soon. They have ruled out another surgery. Please, pray for a healing touch from God, strength for the family, and wisdom for the doctors to know what best course of treatment to pursue.
I came down to Florida Wednesday night to visit with her, and will go back to Wilmore in the morning (Saturday). Pray for journeying mercies for me.

I would like to request prayer also for another friend of mine “B. J.” who is dealing with some health issues. Pray for wisdom as the doctors assess his situation and look for treatment options, and that God will bring complete healing.
Thank you very much.

Sights of D.C.--Part 2

2008-05-17T12:30:00.001-05:00

Here are more pictures from our trip to D.C. which I promised to post a long time ago.
While we were leaving the Jefferson Memorial, an important person was on his way to the White House.
Our host and hostess, Art and Ann O'Dell. The O'Dells are two of many great friends that God has blessed us with. We had a great time together.

No... Daniella is not holding Sophie :-). That thing in her hand, that's a doll.

That was as close as we got to the White House (we actually went all the way up to the fence), but it was satisfying. Lara's mom had the day of the her life.

Uncle Abson and Aunt Lara!

2008-05-17T10:53:00.004-05:00

Leensay Emmanuelle Joseph: May 10, 2008

My brother Enosch and his wife Lorie welcomed their first child, to the world last week Saturday, May 10. Mother and daughter (Leensay) are both doing very well. Lara and I are now enjoying the thought of being called Uncle Abson and Aunt Lara.

Remember Enosch and Lorie in your prayers as they transition to and learn the challenges of parenting, and Leensay that God's hand will be upon her.

Eulogy

2008-05-10T00:22:00.002-05:00

Below is the eulogy for Mabe, which my brother wrote this morning and will deliver at the funeral. It is in French and Haitian creole, and unfortunately, I do not have enough time at the moment to translate it for those of you who do not understand these two languages. But if you have read Habakkuk, you have an idea of the emotions that are felt therein.

I want to use this opportunity to request prayers for MarcKenol's family. He was the oldest son, therefore the one responsible for the rest of his family because his father had preceded him. In addition, he was to get married in August. Therefore, pray for his fiancee, Verline, who is also grieving. Pray also for our church L'Eglise Wesleyenne D'Haiti de la Rue 23 I (The Wesleyan Church of Haiti of Street 23 I)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ORAISON FUNEBRE DE
MARC-KENOL LAURENFANT
Écrit et prononcée par Enosch JOSEPH

La vie donne naissance à la mort et la mort nous fait réfléchir à la vie. Depuis le jour où nous sommes nés, nous commençons à creuser vitalement notre fosse. Nous travaillons déjà pour assurer notre mort certaine. Pour certains, que bibliquement on appelle robuste, il leur faut plus de quatre-vingt années pour la creuser. Pour d'autres, le temps ne dépasse pas vingt neuf. Ils ont fait choix de la pelle au lieu de la fourchette. Ils n'ont pas suivi les dires d'un certain Philippe Bouvard qui pense :'' Il vaut mieux creuser sa tombe avec sa fourchette qu'avec une pelle; c'est plus agréable et c'est plus long''.
Vivre et mourir ! Mourir et Vivre ! Quelle dualité ? Quelle banalité disent certains ? Un lien complexe qui nous rend perplexe et stupéfait.
Nous luttons comme des fous pour cultiver la vie, tout en sachant que le doux fruit amer qui sera récolté n'est autre que la mort. Moïse, le grand psalmiste, le savait ! N'est –ce pas la raison pour laquelle, il implorait Dieu de l'aider à bien compter ses jours ?
Vivre et mourir, c'est comme la beauté, c'est le début d'une finalité sans fin.
Vivre et mourir nous procure toutes les sensations contradictoires : la tristesse et la joie, le désespoir et l'espoir, la honte et la fierté, la souffrance et la délivrance, le doute et la certitude, la fin d'une vie et le début d'une vie sans fin.
Mabé, tu nous as laissé dans la tristesse, le désespoir, la honte, la souffrance et dans le doute. Oh, que c'est dur d'admettre comme le plus idiot des sages la fin de ta vie !
La tristesse de ne plus t'avoir avec nous dans nos activités ecclésiastiques; de ne plus pouvoir parler des bons vieux moments passés avec Shalom, Angels, la Chorale de la Jeunesse, la classe des moniteurs, l'école du dimanche et…. nous ronge, nous gratte et nous brûle.
Mabé, ta mort nous pousse à reposer l'éternelle triple question de la vie : '' Qui sommes-nous ? D'où venons-nous ? Où allons-nous ?...
C'est le désespoir quasi-total. On cherche partout ces réponses, mais cette cruciale dualité éloigne de nous toutes les solutions satisfaisantes. On a dû se référer à Alphonse de Lamartine qui nous dit malheureusement et désespérément que :'' Ici-bas, la douleur à la douleur s'enchaîne, le jour succède au jour et la peine à la peine''.
Mabé, graten diri an boule nan Foche e sevant yo ap fè efo pou lave chodyè a, si ou ka tande bri kiyè a nan chodyè a , ou pa menm bezwen tande bri kè nou.
Ti bokal lajwa nou an kraze, nou pa menm ka kanpe tankou yon bel flè san lodè pou nou ta sove lafas, nou pa sanble ak anyen paske Mabé, ou ale ak souri nou, ou ale ak lakotannamn nou !
Ti kras lafwa ki konn sèvi nou kòm dra pou nou louvri anba pye bwa lespwa lavi a, lanmò ou pipi sou li, e gwo lapli fè nou pa ka mete dra lafwa sa nan soley. Kidonk a chak fwa sant la monte nan nen nou, se sant lanmò sa, lanmò di sa ou kite pou nou respire.
Monchè Mabé, se pa ou ki pou ta fè nou sa !!!
Mabé, c'est la honte de te voir partir comme les obsédés de la mort. Tu es parti sans dire mot, sans avertissement ! Tu as pris la fuite, tu es accouru vers la mort, sans nous laisser la moindre chance de t'attraper ou de t'en empêcher. On a beau essayé mais tu as choisi de nous montrer nos limites. Tu es parti en bon opportuniste.
Mabé, pourquoi fais tu fi de nos pleurs ? Mabé eske ou pa tande n ? Poukisa ou ale ? Poukisa ou femen pot lavi w nan figi nou konsa ? Mabe poukisa ? Poukisa malonèt sa ?
Mabé, on admet au moins que tu n'as été que le verbe, tu as subi l'action. Permets nous au moins de questionner le sujet ?
O Dieu, pourquoi Marckenol ? Pourquoi tu l'as pris si jeune ? O Dieu, ne vois-tu pas la souffrance de Cœurlande, Pologne, Verline ? N'entends tu pas les bruits sortant des entrailles déchirées de Man Mako ? O Dieu, O Dieu, O Dieu !!!
Seigneur, dans ton omniscience, omnipotence, et omniprésence, tu connais parfaitement la situation. Permets nous au moins de te redire que la honte et la déception couvrent ton église toute entière en ce moment. Permets nous au moins de te redire : '' Seigneur, si tu étais là notre Frère ne serait pas mort''. Et nous sommes quasiment certain que tu n'étais pas là. Et oui, Seigneur, tu ne pouvais être présent dans un espace où règne l'hypocrisie, la jalousie, l'envie, l'empathie. Le comportement de ton assemblée t'a mis hors de cette enceinte.
Pardonne nous Seigneur, si nous parlons comme des enfants sans la foi. Mais crois nous au moins Seigneur n'était-ce tes promesses auxquelles nous nous sommes tant attachés, nous serions déjà anéantis par ce dur instant de doute fatidique et cruel présent dans nos cœurs et nos pensées depuis l'annonce de la mort de Mabé.
Seigneur, nous avons beau essayé de bander nos yeux et d'utiliser nos cache-nez, mais malheureusement, nous n'arrivons pas à la boire.
Krik – Krak , kont sa pa menm bezwen tire paske mwen bwèl ; kat sa pa menm bezwen bat paske mwen pwan anba tab; ou pa bezwen frape zo domino a fò, paske mwen gentan pase …
O Seigneur, jusqu'à quand laisseras-tu les incrédules, les méchants et les bavards se moquer de tes fils ? Jusqu'à quand Seigneur, nous délivreras tu des blasphémateurs ? En fait, Seigneur, as-tu cédé Marckenol comme un pion pour mettre l'adversaire échec et mat ?
Toi seul, Seigneur, connais la réponse ! Toi seul, Seigneur, connais la logique des tes raisonnements ! Que ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel !

