Haitian Adventure: Part 3

{Part one and two}

For one of our evening meals we had an authentic Haitian meal, it was amazing!

Best cajun chicken (ever), plantain (like bananas fried) and beans with rice.  I'm still trying to convince my family to have a Haitian food night.

At this point in our trip, all the hard sweaty work was finished, needless to say, we were all pretty wiped out and ready for a breather.  On our last leg of our adventure in Haiti we went to the ocean, crazy how beautiful it was, check it out!

No zoom was used when taking the above picture, the mountains were that close.  For a girl who LOVES mountains and ocean waves I was in heaven.  

This beautiful beach was just another reinforcement of God's amazing painting skills.  Many people come just to experience this view but don't look at all the poverty surrounding it.  

Yes, the landscape is amazing, but the people who live in the landscape are ever more amazing.  There lack of necessities doesn't stop them from helping their neighbor in need, they help enrich the beauty even more.

Through this trip I was able to see the Toms Movement in effect.  If you don't know, Toms is an organization that helps provide shoes for children in need.  When you buy a pair of shoes, you also are buying a pair for a child in need.  Before Haiti I was supportive of the company, but not supportive enough where I was going to dish out the money for some shoes and not fully knowing if a child (in need) would actually get them.

While in Haiti we saw many children running around with Toms on, because they now have their feet protected from all the trash and glass along the road (one day we picked up twenty -- industrial size  garbage bags -- of glass and trash along the road).  With proper shoes their feet are protected, they can attend school, help provide for their family and in the end create a brighter future for themselves as a result of proper shoes.

I've seen the difference a pair of shoes can make, and I've chosen to support as best I can, to date I've had three pair of Toms, they are (almost) the only shoes I wear!

Haiti was hard, emotionally and physically but I am a better person because of it.  I remember, about half way through the trip, wondering if I had misunderstood God.  Is this where He really wants me to be, on this mission trip?  So many thoughts of doubt and second guessing myself ran through my head during that week.  

My Haiti trip and Kenya trip had such different flavors.  With Kenya I came back on a "spiritual high",  I was ready to pack my bags and never leave Africa.  With Haiti I came back feeling numb, emotionally and spiritually,  life back home was crazy while I had been gone. To say I felt overwhelmed would be an understatement, I felt like I had been deserted, even though God was still present.

God was present and with me in both Haiti and Kenya, even though those were both totally different experiences,  I'm learning I can still be where God wants me to be without experiencing that "spiritual high."  

Haitian Adventure: Part 2

{Part 1 found here.}

These colorful houses were the face of hope for so many people.  They weren't any bigger than my bedroom, but they were castles compared to the "tent city".  The tent constructions were meant for immediate aid, not for long term residency.  The tents didn't block the rain that would come with night fall, or the wind that came in the mid afternoon.  

Mission of Hope plans on building 500 individual family houses on this specific piece of property.  Not only would that have their own home, they would also have enough area for a small garden to provide food for their family.  Their two year mortgage is equivalent to $10.00 US dollars a month.

My team spent two and a half days painting houses, I never thought painting could be so challenging.

Weather.com said it was in the high 90s, but that estimate wasn't valid after 2PM, needless to say the afternoon heat was intense.  I would be painting with my back to the sun, and cool sweat was constantly dripping down my back and running into my eyes.  We would try and time it right so the sun was always on the opposite side of the house we were painting, when we'd get it everything was a little more doable. 

On our first day of painting I forgot to put sun screen on my caves, they were almost blister red when the day ended.  After that I made sure to cover everything, twice with sun screen.  

During our two and a half days at the housing project, I always kept ending up with one of our leaders.  No one really knew her history, through those two and a half days I was privileged enough to learn her story, and I was amazed.  No one ever would have ever guessed unless she told you, she was a living example of God's power to heal.

  

Background story --- Whenever someone would have a new baby I never want to impose and ask to hold their baby, instead I'd anxiously wait until the Momma almost shoved their little bundle into my arms. ---

God knew my background story, he knew I longed to hold a sweet Haitian baby, loving the best way I knew how.  He knew I wouldn't come out and ask someone to hold such sweetness.  

During the children's Sunday School lesson, the helper had her hands full with two babies, looking around she locked eyes with me and handed me a sleeping baby boy, all the while without saying a word.  I couldn't believe it.

God knew the desires of my heart even when I didn't, and He came through bigger and better than I ever could have imagined.

I got to hold that baby boy for a good forty-five minutes, those forty-five minutes made the list of top five moments in Haiti, not only did I get to love on a sweet baby, I also felt God loving on me.

Haitian Adventure: Part 1

A full year has passed since my feet were on Haiti soil, and I still don't know what to make of those seven days.  Even now after a full year, I'm still learning new things, amazing how God can work. {You can read more about my pre-departure thoughts here}  

I experienced so many conflicting emotions, my breath got taken back by the beautiful mountains, and my heart broke seeing the circumstances these people were living in.  Once second I was in awe with such beauty and the next second I was asking God why these people had to live in such poverty.

The earthquake happened a year earlier, and still 1.5 million people where still living in tents (as of last April).  It wasn't temporary anymore, for many families this was becoming their permanent reality.  Looking down into the valley, everything was white, white because of all the tents where thousands of people were living in spaces smaller than my own bathroom!

Throughout the trip I started to become numb, numb to the poverty, numb to the squelching heat, numb to everything around me.  I didn't know how to relate to these people who were living in such deep poverty, the homeless in The United States would be considered rich through their eyes.

