In case you've been wondering what has been happening since we returned from Haiti . . .
Life has gotten back to normal. Allyson has begun working for Grey Stone Kids Camp as their Camp Director this summer. She ordered a couple of programs to help her begin learning Creole - though I'm not sure how that is going for her. I have dropped the ball in helping her, so maybe next week she and I can get back on that! She also planned another trip to Haiti (which has already come and gone now) so we had a couple of VERY successful fund raisers to pay for that trip! They were lots of fun! She came home from this most recent trip with a lot of exciting news and answers!! She was advised to go through Christian Light Ministries, so this past week she and I took a road trip to Jacksonville, FL so she could meet with them. Again, VERY successful! They loved her - of course - and though they have to get the board's approval they don't anticipate any issues. We should get the official ok by the end of next week. We are planning to meet with a CPA next week to be sure we understand how to keep accurate records of things that Christian Light won't and also how to do fund raising from the tax standpoint, etc. Once that is all done . . . LET THE FUND RAISING BEGIN!!! Whoo Hooo!!
We have few things on the list to do: speak at as many churches as we can for a love offering, we're going to have a Spaghetti dinner with a silent auction (this will take a lot of planning and will be no small task), we've got some Haiti items to sell, etc. There are some other things we're going to check into as well - but can't really mention those yet. Please pray for us as we jump into this part of the journey!
Another thing we need to do is to begin a newsletter and start a list of those that want to be on the mailing list! The nice thing is that Christian Light will take care of all of the mailings!! Allyson needs to sharpen up her presentation(s) so that she'll be ready for her speaking engagements.
It's all starting to get very exciting!! God is continuing to open the doors for this move.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Haiti - Recap
Haiti seems like just yesterday, and then again, like forever ago. My time back home since the trip has been spent reliving each day's experience through my blog postings as well as processing those experiences and how they impacted me in the moment, how they are impacting me as I relive them, and how they will impact me in the future. What WILL I do with these experiences back here at home? Let's peruse through them one last time . . .
Why did I go on this trip in the first place?
Honestly, I went because this place and these people have grabbed my child's heart so much that she has been contemplating moving there. When she decided to go back to Haiti last year this time, she couldn't find a team to meet up with and after talking with Jim, she and Cassie decided to go on their own. I must admit that I was a little concerned about that. She'd only been there once before and that was with a team that was lead by Jim, who was VERY familiar with Haiti. But he felt it would be OK and she was going to stay with Dorothy. Going with a team, and even going with a few other people and staying with an already established missionary is very different than going down there and living by yourself, though. I wanted to go and see what this place was like to see if I was totally OK with this notion or calling she was having. The plus side would be that I could have this experience WITH her, and I really was looking forward to that.
What did I expect on this trip?
I expected to be nervous in a strange place and culture. I was - at times. I expected to have some fun. I did. I expected to grow closer to my teammates. I did. I expected to fall in love with Dorothy and her kids because I felt like I already knew them. I did. I expected to see poverty. I did.
What I did NOT expect on this trip.
I did NOT expect to feel the bond - as if there had been a long time friendship - with Jim, Debbie, and Donna.
I did NOT expect the warmness of the Haitian people - we were greeted with smiles and genuine kindness by everyone we passed or came in contact with.
I did NOT expect the depth of the poverty we saw in the ravine. I'd seen pictures and knew it was bad, but until you walk through it and see it in front of you and touch it and smell it, it's not real. In my head I knew people lived like this but it is VERY different to walk through it.
I did NOT expect to be touched like I was with the stories of people I don't even know; i.e. the women in Pastor Ceynor's church who are slaves to prostitution just to feed their families.
I did NOT expect to be touched like I was when meeting Elizabeth, although I knew her story.
I did NOT expect the level of emotion when coming to grips with the fact that God is truly calling my daughter to Haiti.
Most of all, I did NOT expect to fall in love with Haiti myself and to feel like it is an extension of home.
So, what WILL I do with these experiences back here at home?
1. I am committed to doing whatever I need to do to assist Allyson in preparing to move to Haiti. The steps have begun, and we are very excited to see how God is going to unfold all of this.
2. We have been through a financial battle since 2008, and while things are so much better, we are not where we need to be. But, after experiencing the poverty I saw in Haiti, it jolted me to truly understand how monetarily rich I am. God has been so good to us, and even in our "difficulties" we are so blessed beyond measure. I am committing to be a better steward of the money and possessions God has blessed us with.
3. How do you help a nation like Haiti? I learned one person cannot do it all, but one person can do one thing. And one person can help one other person. And one person can just love each person they come in contact with. I need to do this better here in Durham. I am not an outgoing person. I am really very shy. My husband, on the other hand, can walk into a room of strangers and know all about them by the time he leaves. He can strike up a conversation with anyone! I can't - no - I could, but I don't do that here in a country that is home and where I understand things because it is WAY out of my comfort zone. How in the world did I expect myself to do that in a country that was unfamiliar to me in ALL ways. I didn't really. So, I am going to work on being more engaging with those around me. I need to work on being intentional with other people. If I can do that better here at home, I will be able to do it in Haiti.
