On Thursdays, we eat Haitian rice and beans. We pray for our friends in Haiti and around the world.We started this tradition in January before we knew the coronavirus even existed. Long before people were stocking their pantries for home quarantine. We wanted to eat this simple meal in solidarity with people who survive on little.Haitian rice and [...] Keep Reading
haiti
Providing a sense of home for widows in Haiti
She would often tap-tap-tap on the back screen door of the Bell Mission House built by my husband’s grandparents, where our family typically stayed. The first thing most people notice about Comère is she’s blind. Comère walked more than 5 miles from her home in Bahoncy beyond Fontaine in the northern mountains of Haiti. She would bring one of her [...] Keep Reading
Unexpected friendship in a cup of cold water
The sun blazed and dust swirled. Sweat dripped in every crevice of my body. My belly swelled announcing my third baby, expected to appear sometime that winter. My unexpected assignment that summer: to help start a jewelry business employing women in the mountains of Haiti. I arrived in Haiti, excited and nervous. I knew I had to start by [...] Keep Reading
International Widows Day: Why reaching out a hand can make all the difference
A few years ago, I attended a writer's conference and met a pastor from another state. We chatted for about 15 minutes, and I briefly shared my story of being widowed in 2014. I could see he was filled with great compassion. He asked me how he could support my work sharing about grief and imparting courage to widows. We exchanged contact [...] Keep Reading
Learning the language of goodbyes with kids
The original version of this article was published on my ministry blog, Gilmores for His Glory, on August 8, 2012. We have said a lot of goodbyes in our lifetime. Sometimes it feels like too many for my heart to bear. This is one of the sacrifices of building a life in two different countries and befriending people from around the [...] Keep Reading
Journey back to Haiti: Learning to Behold
The moment I set foot on the new tile in the church nestled in the mountains, I could feel the buzz. Wide-eyed, I scanned the crowd. There was an excitement among the women who gathered. They greeted me with smiles and kisses and enthusiastic hugs. Many of them have become dear friends over the years. This was the Esther Women’s conference in [...] Keep Reading
