Haiti Trip - Day 3

Sunday morning our team got an early start, but not as early as these fishermen already casting their nets. We attended church with the orphans, caregivers, and community members. Worship was like their own brand of jazz, with Madame Lucien moving from song to prayer while randomly accompanied by an eletronic keyboard, electric guitar, and drums. The children sang special music for us. After two hours we slipped out of the service to help prepare lunch for the children.

While the children ate their lunch, part of our team left with eleven of the caregivers to return to the hotel. One of our goals for this trip was to build relationships with these women, so we pampered them with a "spa" day - facials, manicures, and pedicures; lunch; and a Bible study. The rest of us stayed behind to help with the children. During lunchtime, we held the babies and visited with Dr. Noel. Pictured below, Lisa holds Jakob, a seven-month-old who was left on the orphanage's doorstep two weeks ago. He was very malnourished, so we worked all day trying to get him to drink a bottle of formula.

After lunch we shared Bible stories with the little ones and played. Here Deena goofs off with them, but most didn't know what to think of her red nose and false teeth. They'd obviously never seen a clown before.

Here's baby Jakob in the pack-n-play we brought with us holding onto a stuffed dolphin. He was a dedicated thumb sucker.

In the afternoon Lisa spent some more time with the teenage girls talking to them about abstinence. The girls were very engaged and asked thoughtful questions. David, to Lisa's left, was our wonderful interpreter. After this, Lisa braved a conversation with the teenage boys about abstinence. She did an amazing job, and the boys were equally respectful and thoughtful.

While Lisa spoke with the older girls, Mia spoke to each child, taking down their names, ages, and Christmas wish. The children were very patient, waiting for their turn to talk with her. Later that afternoon the teenage girls discovered that our team member Rachel spoke fluent French. They were extremely interested in her life and her family, and they were happy to be able to converse with her.

We borrowed this parachute from the boys' school, and it was a definite hit with the children. They squealed with delight and ran underneath as we flapped it up and down.

By midafternoon, we were happy to sit and rest with these babies. It had been a very long, very hot day, so we found the little breeze coming through a door to the church and enjoyed a moment of peace.

After leaving the orphanage on Sunday afternoon, our bus made it only about 1/4 mile on the road before it got stuck in the mud. Despite his best attempts, our driver had to turn it around. Because we didn't know how long this would take, we walked back to the orphanage to wait. Little did we know the huge blessing that was waiting for us down the muddy road...

Madame Lucien and the other caregivers led us by hand into the courtyard, where they had circled chairs around a tub of clean rainwater. They knelt before us and washed each of our feet while another women cleaned our muddy shoes. It was tender and beautiful, and we were humbled by their love and kindness toward us.

God saw our weariness and our sadness, and He used these Haitian women to minister to us in a beautiful way. We ended our evening at the hotel with a delicious meal, a celebration of Cecile's birthday, and a special time of devotion and prayer.

Haiti Trip - Days 4/5

Monday was another beautiful day in Haiti - blue skies, white clouds, very hot. Because of our sticky situation with the mud on Sunday afternoon, we played it safe and rode in the back of Dr. Noel's truck to the orphanage.

We had prayed for Jakob on Sunday night, so why were we surprised to find him much improved on Monday morning? When we arrived, he was sleeping in the pack-n-play; then, he was alert and responsive all day. He even let me feed him a big bowl of porridge. What a blessing!

While six of our team were with the children and teenagers at the orphanage, the other two team members took nine caregivers back to our hotel for their "spa" day. Despite a flat-tire delay, they were able to enjoy ample time for their pampering and Bible study. None of these ladies owned a Bible either, so they were happy to receive one written in their native language.

Below you can see our team as we say goodbye to Madame Lucien, the children, and all of the others at the orphanage. John offered our thanks and prayed for them. Then, the children rushed onto our bus. They, along with the caregivers, prayed for us before we left.

After leaving the orphanage on Monday afternoon, we drove into Port Au Prince, where we spent our last night. Below is a typical street in this busy city. Sidewalks were packed along the way with vendors selling their wares, school children walking home, and men and women milling about. Traffic was crazy, with few traffic signals and many vehicles - cars, buses, motorcycles, bicycles, and even people riding on donkeys crowded the streets.

Here is the view of Port Au Prince from our hotel:

Here we are, enjoying our final breakfast together:

Our final team photo, taken in Miami. From here, Mia left us to fly back to Atlanta. The rest of us flew to Charlotte and on to Knoxville.

In the months preceding the trip, it was interesting to watch as our team evolved. Some who seriously considered going did not; and some who thought they couldn't go went. This group of ladies were each so unique, so gifted, and so lovely. It was beautiful to see them step into a difficult situation and offer themselves however they were required. I was blessed to watch them shine, and I'm thankful we shared this profound experience. I think if you asked each of them, they would say "yes," they'd do it again.