Mabé, ta mort marque l'histoire de notre église. Tu resteras toujours le symbole vivant de courage, de dynamisme dont nous avons vécu. Nous sommes fiers d'avoir vécu à tes côtés. '' La mort pour tout croyant, dit José Arthur, est une promotion''. Mabé, tu es maintenant promu au rang de ceux qui vont vivre éternellement. Car, pendant toute ta vie, tu as recherché la paix avec tous et la sanctification. Advienne que pourra si d'autres hypocrites ne t'ont jamais pardonné, mais le Grand Dieu sait plus que tout ici présent que le plus grand cadeau qu'il t'a donné c'est d'avoir un cœur qui n'a jamais eu place pour la rancune.
Mabé, nous sommes fiers de toi ! Fiers de te voir partir après avoir combattu le bon combat, après avoir gardé durant toute ta vie la foi, après avoir couru et gagné la course.
Tu es enfin délivré de ce monde d'enfer, d'hypocrisie et de coup bas. Tu es enfin en Paix.
Seigneur, tu as vu la misère et le péché dans lequel noyaient tes enfants et tu as sacrifié ton enfant Jésus pour les ôter de cette situation. Que la mort de Marckenol se transforme en une prédication sanctifiée qui puisse transformer ton église et la remettre sur la voie de l'amour fraternel, de la piété et de la sanctification.
Aujourd'hui, Mabé, tu vas rentrer dans l'histoire comme un héros. André Prévot a déclaré et nous citons : '' Les mots historiques sont des mots que de grands personnages prononcèrent leur mort''. Aujourd'hui, dans ton cercueil, nous sommes entrain de t'entendre nous dire : '' Yon kretyen dwe mache tou sove paske li pa konnen ni kilè, ni ki jou Mèt la ap fè apel pou li vini jwen li ''. '' Rachetez le temps car les jours sont mauvais '' ! '' Ah que c'est une douce mort de mourir sans perdre la vie !
Mabé, comme tout héros, tu n'as pas manqué à ta première vertu. Marcel Pagnol dit à propos du vécu des héros comme toi que :'' La première qualité d'un héros, c'est d'être mort et enterré''.
Mabé, au revoir et que la terre te soit légère !!!
Jamais ton cousin, ton Frère Zo-Nono, Jamais je ne t'oublierai – Jamais !!!

Enosch JOSEPH
Port-au-Prince, 09 Mai 2008

Gone Too Soon...

2008-05-08T19:08:00.004-05:00

MarcKenol is holding Daniella while my mom lit candles (9 candles for 9 months) on Daniella's B/day cake. My brother Enosch is in the background.
Below is the local church that Mabe and I grew up attending, and that he was pastoring.

This week, I am mourning the loss of one of my best friends, MarcKenol Laurenfant. We grew up together in Cap-Haitien, Haiti and have been involved in ministry since the days of singing together in the tenor line in Children's Choir at church. We served for years in the Youth Department and Youth Choir, and he is one of three friends whom I love as much I love my brother (Enosch).

I remember when Lara and I first went to Haiti (to introduce her to my family), Mabe (as we called him) was the first one to come by to visit with us. When we took Daniella to meet her grandparents, Mabe was also among the short list of people who came to celebrate with us as my mom threw a party for her first grandchild.

Mabe completed seminary a few years ago, and had just taken the responsibilities of Assistant Pastor at the local church where we grew up. On Tuesday, he was at the church's office talking to some friends, and suddenly held his head and complained of discomfort, not long after that he lost consciousness. He was rushed to the hospital, but passed away shortly after that.

In my heart, I know that he has gone to a much better place. This does not make the pain that is tearing me apart any easier to bear. Simply, he is gone too soon. But as far as God's timing is concerned, it was time for him to go home. Somewhere deep inside, there is peace in knowing he is with the Lord.

Sights of D.C.--Part 1

2008-04-25T16:47:00.005-05:00

Lara's mom wanted to visit Washington D.C. before she went back to Russia. So, last week we took at quick trip (Friday to Wednesday) to help her realise her dream.

The Air & Space Museum was Daniella's favorite. She was in 7th Heaven! I have never seen such joyous expressions on her face as we walked through the museum.

For my Speech & Communication class in College, I memorized an excerpt of MLK's "I Have a Dream" and delivered it as my final examination. I have always wondered what it would feel like to stand where he stood. It was a memorable experience.

Memories of the Past, Signs of Things to Come...

2008-04-19T16:40:00.002-05:00

Between December 2006 (when the picture above was taken) and April 2008 (on Friday, when Lara took the picture below) many things have changed, many remained the same, and that is a blessing.

Perhaps the greatest challenge I faced while writing my PhD thesis was finding time to write. When I started in 2005, Lara and I were new parents and were both teaching full time at Caribbean Wesleyan College. We looked forward to the summer and winter breaks when we would come to Wilmore, KY and focus on two rather than three things at once. I worked at home and although it was challenging we have learned to manage the situation well enough that we are now close to the end of the journey. Along the way, we have received great help as both my mom (Altagrace) and Lara's mom (Maria) came last summer to be with us and help us take care of the children. Maria came to be with us again in December. This has allowed me to spend countless hours in the library and take a major step toward completing the thesis.

As Maria's stay is drawing to a close (she is leaving to go back to Russia next Sunday-April 27) Lara and I thought it wise to start easing back to what life might be like after she is gone. On Friday, I decided to stay home and work on some revisions. Daniella was taking a nap, but then came out of her room, climbed on my lap, and slept for about 45 more minutes. Lara had the presence of mind to capture the moment.

We thought about it and laughed, but also got a glimpse of what lies ahead of us: parenting, work, and study, with parenting being the most important. We enjoy all three aspects of our lives because this is what God has called us to. In addition, whereas, I look forward to completing my thesis, not much will change for some time after that because it will be time for Lara to start writing hers.

Cyber Dig!

2008-04-10T20:38:00.002-05:00

Lara has recently been approved to work as an Adjunct Faculty for Indiana Wesleyan University's online Adult and Graduate Studies Program. The first course she will be teaching is "Biblical Archeology." Lara is yet to fulfill her dream to physically touch the land of her ancestry--Israel, but for now she is thrilled for the opportunity to take a group of students "cyber-digging" for the next 5 weeks.

Dress # 2 in Process

2008-04-10T20:33:00.003-05:00

Homemade... Perfect Fit

2008-04-10T20:22:00.004-05:00

We have been experiencing some difficulty lately when it comes to buying clothes for Daniella. She is rather tall for a two (almost three) year old, so it is hard to find clothes that fit her perfectly. Depending on the style, we have had to buy between 4-T and up to 6-T. Therefore, Lara decided that she would start sewing some of what Daniella will wear. Lara is thoroughly enjoying the process and Daniella is having a blast trying on new dresses.

Family Faces...

2008-04-01T19:30:00.001-05:00

Marching On...

2008-03-31T22:42:00.002-05:00

Today, March 31st, marks Sophie 8th month. She is growing very quickly. She is now mobile and we have had to re-arrange our living space to make it "Sophie-friendly." She has mastered the art of crawling, and is walking around the furniture. Daniella is having a lot fun playing with her. They even race around the house.

As for me, I should complete the first draft of chapter 5 tomorrow, God's willing. That leaves me with one more chapter to write. In the meantime, I will also be making corrections and adding a few things here and there to chapter 4. Overall, I am on target to submit the thesis by (or before) May 15. That's the plan. It has been a grueling, but rewarding process.

Commercializing Easter too!

2008-03-29T14:42:00.006-05:00

Because Haiti is officially a Roman Catholic country, events in the Church's calendar permeate our lives and culture. Some times (e.g., celebration of the patron saint of a city) the polemic "Protestant versus Roman Catholic" is felt strongly, but at other times there is great unity (e.g., Christmas, Lent, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter are big moments of religious celebration).
While living in the US, I have heard Christians complain about how much Christmas has been commercialized. What I did not realize was how much Easter had fallen into that same category. We went grocery shopping a couple of weeks ago and saw huge baskets with toys in them at the store. Since they were placed strategically, I drew closer to see what they were and the labels read: Easter Basket! Same toys given at Christmas, but during Easter season. Because Daniella keeps outgrowing her clothes (she is wearing 4-T!) we went to Kohl's, later that week to take advantage of some deals they were having. While there, I heard the following: "Easter is around the corner. Show your friends and family how you love them by giving them a gift card from Kohl's. Kohl's gift cards make the perfect gift at Easter. Kohl's gift cards are available in any denomination." I thought I was through dealing with culture shock.

