the new year

this year

i got married
alicia and i went to haiti 3 times
we paid off over 12k in debt

i'm sure there's a lot more that i am forgetting about. but those were probably the highlights.

i think it's funny how we get a day off because the year is ending. who decided that december 31st is the last day in the year? there are 365 perfectly other good days that could be the end of the year. It would be weird though if the end of the year was like in the middle of a month though. It probably wouldn't be weird if that's the way it had always been, it would just be normal. But thinking about it from how we have it now, yes it would be weird.

Why do people get all wasted to celebrate the new year? The first thing they have the next day is a hangover. What a great way to start the new year haha. The first day, we don't work. We just do nothing. We are so weird.

what is more scary

someplace where you body could be physically harmed, but you feel connected with God

or

someplace where you and your body is safe, but you are definitely lacking spiritually?

this is what i am thinking. i wish i could have the best of both worlds haha. maybe i just need to work more on being fulfilled where i am at.

Update

Hi All -

 

We are back from Haiti and had an awesome Christmas there.  We were updating the blog at http://lucastheexperience.blogspot.com  I also just finished uploading all the pictures.  You can take a look at them at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucastheexperience/sets/72157611333604717/

 

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

--
Lucas

tragedy

“I will tell you what a tragedy is, I will show you how to waste your life. Consider this story from the February 1998 Reader’s Digest: A couple took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30-foot trawler, play softball and collect shells. … Picture them before Christ at the great day of judgment: ‘Look, Lord. See my shells.’ That is a tragedy.” - John Piper

I have to say Christmas in Haiti was unlike anything I have experienced. In a good way, first we went to Christmas Eve service which I thought we were going to miss out on because of our rule about being out after dark (which was to not be out after dark). It was a really great time with the kids and we had a candle lighting and everything. Then we went back to the guesthouse where we had everybody on the roof - oh my gosh God please let that roof never collapse - and shot off fireworks. Now in California, they ban you from buying even the little piddly fireworks in most places. These were like the bigtime fireworks you see in professional shows, but probably a little less safe haha. So that was a great time. Then we went to watch a movie at the boys house which skipped so much I couldn't tell if it was in English or not. Then the younger boys all were excited because I was staying over that night. These kids are crazy, they were up until 3am playing video games and when I tried to fall asleep they stuck a cat in my face so I decided I had to stay up with them to avoid the torture haha. The other weird thing was that that night there was a party going on next door until 3am. There was also people welding throughout the night, which is great for them because they have no form of real eye protection. The guys on the street were a little bit nuts and a couple gunshots went off which I thought were just more fireworks haha. God is in control and no one was hurt as far as I know. That happens in America too, I am just never around it.

Christmas in Haiti is much like Christmas in America. When I was out in the city, you saw Christmas lights and images of Santa Claus. As Christmas day got closer, the streets got more crowded. As impoverished as this country is, it seems like consumerism has attached itself to Christmas just like in America.


I have been thinking about this guy Alicia and I met at Delmas 2000 which is like a lame version of Big Lots or Pic-N-Save. He was from Palestine, and was kind of managing this store which had seemingly thousands of Haitians coming through it to buy anything from dirty fabric to fake potted plants that lit up and moved when you plugged them in. We started talking to him because I am fascinated what brings people from Syria or Middle Eastern countries to Haiti because a lot of people managing stores like this or grocery stores seem to be from Middle Eastern countries. Alicia and I found out he had no family here, he had only been in Haiti for two years and he was from Palestine. So we asked, "Why Haiti? What brings you here?" He said, "Just my luck!" Just my luck?! That's it?!!? That's what I wanted to ask, but I smirked and moved on to other questions... I pray and hope to God I am following God's will and not just being blown around by the wind and following my luck or collecting seashells.

jodia

we had a great time of worship in the morning and prayer for aaron and katie too. then we went to the ravine and handed out toys and candy and stopped by fritznel's house to see his mom. then it was lunch time and then we went shopping at delmas 2000 again for the kids. to end the night we watched a jackie chan movie in french at the boys home and i slept over there. i put some pictures up last night...

a day out on the town

yesterday i got to go out of the orphanage a lot which was really interesting. there was a businessman who came to speak to the kids last week and he runs a computer store on one of the main streets here in Port-Au-Prince. I wanted to go check it out and plus I wanted to buy a memory card. It was pretty nice and I was surprised with all the stuff they had there. The prices were a bit high, but that's the way everything is here. I bought something anyways.