Field Trip Finery

The Second Graders at CAK had their first field trip today to Ben Atchley Veteran's Home. They've been working hard since September to prepare a program of "old-time" songs that these men and women would remember and enjoy. This included a medley of the Armed Forces theme songs.

The children did a beautiful job performing today, and then walked around delivering hand-made cards and talking with the residents. It was a wonderful experience for them, and I was so proud of them all. Reed was certainly excited about it, and he's been working hard to memorize the lyrics to all of the songs. He was also thrilled to wear his very first tie to the performance. Here's a picture of my well-dressed man and his well-dressed class. Enjoy the cuteness!

Spook-tacular

Halloween began a night early this year, with Seth and his friend, Eric, attending a Fall Festival at church on Friday night, and Reed and Maya trunk-or-treating with Tim and me.

Tonight's trick-or-treating was one of firsts - the first rainy one in my boys' lives and the first one in several years that we didn't have companions. It was also the first time Seth covered only one street before declaring he was ready to call it a night. (Reed pressed on.)

Despite our abbreviated trick-or-treating, the boys had enough candy to sort (the highlight of Halloween evening) and to share with MiMi, BaBa, Mom, and Dad. Enjoy these photos of our two Ninjas:

Our persistence in the dreary, drippy weather paid off with this stunning rainbow - a treat, indeed!

Gratitude

When Tim and I were weighing my decision to return to Haiti, of course the cost was a matter of consideration. After all, the new school year had just begun with its monthly tuition always coming due. But Tim was steadfast in his urging that finances shouldn't factor into my decision. When time came for my commitment, I said yes ... eager to be a part of this women's team and to return to the orphanage.

So, we paid the trip deposit and readied ourselves to pay the remaining balance when the time came. Soon I received word that an anonymous gift had been given toward my trip -- a tremendous help toward the remaining balance. When this past week began, I owed $700 toward my trip. By Friday, with no soliciation on my part, my balance was zero ... donations had come in to cover the entire amount.

I am awed by the generosity of the givers and grateful for their financial support. I hope that they know the blessing their gift is to me and my family. When I hug and hold the children this coming week, I will have them on my mind and offer their love along with my own.

Countdown to Haiti

If you recall, my trip to Haiti last May was abruptly cut short when a teammate fell ill. When I returned to the States after only two days, it felt like leaving the battlefield while the war was still going on, leaving my four other teammates to face it alone.

I knew upon my return that I would be going back someday; however, I had no idea it would be only six months later. In nine days (November 6) I will be travelling with One Vision International and a team of nine ladies to spend five days with 120+ Haitian orphans.

These are the same beautiful children we were with in May, now situated in a better location. I say "better" because that's what I've heard, but I am eager to see it for myself. Given their former housing, I know it wouldn't take much to count it a step up. From one commode to two ... it's already an improvement.

Since my trip in May, One Vision has purchased the land and dug the well on the site of the future orphanage. Some day, hopefully soon, these children will have a vastly improved life with proper housing, adequate bathroom facilities, a church, a school, and grass to run and play on. With each donation, they move closer to making it happen!

On this trip, our team of ladies, will specifically be building relationships with the women who serve as caregivers for the orphans. This team of 15+ ladies work tirelessly to cook two meals a day for the children (no small feat when you consider they are doing so on an open fire with one, maybe two pots), teach lessons to the younger ones, keep the facility clean, and do everything else you might imagine such a position requires.

On Sunday and Monday, several of our team members will be taking these ladies to our hotel to enjoy lunch and a relaxing afternoon. We will provide facials, manicures, and pedicures for the ladies, make lovely beaded necklaces, and then share in a time of Bible study. We hope that this will help cultivate trust between the ladies and the One Vision teams who come in throughout the year. We pray that it will open their hearts to the Gospel.

The rest of our team members will be staying at the orphanage to spend time with the children. Each day we will be having a special time of Bible study with the teenage girls. On Saturday and Sunday I will be leading this time. These girls live in a culture that offers them little respect, little privacy, and little hope. As I recall my own teen years, I can't imagine how difficult it would be to grow up in such a place. We hope to share truth from Scripture about how God has created them, how He loves them, and how He offers hope.

I am so excited for the trip, thankful for the wonderful team that has come together, and eager to see how God will work in and through us on our journey. Thank you for your prayers for us, for the children, for the caregivers, and for our families while we are away. I look forward to sharing about the trip here when I return! (For more information about how you can donate to this orphanage or sponsor a child, visit http://www.onevisionintl.org/.)

Race for the Cure

On Saturday, October 24, my friend Jennifer and I participated in Knoxville's Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure as part of Chelsie's Champions. Chelsie is a lovely fourteen-year-old from our church who organized this team in celebration of her mother, Melanie, who is battling breast cancer. It was a joy to run as part of this team and to honor a beautiful woman and friend. To join with more than 14,000 others walking and running in honor and in memory of friends and family members was quite emotional and inspiring. I look forward to participating in this race again next year and encourage everyone to do the same! $3.3 million raised so far as a result of Saturday's race - toward education, research, and a CURE!