Perspectives!

2008-03-29T14:28:00.004-05:00

Maria's (Lara's mom) enjoys reading and sharing jokes. She shared the one below to Lara this afternoon.

One day at kindergarten the teacher said to the class of 5-year-olds, 'I'll give $10 to the child who can tell me who was the most famous man who ever lived.'
A little Irish boy put his hand up and said, 'It was St. Patrick.' The teacher said, 'I'm sorry Sean, that's not correct.'
Then a little Scottish boy put his hand up and said, 'It was St. Andrew.' The teacher replied, 'I'm sorry, Hamish, that's not right either.
'Finally a little Jewish boy raised his hand and said, 'It was Jesus Christ.' The teacher said, 'That's absolutely right, Mikhail. Come up here and I'll give you the $10.'As the teacher was giving Mikhail his money, she said, 'You know, Mikhail, since you're Jewish, I was very surprised you said 'Jesus Christ.''
Mikhail replied, 'Yeah. In my heart, I knew it was Moses -- but Business is Business.'

My First Love!

2008-03-01T21:44:00.003-05:00

One of the greatest things my parents did for me was to see to it that I learned music. So in many ways, music is my first love. Before I knew I would pursue PhD studies, before I accepted God's call to ministry, and agreed to become a missionary, I was/am a musician. However, the busyness of life has caused music to play a much lesser role in my life. Sometimes, I struggle with the idea that I have underachieved as a musician.
I have been thinking about what I will/should be doing to keep myself busy once I complete my thesis (I have an April 15th, self imposed deadline), and I have decided to start playing again. So while we were in Jamaica, I dusted off my violin and Dale and I played together. We then decided to play in chapel. We played "O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus." I chose that partly because it was easy to play, partly because this is one of my favorite hymns. Well, it turned out that we performed on Valentine's Day. Coincidence? Perhaps. But the more I thought about it after I played that day, the more I became overwhelmed of God's love for me, and realized that it was actually a great blessing to be able to do other things that I love as much as music, and that ultimately, He is my first love.

Work and Play!

2008-02-29T22:25:00.002-05:00

We took some time off and went to the beach. This gave Dale and Maria a chance to enjoy some of the beauty of Jamaica.

Taking a Break from Writing... to Write!

2008-02-29T21:52:00.003-05:00

If you visist the blog often, you will realize that I was not able to keep the promise I made in Jamaica about updating the blog. So, forgive me. Thank you for checking upon us.
We spent two weeks in Jamaica (3-17), and they went quickly. Since we came back, I have been focusing on completing my thesis. I am working on it 17/6. I could say 24/7 but I do not dream about writing, I am too tired by the end of the day. I have been successful so far. I completed chapter three last week, which allowed me to put the finishing touches on my methodology (ch. 2) this evening around 6:00PM. I came home and just hit the bed for a well deserve nap. There is a lot I could talk about, but I do not know where to start. Since I am taking a break from writing tonight, I thought I would write a post and tell you that we are doing well and continue to depend on your prayers.
Tomorrow morning, I will be back to the library for more of the same. I will start writing ch. 4 which deals with "Suffering in 1 Peter." It is a challenging but very rewarding process.
I will not make any more promises, but keep checking on us. I could surprise you with a post :-).

Travel Diaries: Jamaica Trip--Part 1

2008-02-05T19:00:00.000-05:00

Guess what? I am writing from Jamaica! Our family arrived at Caribbean Wesleyan College (CWC), Sunday afternoon, Feb 3rd, around 4:00PM after a relatively smooth journey from Wilmore. We will be here for two weeks. Lara's mom, Maria is with us, so is Dale C. Williams a friend of ours, PhD student from Asbury Theological Seminary. We made the trip south to get a well deserved relief for the cold weather that has plagued Wilmore, KY recently :-). Not really. Dale is here to teach "Introduction to Christian Leadership" to the second year student. Lara is to teach "Introduction to World Missions" to the third year students. I will be dealing with admistrative matters, and puting the final touches to our yearly self-study report that is to be submitted to the Caribbean Evangelical Theological Association (CETA), our accrediting agency.

I hope to have the time to do a series of pictorial postings entitled: "CWC Then and Now." It will give you an idea of some of the changes that occured at CWC over the last few years. If you become interested, then we can discuss the future, as least, as I think of it. Finally, I hope to be able to squeeze in some time to complete the chapter (of my thesis) I am currently working on. Visit us again soon, and please, remember to pray for us.

Haiti Trip Pictures--Part 1

2008-02-05T16:56:00.000-05:00

Margueritte (my maternal grandmother). She is 104 y.o. and counting!

Celebrating Enosch and Lorie's first wedding anniversary.

Conducting devotion for the staff at Quisqueya Christian School.

A week of Celebration

2008-02-05T15:32:00.000-05:00

Last week our family had plenty to celebrate. On January 29, we celebrated Maria's birthday. Maria (Lara's mom) has been visiting with us since the end of December. She will be with us until the end of April. She has been a great blessing as her presence allows Abson to spend more time in library. On January 31, Abson's parents celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary. That same day marked Sophie's sixth month. She is growing quickly, and already has two teeth to adorn her cute little mouth. It was another opportunity to thank God for family.

Lacking in Wisdom

2008-01-26T20:04:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, Friday, was a very difficult and painful day for me. It was like pulling teeth. Only it was worse, I was literally having two wisdom teeth removed, and getting a tooth implant! The surgery lasted three hours. By the time I got home, I had experienced the worse kind of pain I have ever felt in my life. Thankfully, the pain medication worked wonders and I was able to sleep.
One would think that now I have earned the right to use the saying: "it is like pulling teeth!" or worse, "it is like getting my teeth pulled!" Yet, I do not think I will ever use it. Even if I were to encounter something so difficult that should bring me to the point of making that comparison, the little wisdom I have left tells me that it will be a huge understatement to compare something to getting my teeth pulled.

Ayiti Cheri... Beloved Haiti

2008-01-26T15:40:00.000-05:00

I have not been blogging lately. There are two reasons for that: (1) It is crunch time as far as finishing my thesis is concerned; (2) I went to Haiti for a week (17-24) and did not have time to write.

Last week, I had the opportunity to be part of a missions team that went to Port-au-Prince, to do some construction work at Quisqueya Christian School. We fixed part of a ceiling, and carried out some plumbing and electrical work in three apartments. QCS is a school that provides a US education to the children of missionaries and other foreign workers in Haiti, and some Haitian families who want their children to have a US education in preparation for college.

In addition to construction work, I had the opportunity to lead devotion for the staff, speak in chapel to the middle and high school students, and was a guest lecturer on Spiritual Formation at the "Institut Biblique Methodist Libre" (Free Methodist Bible Institute) at the invitation Jack and Rev Jeanne Acheson-Munos.

I took a day off and went to Cap-Haitien to visit with my family. I spent some quality time with my grandmother, Margueritte, who was very happy to see me (although she has technically lost her sight). Because Enosch and Lorie (my brother and his wife) live in Port au Prince we were able to see each other almost everyday. We took some time to celebrate their first wedding anniversary.

It was great to be home. It is clear that some progress are being made, but we do have a long way to go. I will post some pictures of the trip soon.

Haïti: 204 Years Later!

