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...]
outreach
The Hard Work of Building Bridges
The original version of this essay was published on May 16, 2016 in Self Talk the Gospel. I’m fascinated by bridges. I live in California so you can imagine the first bridge that comes to mind is the Golden Gate Bridge. Regal. Majestic. Glorious. Poppy red-by-day and glowing-with-lights by night. Iconic to the San Francisco skyline. The ... [Keep Reading...]
Book Review: At Home in the World
My first real venture out of the United States was a study abroad program in Central America during my senior year of college. Our home base was San Jose, Costa Rica, but we also spent time sojourning through Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. I still remember that moment. I was sitting around a rugged wooden table with a diverse group ... [Keep Reading...]
Journey of the heart: Haiti is calling me home
It’s been more than two years since I’ve tasted Haitian fried chicken with plantains cooked over a charcoal burner. It’s been more than two years since I’ve hugged the necks of the children in the orphanage who are now careening into their teen years. It’s been more than two years since we have seen those goats on spindly legs grazing in the ... [Keep Reading...]
Navigating Grief: When you have to say goodbye to the place your heart feels home
By Melissa Ens “Good grief, Charlie Brown.” I’ve sighed a lot these last few years and wondered what kind of grief, exactly, is the good kind? True, there is godly sorrow that leads to repentance, (2 Cor. 7:10) but what I’ve needed is sorrow that would lead to healing. In December 2011, my husband, our 3 children and I moved to Peru, where we ... [Keep Reading...]
Growing a Heart to Serve
God has given me a heart of mercy for others. The widow. The orphan. The mom in need. These all tug on my heart strings. I recently heard author Rebekah Lyons say this, “Your calling is when your talents and your burdens collide.” This was a reminder to me of why I originally jumped in to be the director of The Haitian Bead Project. Since I was a ... [Keep Reading...]
