Birthday Girls!

Thinking of the girls and though they have been through a lot in their short lives they are still filled with so much JOY! I pray we can each challenge ourselves to be joyful always.

"Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4

We've got the JOY, JOY, JOY, JOY down in our hearts!

where...?

down in our hearts!

where...?

down in our hearts!

We've got the JOY, JOY, JOY, JOY down in our hearts

where?

down in our hearts to Stay!




Here are some photos of the fun we have had lately!

The Birthday Girls of December! Genese and Kiara

love the hair... Saturdays the girls get their hair braided, they look so cute the short time its undone. 

 We pray that you may all have Joy in celebrating the birth of Jesus this Christmas!

tree up, check. nails done, check.

It is a good thing we are not ocd when it comes to putting up christmas trees and thinking it has to look a certain way... :) We had fun letting the girls and Cohen put up the tree yesterday. Eric put on the Christmas cd we brought with us and right away that got us all in the christmas spirit!  Of course there was a lot of dancing first then we realized our time was limited before dinner and we needed to get to work.  I love that the girls love to dance, and that they don't judge Eric and I on our not so smooth moves. They just get a good laugh, especially with Eric. It is funny I have noticed a few moves some of the girls have picked up from us and you can usually tell because it's when they are not really in rhythm.. hopefully they can teach us a thing or two.

We can't wait to spend our first Christmas in Haiti with these lovely little ladies! I am thankful to be removed from the shopping madness and the stress we can bring on ourselves with buying gifts and trying to figure out when we would be with this family and what food we would eat. Of course the gift part won't be as easy to run to the store but it will be fun to have to be creative and know no matter what it will be appreciated, and with the food... well rice and beans of course!

I am thankful and excited to share the story of Christ's birth with the girls and Cohen. Knowing it won't be the first time they have heard it but hoping each time they hear it they understand more and more of our Heavenly Father's love for us.

The tree did turn out great in the end! You might just have to wait until Christmas to see it. :) 

This is the next morning... Cohen and Kiara rule the house in the morning when the big girls are at school. 

Eliana and Kiara wanted their nails done, they loved the attention and getting pampered. Unfortunately the older girls were not too happy they are not allowed to wear polish to school.

Blessings to you all! Always be praying for Gods love and protection over each of these precious lives.

Our thanks to the fullest...

On a rainy Sandy Hurricane day we all had to say goodbye to two very amazing people and their cute little man. This was not an easy thing for anyone to do to say the least. But knowing it was all in Gods plans and He is guiding each of our continued steps for us here and them there we can have peace to know it is well.

We knew this was going to be a harder transition for us then even moving down here. Gods Grace is enough for us and he is covering us. We are so thankful for the last couple months. To be able to do ministry with family is such a blessing. We loved every day we were able to spend together and considered it a gift from God!

Jared and Jalayne to say that our staff, and girls here are thankful for you is an understatement. They are more then thankful, you have changed each of their lives for the better by loving them and sharing Jesus with them and they are truly blessed and forever will be grateful for the time they had with you here in Haiti.

Praying for Gods continued provision in your lives and that he keeps you healthy and warm this winter.

We are proud of you, we love you, we miss you, we are so thankful for you, and we are so thankful for the ministry you have done here.

We all have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Thank You Jesus!

   We are so quick at times to ask for prayer as soon as the slightest need comes up.  Jesus wants us to come to Him at all times, every day. Not just when there is a need, we are afraid, or if one of us gets sick.  He wants our conversation to be so often, he wants us to be His very best friend. He knows our thoughts and our deepest needs before we even tell Him.  He is just waiting for us to open up our hearts to Him. I also think sometimes he is waiting for a THANK YOU.

  We make sure the girls always say "Please" and "Thank You."  We ask of Cohen to say Please and Thank You for just about anything { it's really cute } but more importantly we want him to learn to be appreciative of things. Lately he has been saying it without us telling him.  When I give him anything like a cup to play with in the bath, open the door for him, or today when I helped him jump over a cement block that we cross everyday when walking into the orphanage, he just looks at me in his little cute not at all baby voice and says "Thank You Mom" and oh my goodness......my heart melts. It is the simplest phrase but it means so much. Eric and I both always love when he does this and we always share with each other if one is not around, or even if we are both there we will say "did you hear him!?"

So if we get that excited from it, how much more do you think it melts the heart of our Father.
  
    I was thinking of how that last couple months before our move here all my prayers were, Jesus please keep us safe, Jesus please provide for us, Jesus please keep the boys healthy, Jesus please take away all my doubts and fears. Not saying I still don't add those things in but I don't at all feel afraid being here.  I was more afraid living in the states when Eric would have to travel for basketball then I have been here at all.  I am not worried my children are going to get sick every time they take a bath from the water. :)

  I also know we asked of many of you to pray with us for those things and for our transition here. I want to make sure you don't stop praying for us by any means..... :) but so you know that He has heard our prayer and we want to Thank You for praying, but most importantly Thank Him and Praise Him.

For from HIM, Through HIM and to HIM are all things. For HIM be the glory forever!  Amen. 