2008-01-03T11:58:00.000-05:00

January 1, 2008 marked Haïti's 204th year of independence from French rule. We pride ourselves in being the First Black Republic of the World, the first people to break the chains of slavery. Before William Wilberforce, there was Toussaint Louverture.
It has been a long and arduous road since that first morning of 1804, when the Act of Independence was read, but we continue to hope and pray that Haïti will get back to being "La Perle des Antilles" (The Caribbean Pearl). Several things have contributed in Haïti being labeled the poorest country in the Northern hemisphere:
1. A Costly War--We paid too high a price to win the war for independence. During the war most of the infrastructure that made St. Domingue (Haïti's colonial name) France's prized possession was destroyed.
2. Political unrest and civil war--After fighting the French, we fought among ourselves for supremacy and have continued to do so.
3. Isolation--For many years after 1804 most countries wanted nothing to do with Haïti for fear that the ideas that brought about Haïti's independence will reach the ears of the slaves on whose shoulders they were building their economies.
The road that lies ahead is perhaps even more difficult for reasons too many to mention in one blog post, yet many things have happened and are happening in Haiti and abroad that show that we are moving in the right direction and getting the kind of support that we need in order to have a better tomorrow.
1. The Church in Haïti continues to be vibrant and play a major role not only in shaping the spiritual life of the country, but also in supporting the socio-economic aspect of Haitian life. Many churches have schools, hospitals, and other establishment that make up for the government's shortcomings. NGOs like, World Hope International contribute greatly in the improving the quality of life of many. For example, WHI is currently overseeing a multi-million dollar grant from the US government for AIDS initiative.
2. Haïti is enjoying some political stability that has caused the country to regain its place in CARICOM, and there is a heightened interest from the international community to invest in the country. There is hope that this, and several other acts of cooperation, will generate the kind of support needed to bring about financial growth.
3. This year marks the first time since 1804 that France has sent a representative to witness the festivities of the celebration of our independence. The diplomat expressed that the France of today is different from colonial France from which Haïti gained its independence. The two countries have just signed a 5 year treaty to cooperate in the fields of education, infrastructures, justice, and others.
4. Haïti won the CONCACAF soccer championship (January 2007), and took part in the U-17 Fifa Soccer World Cup in South Korea (August 2007). We moved from being ranked 123 (July 2006), to 69 (December 2007) in the world.

All is not well; yet, these are things that bring tremendous joy and hope to us as a people. It is evident that there is a wind of change that is blowing over our beloved country. We have been at that place many times before and have been disappointed, but we choose to hope and believe that this time it will be different. Whereas many things are happening on several levels, for the dreams of a better Haiti to materialize, we need the prayers of Christian communities all over the world that will storm the gates of heaven on our behalf and ask God to continue to raise godly leaders who will make conscious efforts to put the country’s priority first, and work to improve the situation of those who are suffering. Therefore, 204 years later, Haïti’s greatest ally could be your prayers.

Merry Christmas... Joyeux Noel...

2007-12-25T15:48:00.000-05:00

Our family takes great pleasure in wishing you a wonderful Christmas season, and a Happy New Year 2008. We pray that this will be a great season in your life, when the fact of Jesus’ coming to this world will take significance in new and meaningful ways.
One our favorite Christmas songs is Michael Card’s “Joseph’s Song.” In that song Card imagines what was going through Joseph’s mind while holding baby Jesus. The refrain sings:
Father, show me where I fit into this plan of yours.
How can a man be father to the son of God?
Lord, for all my life I have been a simple carpenter
How can I raise a king? How can I raise a king?
Through these words, one sees a Joseph who is perplexed and humbled, yet very aware of the task at hand and asking of God to help him carry out his responsibilities. As we read the Christmas story with Daniella this morning (Sophie was sleeping, like baby Jesus would have doneJ), we could not but stop and ask God to show us anew what his plans for our lives were, and more, to show us the part he intended for us to play in the redemptive story that continues to unfold. We also thanked God for two other very precious gifts to us, Daniella and Sophie, and prayed that he would show us how to raise them in his ways.
Whereas Joseph played a very unique part in the story, our situation is not very much different from his. At some point in time each person needs to wrestle with what to make of Jesus and there is no better time to ask God once again to show us where we fit in his plan.
Merry Christmas!

The Road to Recovery

2007-12-14T11:26:00.000-05:00

We want to take some time to thank you for your continued prayers on our behalf. We are doing better. Daniella continues to improve and is coughing less. Please pray that the cough will go away completely and will not return. It has been a cycle. She gets better, and then the cough comes back (as if out of nowhere). Sophie’s x-ray did come back normal. However, she is still coughing and is very congested. Lara is also feeling much better and has regained much of her strength back. This was a huge blessing as I was gone most of the time this week because of class. I am still trying to stay healthy, although I am not 100% at the moment.
Overall, we are feeling better than we felt two weeks ago. We credit your prayers for that and are grateful.

The Test of Winter?!

2007-12-04T16:34:00.000-05:00

We thank you for your continued prayers on behalf of our family.
This note is to request special prayers for Lara and Sophie. They have been coughing too for a couple weeks now. Lara's cough got so severe that we went to the doctor yesterday, and she was diagnosed with acute bronchitis. She is taking medication to alleviate her pain and remedy the situation.
Sophie's cough got worse on Friday. I just returned from the doctor (Tues., 4:00PM) and they said it is either bronchitis or pneumonia. We have done a chest x-ray and are awating the results.
I am still standing and doing my best to stay healthy. Pray that God will touch the girls so that they can get better (Daniella continues to improve). Pray that God will give me extra strength as I continue to care for them, write, and get ready for an intensive course next week.

The Latest on Daniella

2007-11-29T16:04:00.000-05:00

Good afternoon,
Here is the latest on Daniella. We went to the doctor on Monday, and found that the fever was caused by an ear infection. Daniella is currently taking some antibiotic to take care of that problem. Upon further review of the tests and discussion, asthma has been ruled out. However, Daniella continues to cough. The doctor has administered a new allergy medication, and has set an appointment for us to go see a specialist if the cough does not go away.
Daniella is visibly doing much better and is back to being her old self. As we continue the treatment we also crave your prayers.
Thank you very much.

Update on Daniella

2007-11-25T11:06:00.000-05:00

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Thank you very much for your prayers on behalf of Daniella. The x-ray result came back on Monday and her chest and lungs are clear. At this point, it does not seem that asthma is the case. However, she continues to cough and has been running a high grade fever. We have called an explained the situation and are currently (Sunday, 10:30AM) awaiting for the nurse to call back and let us know whether to bring her in or not. If not (since they close at 12 noon), we will take her back to see the doctor tomorrow morning.
We thank you for the care and support you demonstrated toward our family during this time. We continue to cherish your prayers on our behalf.

Prayer Request for Daniella

2007-11-17T18:19:00.000-05:00

We would like to request prayer for our daughter Daniella. She is almost 2 1/2 years old. She has been coughing since June, when we returned from Jamaica. We have been to the doctor several times, and she has been treating it as an allergy. However, the cough is getting worse. She now coughs so hard that she wakes herself up at nights, and recently threw up a couple times. We took her to the doctor, again, on Tuesday and now she is thinking it is asthma. We have taken a chest x-ray, and have one appointment on Monday and one of Friday of next week. In addition, Daniella just developed what looks to be a bad case of conjunctivitis (a possible side effect of the new medicine she has just started).
Please, pray for God healing hands to touch her, that the doctors will be able to get to the bottom of this so that she can get to feel better, and for us to know how to cope with this.
In spite of all that she is her usual self; therefore, we have a lot to be thankful for.
We thank you in advance.

Visiting Big Blue Nation: Friendship and Sport

2007-11-11T21:58:00.000-05:00

I recently had the cultural experience of attending a University of Kentucky (UK) football game. It is something that I have always wanted to do, but was waiting for the opportune moment. I have a very good friend, Wesley Denham, who has been encouraging me to attend a football game. We have already been to a couple of Cincinnatti Reds' games, and a few UK basketball games. This was supposed to complete my cultural awareness of American sports.

Wesley and I met in 2001 while playing a pickup soccer game during my first year at ATS. We became good friends. As it turned out, he and Lara were friends also; needless to say that Wesley is one of the closest friends our family has. He is one of three people (Brenda Wahl, and Jared Holsing) who has been physically present with us in Russia, the United States, and the Caribbean. He made the trip to Russia in December of 2003 to attend our Jewish/Russian wedding celebration, and came to Jamaica last year to teach an intensive course at CWC. He is originally from KY, so the blood in his veins is blue, I imagine.

Well, this is a great time to be a UK fan. The football team is having what is hailed as their best season in a long time, so I thought it was the appropriate time to catch a part of the action. It was a very memorable time. I could not believe the amount of people who went to the game only to sit outside and grill burgers! It was great to see a marching band upclose, because "Drumline" is one of my favorite movies. Of course, there is the great feeling of being in a stadium filled to capacity, cheering for the home team. The best part about the experience was that I got to share it with a great friend.

Caribbean Wesleyan College in the News

2007-11-01T20:03:00.000-05:00

CWC made news today in Jamaica. Follow the link below to read the article.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/westernnews/html/20071031T210000-0500_128884_OBS_WESLEYANS_DEDICATE_US___MILLION_CAMPUS_EXPANSION.asp

Sophie Margueritte: 3 months and counting...

2007-11-01T11:39:00.000-05:00

Sophie turned 3 months yesterday (October 31st). She is doing well and growing rapidly. She weighs 13lbs, and measures 58cms. Her personality profile would probably read like the following:

Likes: Music--Once I am fed and burped, my parents can put me down. I sooth myself while listening to some music, and eventually fall asleep.

