Saint-Fidor Family Ministry

   

 In just a few weeks time, Mikken, Nathaniel, and I are due back in Haiti for the beginning of the 2020-21 school year.

 •Our family's goal is to live out the plan God has written on our hearts- to fulfill the Great Commission by making disciples (Matthew 28:19) through transformational education and to always “seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8). 

Here’s what we’ll be doing this year: 

    Mikken will be the lead fifth grade teacher this year and already has eleven students enrolled in his class! He’s excited to start the year as a lead for the first time and is already brainstorming ways to make his class fun and engaging. He’ll also be trying to squeeze in some elementary art classes. 

    My role is very different this year as I will be stepping out of the classroom into the director role of Cap-Haitien Christian School. This summer I have already started on some of these responsibilities that will carry into the school such as our covid-19 response, hiring of teachers, and updating handbooks. I will also be meeting with teachers to review their lesson plans, create pacing guides, and get into the classrooms to work with them as they reach and teach our students. It’s my prayer to use the foundation of the leaders before me to continue on the path to academic excellence, spiritual growth, and making disciples to best serve our staff and families at CHCS.

    Nathaniel will be at home with his Grann (Mikken’s mom) and his fur-siblings. ;)

    In order for us to get back in time, we are in need of some more monthly support. If just 10 people would give $100 a month, we would be fully funded for the year. Would you consider joining our team? No amount is too small. We’d love to sit with you and explain the mission and vision of the school and how we hope to help achieve it as a family.

Thank you! 

Our Support Page:

https://give.teachbeyond.org/support/saint-fidor/

Master’s, Mentoring, Moving…Oh, my!

Master’s, Mentoring, Moving…Oh, my!

Master’s. As mentioned previously, in January I accepted a request to become Assistant Principal of Elementary School at Cowman International School. In order to help me become more qualified for this role, I have enrolled in a Master’s of Education in Administration and Instruction at Emmaus Biblical Seminary. This means, that about every other month, several of us at Cowman leave school a few hours early for a week of intensive class from 1:00-5:00. The classes are taught by professors from the States, but our class is full of representatives from many types of education in Haiti. From school teachers, directors, principals, to government officials- it is so exciting to see so many Haitian teachers using a quality Christian education program to better their schools. I am learning so much here! Si Dye Vle (Lord Willing), I will graduate with my Master’s in May of 2019. J

Mentoring. Though I was nervous to accept the VP position at first, I am finding that I really enjoy it! Most of what I do is mentoring and serving- somethings I love to do! I meet with three of the elementary teachers at least once a week to review lesson plans, answer questions, and make sure they have what they need to do the best they can for their kids. Not only does this help my confidence in my own teaching, but I get to learn from them as well! Coming from different backgrounds with different experiences, we all have a lot to offer each other. It allows me to get closer to my colleagues which is probably one of my favorite parts of the job. Next year, I will be adding several more teachers to my meeting rotations. This means I will spend a bit less time in my classroom, leaving my co-teacher, Ronald, to teach more lessons. Please pray for this! I am excited to mentor more teachers but giving away class time is bittersweet.

Moving. As some of you may know, for the past two years (and for my student teaching), I have lived on the One Mission Society compound in Vaudreuil, Haiti in House 7. This house has affectionately been dubbed, “The Chick House” because it is where many young women have lived. Over these years, House 7 has truly been a home to me. It is the first place that I have ever lived aside from my childhood home in Bensalem. Though I have loved living on campus with the other missionaries and with abundant fruit trees, the time has come for me to move to another location! Our field is in a bit of transition with people going retiring, returning to the States, and going on furlough This, as well as a few other things, have given the remaining missionaries the opportunity to branch off and find hew housing. I will now be living in an apartment building called Breda, just 10 minutes from school and my old compound! This is super exciting for me as it is the first time I’ve ever picked out my place. The location will also allow me to become more independent as well as closer to my Haitian family and friends. Please pray as my cats & I get adjusted.

Stay tuned for pictures/details about moving and about the end of the school year!

Beauty

Wow! I’ve been back home in Haiti for eight weeks now and I haven’t blogged once. Sorry about that!

First of all, I need to say a huge thank you to all of you who support me on a monthly basis and those who gave special gifts to get me here. I am happy to say that I am 100% funded until June of 2019! That means that any gifts given now help me stay here longer. J

Yesterday and today are Cowman's days of Fall Break and I had the oppurtunity to go on a long hike with a good group friends. It was beautiful and I wanted to share some of the beauty in my life with you. 

According to dictionary.com beauty is "the quality present in a thing or person that gives intense pleasure or deep satisfaction to the mind, whether from sensory manifestations, a meaningful design, or something else." 

Here is where I find beauty in my life...

I find beauty in a classroom set up using hand-me-downs from my mom's old preschool and from special gifts from loving friends.

I find beauty in rehabilitation. 

I find beauty in a happy, loud, smart first grade classroom. 

I find beauty in birthdays. And lots of them!

I find beauty in God's protection from hurricanes. 

I find beauty in "Look Miss Kacie! Look what we made!" 

I find beauty in my girls who visit and help me whenever they can. 

I find beauty in my big kids helping my little kids learn to read. 

I find beauty in the sunrise.

I find beauty in nature. 

I find beauty in friends. 

I thank God for all of the beauty found in my life and for each of you that has helped me get this far. Thank you! ~ 

The View Outside My Window (Written Saturday, June 10th)

The view outside my window has had many changes in the past weeks.