4. I will go back to Haiti - numerous times, I'm sure. I really look forward to going and helping Allyson in her work in the future. God confirmed for me that He has truly called Allyson to Haiti, and He gave me the peace I needed. He also gave me a level of excitement about it all. Now I need an outpouring of patience as He works it all out. We have more answers than we had before, but still more questions than answers about how this will all take shape. Even so, I am filled with anticipation as this journey is unfolding.
Thank you all for your support that allowed me to go on this trip. It has forever changed me.
Why did I go on this trip in the first place?
Honestly, I went because this place and these people have grabbed my child's heart so much that she has been contemplating moving there. When she decided to go back to Haiti last year this time, she couldn't find a team to meet up with and after talking with Jim, she and Cassie decided to go on their own. I must admit that I was a little concerned about that. She'd only been there once before and that was with a team that was lead by Jim, who was VERY familiar with Haiti. But he felt it would be OK and she was going to stay with Dorothy. Going with a team, and even going with a few other people and staying with an already established missionary is very different than going down there and living by yourself, though. I wanted to go and see what this place was like to see if I was totally OK with this notion or calling she was having. The plus side would be that I could have this experience WITH her, and I really was looking forward to that.
What did I expect on this trip?
I expected to be nervous in a strange place and culture. I was - at times. I expected to have some fun. I did. I expected to grow closer to my teammates. I did. I expected to fall in love with Dorothy and her kids because I felt like I already knew them. I did. I expected to see poverty. I did.
What I did NOT expect on this trip.
I did NOT expect to feel the bond - as if there had been a long time friendship - with Jim, Debbie, and Donna.
I did NOT expect the warmness of the Haitian people - we were greeted with smiles and genuine kindness by everyone we passed or came in contact with.
I did NOT expect the depth of the poverty we saw in the ravine. I'd seen pictures and knew it was bad, but until you walk through it and see it in front of you and touch it and smell it, it's not real. In my head I knew people lived like this but it is VERY different to walk through it.
I did NOT expect to be touched like I was with the stories of people I don't even know; i.e. the women in Pastor Ceynor's church who are slaves to prostitution just to feed their families.
I did NOT expect to be touched like I was when meeting Elizabeth, although I knew her story.
I did NOT expect the level of emotion when coming to grips with the fact that God is truly calling my daughter to Haiti.
Most of all, I did NOT expect to fall in love with Haiti myself and to feel like it is an extension of home.
So, what WILL I do with these experiences back here at home?
1. I am committed to doing whatever I need to do to assist Allyson in preparing to move to Haiti. The steps have begun, and we are very excited to see how God is going to unfold all of this.
2. We have been through a financial battle since 2008, and while things are so much better, we are not where we need to be. But, after experiencing the poverty I saw in Haiti, it jolted me to truly understand how monetarily rich I am. God has been so good to us, and even in our "difficulties" we are so blessed beyond measure. I am committing to be a better steward of the money and possessions God has blessed us with.
3. How do you help a nation like Haiti? I learned one person cannot do it all, but one person can do one thing. And one person can help one other person. And one person can just love each person they come in contact with. I need to do this better here in Durham. I am not an outgoing person. I am really very shy. My husband, on the other hand, can walk into a room of strangers and know all about them by the time he leaves. He can strike up a conversation with anyone! I can't - no - I could, but I don't do that here in a country that is home and where I understand things because it is WAY out of my comfort zone. How in the world did I expect myself to do that in a country that was unfamiliar to me in ALL ways. I didn't really. So, I am going to work on being more engaging with those around me. I need to work on being intentional with other people. If I can do that better here at home, I will be able to do it in Haiti.
4. I will go back to Haiti - numerous times, I'm sure. I really look forward to going and helping Allyson in her work in the future. God confirmed for me that He has truly called Allyson to Haiti, and He gave me the peace I needed. He also gave me a level of excitement about it all. Now I need an outpouring of patience as He works it all out. We have more answers than we had before, but still more questions than answers about how this will all take shape. Even so, I am filled with anticipation as this journey is unfolding.
Thank you all for your support that allowed me to go on this trip. It has forever changed me.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Haiti - Final Day
Saturday - January 5, 2013
We leave Haiti today. We awoke early for breakfast because the new team wanted to begin demolition that morning. We all finalized our packing and just hung around playing some games and making sure we hadn't forgotten anything. Jim, Debbie, and Donna wanted to meet with us one last time before we left since they didn't get to sit in our our God moments from the evening before. They thanked us for coming and asked us to share with them what we were taking away from the week (I'll try to summarize what I took away from the week in another post). Donna started crying and got all of us going - thanks Donna. :) I think it was bittersweet for all of us. I really wish it had been a 2 week trip. We packed up the van and Jim took us to the airport.
The rest of the day was just traveling. We arrived home at 11pm. Tired, but happy to see Randy, Erin, and Stephen . . . and, of course, Coconut! Hims was waiting in the car!!