Dislikes: Being put on my tummy. It takes too much work. I can only take it for a tiny bit. On my back, I can manage to move around some. I prefer the sit up position where I can look around and see everybody.

Distinctive marks: A bald spot on the back of my head, and an angel kiss on my forehead.

Major Happenings: On a recent trip to Jamaica, my parents dedicated me to the Lord at Savanna-La-Mar Wesleyan Holiness Church (October 21st). Reverend Edna Myrie prayed that I would become a missionary.

Sibling Rivalry: None yet. Big sister and I are getting along very well. She treats me very gently and runs to my crib when she hears me cry.

Favorite Passtime: Sleep. And when I am awake, hit all those noisy things that hang above my head, and interact with my family. I smile back when they make funny faces, and respond when they talk to me. I do not understand their language though, I hope they get mine.

Aspirations: Hhmm?! Perhaps, performing in a ballet at the Bolshoy Theater in Moscow alongside my sister. But that is just a dream. Actually, I need to start walking first and I need to finish college too.

CWC's New Campus Buildings Dedication

2007-10-25T21:45:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, October 21st, people gathered from all over the Caribbean and the United States to offer thanksgiving to God, and celebrate the complition of the new campus facilities. Representatives from World Hope International, Global Partners, the Jamaican Government, the several districts that form the Caribbean Wesleyan General Conference, and from other denominations were in attendance. It was a wonderful time that marked a significant turning point in the life of the college. We can sense renewed interest in the affairs of the college, and we are all very optimistic about what God has in store for the future of Caribbean Wesleyan College.

On the Road Again!

2007-10-24T21:56:00.000-05:00

We made a quick trip to Jamaica over the weekend to attend the dedication service of the new campus buildings at Caribbean Wesleyan College. We left on Thursday (Oct 18), and returned on Monday (Oct 22nd). More to follow...

To Florida and Back (Part 2)

2007-10-24T20:45:00.000-05:00

We arrived at Abson's parents on Sunday evening (Oct 7). We stayed home most of the time, enjoyed delicious Haitian cooking, and spent quality time with our parents. Grandpa Celius and grandma Wilna enjoyed spending time with their precious granddaughters. One evening, we took advantage of the babysitting available, and went to the Bayside area. We enjoyed a quiet evening together and listened to some great music.

On Friday, we left Miami for Brooksville. There, we visited with Rev. Dr. Wayne and Virginia Wright. We took a tour of the village, and spent some time with the Wrights and some of their friends and family members. We stayed overnight, and left Saturday morning around 5:00, and reached home safely in time to witness the end of the classic/thriller between UK and LSU.

Family picture

Dr Wright is giving Lara a crash course on "how not to crash a golf cart" ahead of our tour of the Wesleyan Village.

To Florida and Back! (Part 1)

2007-10-15T21:23:00.000-05:00

Last week (Oct. 6-13), we took a road trip to Florida. Abson's father (Celius) has not yet had the opportunity to meet Sophie, and we wanted to take Sophie to him, and visit with some friends along the way.

We left Wilmore around 4:45 AM on Saturday. We stopped in Chattanooga, TN, to visit with Patrick and Myriamme Gue. Patrick and Abson grew up together in Haiti and are the best of friends. Patrick is also, Daniella's godfather. He and Myriamme are in the process of moving to South Carolina, where they will be planting a Haitian Wesleyan Church.

Around 11:30AM, we left Chattanooga and arrived in Oviedo, Fl 10 hours later, stopping for 15 minutes every 2 1/2 hours. We spent the night in Oviedo at Dr Tapiwa and Bertha Mucherera. The Muchereras are dear friends of ours. Dr Mucherera helped us wrestle with cross-cultural issues while we were dating, opened their home to us while we were commuting between Jamaica and Wilmore for Abson's PhD studies. Their children Shamiso, Ru, and Nesu love Daniella to pieces. Bertha is also currently pursuing PhD studies and she and Abson have covenanted to keep each other accountable. We went to church on Sunday morning, had lunch with them, then left around 4:30PM.

We then stopped at Boca Raton, Fl, to visit with some of Abson's relatives--Leony, Angena, Juna, and Cherline Constant. Leony and Wilna (Abson's mom) are first cousins. Leony is also Abson's godfather; therefore, the two families enjoy a very close relationship. Abson is still 'big brother' to Juna and Cherline. After dinner and fellowship, we took the 45 min drive that led us to our final destination.

Ru, Nesu, Daniella, and Miso, after church.

At the Muchereras, just before saying "God be with ye" or 'goodbye'.

Cherline, Daniella, Angena, Sophie, and, Juna

October Birthdays Celebration

2007-10-15T21:20:00.001-05:00

October is a great month. I even consider it to be the best month of the year. The reason is very simple, I came to the world on October 5, 197? [I do not want to reveal how young I am :-)]. In addition, Lara was also born in October--the 24th.

Last weekend, we decided to celebrate our birthdays together, and invited some friends over for a little party. We had a lot fun!

Guess Who!

2007-10-02T22:20:00.000-05:00

Below are pictures of Daniella and Sophie taken at 7 weeks of age, respectively. Can you identify which picture is Daniella's and which is Sophie's?

Fellowshipping in Jamaica

2007-10-02T21:08:00.000-05:00

Last month (September), I went back to Jamaica for two weeks, to oversee (help with) the beginning of the semester at Caribbean Wesleyan College. Those were two very busy weeks as I was trying to take care of as many academic matters as possible. We also were still in the process of moving into the new office building.

During that time, I had the chance to enjoy some fun time with Dr Clifford Van Sickle and Professor Mary Maness. Both are retired professors from Oklahoma Wesleyan University, whom I invited to come to CWC to teach two week intensive courses. Dr Van Sickle thought Speech and Communication, and Mary taught Principles and Methods of Teaching. Mary Maness and I met in Haiti in 1998 during a Teacher Training Seminar that World Hope International organized. I was Mary's translator, and we became great friends. She was the person who encouraged me to choose Asbury Theological Seminary as the place to do my graduate studies. And I met Dr Van Sickle a couple of years ago, through her.

I also enjoyed some fun time with Dr Timothy Iwagami and Priscilla Iwagami. They are the newest additions to our faculty. They are originally from Japan. One night, Priscilla was kind enough to give us a taste of Japanese cuisine: we had Japanese pankaces made to order--the real thing!

Lara and the girls did not travel with me, and that was the hardest part. But the two weeks went quickly by. They went so fast that I did not even have the time to share with you what was happening :-). Below are some pictures that are worth a couple thousand words.

Mary Maness is giving an object lesson during Chapel.

Dr Van Sickle sharing the word of God at one of the chapel services.

Orientation--Because of the new facilities (new regulations and so on), both returning and new students had to attend.
I also spoke at one of the chapel services. With me are Dr Timothy Iwagami and Priscilla Iwagami. Dr Iwagami holds a PhD in NT studies from Manchester University, England; and Priscilla is currently doing a Doctor of Ministry degree at Asbury Seminary, her expertise is in the areas of Christian Education and Spiritual Formation.

Japanese Pancakes... yum, yum, yum!

The blessing of friendship...

2007-09-05T16:11:00.000-05:00

We recently were blessed with the visit of Jared, Claudia, and Daniela Holsing. Jared and Claudia are missionaries with Global Partners--the missions hand of the Wesleyan Church. They are making preparations to go on the mission field and came to Wilmore to pay us a visit. We have many friends in different parts of the world, but our families share a special bond of friendship, and have a lot of things in common among these:
-Jared went to Haiti and preached at our wedding in June 2003.
-Lara and I had the opportunity to participate in Jared and Claudia's wedding in Washington DC in September 2004.
-Coincidentally, we have given the same first name to our first born child respectively--Daniella Joseph and Daniela Holsing. They were both born in June!
-We are both cross-cultural families who have been called by God to minister to a third culture: Lara (Russia) and I (Haiti) are ministering in Jamaica. Jared (US) and Claudia (Columbia) will be going to Europe.
We had a great time visiting together, and could not but thank God for the blessing of friendship. The Holsings are very close to our hearts, and we would encourage you to pray for them as they prepare to go to Europe to minister.

Daniella meets Daniela.

Another great friendship is in the making. Friendship begets frienship!

What does it take to be a big sister?

