Haiti - Day 3

Monday, December 31, 2012

NEW YEAR'S EVE - In Haiti!!  Cool huh?

Today started out with the guys of the group doing some projects around Jim and Debbie's:  Building more bunk beds, making screens for the windows, installing a hot water heater for the kitchen sink, installing a washing machine, etc.  

We girls went to Dorothy's orphanage.  The Faith Hope Love Infant Rescue orphanage.  This is the place that stole Allyson's heart way back in 2009 when she first visited Haiti.  Dorothy  nurses malnourished and special needs infants back to health and then returns them to their families.  She also provides permanent care for children with HIV and/or special needs.  There are currently over 25 children there, all hungry for attention and love.   I was so excited to finally meet Dorothy and all of the kids that Allyson has fallen in love with and Samuel, Dorothy's driver too!  

 
   (Dorothy and Lovensky)

You could hear the kids chanting "Cassie-Allyson! Cassie-Allyson!" as we pulled into the driveway.  Allyson couldn't get out of the truck and into that yard fast enough.  I followed her out to hear the chanting first hand!  They were all so excited to see "Cassie-Allyson".  They, of course, were excited to see all of us too and before we could even get down 2 steps we had 3 children climbing on us!  Johnny, Allyson's favorite, gave me a HUGE hug and was not shy at all.  When Allyson told him I was her Mama, he looked at us both with a sheepish little grin.  After the initial onslaught, we went back inside to see the babies and Allyson introduced all of them to me.  I met Tamara, the little girl with OI who broke her femur last time Allyson was there.  She has the most expressive eyes of any child I have ever seen.  Her break from last May is all healed now and that child can go where ever she wants to by scooting around on her elbows and knees.  I gathered that she is the "leader" in the baby room.  There was a new baby - Mathieu.  He is 3 months old and is only at Dorothy's because his mother died during childbirth and his grandmother cannot raise him.  So sweet!!  

(Amy and Tamara)

Me and Baby Mathieu

(OK, I know I look rough, but geez, it was HOT people!!  And you know my hair doesn't do well in the humidity anyway - plus there were no conveniences like a hairdryer.  It was what it was.)

Another missionary who Allyson became friends with last time there - and who helped her out with Tamara's broken leg - was there awaiting a ride to Gonaives where she is now serving.  Her name is Katie.  Katie walked us down to The Apparent Project to do a little bit of shopping.  The Apparent Project is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that empowers poor Hatian families.  It allows them to work a trade to make money for food.  They make some of the most beautiful jewelry - out of magazines and cereal boxes!  You should check out their website:  http://apparentproject.org/   

Shopping at The Apparent Project

Katie left us there to walk back by ourselves.  Allyson said she knew the way.  Well, on our way back we took a wrong turn at a fork in the road.  Thank goodness we realized that things looked different before we got too far.  I was laughing about getting lost in Haiti.  We got back to Dorothy's and loved on the kids for a while longer and then went back to Jim and Debbie's.

Back at the house we helped the guys finish up a project, took naps and then we all got showers.  Another mission team staying down the road at Sherrie's - she runs the Christian Light School and Children's Home - was going to come over after dinner for snacks, games, singing, etc.  We didn't get to games, but we had some really good snacks and then went up on the roof for some singing.  They brought guitars and we sang for over an hour.  

 



Then at 11:30 Randall and Dan led us in a communion service on the rooftop and at midnight we watched fireworks all over the mountainside.   A very very nice way to bring in the new year!  Allyson said the fireworks were not as grandiose as they saw from Dorothy's roof last year, but we saw enough to make it worthwhile!   Donna shared a devotion about us having to be broken in order to really shine the light of Christ.  She used glow sticks as an example.  We all got one and broke it to make it shine in the dark of the night - the same way we need to shine Christ's love into the darkness of this world.

At 1:15 am when I was writing about the day in my journal, the music and partying was going strong - and LOUD - we girls put in earplugs and took a sleep aid to help us sleep through that because it went all.night.long.  Not only was it New Year's, but Jan. 1 is Haiti's Independence Day as well - so it was party week in Haiti! 

  

Haiti - Day 2

Sunday - December 30, 2012

We awoke at 6 am to a wonderful breakfast and then headed out to Pastor Ceynor's church.  This is the church that Grey Stone has helped so much with.  He used to be referred to as "the rooftop church", but that building was damaged in the earthquake so he had to move locations.  Below is a picture from his current location looking out over the hillside and his former location was out there somewhere.  He pointed out where, but I never fully understood where he was talking about.

Pastor Ceynor is a wonderful man of God.  I liked him immediately!!  It was very cool listening to this Hatian congregation singing in a different language.  They had an electric guitar and drums and a very expressive worship leader!  I wish now that I'd taken some video of the worship service - note to self:  Do this next time you go!!     It was also VERY LOUD.   I found out later; however, that the reason is so that the message is heard all over the mountainside for those that are unable to physically attend.  And not to mention, those that would not attend are also hearing the message!!  I sang 2 songs for them and Randall preached.