Thank you to everyone who helped support this trip both financially and prayerfully. It was a life changing trip, and as mentioned above, I will dedicate another post to what I took away from my experience!
We leave Haiti today. We awoke early for breakfast because the new team wanted to begin demolition that morning. We all finalized our packing and just hung around playing some games and making sure we hadn't forgotten anything. Jim, Debbie, and Donna wanted to meet with us one last time before we left since they didn't get to sit in our our God moments from the evening before. They thanked us for coming and asked us to share with them what we were taking away from the week (I'll try to summarize what I took away from the week in another post). Donna started crying and got all of us going - thanks Donna. :) I think it was bittersweet for all of us. I really wish it had been a 2 week trip. We packed up the van and Jim took us to the airport.
The rest of the day was just traveling. We arrived home at 11pm. Tired, but happy to see Randy, Erin, and Stephen . . . and, of course, Coconut! Hims was waiting in the car!!
Thank you to everyone who helped support this trip both financially and prayerfully. It was a life changing trip, and as mentioned above, I will dedicate another post to what I took away from my experience!
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Haiti - Day 7
Friday - January 4, 2013
Today we went back to Dorothy's and took most of the team. We girls loved on the children a whole lot today, and the guys did some minor maintenance items for Dorothy including hanging some pictures and organizing a bookshelf. I helped Dorothy sort through a box of items that had been donated; i.e crayons, pencils, etc. Then I began sorting through a box of clothing but did not have time to finish that for her, unfortunately. Leaving today was really hard for Allyson. Her last 2 trips to Haiti had been spent 24/7 with these kids, and although this was a great trip for her, she felt like she hadn't gotten her "fill" of them. Not to mention her strong call to be there full-time - there as in Haiti, not necessarily at Dorothy's.
There was another team coming in tonight that would be overlapping us. They were a construction group from an organization called "Faith in Action". Their week was going to be speny gutting and remodeling Jim and Debbie's kitchen! I can't remember if I mentioned this before, but Allyson has an Interior Design degree. She helped Debbie measure and sketch out Debbie's vision of the kitchen. She then put it into Sketch Up (sp?) and had a 3D rendering for the construction team when they arrived. I think this made things a lot easier for them! Debbie said she had no idea Allyson could do this and that only God could orchestrate her being there the week prior to the construction team arriving! Very cool! Because the construction was going to begin the next day, we had to move everything out of the kitchen. So our afternoon consisted of moving out everything, yet keeping it organized in some fashion as Debbie and Donna were going to need to get to everything while displaced. After that we helped Donna get dinner going, as she was feeding 30 people that night; our team, the new team, plus some missionaries traveling to Gonaives that needed a place to sleep that night! ALL without anything in the kitchen! Fun. It really was fun! I enjoyed doing that!! Here are pictures of the kitchen before (haven't seen the after yet):
Our "God Moments" time with our team tonight was a very special time as we all briefly shared what the week had meant to us. There were a lot of tears and love poured out on that balcony as we were all changed this week. I went to bed knowing we'd be heading back to the US the next day. It was hard to go to sleep as I was beginning to process all that I had experienced, and how I was going to put to use what I had learned. Going back through my journal so that I could write these posts has kept it all alive and front and center for me and has also allowed me to continue processing it all.
Look for one more day's post where I'll attempt to summarize it all in one place.
Today we went back to Dorothy's and took most of the team. We girls loved on the children a whole lot today, and the guys did some minor maintenance items for Dorothy including hanging some pictures and organizing a bookshelf. I helped Dorothy sort through a box of items that had been donated; i.e crayons, pencils, etc. Then I began sorting through a box of clothing but did not have time to finish that for her, unfortunately. Leaving today was really hard for Allyson. Her last 2 trips to Haiti had been spent 24/7 with these kids, and although this was a great trip for her, she felt like she hadn't gotten her "fill" of them. Not to mention her strong call to be there full-time - there as in Haiti, not necessarily at Dorothy's.
There was another team coming in tonight that would be overlapping us. They were a construction group from an organization called "Faith in Action". Their week was going to be speny gutting and remodeling Jim and Debbie's kitchen! I can't remember if I mentioned this before, but Allyson has an Interior Design degree. She helped Debbie measure and sketch out Debbie's vision of the kitchen. She then put it into Sketch Up (sp?) and had a 3D rendering for the construction team when they arrived. I think this made things a lot easier for them! Debbie said she had no idea Allyson could do this and that only God could orchestrate her being there the week prior to the construction team arriving! Very cool! Because the construction was going to begin the next day, we had to move everything out of the kitchen. So our afternoon consisted of moving out everything, yet keeping it organized in some fashion as Debbie and Donna were going to need to get to everything while displaced. After that we helped Donna get dinner going, as she was feeding 30 people that night; our team, the new team, plus some missionaries traveling to Gonaives that needed a place to sleep that night! ALL without anything in the kitchen! Fun. It really was fun! I enjoyed doing that!! Here are pictures of the kitchen before (haven't seen the after yet):
Our "God Moments" time with our team tonight was a very special time as we all briefly shared what the week had meant to us. There were a lot of tears and love poured out on that balcony as we were all changed this week. I went to bed knowing we'd be heading back to the US the next day. It was hard to go to sleep as I was beginning to process all that I had experienced, and how I was going to put to use what I had learned. Going back through my journal so that I could write these posts has kept it all alive and front and center for me and has also allowed me to continue processing it all.