2007-09-04T20:32:00.000-05:00

If you were to ask Daniella this question, she would probably ask: "one just needs to have a younger sister!" Well, from the time Daniella first saw Sophie at the hospital, she demanded that we give the baby to her. She is the first one to run up to the crib when Sophie starts crying, wants to hold her, and even tries to tell us what to do. There is one little problem, big sister tends to overestimate her own abilities. She thinks she is even big enough to be mother :-).

Sophie Margueritte at one month of age...

2007-08-30T18:58:00.000-05:00

No Turning Back!

2007-08-30T18:42:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago, Daniella turned an important page in the story of her life: she started (pre) school! We found a very nice program for children of her age group at a church near by-- Southland Christian Church. She goes for half a day from Monday to Wednesday. She has been enjoying it, and the teachers are impressed with her.

Haiti leaves World cup after loss to Nigeria

2007-08-27T08:13:00.000-05:00

The U-17 Soccer team is out of the FIFA world cup tournament after losing 1-4 against Nigeria. They are coming come after making the entire country believe again that better days are ahead. They displayed great skills and a lot of courage.
You can continue to follow the rest of the tournament by following the appropriate links.

All is Well after Dean

2007-08-22T14:11:00.000-05:00

Just a note to say that all is well after Hurricane Dean. I have communicated both with Jamaican and Haiti. The college suffered no damage. Electricity came back last night (Tuesday night), and we are getting ready for the start of the Fall semester (August 27th).
The south coast of Haiti took some heavy blows, but we escaped the worst of it. Thank you very much for your prayers.

Haiti draws (1-1) with France to keep their hopes alive

2007-08-22T13:37:00.000-05:00

After losing 3-1 against Japan. Haiti held France to a 1-1 draw to keep their hopes of advancing to the second round of the FIFA U-17 World Cup that is being played in South Korea alive. The task will be a hard one as the team faces Nigeria who has already qualified after beating France (2-1) and Japan (3-0).
For more news, highlights, and results, follow the links under "Haiti at U-17 FIFA Soccer World Cup."

Prayer Request for Jamaica and Haiti

2007-08-19T15:59:00.000-05:00

As you may know, Haiti and Jamaica have been predictated to suffer blows from Hurricane Dean. We would appreciate your prayers on behalf of the inhabitants of these islands. Especially, for Caribbean Wesleyan College in Jamaica, for the protection of the buildings and lives of the students and staff.
I have been in communication with two teachers who live on campus, and the campus is ready. I have not been able to get through to Haiti. I will post updates on the situation of those closest to us.
Thank you for your prayers.

Advice to Writers :-)

2007-08-16T14:27:00.000-05:00

As I rose from the table after lunch to go back to the library, Lara asked me:
--So, how is the writing process going?
--I am stuck, I replied. I have been reading for a few days now, and feel like it is time to start writing again. However, I have been thinking about what to write, but have not been able to put anything on paper. I know what I need to write, but I struggle to find the first five sentences that will allow my thoughts to flow.
She looked at me pensively, smiled, and told me:
--Start with the sixth sentence!

What's baking?...

2007-08-09T16:44:00.000-05:00

This week, the heat has been unbearable in Wilmore as in other places in the US. Being from Haiti, I am used to hot temperatures, but not of this kind. One expects it to be hot between 12:00 noon and 3:00PM. Around 4:00PM the sun is going down, and is leaving place for fresh air. I still cannot get use to how hot it can be at 9:00PM.

At 3:10 PM on Wednesday, the Citizen Bank's thermometer in Wilmore registered 111 degrees. Out of curiosity, I went online and checked the temparture in Port au Prince, Haiti; and Montego Bay, Jamaica--88 and 90 respectively. The heat index in both places was 107.

About a year ago, I had the opportunity to go to Thailand. The flight took us over the Artic region, and I was able to get a picture (no pun intended) of the effects of global warming. As I went over the pictures that I took, I kept wondering whether or not the degradation of the earth has already reached the point of no return. Could it be that all we can now do is delay the inevitable? Can it be that the end will come as a result of another act of disobedience: our failure to be good stewards of the earth God has entrusted to our care?

I should probably be asking: "who's baking?"; because, every time I step outside of my apartment or the library, I feel like I have just walked into an oven.

When Sophie came to the world...

2007-08-07T09:16:00.000-05:00

A week ago today, God blessed us with the gift of our second daughter, Sophie Margueritte. Later that day I brought her grandmothers and her sister to meet her. I wanted to capture the moment so as to remember their first reaction. The grandmothers were overwhelmed; Daniella was excited and demanded that Sophie be given to her. After I took the picture, I thought to myself, "I am blessed, and outnumbered!" :-)

We came home on Thursday, and everyone is doing well. Thank you for your continued prayers on behalf of our family.

Sophie Margueritte Joseph in Pictures

2007-08-04T11:34:00.000-05:00

Sleeping peacefully.

We are ready to leave the hospital.

At home.

Meeting big sister for the first time.

Update on dad Wright

2007-08-03T15:41:00.000-05:00

I spoke to mom Wright this afternoon and learned that Dr. Wright has made much progress. He is now back at home and will continue therapy there. He speaks normally, but has difficulty enunciating some letters. He is able to walk with the help of a walker, but his balance is still affected. His therapy will mainly focus on this area.
The family is very thankful for your prayers, and appreciate your continued intercession on their behalf.

Unto us a daughter is given!

2007-07-31T20:32:00.000-05:00

We are happy and blessed to announce the birth of Sophie Margueritte Joseph. Sophie was born this afternoon, Tuesday July 31, 2007 at 3:19PM. She weighs 6 pounds 11 ounces; and measures 19.5 inches. Mother and baby are doing well. We thank you for your prayers.

Sophie with Dr John Greene

Prayer Requests

2007-07-30T10:12:00.000-05:00

We would like to request prayers for Dr. Wayne and Virginia Wright. We learned yesterday that Wayne recently had a stroke. We do not have the details of exactly what happened, but he is very weak, and his speech is slightly affected. Please, pray for his full recovery. The doctors said that things could have been worse; therefore, we thank God for his protection.

Mom and Dad Wright, as we call them, are two energetic people who love life and cross country traveling. They visited with us recently in Wilmore during one such trip. They have treated us like their own children, and we love and respect them as our own parents.

In addition, we would like to request prayers for Lara. If the baby does not arrive some time today, she will be induced tomorrow (Tuesday). We have an appointment at St Joseph East at 6:30AM. Please, pray for a smooth and safe delivery. We will update you on how everything went in due time.

In the picture, from left to right: Faith Wright, Wilna (Abson's mom), dad Wright (holding Daniella), mom Wright, Lara, Theresa, Christy, and Jane Waugh (friends from New Zealand), and Abson.

Meet the In-Law!

2007-07-25T20:56:00.000-05:00

Cross cultural marriages face a lot of challenges. Similarly, there is a lot of fun and richness. One cool thing is their ability to break some (cultural) rules :-). On June 21, 2007, Lara and I celebrated our fourth year of married life. About a month later, our mothers met for the first time! Under normal circumstances, in Haiti or in Russia, we could not get away with this!

Our parents are having a great time getting to know each other. We are trying our best to expose them to the American culture. In the meantime, they are enjoying "spoiling" Daniella, and cannot wait for the arrival of granddaugther number 2.

Even Daniella could not believe that we got away with this.

Wilna Altragrace Joseph and Maria Donovna Levicheva. Wilna is fifth grade teacher, and Maria in an English teacher. Perhaps, there is a reason why Lara and I both wanted to teach so badly.

Caribbean Wesleyan College's "Nu Look"

2007-07-25T16:20:00.000-05:00

The first phase of the campus upgrade is coming to an end. Here is what the new buildings look like.

The refurbished administration block: Library, Chapel, Offices, and a multimedia classroom.

The cafeteria is furnished with state of the art and industrial strength equipments.

The dormitory will house 32 students, and will have solar powered water heaters, and other nice features that should make the students feel more comfortable.

This building has two apartments for visiting professors, and two apartments for married students with families.

Just like the good old days

2007-07-17T09:55:00.001-05:00

Back in the days when we lived in Haiti, my mother (Wilna Altagrace) was a fifth grade teacher during the week, and a pastry chef on weekends. People would order all sort of "goodies" for birthdays, weddings, and other special occasions. My brother and I would help with the baking, and everything was done from scratch. The cake on the side is what I call "mom's masterpiece" which she prepared for our (Lara and my) wedding in June 2003.