Romans 11:36  

  Thank you Jesus for this day, Thank you for your provision in our lives, Thank you for bringing us to Haiti, Thank you for our marriage and the love we share, Thank you for our healthy boys and for coming before us in Haiti and meeting us here and our every need. Thank you for the girls and our staff, Thank you for allowing us to grow closer to you during this time and as a family. Thank you for Jared and Jalayne and for helping us and for the very special time we have been able to spend together, Thank you for surrounding us with so many friends and family that love us and truly care for us, Thank you for those who are praying for us everyday and when ever they think of us, Thank you for those who are financially giving to meet our needs here, Thank you for our health, Thank you for a home, Thank you for making this the smoothest transition in the world for us, Thank You that you are not even close to being finished with us, Thank you that you love us so much, Thank you for allowing us to see how much you love us, Thank You for who you are, Thank you for freedom to serve you in Haiti, Thank you for allowing us to learn the language, Thank you for generators, Thank you for fans, Thank you for rice, Thank you for clean water to drink,  Thank you for computers, phones, and skype. Thank you for CFM trusting us to be here, Thank you for visitors, Thank you for comfort when we are missing out on births of new babies from people we love, and for comfort and peace when a brother was in ICU, Thank you for very dear friends of ours who are going to soon be parents. Thank you for comforting us and family during the many transitions we have gone through on both sides in the last couple months. Thank you for supportive and praying churches, Thank you for praying parents! Thank you for PEACE and GRACE.  {We are so blessed and we are so loved by our Heavenly Father} Thank you for answering every prayer we prayed leading up to us being here and since we have been here. Thank you that because of who You are we do not have to live in fear.
Thank You Jesus So Much!  WE LOVE YOU!    
Amen.


{{You can send us praise/prayer requests we would love to pray with you! ebcobz@gmail.com}}

The summer that never ends..

     We are loving our time here in Haiti, it feels like summer and coming from Ohio we should have had frost on the ground by now.  Growing up we didn't have air conditioning and now I realize that was all in Gods plan for my training and preparations for Haiti. - (Thanks Dad!)
     Until last week it was still summer break for the girls. School finally started and they were so excited to go. They were excited to get new shoes, wear their uniforms and put special red and white ribbons in their hair.  They all look so adorable all dressed and ready for school. The oldest five are in school leaving the youngest three, Miles, and our boys home to play. The little ones are loving their time together. Also loving all the extra attention they are getting.
    Eric is still learning all the ropes to living in Haiti and keeping things running smoothly for the girls.  He is doing so well at taking over here.  Sometimes things can take hours here for him to do that we could have done in 30 minutes back home.. God never stops teaching us patience that's for sure.  Eric is doing really good with learning the language the nannies will tell me his creole is strong. I am proud of him. :)
     I started further creole lessons with our nannies. Each day I meet with someone different and they help me with my language learning. It is a nice time to have actual conversations and get to know them better. Its a rare occasion to not have two or three little ones running circles around us when talking so I am loving this time to just learn from them and learn more about them. In hopes to having a better relationship with each of the ladies I get to work with during our time here.
    Cohen is still picking up words here and there and shocks us all when a creole phrase comes from his mouth. We all get a kick out of it. Especially our staff here.. I am learning it is really a sign of respect to learn the language of the country you are living in. People love it even if you just know a little bit of their language, it just shows you care enough to try and learn.
    Papa, and Grandma came last Tuesday- Cohen was speechless he was so excited! It was so nice to spend time for them especially for our boys.  Cohen loves being around people and both his Papa's and Grandma's mean so much to him. So we were so excited for him to see some familiar faces. But it even gets better yet, Aunt Ruby, Aunt Carol, and Aunt Marlene came to visit as well! It was so fun for all of us to see them and spend some time showing them around Haiti. We stayed up too late and had some good laughs! And as you can imagine Parents/Grandparents and Aunts would come bearing sweets, and gifts. They even brought stuff for the girls and it was so much fun to be able to watch them receive the gifts.
    A group from Ohio and Florida came to work along with Cody Troyer and the block machine. They finished the first house built with the block machine. It was good to see everyone here coming together to help a family in need of a home!

   Thanks so much for coming and spoiling us!- Also thanks to everyone who sent things along with them-we are so blessed and appreciate it!

So glad to have swings here!

The girls would have been just as excited to have these bags let a lone the dolls and clothes inside!

This was one of my favorite parts, Rosiany pulling out the dress up heels from her bag and just getting right up and showing us her "runway walk" 

Grandma and Cohen and Miles, We are going to miss having Miles around here! 

Eric was there capturing all the excitement the morning before their first day of school!  They were so excited! 

Cohen keeps wanting to make a fire like Papa- so we finally did! 

This was so cute the other day they all took turns running and jumping  on me and then running back and doing it again. Some how I was able to capture this moment just in time.

Evos and Senita making mamba- peanut butter!
It is so good here to eat it especially when she lets you try it right from the pot while it is still hot and creamy. 

So thankful for this man, and of course the little man. :) But it is amazing how much God continues to draw us closer to each other and closer to HIM.