Look for one more day's post where I'll attempt to summarize it all in one place.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Haiti - Day 6
Thursday - January 3, 2013
Today was our day of "rest and relaxation". We went to the beach, Wahoo Bay. It was about 2 hours away. While riding through a very congested town, Allyson told us about these women who sell this Peanut Brittle. We spotted some, so Jim pulled over and they came up to the van. We bought 6 bags so everyone in the van could have some. It was SO good. Next time I'm in Haiti, I'll try to buy enough to bring back - - I wonder if I can get that through customs?
We finally got to a place in Haiti where the streets had lines painted on them and road signs! I wish I could have taken pictures of all the different ones I saw, but the Pedestrian Crossing sign was so cute I had to have it. This was actually taken on our way back from the beach, and we had to get Jim to pull over and almost stop in order to get the picture - HA HA! Thanks Jim!
Isn't it cute? It looks like little children!
Anyway, at Wahoo Bay, we just had a wonderful day in the sun. It's a resort with a hotel, but we just paid $15 for the day. We "claimed" our spot:
and we did things like this:
and this
and this:
and this:
and this:
I forgot to mention, that the only "bad" thing that happened was that Pastor Dan got stung by a jellyfish while jumping off a small cliff into water that was not roped off. It was minor, and he was OK. We'd just been talking about the fact that they say if you pee on a sting like that it will take the pain away, so we told Dan he should go pee on his arm and he'd be fine!! He declined. LOL
On the way home Ken wanted to stop and take a picture of a building he'd seen on the way to the beach, so Jim pulls over so Ken could jump out and take this picture. The funny thing was that there was a Haitian man sitting on the wall Ken is standing on, and when Ken jumped out the the van, trying to be friendly, he says "BONSWAY!" really loud. It is supposed to be "Bonswa" - we laughed and laughed. We think the Haitian man was scared when this "blanc" jumped out of a van yelling "Bonsway!", so he moved down the wall and let Ken have his space. We laughed all the way back to Jim's.
That night after showering and putting on clean clothes, Jim, Debbie, and Donna took us to a pizza restaurant. I think they said it was actually a hotel that had the open air pizza restaurant. We ordered 3 pepperoni pizzas and 2 deluxe pizzas and only had 2 slices of pizza left. It was SO good!! There was a swimming pool right in the middle of the restaurant and Debbie said you could pay like $5 and just come swimming there. It was nice to see such a nice pool not at a resort. I told Donna, I could picture what their pool will be like someday!
It was a wonderful day just to relax and enjoy the beautiful side of Haiti. I kept saying "This is crazy. It's Jan. 3rd, and I'm laying on the beach in 90+ weather!" It was wonderful!!! It turned out to be a great day for Jim and Debbie and Donna as well. None of them had seen that part of Haiti before, and it did them good to sit and relax instead of working from dawn to dusk for everyone else. Jim and Debbie said they actually had over an hour just standing in the ocean and talking to one another. They said they hadn't really been able to do that since they got to Haiti and began working on their House of Hope. I think it did Donna a lot of good too, to just sit with her feet in the water and relax. I'm really glad we were able to go for ourselves, but to also be able to give them that time of relaxation - even it if was just for one day. WE LOVE YOU GUYS!!
Today was our day of "rest and relaxation". We went to the beach, Wahoo Bay. It was about 2 hours away. While riding through a very congested town, Allyson told us about these women who sell this Peanut Brittle. We spotted some, so Jim pulled over and they came up to the van. We bought 6 bags so everyone in the van could have some. It was SO good. Next time I'm in Haiti, I'll try to buy enough to bring back - - I wonder if I can get that through customs?
We finally got to a place in Haiti where the streets had lines painted on them and road signs! I wish I could have taken pictures of all the different ones I saw, but the Pedestrian Crossing sign was so cute I had to have it. This was actually taken on our way back from the beach, and we had to get Jim to pull over and almost stop in order to get the picture - HA HA! Thanks Jim!
Isn't it cute? It looks like little children!
Anyway, at Wahoo Bay, we just had a wonderful day in the sun. It's a resort with a hotel, but we just paid $15 for the day. We "claimed" our spot:
and we did things like this:
 |
| Swim in the ocean |
and this
 |
| Take beautiful pictures |
and this:
 |
| Amanda went snorkeling |
and this:
 |
| Johno (sp?) took a little photo shoot of himself (about 7 pictures) with Amanda's phone while she was snorkeling! LOL |
and this:
 |
| Swam in the salt water pool - the water was really cold. |
I forgot to mention, that the only "bad" thing that happened was that Pastor Dan got stung by a jellyfish while jumping off a small cliff into water that was not roped off. It was minor, and he was OK. We'd just been talking about the fact that they say if you pee on a sting like that it will take the pain away, so we told Dan he should go pee on his arm and he'd be fine!! He declined. LOL
On the way home Ken wanted to stop and take a picture of a building he'd seen on the way to the beach, so Jim pulls over so Ken could jump out and take this picture. The funny thing was that there was a Haitian man sitting on the wall Ken is standing on, and when Ken jumped out the the van, trying to be friendly, he says "BONSWAY!" really loud. It is supposed to be "Bonswa" - we laughed and laughed. We think the Haitian man was scared when this "blanc" jumped out of a van yelling "Bonsway!", so he moved down the wall and let Ken have his space. We laughed all the way back to Jim's.