My mom is visiting with us at the moment, and Lara's mom (Maria) is arriving today (Tuesday). So my mom came up with this great idea that to welcome Maria we should bake a cake! It so happens :-), that my mom brought one of her receipe books with her. So last night, it was like the good old days! We had a lot of fun baking a nice pineapple cake.

The book that I am holding is almost as old as I am.

Daniella took part of the fun.

The final product!

What is new? Quoi de neuf?

2007-07-13T13:40:00.000-05:00

Hello,

It has been a very long time since our last post. If you are reading this, you are a very faithful friend. Thank you for checking our blog! We hope to do our best to keep this blog updated in the future. In the next few weeks, we will be posting some highlights of the past year, as we also update you on how we are doing presently.

We are now back in the states for a year so that Abson can focus on completing his PhD studies by next summer, at which time we will return to Jamaica to continue our teaching ministry there. In the meantime, we are counting down the days until the arrival of our second child. Daniella cannot wait to be a big sister. The excitement is all the more heightened by the presence of our mothers (Wilna and Maria) who will be with us until September. We thank God for this great blessing.

We will write more later. We would love to hear from you. Our contact information in the US is:

Abson and Larisa Joseph--SPO 533
204 N Lexington Ave
Wilmore, KY 40390
1-859-858-2091 (h); 859-285-9687 (Abson's cell); 859-285-9688 (Lara's cell).

Daniella in pictures... Daniella en photos...Даниелла в фотографиях…

2006-11-09T22:08:00.000-05:00

Prayer Request... Requête de Prière...Просим молиться.

2006-11-09T22:04:00.000-05:00

Lara’s current passport expires in January 2007. She submitted the papers for a new passport to the Russian Embassy in Washington DC since July. We still have no word from them. We need to start making plans for travel to the States for Abson’s studies, and are starting to get nervous. Please, pray that the new passport will be processed in a timely manner.
Thank you.

Le passeport de Lara arrivera a terme en Janvier 2007. Elle a déposé les pièces requises pour l’acquisition d’un nouveau passeport à l’ambassade de Russie à Washington DC depuis le mois de Juillet. Nous n’avons reçu aucune réponse de leur part jusqu'à présent. Nous avons besoin de planifier notre voyage pour les Etats-Unis pour les études d’Abson, et commençons à nous inquiéter. Priez à ce que le nouveau passeport soit délivré sous peu.
Merci.

Срок Лариного действующего российского паспорта истекает в январе 2007 года. Она подала документы на получение нового паспорта в Российское посольство в Вашингтоне в июле. Но до сих пор мы не получили от них никакого ответа. Нам пора готовиться к поездке в США, где Абсону предстоят очередные учебные занятия в Семинарии, и мы начинаем нервничать.Пожалуйста, молитесь за то, чтобы новый паспорт был готов и прислан нам вовремя. Спасибо.

From Jamaica with Love... De la Jamaique avec amour...С Ямайки с любовью...

2006-11-09T21:50:00.000-05:00

We are happy to break another long silence. The last month and a half went quickly. We are doing well and are enjoying our ministry. There is not much happening in terms of news as we have settled in the routine of teaching, writing, family, and fun. Abson has had an opportunity to preach three times last month and will be preaching in a couple of Sundays as well at the Savanna-La-Mar Wesleyan church. He has been offered to preach there every second Sunday of the month, which is Youth Sunday. Abson served in that church as Youth Pastor during his last year of College in Jamaica.
Lara has picked up gardening. She teamed up with the matron, who has an apartment in the same house where we live, to keep the flower bed that is in front of the house. She tried again to play some soccer last week, and impressed many students.
Daniella turned 17 months on November 7. She now has 14 teeth, sometimes speaks in a tongue that we still cannot interpret, though we have identified words from English (hi, bye), French (veux—want), and Russian (baba—grandma). She has mastered the universal words mama and papa, but anything and anyone can be ‘mama’ if the person or thing is desired at the time. She knows the signs for ‘thank you’ and ‘please’, and performs them accordingly whether the request is made in Russian or in French. She enjoys sitting at the keyboard, and playing while she sings and looks at herself in the mirror. She runs all over the house, and enjoys talking on the phone. Everything in her world can be turned into a cell phone which she puts to her ear.
We hope to share more with you in the coming days.

Nous sommes heureux de faire signe de vie après un très long silence. Un mois et demi s’est écoulés très vite. Nous nous portons bien et continuons à aimer notre ministère. Il n’y a pas beaucoup de choses a reporter car la vie est presque une routine : enseignement, recherches, la vie familiale, et un peu de divertissement. Abson a eu l’opportunité de prêcher trois fois le mois dernier et prêchera aussi à l’église Wesleyenne de Savanna-La-Mar dans deux semaines. On lui a offert de prêcher là-bas chaque deuxième dimanche, qui est le dimanche de la jeunesse. Abson fut Pasteur de la Jeunesse dans cette église durant sa dernière année d’études à la Jamaïque.
Lara a pris du jardinage. Elle s’est jointe à la patronne, qui occupe un appartement dans la maison ou nous vivons, pour planter et prendre soin des fleurs qui embellisse la façade de la maison. Elle a essayé de jouer au football la semaine dernière à la surprise de beaucoup d’étudiants.
Le 7 Novembre a marquée le 17eme mois de la naissance de Daniella. Elle a 14 dents, quelque fois parle une langue que nous ne pouvons pas interpréter, quoique nous avons identifiée des mots a racine anglaise (hi, bye), française (je veux), et russe (baba—grand-mère). Elle a maîtrisé les mots universels maman et papa, mais toute personne et toute chose peut être ‘maman’ si besoin est. Elle connaît les signes ‘merci’ et ‘s’il vous plait’, et les exécute de façon appropriée que la requête vienne de maman (en Russe) ou de papa (en Français). Elle adore s’asseoir au piano, et jouer tout en fredonnant de la musique, et en se regardant dans le miroir. Elle court a travers la maison, et adore parler au téléphone. Tout ce qui lui tombe sous la main peut être transformé en un téléphone qu’elle porte à l’oreille.
Nous esperons de partager beaucoup plus avec vous dans les prochains jours.

Мы рады вновь после долгого молчания рассказать вам о нашей жизни. Последние полтора месяца пролетели очень быстро. У нас все в порядке, мы живем хорошо и с удовольствием выполняем порученное нам дело. За это время не произошло ничего нового: преподаем, пишем научную работу, занимаемся семьей, отдыхаем.
Абсон трижды проповедовал в прошлом месяце и через некоторое время будет проповедовать еще раз в Веслеанской церкви в Саванна-Ла-Мар. Ему предложили проповедовать там каждое второе воскресенье месяца, которое является Молодежным Воскресеньем. Абсон служил в этой церкви молодежным пастором во время учебы на последнем курсе в Ямайском Колледже.
Лара занялась выращиванием цветов. Вместе с заведующей хозяйством, которая живет в нашем же доме, они ухаживают за клумбой перед домом. Она снова взялась играть в футбол и просто поразила многих студентов.
Даниеле исполнилось 17 месяцев 7 ноября. У нее уже 14 зубов, она иногда разговаривает на языке , который мы пока не можем понять, хотя и различаем несколько английских слов ( привет, пока), французское(хочу) и русское ( баба). Она хорошо произносит интернациональные слова «мама» и «папа», но у нее все и всё «мама», если этот человек или предмет нужны ей в данный момент. Она умеет показать жестом «спасибо» и «пожалуйста» и делает это в независимости от того, просят ли ее об этом по-русски или по-французски. Она любит сидеть за клавишным инструментом, играть и петь, глядя на себя в зеркало. Она все время бегает по дому и любит разговаривать по мобильному телефону. У нее все, что она только не прикладывает к уху, становится телефоном.
Мы будем рассказывать вам о нашей жизни и в последующем.

Hello from Jamaica! Salut de la Jamaïque! Привет с Ямайки!

2006-09-06T22:07:00.000-05:00

It has been almost a month since our last blog. Abson made it back safely from Thailand on August 14th, and we left Wilmore to come to Jamaica on August 19th, 2006. It was a great feeling to be home. We started working right away and conducted orientation for the students (Aug 23-25). Classes started on August 28th. Abson is teaching Introduction to the Bible and Homiletics, Lara is teaching Pentateuch and Greek. Introduction to the Bible is an intensive course, which will end on Friday. With that arrangement, Abson hopes to have enough time to work on accreditation matters and his research.
Daniella is doing well. She has two new teeth, which brings her total to eight. She is enjoying herself. We are blessed to have Dr Clifford Van Sickle from Oklahoma Wesleyan University visiting with us. He is teaching Speech and Communication as an intensive course as well. He and Daniella have become the best of friends.
We will write more later. We wanted to touch base with you all and let you know that we are ok.