Then Bill & I went to epidor which is like Haitian McDonald's after that...

Then soon after I got back the kids got 10 dollars a piece from an american donor to buy something for someone else. We went to this place called Delmas 2000, which just has all sorts of random stuff to buy. Toys, fake flowers, furniture... I went out with them and I did not realize it was going to take 4 HOURS to shop for 15 kids haha. I was mostly helping Keso who could not make up his mind at all. He and Alicia must be related lol. I was excited to see Keso wanting to buy stuff for his mom and sister, since I never really see them talk... Anyways, we finally got out and it was about 5:30, but then we had to wait in line to get the presents wrapped. I think we got back at like 7:30. While we were there there was a kid begging for money and I of course being the one white guy in the sea of Haitians was his target for getting "just one dollar" I prayed for him, the kids said they already gave him something and I would rather pray for a kid than give him a dollar. I can give people dollars all day and it won't do anything real for them and I will be out of dollars pretty soon. I can't run out of prayers. The kid said thank you after that but then proceeded to go back to his begging me for one dollar... I wished i had some candy or something to give him too... maybe i should keep candy on me or something. On the way home another kid asked us for money and Keso asked if he could give one of his presents to this kid on the street. I was so proud of him for doing that!

New pictures are up

today

we went to church. the pastor, when he saw us was like you guys should just move here haha. I told him we are bringing people to Haiti right now and he said "one day you will be receiving people" lol

Another interesting fact I came across while looking at my Haitian Creole book this morning is that the phrase that sounds like Yahweh in Creole means they will see.

After church we went to lunch for Carolyn's birthday and had an amazing time. I got to ride standing up in the back of truck, holding on real tight to the bars that run around the truck for blancs like me to stand up with. It was fun and almost like a ride at disneyland some of the time.

then we came back and played with the kids some more.

pictures are uploaded

christmas outreach

most of the day today was taken up by the christmas outreach. There was practice in the morning and just general preparation like making costumes. Others worked on construction projects. We started the program at 3pm. It was so cool to see all the different talents the kids had, and we had a LOT of kids from the neighborhood. In fact there were so many, there were some that couldn't be let in... There was an altar call and a bunch of kids came up which was the whole point we were doing this!

I am uploading 60 pictures tonight, there were just so many good ones. Dancing, singing, skits, that lifehouse sketch thingie. Wow. What a day.

christmas

We are gearing up for the Christmas outreach tomorrow. Most of the day was spent practicing for it. I went to the airport to get our two lost bags and it amazingly only took me 5 minutes. The people in this country, are so curious to me. I had five guys helping me to get my 2 bags. I guess I should have shook the other ones off or carried the bags myself. When we went to give them a tip... I didn't know what to do and they refused the amount we offered. Weird. I would think that they would rather take something than nothing but all 5 of them agreed not to take what we wanted to give them. Anyways, after a little bit of hassle with the customs guy I got all my bags out of there and EVERYTHING even my two flat panel monitors were in there. Thank you God!

Back at the ranch, Some of us went to the ravine to gather some grass for a skit tomorrow. Then it was back to practicing, which lasted most of the rest of the day and I am pretty excited about how it will all turn out.

There are a lot of other things going on including making costumes for the play, fixing sinks and probably other things I haven't heard about or taken pictures of. I am also working on getting a little computer lab set up now that I have most of the supplies. A Haitian businessman came by to speak to the boys about his business, which sells computers... Unfortunately I was not there because I had to go retrieve my bags but Alicia told me all about it and I hope to stop by his shop sometime this week.

It has been a great time so far this past 24 hours. I love the peace God gives me here in the midst of everything that is going on. I am laughing at how stressed I was before I came here with work and packing and just going to Haiti. I always imagine it a lot worse than it actually is and I am really having a great time hanging out with the kids and all the people here. I love going out of the orphanage and seeing Haiti too, which I got to do a little of today when going to the airport.

I have so much more to say probably but I am going to sign off to work on other computer stuff now. Thank you for your prayers and pray for the outreach tomorrow...

