hello everyone,
just a quick note to say I wrote a blog on the Mission of Hope website, and you can find it here:

http://www.mohhaiti.org/blog/beach_day_with_3_cords

 
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We had a scare last week in 3 Cords, and it shook me to the core just like the earthquake did.  In many ways, it was scarier, because I was told one of my best friends here, Marie Maude, an employee of 3 Cords, probably has cancer.  The visiting dentist found a huge tumor in the bone of her jaw, and most of the time, this means cancer.  The tumor had eaten away the entire root of one of her molars, which was not a good sign.  Not only that, most of the time it means that that cancer came from either your lungs or breast, meaning it is probably in many parts of your body, and too late to cure.  When the dentist told me that, my heart sank, remembering the time Marie Maude told me sometimes she has difficulty breathing.  I didn’t even tell anyone that last detail because I was too afraid that my worst nightmare would be true. 

Before any of this happened, the whole 3 Cords team (myself and other North American staff that help out with it) had decided that Marie Maude would be the one we promote to be the supervisor of 3 Cords.  She is really and truly one of the most amazing people on the planet: dynamic, funny, welcoming, and not only that, she reaches out to those that other people don’t want anything to do with.  She makes a point to see everyone deeper than their skin.  And honestly, you just don’t see this often in Haiti.  She is one of a kind, and everyone who meets her falls in love with her. 

Well, the morning after I heard the devastating news, I was reading in my Bible, and read “the Lord takes pleasure in those who hope in His steadfast love.” (Psalm 147:11).  I prayed that God would give me hope, because by myself, I had little.  I couldn’t focus throughout the day on anything but praying that God would save my friend.  Anytime I told someone to pray for her I would end up in tears.  Then, a few days later, God gave me a hope.  I remembered who the God is that we serve.  I had hope that God wanted to save Marie Maude, and that even if that wasn't his plan, He had purpose in it.  He never promises an easy walk, but He does promise that He is good.  And every day we have a new opportunity to trust that or not. 

Well, a few days ago, we got the results of the biopsy, and Marie Maude does NOT have cancer!  She had an extremely rare type of fibrous cyst that perplexed the doctors, but nonetheless, it won’t kill her.  Marie Maude will be with us for a long while… we hope in the Lord!!!

As an update, Marie Maude was just promoted to be a supervisor yesterday, making the ministry/business more self-sufficient and helping it to run better on a daily basis.  We are all really excited about this!  This means 3 Cords can GROW! 

Here are some pictures of my beautiful friend Marie Maude:

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