Cela fait presque un mois depuis qu’on s’est communiqués. Abson a retourné sain et sauf de Thailand le 14 août, et on a laissé Wilmore a destination de la Jamaïque le 19 août, 2006. C’était une grande joie d’être de retour à la maison. On s’est mis au boulot des notre retour avec l’orientation des étudiants (23 au 25 août). Les classes ont débuté le 28 août. Abson enseigne L’Introduction à la Bible et La Prédication, Lara enseigne le Pentateuque et le Grec. L’Introduction à la Bible est un cours intensif qui prendra fin ce Vendredi. De cette façon, Abson espere qu’il aura assez de temps pour s’occuper de l’accréditation et de ses recherches.
Daniella se porte très bien. Elle a deux dents de plus, et huit en tout. Elle est très enthousiaste. Nous nous réjouissons de la visite de Dr Clifford Van Sickle de Oklahoma Wesleyan University. Il enseigne La Communication comme un cours intensif aussi. Daniella et lui sont devenus de très bons amis.
Nous écrirons beaucoup plus à une prochaine occasion. Nous voulions seulement vous faire savoir que tout va bien de notre coté.

Прошел почти месяц с того дня, когда мы в последний раз пополняли наш блог в Интернете. Абсон благополучно вернулся из Таиланда 14 августа, и мы уехали из Вилмора на Ямайку 19 августа 2006 года.
Было просто здорово снова оказаться дома. Мы сразу же начали работать и провели сбор студентов 23-25 августа. Занятия начались 28 августа. Абсон преподает Введение в Библию и Проповедь 1. Лара преподает Пятикнижие и Греческий язык. Введение в Библию – интенсивный курс, который закончится в пятницу. Это дает Абсону основание надеяться на то, что у него будет достаточно времени для подготовки материалов для аккредитации колледжа, а также для работы над диссертацией.
Даниэлла поживает хорошо. У нее появилось два новых зуба, и таким образом, теперь их у нее восемь. Она наслаждается жизнью в компании с доктором Клиффордом Ван Сиклом из Оклахомского Веслеанского Университета, который сейчас у нас в гостях. Он ведет интенсивный курс « Речь и Общение». Они с Даниэллой стали самыми хорошими друзьями.
Немного погодя мы напишем еще. Мы хотели просто напомнить вам всем о себе и сообщить вам, что у нас все в порядке.

Sawasdee!... Hello!... Bonjour!...Привет!

2006-08-12T09:22:00.000-05:00

Sawsadee! Hello!
I have been in Chiang Mai for almost a week now. The Consultation ended yesterday, Friday, August 11, at noon. There were 160 delegates from 44 countries including Haiti, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago. There were some great lectures and some highly interactive workshops on how theological education should contribute in the shift that is taking place in Christianity; namely, that Christianity is getting stronger in the majority world (Africa, Asia, Latin America) and declining in the Western world (Europe, USA). Speakers included Lamin Sanneh from Yale, Chris Wright, from Langham Partnership, Robert Walls from Edinburgh, Carver Yu China Graduate School of Theology, and Carlos Pinto from Seminario Biblico Palabra Vida, Brazil.

The Deans Conference got on the way at 3:00PM. It is a great line up of seminars and workshops on subjects like ‘The Dean as Curriculum Designer’ The Dean as Administrator, The Dean as Faculty & Human Resource Developer, Conflict Resolution, and the Theology of Theological Education’ among others. Presenters include Paul Saunders from Lebanon, Steve Hardy from South Africa, and Fritz Deininger from Thailand. There are 25 of us in attendance.

The conference ends at 6:00PM TT/7:00AM ET Sunday. I will leave Chiang Mai at 9:00PM/10AM ET for another very long journey should take me back to Wilmore around 2:00PM on Monday, God’s willing. Pray that I have a safe trip.

Picture: CETA deleguates, John Berger, STEP, Haiti; Errol Joseph, Trinidad; Dameon Black, JTS, Jamaica; Dieumene Noeliste, CGST, Jamaica/Haiti; Abson, CWC, Jamaica/Haiti.

Sawasdee! Bonjour!
Cela fait environ une semaine que je suis à Chiang Mai. Le symposium a pris fin hier, vendredi 11 août, à midi. Présents à la conférence étaient 160 délégués provenant de 44 pays dont Haïti, Jamaïque, Trinidad & Tobago. On a eu de très bonnes conférences et des ateliers très intéressants sur comment l’éducation théologique peut contribuer au changement qui a lieu dans le domaine du christianisme ; i.e., le christianisme est en train de devenir plus solide dans le tiers monde (Afrique, Asie, Amérique Latine), et est en déclin dans l’ouest (Europe, USA). Parmi les présentateurs étaient Lamin Sanneh de Yale, Chris Wright de Langham Partnership, Robert Walls d’Edinburgh, Carver Yu de China Graduate School of Theology, et Carlos Pinto de Seminario Biblico Palabra Vida du Brésil.

La conférence des doyens a débuté à 3:00PM. Au menu sont des séminaires de formation et ateliers de choix tels que : « Le Doyen comme Créateur de Programmes d’Etudes », « Le Doyen comme Administrateur », « Le Doyen et le Développement de Faculté et de Ressources Humaines », « Résolution de Conflit », et « La Théologie de l’Education Théologique » pour ne citer que ceux-là. Les conférenciers sont Paul Saunders du Liban, Steve Hardy de l’Afrique du Sud, et Fritz Deininger de Thailand. Le groupe comprend 25 participants.

La conférence prend fin a 6:00PM heure locale/7:00AM Heure d’Haïti dimanche. Je laisserai Chiang Mai à 9:00PM TT /10AM HT pour un autre long voyage qui prendra fin à Wilmore aux environs de 2 :00PM, Dieu voulant. Priez à ce que je fasse un bon voyage.

Photo: Délégués de CETA, John Berger, STEP, Haïti; Errol Joseph, Trinidad; Dameon Black, JTS, Jamaique; Dieumene Noeliste, CGST, Jamaique/Haïti; Abson, CWC, Jamaique/Haïti.

Sawasdee! Привет!
Я нахожусь в Чиань Майе уже почти неделю. Совещание закончилось вчера, в пятницу, 11 августа в полдень. На нем присутствовали 160 делегатов из 44 стран, включая Гаити, Ямайку и Тринидад и Тобаго. Было несколько замечательных лекций и несколько очень продуктивных семинаров, которые были построены на основе обмена мнениями о вкладе
богословского обучения в изменения, которые происходят сейчас в Христианстве, а именно в связи с тем, что Христианство усиливается в большинстве регионах мира (в Африке, Азии, Латинской Америке) и переживает упадок в Западном мире (Европа и США). На конференции выступали Ламин Саннех из Йеля, Крис Райт из Товарищества Лангхэм , Роберт Волз из Эдинбурга, Карвер Ю из Высшей Школы Богословия Китая, и Карлос Пинто из Библейской Семинарии Palabra Vida, Бразилия.

Конференция проректоров началась в 15 часов. Она состоит из семинаров и практических занятий по таким темам, как «Проректор как составитель учебного плана», « Проректор как администратор», «Проректор как лицо, ответственное за формирование профессорско-преподавательского состава и персонала учебного учреждения», «Разрешение конфликтов», «Богословие Богословского Обучения» и другие. Названные темы представлены Полем Сондерсом из Ливана, Стивеном Харди из Южной Африки, и Фритцем Дейнингером из Таиланда. Всего нас присутствует 25 человек.

Конференция заканчивается в 6 часов вечера по местному времени/в 7 часов утра по восточно-американскому времени/в 21 час по Московскому времени в воскресенье. Я уезжаю из Чиань Мая в 9 часов вечера/10 утра по восточно-американскому/в полночь по Московскому времени, чтобы снова отправиться в долгое путешествие, которое должно закончиться в Уилморе где-то около 2 часов дня в понедельник, если на то будет Божья воля. Молитесь за мое благополучное путешествие.
На снимке : делегаты КЕБА, Джон Вергер, STEP, из Гаити, Эррол Джозеф из Тринидада, Дамеон Блэк из ЯБС на Ямайке, Диюминэ Ноелисте GGST на Ямайке и Гаити, Абсон, КВК(Ямайка и Гаити).