I thought I had a picture of me as well, but can't find it. - sorry!


At the end of the service Pastor Ceynor had 3 ladies and an older couple come up front for Randall to pray specifically for.  At the time we did not know the individual stories of these folks, but after the service when Pastor Ceynor was showing us the school area, he told us about the ladies.  They were all involved in prostitution.  They told Pastor Ceynor that they cannot be baptized because of this sin in their lives, but they cannot stop either.  One of the ladies in particular is basically a prostitute slave to a married man.  He pays her $100 a week (I believe) and that is how she feeds her family which consists of herself and several siblings.  If she were to break it off with this man, she would have to uproot her family and move very far away because he might kill her.  In trying to put his heartache into English words for us he said "I have tears in my heart."  What an incredible description of heartache.  I cannot fathom the magnitude of desperation that is to prostitute yourself just to put food on the table.

Every single person in that congregation came by to shake our hands, hug us, and even the children kissed our cheeks to let us know they were glad we were there.   I felt very welcome!   While Pastor Ceynor was showing us around the church property, which consisted of a couple of homes and a school, a couple of the ladies that lived in one of the homes came over and was rubbing my hair.  They did the same to Allyson's as well.  I think the liked the softness and the feel of it.  It was hilarious!!  I would never walk up to a stranger from another country and just start rubbing their head!!  I didn't mind - I just thought it very funny!!!  I wish someone had taken a picture of that!

Pastor Ceynor just hugged me in a big 'ole bear hug and told me how much my singing had blessed him.   I could sing for him all the time!   Below are some more pictures around Pastor Ceynor's church:

This afternoon we went to the Phillipine UN place.  I'm not exactly sure of the name of it.  The military folks there had just arrived a few days before and will be there for 6 - 9 months.  Pastor Lenny (whom we did not get to meet because he was out of the country) is a Phillipino pastor in Haiti.  He and Jim Hambrick work with the folks at the UN location.  We went and led a worship service for them.  I sang again and Dan Curry, our college/young adult pastor, preached.  They all speak English, so this was more "normal" for us.

The funny thing was that they all wanted to have their picture taken with us - - but not all of us - just the ladies - and Pastor Dan.  Ha!  Then outside Allyson, Amanda, and Cassie were posing to have their picture taken and each of the Phillipino guys wanted to jump in - individually - and have their picture taken with them. It was hilarious!!  Allyson said who knows where their pictures are going to end up!!  All over Facebook!!  Ha!

We went back to Jim and Debbie's for dinner and games.  NOTE:  Dan is funny when he is tired!  Enough said.

Haiti - Day 1

(NOTE:  These Haiti blogs are being written after the trip because I could not get onto a piece of technology due to the fact that everyone.else.had.one and was on it constantly.  I just need to invest in my own for my next trip.)

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Departure day for Haiti.  I did not sleep well the night before.  Part excitement and part scared that I would oversleep.  My night went like this:

10:30 - go to bed
11:30 - look @ clock
1:00 - look @ clock, get up and go to bathroom
2:00 - look @ clock
3:30 - look @ clock
4:00 - ALARM!  (now I'm sleeping good - go figure!)

Allyson and I arrive at church at 5:00 (our meeting time) and we're the last ones there - again, go figure (Strike 1).  We get our luggage on the bus, have a prayer, and head out to the airport.  We all get checked in and through security.  I stop at the bathroom.  When I come out Allyson, Cassie & Amanda have stopped to get a muffin, so I wait for them.  We are walking to our gate when we here Randall saying "Run!!! They are about to close the door to the plane!!"  Seriously?  I had no idea we were THAT close to time. (Strike 2). We did, of course, make it and found out that they'd been calling our names!!!!  OMG!  None of us heard our names.  HA HA HA!  Wouldn't THAT have been something if we'd missed our flight!  I don't even want to think about it!

I guess because of the last minute rushing, etc., Allyson gets hot and light headed on the plane.  I had somehow ended up with her breakfast and we were not sitting anywhere close to each other.  When the pilot finally turned off the seat belt sing, I asked Ken to take the breakfast to Allyson since he was in the aisle seat.  He came back and said he thought she was sick because she had the barf bag out.  Mama worry for her baby came out then. I could see her and kept an eye on her the rest of the flight.  I think the water and muffin helped.  From there on out we were fine!!

