Update: Haiti, All Things New, and the Bush Family
It has been about a month since the last time we wrote to update you on what is going on in Haiti, and there is a good reason for that...Not much has changed.
Unfortunately, things are still dangerous, our kids are still away from their home in another city, and the Kenyan police force is doing very little to help the situation. In short, things are still very difficult, prices are higher than ever, and school has not yet started (though that should change soon!)
Our kids are staying in a temporary facility for now and they seem to be doing ok there. It is harder to communicate now, but they seem to be comfortable and they have some of their same House Moms and security although not everyone is traveling back and forth because of the great distance. Honestly, we are in the process of deciding what to do next. Do we set down roots in a new city, wait for things to calm down, ask our employees to move with us...These are all questions we are asking and trying to figure out on a daily basis right now, especially as the situation on the ground is not that easy to read.
As far as the Bush family is concerned, here are a few things to know:
- We continue to work closely with all of our people on the ground in Haiti as we try to figure out what to do next. We are praying every day and just waiting for the time that we can go back again.
- We have started back to school here in Jacksonville, and it is hard to think about how much different our kids' lives are compared to the kids in Haiti. Watching them walk into clean/cool classrooms, having consistent schedules, and having trained and educated teachers who love them is incredible. At the same time it is sad to know that our kids in Haiti miss all of this.
- All 5 of us are at the same school right now. I (Matt) teach Bible, Jess is helping with Kindergarten, and our kids are in 1st/2nd/3rd grades there. It is fun being all together.
- I am now, as of January, the Senior Pastor of Glendale Community Church in Jacksonville. I have loved it so far, and it has given us an opportunity to minister in a way that is fun and exciting. We continue to miss Haiti, but this church has been an incredible blessing to our family already. If you live in Jacksonville we would love to have you come by, here is the website!
Things are difficult, but GOD continues to bless in the midst of the difficulty. We are trying really hard to plan an event in LaGrange so we can see you guys up there, spend some time together, and tell you all about what is going on in Haiti, with ATN, and with our family. In the meantime, thanks for reading.