The Kids

After lunch we would pack up toys, hats, markers, soccer balls, bubbles, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and head out to an orphanage or a school in the area. We did the same basic format of a Vacation Bible School each place we went. Using our translators we would do some songs in Creole, a play from a Bible story, then a craft where they would make hats that said "Jesus Loves Me." After we would get to play with the kids and depending on where we were that would look a little different each time!

Painting nails!

Getting my hair done

The first place we went was a school, so there were about 75 kids! The boys took some of the older over to a soccer field and started a game. With the younger kids we played with some other balls, bubbles and then the little girls wanted to do our hair! They loved that they could over and over again, but I think I lost a lot of hair that day!

The second place we went was Father Abraham's orphanages, they were divided boys and girl. With the girls we painted their nails, even the boys in our group painted nails! Played with bubbles, beach balls and jump ropes. Then with the boys we played with soccer balls and frisbees in their little courtyard.

More nail polish

Wednesday was the hardest, we went to the Sister's of Charity orphanage. They take people of all ages that no one else will take, older people with dementia, people with developmental challenges, AIDS, tuberculoses, and sick little babies. Some of the older kids (4-8) would play with us, the teenagers didn't want much to do with us, and the adult were hard to interact with due to the language barrier. But the hardest part for me was the babies and the toddlers. They would just let you hold them, they didn't seem to care and they really didn't have any facial expression. They weren't excited by bubbles, they weren't ticklish, it was heartbreaking. These little children had been through more in their few years that I would ever know. It was hard to leave there knowing that those children needed so much love.

This girls was too cute!

The last place we went was another orphanage that was split boys and girls, but they brought the girls over this time. These kids were older and some of the older boys knew English pretty well. It was fun finally getting to have a full conversation with someone and hearing about their lives.

Before we would leave we would give each child a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and a goody bag. In the goody bag was the Bible story in Creole, a picture to color, a few crayons, a few pieces of candy, and a stuffed animal.

The sandwiches and goody bags

Joy!

I loved playing with the children, their smiles just warmed my heart! One day a little girl was teaching me different words in Creole (butterfly, flower, pink, etc.) and I asked if I was doing well, and with a shy grin she laughed and said no! Oh the honesty of children. I miss them greatly and I wish I could have done more for them, but I know God is watching out for them. American or Haitian God has a plan for each one of his children.

*Joy of the day: being able to make a child smile and let them know the they are loved!

Do work!

This week we were working on building a group of houses for eight widows, who not only care for their own children but also took in other children that needed a home. CCH doesn't just give them a home and walk away but is working with the families the whole time, they help the parents find jobs, find ways to give back to the community, and make sure that they have basic necessities. So far they have finished two of the houses, and we got to be a part of the beautiful dedication ceremonies. And we began working on two more houses!

Waiting for a batch of cement

In the morning we would do construction work before it got too hot. We'd leave the Isaiah house around 8, head over to the worksite ready to get dirty because we were pouring concrete-Haitian style. They had a small cement mixer, where the Haitians would throw in a couple shovels of dirt, sand, concrete mix, rocks, and buckets of water. Then this was poured into a shallow hole in the ground, then scooped into buckets and passed down the line till its poured in the right place. The bucket brigade! It was hard work, but a lot of fun. We did a lot of work, and it felt good to see our work in a concrete way! (Pun intended!)

Pouring the floor

We were able to pour the floor for one house, and the foundation of the second house in three days! We also did some other work in between; hanging curtains, sweeping, getting dirt for the garden, clearing the space for the garden and a few other small tasks here and there.

Bucket Brigade

One cool thing about these houses is the way they are built. In Haiti, most of the houses are built around pillars with cinder blocks in between. There is no crosswise rebar to hold up the walls which make them very unsteady. This is why so many houses and buildings crumbled in the earthquake. So these houses are made with crosswise rebar to make them more stable, in case another earthquake were to happen these houses should still stand!

Returning with dirt for the garden

At the dedication ceremony Dave remind us that these homes are temporary, that God is preparing a place for us in heaven. A mansion that will last forever! What we were doing in Haiti is still only a temporary solution, only God can provide the ultimate home and it is far better than anything we can ever make or even dream of! And that makes me excited, not only for my Haitian brothers and sisters but for me too!

Tough girls!

*Joy of the day: Proving to the boys that the girls can do the same work on the site that they can!

Jacmel

We stayed in a smaller town in Haiti called Jacmel! It's southwest of Port-au-Prince, and on the coast of the southern part of the country. It's a beautiful little town, and has a lot of potential for a tourist industry. There is a lot of New Orleans and French influence in the buildings and architectural style.

The city does have electricity, not everyone has access to it and it is not consistent. In the immediate city there is running water, while on the outskirts there are water stations and pumps where people go to get water. There is also a river that is used for everything; washing clothes, bathing, getting water, watering livestock, washing cars, and more. Going to get water (as we learned on the worksite) can be quite the ordeal. Some children won't attend school because they are needed to carry water, which can take hours out of the day depending on where the family lives.

Decorated store front

The people of Jacmel are so creative and artistic. There was a wall down by the ocean that was completely mosaic. All of the buildings are brightly painted, and look different than the next. On the street corners each person finds a different way to arrange their goods to sell. And there are advertisements for "Digicel" (a cellphone company) everywhere.

People get around using cars, tap taps, or motos. Tap taps are brightly painted buses or pickup trucks with seats in the back that allow for many people to crowd into one at once. Motos are motorcycles that are used as taxies all throughout the country, and they are everywhere.