We arrived in Haiti around 4pm.  The airport in Haiti has been updated with air conditioning, a baggage conveyor belt.  It is still behind the times compared to airports in the US, but Allyson was bummed that those of us who had never been to Haiti before did not get to experience the Haitian airport like it used to be!!  We'd been warned about guys trying to help us with our luggage - they are all standing around in red shirts and look "official", but they are not and just want you to pay them.   It wasn't as bad as I expected.  Jim was waiting for us with a nice 12 passenger van.  Again, Allyson and Danny both thought we were not getting the true Haitian experience since we didn't have to sit on our luggage in a tap-tap.   I was good with the van.

Jim and Debbie's place is already amazing and it is going to be even better when it is all finished!!  We got all settled in and had a wonderful spaghetti dinner.  Jim' sister, Donna, is in Haiti with them and within the first 5 minutes they all made us feel so at home and it was as if we'd known them all our lives.

1ST IMPRESSIONS OF HAITI:
1.  I would have been in a major culture shock overload if I had not already heard and seen Haiti through Allyson.
2.  It is chaos!  People everywhere, cars everywhere, if there are traffic laws - well . . .
3.  They try to get money - especially from Americans - any way they can.  I mentioned the lugged at the airport already, but on the streets when the van comes to a stop, the come from every corner and begin wiping down you vehicle wanting you to tip them.  Jim just kept shaking his head no and would pull off when he could move again.
4.  The roads are horrible.  They beat you to death.  Most of them are just dirt roads with major bumps and holes, etc.  I don't know how Jim keeps tires on that van!
5.  When we first got out of the van, there was this wonderful aroma.  I thought it was our dinner!!  I later learned it was the bakery next door - - oh my goodness!

After dinner we made plans for our next day.  We got ready for bed with a cold shower (no hot water) - but after the initial shock, it felt good!  We had screens on our door and windows and had a fan so I was pretty comfortable during the  night.  I slept pretty good being in a new strange place, but I think not sleeping the night before helped that as well.  I went to sleep with big anticipation for the week!!

Final Thoughts Before Departing for Haiti

Well, we are down to 10 hours before departing for Haiti.  So, what goes through your mind before one departs for their first international mission trip?   A lot of things!!

1.  I'm really excited!  So excited that I hope I can sleep tonight!!
2.  Allyson had to help me pack - she said I was struggling.   She was right.  I was trying to pack "perfectly".
3.  I really want to be used and hope that I can get out of the way of myself so that God can use me as He wants to.
4.  My american, wealthy self is worried about "looking bad" with no hairdryer to "fix" my hair, and minimal make-up.  I'm sure I'll get over that really quickly - - at least I hope so.  I don't want my vanity to get in the way either. 
5.  Even though I've seen Allyson's pictures and heard her stories, etc., I'm wondering what it is going to be like. 
6.  I'm a little scared of being pulled out of my comfort zone - - but then that is really when I'll depend on God and He can really do His work - - so it is exciting at the same time!!
7.  Be prepared to share my testimony . . . hmmmm.  I'd been wondering how to share my testimony to people that live in so much poverty - at least compared to what I live in.  So I asked God what part of my testimony I needed to share.  He impressed upon me that He created us to have a relationship with us.  A personal relationship.  He wants to walk with us in every aspect of our lives - like he did with Adam in the Garden in the beginning.  So my testimony goes like this:

I was fortunate to grow up in a place where there are churches everywhere and we have our pick of which one to attend.  Because of this I cannot remember a time when I did not know who God was.  I knew His Son, Jesus, came to earth and died on the cross.  I'm not sure I really understood the significance of what He did or why He did it.  I knew there was a Heaven and a Hell, but my little brain thought you went to Heaven if you were a good person and Hell if you were a bad person.  I was OK with that because I was a good person.  I just didn't understand at the time what the measuring stick was Perfection!  No one is perfect.  I learned that when I was in my early 20s.  That's when I realized I was not good enough for Heaven and that I needed a Savior.  That's when I asked Jesus to be my Savior and my Lord.   THEN, , , it got really good because it was then that I began to learn that not only did God want to save me, He wanted a relationship with me.  He, God Almighty Himself, wanted to know me and wanted me to know Him - like a friend.   This was another life changing moment for me.  Right now in my life I am working to cultivate that relationship.  Some days I do really well at it, and others - - well, not so well.  Just like with my human relationships - some days they are great, and other days - - - well, not so well.  Thankfully, my God is patient with me and He is always right there when I come back to work on that relationship again.   He knows you!  He knows your name, He knows how many hairs are on your head.  And He wants you to know Him and to have a relationship with Him.

Please pray that this testimony is one that someone needs to hear and that I can get out of the way for God to use it.

Christmas Eve

Hello, Christmas Eve!  You have arrived!!!  (It's currently 12:20am on 12/24)

I was finished wrapping presents BEFORE you arrived!! (barely, but I was)

Earlier in the year, I felt like you were coming way too soon; but, now that you are here, it's not too soon at all!

