Jaenne

Well, there’s plenty of things to write about, but I’ll keep this post to a single subject.  I’ll keep the rest for a rainy day (and boy, do I pray for rain to cut the heat, though!)

The other evening, Paul and I joined two Mission Haiti staff members for a trip up the mountain to bring a newly made gift for the old lady I wrote about last time, the one who slept on the ground in her own soiled blankets.  Her name is Jaenne.  She’s not quite sure how old she is.  She has been blind for many years.  She lives alone and is attended to by her granddaughter and a caregiver provided by Misson Haiti.  The gift we brought her was a bed, mattress, and side table made by our own Lubens (director of ministry to the mountains and houseparent to the orphanage).

Jaenne was beside herself.  She just giggled incessantly.  It was such a blessing to just watch this whole interaction take place.  The foam mattress was covered by some large, perfect fitting trash bags so if she soils her sheets, it will not seep down into the mattress.  The whole get-up was complete with mosquito netting.   She looked like a princess on her new bed, 2 toothed grin brimming.

While we were praying for her before departing, Lubens asked her what she asks God for.  She says she prays for sight.  Coming from an ophthalmic background, this request is dear to my heart.  From the science of an ophthalmologic perspective, there’s no way she can ever regain sight.  But, you know what’s awesome, the God we serve reigns above science.  He creates, He speaks, and He is Lord of all – even science.  So if God wants Jaenne to see again, it can just take the whisper of His Voice.  If it is in His plan to not restore her sight, He still reigns. 

I think in a weird way, both those truths are hard to grasp – at the same time or individually.  I’m a science person, you know?  I like knowing how things work.  I think it makes so many things we take for granted awesome.  But I think in my small, figure-it-all-out mind, I forget that God is God.  His very essence is inexplicable.   He hovers over the waters and commands the wind with His voice, and I can’t explain that.  I just need to sit in awe of Him and let Him be Him.  On the flip side, I need to rest in unexplained questions too.  Questions like “Why not restore Jaenne’s sight for Your own glory?”  I can’t answer that for Him.  I just have to trust in Him.  Trust He is good and He knows.

And He does.  He knows.  And I don’t.  And that in itself is even comforting.

Check out the pictures below of our trip to Jaenne’s.  More updates to come.  Sorry for this length one.  I’ll try to keep it shorter next time :)

Much Love,

Bethany