That night after showering and putting on clean clothes, Jim, Debbie, and Donna took us to a pizza restaurant. I think they said it was actually a hotel that had the open air pizza restaurant. We ordered 3 pepperoni pizzas and 2 deluxe pizzas and only had 2 slices of pizza left. It was SO good!! There was a swimming pool right in the middle of the restaurant and Debbie said you could pay like $5 and just come swimming there. It was nice to see such a nice pool not at a resort. I told Donna, I could picture what their pool will be like someday!
 |
| Donna and Danny |
 |
| Pool at the restaurant |
It was a wonderful day just to relax and enjoy the beautiful side of Haiti. I kept saying "This is crazy. It's Jan. 3rd, and I'm laying on the beach in 90+ weather!" It was wonderful!!! It turned out to be a great day for Jim and Debbie and Donna as well. None of them had seen that part of Haiti before, and it did them good to sit and relax instead of working from dawn to dusk for everyone else. Jim and Debbie said they actually had over an hour just standing in the ocean and talking to one another. They said they hadn't really been able to do that since they got to Haiti and began working on their House of Hope. I think it did Donna a lot of good too, to just sit with her feet in the water and relax. I'm really glad we were able to go for ourselves, but to also be able to give them that time of relaxation - even it if was just for one day. WE LOVE YOU GUYS!!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Haiti - Day 5
Wednesday - January 2, 2013
This was one of the most emotionally, humbling, joyous days of my trip.
We began the day by walking to Sherrie's school and orphanage. She gave us a tour of her place and it was spectacular to see how much has been done since 2009. Allyson's first trip to Haiti in 2009 was to work on getting Sherri's school built. Here's a picture from 2009:
And here's a picture from our trip:
Big difference, huh?
Sherrie shared her testimony of how God brought her to Haiti. There was a lot in that testimony that Allyson needed to hear. I wanted to look at her and say, "Oh my gosh, that's you!" but I was close to tears and figured she was too, so I didn't even look her way.
After that Sherri took us for a walk through the ravine - the poorest area of Port Au Prince. Words cannot describe the conditions. I'm posting a few pictures here, but even the pictures cannot truly share what walking through this was like:
After the ravine, Jim stopped by Elizabeth's house. Elizabeth is an elderly woman who lives between the ravine and Jim's house who is dying of cancer. He wanted to see if she felt like us coming in and singing to her. She did, so we all packed into her little one room cement home and sang "Amazing Grace" and "How Great Thou Art" to her and then we prayed for her. Jim asked if any of us wanted to pray for her and no one spoke up. It wasn't because we didn't want to, it's because we couldn't speak without pure sobbing.
It was so hot. I actually had sweat dripping off my face, and I don't sweat like that, but I wouldn't change the experience of this day for anything - AND - I'd go do it again tomorrow!
In the afternoon we went to Pastor Ceynor's orphanage and this is where the joyous part of the day came in. The kids sang and danced for us, and then little Benji (sp?) prayed over each one of us. And he took his praying seriously! A good lesson for us all. Pastor Ceynor said he was praying for wisdom and understanding for Pastor Randall. It sounded like he was praying the same thing over all of us, but I can't be sure.
Pastor Ceynor shared his testimony with us also. Voodoo is very prevalent in Haiti. Pastor Ceynor came from a Voodoo background, but his parents were introduced to Christ. His mother's faith in Christ remained strong even when his father's faith wavered. Pastor Ceynor decided early on that he wanted Christ! At the age of 16 God called him to be an evangelist and he hasn't stopped since! I know there is evil everywhere, and I know there are demons everywhere, but we here in the US do not recognize demons like the Haitians do. We would do well to remember they are just as powerful here.
Our day is not over yet!! Whew! After lunch and a nap, we went to the Phillipine UN embassy place in Haiti. A new group of military folks had just gotten to Haiti for a 6 - 9 month stay. We were able to lead a worship service for them. I sang again and Pastor Dan preached. The funny thing was that all the men wanted a picture with all of the ladies from our group. They let Pastor Dan in since he preached! Ha! Then we went outside and the girls wanted their picture taken, then one by one the Phillipino men wanted to jump into their picture. It was hilarious!
Who knows where these pictures will show up!
On the way to the UN location, a mother with her child stopped the van to ask Jim for medical assistance for her child. Jim told her her would contact someone and get a doctor to her. The child was far too sick for Jim and Debbie to help. Jim said she had worms.