I'm looking forward to what you have to bring this year:
     - time with family
     - good food
     - gifts, of course, make the day fun
     - games
     - but this year, I've been challenged to really take a look at how well I know the person that we are really celebrating - - Jesus!

You see, as we begin to really celebrate Jesus' birth, I have been reminded twice already - in one day no less -  that we are wise when we seek Him.  I've also been reading a book that has challenged me to determine if I really depend on Him.  In this country, we are really very wealthy people, even if we think we are not.  And I've been challenged to look deep to determine if I rely and depend on God to provide for me - in ALL ways.  I think because we are a wealthy people that we don't tend to really rely on God as we should.

I'm about to embark on a mission trip to Haiti.  I began planning to go on this trip because my daughter's heart is in Haiti.  I thought it was time to go see this place and these people that she loves so much, and I thought it would be great to experience it with her.  And I am REALLY excited to be able to do that.  I have already begun to be challenged; however, by another missionary (the book I mentioned above is written by a Ugandan missionary).  We will only be in Haiti for basically 7 days, but I want to show and share Christ's love to whomever I am supposed to.   LOVE - that's really all mission work is.  Love on those God has put in your path in order to show His love - which is the ultimate love.  I hope I can do that.  I'm beginning to think that God has way more in store for me than just experiencing this land and people with my daughter.   I don't know what will happen, but I am really getting excited about it!!

More to come . . . 

Exercise Update and Other Random Thoughts

So, it's been almost 2 months since my last post.  Swimming has continued to go well.  Now that the outside, free pool has closed, I was forced to get a gym membership.  I ended up going with the Brodie/Wilson gyms on campus through Duke's Fitness Program.  It's only $17/month!!  Cheap, I tell you!!   Anyway, my membership was activated last week.  I was out of town Monday and Tuesday, and Wednesdays are no swim days for me anyway, so I went Thursday and Friday.  Brodie is nice!  It has 4 lap lanes that go from 4 1/2 feet on one end to 8 feet on the other - whew!  I'm gonna have to get where I can swim an entire lap without stopping AND learn how to do the flip turn because at the 8 foot end, I have to hang onto the pool to rest.  Then it's hard to get a good push off to swim back.  They have a nice locker room area, and I'm beginning to get a plan in place about what to take with me everyday to make my changing time more efficient.  I've had several people ask me how much weight I've lost.  They say they can tell.  I can tell my clothes are fitting differently, but the scales have not changed any.  But if others can tell I'm losing inches, then that's GREAT!  I need to set a goal for between now and Christmas.  Let's see, that's 13 weeks.   I could, conceivably, lose up to 26 pounds, but the scales just aren't my friend, so maybe I should concentrate on inches (?).  That means I need to measure myself.  And then I need to figure out what a reasonable goal would be - - hmmm.  I'll have to google that.  I'll let you know what I decide.

Other random thoughts . . .

I'm in SUCH a funk right now - I don't want to cook, I don't want to read my Sunday School stuff, I don't want to plan children's choir, I just don't really want to do much of anything.  What is wrong with me????? Maybe I need some beach time - just me and the beach!!

I got my passport the other day, and money is starting to come in for Haiti.  That still seems like a non-reality at this point for me, yet I am looking forward to it.  I want some of the exercise mentioned above to help "lighten my load" before that trip!!

I'm playing Fantasy Football again this year with a group from my office!  So far I'm 2 - 0 and it looks like after this week I'll be 3-0.  I won last year!  Oh, yes I did!  :)

I'm boring, so that's about all of the random thoughts I have for now.

Exercise - Part 2

Well, the swimming has begun!  It has been 1 month since my post about starting this exercise.  I have improved quite a bit since that very first night - when I couldn't even swim the entire length of the pool without stopping and sucking air!  Allyson is much better than I, but I am doing it!  I can actually make 10 - 12 laps (20 - 24 lengths of the pool) in 45 minutes now.  I am still stopping after each length, but not resting as long as I used to - - so progress has been made!

So, we haven't quite gotten 4 nights/days of swimming in each week as I'd originally hoped, but we have gone at least twice each week together!  Allyson as gone some without me, which I haven't ventured out to do yet without her.  She is such a motivator for me, though.  And while she does give me a hard time, she's my cheerleader too, and I appreciate that so much!

I've been sick for almost a week, so it's been a week since I've been in the pool.  I may not make it back until Thursday this week - but I am finally feeling like I want to, so that's a big plus!! I went Sunday afternoon to sit and watch as Allyson swam, so she didn't have to go alone - AND - to get out of the house.  I found myself missing it, actually!  That's good!  Real good!!   So, while this week is not looking like a 4 out of  nigher either, that's OK.  Next week is a new week!  Just keep doing what you can do when and where you can do it!

I've got to be looking into what to do after the summer and the free pool is closed.  Time for a gym membership somewhere.  I just need to do my homework!