New pics are up at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucastheexperience

here we are

we are finally in haiti. LAX was, as expected, insane but we arrived well ahead of time to get everything through even in the insaneness. we thought we would have to pay for our bags, but apparently on int'l flights you don't have to. after a flight to texas, a plane change there and then a flight to ft. lauderdale. we deplaned and found the airport empty and ourselves with 6 bags and 12 hours to kill. Alicia used her powers of persuasion to get Pizza Hut to deliver to the airport, we discovered her Bible was left on the plane to Texas (please pray for that as it is sentimental to her) and we slept on some funky looking carpet that was not very comfortable.

We got to Port-Au-Prince on time and were eager to get out the door. Unfortunately, half our bags - including the bag with two flat panel monitors - are delayed a day. I am not asking for prayer on that one unless you feel so inclined. We can live without them and I have travel insurance so it is really not a big concern. Pray that the bags are going to come because there are shoes and items that would probably be of more use to the kids here...

Anyways we had a great first day even though we can barely think straight. Everybody from the US is here now, about ten of us total. Some of us went to watch the kids perform a Christmas show which included songs about Christmas trees, which I have yet to see here (although i did see a tree made out of pinecones), Santa Claus and other seemingly American traditions. It seems our ways have seeped over here somehow... but it's still exciting to see a different culture and all the different things they do compared to us. I believe I heard "Here comes Santa Claus" today sung in haitian creole.

I am updating pics at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucastheexperience

Ayiti

Hi everyone,

 

We are going back to Haiti tomorrow until the day after Christmas.  We actually get there Thursday because of crazy holiday flights... I don't know how much we will be in touch as we are not bringing a computer but when we can we will be updating the blog at

 

http://lucastheexperience.blogspot.com

 

and pictures at

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucastheexperience

 

or if you have facebook... when i update one of the above two my facebook automatically updates.  :)

 

Alicia is going to be teaching a dance for the Christmas outreach and I'm sure we will have a LOT of hang out time with the kids as they are not in school...

 

We are so excited that God is taking us back to spend our first married Christmas in Ayiti!

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Lucas and Alicia
--
Lucas Simmonswww.lucasyalicia.com

Like Robinson Crusoe, It's Primitive as can be

I am sometimes not a fan of technology.

I plan to escape, mostly. For a period of about 8 days. Call it a fast, or what you will. I need a break. All this connectedness, I can't get away from it. Remember when you didn't have a cell phone, a computer?

I am over it.

Forgotten shot: View from a ravine in Port-Au-Prince

Forgotten shot: View from a ravine in Port-Au-Prince
Originally uploaded by LucasTheExperience

wow

1 Timothy 6 3-16
Love of Money
3If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 5and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.
6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Paul's Charge to Timothy
11But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

There are certain things in life that make me so frustrated I want to scream. But I'd rather just be content that I have food and clothing. Life is pretty crazy when you think about it. I am constantly amazed by the things everybody takes for granted. All our technology, just being ALIVE oh my gosh. Being alive to me is such a miracle I wish that I would dwell more on what a miracle is everyday... I am so blessed but I let these stupid things get me all worked up that in the long run have really very little if any consequences from an eternal perspective.

6 days to Ayiti.

Wow

I just ate my fourth steak of the day and the plate was supposedly 500 degrees. I am so full. I am talking about haiti at the church in shandon tomorrow!
Lucas Simmons
www.lucasyalicia.com
619-277-5288

Haiti - One more update for now

Hi everyone!

I have a few items I wanted to share with you:

1. We are having a share time at King's Harbor Church on December 13th from 1-3pm in the Fellowship Hall. The address is 23915 Garnier St. Torrance, CA 90505. We'd love for you to come and hear all the stories we have to share about what God is doing in Haiti!
2. We have a new photobook from the last trip, I just ordered my first copy yesterday. If you want to see it, it's at: http://www.mypublisher.com/bookshelf/bookviewer.py?d=tq%3Ey-cppl%60je%3E3553249 If that link doesn't work and you want to see it, just email me or come to the share time.
3. Alicia and I are going back for Christmas! We will be helping out with the Christmas program, hopefully helping out more with the garden. You can keep up to date with us at http://lucastheexperience.blogspot.com/ We will be leaving on Dec 17th and returning Dec 26th.

I think that's it for now...