Here I was, white little city girl, able to sleep comfortably in my bed every night, had access to clean water 24/7 and a refrigerator full of whatever I desired.  I came from a world over flowing in surplus and they came from a world lacking the necessities of life.   

*all pictures taken collectively from our team.

Processing

My Haiti mission trip was amazing, don't get me wrong.  But sometimes I feel the best growing moments in my relationship with God, happen after the trip.  The moment when I actually put in place what God has taught me through this trip.  These are the moments that are challenging because their a new experience, but because they are new I cling to God on a whole new level.

Right now I'm there, trying to apply what God has shown me through Haiti. 

(There are some amazing stories to tell, and pictures.  That time will come, I promise!)

numb

Back from Haiti!  It was amazing, everything was in God's plan.  Right now I'm going to be taking a little blog break.  I feel numb, like my body is here but my heart and mind are somewhere else.  While on the trip I felt God reveal so many things to me, but now I feel bombarded from the world.  I wasn't expecting this.

Recently my family has been under attack from the evil one.  Please pray for us, pray that we would draw together through this hard time instead of apart, pray for God to be honored through it all. 

Prayer Calender Day 11

Pray for us to keep the memories we made in Haiti and within our team fresh.  Pray for them to challenge us to press on with our relationship with God. Pray for this trip not to become a distant memory but rather the starting point of an amazing journey that we have embarked upon. 

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Prayer Calender Day 10

First day back on U.S. soil.  Please pray for adjustment to the culture shock of being home.  Pray for us to have the courage and strength to apply what God has revealed to us through this mission trip.

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Prayer Calender Day 9

Today we are leaving Haiti to make the journey back home.  Saying goodbye is always the part that gets me.  You make lifetime memories with these people and you have to say goodbye.  I'm getting teary just thinking about it now (3/25).  But it is never goodbye, for my brothers and sisters in Christ it is only 'see you later.' We may not meet here on earth again, but we will before the thrown of the One we serve! 

Please pray for God's protection as we travel back.  There is so much processing that happens when you come back from a mission trip.  You see everything with new eyes.  Pray for God to show Himself to us through this time.

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Prayer Calender Day 8

Please pray for blessings as we wrap up our week in Haiti.  Pray that we would be able to finish all that we had set out to accomplish.  Pray for us to finish strong through God.

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Prayer Calender Day 7

Pray for safety while we work on reconstruction, pray for God's strength to equip us with the energy to finish our task.  Also please pray for patience with each other as the week progresses. 

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Prayer Calender Day 6

Today please pray for the Kids program.  We have prepared two bible stories and activities to do with the Haitian children in the surrounding orphanages.  Please pray that communication barriers will fall away.  Perseverance, pray that we would work with a joy in our spirit and enthusiasm in our step!

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Prayer Calender Day 5

Pray for authenticity and connection between not only our team but also with the permanent missionary team at Mission of Hope.  Help us to have the courage to be real, to open up and be vulnerable. 

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Prayer Calender Day 4

Please pray that we would have sensitivity towards the Haitian people and their needs.  We can't relate to the hardships and poverty they face every day.  But we all can relate to the love of our Savior. 

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Prayer Calender Day 3

Today we begin our first full day in Haiti!  Please pray for humble, patient attitudes towards each other and also towards the people we are serving along side. 

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Prayer Calender Day 2

Today we are arriving in Haiti!  Because we have a large team (40 people) we had to split into two different traveling groups.  My group, group 2 is flying from Columbus to Washington DC, then Florida were we will meet back up with group 1 and fly to Port Au Prince.  Based off the itinerary I have we will be arriving, in Haiti around 2:30.

Please pray for a safe flight into Haiti and that all our luggage will arrive!



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Prayer Calender Day 1

Today is the day I'm leaving for Haiti!  We will be leaving late tonight and driving to Columbus Ohio.  Our flight is early tomorrow morning!  

Please pray that all of our travel details go smoothly and we are blessed with an easy bus ride into Columbus.  Also please lift up the students, myself included, that bonds would be formed which would carry throughout the whole trip. 

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Today US. Tomorrow Haiti!

The day is right around the corner!  This time tomorrow I will be Haiti bound.  God's peace has been constantly washing over me.  Thank you for your prayers! 


Just alittle glimpse into what weather Hait is having.  Looks like I'll be leaving 40 degree weather and stepping into hot, hot and hot.  This girl doesn't mind at all.

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Less than three days till Haiti! 

God has been working and moving in my heart.  My anxiety concerning dynamics gone.  My anxiety over leadership gone.  My anxiety involving travel gone.  God has filled me with His peace and excitement for this new journey!  Friday can't come soon enough.

The only thing standing in the way is packing.  The big mongo suitcase has been located, clothes are being laid out. It has now come down to check list time!

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lists

I'm a list type of girl.  I love checking things off.  Taking something that I feel is out of control and making it organized.  Lists give me a sense of accomplishment.  Haiti has been no exception.  Plenty of lists have been made, and with each check of the box my heart slows down it's frantic pulse. 

God has slowly but surly been replacing my anxiety with excitement! 

Praising God for His provision!

Haiti countdown

This time next week I will be getting ready to embark on a journey to Haiti!  Excited and anxious are the two top emotions running through my heart right now.  I'm praying on the evening of April 1st the only emotion will be excitement for what God has in store!