We're waiting for an update about the outcome of this situation.
The night got better, as two Haitian ladies cooked us a traditional Haitian meal. We thought we were going to have goat, but there wasn't enough in the freezer, so we got beef. But it wasn't like anything I'd eaten before. It was really good!! We also had beet potato salad, pickley (sp?), rice, fried plantain . . . It was DELICIOUS!!! I liked it all!!
The challenge I took away from today is this: Seeing what I've seen and knowing what I now know, what am I going to do with it now that I'm back home?
- I'm challenged to grow in my faith and to know my Jesus better.
- I'm challenged to help Allyson in every way I can to get to Haiti.
- I'm challenged to love people more and to be intentional about it. This one is going to be more difficult for me. I'm shy, and I shy away from talking to people I don't know. I will go to the ATM at the bank because I don't have to deal with a person. I need to be intentional about going through the same check out line in the grocery store and getting to know the cashier. I need to be intentional about going into the bank and get to know the tellers. Whew! I have to psych my self up to do these kinds of things - you all just don't know! But I'm definitely challenged and will begin with baby steps. I'll get more sure on my feet, I know.
This was one of the most emotionally, humbling, joyous days of my trip.
We began the day by walking to Sherrie's school and orphanage. She gave us a tour of her place and it was spectacular to see how much has been done since 2009. Allyson's first trip to Haiti in 2009 was to work on getting Sherri's school built. Here's a picture from 2009:
And here's a picture from our trip:
Big difference, huh?
Sherrie shared her testimony of how God brought her to Haiti. There was a lot in that testimony that Allyson needed to hear. I wanted to look at her and say, "Oh my gosh, that's you!" but I was close to tears and figured she was too, so I didn't even look her way.
After that Sherri took us for a walk through the ravine - the poorest area of Port Au Prince. Words cannot describe the conditions. I'm posting a few pictures here, but even the pictures cannot truly share what walking through this was like:
After the ravine, Jim stopped by Elizabeth's house. Elizabeth is an elderly woman who lives between the ravine and Jim's house who is dying of cancer. He wanted to see if she felt like us coming in and singing to her. She did, so we all packed into her little one room cement home and sang "Amazing Grace" and "How Great Thou Art" to her and then we prayed for her. Jim asked if any of us wanted to pray for her and no one spoke up. It wasn't because we didn't want to, it's because we couldn't speak without pure sobbing.
It was so hot. I actually had sweat dripping off my face, and I don't sweat like that, but I wouldn't change the experience of this day for anything - AND - I'd go do it again tomorrow!
In the afternoon we went to Pastor Ceynor's orphanage and this is where the joyous part of the day came in. The kids sang and danced for us, and then little Benji (sp?) prayed over each one of us. And he took his praying seriously! A good lesson for us all. Pastor Ceynor said he was praying for wisdom and understanding for Pastor Randall. It sounded like he was praying the same thing over all of us, but I can't be sure.
Pastor Ceynor shared his testimony with us also. Voodoo is very prevalent in Haiti. Pastor Ceynor came from a Voodoo background, but his parents were introduced to Christ. His mother's faith in Christ remained strong even when his father's faith wavered. Pastor Ceynor decided early on that he wanted Christ! At the age of 16 God called him to be an evangelist and he hasn't stopped since! I know there is evil everywhere, and I know there are demons everywhere, but we here in the US do not recognize demons like the Haitians do. We would do well to remember they are just as powerful here.
Our day is not over yet!! Whew! After lunch and a nap, we went to the Phillipine UN embassy place in Haiti. A new group of military folks had just gotten to Haiti for a 6 - 9 month stay. We were able to lead a worship service for them. I sang again and Pastor Dan preached. The funny thing was that all the men wanted a picture with all of the ladies from our group. They let Pastor Dan in since he preached! Ha! Then we went outside and the girls wanted their picture taken, then one by one the Phillipino men wanted to jump into their picture. It was hilarious!
Who knows where these pictures will show up!
On the way to the UN location, a mother with her child stopped the van to ask Jim for medical assistance for her child. Jim told her her would contact someone and get a doctor to her. The child was far too sick for Jim and Debbie to help. Jim said she had worms.
We're waiting for an update about the outcome of this situation.
The night got better, as two Haitian ladies cooked us a traditional Haitian meal. We thought we were going to have goat, but there wasn't enough in the freezer, so we got beef. But it wasn't like anything I'd eaten before. It was really good!! We also had beet potato salad, pickley (sp?), rice, fried plantain . . . It was DELICIOUS!!! I liked it all!!
The challenge I took away from today is this: Seeing what I've seen and knowing what I now know, what am I going to do with it now that I'm back home?
- I'm challenged to grow in my faith and to know my Jesus better.
- I'm challenged to help Allyson in every way I can to get to Haiti.
- I'm challenged to love people more and to be intentional about it. This one is going to be more difficult for me. I'm shy, and I shy away from talking to people I don't know. I will go to the ATM at the bank because I don't have to deal with a person. I need to be intentional about going through the same check out line in the grocery store and getting to know the cashier. I need to be intentional about going into the bank and get to know the tellers. Whew! I have to psych my self up to do these kinds of things - you all just don't know! But I'm definitely challenged and will begin with baby steps. I'll get more sure on my feet, I know.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Haiti - Day 4
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
When I awoke this morning, I had no idea what kind of impact the first day of the new year would bring.
The day began just like yesterday did. The guys worked around Jim and Debbie's and we ladies went back over to Dorothy's.
Dorothy wanted a plan today, so we decided it would be a good day to do a movie with the kids after lunch. Allyson, Cassie, and Amanda went straight outside with the bigger kids while Amy and I stayed in with the babies. It was soon time for lunch and then we did as planned and brought them in for a movie. A "Wallace & Grommit" movie was chosen by one of the kids. I had never seen one of these movies before but both my girls had loved them, as they used to watch them in school. It was quite entertaining! Some of the smaller kids lost interest after a little bit and began coloring and combing our hair and just anything but sitting and watching the movie. The bigger kids were glued to it, though. I know they understand a bit of English even though they don't speak it, but I wondered how much of the movie they understood.
After the movie we left to go back to Jim and Debbie's. Back at the house we got a nap and then had dinner and played some games. Allyson and I had mentioned to Jim, Debbie, and Donna that we would like to schedule some time to talk to them and after dinner had been mentioned; however, between things needing to be done time got away from us. Donna, Allyson, and I were playing Rummikub when they asked us about talking. It was getting late and we said we could wait until tomorrow. But, here is where my day turned around . . . somehow our conversation with Donna over the game turned serious and the talk begin without us really meaning for it to. Shortly Jim came out and said he and Debbie could talk if we wanted, and so they did. There had not been any real God moments for me today until this talk . . .
They all had some really good advice and brought up a lot of things we needed to think about. There were also a lot of tears. This evening was one of the most emotionally and spiritually challenging days of the week for me - if not THE most. Here's what I wrote in my journal that night (without talking to Allyson):
This is what I came away from our talk with:
1) Allyson definitely feels a calling to go to Haiti, but she's in limbo as to where God wants her to work specifically. Everyone agreed that is a tough place to be.
2) Jim advised to not sit and wait but to take the next step forward. While taking that next step, continue praying for clarity. Some of the next steps I gleaned are:
a) Begin learning the language
b) Contact Amber, another 22 yr old missionary who just finished a year in Haiti. She is from Virginia and has a dream to open a trade school in the ravine section of town. (side note: On Wednesday, Jim showed us the building she hopes to purchase)
c) We need to begin making a list of expenses Allyson will have while living in Haiti; i.e. rent, food, supplies, hiring Hatian help, travel expenses, etc. so that we can come up with the total amount of support Allyson will need to raise in order to live in Haiti for a year.
I wondered even at that moment, if Jim giving Allyson Amber's name was God's way of getting them together to work together. Amber needs some organizational and administrative help and Allyson is good a that. I then thought that I'd mention to her (though I never did) that if that all worked out maybe they could also organize a day care for the people that came and that would provide Allyson a way to minister to the children also! I went to bed emotionally exhausted, yet very proud of my baby girl! I cried myself to sleep.
Now that we've been home a week, I feel very strongly that I am to be Allyson's "CEO" if you will. Help her in learning the language so that she has someone to "use" it with, help her with fund raising when the time comes, etc. etc. I haven't mentioned this to her yet either - she'll probably read it here before I get the chance. So, Allyson if you are hearing this for the first time from reading this - is that OK with you?
Now, remember how I said above that I wrote down those things that very night (without talking to Allyson) and the idea of a day care crossed my mind (but I never verbalized it)? Well, I want you to read Allyson's blog about this very same conversation and what she took away from it. (And she puts it into words much better than I ever could) . . .
http://livinghisdesign.blogspot.com/2013/01/escaping-limbo-im-moving-to-haiti.html
Did we come away with the same exact things? And what about the conversation with Amber and the day care center part? For BOTH of us to come out of that conversation - without talking to each other about it - with the same exact things, if that is not God confirming what our next forward steps are, then I don't know what is. I, also, had been telling people that I felt like it might take us a year to do what we needed to do before she actually moved - and then Allyson is saying the same thing as well. This may not seem like a big thing to you, but it is HUGE to me. Allyson and I don't always see things the same way, but on this we are on the exact same page. I love you Allyson Hemric!! And I am SO VERY proud of you!!
Now to a confession and another step - that I need to do. It's been very difficult to relay what happened in Haiti to Randy. I actually haven't tried very hard, as I really am still processing it all myself. Part of that processing is re-living the days again through these posts. As soon as I am finished processing it all - in the next few days - I need to be sure Randy is on board with this because Allyson is going to need us both behind her 110%!! I have no doubt he will be on board, it is just so difficult to relay exactly what one experiences on a trip like this, and I so want to share it. I'm really looking forward to what this year has in store for us, and because I know there is a lot to consider and to do, I'm trying to simplify my life. I quit the Duke Chorus. After this year of Baptist Singers (which ends in May) I am not going to participate in that any longer either. Helping Allyson is going to be a BIG focus for me this year, and I can't wait to get started!!