The view outside my window was of newborn goats and Malaysian apples.

Then view outside my window changed to an apartment building and a playground set.

The current view outside my window is of roads, cars, and houses, thousands of feet below me.

In a few hours, the view outside of my window will be the city of Philadelphia and then of my dogs in my backyard.

As I sit here on plane ride #21 since July of 2016, I feel like the views outside my window reflect my life in transition.

For someone that struggles with change, life overseas is filled with it! I’ve adjusted to a new culture, climate, home, language, school, and job. I have to meet and then say goodbye to dozens of new people. I taught a grade I’ve never imagined being a part of. I’ve learned to live away from family for the first time. I’ve adjusted to life with two housemates and wayyyy less animals then I’m used to.

So much change in just 10 months!

Though it hasn’t always been easy, it has always been worth it! As one of my housemates and I used to say, “This life is hard, but it is good.”

I love my new life in Haiti, all the change included. I love how God is 

using all of these experiences to shape me, hopefully into looking more like Him. I love how God is using my family, friends, and church family to build me up, encourage, and support me in the call God has put on my life.

Thank you for your part in my story, no matter what view outside my widow there is. 

My ministry is not possible without you.

Stop and Enjoy!

“Stop and enjoy!”

She yells it as I take in the chaos of the other children in the house running around the room screaming with the joy that comes with childhood.

“Stop and enjoy!”

She tells me as we work hard on learning her letters and shapes. I smile at her because her focus and speaking skills have grown so much in the time I’ve known her.

“Stop and enjoy!”

She whispers as I ask her to calm down her hyper self so we can read her favorite books while she lays in my lap.

“Stop and enjoy…”

I’m not quite sure that 8 year old A even really knows what that phrase means, (even though she uses it in a decent context) but that catchphrase of hers has stuck with me ever since she started using it a couple of months ago.

March and April have been crammed pack with fun, comfort-stretching, growth-making, hard but oh-so-good moments. Through it all, I’ve had handfuls of moments where I’ve had to listen to A’s voice in my head to just “stop and enjoy” what God is doing here in Haiti and in my life.

I stop and enjoy the beauty found in God’s creation in Haiti where the contrast between beauty and poverty sit side by side.

 

I stop and enjoy as I realize how many blessings come out of Bethesda Clinic, OMS’ clinic on our compound. So many people, including me and Susie, have benefited from its service. Dr. Rodney, the head doctor, strives to make sure that every patient receives quality physical care, but never leaves out sharing about Jesus!

These are my pneumonia free lungs (after 2 months of  it!)! :D

I stop and enjoy know that "my kids" know that they are loved by me and by God. 

I stop and enjoy chapel on Friday mornings with Cowman School as all of our student’s sing that they love Jesus “down deep in their hearts.” 

I stop and enjoy doing resurrection eggs with my fourth graders as we declare that Jesus is risen and sing that grace wins every time.

I stop and enjoy celebrating Easter away from family for the first time with friends that have become family.

I stop and enjoy the feeling of tiny hands playing with my hair at the Potter’s House or bigger hands styling my hair at school.

  

I stop and enjoy and marvel that this is my life and I am so blessed and content with it. In fact, here’s the exciting part…

I’ve just received word that I have officially been accepted with OMS as a longer term missionary! This means that I will get to, Lord willing, live and minister in Haiti for at least two more years! 😊

Stay tuned for ways you can help make this happen! 

Discombobulated Thoughts

Discombobulated Thoughts

      Hello! First of all, I apologize for the lack of posting in 2017 so far. Every time I would start to write, something would interrupt or my thoughts would jumble. I am also currently on my third round of antibiotics since New Year’s for what was/is some sort of respiratory/sinus infection that just might have been walking pneumonia. Please forgive me! J  We are now on spring break and this the first actual  “pause” I have taken since December. 

   So… I thought about writing about embracing the “messy” parts of life, like building cross-cultural friendships, working with kids from hard places, or navigating tough decisions about the future without having my mom close by.

     I thought about copying my housemate Susie’s idea on writing about the verse that states, “How beautiful are the feet of those who share the good news.” Because, you see these feet?

They are almost always dusty, peeling, and mosquito bitten, and a little bit sore. Beautiful is not the word I would use for them. (And yes, I know that’s not what the Bible literally meant).

     But finally, as I walked home from school hand-in-hand with a couple of my girlies, I decided I would show some pictures of things that have made me reflect on what love has looked like the past couple months.

      Love is freshly picked flowers from my students.

      Love is half-birthday celebrations.

Love is notes from my mom.

      Love is friends taking you to get food when your lazy.

      Love is a “Sign if you love your teacher!” board.

      Love is fourth grade completing 100 acts of kindness.

      Love is chocolate from a stranger for loving on her kids when she can’t.

      Love is having personal hairstylists almost every day.

      Love is “Have you had enough water today, Miss Kacie?”

      Love is school supplies from pen-pals.

      Love is a picture drawn of my and student with the words, “This is me and my teacher. I love her and I know she loves me.”

      Love is long talks and Hawaii 5-0 with housemates. (We need more pictures!)

     Love is “Kacie! Eske ou manje ak nou souple?” “Will you eat with us please?”

      Love is morning hugs.

      Love is students praying for me and each other.

      Love is a “pixie dust holder.”

      Love is handmade dresses from mom & grandma for the orphanage.

Love is a happy face on my sidewalk “because you love everything cute.”

Love is this: