My grandpa
This morning we got up before the roosters started crowing to get to a Haitian church service by 6am. I had been before, but each time I am amazed by their worship.
During the service (that I can only understand a word or phrase every now and then), I was convicted of something and felt heavily compelled to pray for my grandpa. The Holy Spirit was definately present even though a different language was being spoken.
My grandpa has not left my thoughts all day and tears have even came muliple times. I wrote in my last blog about visiting the elderly and related that to my grandparents (take time to read it right now if you haven't).
This blog wont' be so much about Haiti like most, but rather about my grandpa. For those of you who don't know, he's fighting cancer and from what we can tell, has almost lost the battle. Being in a whole nother country, I feel helpless. Not that me being there will help anything, its just I really miss him. I want to be there to see him and spend time with him as well as be there for and with my family. I can go back when needed, but this waiting game stinks! Not knowing when his last days will be is hardest. I can't go home for an over extended period of time, but I'd really really like to see him again. So we have to wait and see.
I often wonder if crying or feeling the way I do is something I should feel guilty about. I'm so blessed to have had him in my life for 22 years. If you went back and read that post, you realize that the avg. life expectency here is 50ish years... that means I'm lucky to still have my parents and incredibly blessed to still have two of my grandparents still living. Death is so common here that people grieve in a much different way. They do not like to remember the dead and often have parties and eat a lot of food. But on the other hand its my grandpa, if I don't grieve I feel like I have a cold hard heart.
I love my grandpa very much and miss seeing him and will miss him a whole lot when I know I won't be able to see him until I join him in Heaven. I decided I should write a post about the things I remember about him.
My grandpa loved all of his grandkids a lot. We could feel his (and my grandma's) love every time we entered their house. They would always greet us with hugs and smiles. Their home was always open to anyone who entered, and my grandpa made sure no one left hungary. Actually, it was hard to escape without feeling full. After he cooked up a meal (no matter what time it was), there would always be ice cream for the eating. My grandparents are both very hospitable and spending time with them has always been something I have enjoyed doing.
When we were little spending the night at my granparents was something I looked forward to. Sometimes it was alone, sometimes it was with a couple of cousins, and other times all of us cousins crowded their house making lots of noise and messes (and they still let us come back). We loved playing the nintendo at their house, watching WeeSing Video, playing games, and just hanging out but always looked forward to grandpa's breakfast in the morning.
When we were little and would go shopping with him, he would always let us pick out a special gift, whatever we wanted. Their love for us was evident everytime we came in contact with them.
As we got older, the cousin parties still happened only the WeeSing movies turned to good movies and the games became harder. I loved going to visit and sharing dinner with them on my own and ending the night doing puzzles or playing Boggle.
My grandpa is an excellent bone player and loves to spend his free time entertaining people in nursing homes and those who come visit their house. He's always ready with a joke or a random fact that no one really cares about, but we will all miss. He loves to read and for some reason, I always remember doing a project on favorite authors and remembered that his was Louis Lamar.
Grandpa loved debating about religion and politics of which my brother loved to keep/get him going. On the other hand I would steer clear of these. My grandpa makes the best Rivols and if there's no time for that his Beef and Noodles are still the best! Before big family meals he is always in the kitchen cooking up a storm and each and everything he creates is delicious.
This post does not give justice to who my grandpa really is. I'm sure I left things out and because this is so hard to write my normal writing style just isn't coming to me. I love and miss you very much grandpa!
During the service (that I can only understand a word or phrase every now and then), I was convicted of something and felt heavily compelled to pray for my grandpa. The Holy Spirit was definately present even though a different language was being spoken.
My grandpa has not left my thoughts all day and tears have even came muliple times. I wrote in my last blog about visiting the elderly and related that to my grandparents (take time to read it right now if you haven't).
This blog wont' be so much about Haiti like most, but rather about my grandpa. For those of you who don't know, he's fighting cancer and from what we can tell, has almost lost the battle. Being in a whole nother country, I feel helpless. Not that me being there will help anything, its just I really miss him. I want to be there to see him and spend time with him as well as be there for and with my family. I can go back when needed, but this waiting game stinks! Not knowing when his last days will be is hardest. I can't go home for an over extended period of time, but I'd really really like to see him again. So we have to wait and see.
I often wonder if crying or feeling the way I do is something I should feel guilty about. I'm so blessed to have had him in my life for 22 years. If you went back and read that post, you realize that the avg. life expectency here is 50ish years... that means I'm lucky to still have my parents and incredibly blessed to still have two of my grandparents still living. Death is so common here that people grieve in a much different way. They do not like to remember the dead and often have parties and eat a lot of food. But on the other hand its my grandpa, if I don't grieve I feel like I have a cold hard heart.
I love my grandpa very much and miss seeing him and will miss him a whole lot when I know I won't be able to see him until I join him in Heaven. I decided I should write a post about the things I remember about him.
The one and Only Melvin Harvey
My grandpa loved all of his grandkids a lot. We could feel his (and my grandma's) love every time we entered their house. They would always greet us with hugs and smiles. Their home was always open to anyone who entered, and my grandpa made sure no one left hungary. Actually, it was hard to escape without feeling full. After he cooked up a meal (no matter what time it was), there would always be ice cream for the eating. My grandparents are both very hospitable and spending time with them has always been something I have enjoyed doing.
When we were little spending the night at my granparents was something I looked forward to. Sometimes it was alone, sometimes it was with a couple of cousins, and other times all of us cousins crowded their house making lots of noise and messes (and they still let us come back). We loved playing the nintendo at their house, watching WeeSing Video, playing games, and just hanging out but always looked forward to grandpa's breakfast in the morning.
When we were little and would go shopping with him, he would always let us pick out a special gift, whatever we wanted. Their love for us was evident everytime we came in contact with them.
As we got older, the cousin parties still happened only the WeeSing movies turned to good movies and the games became harder. I loved going to visit and sharing dinner with them on my own and ending the night doing puzzles or playing Boggle.
My grandpa is an excellent bone player and loves to spend his free time entertaining people in nursing homes and those who come visit their house. He's always ready with a joke or a random fact that no one really cares about, but we will all miss. He loves to read and for some reason, I always remember doing a project on favorite authors and remembered that his was Louis Lamar.
Grandpa loved debating about religion and politics of which my brother loved to keep/get him going. On the other hand I would steer clear of these. My grandpa makes the best Rivols and if there's no time for that his Beef and Noodles are still the best! Before big family meals he is always in the kitchen cooking up a storm and each and everything he creates is delicious.
This post does not give justice to who my grandpa really is. I'm sure I left things out and because this is so hard to write my normal writing style just isn't coming to me. I love and miss you very much grandpa!
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