When I awoke this morning, I had no idea what kind of impact the first day of the new year would bring.
The day began just like yesterday did. The guys worked around Jim and Debbie's and we ladies went back over to Dorothy's.
Dorothy wanted a plan today, so we decided it would be a good day to do a movie with the kids after lunch. Allyson, Cassie, and Amanda went straight outside with the bigger kids while Amy and I stayed in with the babies. It was soon time for lunch and then we did as planned and brought them in for a movie. A "Wallace & Grommit" movie was chosen by one of the kids. I had never seen one of these movies before but both my girls had loved them, as they used to watch them in school. It was quite entertaining! Some of the smaller kids lost interest after a little bit and began coloring and combing our hair and just anything but sitting and watching the movie. The bigger kids were glued to it, though. I know they understand a bit of English even though they don't speak it, but I wondered how much of the movie they understood.
After the movie we left to go back to Jim and Debbie's. Back at the house we got a nap and then had dinner and played some games. Allyson and I had mentioned to Jim, Debbie, and Donna that we would like to schedule some time to talk to them and after dinner had been mentioned; however, between things needing to be done time got away from us. Donna, Allyson, and I were playing Rummikub when they asked us about talking. It was getting late and we said we could wait until tomorrow. But, here is where my day turned around . . . somehow our conversation with Donna over the game turned serious and the talk begin without us really meaning for it to. Shortly Jim came out and said he and Debbie could talk if we wanted, and so they did. There had not been any real God moments for me today until this talk . . .
They all had some really good advice and brought up a lot of things we needed to think about. There were also a lot of tears. This evening was one of the most emotionally and spiritually challenging days of the week for me - if not THE most. Here's what I wrote in my journal that night (without talking to Allyson):
This is what I came away from our talk with:
1) Allyson definitely feels a calling to go to Haiti, but she's in limbo as to where God wants her to work specifically. Everyone agreed that is a tough place to be.
2) Jim advised to not sit and wait but to take the next step forward. While taking that next step, continue praying for clarity. Some of the next steps I gleaned are:
a) Begin learning the language
b) Contact Amber, another 22 yr old missionary who just finished a year in Haiti. She is from Virginia and has a dream to open a trade school in the ravine section of town. (side note: On Wednesday, Jim showed us the building she hopes to purchase)
c) We need to begin making a list of expenses Allyson will have while living in Haiti; i.e. rent, food, supplies, hiring Hatian help, travel expenses, etc. so that we can come up with the total amount of support Allyson will need to raise in order to live in Haiti for a year.
I wondered even at that moment, if Jim giving Allyson Amber's name was God's way of getting them together to work together. Amber needs some organizational and administrative help and Allyson is good a that. I then thought that I'd mention to her (though I never did) that if that all worked out maybe they could also organize a day care for the people that came and that would provide Allyson a way to minister to the children also! I went to bed emotionally exhausted, yet very proud of my baby girl! I cried myself to sleep.
Now that we've been home a week, I feel very strongly that I am to be Allyson's "CEO" if you will. Help her in learning the language so that she has someone to "use" it with, help her with fund raising when the time comes, etc. etc. I haven't mentioned this to her yet either - she'll probably read it here before I get the chance. So, Allyson if you are hearing this for the first time from reading this - is that OK with you?
Now, remember how I said above that I wrote down those things that very night (without talking to Allyson) and the idea of a day care crossed my mind (but I never verbalized it)? Well, I want you to read Allyson's blog about this very same conversation and what she took away from it. (And she puts it into words much better than I ever could) . . .
http://livinghisdesign.blogspot.com/2013/01/escaping-limbo-im-moving-to-haiti.html
Did we come away with the same exact things? And what about the conversation with Amber and the day care center part? For BOTH of us to come out of that conversation - without talking to each other about it - with the same exact things, if that is not God confirming what our next forward steps are, then I don't know what is. I, also, had been telling people that I felt like it might take us a year to do what we needed to do before she actually moved - and then Allyson is saying the same thing as well. This may not seem like a big thing to you, but it is HUGE to me. Allyson and I don't always see things the same way, but on this we are on the exact same page. I love you Allyson Hemric!! And I am SO VERY proud of you!!
Now to a confession and another step - that I need to do. It's been very difficult to relay what happened in Haiti to Randy. I actually haven't tried very hard, as I really am still processing it all myself. Part of that processing is re-living the days again through these posts. As soon as I am finished processing it all - in the next few days - I need to be sure Randy is on board with this because Allyson is going to need us both behind her 110%!! I have no doubt he will be on board, it is just so difficult to relay exactly what one experiences on a trip like this, and I so want to share it. I'm really looking forward to what this year has in store for us, and because I know there is a lot to consider and to do, I'm trying to simplify my life. I quit the Duke Chorus. After this year of Baptist Singers (which ends in May) I am not going to participate in that any longer either. Helping Allyson is going to be a BIG focus for me this year, and I can't wait to get started!!
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