Haiti is truly an island in the Carribean. The crystal blue water and palm trees! I think people often forget that, and only think about the poverty and the rubble from the earthquake. But at the end of the day it is still a beautiful island, with beautiful scenery just like Jamaica or Puerto Rico!

As most of you know in 2010 there was a devestating earthquake in Haiti that left the country in ruins. Without a government there isn't a real way for the people to get help and to rebuild. There are places where you can see the devistation from the earthquake. But there is also a lot of growth in Jacmel too. I had a hard time distinguishing the difference between a building going up and one coming down, or an old building that was just starting to go. One cool thing, we wanted to see a tent city outside of Jacmel but we couldn't. There is no longer a tent city around Jacmel, everyone has been able to rebuild or move in with family into a permanent home instead of a tent!

We got all kinds of reactions from the Hatians. The kids would often wave to us. Other people would ignore us, wave to us, shot rude things at us. It was hard because we stood out so much in this town, we were a group of white kids traveling in a truck. In Haiti missionaries aren't always appreciated, the Haitians are very proud of their hard work (as they should be) and some don't want free hand outs. Others understand that we are not here just to hand things out, but to try and help people start over and provide for their families and give back to the community.

Us in the small truck

*Joy of Day 2: Seeing the passion for the Lord of the Haitian people in their church service, and then celebrating the day of rest at the beach!

The Journey

I have been home for over a week now from Haiti, and it was a hectic week! But it has calmed down now and I can't wait to share my wonderful experiences with you in God's beautiful country of Haiti. I'm going to do a little series of our journey, highlighting all of the different elements of our trip. Specifically the city of Jacmel, our construction work, our work with the adorable children, our fun adventures to see some of the wonders of this Caribbean island, my adventure as a nurse for a day, and the work that God is doing through CCH.

The gang!

Saturday morning eighteen of us got up bright and early to catch a 6am flight to Newark then to Port-au-Prince. In Port-au-Prince we went through customs, which is nothing compared to the United States, then fought to find 18 suitcases. We made our way out through the crowd were we met Nadar, he drove us to a little missionary airport that would fly 15 of us to Jacmel. He would then drive the other three the four hours over the mountains to Jamel.

Baby plane

The planes we took to Jacmel were tiny! One held 5 people and the other held 9 people. They weighed each of us and our luggage to make sure we would max-out the plane! (Made me a little nervous.) But the view from the plane was stunning. I could see just how tiny the houses were, how crowded Port-au-Prince was, and how beautiful the mountains were.

Port-au-Prince

We arrived in Jacmel were Eddy and Steven picked us up and took us to the Isaiah 61 house where we would stay for the week. The staff was so welcoming to us, they served us lunch, showed us to our rooms, and gave us a tour of the town. The guys and our bags finally made it around dinner time! After dinner we sorted all the donations; soccer balls, medicines, toys, nail polish, peanut butter and jelly, and so much more! We were finally in Haiti, and excited for what God had for us in the rest of the week!

Isaiah 61 House

Home Sweet Home!

*Joy of the day: Getting to Haiti safely and not loosing bags or people!

Goober Day!

Today is my Goober's fifth birthday! Goober is the nickname for my little sister, who is quickly becoming not so little. It has been such a joy to see her grow up, to change from a tiny baby into a happy toddler into a real little person, with thoughts and ideas and opinions. She is my best friend, I love to spend time with her. It makes me feel old to say that she is now five and will be starting kindergarden in the fall! Some of my favorite things that we do together is painting nails, french braiding her hair, going to see movies, and baking together. I have loved watching every second of her grow up into the adorable little lady she is!

Here are a few pictures from her butterfly birthday party! She was nice enough to have her party before I left for Haiti so I could be there too.

Butterfly cake!

Butterfly wings!

She'll always be my Goober

*Joy of the Day: I am currently in Haiti serving the amazing people here!

It's Getting Real!

I leave for Haiti on Saturday. Saturday! I can't believe it, I am so excited. I have been doing little things to prepare for the trip and now they are all starting to come together as big things. This is real and I am getting rather giddy!

I spent part of my past week building an army of teddy bears. Their ears didn't stick out like they should have but as any proud parent, I think they still look pretty cute! They were so simple to make, but my favorite part was praying for each bear. These little teddies are going to kids in orphanages, who may have never had a real toy in their life. And more importantly they may not realize how loved they are, that they are beautiful children of God. I prayed that each one of these little snuggle bears would show each child that they are loved, not only by us but by God!

When I wasn't sewing this week, I spent part of my time running around collecting things for my trip! Things like bug spray with 98.5% deet, 90 SPF sunscreen and aloe, work gloves, all those luxuries that we enjoy here in the states. Along with that I gathered up peanut butter and jelly, nail polish, soccer balls, vitamins, and other items to donate to the people of Haiti.

Tonight we packed up everything. We each will carry a 50 pound checked bag full of donated items and the items we will use in Haiti, along with a 35 pound carry-on of our personal items for the week. So tonight we had to bring our carry-on all packed to be weighed and labeled; I managed to shove everything into a backpack only reaching 16 pounds! Which is perfect since I'll be adding some extra supplies because I am the first-aider for our trip.

Taking the bags home, knowing that I'm leaving on Saturday, hearing the stories of the group that just got back; it makes it all real! I know that God is going to do big things, and I am honored to be a part of it.

*Joy of the day: Packing 50 pounds of medical equipment, as a nurse who one day hopes to do medical missions it makes my heart leap with joy!